Some characters slip quietly into cultural memory, while others burn their way in, leaving behind embers that never cool. Hedda Gabler is one of those. Part muse, part monster, she has been a symbol of desire and destruction for over a century, filled with a restlessness that goes beyond the parlor rooms that trap her. Now, filmmaker Nia DaCosta—known for exploring power imbalances and personal agency through a subversive genre lens, from 2020’s Candyman to 2023’s The Marvels (the highest-grossing film directed by a Black woman)—brings Hedda into a new light with her bold reimagining of Ibsen’s classic play, set in 1950s England.
Working with Tessa Thompson—who starred in DaCosta’s 2018 debut, Little Woods, about two sisters fighting for survival and freedom in rural North Dakota—she transforms one of literature’s most mysterious heroines into something sharper: a portrait of womanhood caught between performance and authenticity, constraint and rebellion. The 35-year-old writer-director spoke with Vogue from her London home about reclaiming Hedda for today, what the character would wear if she were alive now, and why a 19th-century protagonist still feels strikingly relevant.
Vogue: I admit I didn’t know anything about Hedda Gabler before seeing this.
Nia DaCosta: That’s a great way to approach it. If you watch 10 Things I Hate About You, you don’t need to have read Taming of the Shrew. It stands on its own but is heavily inspired by this play I love. I wanted to take everything I loved about Hedda and build a world around her that highlighted those qualities.
Vogue: What did you see in the play that hadn’t been emphasized in other interpretations?
DaCosta: Hedda is deeply sad but also funny, cunning, and a bit ridiculous. She feels intensely but also feels empty, and I found all that complexity fascinating. I also thought the play was quite sexy and felt there should be more of that. There’s yearning, an unrequited, unconsummated obsession, and a predatory, game-like dynamic.
Vogue: Did any themes feel especially urgent today?
DaCosta: Hedda is a woman confined by society in a specific way, which relates to the limits placed on us and the ones we impose on ourselves—sometimes due to our background, trauma, or fear. I found all that very human and thought it was a compelling way to explore these issues through a character who’s hard to side with. Yes, she does terrible, unforgivable things, but you can see her desperate to live, yearning to love, and falling short because of those limitations, both external and internal.
Vogue: You always had Tessa Thompson in mind for the role. What made her perfect for it?
DaCosta: When I wrote this in 2018, we were in the midst of Little Woods premiering. We’ve been close friends since we met ten years ago. She’s an artist and person I deeply admire, and great to be around. Tessa excels at portraying characters with inner turmoil, projecting it subtly, like in Passing. That suited Hedda perfectly because I didn’t want to overexplain her or force empathy on the audience. How do you justify someone urging another to kill themselves or destroying their life’s work? It’s not about forgiving her—it’s about presenting her as valid. Tessa handles all that brilliantly. She also immersed herself in the role, reading many translations and watching every available film or theater production.
Vogue: She uses a specific accent too, right?
DaCosta: Yes, her accent reflects her performance of class, as part of her damage comes from being the illegitimate child of a respected white general and a Black woman.She never talks about her mother. She’s always trying to fit into her father’s world, and every choice she makes is aimed at that goal. In some scenes, you notice her exaggerating her accent, while in others, when she’s more emotionally vulnerable, it softens because she’s being more authentic. When is she wearing the mask, and when is it off?
I wanted to ask about a powerful scene where visible nipples are quite noticeable. [Chuckles.] I just wanted to see Hedda methodically tear this person down. Not as a calculated mastermind, but as someone who repeatedly chooses the worst option. She sees Loveborg (Hedda’s former lover, now her husband’s rival, played by Nina Hoss) in that state and knows she can humiliate her. Hedda claims to love her but treats her so cruelly. Then Loveborg walks into the room, and it’s utterly mortifying. Yet, she captivates all those men with her intellect. That’s what she’s been craving all along. You begin to realize she faces this hostile environment daily and endures it.
Describing the movie’s style as just “stylish” doesn’t capture it. You and cinematographer Sean Bobbitt aimed to avoid making it look like a typical stuffy English period piece without over-stylizing it. I deliberately thought we could incorporate murder-mystery elements and English country-house weekend vibes. I wanted it to fit within that tradition but not look like every other period drama, avoiding over-familiarity. It had to reflect the unique woman at its center, and everything we see should be from her perspective. Production designer Cara Brower and I furnished the house with old, traditional 1950s furniture, but the dining room portrait—now in my own dining room—is a Cubist modern-art piece. We added Art Deco touches, like black lacquer and leopard print, since that style was resurgent in the ’50s. We wanted it to feel like a blend of the era and this modern woman, with that clash evident throughout the film.
What inspirations influenced the film’s look? We had a guiding principle that no 20-minute segment should look the same. It’s about a party spiraling out of control, so as things darken, the lighting dims. Then there’s the fire—a key element in Hedda Gabler—followed by the cold light of day, where everything is stark, blue, and solemn. The work of Danish painter Vilhelm Hammershoi was an inspiration; his art is beautiful, spare, evocative, and full of emotion.
I was really impressed by the costumes. I adore Balenciaga. The 1950s were the peak for French fashion houses. It’s amusing to compare Balenciaga now to when Balenciaga was alive—they’re very different. It was an era of both sexiness and modesty. Loveborg was the most intriguing character to design. Would she be a Katharine Hepburn type or embrace femininity? Costume designer Lindsay Pugh and I settled on a dress that shows she’s a woman balancing both. She’s constrained yet soft, saying, “I’m here as a woman, not hiding it, but you must accept me for my mind, which is what matters most.”
If Hedda lived today, how would she express herself through fashion? Would she fit in with the Sloane Square crowd? Have that Made in Chelsea vibe? Or be a Real Housewife? She’d be a Dior or Chanel enthusiast, but not overly revealing, as that’s too easy nowadays. She’d want to associate with history and class, but with an edge. Her behind-the-scenes actions would starkly contrast her public image, and that’s where the tension would lie.
Where do you see Hedda in our culture today? This might sound crass, but…I can see Hedda in the tradwife archetype. She’s a woman who commits awful acts, yet I understand her drive to live for herself. Is that path for me? No. But considering our society’s structure and economic realities, it’s a valid economic choice. Think about women who vote against their own interests to maintain the patriarchy. They’d rather stay within that system for a sense of safety than fight for liberation for themselves and other women. That’s where I place Hedda, which may sound harsh. I don’t support that stance at all, but I recognize it as a rational decision shaped by societal pressures.
Hedda is currently in theaters and will be available for streaming on Prime Video starting October 29.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about Nia DaCostas contemporary take on Hedda Gabler designed with clear questions and direct answers
General Beginner Questions
1 Who is Nia DaCosta
Nia DaCosta is a talented filmmaker and director best known for directing the 2021 Candyman sequel and The Marvels She is known for bringing modern socially relevant perspectives to her projects
2 What is Hedda Gabler
Hedda Gabler is a famous play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen in 1891 Its a classic of 19thcentury theater about a complex manipulative and deeply dissatisfied woman trapped in a boring marriage
3 What does a contemporary take mean in this context
A contemporary take means Nia DaCosta is reimagining the classic story for a modern audience Shell likely update the setting dialogue and social themes to reflect todays world making the story feel immediate and relevant
4 Why would someone make a new version of such an old play
Great stories can be told in many ways A new version helps new audiences connect with the plays timeless themeslike ambition entrapment and mental healthby presenting them in a context we recognize from our own lives
Thematic Creative Choices
5 How is Nia DaCostas version different from the original
While specific details may vary her version likely shifts the setting from 19thcentury Norway to a modernday environment The characters motivations and the societal pressures they face will be translated into modern equivalents
6 What main themes from the original play are still relevant today
Themes like female ambition being stifled the search for control in a controlling society the destructive nature of boredom and the complex dynamics of power in relationships are all still highly relevant
7 How does Nia DaCostas background influence her approach to Hedda Gabler
As a director who often explores race trauma and community in her work she might explore Heddas entrapment through additional modern lenses such as the specific pressures faced by women of color or the psychological impact of social