Louisa May Alcott would applaud the process: a female director teaming with another female writer to turn her classic novel, Little Women, into a movie. The twist: this new vision of Alcott’s most famous work puts her March family in modern times, as the four sisters come of age in 2018.

By its very name, LITTLE WOMEN suggests a female-driven project. Society has come quite a distance in the 150 years since Alcott became a pioneer for young, female creatives by dreaming, writing and selling her work.

Still, time moves slowly. As Hollywood becomes more self-aware with more doors available to women, they often don’t open with ease. LITTLE WOMEN, a modern retelling, is an independent film coming to theaters through the strength of talented females. A longtime fan of the novel, Clare Niederpruem, a talented young director, collaborated with a talented cast and crew, including women in key leadership positions.

No stranger to breaking boundaries, Lea Thompson, a well-known actress, director and producer, met Clare and quickly agreed to bring Marmee to life in a brand-new way. “Lea was the first person who believed in me enough to sign on to this project and that’s how this got done. She’s so supportive of women filmmakers and constantly trying to help people find their next thing,” Clare said.

The modern retelling comes to theaters the weekend of the 150th anniversary of Alcott’s Little Women release. The cast believes the story will continue to motivate generations to come.

“I think what drew me to the project is, aside from being able to be part of a retelling of a classic story, was the opportunity to work with so many women,” Melanie Stone, who plays Meg, said. “It was very empowering to be surrounded by talented women who are working in film.”

Allie Jennings, who plays Beth, agrees. “There’s just this really great connection between the female cast and the crew and we had a sisterhood on the set that I believe translated onto the screen.”

Overcoming obstacles to reach extraordinary dreams is a consistent theme of the beloved classic. This modern retelling provides all women another dose of inspiration to do the same.

“It’s going to be an important thing for women to see this with other women,” Clare said.

LITTLE WOMEN, a modern retelling, is in theaters September 28. Visit LittleWomenTheMovie.com for videos, ticket information and more.