Little Women posters with Saoirse Ronan, Meryl Streep assemble generations of all-stars

Saoirse Ronan as Jo

The cast of Greta Gerwig's Little Women, the latest movie adaptation of the Louisa May Alcott literary classic, brings together a cast that calls to Hollywood's past, present, and future.

In a series of new character posters showing off this star-studded ensemble, Saoirse Ronan takes center stage as part of Hollywood's present. The star of Brooklyn and Lady Bird takes her next big role as Jo, the main character of this story about the March sisters trying to live their lives on their own terms.

“When Louisa describes Jo, it felt like someone describing me physically: sort of gangly and stubborn and very straightforward, and went for what she wanted," said Ronan during EW's cover interview.

Emma Watson as Meg

Emma Watson, the Harry Potter veteran and star of Disney's live-action Beauty and the Beast, plays Meg, the eldest of the March sisters.

“To me, [Watson] embodies everything that I was interested in, in terms of who the March women were,” Gerwig said. “She’s just smart. She’s on multi-governmental organizations that speak to the U.N., and she’s so thoughtful and present. She is way out there trying to do everything she can.”

Eliza Scanlen as Beth

After that chilling performance in HBO's Sharp Objects, Eliza Scanlen is quickly rising through the ranks of Hollywood talent. As Beth, the 20-year-old actress plays the shyest of the March siblings.

Florence Pugh as Amy

Amy is often seen as the bratty sister who likes wearing the fancy dresses and gobbling up all the sweets. Florence Pugh, the star of Midsommar and Marvel's upcoming Black Widow movie, found new dimensions to the character.

"It’s all very musical," she says of Gerwig's screenplay. "Every single scene where I get to just talk to a load of shit over Saoirse or Emma or Eliza was absolute bliss. I love to run wild and rampant. Being this little sassy girl, I love the scene where I go in and I apologize to Jo. That was actually one of my audition tapes. I loved it when I did it for the first time, and when we did it on the set, it was brilliant.

Laura Dern as Marmee

The Dern-aissance continues after Big Little Lies, Twin Peaks, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Laura Dern appears as Marmee, a.k.a. mother March.

Gerwig recalled, “Off-set, every single one of the girls actually did come to Laura with their heartaches and their problems. Everybody had a good cry with Laura. She became this mother, sister, confidant person for everyone on set, which was a very beautiful thing to embody. She was a rock for everyone.”

Timothée Chalamet as Laurie

Timothée Chalamet's ascent parallels that of Ronan's. The two previously appeared in Lady Bird together — a formulative film for both actors — and now they reunite in Little Women, with Chalamet playing Laurie, the boy next door.

The film's producer Amy Pascal calls Jo and Laurie "two halves." She says, “These are really bold characters that are really different than you’ve seen them before.”

Meryl Streep as Aunt March

And here's Meryl Streep, no doubt preparing for her latest Golden Globe nomination.

As Gerwig remembers it, "[Streep] said she wanted to be part of it. She loved the book so much when she was a girl, and she thinks [it’s] so important, and she says, 'Tell me what you’d like me to do.' I was like, ‘Yes, ma’am.’”

The March sisters... and Laurie

Little Women will open in theaters this Christmas.