Anne Hathaway has acquired the rights to produce a movie adaptation of Caro Claire Burke’s 2026 novel “Yesteryear.” The satirical cautionary tale depicts main character and quintessential tradwife influencer Natalie Mills finding herself transported to a gruesome 1855 version of her homestead, where she is forced to confront the horrific reality of the life she romanticized online. Hathaway plans to direct “Yesteryear,” and star in the film as Natalie.
“Yesteryear” is timely, especially since some of the most sensational influencers today include Nara Smith and Hannah Neeleman of Ballerina Farm; they’re known for portraying a fantasy of pastoral femininity through digitally curated TikTok content. Nara Smith, for example, dedicates most of her videos to crafting meals completely from scratch in her immaculate kitchen while dressed to the nines in designer clothes. “From scratch” may even be an understatement, because if Nara wanted to make a grilled cheese, her first step would be milking the cow in her backyard. Hannah Neeleman, on the other hand, portrays a more agrestic image of the tradwife. Her attire mimics that of an early pioneer, and her homestead aesthetic is evidently rustic. However, Nara and Hannah collectively promote traditional gender roles wrapped in a facade of conservative idealism.
I would deem “Yesteryear” as being written by a chronically online netizen, and I am not saying that to disparage the book, but rather to point out the author’s keen awareness of social media’s tradwife ecosystem. Burke’s main character is a bizarre amalgamation of nearly every creator associated with tradwife content, even sharing some controversies that are identifiable to real creators. Natalie and the influencers we see on real social media platforms collectively mill their own flour and bake homemade bread in 10 to 20 thousand dollar stoves that are deliberately structured to look rustic, while curating an image that’s merely achievable with behind the scenes staff and a camera crew.
I couldn’t name a more befitting story to receive a film adaptation that critiques the hyper-preformative nature of the tradwife archetype. Natalie has to face the brutal past that her career hinges on romanticizing, and confront the hypocrisy of her brand. There is no official release date for Hathaway’s “Yesteryear,” but the online buzz is already noteworthy, so we can expect the film to be a hit as the project picks up.
