Bad Bridgets podcast about crime among Irish women in US inspires film

Margot Robbie's production company has announced plans to turn a podcast into a Hollywood film, with Daisy Edgar-Jones and Emilia Jones set to star in the movie about Irish women who turned to crime in 19th-century America.

The story started as an academic project on female Irish emigrants in Canada and the US by two history professors, Elaine Farrell of Queen's University Belfast and Leanne McCormick of Ulster University. The academics delved into dusty archives of police records, court cases, and prison reports to uncover a hidden world of crime among these women.

These women were often portrayed as victims of circumstance – impoverished girls and women who fled famine-stricken Ireland in search of a better life but ended up on the wrong side of the law. Their stories were largely erased from history books, but Farrell and McCormick's research shed light on their struggles and exploits.

The podcast, also called Bad Bridget, has gained popularity for its nuanced portrayal of these women, who faced abuse, poverty, and hunger in New York, Boston, and Toronto. The podcasters' term "Bad Bridgets" referred to the shadowy world of sex workers, thieves, drunkards, and killers that Irish women found themselves in.

The movie adaptation, directed by Rich Peppiatt, will follow two sisters who leave Ireland with their abusive father but end up in New York's underworld. The film stars Edgar-Jones, known for her role in Normal People, and Emilia Jones, who starred in Coda.

While the academics are excited about the project's success, they also acknowledge that they have handed over creative control to Peppiatt. "We'll leave the film up to Rich," McCormick said. "He is the expert and he has amazing ideas so we're really looking forward to seeing how it turns out."

The original project was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, which aimed to challenge the conventional narrative of female Irish emigrants as virtuous housewives. The research revealed that in 19th-century America, Irish women comprised a significant percentage of prison populations – including those accused of sex work and murder.

Fans of the podcast praised its portrayal of these "Bad Bridgets," who defied societal norms and fought for survival in the face of hardship. While the movie adaptation may take creative liberties with their stories, Farrell and McCormick hope that it will shed more light on this often-overlooked aspect of Irish-American history.
 
πŸ€” I'm loving this project! It's about time we see a film about women who weren't just victims but also survivors. These Irish women were living in harsh conditions, facing abuse and poverty, and yet they still found ways to thrive. The term "Bad Bridget" is so fascinating - it shows that even in the darkest of times, these women had their own language and culture.

I'm excited to see how the film adaptation will bring this story to life, especially with Daisy Edgar-Jones and Emilia Jones on board. I hope they'll do justice to the podcasters' work and shed more light on this often-overlooked aspect of Irish-American history. It's a reminder that women have always been capable of so much more than we give them credit for πŸŽ₯
 
Just saw that they're making a movie outta that cool podcast about Irish women who turned to crime in 19th-century America πŸŽ₯πŸ‘ I think its kinda dope that they're finally getting some recognition for these women's stories, even though their lives were basically erased from history. Its like we need more of these "Bad Bridgets" in the spotlight - you feel?
 
omg i just love margot robbie lol she's so talented 🀩 anyway so i was listening to a podcast about true crime and it reminded me of the movie 'wild' with reese wong 🌸 but seriously these female irish emigrants are kinda cool i wish i knew more about them tho did they have any famous descendants or something πŸ€”
 
this film is gonna be lit 🀩 I've been listening to the podcast and these women's stories are so wild they were literally living in the shadows, forced into sex work and stuff like that. it's crazy how little we know about this part of history. I'm hyped for emilia jones and daisy edgar-jones to bring these characters to life they're gonna crush it 🀯 can't wait to see rich peppiatt's take on the story, hope he doesn't mess it up πŸ˜…
 
omg i'm low-key obsessed with this project 🀯! turning a podcast into a hollywood film is genius - i love how margot robbie's production company is bringing these 'bad bridgets' to the big screen πŸŽ¬πŸ‘―β€β™€οΈ i mean, can you imagine seeing their stories come to life on the big screen? it's about time we see more representation of women who defied societal norms and fought for survival in the face of hardship πŸ’ͺ🏽πŸ”₯ i'm also super excited to see daisy edgar-jones and emilia jones bring these characters to life 🀩 their portrayal of 'bad bridgets' on the podcast was so nuanced and captivating, i can only imagine how amazing they'll be in a movie adaptation! πŸ’«
 
I'm so down for this film adaptation thingy 🀩... but at the same time, I don't know if I trust some Hollywood guy to get it right πŸ™…β€β™‚οΈ... I mean, Margot Robbie's production company is behind it, which is a good sign, but what if they water down the gritty truth of these women's lives? 😬... on the other hand, Daisy and Emilia are awesome actresses and I'm sure they'll bring some much-needed energy to the film πŸŽ₯... but how did they convince the academics that they can handle this sensitive topic without losing the essence of it? πŸ€”... and what about the artistic liberties, will it still be based on real events or just another Hollywood fairy tale? πŸ§šβ€β™€οΈ... I'm all for shedding light on these hidden histories, but let's not forget to stay true to the original stories πŸ“š...
 
OMG 🀯, I'm so hyped about this new movie adaptation of Bad Bridget! πŸŽ₯ It's about time we see these unsung heroines from Irish emigrant history get the recognition they deserve πŸ’–. The podcast was already giving me all the feels with its raw and unapologetic storytelling, but a full-fledged film will be even more epic 🌟. I'm loving that Daisy Edgar-Jones and Emilia Jones are on board to play these complex and intriguing characters πŸ‘―β€β™€οΈ. Rich Peppiatt is the perfect director to bring this story to life, so fingers crossed it'll do justice to the original podcast 🀞. Can't wait to see how they weave the dark history of Irish-American women into a compelling narrative that's both entertaining and educational πŸ“šπŸ’‘ #BadBridgetMovie #IrishHerstory #WomenInCrime #FilmAdaptations #MustSee
 
πŸ€” this is so cool I love how the podcast and now a movie are bringing these forgotten women's stories to life it's like they're finally getting the recognition they deserve πŸŽ₯πŸ’« and yeah I can see why the academics had creative control but at least it's in good hands with Rich Peppiatt πŸ™
 
πŸ“šπŸ‘©β€πŸŽ€ I'm low-key obsessed with this story 🀯! Did you know that in 19th-century America, Irish women made up about 25% of the prison population? 😲 That's crazy considering how much they were marginalized and erased from history. The podcast has been a game-changer in shedding light on their stories πŸŽ™οΈ. I'm all for this movie adaptation - it'll be great to see these complex characters brought to life on screen. Rich Peppiatt is the right person to helm this project, he's got an amazing track record with Normal People πŸ’‘. The stats are insane though - 60% of Irish women in prison were accused of non-violent crimes like theft and prostitution πŸ“Š. We need more stories like this on screen! πŸŽ₯
 
It's not just about getting caught up in a new craze... it's about understanding what makes these women tick πŸ€”. They're not just statistics or relics of the past, but complex human beings who defied conventions to survive πŸ’β€β™€οΈ. And that's what this movie adaptation is all about - shedding light on the often-overlooked stories of Irish women in 19th-century America πŸ”.
 
just saw this news about margot robbie's new project and i gotta say, its kinda cool how they're making a film out of this podcast 🎬. the story of these "bad bridgets" is really wild and underreported - it's like, we know irish immigrants had to deal with poverty and abuse, but theres also this other side of their story that's getting more attention now.

idk about handing over creative control tho... i mean, rich peppiatt's got some great ideas, but what if he messes up the tone or something? still, its good that they're trying to shed light on this part of history. these women werent just victims, they made their own choices and fought for survival - thats somethin we can learn from
 
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