Taylor Swift has entered her director era, but she’s still keeping her projects just as mysterious as ever. That’s not a simple task when her fandom has been trained to suss out even the tiniest clues and hints hidden in every possible detail, though. So, while Swift has not yet revealed what her newly announced feature film will be about, Swifties have already formed a convincing fan theory that Taylor Swift will use her movie director debut to adapt the story of Folklore’s “The Last Great American Dynasty.” Why that song in particular? Well, let’s get into it.
Swift didn’t provide any details after her feature-length directorial debut was announced by Searchlight on Dec. 9, but diehard fans already had an idea. The announcement came after Swift directed several of her own music videos, most notably a 10-minute version of “All Too Well” in 2021. Because Swift’s directing has been so connected to her musical endeavors, a lot of Swifties wondered if the first movie she’ll direct will draw inspiration from one of her songs. And one song in particular sprung to mind: the third track from 2020’s Folklore, “The Last Great American Dynasty.”
Not only is the folksy pop song rich in storytelling about a fabulously maligned socialite, but Swift herself has previously expressed interest in turning it into a movie. Fans were quick to recall that a couple months after Folklore was released in the summer of 2020, Swift replied to a fan imagining “The Last Great American Dynasty” as a movie. “Not trying to be The Loudest Woman This Town Has Ever Seen™ but… I LOVE THIS,” Swift tweeted in response.
The movie idea even has a full dream cast already: Swift’s bestie Blake Lively as midcentury socialite Rebekah Harkness; Lively’s IRL husband, Ryan Reynolds, as Rebekah’s doomed husband, Bill; and Jesse Tyler Ferguson as the dog-owning neighbor Rebekah feuded with.
Swift revealed she was inspired to write “The Last Great American Dynasty” when she learned about the previous owner of her Rhode Island house. The song draws parallels between Rebekah Harkness, an extravagant outcast whom the town wrongly blamed for the murder of her wealthy husband, and Swift’s own roller-coaster relationship with public opinion throughout the years. Since Swift now owns Harkness’ home, fans pointed out she’d already have the perfect set for a film adaptation.
In all the excitement around Swift’s big movie deal, this “Last Great American Dynasty” theory popped up as the idea Swifties are clinging to most.
Hopefully, Swift will drop some more of her world-famous Easter eggs soon enough to let fans know if they’re on the right track with this theory. Until then, Swifties will have a marvelous time ruminating over everything.
This content was originally published here.
