See Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates in 'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret' First Look

Judy Blume's classic coming-of-age novel is coming to the big screen.

In exclusive first-look photos from Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, Abby Ryder Fortson stars as the titular 11-year-old whose life changes after her family moves from New York City to the New Jersey suburbs — while also "going through the messy and tumultuous throes of puberty with new friends in a new school," according to a synopsis.

Rachel McAdams plays Margaret's mom Barbara, who is also adjusting out of the big-city mindset, and Kathy Bates is Margaret's grandma Sylvia, "who isn't happy they moved away and likes to remind them every chance she gets."

The film, an adaptation of Blume's 1970 novel, is written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, who made 2016's The Edge of Seventeen. It also stars Elle Graham and Benny Safdie.

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Bates says, "The book is obviously about a young girl who is becoming a young woman and she's embracing her womanhood. And I think women throughout history have been taught to feel negatively about their bodies and about the processes that their bodies go through. I think this film will help young women feel better about their bodies."

McAdams tells PEOPLE she was thrilled to have the author on set during the making of the film: "Watching her watch her book come to life and to be a part of that was just so surreal. She's the loveliest lady and I felt very honored to be part of this for that reason. That she waited so, so long to do this until, until she felt really good about giving it over. I just wanted to do right by her and give her the best Barb I could."

Speaking to Deadline back in 2018, director Fremon Craig said that Edge of Seventeen led Blume to granting her the rights to finally bring the film to the big screen after 50 years since it was published.

"I got the greatest email from Judy where she said if someone were to make a film of one of her books, she hoped it would have the same tone and feeling that The Edge of Seventeen had. It's maybe the greatest compliment I've ever gotten, because she has always been a North star for me as a writer," said Fremon Craig at the time. "What's helpful is that everybody who reads it sees themselves in it. I read it in the late '80s and didn't know it was written in 1970."

"She captured something universal and timeless enough that it transcends all that," she added.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret is in theaters April 28.