Richard Maddenis blowing up off ofBodyguard, so it only makes sense that his co-star,Keeley Hawes, would book a cool project herself, and now she has, as Collider has learned that the BAFTA-nominated actress has signed on to joinBen Wheatley’s gothic thrillerRebeccaalong withSam Riley(Free Fire), Emmy winnerAnn Dowd(The Handmaid’s Tale) andBen Crompton(Game of Thrones).
Armie Hammer,Lily JamesandKristin Scott Thomasare set to star in the Netflix film, which is being produced by Working Title.Rebeccaisn’t quite a remake ofAlfred Hitchcock’s 1940 film of the same name, but it is based on the sameDaphne du Mauriernovel. The story follows a newly-married young woman who visits her husband’s imposing family estate on a bleak English coast, where she finds herself battling the shadow of his dead first wife — the mysterious Rebecca — whose legacy continues to haunt the house.
Riley will play Rebecca’s cousin, Jack Favell, while Dowd and Hawes have likely been cast as James' boss and Hammer’s sister, respectively. Crompton’s role remains a mystery, while Scott Thomas is already set to play the juicy role of Mrs. Danvers, who serves as Hammer’s longtime housekeeper in the film.
Working Title principalsEric FellnerandTim Bevanwill produce alongsideNira Park(Attack the Block), and production will start next week in the UK and France.Jane Goldman(X-Men: First Class) wrote the script, with current revisions byJoe ShrapnelandAnna Waterhouse.
Hawes is riding high off her performance as Julia Montague in the first season ofBodyguard, which has become a sensation stateside thanks to Netflix. She previously worked with Wheatley onHigh-Rise, and she’ll soon be seen alongsideKeira Knightley,Gugu Mbatha-RawandJessie Buckleyin the indie movieMisbehaviour. She’s represented by Troika and LINK Entertainment.
Riley is an interesting actor who was excellent as the late Joy Division singerIan CurtisinControl, but has yet to deliver on the potential he showed in that black-and-white film. You can’t blame him for working with directors likeNeil JordanandWalter SallesonByzantiumandOn the Road, respectively, but his career just never took off quite the way I thought it should have. High-profile films likeMaleficentandPride and Prejudice and Zombiesjust haven’t cut it for me. That said, I’m looking forward to his turn asPierre CurieoppositeRosamund Pikein next year’s historical dramaRadioactive. Riley previously worked with Wheatley onFree FireandHappy New Year, Colin Burstead. He’s repped by WME and Tavistock Wood Management.
Dowd is one of the greatest character actors working today, and she recently won an Emmy for her turn onThe Handmaid’s Tale. Her recent film credits includeAmerican Animals,HereditaryandTyrel, though she’ll always be Sandra fromComplianceto me. She’s repped by Innovative Artists and Principal Entertainment LA.
Crompton is best known for his role onGame of Thrones, in which he playing Eddison Tollett, aka Dolorous Edd, a brother of the Night’s Watch. He recently appeared inMike Leigh’s dramaPeterloo, and he previously worked with Wheatley onKill List. He’s repped by Sally Hope Associates.
