Florence Pugh is set to star in “The Wonder,” a big-screen adaptation of the suspenseful novel by Emma Donoghue.
Set in the late 1850s, the story follows an English nurse who goes to a tiny village in Ireland to observe what some view as a medical anomaly and others consider a miracle: a young girl who has survived without food for months. As tourists flock to the cabin of the 11-year-old to witness the bizarre occurrence, a journalist is sent to cover the sensation.
Sebastián Lelio is directing “The Wonder.” His previous credits include “Gloria,” and the English-language remake “Gloria Bell” starring Julianne Moore, as well as “A Fantastic Woman.”
Alice Birch, who has written for TV shows such as “Normal People” and “Succession,” is penning the screenplay, with Ed Guiney and Tessa Ross serving as producers.
Donoghue is best known for writing the book “Room,” which inspired the 2015 film starring Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay. The heartbreaking depiction of a young mother held in captivity with her son was widely acclaimed and earned several Oscar nominations, including best picture and adapted screenplay for Donoghue’s script, along with one win for Larson.
Pugh has been in-demand on call sheets since her breakthrough role in Ari Aster’s unsettling horror film “Midsommar” and her Oscar-nominated turn in Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women” remake.
The 25-year-old will appear next in the Marvel blockbuster “Black Widow,” which is debuting in July simultaneously in theaters and on Disney Plus. She recently wrapped production on Olivia Wilde’s 1950s-set psychological thriller “Don’t Worry Darling,” in which Pugh portrays a housewife opposite Harry Styles.
Pugh is repped by CAA, Brillstein Entertainment and Curtis Brown.
Deadline Hollywood first reported the news of Pugh’s casting.