Focus Features has come on board with FilmNation Entertainment to begin production on Carey Mulligan’s thriller “Promising Young Woman.”
The thriller marks the feature directorial debut of Emerald Fennell, who will both direct and write the film’s screenplay. Fennell will produce along with Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Josey McNamara for LuckyChap Entertainment and Ben Browning for FilmNation Entertainment. Ashley Fox of FilmNation Entertainment will executive produce.
Production is set to begin this spring. Focus Features will distribute the film worldwide, excluding Australia, New Zealand, Benelux, Israel, Greece, Middle East, CIS, and South Africa.
“Emerald generated an incredible script that rocked us to our core, so we’ve no doubt she’ll bring that same energy when directing this story,” said Focus chairman Peter Kujawski. “We are thrilled to work once again with Carey along with Emerald, Glen and the entire filmmaking team on bringing this exhilarating dark tale to screen.”
Mulligan will play a young woman haunted by a tragedy in her past who takes revenge on the predatory men unlucky enough to cross her path.
Fennell is also set to join this season of Netflix’s “The Crown” as Camilla Parker Bowles, and has just completed showrunning the second season of “Killing Eve.” She is currently writing a new musical adaptation of “Cinderella” with Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Mulligan starred last year opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in”Wildlife.” Focus noted that “Promising Young Woman” and Fennell are part of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group’s commitment to work with more female directors over the next 18 months in support of the Time’s Up 4% Challenge.
UTA Independent Film Group and FilmNation negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmaking team. Fennell is represented by UTA, United Agents (in the U.K.), Management 360, and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.