Cate Blanchett is about to get her hands dirty. The two-time Oscar winner, who broke out playing royalty in 1998’s “Elizabeth,” will star in “A Manual for Cleaning Women,” an adaptation of Lucia Berlin’s short story collection of the same name. Variety broke the news.
Published in 2015, “A Manual for Cleaning Women” includes 43 stories and tells the stories of women in demanding positions such as switchboard operators, clerical workers, and hospital staff.
The project will mark Pedro Almodóvar’s (“Parallel Mothers”) first English-language feature.
Blanchett’s production company, Dirty Films, is producing for New Republic Pictures in association with El Deseo, per the source.
“Nightmare Alley,” “Don’t Look Up,” and “Mrs. America” are among Blanchett’s recent credits. She took home Oscars for her performances in “Blue Jasmine” and “The Aviator.” While accepting her honor for the former, she used her time at the podium to reprimand those in the industry “who are still foolishly clinging to the idea that female films with women at the center are niche experiences. They are not,” she emphasized. “Audiences want to see them, and in fact, they earn money.”
