Two of Canada’s most acclaimed storytellers are joining forces with one of America’s finest actors. Sarah Polley is signed on to write and direct a feature adaptation of Miriam Toews’ bestselling novel “Women Talking” for MGM’s Orion Pictures and Plan B with Frances McDormand signed on to star and produce via her Hear/Say Productions. The two-time Oscar-winning actress “brought the project initially to Plan B after acquiring the rights,” Deadline notes.
Named a Best Book of the Year By The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, and Publishers Weekly, “Women Talking” is set in a remote Mennonite colony. The novel, published in 2018, tells the story of a group of women struggling to reconcile their faith in the aftermath of a series of sexual assaults perpetrated by the colony’s men.
“We are thrilled to continue our relationship with Plan B with ‘Women Talking.’ Sarah and Frances collaborating to bring this incredible book to life on the big screen is something we are excited to be part of,” said Michael De Luca, MGM’s Film Group Chairman, Pamela Abdy, MGM’s Film Group President, and Alana Mayo, Orion Pictures’ President, jointly.
“‘Women Talking’ will be released theatrically in the U.S. via MGM’s distribution and marketing joint venture United Artists Releasing,” the source notes.
Polley received a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar nod for her feature directorial debut, “Away From Her,” also based on a Canadian author’s work. The Julie Christie-led Alzheimer’s drama is an adaptation of Alice Munro’s short story “The Bear Came Over the Mountain.” Her follow-up, 2011 Michelle Williams-starrer “Take This Waltz,” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Polley’s first documentary, “Stories We Tell,” an investigation into her own family history, was named Best documentary by the National Board of Review. She wrote CBC/Netflix’s six-part Margaret Atwood adaptation “Alias Grace.” Also an actress, Polley’s on-screen credits include “Splice,” “John Adams,” and “My Life Without Me.”
A five-time Oscar nominee, McDormand took home the honor for her performances in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and “Fargo.” You can catch her next in Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland,” a drama about a modern-day nomad traveling through the American West. The Oscar frontrunner opens February 19.
