Kelly Marie Tran will be portraying civil rights crusader – and close friend – Amanda Nguyen in an upcoming biopic that the “Star Wars” actress will also produce. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news.
The feature will chronicle Nguyen’s personal journey, revisiting how she survived sexual violence in college and eventually became a champion for survivors’ rights as the founder of Rise, a nonprofit NGO pushing for legislative reform in all 50 states. She penned the Survivor Bill of Rights that inspired the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act passed in 2016, which reformed the handling of sexual assault evidence-collection kits at the national level.
Yi Tang, winner of the 2021 Short Film Palme d’Or for “All the Crows in the World,” is in talks to write and direct the project.
The biopic is currently in the early stages of development.
“Over the years, Amanda’s activism has changed the lives of billions, as she continues to make our world safer for sexual assault survivors everywhere,” said Tran. “Her courage inspires me every day, and I am honored to help tell her story.”
In a statement, Nguyen reflected on the importance of storytelling, especially for survivors of gender-based violence. “Societal stigma silences rape survivors,” she emphasized. “My story is not mine alone. I hear from countless survivors the strength they gain from hearing other survivors share their story. My hope is that this will make them feel less alone.”
In early September, Nguyen was present at the United Nations session where the General Assembly adopted a resolution on justice for victims of sexual violence, which condemns all forms of sexual and gender-based violence and outlines a series of measures for UN Member States to take effective action, in accordance with international law.
Nguyen was nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her advocacy and was named one of the 2022 Time Women of the Year.
Besides the “Star Wars” franchise, Tran’s credits include “Raya and the Last Dragon” and “Sorry For Your Loss.”
