Maggie Gyllenhaal has assembled a star-studded cast for her directorial debut. Olivia Colman and Dakota Johnson will topline the Oscar-nominated actress’ adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s “The Lost Daughter,” Variety confirms.
“The Lost Daughter” centers on “a college professor (Colman) whose own psychological trauma begins to resurface after meeting a woman (Johnson) and her young daughter while on summer vacation,” the source summarizes. Gyllenhaal is penning the script and is among the project’s producers.
“Wild Rose’s” Jessie Buckley and “The Looming Tower’s” Peter Sarsgaard are set to co-star in the drama.
“When I finished reading Elena Ferrante’s ‘The Lost Daughter,’ I felt that something secret and true had been said out loud. And I was both disturbed and comforted by that,” said Gyllenhaal. “I immediately thought how much more intense the experience would be in a movie theater, with other people around. And I set to work on this adaptation. I find that the script has attracted other people interested in exploring these secret truths about motherhood, sexuality, femininity, desire. And I’m thrilled to continue my collaboration with such brave and exciting actors and filmmakers.”
In 2010 Gyllenhaal received an Oscar nod for her supporting role in “Crazy Heart.” She won a Golden Globe and snagged an Emmy nomination for BBC/Sundance TV miniseries “The Honourable Woman.” “The Deuce” and “The Kindergarten Teacher” are among her recent credits.
Colman won an Oscar in 2019 for “The Favourite.” She’s received Emmy noms for “Fleabag” and “The Night Manager,” and took home Golden Globes for “The Crown,” “The Favourite,” and “The Night Manager.”
Best known for the “Fifty Shades” franchise, Johnson’s other credits include “Suspiria,” “Bad Times at the El Royale,” and “The Peanut Butter Falcon.” Her upcoming features include Nisha Ganatra’s “Covers,” set to hit theaters May 8, and Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s “The Friend,” expected to drop fall 2020. The former is a romance set in the Los Angeles music scene and the latter is a tearjerker inspired by a true story.
Ferrante’s “Neapolitan Novels” have inspired HBO series “My Brilliant Friend.” Season 1 premiered in 2018, and Season 2, “My Brilliant Friend: The Story of a New Name,” will kick off March 16.
