“Crazy Eyes” has signed on to star in an indie drama. “Orange Is the New Black” actress Uzo Aduba will topline “Miss Virgina,” Variety reports. Penned by Erin O’Connor, the script is based on a true story and “follows a struggling inner-city single mother who moves her at-risk son from their dangerous neighborhood school to an expensive one in a safe area,” the source writes.

“The real Miss Virginia is as formidable as she is warm and down-to-earth,” said O’Connor, who is also among the film’s producers. “No one captures that spirit like Uzo. Her bravery, grit, and humor shine through in all her performances. We’re ecstatic that she will be bringing her infectious energy to ‘Miss Virginia.’”

R.J. Daniel Hanna (“Shelter”) is directing the feature, which is expected to kick off production early next year in Los Angeles.

Aduba has won two Emmys for portraying Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren in “Orange Is the New Black,” which is set to return for a sixth season. A premiere date for the next installment of the Netflix hit has yet to be announced. Her big screen credits include Philip Roth adaptation “American Pastoral” and Sian Heder’s Ellen Page-starrer “Tallulah,” a drama about a woman who kidnaps a toddler.

While she’s said she’s always happy to answer questions regarding “OITNB’s” inclusive portrayals of race and beauty, Aduba believes the fight is far from over. “We’re further away than we want to be, or that we believe ourselves to be,” she said of the entertainment industry, and seemingly the world at large. “I think gestures of progress can sometimes confuse us into thinking that we’ve passed points that we actually haven’t passed. And then we find ourselves confronted with obstacles and social injustices that remind us how far away we are from the finishing line.” She added, “It also takes the bravery of all parties. I would like to see that question posed to the people who have the agency to change it.”