“Physical” actress Rose Byrne’s Dollhouse Pictures is bringing Hannah Kent’s award-winning novel “Devotion” to the big screen. A press release announced that Dollhouse will be joining forces with Storyd Group, which invests in Australian women filmmakers, to produce the 19th century love story between two young women living in Prussia.
“Hanne and Thea are on the verge of womanhood when they first meet, both outsiders who find a kindred spirit in the other,” the release details. “Their Lutheran community flees religious persecution and seeks resettlement and freedom in South Australia, a journey that puts their faith and friendship under threat but proves the bond of love is unbreakable.”
Kent is penning the script.
Producer Jessica Carrera (“Under the Volcano”) described the novel as “a love story for the ages, a burgeoning classic about desire, connection, and our need to belong.” She added, “The characters in the pages of Hannah’s beautifully crafted novel and their screen potential have lingered with us all for so long.”
Carrera will be reuniting with Deanne Weir (“Harrow”) and Olivia Humphrey (“Run Rabbit Run”) to produce “Devotion.” The trio previously collaborated on Dollhouse’s debut feature, “Seriously Red,” about a realtor who makes a drastic career switch to become a Dolly Parton impersonator. Starring Krew Boylan (“Primal”) and Byrne, and directed by Gracie Otto (“The Last Impresario”), “Seriously Red” premiered at 2022 SXSW Film Fest and is expected to arrive in U.S. theaters in 2023.
“I could not be more thrilled that Dollhouse Pictures and Storyd have sought the film rights to ‘Devotion.’ Their commitment to female-driven storytelling and exploring the parameters of creative possibility makes them a perfect production team for this novel,” Kent stated. “It’s an absolute honor to be able to work with them and I am very excited to see what comes of their vision.”
Kent’s screenwriting credits include upcoming psychological thriller “Run Rabbit Run,” another Storyd-backed project. Currently in post-production, the pic is directed by Daina Reid (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) and stars “Succession’s” Sarah Snook as a fertility doctor who must interrogate her own values when faced with the strange behavior of her young daughter.
Dollhouse Pictures is an indie production company and creative collective founded by Byrne along with Carrera, Boylan, Otto, and Shannon Murphy (“Babyteeth”) that champions women-driven storytelling and diversity on screen. Also on Dollhouse’s development slate is psychological thriller series “The Geography of Friendship,” based on Sally Piper’s novel of the same name, about three women who, as teen girls, experienced a life-changing event while on a wilderness hike and must now confront the trauma as adults.
