Actor–turned-director Todd Field has not made a name for himself by being highly prolific, but the two feature films he has directed, 2001’s In the Bedroom and 2006’s Little Children, both garnered multiple Oscar nominations. Now comes word that Field is set to make a return to directing with his adaptation of Jess Walter’s bestselling novel Beautiful Ruins with British actress Imogen Poots (Fright Night) being attached to star in the role of Dee Moray.
Field adapted the novel, which has sold over a million copies, along with Walter with plans to produce it through his Standard Film Company along with Cross Creek Pictures’ Brian Oliver and Tyler Thompson, as well as Smuggler Films’ Patrick Milling Smith and Brian Carmody.
According to the press release, “The epic story begins off the Ligurian coast in the spring of 1962 and centers on four characters whose orbit around one another is set in motion by an incident involving the international jet-set center, Rome, in the throes of ‘La Dolce Vita’ madness during the shooting of ‘Cleopatra.’ As the sole female lead, Poots will play Dee Moray, a young actress whose ties to several men, a force-of-one studio raconteur, a WWII veteran struggling to finish his first novel, a young Italian hotelier, and the great Richard Burton himself, are the epicenter of the story.”
No word on who will star opposite Poots, but plans are to start filming the movie in Italy in May 2014.
You can read the official press release below:
Cross Creek Pictures along with Smuggler Films announced today that Imogen Poots is attached to star as the young ingénue, Dee Moray, in Todd Fields BEAUTIFUL RUINS, based on the sensational #1New York Times best-selling novel by Jess Walter, which has sold more than a million copies and been translated into 25 languages. BEAUTIFUL RUINS was adapted by Field and Walters, and Field will produce the film through Standard Film Company with Cross Creeks Brian Oliver and Tyler Thompson, as well as Smuggler Films Patrick Milling Smith and Brian Carmody. In addition, Adam Kassan will oversee production for Cross Creek Pictures. Filming starts May 2014 in Italy.
The epic story begins off the Ligurian coast in the spring of 1962 and centers on four characters whose orbit around one another is set in motion by an incident involving the international jet-set center, Rome, in the throes of La Dolce Vita madness during the shooting of CLEOPATRA. As the sole female lead, Poots will play Dee Moray, a young actress whose ties to several men, a force-of-one studio raconteur, a WWII veteran struggling to finish his first novel, a young Italian hotelier, and the great Richard Burton himself, are the epicenter of the story. Casting for the male roles is underway.
Poots first made her mark in Brian Koppelman and David Leviens SOLITARY MAN, opposite Michael Douglas and produced by Steven Soderbergh. Other films include Jon Bairds FILTH, opposite James McAvoy, Yaron Zilberman’s A LATE QUARTET alongside Christopher Walken, Catherine Keener and Philip Seymour Hoffman; as well as Michael Winterbottoms THE KING OF SOHO. Poots will soon appear in Terrence Malicks KNIGHT OF CUPS with Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett as well as Peter Bogdanovichs SQUIRRELS TO THE NUTS starring opposite Owen Wilson.
Poots is represented by CAA, Independent Talent Group, and attorney Paul Cazers of Morris Yorn. CAA, which packaged the film, will represent its domestic distribution rights.
(Photo source: Ivan Nikolov/WENN.com)
