The Governesses, the next project from A24 and the sophomore feature from Joe Talbot (The Last Black Man in San Francisco), has found its main cast. The film will be starringLily-Rose Depp(The Idol), alongside recent breakout stars Jung Hoyeon (Squid Game) and Renate Reinsve(The Worst Person in the World).
The film follows three rebellious governesses who upend the household they work in, inspiriting the minds of the boys in their care, igniting the imaginations of the Bohemian couple who employ them and abandoning their charges for erotic adventures, as the synopsis reads.
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The film is based on Anne Serre’s novel of the same name
The film marks Talbot’s second with A24, after his first critically acclaimed feature debut,The Last Black Man in San Franciscowhich won the filmmaker the Best Directing award at the Sundance Film Festival. Talbot went on to earn a Directors Guild Award nomination in the first-time feature filmmaker category, as well as Independent Spirit Award nods for best first feature and the Someone to Watch Award, plus three Gotham Award nominations (for best screenplay, the Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award and the audience award). From the looks of it, The Governesses is in good hands.
Developed with the support of BBC Film, Talbot will be adapting the screenplay alongside poet and novelist Olivia Gatwood (Life of the Party). Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe will produce for Element Pictures, with Rob Richert of Talbot’s Longshot Features and Angus Lamont. BBC Film is co-financing alongside A24 and A24 is also handling the film’s global release.
Depp has made quite bold moves in her career and is a two-time César Award nominee. She will next be making her TV debut by starring in, alongside The Weeknd and more, in the HBO seriesThe Idol, which will also be from A24 Television. The actress has previously appeared in films includingSilent Night, Voyagers, Crisis, The King, Savage, A Faithful Man, Planetarium, The Dancer, Yoga HosersandTusk.
Hoyeon is a breakout star with so much potential as can be seen by her performance in Netflix’sSquid Game. She won a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actress in a Drama Series and other accolades for her role as Kang Sae-byeok onNetflix’s smash survival drama, and will next star alongside Kodi Smit-McPhee, Cate Blanchett, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Kevin Kline in Alfonso Cuarón’s thriller seriesDisclaimerfor Apple TV+. Hoyeon also recently appeared in The Weeknd’s newest music video as well.
Reinsve recently was awarded Cannes’ Best Actress Award and a BAFTA Award nomination for her breakout role as Julie in Joachim Trier’s romantic dramaThe Worst Person in the World.The film landed Oscar nominations for both Best International Feature Film and Best Original Screenplay. The Norwegian actress previously appeared in films includingWelcome to NorwayandTrier’sOslo, August 31st.
No release date has been announced, but production for the film will take place in Spain.
