Clive Owen, Tom Felton join Daisy Ridley’s “Ophelia”

PanARMENIAN.Net - Clive Owen, Tom Felton, George MacKay, and Devon Terrell have joined the cast of Daisy Ridley’s romantic tragedy “Ophelia”, Variety said.

Producer and Covert Media CEO Paul Hanson made the announcement Tuesday. The film begins principle photography later this month on location in Prague with Claire McCarthy directing.

“Ophelia” is based on the novel by Lisa Klein and adapted for the screen by Semi Chellas (“Mad Men,” “The Eleventh Hour”). Covert Media is financing the feature and producing with Daniel Bobker and Ehren Kruger (“The Brothers Grimm”) and Sarah Curtis (“Hysteria”). Executive producers include Covert’s Elissa Friedman and Media Content Capital’s Sasha Shapiro and Anton Lessine (“Fading Gigolo”).

Covert is handling international rights to the film, which will be sold at the Cannes Film Festival. CAA, which packaged and arranged the financing, represents the film’s U.S. rights.

The movie is set in the 14th Century but spoken in a contemporary voice as a re-imagining of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Ridley portrays the title character as the most trusted lady-in-waiting to the Queen, played by Naomi Watts. She soon captures the attention of Prince Hamlet and a forbidden love blossoms. As war brews, lust and betrayal are tearing Elsinore Castle apart from within.

Owen will play Claudius, MacKay will play Hamlet, Felton will play Laertes, and Terrell will play Horatio.

Owen will next appear in “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.” MacKay will next be seen in Lionsgate’s “Marrowbone.” Felton can next be seen in “Megan Leavey,” co-starring Kate Mara. Terrell played a young Barack Obama in Netflix’s “Barry.”