18-year-old actress Isla Johnston is reportedly in early talks for the title role in Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann’s “Jehanne d’Arc” at Warner Bros. Pictures.
Johnston is best known for playing the young version of Anya Taylor-Joy’s Beth Harmon in the early episodes of “The Queen’s Gambit” mini-series. She’s also had recurring roles on Apple TV+ series “Invasion” and the limited series “Life After Life”.
Luhrmann has been prepping the film for a while now, having written the script with playwright Ava Pickett. A recent reading of the script was held with Warner Bros. departments at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles.
Luhrmann reportedly reduced the casting field to a small group of youngsters before deciding on Johnston, who reportedly “has the offer”.
The project will be an epic tale about the young French peasant girl who claimed to be acting under divine guidance.
She became a military leader during France’s Hundred Years’ War with the English, and was honoured as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orleans, as well as helping install Charles VII to power. After two defeats and a brief capture, she was burned at the stake for heresy.
Joan’s story has been adapted to the screen many times – from the 1928 film classic “The Passion of Joan of Arc,” to duelling projects in 1999 – a Canadian mini-series starring Leelee Sobieski and the Luc Besson-directed Milla Jovovich-led film “The Messenger” the same year.
Luhrmann is coming off “Elvis” in 2022, which was nominated for eight Oscars and had a $288 million global gross.
Source: Deadline
