Protagonist Pictures released the first look at a more contemplative Saoirse Ronan in the upcoming, highly-anticipated adaptation of The Outrun from director Nora Fingsheidt. The Academy Award nominee, known for her roles in Lady Bird and another novel adaptation in Little Women, is starring as a recovering addict named Rona returning to her childhood home in the Orkney Islands from rehab after decades away. Settling back in on the Outrun, memories of her childhood begin to merge with the events that set her on the road to recovery.

Ronan takes on a more reflective guise in the image, staring out over the city while leaning up against the edge of a window on a high rise. She's the picture of someone at a crossroads, deciding where to go next in life after the fight with addiction. There's little to go on in terms of plot, but it seems as if there's a longing to return to something familiar and serene, hence her character's eventual return to Orkney. Although it's not much, it captures the feel of Amy Liptrot's deeply personal original memoir which focused heavily on her reflection on life in London and how it spiraled out of control due to alcohol. The film will see Rona slowly come to grips with that as she interacts with the wildlife and environment of Orkney.

The Outrun was a massive success upon its release, winning the 2016 Wainwright Prize and the 2017 PEN Ackerley Prize and becoming a Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller in its native United Kingdom where it also sold over 110,000 copies. The publisher Canongate even added the book to its modern classics list, The Canons. Liptrot's memoir was translated into 15 different languages outside its home country, making it an international hit on top of its domestic success.

saoirse ronan in the outrun
Image via Natalie Seery

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Liptrot also helped Fingsheidt adapt the novel for the big screen. The Outrun could prove to be a massive project for the director following her festival favorite System Crasher in 2019. Since then, she also directed Sandra Bullock and Viola Davis in The Unforgivable, though the adaptation with Liptrot will be her first writing credit on a film since System Crasher.

Production Details for The Outrun

Brock Media’s Sarah Brocklehurst optioned the memoir for the project and is developing and producing under her banner with Ronan, Jack Lowden, and Dominic Norris joining her under the recently founded Arcade Pictures. Protagonist Pictures is executive producing and handling North American sales with Luane Gauer, George Hamilton, James Pugh, and Janina Vilsmaier all on board. Other executive producers include Claudia Yusef for BBC Film, Kieran Hannigan for Screen Scotland, and Maria Logan and Anne Sheehan for MBK.

There's no release date yet for The Outrun. Stay tuned here at Collider for more on Ronan's latest.