Deadline reports that The Wasp, the psychological thriller based on the Morgan Lloyd Malcolm play of the same name, has begun filling up its cast. The film will have two talented actresses leading it: Naomie Harris (Moonlight) and Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones).
Just like the 2015 version of the play at London’s Hampstead Theatre, the film will follow the story of a pair of friends whose reunion comes with much more than they had anticipated. The two friends had been close in school but had since grown apart. The pair of them, however, decided to reconnect after years apart, and when this reconnecting happens, Heather makes a proposition that would turn out to change their lives forever.
In a 2015 interview, Lloyd Malcolm spoke about the play, describing the relationship between the two ladies at the center of the piece as one that was tricky. “It explores how your childhood can form the adult you become, and how we can hold onto past hurt and trauma. It’s about bullying and abuse, but also friendship and kindness,” she said. “It’s about the impact we all have on the people around us, and being aware of how we affect each other with our words and our actions.”
Notable credits for Harris include her role in the James Bond franchise, where she portrays Moneypenny, taking on the role in films including Skyfall, Spectre and No Time to Die. Her most recent credits include Andy Serkis’ Venom: Let There Be Carnage for Sony/Marvel and the Apple TV+ film Swan Song. Dormer, on the other hand, is best known for her role in Game of Thrones, where she played the politically astute Margaery Tyrell, as well as The Tudors, where she portrayed the equally politically brilliant yet fiercely driven Anne Boleyn. She has also starred in Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and Elementary. The actress was recently cast to portray Dr. Audrey Evans in Ami Canaan Mann’s biopic, Audrey’s Children.
The Wasp will be directed by BAFTA winner Guillem Morales (Inside No. 9). The film’s screenplay is adapted by Malcolm for XYZ Films. The film’s producers include Nate Bolotin and Maxime Cottray for XYZ Films, James Harris and Leonora Darby of Tea Shop Productions, Sean Sorensen for Royal Viking Entertainment, and Matthew B. Schmidt of Paradise City Films. Production begins in Bath, UK come November.
The Wasp does not have a release date yet.