Movieline

Jessica Chastain Eyes Liv Ullmann 'Miss Julie'

Jessica Chastain is riding high with her critically acclaimed Oscar-nominated performance in Zero Dark Thirty, but her next gig may be a bit of an about-face from her role at the center of covert operations to snuff out Bin Laden.

Chastain will star in a film adaptation of August Strindberg's play Miss Julie, which will be directed by Swedish actor-director Liv Ullmann. Colin Farrell and Samantha Morton will also star in the film, according to The Guardian.

Written in 1888, Miss Julie helped pave the way in utilizing theatrical naturalism in telling its story of class and power. The story revolves around the daughter of a count who falls for her father's footman.

Originally set at a Swedish country house in 1874, it is unclear if Ullmann will set the movie version of the story there or if she'll pick a different period and locale. The last major adaptation of the play was a Mike Figgis-directed version which starred Saffron Burrows and Peter Mullan as the leads.

Ullmann starred in ten of legendary filmmaker Ingmar Bergman's movies and took up directing in the 1992 family drama Sophie. Miss Julie will be her fourth feature, though her last film, Faithless was released in 2000.

[Source: The Guardian]