Lily James has found her next leading role in the period drama YOUNG WOMAN AND THE SEA, based on the book by Glenn Stout. James will portray Gertrude “Trudy” Ederle, who captured world attention when she swam across the 21-mile channel in 1926 when she was a mere teenager.
Ederle was known as “Trudy of America,” the daughter of a German butcher in Manhattan was a competitive swimmer and Olympic athlete, winning a gold medal in the 1924 Games. When she decided to swim across the English Channel, she contracted two newspapers and sold her story in order to finance her quest. Her triumph shattered female stereotypes and a ticker-tape parade was thrown in New York with 2 million people there to greet her.
Jerry Bruckheimer is producing the film set up at Paramount Pictures. The book will be adapted by Jeff Nathanson, who previously worked with Bruckheimer on Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales as well as Rush Hour 2 and 3, The Terminal, and Tower Heist. Nathanson will also executive produce.
James starred in live action film Cinderella as the titular character, directed by Kenneth Branaugh. She starred opposite Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, and Richard Madden.
She recently wrapped Kaiser’s Last Kiss with Christopher Plummer and Jai Courtney, and is set for War And Peace for the BBC and The Weinstein Company. She will next be seen on the big screen in Baby Driver from Edgar Wright with Working Title and TriStar Pictures, and Sony/Screen Gems’ Pride And Prejudice And Zombies.
James is repped by UTA and Tavistock Wood in the UK.
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Emily J | Staff Writer
