Australian director Sophie Hyde has announced her follow-up project to Sundance-winner “52 Tuesdays.” She’ll helm an adaptation of Emma Jane Unsworth’s 2014 novel “Animals,” a cult favorite on the blog scene that’s been celebrated by Lena Dunham’s Lenny newsletter and “How to Be a Woman” writer Caitlin Moran. Holliday Grainger (“The Riot Club”, “Cinderella”) will star in the project.
Unsworth has written a script for the comedy, set to be produced by Sarah Brocklehurst (“Black Pond”).
A press release describes the plot of the film as follows: “Laura (Grainger) and Tyler are best friends and drinking buddies. But their friendship and hedonistic existence is in jeopardy when Laura gets engaged to Jim, an ambitious pianist who is newly teetotal. Among the creeping horror of Laura’s hangovers, the expectations of adulthood are looming.”
Hyde commented, “‘Animals’ is such a fierce, hilarious, and loving book. It’s so refreshing to see women presented in all their messy glory; as smart, witty and conflicted humans with friendships and desires that are at once funny and provocative because they feel so real.” She continued, “It’s such a pleasure for me to work alongside producer Sarah and writer Emma, to tell this very British story, which women like me, from all over the world will recognize and relish. I’m delighted to find this kind of material and so thrilled to be collaborating with the compelling Holliday Grainger who I believe will seriously impress with this fearless and fun leading role.”
“It was crucial to me to have a female director lead this project, and I am so thrilled to be working with Sophie,” said Brocklehurst. “She is a visionary filmmaker and the perfect choice to direct Emma’s killer script with boldness, beauty. and authenticity.”
“52 Tuesdays” marked Hyde’s feature directorial debut. The critically-acclaimed coming-of-age drama made its world premiere at the 2013 Adelaide Film Festival and centers on a 16-year-old and her transgender parent in the midst of transitioning. The film’s title refers to the fact that teen and her parent see each other exclusively on Tuesday afternoons. “52 Tuesdays” was shot over the span of a year, but filming was limited to one day each week — Tuesday.
