Daisy Ridley to star in upcoming Hamlet film

Star Wars heroine Daisy Ridley has been announced to star as Ophelia in an upcoming adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet that will focus on the royal women.

According to a report by IGN, Ridley will be joining Naomi Watts, who will be playing Hamlet’s mother Queen Gertrude, in a film version of Lisa Klein’s novel, Ophelia. The book focuses on the details of the life of Hamlet’s ill-fated lover, Ophelia, as well as her relationship with the queen.

Semi Chellas (Mad Men) has adapted the novel for the big screen while Australian filmmaker Claire McCarthy (The Waiting City, Cross Life) will be directing it.

In a statement, McCarthy had this to say about the source material:

“Ophelia is brimming with youth-fueled charisma, exploring the nature of true love and beauty, and I’m so excited to bring this fresh mythic spin to Hamlet from a female perspective. This retelling will be experienced through the eyes of Ophelia and has the kind of romance, complexity and suspense that makes this beloved story exciting to younger audiences.”

Since her breakout role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Daisy Ridley currently has a very busy schedule between shooting for Star Wars Episode VIII and starring in the period drama The Lost Wife, set during the early days of World War II. As previously reported, she had also been in talks to star as Lara Croft in a reboot of Tomb Raider.

Watch this space for more news on the projects of Daisy Ridley.