Sofia Coppola’s adaptation of the 1971 Clint Eastwood-starring The Beguiled has been in need of a wounded soldier — and it may have found him. When the upcoming Coppola project was announced, it was said that the director had been in talks with Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning to star in the film. But the premise of the original film — whose gender politics have been debated as being either forward or very backward (and surely Coppola will have fun with all this) — was, at its most basic: “One Man…Seven Women…in a Strange House.” (Or so it was billed.)
Alas, with Variety reporting that Colin Farrell, who thankfully never became stuck living out the rest of his days as a lobster, may be joining the film, The Beguiled seems close to sealing the actor who’ll fulfill the “one man” role. They also refer to Kidman, Dunst and Fanning as “starring” in the project, presumably meaning that it’s no longer just a potential.
The original film, itself based on a novel by Thomas Cullinan, was set in the Civil War and followed Clint Eastwood’s maimed Yankee soldier character to shelter in an all-girls’ boarding school, where he’s nurtured back to health, and then begins seducing a number of the women on sight, leading to growing tensions. Variety says that Farrell would be taking on this role if the deal goes through.
Coppola is also writing the adaptation, and it’s also been announced that Focus Features will distribute the picture.