After breaking out in David Fincher’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo with her Oscar-nominated turn as hacker Lisbeth Salander, Rooney Mara has steadily cemented her reputation as one of the most talented young actresses working today with strong performances in Ain’t Them No Bodies Saints, Side Effects and Her. And she doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon, with Stephen Daldry’s Trash, an untitled Terrence Malick project and erotic thriller Carol in the can. Now, we’ve learned that Mara has booked another high-profile gig leading the Jim Sheridan-directed The Secret Scripture.
Mara will replace Jessica Chastain in the drama, “about a 100-year-old woman named Roseanne who recounts her life in mental institutions in a secret memoir.” She will be playing the younger version of Roseanne, “who survives a traumatic childhood only to see her life utterly changed by a vindictive Catholic priest.” Sounds like dark, brooding and deeply emotional material, which both Sheridan and Mara have some experience with.
After breaking out with My Left Foot, a film which earned him Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, Sheridan went on to make The Field, In the Name of the Father, The Boxer and In America, all strong dramas that dealt with complex characters facing incredible hardships. Based on that initial description for The Secret Scripture, this new project should fall in line with those. Sheridan’s last film, Dream House, was creepy but underwhelming in terms of its plot and characters, so hopefully The Secret Scripture will see him getting back to the films that brought him so much acclaim in the ’90s.
The Secret Scripture is ramping up for a September shoot in Ireland and will likely release next year. We’re very much looking forward to seeing how this project turns out, given the talent of both Sheridan and his new star.