Baz Luhrmann has found his Joan of Arc, but should this story really be told again? The definitive version was released over 100 years ago, and nobody’s topped it since then.
‘Queen’s Gambit’ actress Isla Johnston, 18, will headline Warner Bros. epic “Jehanne d’Arc.” Johnston played the young Beth Harmon in the hit Netflix series, the role that later became a breakout for Anya Taylor-Joy.
The buzz around Johnston has officially kicked off—she’s on the cover of this month’s Vogue, which confirms that Luhrmann’s epic will begin filming “next year,” most likely in Australia. That likely points to a 2027 release.
In the interview, Johnston reveals that Luhrmann’s casting process for the film included a reading of the classic play “Saint Joan” and a monologue from, of all things, “Fleabag,” the acclaimed comedy series from Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
Luhrmann is teaming up with “Schindler’s List” author Tom Keneally to bring the story of Joan of Arc to the screen. The project will be based on Keneally’s 1974 novel “Blood Red, Sister Rose,” a “deeply intimate” retelling of the French saint’s final years.
Luhrmann, whose last outing was the maximalist “Elvis” biopic, co-wrote the screenplay with British playwright Ava Pickett (“1536”), whose work similarly probes power, feminism, and historical mythmaking.
Their take on “Jehanne d’Arc” won’t be a raw biopic. Expect a dreamlike dive into Joan’s fractured psyche. If Luhrmann’s past work is any indication — “Moulin Rouge,” “The Great Gatsby” — this also won’t be anything like past adaptations, including Dreyer’s “The Passion of Joan of Arc.”
Luhrmann has reportedly immersed himself in 15th-century culture, even going so far as to try on period armor as part of his research process. Catherine Martin, Luhrmann’s longtime production and costume collaborator (and wife), will once again be involved.