Cate Blanchett has signed on to star in “Sweetsick,” a new feature written and directed by Alice Birch in her directorial debut. The film, backed by Searchlight Pictures, is set to begin shooting this fall in the U.K. and Greece.
Birch, best known for penning “Lady Macbeth” as well as adapting “Normal People,” and apparently, ghost writing Taylor Swift’s directorial debut, describes the project as a dream first outing: “To have the peerless Cate Blanchett at the center of it is thrilling.”
The story follows a mercurial woman (Blanchett) who possesses a “strange and piercing gift” — the ability to see what people need most in life — as she sets off on a journey home.
Blanchett, one of the great actors of her generation, is a two-time Oscar winner (“The Aviator,” “Blue Jasmine”), recently starred in Todd Field’s “TÁR” and has been a regular awards fixture across her career, with standout turns in “Carol,” and “I’m Not There.”