Kit Harington and Clara Rugaard to Star in New Mary Shelley Biopic
Clara Rugaard (I Am Mother) and Kit Harington (Game Of Thrones) have been cast in Mary’s Monster, a new film about the life and close circle of Frankenstein writer Mary Shelley. Rugaard will embody the role of Shelley, and Harington will be the famed Monster.
The period film will tackle Shelley’s mental struggles to write her masterpiece. The official synopsis reads: “Mary is seduced by her own inner monster catapulting her into a dangerous, destructive psychological romance. Realizing the monster is inextricably linked to her own mental state, her only route to salvation is in bringing him to life.”
“there is love in me the likes of which you’ve never seen. there is rage in me the likes of which should never escape. if I am not satisfied int he one, I will indulge the other.”
— elle fanning films (@efanningfilms) March 8, 2022
— frankenstein by mary shelley.
in commemoration of international women’s day. pic.twitter.com/t8r6Fg6ips
Aside from finding their Shelley and Monster, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo (CODA) is set to play Mary’s husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley. Sebastian de Souza (Normal People) will embody the role of the English poet, Lord Byron. There is additional casting still underway.
Marius De Vries (La La Land) is curating the soundtrack and will act as an executive producer. Leo Pearlman and Heather Greenwood (Fulwell 73) will produce alongside Rose Picture’s Rose Ganguzza, Max Born, Jake Alden-Falconer, and Damon Lane.
Farren Blackburn (The Fades) will direct the film from a script penned by Deborah Baxtrom and Stephen Hallett. Blackburn reveals in a statement, “Mary’s Monster is a film about female voice, mental health, gender politics, and a disenfranchised youth. For me, no character in history has ever captured the zeitgeist quite like Mary Shelley.”
Blackburn continues, “As a filmmaker, I love that genre allows us to hold a magnifying glass up to these kinds of issues and look at them in the most imaginative way possible, and in my opinion, it doesn’t get more imaginative than Mary Shelley facing off against her own inner Monster! Films this unique and original don’t come along too often and I’m beyond excited to be at the helm.”
I love it when a cast comes together!!! #Mary’sMonster pic.twitter.com/c071dYsqSY
— Farren Blackburn (@FarrenBlackburn) May 17, 2022
Rugaard expressed her series of emotions boarding Mary’s Monster. She states that she is “incredibly honoured” be in this film and do her part in “telling the story of such an influential and revolutionary woman.” She continues, “I’m beyond excited to be bringing this celebrated female voice to life and to further delve into the world and psyche of Mary Shelley.”
Today’s picture: for #InternationalWomensDay, a woman whose work changed the world. The first page of Frankenstein in Mary Shelley’s hand #RomanticsPics pic.twitter.com/ZIaFlFMeAI
— The Romanticism blog (@Wordsworthians) March 8, 2022
Harington released a statement about the film, vocalizing, “Mary’s Monster is a brilliantly original and fascinating script and I’m relishing the idea of depicting the unique part of The Monster. An embodiment of Mary Shelley’s psyche. I’m excited by Farren’s vision and passion for the project.”
NEW 📃 “Mary’s Monster is a brilliantly original and fascinating script and I’m relishing the idea of depicting the unique part of The Monster. An embodiment of Mary Shelley’s psyche. I’m excited by Farren’s vision and passion for the project.” – Kit Harington on “Mary’s Monster” pic.twitter.com/6NFBJgIyKF
— Kit Harington Updates (@BestofKitH) May 17, 2022
Mary’s Monster will be a memorable film paying homage to a celebrated female writer and her gift of composing one of the best works in Gothic literature. You can find Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein available for purchase at select bookstores.
Writer | Tweet me @court__giles
