Jessica Chastain is circling a key supporting role in “Mommy” director Xavier Dolan’s first English-language feature “The Death and Life of John F. Donovan,” an individual familiar with the project has told TheWrap.
According to Dolan, “Donovan” follows “an American movie star with everything working out for him who has a secretive correspondence with an 11-year-old in London.”
Chastain saw Dolan’s “Mommy” at Cannes and gave the film a ringing endorsement on Twitter. Word got back to Dolan, who approached the actress for his next film, an overture that was first reported by Indiewire’s queer blog Bent.
Also read: Jessica Chastain Says ‘Miss Julie’s’ 1890s Gender Relations Are as Current as the Nude Photo Scandal
“It dawned on me that I should ask Jessica about playing the ‘villain’ role in ‘John F. Donovan,’” Dolan told Bent. “There is this character of the editor-in-chief of a gossip magazine. The movie really is a satire of the business — more dramatic than humorous. And there’s this antagonistic figure that wants to ruin the lives of every star, especially that of the lead character. And I reached out to Jessica and she read the script. She loved it, and we got along like hotcakes. That’s basically it. I can already foresee all the pleasure we’ll have working together.”
While there is no formal deal in place for Chastain to co-star in the film, there is mutual interest in working one out, though her involvement will ultimately depend on scheduling and other moving parts.
Also read: Jennifer Aniston, Adam Sandler, Jessica Chastain Lead 10 Hottest Sales Titles at Toronto Film Fest
Dolan plans to start shooting “Donovan” next year in several major cities around the world including New York, Montreal and Miami.
Chastain had “Miss Julie” debut at the Toronto International Film Festival this week and she next stars in Christopher Nolan‘s “Interstellar,” Guillermo del Toro‘s “Crimson Peak,” J.C. Chandor’s “A Most Violent Year” and Ned Benson’s “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby.” She’s set to play Marilyn Monroe in Andrew Dominik’s “Blonde” and she’ll soon begin filming Ridley Scott‘s “The Martian” with Matt Damon.
Chastain is represented by CAA and Mosaic.