Sydney Sweeney is set to star in a forthcoming literary adaptation after her latest one, The Housemaid, was a big success.
Sweeney will produce and star in the feature Custom of the Country for StudioCanal and Rabbit’s Foot Films. Josie Rourke (Mary Queen of Scots) directs the film from her own script that adapts author Edith Wharton’s classic 1913 novel.
Custom of the Country stars Sweeney as Undine Spragg, an ambitious Midwestern woman seeking to climb the social ladder in New York City at the turn of the 20th century.
Casting director Nina Gold is currently building out the ensemble cast around Sweeney’s lead role. The film’s team aims to soon begin principal photography.
Sweeney produces alongside Charles Finch for Rabbit’s Foot Films and Alison Owen for Monumental Pictures. StudioCanal is fully financing the project and will release it theatrically in its overseas territories, along with launching worldwide sales at EFM. StudioCanal executive vp of global production Ron Halpern, U.S. chief creative officer Shana Eddy-Grouf and vp of development and production Isobel Carter will oversee the movie for the company.
A series adaptation from Sofia Coppola was in the works at Apple TV+ in 2020, but Coppola explained in a 2024 interview that her project was no longer moving forward.
Sweeney is coming off the success of director Paul Feig’s The Housemaid, with the recent Lionsgate release having surpassed $200 million at the global box office. Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar also star in the thriller that adapts author Freida McFadden’s best-selling novel. Sweeney can soon be seen in the third season of HBO’s Euphoria and is attached to an array of features, including planned adaptations of the video game property OutRun and anime franchise Gundam.
“Undine Spragg is the original dangerous woman,” Rourke says in a statement. “Edith Wharton’s character has forever fascinated, seduced and infuriated readers. The Custom of the Country was Wharton’s great American novel, and Undine Spragg sweeps across America and through Europe at top speed, during a time of immense economic and social change. The book whistles with modernity and as I was writing this adaptation, Sydney Sweeney lived in my head as this iconic character — it’s as if Wharton sat down a century ago and wrote the role for her. I’m thrilled to be working with this luminous actor, Charles Finch, Alison Owen and StudioCanal to bring this novel to the screen.”
Adds Finch, “I’ve worked for many years to bring Custom of the Country to the screen, and I’m delighted with Josie’s adaptation, and the power, passion and fun that Sydney will bring to the role. I am excited to be working with Alison and StudioCanal.”
In her own statement, StudioCanal CEO and Canal+ chief content officer Anna Marsh notes, “We are thrilled to be involved in bringing Custom of the Country to the big screen, led by Josie Rourke’s vision to carry Edith Wharton’s sharp and timeless observations into a new cinematic era. Following our recent success in distributing The Housemaid in Australia and New Zealand, we are delighted to collaborate once again with the immensely talented Sydney Sweeney as the formidable Undine Spragg. This project stands as a testament to StudioCanal’s commitment to championing distinctive storytelling, and we look forward to working closely with Charles Finch, Alison Owen and Sydney Sweeney as producing partners and as the film comes to life.”
Sweeney is represented by Brillstein Entertainment Partners, Wasserman and attorney Stewart Brookman. Rourke is repped by Marnie Podos at Under New Mgmt and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
