Jessica Chastain Is ‘The Zookeeper’s Wife’

Jessica Chastain’s rise in the film industry has been nothing short of meteoric. Just think, exactly two years ago, hardly anyone knew about her. Then Cannes 2011 comes around, and she’s in two films: “Take Shelter” and “The Tree of Life.” And in short order, Chastain had arrived. Now with two Oscar nominations in two consecutive years, she looks to continue her hot streak.

THR reports that Jessica Chastain is attached to star in “The Zookeeper’s Wife,” an adaptation of the Diane Ackerman novel. The novel tells the true story Jan Zabinski, a keeper of the Warsaw Zoo, and his wife Antonina, who saved the lives of 300 Jews who had been imprisoned in the Warsaw Ghetto following the Nazi invasion of Poland. The Zabinskis had kept Jews in empty cages and even kept about a dozen Jews inside their home. New Zealand director Niki Caro (“Whale Rider”, “North Country”) will direct.

It will be interesting to see who they cast alongside Chastain, who will no doubt attempt to make the most of such a meaty role. She has continued to keep herself busy as of late, having most recently wrapped on “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby.” She also has a starring role in Guillermo del Toro’s “Crimson Peak” on the horizon.