We’re at the point now that we’ll happily watch anything with Florence Pugh without question. Obviously, this year, all people can talk about is “Black Widow,” but before that, she wowed audiences in projects like “Lady Macbeth,” “The Little Drummer Girl,” “Fighting with My Family,” “Little Women,” and, of course, “Midsommar.” So, just seeing her name in “The Wonder” has our attention, but there’s much more to this Netflix feature that has us excited.
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In honor of production beginning on “The Wonder,” Netflix has released a first look at the feature, showing Florence Pugh in her 19th-century garb. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Emma Donoghue and tells the story of a young girl in the Irish Midlands in 1862, who is seemingly able to survive without eating food. As people rush to witness the miracle, it’s unclear if this is really a gift from God or if there’s something else at work.
But as I mentioned above, not only is Pugh a big part of the cast, but she’s joined by great actors such as Tom Burke, Niamh Algar, Elaine Cassidy, Kíla Lord Cassidy, Toby Jones, Ciarán Hinds, Dermot Crowley, Brían F. O’Byrne, and David Wilmot. (Special shoutout to Niamh Algar, who is incredible in “Censor,” and everyone should go check it out if they haven’t already.) In addition to a stacked cast, the film is the next feature from acclaimed filmmaker Sebastian Lelio, who is best known for his films “Gloria” and “A Fantastic Woman,” which earned him the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.
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“Bringing the powerful novel ‘The Wonder’ by Emma Donoghue to the screen not only offers me the chance to portray the collision between reason and faith, individual and community, obedience and rebellion but also to explore my own interpretation of what a ‘period’ film can be,” said Lelio. “I couldn’t be more thrilled that the magnetic and courageous Florence Pugh will play our fierce female lead. I am also excited to be reunited with Ed Guiney and Element, to have the privilege to work with Tessa Ross and House, and honored that Netflix have chosen ‘The Wonder’ as their first UK Features endeavor.”
With production underway now, we can assume “The Wonder” is set for a 2022 release, but Netflix has yet to announce a formal release date. But in the meantime, you can enjoy the first-look picture below:
Update: According to the TIFF website, British electronic musician Matthew Herbert has written the score for the film.
