Sydney Sweeney is bringing another literary character to life. The Euphoria star will headline a movie adaptation of Edith Wharton‘s 1913 novel The Custom of the Country, and she now has a co-star. Leo Woodall, known for his roles in The White Lotus and One Day, has joined the project to act alongside Sweeney .
The film comes from Studiocanal and Charles Finch‘s Rabbit’s Foot Films. Josie Rourke, who directed Mary Queen of Scots, is handling directing duties. She also adapted the script from Wharton’s novel . Production is scheduled to begin soon.
What Is The Custom of the Country About?
The story centers on Undine Spragg, a young woman from the Midwest with big dreams. She arrives in New York City at the beginning of the 20th century determined to climb the social ladder . Undine uses her beauty, charm, and strong will to break into high society. She faces pushback from the wealthy families who have held power for generations.
Director Josie Rourke shared her excitement about the project. “Undine Spragg is the original dangerous woman,” Rourke said 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” .
Sweeney will also produce the film alongside Charles Finch and Alison Owen of Monumental Pictures .
Leo Woodall Joins the Cast
Leo Woodall signed on to co-star in the film, according to reports from Deadline . The English actor gained widespread attention for his role as Jack in the second season of HBO’s The White Lotus. He also starred in the Netflix limited series One Day and appeared in the latest Bridget Jones movie, Mad About A Boy .
Details about Woodall’s character remain under wraps for now . Casting director Nina Gold continues to build the rest of the ensemble around Sweeney and Woodall .
Woodall has been busy with several projects. He earned strong reviews for his supporting role in the film Nuremberg, appearing alongside Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, Michael Shannon, and John Slattery . He will next star with Rachel Weisz in the Netflix limited series Vladimir, which debuts on March 6. Woodall also leads the film Tuner, set for release this spring with Dustin Hoffman and Havana Rose Liu .
Production Team and Studio Backing
Studiocanal is fully financing the movie. The company will handle theatrical releases in its territories, which include the UK, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, and Benelux . Studiocanal also plans to launch worldwide sales at the European Film Market in Berlin .
Anna Marsh, CEO of Studiocanal, expressed support for the project. “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” .
Charles Finch, who has worked on the project for years, also shared his thoughts. “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” .
Previous Attempts at Adaptation
This is not the first time someone has tried to adapt Wharton’s novel. In 2020, Apple TV+ developed a series version with director Sofia Coppola attached. However, Coppola revealed in a 2024 interview that the project did not move forward . The novel had also been earmarked for a television adaptation before Coppola’s involvement.
Sweeney’s Recent Success
Sweeney joins the project after a major box office win. Her recent thriller The Housemaid, directed by Paul Feig, crossed $200 million worldwide following its release by Lionsgate . The film also stars Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar and is adapted from Freida McFadden‘s bestselling novel . Some reports now place the film’s global gross at over $250 million .
The success of The Housemaid marks a strong comeback for Sweeney after a string of films that did not perform as well at the box office, including Madame Web and Eden . A sequel to The Housemaid is already in development .
Sweeney also prepares to return for the long-awaited third season of Euphoria, which will debut on HBO on April 12 . Her upcoming slate includes film adaptations of the video game OutRun and the anime franchise Gundam .
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Release Information
At this time, The Custom of the Country does not have an official release date . Studiocanal has not announced a release timeline beyond confirming that principal photography begins soon. The film will receive theatrical releases in Studiocanal’s territories, with distribution plans for other regions to be determined through sales at the European Film Market.
Fans of both Sweeney and Woodall can expect more casting announcements in the coming weeks as Nina Gold continues her search for actors to fill supporting roles .
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