Actress Sydney Sweeney is preparing to take on a major new role in the film adaptation of Edith Wharton’s novel Custom of the Country. The drama, which is set to be produced by Studiocanal and Rabbit’s Foot Films, will begin production shortly. Sweeney, fresh off her box office success with The Housemaid, is also attached as a producer, alongside Charles Finch of Rabbit’s Foot Films and Alison Owen of Monumental Pictures.
Sweeney is slated to portray the ambitious Undine Spragg, a Midwestern woman determined to climb the social ladder in early 20th-century New York. British director Josie Rourke, known for her work on Mary Queen of Scots and her tenure as artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse, adapted the screenplay and will direct the film. Studiocanal, which previously distributed The Housemaid in Australia and New Zealand, is fully financing the project and will handle theatrical distribution in key international markets, including the UK, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, and Benelux.
Big Plans for ‘Custom of the Country’
The film will be showcased at next month’s European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin, where Studiocanal will begin sales for the eagerly anticipated project. Finch, who has worked for years to bring the story to the screen, expressed excitement about Sweeney’s role, praising her ability to bring “power, passion, and fun” to the part of Undine Spragg. He also highlighted the adaptation by Rourke, calling it “a real achievement.”
Anna Marsh, CEO of Studiocanal, spoke to the company’s commitment to backing distinctive storytelling with the project, which she believes will stand as a testament to the creative partnerships formed with Finch, Owen, and Sweeney.
Rourke, reflecting on the iconic character of Undine Spragg, remarked that the character is “the original dangerous woman,” and noted that, in her mind, Sweeney is the perfect actress to embody the role. The director emphasized that it felt as though Wharton had written the part specifically for Sweeney, given her portrayal of the modern, ambitious woman in the story.
Production details are currently being finalized, with Studiocanal’s Ron Halpern and Shana Eddy-Grouf overseeing the project, along with Isobel Carter handling development and production.
