Emily Watson will star in the British drama John Daniel, directed by Dominic Cooke. Watson, a two-time Academy and BAFTA Award nominee known for Breaking the Waves, Hamnet, and Chernobyl, plays Alyce Cunningham.
The film adapts a true story about an unlikely friendship between an independent Englishwoman and a baby gorilla following World War I. Alexi Kaye Campbell, who wrote Woman in Gold, penned the screenplay using original home movie footage and photographs from Uley, Gloucestershire between 1918 and 1922.
The story unfolds in 1918 when Alyce Cunningham lives a solitary life in the Cotswolds village. Her reckless nephew rescues a baby gorilla from a London department store window and leaves the animal with her. The gorilla, named John Daniel, gradually wins her over and brings joy back to the grieving community. When fear and suspicion threaten his place in the village, Alyce must decide how far she will go to protect him.
Debbie Gray, a BAFTA Award nominee for Good Luck to You Leo Grande and Mrs Lowry & Son, produces through Genesius Pictures in association with Edward Film Company. Cornerstone handles worldwide sales at AFM.
The film combines motion capture with visual effects by Axio World. Loris Mantello, who worked on Avengers: Infinity War, Prehistoric Planet, and The Lion King, leads the VFX team alongside Maoris Creantor, who previously worked on The Lion King, Fast & Furious 9, and The Matrix Resurrections.
Principal photography begins in the U.K. in mid-2027.