Comedian Eddie Izzard has been cast in a modern adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson story The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Variety has reported.
The movie, titled Doctor Jekyll, will be a female reimagining of the classic novella, with Izzard tapped to play the lead role of Dr. Nina Jekyll.
It will see Nina finding friendship with her new employee Rob, played by Scott Chambers, as they work together to stop Hyde from destroying her life.
Related: Sky releases first trailer for Eddie Izzard's new movie as release date is confirmed
Izzard said of the news: "I am very excited to be playing the role of Nina Jekyll in this new feature film and it’s wonderful to be able to reimagine this classic story in a modern way."
Joe Stephenson, director of Chicken ad McKellen: Playing the Part, will be directing the Jekyll movie, developing it with writer Dan Kelly-Mulhern during the COVID-19 lockdown.
What to Read Next
"I'm thrilled that Eddie is joining us as my Nina Jekyll. With her being the extraordinary and versatile actress she is, playing against Scott's natural talent to make us believe in the good in people, I can't wait to bring this suspenseful take on the iconic classic to life," Stephenson said.
Production on the movie will begin this week in the U.K.
Related: Eddie Izzard on conquering a first with Six Minutes to Midnight and living her truth for 35 years
This is not Izzard's first major acting role, having recently appeared in Netflix series Stay Close, based on a Harlan Coben novel, as well as the Dan Brown-inspired series The Lost Symbol.
She was also in the Sky film Six Minutes to Midnight as Thomas Miller, a teacher who arrives at a girls' school in Bexhill-on-Sea that exclusively teaches German girls.
"This is my first film. I developed my comedy career up to a certain point, and then I put a block on the top of my career, and went to the bottom of the dramatic mountain, and started going up this separate drama mountain," she previously told Digital Spy.
Izzard has also made several appearances as herself in documentaries, stand-up specials, and reality shows.
