Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley has landed her next lead movie role in survival thriller We Bury the Dead.
The upcoming film – directed by 1922's Zak Hilditch – sees Ridley play Ava, who desperately hopes to find her husband alive after he goes missing during a catastrophic military experiment, according to Deadline.
Ava joins a body retrieval unit during her search, but things take a sinister turn when the bodies she's burying start showing signs of life.
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We Bury the Dead, which is scheduled to begin filming in Western Australia early next year, is both written and directed by Hilditch.
"Having Daisy play the role of Ava is an absolute dream come true. She embodies the perfect mix of vulnerability, grit and determination that Ava exudes throughout the film," the filmmaker said in a statement.
Grant Sputore, who co-produces the film, added: "We’re thrilled to join forces with Zak and Campfire on this project. Zak is uniquely gifted when it comes to making movies that are just as moving as they are terrifying. Bringing one of his projects to our home state of Western Australia is especially exciting."
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Ridley also has multiple other projects in the works, including the upcoming action-thriller film Cleaner.
The Martin Campbell-directed film will star Ridley as a former solider turned window cleaner, who uses her combined skills to try and save the day when a company gala is taken over by radical activists.
She's also set to star in psychological thriller The Marsh King's Daughter alongside Rogue One's Ben Mendelsohn, as well as reprise her role as Rey in an upcoming Star Wars film, which is set after the events of The Rise of Skywalker.
We Bury the Dead has yet to receive a release date.
Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
