Less than a week has passed since Eddie Redmayne won the Academy Award for his performance as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. However, the actor is wasting no time delving back into his next project.
We’ve known for some time that Redmayne was set to reunite with his Les Misérables director Tom Hooper on a film adaptation of David Ebershoff’s book The Danish Girl. The book, which was adapted for the big screen by playwright/scribe Lucinda Coxon (who also did uncredited work on Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak), tells the story of real-life transgender pioneer Einar Wegener, who ultimately sought to become a woman known as Lili Elbe.
Redmayne has said (via The Daily Mail) that he has been “observing the minutiae of feminine physicality” and is reportedly working with movement director Alexandra Reynolds to prepare for the role. Reynolds assisted Redmayne in his Oscar-winning performance as the ALS-afflicted Hawking – and if the result of that collaboration is any indication, moviegoers could be in store for something special when The Danish Girl arrives in theaters, before 2015 draws to a close.
Here is the first official look at Redmayne in character for The Danish Girl:
From the above photo, it looks like the film – costarring Alicia Vikander and Amber Heard – will mark yet another ambitious performance for Redmayne, who seems intent on pushing his talent to the limits with each film. Prior to his Oscar win, he proved to be a standout in Les Miz; and an argument could even be made that his over-the-top villainous role in the critically slammed Jupiter Ascending this month is one of the few elements of that film to truly stand out (and play into the absurdity onscreen).
Moreover, the proven pedigree of Hooper (himself an Oscar winner for The King’s Speech) and the rich subject matter of The Danish Girl could very well mean that Redmayne may find himself vying for a gold statuette once more next year. More importantly, the film is certainly exhibiting much promise, provided Hooper and his team are able to wring the emotional complexity from the story at hand.
The Danish Girl will hit theaters later this year. Stay tuned to Screen Rant for further details.
