Thanks to her work in Apple TV’s hit series Silo and the monstrously popular Dune trilogy, Rebecca Ferguson has become sci-fi royalty, but her skill as an actress doesn’t end there. Ferguson’s big breakout role came in Tom Cruise‘s Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, and her character became such an instant fan-favorite that she was invited back for several more sequels. However, the beloved star’s newest film will be taking her into one of the toughest and most-feared genres out there: the rom-com.
Ferguson just recently wrapped production on the new romantic comedy, Honeymoon/Funeral, which is directed by Nahnatchka Khan (Totally Killer), written by Julia Bicknell (Yellowjackets), and also stars Greta Lee (Past Lives) and Carrie Coon (The Gilded Age). The film’s two romantic subjects will be played by Ferguson and Lee, both of whose characters meet by chance on a flight from LA, California, to London, England. One of them is attending her honeymoon alone after being left at the altar by her fiancé, while the other is attending the funeral of her late mother.
With both Silo and Dune nearing their conclusions, fans are eager to see what Rebecca Ferguson does next, and Greta Lee has teased what they can expect. While discussing the home release of her acclaimed new movie Late Fame, I had the chance to ask the Past Lives star about the upcoming feature and what it was like filming with both Ferguson and Carrie Coon. Not only did she describe the duo as “dreamy,” but she also had abundant praise for Julia Bicknell’s “funny” and “heartbreaking” script:
“They are as dreamy as you would expect. So excited, the script was amazing, and I couldn’t be more pleased to find that it was even more funny, heartbreaking, and even sexier than I thought it could potentially be.”
Greta Lee Confirms She Wasn’t the First Choice To Play Gloria in ‘Late Fame’
Can’t wait for Honeymoon/Funeral? Well, if you want a taste of what Greta Lee can do in a romantic setting, then I truly cannot recommend Late Fame enough. Lee stars alongside Willem Dafoe as charismatic actress Gloria Gardner, with Willem’s character, Ed Saxberger, being a retired poet who rediscovers his love of the art form after meeting a band of young artists. In addition to being marvelously written and effortlessly charming, Late Fame also features one of Greta Lee’s best performances of her career, and it’s hard to imagine she almost wasn’t cast for the role. Also in our conversation, Lee confirmed that Project Hail Mary star Sandra Hüller (who was just recently cast in Avengers: Doomsday) was the original choice for the role. Not only that, but Lee also admitted she was already closely following the project as a fan before she came on as a collaborator.
“There are a bunch of people that were attracted to me in terms of this group, and a bunch of people who I had a previous connection with. Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler, we did Past Lives together, and Samy Burch is someone I met during that time when we were campaigning in the awards circuit,” Lee explained. “I was really taken with Samy in particular and her work from May December. I had heard of the film, but it wasn’t something I was hoping to be a part of because it was already fully cast.” She continued, telling Collider:
“Sandra Hüller, who I adore and is a friend, was already attached to play Gloria Gardner, and I was more invested in the movie as a consumer. I was really excited to see the film, having been a longtime fan of Willem’s as well. It was a complete and total surprise. I got a call saying that they wanted me for Gloria, and I said ‘What happened?’ I read it and I totally fell in love with the film and the vision and what Samy had written, but specifically with Gloria. It was like a love-at-first-sight scenario.”
Late Fame is now available on Blu-ray, DVD, and PVOD. Honeymoon/Funeral is now in post-production. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
