Wood will star opposite Johnny Flynn (Ripley, Genius), who plays the celebrated Russian author. Principal photography is set to begin in June, with Cologne‑based The Match Factory handling world sales.
From roulette tables to literary masterpiece
Co‑written by Szumowska and Polish screenwriter Kasper Bajon, the English‑language feature adapts Andrew D. Kaufman’s nonfiction book The Gambler Wife: A True Story of Love, Risk, and the Woman Who Saved Dostoyevsky.
The story follows Fyodor and Anna Dostoyevsky on their honeymoon through Europe, where the writer’s crippling roulette addiction imperils their finances and Anna’s resourcefulness sets her on a path to become Russia’s first female publisher.
Set in the late 1860s, the film unfolds as Dostoyevsky struggles to finish The Idiot—a novel initially dismissed as a commercial failure but now hailed as one of literature’s great works.
Creative team
Szumowska (Never Gonna Snow Again, In the Name Of) will direct alongside long‑time cinematographer Englert, who doubles as co‑director and director of photography. Producers are Ilja Stewart of Hype Studios and Vladimir Zemtsov of Gold Rush Pictures.
The project extends Szumowska and Englert’s partnership after their Venice‑premiered films Never Gonna Snow Again and Woman Of....
Outlook
The Idiots joins a wave of auteur‑driven European titles heading to Cannes’ Marché du Film, where The Match Factory will present the project to buyers. A release date has not yet been announced.
(jh)
Source: Cineuropa, Filmweb, Polskie Radio 4