Olivia Colman won her first and so far only Academy Award for The Favourite, a film that was penned by Tony McNamara. Can McNamara take Colman to the promised land once again? Because the two are reteaming for another adaptation, this time it’s Warren Adler’s The War of the Roses, that she’ll star in alongside Benedict Cumberbatch.
Searchlight Pictures announced today that Colman and Cumberbatch will play the warring couple at the center of The Roses, a reimagining of The War of the Roses directed by Jay Roach.
Here’s the synopsis for the film: “Life seems easy for picture-perfect couple Theo (Cumberbatch) and Ivy (Colman): successful careers, great kids, an enviable sex life. But underneath the façade of the perfect family is a tinderbox of competition and resentments that’s ignited when Theo’s professional dreams come crashing down.”
Adler’s novel was previously adapted into a memorable 1989 film with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, with Danny DeVito directing.
This will be Roach’s first feature since 2019’s Bombshell, which earned Oscar nominations for Margot Robbie and Charlize Theron. He last directed the pandemic comedy Coastal Elites for HBO.
Colman can be seen right now in Wicked Little Letters opposite Jessie Buckley. Cumberbatch was last seen in a small but hilarious role in The Book of Clarence, and in Wes Anderson’s Oscar-winning short The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.
Look for The Roses to arrive in 2025. [Deadline]
