According to Deadline, Pride & Prejudice star Keira Knightley has signed on for the leading role in the forthcoming dystopian sci-fi thriller titled Conception. Knightley is set to portray a woman working under an authoritarian government who controls its citizens’ parenting. The Oscar nominee is reuniting with filmmaker Camille Griffin after previously working together in 2021’s dark comedy Silent Night.
“I’m lucky to have found Keira. She is as great an ally as she is a talent. I plan to make a unique and exciting film together,” Griffin said in a statement.
Besides her iconic role in 2005’s Pride & Prejudice, Knightley is also best known for her acclaimed performances in acclaimed movies like Atonement, The Imitation Game, Never Let Me Go, Anna Karenina, and Begin Again. She is also no stranger to blockbusters, thanks to her role as Elizabeth Swann in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
What is Conception?
“The film is set in the not-too-distant future of Britain, where the government has taken authoritarian rule over parenting,” reads the synopsis. “It follows Rita (Knightley), a loyal civil servant and believer in the unforgiving system she upholds, until unexpected events endanger her own parental status, rendering her victim to the same laws she so readily inflicted on others.”
Conception will be written and directed by Griffin. It will be produced by Celine Rattray and Trudie Styler through their Maven Screen Media banner, with Fortitude financing. Casting is currently underway.
