Leo Woodall to star opposite Sydney Sweeney in Custom of the Country movie adaptation
Leo Woodall is to star alongside Sydney Sweeney in director Josie Rourke's film adaptation of Edith Wharton's classic novel Custom of the Country.
Leo Woodall is to join Sydney Sweeney in the movie adaptation of Custom of the Country.
The White Lotus star, 29, and Sweeney, 28, will lead director Josie Rourke’s upcoming cinematic take on Edith Wharton’s 1913 novel of the same name, Deadline has said.
In the movie, Sweeney will portray Undine Spragg, a fiercely ambitious woman from the Midwest, who strives for the social heights in New York at the turn of the century.
With beauty, hustle and a sheer force of will at her side, Undine comes face-to-face with an entrenched elite, fearlessly courting controversy, until love and fortune align.
As well as starring in the movie, Sweeney will produce Custom of the Country with Charles Finch of Rabbit’s Foot Films and Monumental Pictures’ Owen and StudioCanal.
Director Rourke has adapted Custom of the Country’s story from Wharton’s classic book for the silver screen.
Nina Gold is to serve as the casting director for the film, and is said to be in the process of “building the ensemble around Sweeney”.
Woodall could recently be seen in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, in which he played Bridget’s young love interest Roxster McDuff.
In the movie, Bridget (Renee Zellweger) looks for love again in an effort to move past her grief for Mark Darcy (Colin Firth).
Soon, Bridget finds herself torn between science teacher Scott Walliker (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and the charming, much younger Roxster (Woodall).
Following the release of Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy last year, Woodall reflected on relationships with big age-gaps taking centre stage on the silver screen.
During an interview with Elle, he said: “I mean, I think these relationships, the stories they’re been telling - they’re not new.
“I couldn’t tell you why it’s suddenly happening now, but I know that the best thing about it is reminding everyone that people are just people. We can connect on across planets and across genders - well, not planets, sorry, across the planet.”
Woodall added it was “lovely” to see Bridget “find some joy” through Roxster in the midst of her grief.
He noted: “What’s so good about the film is that it’s lovely to see her have some joy because she’s grieving and she meets this young guy and he’s got the right intentions. I think it’s lovely.”
The Prime Target actor also revealed his mother and sister had taught him the most about women.
He explained: “For my mom, it was always just about kindness - how you should treat people, let alone women.
“I feel very lucky that I had her to teach me just how to be a good man.
“And with my sister, she’s five years older than I am, so it was the more nitty-gritty dating advice, all the things you could get wrong as a bloke, how women think, stuff like that.
“She’s always been someone that can be brutally honest with me and tell me, ‘Okay, well, you f***** that up. I can see exactly why she feels that way.’”
