Sydney Sweeney is set to headline and produce a new film adaptation of Edith Wharton’s celebrated novel The Custom of the Country. The project is being mounted by Studiocanal in collaboration with Charles Finch’s Rabbit’s Foot Films, with Josie Rourke attached as writer-director. Production is expected to begin shortly.
The film will bring to screen Wharton’s complex and controversial protagonist Undine Spragg, a character often described as one of American literature’s most fascinating social climbers. Sweeney will play Undine, a fiercely ambitious woman from the American Midwest who sets her sights on breaking into the elite circles of turn-of-the-century New York society. Using charm, beauty and relentless determination, Undine navigates wealth, power and romance in a world shaped by rigid class structures and rapid social change.
Director Josie Rourke, who previously helmed Mary Queen of Scots, shared her enthusiasm for the project, calling Undine “the original dangerous woman.” She noted that Wharton’s novel feels strikingly modern in its exploration of ambition and social mobility, adding that Sweeney felt like a natural fit for the role while she was adapting the script. According to Rourke, the character’s hunger for success and willingness to court controversy make her a compelling figure for contemporary audiences.
Sweeney will also serve as a producer alongside Charles Finch, Alison Owen of Monumental Pictures and Studiocanal. The studio will fully finance the film and handle theatrical distribution across its key territories, including the UK, France, Germany, Australia and New Zealand, while international sales will launch at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin.
The announcement comes during a busy period for Sweeney, whose recent film The Housemaid crossed the $200 million mark globally and has a sequel in development. She has also drawn praise for her performance as boxer Christy Martin in a recent biopic. With The Custom of the Country, Sweeney adds a prestigious literary adaptation to her growing slate of ambitious projects.
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