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STX Nabs Psychological Thriller ‘The Marsh King’s Daughter’ Starring Daisy Ridley

STXfilms has landed rights to “The Marsh King’s Daughter,” a psychological thriller starring Daisy Ridley.

The film, from director Neil Burger (“Limitless,” “Voyagers”), is expected to begin production in Canada this June.

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Based on Karen Dionne’s novel, which has been published in 25 languages, the story follows Helena (Ridley) as a woman living a seemingly ordinary life. Yet she harbors a dark secret: her father is the infamous Marsh King, the moniker appointed after he kept Helena and her mother captive in the wilderness for years. After a lifetime of trying to escape her past, Helena is forced to face her demons when her father unexpectedly escapes from prison.

The acquisition reunites STXfilms with Burger, having previously collaborated on the feel-good drama “The Upside,” which generated more than $100 million at the domestic box office. STXinternational had already secured the international rights for “The Marsh King’s Daughter” and will directly distribute the film in the U.K., Ireland, and India. U.S. rights were negotiated with Black Bear and CAA Media Finance.

The film is produced by Black Bear Pictures’ Teddy Schwarzman (“The Imitation Game,” “I Care a Lot”), Anonymous Content’s Keith Redmon (“The Revenant,” “Midnight Sky”) and Mark L. Smith. Black Bear’s Michael Heimler is executive producing the movie with Syndicate Entertainment’s Cliff Roberts, and Charles Miller. Black Bear is fully financing “‘The Marsh King’s Daughter.”

“We’re thrilled to be reuniting with Neil after such a successful collaboration on The Upside and extending our relationship with Black Bear and our friends at Anonymous Content,” said Adam Fogelson, chairman of STXfilms Motion Picture Group. “Like The New York Times said about the novel, this project is as good as a thriller can be. Daisy Ridley is perfect for this role and we can’t wait to share this film with audiences in the territories we have acquired.”

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