Dame Helen Mirren is in talks to star in ‘The Nutcracker’.
The 71-year-old actress looks set to join a cast that already includes Keira Knightly as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Morgan Freeman as Drosselmeyer, MacKenzie Foy as Clara and Misty Copeland as an as yet undisclosed character.
According to Empire magazine, ‘The Queen’ star will play Mother Ginger in Disney’s live action version of E.T.A. Hoffman’s 1816 story ‘The Nutcracker and the Mouse King’.
The tale follows a young girl whose favourite toy, the nutcracker, comes alive and whisks her away to a magical kingdom populated by dolls.
The short story was famously turned into a ballet by Russian composer Tchaikovsky, and it is not yet clear how closely the live action version will adhere to the original story.
The film will be directed by ‘Salmon Fishing in the Yemen’s’ Lasse Hallstrom and will be scripted by Ashleigh Powell.
Mirren can next be seen on screen in the upcoming surreal comedy ‘Collateral Beauty’, action sequel ‘Fast 8’ and supernatural thriller ‘Winchester’.
The actress – who previously played police detective Jane Tennison in seven seasons of ‘Prime Suspect’ until 2006 – is also set to return to the small screen and is in talks to star alongside Colin Firth in an adaptation of Charles Cumming’s Thomas Kell spy novels as the head of MI6.
Helen Mirren set to join The Nutcracker
