Zellweger to delve into world of children’s author Beatrix Potter

LOS ANGELES—US movie star Renee Zellweger will play legendary British children’s author Beatrix Potter in a new biographical film, producers said. Oscar-winner Zellweger will take the title role in “Miss Potter,” the life story of the Victorian-era writer famed for her tales of Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck, Squirrel Nutkin and Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, Phoenix Films confirmed.
The movie will not mark the American actress’s first foray into a very British role, as the Texas-born Zellweger took on the lead role of a single London girl in 2001’s “Bridget Jones’s Diary” and its sequel. British star Ewan McGregor is in talks to play Norman, Potter’s publisher and love interest, in the movie that will begin shooting in Britain in March, according to Daily Variety, the entertainment industry bible.
Australian star Cate Blanchett had previously been set to take the lead role in the film that will be directed by Chris Noonan — the maker of 1995’s “Babe.” “Miss Potter” will explore the life of the author of beloved children’s books including “The Tale of Peter Rabbit,” and her struggle for independence in Victorian England.
The movie, to be produced by Mike Medavoy, Arnie Messer and David Thwaites of Phoenix Pictures, will be a live-action feature but will include some animated elements. —Agencies