Ralph Fiennes has lined up his third directorial effort, with Variety reporting that he is set to helm The White Crow, a biopic of the Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, which has been scripted by David Hare (The Reader) and is based on Julie Kavanagh’s book Rudolf Nureyev: The Life.
According to an official statement, the film will “delve into the most cinematic, cultural and politically charged chapter of [the life of Nureyev], a fearless, explosive personality both on and off the stage.”
“This is a story of an uncompromising spirit, of homeland and ideologies that restrict, and of friendship,” said Fiennes. “It is, equally, a tale about the life and ballet culture he left behind in Russia.”
Russian dancer Oleg Ivenko is set to play Nureyev, while the cast also includes Blue Is the Warmest Color star Adele Exarchopoulos, Ukrainian dancer Sergei Polunin and Russian actress Chulpan Khamatova. Production is set to take place in St. Petersburg and Paris this summer.
