Rising British actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw appears nearly set to appear in the new gun control drama Miss Sloane. Two-time Oscar nominated actress Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty, The Help) is already confirmed to star in Film Nation/EuropaCorp film that will be directed by Shakespeare in Love helmer John Madden from a script by first-time scribe Jonathan Perera.

The topical film tells the story of Elizabeth Sloane (Chastain), an ambitious but scarred Washington lobbyist angling to push tougher gun control legislation. She is faced with stiff opposition in the form of the powerful gun lobby. With the issue of gun rights currently a major hot-button issue, Miss Sloane appears perfectly timed to perhaps latch onto the zeitgeist. The ensemble cast already includes Mark Strong (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Allison Pill (Midnight in Paris), Jake Lacey (Carol) and Michael Stuhlbarg (Steve Jobs). If confirmed, Mbatha-Raw would portray a gun control lobbyist holding on to a secret.

The actress can currently be seen on screens opposite Will Smith in the NFL-whistleblower drama Concussion. She made a major impression on critics and art house audiences with her rangy 2014 double bill of Belle and Beyond the Lights and will next seen on screen opposite Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club) in Free States of Jones. Mbatha-Raw is also set to appear in the thriller The Whole Truth opposite Keanu Reeves and Renee Zellweger and as Plumette in Bill Condon’s upcoming all-star live-action reboot of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.