According to The Hollywood Reporter, Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald (HBO’s Boardwalk Empire) has signed on for Goodbye Christopher Robin, Fox Searchlight’s upcoming biopic about Winnie the Pooh author A.A. Milne.
Domhnall Gleeson (Brooklyn) is set to star as Milne with Margot Robbie (Focus) playing his wife, Daphne. The story centers on Milne’s relationship with his son, whose toys served as the inspiration for several of Milne’s characters including Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, and Tigger. His son, Christopher Robin Milne, was the basis for the story character Christopher Robin. Macdonald will play the son’s nanny, Olive. Milne’s books were a huge success in the wake of WWI, and the story follows the family as they are caught up in the international spotlight.
Simon Curtis (Woman in Gold) will helm from a screenplay by Frank Cottrell Boyce (Millions) and Simon Vaughan (War and Peace). Damian Jones (The Lady in the Van) and Steve Christian (Belle) will produce.
In addition to Boardwalk Empire, Macdonald voiced the lead character of Merida in Pixar’s animated feature film Brave. She was nominated for a BAFTA Supporting Actress award for her role in 2007’s No Country for Old Men. She won a Best Supporting Actress Emmy for 2005’s The Girl in the Café opposite Bill Nighy (The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel). She is currently filming Joon-ho Bong’s Okja with Oscar-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhall (Demolition) and Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton (A Bigger Splash).