British actress Bella Maclean, best known for her role as Agatha ‘Taggie’ O’Hara in the Disney+ series adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals, has been cast in Ray Panthaki’s directorial debut, In Starland. The film is a self-described indie that centers around “a middle-aged man (Clarence Maclin) struggling to break free from the confines of his small town. That is until he meets a group of bold young artists, ”one of them being Maclean, that changes his point of view. Marcus Scribner from Blackish and Top Dog’s Maxwell Cunningham will also have roles in the feature.
Maclean first made her television debut back in 2023 in BBC’s Silent Witness; that same year, she joined season four of Netflix’s Sex Education as Jem. Maclean’s breakout came from her portrayal of ‘Taggie’ in Rivals, “the overlooked daughter of Declan (Aidan Turner) and Maud (Victoria Smurfit) who struggles with dyslexia while trying to pursue culinary dreams.” The series was renewed for a season two in December of last year, with Maclean set to return, after being met with widespread praise and acclaim.
In Standard was written by Panthanki and Jason Kavan. Panthanki will also be producing alongside Daniel Khalili under the banner of their new production company, Le Bateau Lavoir. Daisy Allsop is also set to produce under the banner of Archface. Panthanki first gained notoriety for his roles in the British detective series Marcella, which started in 2016 and ended in 2021, and the 2021 drama film Boiling Point, where he starred alongside Stephen Graham. His other credits include 2020’s Away and 2022’s The Serpent Queen.
In Starland production began in Mississippi in April.
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