Most recently seen opposite Paul Mescal in Garth Davis sci-fi thriller Foe, Saoirse Ronan is now heading for the world of education. She'll play a teacher dealing with a very disruptive student in a new satirical pic that marks the English-language debut of Swedish writer/director Jonatan Etzler. Bad Apples is now one of the movies whose distribution rights are for sale at this year's AFM market.
Bad Apples, which Jess O’Kane adapted from Rasmus Lindgren’s debut novel De Oönskade, finds Ronan as Maria, a primary school teacher doing her best to inspire a class of 10-year-olds but unable to because of one unruly and chaotic student.
With her career in question and the child’s behavior spiraling, she makes a series of bad decisions that lead to her accidentally taking and locking this “bad apple” in her home. Maria tries desperately to backtrack, but when the class starts flourishing and the staff and parents are thrilled with the improvement, she finds herself in a very complicated predicament…
HanWay Films is producing the film, and CEO Gabrielle Stewart is clearly happy with its prospects: "We have been following with much excitement the development of this brilliant screenplay with one of the most interesting directors to be emerging from Scandinavia. This is such a juicy part for Saoirse Ronan who will bring to life all the drama, the comedy and the brutal tension of this unique role."
The plan is to shoot the movie this coming spring. Ronan, meanwhile, will next be seen in Steve McQueen's Blitz and addiction drama The Outrun.