Sex Education's Aimee Lou Wood to lead The Gambler Wife with Matt Dillon

The BAFTA Award winner will star alongside Academy Award and BAFTA nominee Matt Dillon (Crash, The House that Jack Built) as Anna and Fyodor Dostoyevsky respectively. The new film is based on the 2021 novel by Andrew D Kaufman, The Gambler Wife: A True Story of Love, Risk and the Woman Who Saved Dostoyevsky.

The project explores one of world literature’s most towering figures and what became one of its most turbulent and fascinating marriages.

As per the synopsis: "The Gambler Wife follows Fyodor, or Fyedya to his intimates, and his much younger, pregnant wife, Anna, as they travel to Switzerland for their honeymoon. Anna tolerates Fyedya’s gambling addiction as this will serve as inspiration for his burgeoning literary career.

"However, Fyedya’s compulsive roulette playing continues to cause problems for the couple until they are forced to return to a Russia that is not quite as they remember."

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The film is being written by Silver Bear winner Małgorzata Szumowska (Mug, Never Gonna Snow Again) and Kasper Bajon. Szumowska describes The Gambler Wife as "a dark comedy that explores the patriarchal, nationalistic Russian identity which keeps on waging the war between the west and the east which is as relevant today as it was 200 years ago".

Speaking about joining the cast, Wood said: "I’m overjoyed to be working with the singular Malgo on this film. Her work hits me right in the heart and gut. She has such a wonderful ability to combine searingly truthful humanity with dream-like magic.

"Within reading the first few pages of the brilliant script I felt beyond excited to play Anna and bring to life her mix of stoicism, eccentricity, mischief and wisdom. And I can’t think of anyone better to play Dostoyevsky than Matt! I’m thrilled!”

Dillon, who also serves as an executive producer on the film, also said: "I am really excited to be a part of this project and to be working with Malgo to bring this incredible character to life."

If the book is anything to go by, the new film is set to be an intriguing exploration of courage, literary history and feminism, all based on the true story of how Anna Dostoyevsky protected her family, helped in the midst of her husband's addiction and also founded her own publishing house, making her the first solo female publisher in Russian history.

So, it certainly sounds as though Wood has an exciting role on her hands with The Gambler Wife, but there is no confirmed release date for the film just yet. As for when we can next see her on our screens, there's been no word as to when Sex Education season 4 will land, either.

We do know though that there's a lot in store for Wood's character, with the actress previously revealing: "She’s not got her best friend with her, she’s not got a boyfriend for the first time ever. Also, she’s at this new school and she doesn’t have any mates. But what’s so amazing is that through art, Aimee finds something that connects her to herself."

She continued: "This season, she realises that she has a brilliant brain and has got loads to say. It’s all about her figuring out how she wants to express herself. That’s where the art comes into it."

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