Emma Thompson to star in Caitlin Moran movie How to Build a Girl
Caitlin Moran has pulled together a star-studded cast for this big-screen adaptation of her bestselling book
Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson has joined the cast of Caitlin Moran movie How to Build a Girl, taking on the role of the music magazine editor who employs young "Dolly Wilde" (Beanie Feldstein) as a rock music critic in the early 90s.
The IT Crowd's Chris O'Dowd will also star in the big-screen adaptation of Moran's best-selling semi-autobiographical book, which already boasts a cast including Lady Bird's Feldstein, Informer's Paddy Considine, Game of Thrones star Alfie Allen, The Good Place's Jameela Jamil, and comedian Sarah Solemani (Bridget Jones's Baby).
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"We had fantasised about Emma Thompson playing the editor since we first spoke with Caitlin about this project – I think Caitlin might have cut the scene if Emma hadn’t agreed!" Alison Owen of Monumental Pictures told The Hollywood Reporter.
"Thank goodness we struck lucky. We feel blessed."
How to Build a Girl is set in 1993 and stars Feldstein as Johanna Morrigan, a smart, opinionated, overweight and extremely hormonal teenager from a perpetually skint family who is desperate to get out of her hometown and make a name for herself.
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Moran has penned the screenplay, with Coky Giedroyc as director.
The story sees Johanna reinvent herself as Dolly Wilde, a notorious rock music critic. She's figured out "how to build a girl" – but the American-British comedy film asks the question: is this the girl she wanted to build?
