Freya Allan, known to global audiences for her standout performance as Princess Cirilla (Ciri) in Netflix’s hit fantasy series The Witcher, has been cast in the title role of Marianne Faithfull for the upcoming biopic, which is for now titled Faithfull and is being pitched to buyers by the U.K.’s Altitude Film Sales. The film will chart the highs, lows, and eventual resurgence of the iconic 1960s British pop star who recently tragically passed away in London on January 30, 2025.
The biopic will be helmed by Zaida Bergroth, lauded for her work on the Finnish biopic Tove who has also co-written the screenplay with producer Julia Taylor-Stanley, who has long been attached to doing a Marianne Faithfull biopic — she had been working on a previously announced biopic on the titular singer until it fell apart. The good thing this time around, however, is that both of them are determined to bring the project to life! However, it’s sad that the news tragically comes after the passing of the late singer.
Faithfull rose to prominence in 1964 with the single “As Tears Go By,” co-written by Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, alongside their manager Andrew Loog Oldham. In fact, beyond her chart success, Faithfull became widely recognized for her relationship with Jagger. The pair’s exploits made headlines during Britain’s swinging 1960s and so one goal with this biopic is to explore the singer’s journey from being a teenage sensation to a troubled icon. So of course, playing the other big name (Jagger) is none other than the Sex Education actor Jojo Macari.
Marianne Faithfull’s Life Had a Downward Spiral After Becoming Famous
In the early 1970s, Faithfull’s life unfortunately ended up taking a dramatic downturn. She battled addiction, endured homelessness, and had almost receded from the limelight. The “Counting” singer even had to be homeless for a while until she finally had her triumphant comeback in 1979 with the critically acclaimed album Broken English, which even got her a 1980 Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.
The film is currently in pre-production and is being introduced to potential buyers at the European Film Market in Berlin. Bergroth’s previous work, Tove, on the other hand, tells the story of Tove Jansson, the Swedish-speaking Finnish writer and artist who created the beloved Moomins — so if things unfold well, we’re in for a smooth homage to her storied career and vibrance of that pop culture era, albeit after her demise.
On top of it, we do have Allan finally taking a break from her fantasy roots from the likes of The Witcher and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes to something that will help test her range as an actress!
Faithfull is still in its pre-production stages and the rest of the cast details are not yet unveiled. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates!
via Collider