Kristen Stewart, Josh O'Connor & Elle Fanning to Team for 'Rosebushpruning' from Director of Cannes Breakout 'Firebrand'

by Darian Scalamoni

    Hot off his breakout film Firebrand debuting at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, director Karim Ainouz has seemingly found his next project. THR is reporting that Kristen Stewart (Spencer, Twilight), Josh O'Connor (The Crown, God's Own Country) and Elle Fanning (The Great, Super 8) will lead the cast of Rosebushpruning.

    Firebrand came out of main competition at Cannes with rave reviews and great lead performances from both Jude Law and Alicia Vikander. MUBI and The Match Factory will back the follow-up from Ainouz, who is directing the project with Efthimis Filippou (Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Lobster) writing the script. The movie will adapt the debut feature of Marco Bellocchio, Fists in the Pocket from 1965. Rosebushpruning is schedule to begin production in spring 2024. 

    Stewart is an Oscar-nominee who came into the spotlight when she played Bella Swan in the Twilight Saga. Since then, she's made different choices between tentpole efforts such as Snow White and the Huntsman and Charlie's Angels but also choices that have paired her with such directors as David Cronenberg, Pablo Larrain and Ang Lee in recent years. Stewart will next lead Saint Maud director Rose Glass' next film, Love Lies Bleeding. Additionally, she'll co-star in Love Me with Steven Yeun.

    Josh O'Connor came into the mainstream with his role as Prince Charles for Seasons 3 & 4 of Netflix's The Crown. He also had a starring role in the romantic drama, God's Own Country. He'll next appear in Lee with Kate Winslet and Alexander Skarsgard, before leading Luca Guadagnino's next pic, Challengers with Zendaya and West Side Story's Mike Faist.

    Fanning followed in her older sister Dakota's footsteps by catching the acting bug and making her name first with J.J. Abrams deeply personal drama Super 8. She's quickly risen up the ranks compiling great roles in movies and series such as The Great and The Girl from Plainville for Hulu, as well as film roles in The Beguiled, Live by Night, 20th Century Women and Trumbo. Fanning has a number of projects in pre-production including the Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown starring Timothee Chalamet and The Nightingale which she'll star with her sister, Dakota.