Norwegian actress Renate Reinsve has been officially confirmed to star as Mary Wollstonecraft in the upcoming period drama If Love Should Die, directed by Mia Hansen-Løve. The project heads to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) market backed by Goodfellas handling sales for a script-backed launch.
Renate Reinsve Cast as Mary Wollstonecraft in Mia Hansen-Løve Period Drama
First announced in 2024, the feature marks Hansen-Løve’s first English-language feature since her Cannes 2021-selected drama Bergman Island. In the film, Reinsve is joined by an ensemble cast featuring Johnny Flynn, Vicky Krieps, Charlie Kelly, Will Keen, Tom Sturridge, and Jane Beever.
Plot and Historical Focus on the Eve of the French Revolution
Set in England right on the eve of the French Revolution, the narrative focuses on the remarkable final 12 years in the life of Mary Wollstonecraft. Wollstonecraft was an 18th-century English writer, philosopher, and women’s rights advocate who is also famously known as the mother of Frankenstein creator Mary Shelley.
According to details surrounding the production, the story follows a young, poor, and solitary Wollstonecraft as she carves a daring path through the ideals of the Enlightenment. After being dismissed from her post as a governess, she resolves to make her living entirely by her pen against all odds. Director Mia Hansen-Løve noted the historical significance of the undertaking, describing the project as a huge challenge in bringing Mary Wollstonecraft to the screen for the very first time.
An International Production and Creative Team
The film is structured as a sprawling European co-production spanning Ireland, France, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom. It is backed by Anonymous Content and RT Features, with Anonymous Content co-repping domestic rights alongside CAA Media Finance.
Behind the camera, Claire Mathon is attached to shoot the picture, while Hansen-Løve’s regular editor Marion Monnier returns to the editing suite. The production brings together a prominent group of European producers, including long-time collaborator David Thion at Paris-based Les Films Pelleas, Patrick O’Neill and Conor Barry for Ireland’s Wildcard, María Zamora for Spain’s Elastica Films, Maria Ekerhovd at Norway’s Mer Film, and Joshua Horsfield for the UK. Additional co-producers include Marie Kjellson and Wik, Lars Thomas Skare, and Kristina Börjeson for Film i Väst.
High-Profile Cast and Recent Accolades
The lead cast arrives on the project amid significant recent career milestones. Reinsve enters the film fresh from her performance opposite Sebastian Stan in Cristian Mungiu’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner and awards season frontrunner Fjord, following a prominent run on the award trail with the International Feature Film winner Sentimental Value.
Co-stars Johnny Flynn and Vicky Krieps also bring extensive festival credentials to the production. Flynn’s recent credits include A Prayer for the Dying and the Telluride title Elsinore, while Phantom Thread breakout Krieps appeared in Jim Jarmusch’s Venice Golden Lion winner feature Father, Mother, Brother, Sister and the Cannes-selected drama Love Me Tender.
