Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor is stepping into much darker territory as she trades her Regency-era gowns for a gripping, erotic thriller. In her next role, Dynevor plays Daphne du Maurier in The Housekeeper, a gothic drama that explores the real-life inspiration behind du Maurier’s iconic novel Rebecca. Alongside her are Uma Thurman and Anthony Hopkins, bringing their star power to this forbidden romance set in the haunting wilds of Cornwall.
Inspired by Rose Tremain’s short story (and forthcoming novel), The Housekeeper takes place at Manderville Hall (a thinly veiled homage to du Maurier’s Manderley). Anthony Hopkins stars as Lord DeWithers, a wealthy, mysterious widower—his gravitas perfect for the role of the brooding aristocrat. The story unravels as Uma Thurman portrays the enigmatic Polish housekeeper, Danni, who unwittingly becomes the muse for the chilling figure of Mrs. Danvers after an illicit affair with Dynevor’s du Maurier.
The relationship between du Maurier and Danni is complicated, as Variety describes it: “an all-consuming love for one, and an intoxicating realization of secret longings for the other.” Both Dynevor and Thurman are no strangers to intense, layered roles, with Thurman having a history in sensual period dramas like Dangerous Liaisons and The Golden Bowl. Meanwhile, Hopkins has mastered the gothic genre, known for his haunting performances in The Silence of the Lambs and Dracula, and even portraying Alfred Hitchcock in a biographical thriller about the director of Rebecca.
Directed by Richard Eyre, a master of tense, psychologically charged dramas (Notes on a Scandal), The Housekeeper promises to dive deep into the complexities of desire, power, and deception. Eyre, who has worked with some of the world’s finest actresses, including Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett, brings his deft touch to this tale of secret passions within the crumbling walls of an eerie English estate.
The film’s premise has already piqued anticipation, with Eyre noting, “Rose Tremain’s story grapples with love, fear, fiction, desire, ambition, death and legacy… The cast and I hold in our palm a story as rich and turbulent as the landscape that it inhabits, with Manderville Hall holding secrets and emotional intrigue within its historic walls.”
Hugo Grumbar from Embankment Films, who is backing the project, echoes the excitement: “Richard is a master storyteller, whose films elicit award-winning performances. Beyond the magnetism of its romance, The Housekeeper brims with inventive twists and turns of desire and deceit, mirroring today’s challenges to find purpose and identity.”
With an all-star cast and a story steeped in mystery and passion, The Housekeeper is shaping up to be a haunting, seductive drama that will captivate audiences.
