The Wonder, Netflix: everything we know

It is a creative necessity for filmmakers to veer outside their comfort zones, but breaking their routines is often a risky and refreshing endeavour. Think of Steven Spielberg tackling, and succeeding with, his first full-on movie musical, West Side Story. Or This Is England writer/director Shane Meadows going way, way back to 18^th-century Yorkshire for his anticipated period drama, The Gallows Pole.

The Chilean director Sebastián Lelio broke through internationally with the Oscar-winning trans drama A Fantastic Woman, followed by the religious, lesbian romance film Disobedience with Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams. Both are modern and progressive stories that clash with conservative ideals.

But for his next film, The Wonder, Lelio travels back from the present into a rural Irish community in 1861, where a child claims to have fasted for months. Here’s everything we know so far.

Photo: Netflix

What’s the plot of The Wonder?

Based on the novel by Room author Emma Donoghue, The Wonder follows the British nurse Lib Wright as she observes the devout girl who's causing a stir in the area. The 11-year-old Anna claims to have starved herself for months, only surviving on ‘manna from heaven’ – a tale that attracts many tourists and pilgrims. Lib’s there to monitor her health.

The nurse is soon joined by the sceptical journalist Will Byrne, who isn’t convinced by this apparent miracle child and believes someone is secretly giving her food.

When writing the book, Donoghue was inspired by various reports of ‘fasting girls’ around Europe during the Victorian era. Donoghue is also adapting the screenplay with writer Alice Birch, who co-wrote Normal People and Conversations With Friends.

Who’s in The Wonder cast?

The prolific Florence Pugh stars as the British nurse Lib Wright. Despite starring in several period dramas like Lady Macbeth and Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Little Women, Pugh is a very eclectic actor. Whether it’s the traumatised and grief-stricken Dani in Ari Aster’s horror film Midsommar or as an arse-kicking Marvel antihero in Black Widow and Hawkeye or a young spy in John le Carré’s The Little Drummer Girl, she can basically do anything.

The Strike and The Souvenir actor Tom Burke stars alongside her, playing the journalist Will Byrne. Niamh Algar (Censor, The Virtues), Toby Jones (First Cow), and Ciarán Hinds (Belfast) also star.

When’s The Wonder release date?

Nothing specific yet, but the film is expected to be released on Netflix later this year.