Rose Byrne is set to play current New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in “They Are Us,” a drama set in the week following the terrorist attack on two mosques in the city of Christchurch.
51 people were killed and another 49 were injured in the 2019 event. Within one month, Ardern rallied the New Zealand parliament to pass a ban on most semiautomatic weapons and assault rifles, as well as higher capacity magazines and parts that can convert guns into semiautomatic weapons.
Ardern’s response to both that terrorist attack and later events like a volcanic eruption and the global pandemic have been praised worldwide. “The Truman Show” writer and “Gattaca” writer/director Andrew Niccol both penned and directs the film which will be presented to buyers at the Cannes Virtual Market.
Niccol, Ayman Jamal, Stewart Till and Philippa Campbell will produce with shooting to take place on location in New Zealand. Several members of the mosques affected by the tragedy were consulted during the screenplay’s construction.
Niccol said in a statement: “‘They Are Us’ is not so much about the attack but the response to the attack. How an unprecedented act of hate was overcome by an outpouring of love and support. The film addresses our common humanity, which is why I think it will speak to people around the world. It is an example of how we should respond when there’s an attack on our fellow human beings.”
Byrne will next be seen in the Apple TV+ series “Physical” and the “Peter Rabbit” sequel.
Source: Screen Daily