Vicky Krieps cast as Sophie Toscan du Plantier in Jim Sheridan Docu-Drama

Following his five-part Sky Crime docu-series Murder at the Cottage, renowned Irish filmmaker and playwright Jim Sheridan will further explore the life and death of Sophie Toscan du Plantier with his upcoming film, Re-creation.

The unreleased hybrid docu-drama will star Luxembourgish-German actress Vicky Krieps, who will play the part of the murdered young French woman. Sheridan will co-produce and co-write the film alongside Irish director David Merriman. The duo are re-uniting after working together on Rock Against Homelessness, directed by Merriman and produced by Sheridan, in 2020.

The co-producers shared with Variety that Krieps “will bring the truth to this character that she deserves,” and that the rising actress is the “perfect choice” for the role of Sophie.

Sheridan is a hugely respected figure in film, having received six Academy award nominations during his long-running career at the top. He most notably directed three major films between 1989 and 1993: My Left Foot, The Field, and In The Name of the Father.

Jim Sheridan

The Irish filmmaker will travel to Venice Gap Financing Market to present the film, with a synopsis which describes it as, “Fiction to question reality. The filmmakers embark on a journey through facts and lies behind the unsolved murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, giving her back a voice that was abruptly interrupted and helping those grieving find closure.”

The part-documentary, part-drama will be set partly in Ireland, while key dramatic scenes will be filmed in Luxembourg. It is expected to release in theatres in late 2024. The production is supported by Screen Ireland, Film Fund Luxembourg and Eurimages. It will be produced by Tina O-Reilly (Hell’s Kitchen) in Ireland and Fabrizio Maltese of Joli Rideau Media, with Sheridan as executive producer.

Krieps is an enticing choice for the role of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, and will likely garner even more attention for the film’s release. Winner of Cannes’ best performance Un Certain Regard award and the European Film Award for best actress in last year’s Corsage, Krieps initially caught the eyes of her audience in her 2017 debut in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread.

Sophie Toscan du Plantier was a TV and film producer, mother to a young son, and wife of the well-known film producer Daniel Toscan du Plantier. They were at the centre of the French film scene during the early ‘90s, with Sophie being the elusive, mysterious half of the power couple.

Sophie Toscan du Plantier / Netflix

Sophie owned a vacation home in rural Schull, West Cork, where she retreated often on her own for peace and quiet. One such solo retreat would be her last, as Sophie’s body was found brutally murdered just outside her cottage in December 1996.

The murder case remains open and unsolved, though many have their theories – and opinions are bitterly divided. Sheridan’s docu-series Murder at the Cottage, which ran on Sky, presented the hard facts and timeline of the murder, along with interviews and testimonies from Sophie’s family members, friends, and in particular the alleged prime suspect, Ian Bailey. Bailey was convicted in absentia of the murder by a French court in May 2019, yet remains adamant of his innocence to this day. The Irish courts have thrice rejected French requests for the English-born journalist to be extradited.

Leading up to the release of Re-creation, the 28-year-old cold case is also set for review in 2024, according to the DPP. An Garda Síochána say the investigation into her murder "has remained active and ongoing."

Here’s hoping that by the end of 2024, one way or another, there will be unequivocal evidence and clear answers in relation to the unsolved murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

Watch the trailer for Jim Sheridan’s A Murder at the Cottage below: