Kirsten Dunst is on her way to the directorial seat as she makes her debut with an adaptation of Sylvia Plath's renowned novel, "The Bell Jar." "I Am Sam" fame Dakota Fanning was chosen to play the lead character, Esther Greenwood, an intern at a famous magazine company in New York who spirals down into depression.
Dunst will not only direct the film, but she is also co-writing the script along with Nellie Kim, while Fanning was chosen to play Esther Greenwood, based on the character of Plath's 1963. She will take on a challenging role depicting an ambitious woman who suffers from a mental disorder who tries to find hope amidst her loss. According to Deadline, the production of "The Bell Jar" is slated to begin on 2017. Priority Pictures, the producer of "Stanford Prison Experiment," opted for remake rights from Studio Canal.
Meanwhile, this will not be the first time that Dunst directed a film, as she has already directed a short film starring Winona Ryder titled "Welcome" and "Bastard" which was screened at Cannes and Tribeca, The Guardian reported.
"The Bell Jar" is a story that delves on the elements of melancholia and the striving for hope. Dunst understands how these elements come into play as she has experience in translating deep sadness into the big screen. The actress starred in Sofia Coppola's adaptation of "The Virgin Suicides" back in 1999 where she was only 17-years-old. Her character challenged her on how to bridge the gap between pain and hope.
As her acting career grew, she has portrayed roles that shared similar themes to that of "The Bell Jar." She was praised for her outstanding performance in "Interview with a Vampire" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." Many experts in the film industry believe that Dunst has progressed over the years and can now create something of her own.
