Daisy Ridley Is Going To Scale One Of The Tallest Buildings In The World
Daisy Ridley's new action thriller Cleaner will take place in London's The Shard building.
The tallest building in Western Europe takes center stage in the upcoming Daisy Ridley action thriller, Cleaner. The project hails from James Bond director Martin Campbell and is set inside the Shard in present-day London. The story begins when radical activists take over a gala hosted by an energy company. With 300 hostages at their mercy, the group plans to expose the firm’s corruption.
But things go awry when a zealous extremist hijacks the original goal and is ready to murder everyone, sending a message to the entire world. Fortunately, suspended 90 stories up on the outside of the Shard is an ex-soldier turned window cleaner named Joey Locke (Daisy Ridley). She takes it upon herself to save the hostages, defeat the killers, and expose the energy company’s wrongdoings.
In a statement via Deadline, Martin Campbell described the Cleaner’s setting and characters as unique and original. “Much of the film takes place on the side of the Shard – hundreds of feet up in the air – and I want the audience to be up there with Joey in a stomach-churning, vertiginous experience. There isn’t a more instinctive and powerful actress than Daisy [Ridley] to help us do just that,” he explained.
Cleaner is being financed and produced by Greenland outfit Anton. Sebastien Raybaud and Callum Grant will serve as producers. Production is expected to begin in late summer, with discussions about filming locations currently underway. Producer Sebastien Raybaud gushed about the movie, saying, “It’s always been the intention to make European action-thrillers that are sophisticated, provocative, and fun.”
Daisy Ridley was largely unknown before being cast as Rey in the Star Wars franchise. Although her career skyrocketed after her debut in the iconic faraway galaxy, she hasn’t been able to leverage her fame in other projects. Her roles in Ophelia, Murder on the Orient Express, The Bubble, and Chaos Walking alongside Tom Holland, have done little to elevate her career.
Her upcoming slate is a mixed bag of genres. Daisy Ridley will star in Magpie, a noir film from director Sam Yates. The actress also developed the story alongside her husband, Tom Bateman, who wrote the screenplay. The story follows a father escorting his movie-star daughter while his wife is home with their newborn baby. But he eventually falls in love with the lead star.
Daisy Ridley will star as Helena Pelletier in The Marsh King’s Daughter. Billed as a psychological thriller, the film is directed by Neil Burger from a script by Mark L. Smith and Elle Smith. The story sees a woman recalling the traumatic events of her childhood, namely when her father kidnapped her mother. She is forced to confront her past when he escapes from prison.
The Marsh King’s Daughter is based on the 2017 Karen Dionne novel of the same name and also stars Ben Mendelsohn and Garrett Hedlund. The Daisy Ridley film will debut at the opening night of the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival on June 7.
Daisy Ridley will also star in Young Woman and the Sea, which is set to premiere on Disney+. The biographical drama is directed by Joachim Rønning from a script by Jeff Nathanson. The story focuses on Gertrude Ederle, a competitive American swimmer and Olympic champion. Principal photography began in May 2022 and wrapped just over a month later.
