The latest best-selling novel has made its way to the big screen is Karen Dionne's The Marsh King's Daughter. The thriller, which stars Daisy Ridley and Ben Mendelsohn, is part of the 2023 new movie slate.
Dionne's novel was first published in 2017, where it quickly became an international best-seller. It is now being produced by the same team behind The Revenant, who have some experience bringing a wilderness-set action movie to life.
Who's in The Marsh King's Daughter and what else do you need to know about it? We've got it all covered right here.
The Marsh King's Daughter release date
The Marsh King's Daughter is now playing exclusively in movie theaters across the US. To find out when and where it is playing near you, check out Fandango.
There's no information at this time about when The Marsh King's Daughter is going to be available to watch in the UK.
The Marsh King's Daughter plot
Mark L. Smith, who wrote The Revenant, Overlord and Midnight Sky, is a co-writer on the adaptation of The Marsh King's Daughter with Elle Smith, with this movie serving as their first screenwriting credit.
Here is the official synopsis for The Marsh King's Daughter from Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions:
"In the tense thriller The Marsh King’s Daughter, a woman with a secret past will venture into the wilderness she left behind to confront the most dangerous man she's ever met: her father. In the film, Helena's seemingly ordinary life hides a dark and dangerous truth: her estranged father is the infamous Marsh King, the man who kept her and her mother captive in the wilderness for years. When her father escapes from prison, Helena will need to confront her past. Knowing that he will hunt for her and her family, Helena must find the strength to face her demons and outmaneuver the man who taught her everything she knows about surviving in the wild."
The Marsh King's Daughter cast
Daisy Ridley is trading in her lightsaber for a hunting rifle, as the actress best known for playing Star Wars' Rey plays Helena here. Though Ridley is expected to return as Rey in a future Star Wars movie, she has been popping up outside of the galaxy far, far away recently, including the movies Chaos Walking, The Bubble and Sometimes I Think About Dying.
Another actor with a Stars Wars connection in The Marsh King's Daughter is Ben Mendelsohn, having starred in Rogue One. In this movie, Mendelsohn plays the Marsh King, Jacob Holbrook. Some of Mendelsohn's other roles have included Secret Invasion, Cyrano and Ready Player One.
Playing Helena's husband in the movie is Garrett Hedlund, who recently starred in Tulsa King and also is slated to appear in Lawmen: Bass Reeves. Playing Helena's daughter in the movie is Brooklynn Prince, who is best known for The Florida Project, Cocaine Bear and Home Before Dark.
Other members of The Marsh King's Daughter cast includes Gil Birmingham (Yellowstone) and Caren Pistorius (Mortal Engines).
The Marsh King's Daughter trailer
Check out the trailer for The Marsh King's Daughter right here:
The Marsh King's Daughter reviews
The Marsh King's Daughter hasn't gotten the greatest reception, as Rotten Tomatoes scores it at 41% as of November 3, which gives it a "Rotten" rating. Though critics do give Daisy Ridley's performance some praise.
The Marsh King's Daughter director
Directing The Marsh King's Daughter is Neil Burger, who has been working in Hollywood since the early 2000s. Here is a list of Burger's feature movie directing credits:
- Interview with the Assassin (2002)
- The Illusionist (2006)
- The Lucky Ones (2007)
- Limitless (2011)
- Divergent (2014)
- The Upside (2017)
- Voyagers (2021)
Burger has also directed multiple episodes of the Showtime series Billions.
