Uma Thurman and Phoebe Dynevor To Play Lovers in New All-Consuming Romance The Housekeeper

Richard Eyre has amassed an embarrassment of wealth when it comes to the cast of his new feature. Entitled The Housekeeper, the film will star Uma Thurman, Anthony Hopkins, and Bridgerton’s Phoebe Dynevor. The Housekeeper is adapted from the short story by Rose Tremain, who fictionalized the events behind the writing of the classic gothic novel, Rebecca. In the story, Tremain weaves a narrative where Daphne du Maurier visits Manderville Hall and engages in a love affair with Danni, the titular housekeeper. Eyre complimented the story in a statement with Variety, delving into the themes behind it. He said:

“Rose Tremain’s story grapples with love, fear, fiction, desire, ambition, death and legacy — perhaps epic, whilst providing us with the delicacy of most complex, nuanced characters and unexpected shifts in audience sympathy. The cast and I hold in our palm a story as rich and turbulent as the landscape that it inhabits, with Manderville Hall holding secrets and emotional intrigue within its historic walls.”

Thurman has been cast in the role of Danni, while Dynevor landed the coveted role of the famous novelist. Hopkins joins the cast as Lord DeWithers, the widowed master of the estate. The tale makes a connection to the book by Du Maurier, adapted into Alfred Hitchcock’s Oscar-winning film. Though the product of Tremain’s imagination, it grapples with many universal themes viewers will find familiar.

How Does 'The Housekeeper' Connect to 'Rebecca'?

Image via Netflix

Rose Tremain draws comparisons between her story and the events in Rebecca in unexpected ways. Daphne Du Maurier’s book follows an unnamed narrator who, after impulsively marrying a widower, comes to live on his large estate. The shadow of his deceased wife, Rebecca, however, is insurmountable. The housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, remains devoted to the memory of Rebecca and attempts to undermine the narrator at every turn. The true inspiration behind Rebecca is rumored to be Du Maurier’s own experiences with jealousy.

Tremain’s upcoming book twists the narrative to make Mrs. Danvers more sympathetic. The conflict between the two characters in Rebecca is reinterpreted as a love affair in The Housekeeper, implying that Mrs. Danvers’ animosity toward the narrator could be the result of sexual tension. It is a new and interesting way to interpret the beloved book. Richard Eyre’s experience in the heightened and twisted romance world is not up for debate, as his film Notes on a Scandal starring Cate Blanchett had many similar themes. The Housekeeper is in its early stages, but viewers can expect the film’s release at the end of 2025.

Hitchcock's Rebecca is available to rent or buy digitally, and the 2020 remake is available on Netflix.

A self-conscious woman juggles adjusting to her new role as an aristocrat's wife and avoiding being intimidated by his first wife's spectral presence.

Release Date April 12, 1940

Cast Laurence Olivier , Joan Fontaine , George Sanders , Judith Anderson , Nigel Bruce , Reginald Denny , C. Aubrey Smith , Gladys Cooper

Runtime 130 Minutes

Main Genre Drama

Writers Daphne Du Maurier , Robert E. Sherwood , Joan Harrison , Philip MacDonald , Michael Hogan

Budget $18 Million

Studio(s) Netflix

Distributor(s) Netflix

WATCH ON NETFLIX