Trevor Nunn is directing the film about a grandmother who is exposed as the KGB’s longest-serving British spy.

Red Joan — starring Oscar winner Judi Dench, Sophie Cookson (Kingsman: The Golden Circle) and Tom Hughes (Victoria) and telling the real-life story of a grandmother exposed as the KGB’s longest-serving British spy — has scored a raft of international deals.


Lionsgate took U.K. rights, while it also went to Transmission (Australia, New Zealand), Kino (Japan), Scanbox (Scandinavia), Cineart (Benelux), Ster Kinekor (South Africa), Videorama (Greece), United King (Israel), Front Row (Middle East) and Cinesky (Worldwide Airlines).


Academy Award winner David Parfitt (Shakespeare in Love) is producing the film, while multiple Tony and Olivier award winner Trevor Nunn (Cats) directs from a screenplay by Lindsay Shapero, based on the the best-selling book of the same name by Jennie Rooney. Ivan Mactaggart and Alice Dawson co-produce.


Shooting on Red Joan has now started in the U.K. Embankment is selling worldwide.