Emerald Fennell is directing the thriller starring Carey Mulligan, which will be distributed by Focus.


Bo Burnham, the writer-director of Eighth Grade, Alison Brie, Connie Britton and Adam Brody have joined the cast of the thriller Promising Young Woman, starring Carey Mulligan as a medical-school dropout who is haunted by a tragedy in her past and leads a double life at night.


Written and directed by Emerald Fennel — who will be making her feature directorial debut after acting in series including Call the Midwife and The Crown — the film has attracted a cast that also includes Laverne Cox, Jennifer Coolidge, Max Greenfield, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Sam Richardson and Molly Shannon.


Production began this week in Los Angeles with a crew that includes production designer Michael Perry, costume designer Nancy Steiner and director of photography Benjamin Kracun.


Fennell also is producing along with FilmNation’s Ben Browning and LuckyChap Entertainment’s Margot Robbie, Josey McNamara and Tom Ackerley. FilmNation’s Ashley Fox is executive producing, and Fiona Walsh Heinz is co-producing.


Focus Features and Universal Pictures International will distribute the film worldwide, excluding Australia, New Zealand, Benelux, Israel, Greece, the Middle East, CIS and South Africa.