Sony Pictures Classics acquired Mothering Sunday directed by Eva Husson (Girls of the Sun) and starring Odessa Young (Assassination Nation), Josh O’Connor (The Crown), Colin Firth (The King’s Speech), Olivia Colman (The Favourite) along with Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù (Gangs of London). The film is written by Alice Birch (Normal People, Succession), who adapted the screenplay from Graham Swift’s critically acclaimed and best-selling novel of the same name.

Mothering Sunday centers on March 30, 1924 in Beechwood, England. Jane Fairchild (Odessa Young), a maid in the Niven household, has the day off to celebrate Mothering Sunday while Mr. and Mrs. Niven (Colin Firth and Olivia Colman) attend a lunch to celebrate the engagement of their neighbor’s only remaining son, Paul (Josh O’Connor). Although Jane rejoices at her freedom on an unseasonably hot, beautiful spring day, she has no mother to go to—and for almost seven years she has, joyfully and without shame, been Paul’s lover. Like the Nivens, Paul belongs to England’s old money aristocracy, whereas Jane was orphaned at birth. With the house conveniently empty, they can finally meet in Paul’s bedroom for the first time. Today will be their last as lovers. It is also the day that will mark the beginning of Jane’s transformation.

Principal photography began in the U.K. this week. Lionsgate UK has acquired the UK distribution rights and is planning a theatrical release in 2021.

“In Cannes 2018 Eva Husson brought us Girls of the Sun, a movie with such ferocious energy we knew at once we were in the presence of a major new filmmaker. Her energy coupled with the dramatic conflict between romance and Britain’s class system as beautifully written in the screenplay by Alice Birch based on the provocative novel by Graham Swift promises to be an amazing movie,” said Sony Pictures Classics. “We are excited to be releasing this rich, modern yet still classical movie and to be working once again with our friends Liz and Stephen and the folks at Rocket Science.”