Elle Fanning, Dakota Fanning to Play Sisters in 'The Nightingale' Adaptation

Melanie Laurent will direct for TriStar.

Elle and Dakota Fanning will play onscreen sisters in TriStar Pictures' adaptation of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale.

The best-selling novel tells the story of two sisters coming of age in France on the eve of World War II and their struggle to survive and resist the German occupation of France. It was inspired by the courageous women of the French Resistance who helped downed Allied airmen escape Nazi-occupied territory and hid Jewish children.

Melanie Laurent, who worked with Elle Fanning on the drama Galveston, will direct from a script by Dana Stevens. Elizabeth Cantillon is producing through her Cantillon Company banner.

“The Nightingale will be the first time we act on screen together. We have played the same character at different ages but have never spoken to each other in front of a camera. For years, we have looked for a film to do with one another and then this gem appeared," the Fannings said Wednesday in a joint statement. "As sisters, to share our artistry with each other while bringing such a powerful sister story to life is a dream come true. We are so lucky to have our fearless director, Melanie Laurent, to guide us along on the journey. Let’s do this, sister!!”

Elle Fanning was last in theaters in Disney's Maleficent sequel, Mistress of Evil, and will next be seen in the Netflix movie All the Bright Places. She is set to star as Catherine the Great in the Hulu miniseries The Great.

Dakota Fanning most recently appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and will next be seen in the TNT series Angel of Darkness.

The sisters are repped by WME, Echo Lake and Hanson Jacobson. Laurent is repped by WME and France's UBBA.