By James White | Posted 4 May 2016

Despite the big demands on her schedule from the Star Wars movies, Daisy Ridley is fielding plenty of offers for other work and is now closing in on a deal to star with Naomi Watts in an intriguing new take on Shakespeare's Hamlet that tells the story from Ophelia's point of view.

Called, you might not be shocked to learn, Ophelia, the film is based on Lisa Klein's award-winning novel and has been adapted by Semi Chellas for Claire McCarthy to direct. There's no indication of who will be playing what, though it would seem logical for Ridley to be the troubled title character and for Watts to be Gertrude, Hamlet's mother and Queen of Denmark. Ehren Kruger, Daniel Bobker and Sarah Curtis are on board as producers.

“Set in the 14th century but spoken in a contemporary voice, Ophelia will put the titular character center stage,” producer Bobker tells Deadline. “Sarah, Ehren and I have always treated this film like a jewel, since there’s something extra precious in bringing to life a treasured female icon, celebrated for centuries as an alluring figure in the shadows of Shakespeare’s most famous work, without ever really having her own story told.”

Ridley is at work on Star Wars: Episode VIII and may make Ophelia after she finishes there. Watts is preparing to star in The Glass Castle with Brie Larson and is producing and starring in a Netflix series called Gipsy. She'll also be seen in Colin Trevorrow's The Book Of Henry.