EXCLUSIVE: Anna Kendrick is set to star in Unsound, a new crime thriller movie to be directed by Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and The Man Who Invented Christmas helmer Bharat Nalluri from a screenplay by Matthew Ross and Christopher Edwards.

The Oscar-nominated Kendrick will play a New England state trooper, privately struggling with irreversible hearing loss, who’s tasked with investigating the prison break of a notorious gang leader. As she digs deeper into the most dangerous case of her career, she uncovers a vast conspiracy that, coupled with her deteriorating condition, threatens to end her career — and her life.

Nalluri Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock

ShowKat Production’s Jonathan Shukat, who originated the material, will produce with Untapped’s Andrew Corkin and XYZ partners Aram Tertzakian and Nate Bolotin. XYZ and CAA Media Finance are handling sales at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival, with both repping U.S. rights. CAA Media Finance is helping to arrange financing that includes from XYZ.

Kendrick recently wrapped Joe Penna’s science fiction thriller Stowaway with XYZ and is now in production on the HBO Max limited series Love Life on which she stars and executive produces. She also just completed filming the comedy Dummy for Quibi, which she also produces. She’s next on the big screen this fall in Christopher Morris’ The Day Shall Come and Disney+’s Noelle.

In addition to features, Nalluri is the Emmy-, Golden Globe- and BAFTA-nominated director behind the 2006 HBO and BBC miniseries Tsunami: The Aftermath and also helmed the pilots for BBC/BBC America’s Life on Mars and BBC/ABC’s Hustle.

Kendrick is repped by CAA and Morris Yorn. Nalluri is with WME, Echo Lake and Independent Talent Group. Ross is repped by WME and MGMT Entertainment.