AFM 2012: Olivia Wilde, Hailee Steinfeld Set for Civil War Drama (Exclusive)

"The Keeping Room" tells the story of three Southern women -- two sisters and a slave, played by Nicole Beharie -- who are forced to defend their home in the waning days of the war.

Olivia Wilde, Hailee Steinfeld and Nicole Beharie will star in The Keeping Room, directed by Daniel Barber and financed by Wind Dancer Films.

Wind Dancer -- the company's credits include What Women Want -- will produce alongside Gilbert Films and Anonymous Content. WME Global arranged financing and will represent North American rights.

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Sierra/Affinity will shop the project to foreign buyers at the American Film Market, which runs Wednesday through Nov. 7 in Santa Monica.

Written by Julia Hart, Keeping Room tells the story of three Southern women -- two sisters and a slave -- who are forced to defend their home from the onslaught of a band of soldiers who have broken off from the Union Army.

Gilbert Films' Jordan Horowitz is producing alongside David McFadzean, Judd Payne and Dete Meserve. Gary Gilbert of Gilbert Films and Michael Sugar of Anonymous Content will executive produce, while Anonymous' Nicole Romano and Trevor Adley will co-produce.

"The Keeping Room is a cinematic, thrilling and dangerous piece of material and we could not be more excited with the team has come together to bring this unique story to the screen," Horowitz said.

Added Sierra/Affinity CEO Nick Meyer: "We are thrilled to be part of this special project filled with profound themes. Barber is a talented up-and-coming filmmaker, and we look forward to seeing his vision of the material realized."

Tough stories are no stranger to Steinfeld, who starred in True Grit in 2010. Barber, whose credits include Harry Brown, is set to begin principal photography in March in North Carolina.

Beharie is represented by ICM Partners and ATA Management; Steinfeld by ICM Partners and Anonymous Content; and Wilde by WME and Untitled.