AnnaSophia Robb, Star of Netflix’s ‘Rebel Ridge,’ Joins Kathy Bates, John Malkovich in ‘Thelma’ (EXCLUSIVE)

AnnaSophia Robb has joined Kathy Bates, John Malkovich, Tim Blake Nelson, Stephen Root and Lewis Pullman in the cast of “Thelma.” The Exchange is selling the film at Berlin’s European Film Market.

Robb starred in Hulu’s Emmy-winning series “The Act,” Hulu’s “Little Fires Everywhere” and HBO Max’s “The Carrie Diaries,” and is toplining Netflix’s upcoming “Rebel Ridge.”

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“Thelma” tells the true story of the 11-year battle by the mother of John Kennedy Toole, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of “A Confederacy of Dunces,” to get his novel published after his suicide.

“Thelma” was written by Black List screenwriter Andrew Farotte, and is to be directed by Ken Kwapis, who was Emmy-nominated for “The Office” and “Malcolm in the Middle.” Kwapis’ film credits include “A Walk in the Woods” with Robert Redford, “He’s Just Not That into You” with Jennifer Aniston and “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.”

Pullman plays Kennedy Toole (“Ken”), and his mother, Thelma Toole, is played by Bates.

Thelma made it her life’s mission, through “outrageous gamesmanship,” to see the book published, according to the Exchange. She succeeded in getting the manuscript into the hands of writer Walker Percy (Malkovich), who became the champion of the novel, which would eventually be published in 1980, 11 years after Ken’s death, and has become a cult classic.

“Thelma” is produced by filmmaker Johnny Lin and Steven P. Wegner.

“AnnaSophia is a very strong addition to an already impressive cast. Under the direction of Ken Kwapis, ‘Thelma’ is one of the strongest and commercial projects this EFM,” Nat McCormick, The Exchange worldwide sales and distribution president, said.

Robb is represented by Untitled Entertainment, CAA and Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham.

The Exchange’s EFM lineup includes Orlando Bloom’s “The Cut,” Octavia Spencer, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Lucy Liu’s “Nobody Nothing Nowhere,” Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Guy Pearce’s “Neponset Circle,” Olivia Munn’s “Replay,” Zoe Saldana and Garrett Hedlund’s “The Absence of Eden,” Venice competition title “Monica,” Steve Zahn’s “LaRoy” and “Bosco,” with Tyrese Gibson and Thomas Jane.

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