Claire Foy Headlines Psychological Thriller ‘Dust’ From ‘Winter’s Bone’ Producer Alix Madigan

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British actor Claire Foy is set to front psychological horror “Dust” — a hot project being launched at this week’s virtual Cannes market.

Foy, whose turn as Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix’s “The Crown” earned her a Golden Globe and Emmy Award, will play a young mother in 1930s Oklahoma. Trapped by increasingly stifling dust storms, she takes extreme measures to protect her family while haunted by her past.

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Variety understands the film, which is set around a remote farmhouse, is fairly self-contained, with just a small number of starring roles and a minimalist aesthetic. It’s the kind of project that could bode particularly well for this market, where players across the industry are hyper-aware of the limits of production going forward.

Will Joines and Karrie Crouse, who collaborated on the short film “Propagation,” are to direct from a script from Crouse, whose writing credits include HBO’s “Westworld.” The screenplay was developed out of Sundance’s prestigious Writer’s Lab.

Lucas Joaquin (“Blow The Man Down,” “Love Is Strange”) of Secret Engine is producing along with Oscar nominee Alix Madigan (“Winter’s Bone”) of Mad Dog Films. Meanwhile, Mad River International — whose film slate includes “You Were Never Really Here” and “Dumplin'” — is handling international sales and will introduce the project at the virtual Cannes market.

Foy is represented by UTA, Independent Talent Group, and Premier. Joines and Crouse are represented by CAA. CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group are co-representing North American rights.

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