‘Sweet Magnolias’ Caroline Lagerfelt Joins Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway in ‘Mothers’ Instinct’ (EXCLUSIVE)

K.J. Yossman
·2 min read

Caroline Lagerfelt (“Sweet Magnolias”) has boarded Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway feature “Mothers’ Instinct,” Variety can exclusively reveal.

Lagerfelt will play Chastain’s mother-in-law in the psychological thriller, which tells the story of two women living next door to each other in an idyllic neighborhood in the 1960s. When a tragic accident occurs, it threatens to tear their friendship and families apart.

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Based on Barbara Abel’s novel “Derrière la Haine,” the film is directed by Benoit Delhomme (“The Theory of Everything”) who also worked on a Belgian film adaptation of the book, “Duelles.”

Olivier Masset-Depasse directed the Belgian version.

Neon have picked up U.S. rights to the film, which has also sold wide internationally. Anton are repping international sales.

Lagerfelt has most recently appeared in “Sweet Magnolias” and “Law & Order: Organized Crime.” She also memorably starred as Serena’s grandmother in the original “Gossip Girl” series opposite Blake Lively.

“Mothers’ Instinct,” which is currently shooting in New York, is produced by Chastain and Kelly Carmichael for Chastain’s company Freckle Films, Anne Hathaway, Mosaic’s Paul Nelson and “Duelles” producer Jacques-Henri Bronckart.

“Set in the early ‘60s, best friends and neighbors Alice (Chastain) and Celine (Hathaway) both live an idyllic traditional lifestyle with manicured lawns, successful husbands and sons of the same age,” reads the official logline. “Life’s perfect harmony is suddenly shattered after a tragic accident. Guilt, suspicion and paranoia combine to unravel their sisterly bond and a psychological battle of wills begins as the maternal instinct reveals its darker side.”

Anton have fully financed and executive produced the film with Anton’s CEO Sébastien Raybaud overseeing the project. He is joined by John Zois, who negotiated the deal with CAA.

CAA co-repped the U.S. sales rights alongside Anton.

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