Olivia Wilde has cast "fearless" Thomasin McKenzie in 'Perfect'.
Thomasin McKenzie
The 37-year-old actress is helming the upcoming sports drama, which will tell the story of former Olympic gymnast Kerri Strug.
And the filmmaker heaped praise on the 20-year-old actress who she has cast in the role.
Olivia posted Deadline's news article confirming the casting on Instagram and wrote: "One reason I needed to direct movies was to work with genius women in great roles worthy of their skills. This story is complicated and challenging and heartbreaking and beautiful, and I could not imagine a better partner to tell it with than Thomasin. She is fearless, ladies and gentlemen. I bow down."
Strug, now 43, won high praise from fans at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, by completing a gold medal-winning vault in the team competition on a badly injured ankle which later required treatment for ligament damage.
She had to be carried to the podium to accept her gold medal with her teammates before heading to hospital.
The script for the film - which will also be produced by the 'Richard Jewell' star - has been penned by 'Borg/McEnroe' writer Ronnie Sandahl, who has adapted the book 'Landing on My Feet: A Diary of Dreams' by Strug and John P. Lopez.
And Searchlight Pictures quickly acquired the script.
In a statement, Olivia previously described 'Perfect' as an "epic sports movie".
She said: "It is an excruciatingly beautiful underdog story that will thrust the audience into the heart of Kerri Strug with unblinking, raw honesty. It is an epic sports movie that will deliver on all the wish-fulfillment that makes those films so thrilling to watch. At the same time, it is unlike any sports movie you have seen before."
New Zealand actress Thomasin won widespread acclaim for her starring role as Debra Granik in the 2018 drama 'Leave No Trace', and went on to land supporting roles in 'Jojo Rabbit' and 'True History of the Kelly Gang'.
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