Another Disney Princess Flies In

Ah, Jaysus…

ith the smell of fresh paint and Mickey Mouse moolah still lingering in the air from the Disenchanted shoot, another Disney Princess is now coming to Wicklow.

Well, Marvel’s recent Black Widow is a Disney production, and Florence Pugh does get to steal the ball.

So, the Disney princess this time out might not be quite as squeaky-clean or wet behind the elfen ears as Amy Adams’ Giselle…

Still, rising British actress Pugh has made quite the impression playing Scarlett Johansson’s wisecracking and decidedly kick-ass sidekick Yelena in Black Widow, the big-budget Mouse House and Marvel sci-fi actioner significantly adding to its young co-star’s glowing reputation and growing fanbase. After her 2019 breakthrough alongside Irish actor Jack Reynor in the Wicker Man-esque Midsommar and Greta Gerwig’s recent take on Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, Black Widow has earned Pugh a major international following.

And now the talented fecker is headed to Wicklow for her latest film.

Based on Emma O’Donoghue’s 2016 bestseller of the same name, The Wonder will shoot from August 16th to 23rd in the cute-as-a-button, diddley-aye-potatoes village of Redcross, famous for The Wicklow Brewery and for cider connoisseur Siobhan Savoie. For the mid-19th century drama, Pugh will play Lib Wright, an English nurse who is called to a tiny village to observe a medical anomaly – an 11-year-old girl said to have survived without food for months. Behind the camera is Chilean director Sebastián Lelio (A Fantastic Woman, Gloria, Disobedience), whilst Irish film company Element are on board alongside the all-conquering Netflix for a 2022 release.

For the 25-year-old, Oxford-born Pugh, The Wonder will join the Olivia Wilde-directed Don’t Worry Darling on our screens next year whilst in pre-production is A Good Person (written and directed by Hugh’s boyfriend, Zach Braff) and the just-announced thriller, The Maid. Of which feck all is known.

For local teen Tess O’Shaughnessy, the arrival of Hollywood into her sleepy Wicklow village is very welcome news. “There’s not much to do around here, other than take long walks and write bad poetry,” she told the Guide, “so, having a big film production buzzing around the town for a few weeks is going to be amazing.

“Should do wonders for me poetry too…”

For her brother, Thomas, the growing buzz is largely centred around two simple words. “Florence,” he says, staring blankly off into the distance, “Pugh…”

You can find out more about The Wonder right here, about Redross right about here, and the divine Ms Pugh right here.