Black Bear, Artists Equity and Big Picture Co. are backing Julia Cox’s new feature, A Woman in the Sun, with Renée Zellweger joining Sissy Spacek and Mia Threapleton in the lead roles. Cox wrote and will direct the drama, reuniting with Black Bear after her Nyad‑era collaboration with the company.
The film follows Claire Keating, a Nantucket bartender whose routine is upended when her mother falls ill and her daughter moves back home, forcing her to reckon with a difficult past while choosing a path forward. Filming is slated to start in September, and Cannes will host early talks with international buyers.
Production is led by Zellweger and Carmella Casinelli for Big Picture Co., with Black Bear’s Teddy Schwarzman and Artists Equity’s Ben Affleck among the producers financing the project. Zellweger praised Cox’s vision, calling her an emerging filmmaker whose storytelling shines in the script. Affleck lauded Cox’s writing and said the project could showcase her talents as a director, noting the film’s tense, emotional core. Schwarzman added that Cox is poised to deliver a distinctive, character‑driven experience with strong performances from the three leads.
Spacek, a six‑time Academy Award nominee and winner for Coal Miner’s Daughter, joins Zellweger and Threapleton, whose recent credits include work with Wes Anderson and Damien Chazelle. Cox’s Nyad connection and her expanding directing slate hint at a bold new chapter for the filmmaker as production moves forward later this year.
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