Cannes Market: Elizabeth Banks to Star in Medical Drama “A Mistake” from Writer-Director Christine Jeffs

Films

Cannes Market: Elizabeth Banks to Star in Medical Drama “A Mistake” from Writer-Director Christine Jeffs

Elizabeth Banks is somehow finding time in her busy slate as an actor, director, and producer to star in medical drama “A Mistake,” to be helmed by New Zealand-born filmmaker Christine Jeffs (“Sunshine Cleaning”). According to a press release, sales will kick off at Cannes and the feature film will go into production later this summer in New Zealand.

Jeffs will direct her own script, which is based on the novel of the same name by Carl Shuker. She will also produce, along with Matthew Metcalfe.

The story follows Elizabeth Taylor (Banks), a gifted surgeon and the only female consultant at her hospital. While operating on a patient one day, something goes horribly wrong with the procedure. The source further details: “In the midst of a new scheme to publicly report surgeons’ performance, her colleagues begin to close ranks, and Elizabeth’s life is thrown into disarray. Tough and abrasive, Elizabeth has survived and succeeded in this most demanding field. But can she survive a single mistake?”

Alison Thompson and Mark Gooder from Cornerstone Films are on board to exec produce. They said of the project: “’A Mistake’ is a story of our time — of gender politics, profit versus care, and the manipulation of truth. Christine’s screenplay is one of the most compelling we’ve read in a long time and who better to bring it to the screen than Christine herself.”

Jeffs is the writer-director of “Rain” — which was nominated for the Golden Camera award at Cannes in 2001 — and director of Gwyneth Paltrow-starrer “Sylvia.” “Sunshine Cleaning,” which she also directed, was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize in the dramatic category at Sundance Film Festival.

Banks’ most recent on-screen credits include Phyllis Nagy’s “Call Jane,” which premiered at Sundance earlier this year and is scheduled for a fall release, and the miniseries “Mrs. America.” Her own directing slate includes “Cocaine Bear,” which is expected to open next year.