“Harry Potter” and “Perks of Being a Wallflower” star Emma Watson made waves last week for her impassioned United Nations speech on the topic of feminism. Watson's “HeForShe” campaign made waves in the social sphere and continues to snowball with support, but it appears the endeavor won't disable the star from going about her day job. Deadline reports that Watson is on board a Chilean docudrama, fresh territory for the worldly 24-year-old actress.
Watson will costar alongside “Inglorious Basterds” actor Daniel Bruhl in “Colonia,” from German director Florian Gallenberger. The film revolves around a young couple who sink deeper and deeper into the 1973 Chilean military coup. When Bruhl's character is abducted by Pinochet”s secret police, Watson tracks him to a sealed-off area in Southern Chile called “Colonia Dignidad.” According to Deadline's announcement, “The Colonia presents itself as a charitable mission run by a lay preacher, but is in fact a place from which no one has ever escaped. In order to find her beloved, Lena (Watson) decides to join the cult.”
Though his feature work (2001's “Honolulu,” 2004's “Shadow of Time,” and 2009's “John Rabe”) hasn't caused much of a stir stateside, Gallenberger is an Oscar winner; He picked up a Best Live Action Short award for his 2000 film “Quiero Ser (I want to be…).” Bruhl earned awards love last year for his work in Ron Howard's “Rush,” earning both Golden Globes and BAFTA nominations. Watson has yet to break in to the major awards, but like her fellow “Potter” costars, is making intriguing choices that could pay off down the road. Before “Colonia,” the actress will appear in Alejandro Amenabar's psychological thriller “Regression” and the actress is signed on to appear with Miles Teller in Damien Chazelle's “Whiplash” follow-up “La La Land.”
Principal photography on “Colonia” is underway, expected to shoot through the year in Luxembourg, Munich, Berlin and South America.