AceShowbiz - Alison Oliver is set to star in the upcoming period revenge thriller Bad Bridgets, reuniting with the production company LuckyChap. Fresh from her breakout role in Wuthering Heights, Oliver replaces Daisy Edgar Jones, who stepped down due to scheduling conflicts. The film is written and directed by Rich Peppiatt, known for his BAFTA-recognized work on Kneecap.

Emilia Jones remains attached to the project, which is produced by LuckyChap—the company led by Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerly, Josey McNamara, and Milan Popelka—and Coup d’Etat, Peppiatt’s production banner. The screenplay draws inspiration from the book Bad Bridget: Crime, Mayhem, and the Lives of Irish Emigrant Women by Elaine Farrell and Leanne McCormick, developed with support from Queen’s University Belfast.

The story explores the lives of Irish emigrant women known as “Bad Bridgets,” who were often labeled troublemakers. At one time, Irish women notably outnumbered men in prison, with some incarcerated for reasons including “stubbornness.” The project attracted strong interest at last fall’s American Film Market.

According to producers, the narrative begins when a mysterious letter propels a young woman from famine-stricken Ireland to 19th-century New York. There, she becomes entwined with the notorious Irish Bridgets who create chaos in the city. The film’s production team already includes Oscar-winning production designer James Price and acclaimed costume designer Kate Hawley.

This marks the third collaboration between Oliver and LuckyChap. In addition to Wuthering Heights, which starred Margot Robbie, Oliver appeared in the 2023 drama Saltburn, another LuckyChap production. In Wuthering Heights, she portrayed Isabella Linton, a character initially naive and romantic, whose perspective shifts dramatically. Critics highlighted her performance as particularly memorable.

The Irish actress also starred alongside Mark Ruffalo in HBO’s critically praised police drama Task. Oliver is represented by CAA in the U.S. and Curtis Brown in the U.K.