AceShowbiz - Black Bear, Artists Equity, and Big Picture Co. have joined forces to produce A Woman in the Sun, a new feature film written and directed by Julia Cox. The film will star Academy Award winners Renée Zellweger and Sissy Spacek alongside rising talent Mia Threapleton.

Julia Cox reunites with Black Bear after her acclaimed work on the screenplay for Nyad, which starred Annette Bening and Jodie Foster. A Woman in the Sun tells the story of Claire Keating, portrayed by Zellweger, who navigates a turbulent month while working as a bartender on Nantucket. As part of the island’s diminished middle class, Claire’s life is upended when her mother falls ill and her daughter returns home, forcing her to confront her past and face her future.

Production for the film is scheduled to begin in September. The project will be showcased during the Cannes Film Festival, where Black Bear plans to present it to international buyers. Financing is a collaboration between Black Bear and Artists Equity, with distribution responsibilities in North America and the UK handled by Black Bear, and Canadian distribution through Elevation Pictures. Zellweger and Carmella Casinelli are producing via Big Picture Co. alongside Kim Roth, with Greg Gertmenian co-producing.

Zellweger, a two-time Oscar winner, expressed enthusiasm for the project, emphasizing the importance of supporting promising filmmakers like Cox. She described the script as a "storytelling treasure" and praised Cox’s instincts as an emerging director, highlighting the excitement to bring the film to fruition.

Artists Equity CEO and Oscar winner Ben Affleck also voiced strong support for the film and its director. Affleck underscored Cox’s proven writing skills and expressed confidence that A Woman in the Sun will establish her as a talented director. He characterized the story as a gripping and emotional exploration of a complex family relationship, with layers beneath the surface. Affleck noted that the partnership with Black Bear is key and reiterated his company’s commitment to investing in filmmakers at all stages of their careers.

Teddy Schwarzman, CEO of Black Bear, shared his belief in Cox’s directorial potential, citing their previous collaboration on Nyad as proof of her artistic talent and leadership. Schwarzman praised the script as the ideal vehicle for Cox’s transition from writer to director and described the story as both unique and universally relatable. He anticipated that Cox will elicit powerful performances from Zellweger, Spacek, and Threapleton. Schwarzman expressed pride in backing the film alongside Artists Equity and excitement about sharing it with audiences in the near future.

In addition to Nyad, Cox wrote and executive produced the upcoming film Love of Your Life, directed by Oscar nominee Rachel Morrison and starring Margaret Qualley, Gabriel Basso, Aaron Pierre, Patrick Schwarzenegger, and Catherine Keener. Cox is represented by CAA, Project D Media, Aloft Strategic Communications, and the law firm Ziffren Brittenham.

Zellweger earned Academy Awards for her performances in Judy and Cold Mountain, alongside nominations for Bridget Jones’s Diary and Chicago. Most recently, she starred in the latest installment of the Bridget Jones franchise, Mad About the Boy. She is represented by CAA and Imprint PR.

Her production company, Big Picture Co., also produced Peacock’s limited series The Thing About Pam and is developing the feature Phantom Son, directed by David Yates, which is slated to begin production in late 2026 after its introduction at the Berlin market. A Woman in the Sun is the first feature from Big Picture Co.’s expanding slate of character-driven commercial films to enter production.

Spacek has been nominated for six Best Actress Academy Awards, winning for her role as Loretta Lynn in the 1980 film Coal Miner’s Daughter. Her other nominations include performances in In the Bedroom, Crimes of the Heart, The River, Missing, and her breakout role in Stephen King’s Carrie. She recently appeared opposite Jennifer Lawrence in Lynne Ramsay’s Die My Love. Spacek is represented by UTA and MGMT Entertainment.

Threapleton is currently filming an untitled project directed by Damien Chazelle. She gained recognition for her role in Wes Anderson’s The Phœnix Scheme and has credits in Karim Aïnouz’s Firebrand and Alan Rickman’s A Little Chaos. Threapleton is represented by CAA and Markham, Froggatt and Irwin.

Black Bear’s upcoming releases include Guy Ritchie’s In the Grey, starring Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Eiza González; Daniel Roher’s Tuner featuring Leo Woodall and Dustin Hoffman; The Rivals of Amziah King starring Matthew McConaughey; Spa Weekend with Leslie Mann, Isla Fisher, Michelle Buteau, and Anna Faris; Guy Ritchie’s Wife & Dog starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Rosamund Pike; and Wicker, a Sundance breakout starring Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, and Peter Dinklage.

Artists Equity, established by Affleck and Matt Damon, has produced a slate that includes the forthcoming film Animals, directed by Affleck who also stars alongside Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, and Steven Yeun. Their latest release was the Netflix hit The Rip, starring Affleck, Damon, Yeun, and Teyana Taylor. Since launching in 2022, Artists Equity has produced titles including The Accountant 2, The Instigators, Small Things Like These, Unstoppable, and the successful debut Air.