Amanda Seyfried is singing the praises of just how “crazy” — in a good way — Mona Fastvold‘s upcoming “Ann Lee” musical is. Seyfried stars in the title role of the historical film, which centers on the religious leader Ann Lee, who founded the Shaker Movement in the late 1770s. Lee’s followers deemed her the female Jesus Christ, and her worshippers prayed through song and dance, hence her story getting the musical biopic treatment.
The film is co-written by Fastvold and her “The Brutalist” collaborator and real-life partner Brady Corbet. The pair are currently nominated for the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for their work on the film, which is also nominated for Best Picture and in a slew of other categories.
Seyfried told Vanity Fair that shooting Fastvold and Corbet’s secret indie film after wrapping the upcoming Peacock limited series “Long Bright River,” was tough. “I went to hell and back,” Seyfried said of the demanding back-to-back projects.
Working on the series, which is based on the bestselling thriller by Liz Moore, had Seyfried on set for “four months straight, nonstop, day in, day out.” With “Ann Lee,” Seyfried was on location in Budapest, Hungary, and singing and dancing for the role. The film is eyeing a 2025 premiere, with sales and distribution yet to be set.
“Oh, my God. What the fuck? Even my assistant’s like, ‘You need to take a break,’” Seyfried said. “We could only do [‘Ann Lee’] in the summer. … We moved everybody to Budapest, including my dog. Then we did a crazy thing. We did a crazy thing.” She added of the musical, “I don’t know how it’s going to turn out.”
“Ann Lee” was announced in December 2024. The film is Seyfried’s first musical since 2018’s “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.” She also sang in the first “Mamma Mia!” film in 2008 and “Les Miserables” in 2012. Seyfried has publicly lamented on missing out on playing Glinda in Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked” before Ariana Grande was cast.
“Ann Lee” features original songs by Golden Globe-nominated “The Brutalist” composer Daniel Blumberg. Choreography comes from Celia Rowlson Hall, the dancer who played the adult Sophie in “Aftersun.”
Along with Seyfried, “Ann Lee” also stars Christopher Abbott, Thomasin McKenzie, Lewis Pullman, Tim Blake Nelson, Stacy Martin, Matthew Beard, Scott Handy, Viola Prettejohn, David Cale, and Jamie Bogyo.
“Ann Lee” helmer Fastvold previously directed 2021 period queer romance “The World to Come,” starring Katherine Waterson and Vanessa Kirby. Fastvold and Corbet both produce “Ann Lee.”
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