Variety is reporting that Olivia Colman has signed up for the lead role in Irish drama Joyride, the first dramatic feature film from Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Emer Reynolds.

The film focuses on Joy, a train-wreck who is on an adventure but ready to give away her new-born baby to her best friend. What she can’t anticipate is that a cheeky street urchin is also along for the ride. Both are on the run, two diamonds in the rough forming a riotous pair.

Dublin-based Subotica, led by Aoife O’Sullivan and Tristan Orpen, are producing the project, with the script written by Ailbhe Keoghan, which was developed in partnership with Screen Ireland. The UK’s Embankment are serving as executive producers on the project. Joyride is aimed to commence filming in 2021 along the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland.

Emer Reynolds released a statement saying:

We’re thrilled to have the wonderful Olivia Colman, an artist of such incredible talent, intelligence and depth – not to mention comedic brilliance. It’s going to be a pleasure harnessing her rawness and her comedy and, vitally, the profound bravery that is visible in all her work.

Aoife O’Sullivan released a statement saying:

We’re thrilled to be bringing this highly original, emotional and hilarious story into production with Emer Reynolds at the helm. Writer Ailbhe Keoghan is a true talent and having Olivia Colman as our lead character Joy is a dream come true.

Olivia Colman said about the character, “Once I met her, I couldn’t get her out of my head.”, and Embankment’s Tim Haslam described the film as, “a feel-good foul-mouthed fairy-tale.”.

Embankment will be launching worldwide sales for the project at the upcoming virtual AFM.