Viola Davis Lands Supporting Role in Supernatural Drama 'Beautiful Creatures'

Viola Davis is set to join the production of Beautiful Creatures, Alcon Entertainment announced today. Davis, Oscar nominated for her turn as Abileen in The Help, will play the role of Amma for writer-director Richard LaGravenese, who is adapting the first installment in Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl’s series of supernatural best-sellers.

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Beautiful Creatures follows the travails of two star-crossed teenage lovers, local boy Ethan and a mysterious new girl named Leena, who uncover dark secrets about their families and the small Southern town where they live. Davis’ character, Amma, is a seer who cares for Ethan and his father after the death of the boy’s mother. LaGravenese’s film will cover only the first book in the series, but Alcon Entertainment holds the rights to parts two and three, Beautiful Darkness and Beautiful Chaos.

Also joining the project is Oscar-winning director of photography Philippe Rousselot (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows), production designer Richard Sherman (Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn), and Oscar-nominated costume designer Jeffrey Kurland (Inception), who will dress Davis and her costars. Alcon co-CEOs Broderick Johnson and Andrew Cosove will produce the film with Erwin Stoff (The Matrix) and Molly Smith, who previously worked with LaGravenese on P.S. I Love You. The project marks LaGravenese’ first foray into fantasy filmmaking since his collaboration with Terry Gilliam on The Fisher King.

Davis is repped by APA and Principal Entertainment. LaGravenese is repped by CAA.