Cannes: Lily James and Christopher Plummer Join ‘Kaiser’s Last Kiss’

Having seen her international profile rise significantly since waltzing from Downton Abbey to Disney’s $500 million-grossing Cinderella, British actress Lily James has landed herself a major role alongside Christopher Plummer in WWII drama The Kaiser’s Last Kiss. Theater director David Leveaux, a five-time Tony nominee, is set to helm.

Written by Simon Burke and based on the novel by Alan Judd, The Kaiser’s Last Kiss is an Egoli Tossell Film and Ostar Enterprises production. Judy Tossell and Lou Pitt are producing and Bill Haber and Phil Geier are executive producing. Lotus Entertainment will introduce the project to foreign buyers at Cannes.

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Set in 1940 Holland after the Nazi invasion, the story sees the Dutch resistance work with British forces to insert a spy into the household of Kaiser Wilhelm, who was exiled from Germany to the Netherlands in 1917. The drama erupts as a love affair starts between a young Jewish Dutch woman and a German soldier while the Nazis attempt to identify the secret agent.

“In David Leveaux, our film has found the perfect director to wring every last ounce of drama from this very special script,” said Tossell. “Audiences will rarely have seen a character quite like the Kaiser, brought to life by one of cinema’s great treasures, Christopher Plummer — combined with the sensational Lily James. We look forward to taking this passionate spy thriller to Cannes and beyond.”

James is represented by Tavistock Wood and UTA. Plummer is represented by Markham Froggatt & Irwin, ICM Partners and The Pitt Group. Leveaux is repped by CAA.