Gillian Anderson and Rebecca Hall Set to Star in Psychological Thriller THE PORTRAIT

Gillian Anderson and Rebecca Hall are about to get caught up in a dangerous game of secrets, obsession, and deception in the upcoming psychological thriller The Portrait. The two actresses will play a longtime mistress and an unsuspecting wife whose lives become tangled in a rather twisted way.

The film comes from writer-director Sara Colangelo (The Kindergarten Teacher), who will adapt the novel by Ilaria Bernardini. Anderson will play Valeria, an internationally celebrated author who has spent years carrying on a secret affair with Martín, a wealthy businessman.

When Martín suddenly falls seriously ill, Valeria finds herself shut out of his life, unable to visit the man she's loved for years. Rather than accept being kept away, she comes up with a risky plan to get close to him.

Valeria hires Martín's wife, Isla, played by Hall, to paint her portrait. Isla has no idea that her new client has been sleeping with her husband, giving Valeria the perfect opportunity to work her way into the family's luxurious London townhouse.

The official description calls the story “a seductive game of deception in which Valeria, an internationally acclaimed writer, has dedicated her life to her work and to her secret lover of many years, Martín, a wealthy businessman.

“When his sudden illness makes him inaccessible to her, her world implodes. Desperate to see him and be by his side during his final days, Valeria commissions his artist wife, Isla, to paint her portrait— covertly infiltrating the intimate inner workings of Martin’s home and family. What ensues is a pas de deux in which lover and wife are forced to collide within the family’s grand London townhouse.”

Putting Anderson and Hall on opposite sides of this psychological battle sounds like a great casting choice. Both actresses are fantastic at playing complicated characters, and watching their relationship develop as Valeria's deception threatens to unravel should make for some compelling drama.

Colangelo is particularly interested in the complicated choices these women make and the power dynamics between them. She said: “I am beyond excited to be partnering with Gillian and Rebecca. Directorially, the film continues a particular interest I have in themes of moral ambiguity and female transgression– in women’s power and subversiveness.”

The film is being produced by Talia Kleinhendler and Osnat Handelsman Keren of Pie Films, whose previous credits include The Lost Daughter and The Kindergarten Teacher.

Kleinhendler and Handelsman Keren shared their excitement about reuniting with Colangelo and bringing Bernardini's novel to the screen.

“We are delighted to be reteaming with the uniquely talented Sara Colangelo. The moment we read Ilaria’s brilliant book we knew Sara was the perfect filmmaker to bring this suspenseful, honest and surprising story to the screen.

“Along with the electrifying pairing of Gillian Anderson and Rebecca Hall that we know will guarantee powerhouse performances to bring these incredible characters to life in a stylish Hitchcockian thriller.”

Colangelo has already shown she knows how to handle psychologically complicated material. Her second feature, The Kindergarten Teacher, starred Maggie Gyllenhaal. She followed that with Worth, starring Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci, and Amy Ryan.

A psychological thriller about a mistress secretly befriending her lover's wife is already an interesting hook. Throw Anderson and Hall into that situation with a filmmaker who enjoys exploring morally complicated characters, and this could be a seriously good thriller.

Production on The Portrait is scheduled to begin in the UK during the first quarter of 2027.