‘Game of Thrones’ star will play Victorian poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Emilia Clarke has been cast as Elizabeth Barrett Browning in a new movie.

The Game of Thrones star will play the Victorian poet in Let Me Count the Ways, from the makers of Belle.

The movie will follow the love affair between Barrett and playwright Robert Browning in the mid-19th century.

Described as “the most compelling of love stories” by producer Stephen Kelliher, the movie’s script is by Small Island screenwriter Paula Milne.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born in 1806 in Durham, England and her first adult collection of poems was published in 1838.

Having campaigned for the abolition of slavery and helped influence reform in child labour legislation, she died in 1861 in Florence, Italy.

The synopsis, courtesy of Variety, reads: “…the film follows Elizabeth as she is living in the family home with her siblings in an affluent part of London. She has gained fame and recognition for her poetry but, weakened by a mysterious illness, lives as a virtual recluse, reliant on laudanum.

“The youthful, impulsive Robert Browning comes into her life, awakening a passion she had previously only ever written about. But the closer she and Browning get, the more her father fights to keep control over her.”

Producer Damian Jones commented: “This film is a classic love story which delivers something entirely unexpected and relevant in today’s world, and I am excited to be embarking on this journey with an outstanding team of people.”

Let Me Count the Ways is set for release in 2020, directed by Björn Runge (The Wife).

Emilia Clarke is best known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen in HBO’s Game of Thrones, the last ever season of which concluded last night.

The final season of Game of Thrones is available on DVD on Amazon.