Olivia Colman has a mystery to solve in 1920s comedy ‘Wicked Little Letters’

Wow, Olivia Colman never stops working!

Her latest movie Empire of Light is in cinemas now, the BBC’s new Great Expectations is set to air soon, she’s appearing in Marvel’s upcoming Secret Invasion series this spring, and she’s also filmed a role for new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel Wonka.

We’ve now learned that the Oscar-winning English actress has another movie coming up this year too.

Colman will reunite with The Lost Daughter co-star Jessie Buckley in Wicked Little Letters.

Based on a true story, the comedy-drama follows the inhabitants of a sleepy seaside town in the 1920s as they join together to solve the mystery of who’s sending some rather strongly-worded letters to the local residents!

Period drama fans will recognise Jessie Buckley from her roles in The Woman in White, The Last Post, Taboo, Misbehaviour, The Courier, Endeavour, and War & Peace.

Olivia Colman and co-producer Ed Sinclair have teased that Wicked Little Letters is “as hilarious as it is unexpected with beautifully and affectionately drawn characters across the board.”

They added: “Jonny Sweet’s script had us hooked from page one…”

Alongside Colman and Buckley, the cast also includes Joanna Scanlan (The Larkins), Timothy Spall (Mr Turner), Hugh Skinner (Fleabag), Malachi Kirby (Small Axe), Gemma Jones (Gentleman Jack), Lolly Adefope (Ghosts), Eileen Atkins (The Crown), Anjana Vasan (We Are Lady Parts), and Alisha Weir (Matilda).

The official synopsis for the movie reads: “Fiery Rose Gooding (Buckley) has little in common with the pious Edith Swan (Colman) aside from them being neighbours in the seaside town of Littlehampton in the 1920s.

“But one day, Edith and others in the town start receiving scandalous letters written with foul language as eccentric as it is obscene, and the finger of suspicion immediately falls on Rose.

“As Rose stands to lose her freedom and the custody of her daughter, and outrageous letters continue to blight the town, police officer Gladys Moss (Vasan) begins to suspect something is amiss.

“Together with a group of resourceful women, Gladys endeavours to solve the mystery, liberate Rose, and catch the real culprit…”

Directed by Thea Sharrock (Me Before You), the movie began filming in the UK last autumn.

Sharrock commented: “Wicked Little Letters is a divine comedy with a profoundly moving core. Hilarious, witty, joyous and based on a true story as relevant today as it was 100 years ago.

“Watching this film will be like hitting your funny bone; when the tears of pain and laughter are impossible to separate.

“Olivia Colman is hilarious, brilliant and brave. In the part of Edith, she will continue to show her extraordinary dexterity as an actor with her unique ability to make us fall in love with her.

“In Jessie Buckley we have cast the actress everybody wants to see; her ferociously strong energy will explode the character of Rose onto our screens. Following The Lost Daughter our film reunites two of the world’s most exciting, accessible, fun and wild actresses.”

Wicked Little Letters will be released later in 2023.

The film comes from the makers of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, so should definitely be worth a watch!

The Lost Daughter is streaming on Netflix.