WestEnd Films has boarded world sales on Margot & Rudi, a romantic drama from director Anthony Fabian (Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris) and starring Naomi Watts (Mulholland Drive).

The film is described as an “electrifying true story of ballet legends Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev.” 

The official synopsis reads: “She is 42, the greatest ballerina in the West, and sensing her career is over; he is 23, a rebellious Soviet defector—magnetic, explosive, unstoppable. Together, they ignite the stage and become icons of the Swinging Sixties. Margot is reborn by Rudi’s wild energy, but their bond is complicated by her marriage and his affair with another dancer. To preserve what they have, they will risk everything for one defining ballet—because the only place they can truly be together… is on stage.” 

Naomi Watts will star as Margot Fonteyn. Alexandr Trush, Principal Dancer with the Hamburg Ballet, will portray Rudolf Nureyev. The film also stars Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Demián Bichir (A Better Life), and Harriet Walter (Succession).

The screenplay is written by Olivia Hetreed (Girl with a Pearl Earring). The creative team includes hair and makeup designer Karen Hartley Thomas (Golda), choreographer Arthur Pita (Ex Machina), and BAFTA-winning costume designer Fotini Dimou (The Children Act).

The film is set to shoot in October and is produced by Mike Goodridge for Good Chaos (Triangle of Sadness), Anthony Fabian for Elysian Films (SKIN), Olivia Hetreed for Sympathetic Ink, and Chris Coen (Funny Games). Executive Producers are Thom Mount, Jeffrey Berg, and Andy Paterson.