As long as this doesn’t turn out to be the next Beyond Borders (the Angelina Jolie starrer), then consider this as a a dramatic stroke that might benefit Uma Thurman’s career. Variety reports that Thurman will topline Girl Soldier, the true tale based on Kathy Cook’s book “Stolen Angels” which will be helmed by Will Raee. Raee is one of the three producing partners on the film – he is joined by Diane Nabatoff and Allan Mindel. Production would begin at the start of 2010.
Scripted by Stephanie Pinola and Karen Croner, this follows the 1996 raid at a boarding school, where a band of armed rebels abducted young girls to turn them into soldiers and sex slaves. A teacher at the school, Sister Caroline, tracked the rebels back to their camp to demand the girls’ release; 110 were returned to the nun, who then began a crusade over the next few years as she rallied parents, the government, the United Nations and the pope to aid in rescuing not only her own girls but other children in rebel captivity. Goodbye Solo‘s Souléymane Sy Savané is pegged for a key role in the film.
Thurman is currently attached to work on either the Harold Becker-directed pic Vengeance: A Love Story (I’ve heard no new news on the status of that production) and the long gestating Eloise in Paris.
