American Film Market Dailies

Brian O'Shea, The Exchange CEO, announced today that rising star Rebecca Ferguson is attached to play Ruth Harkness in THE LADY AND THE PANDA.

Golden-Globe nominee, Rebecca Ferguson, (for THE WHITE QUEEN) will soon be seen playing the female lead in Sony's LIFE starring Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal and co-stars ALONGSIDE Michael Fassbender in Universal Pictures' THE SNOWMAN.

Ferguson will return to film Paramount's M:I 6 - MISSION IMPOSSIBLE with Tom Cruise and Jeremy Renner; and also is soon commence work onFox's THE GREATEST SHOWMAN ON EARTH with Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron and Michelle Williams.

THE LADY AND THE PANDA, a UK/ Chinese co-production, is directed by Justin Chadwick (THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL, MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM), produced by Academy award nominee Laura Bickford (TRAFFIC, BEASTS OF NO NATION) and Michelle Qi from Europe China Picture Group C.E.O., executive producers are Joe Simpson of Miscellaneous Entertainment (TERMINAL, WHY WE'RE KILLING GUNTHER), Andrew Mann (IMPERIUM, LAST KNIGHTS), Fiona Druckenmiller (BEASTS OF NO NATION) ), Justin Brodle (Crusoe, FLOOD) and Christopher Brough (TRAIL OF THE PANDA, Reboot) from Pandamotion Picture Company.

THE LADY AND THE PANDA is an original screenplay penned by Justin Chadwick, Laura Bickford and Holly Gent Palmo based on Ruth Harkness' original detailed correspondence.

THE LADY AND THE PANDA is the inspirational true adventure of 1930's New York socialite Ruth Harkness, the first person ever to bring a live giant panda out of China and to the world's attention.  When Ruth loses her wealthy explorer husband unexpectedly, she takes over his expedition to China. Ignoring the dictates of society, she joins forces with an unproven but dashing Chinese guide, Quentin Young. They travel down the Yangtze and deep into the uncharted Himalayas, where, against all odds, they rescue an orphaned baby panda. When Ruth takes it back to the U.S., she creates a nationwide sensation, "Pandamonium!" but before long she realizes these incredible animals are best preserved in their natural habitat.

THE LADY AND THE PANDA will begin filming all over the Sichuan region, in the foothills of the Himalayas in China in November 2016.

"Rebecca's last five movies were wide releases by US Studio films, and she has three more to be released in 2017. The world sees her as a marquee name, and given her talent, charm, strength and beauty she is the perfect lead for THE LADY AND THE PANDA and will bring this sweeping epic story to audiences across the globe", said Brian O'Shea from The Exchange.