Director Sophie Hyde has shared an exciting update about her upcoming film An Ideal Wife, starring Emilia Clarke. The period drama, which delves into the life of Constance Lloyd (Clarke), Irish author and wife of famed Victorian-era playwright Oscar Wilde, is set to begin filming later this year. An Ideal Wife promises to explore Lloyd’s role as a feminist activist and her journey through her estranged marriage after Wilde is imprisoned for homoSєxuality.

In an interview with ScreenRant’s Tatiana Hullender at the Sundance Film Festival, Hyde revealed new details about An Ideal Wife. After her award-winning coming-of-age drama 52 Tuesdays (2019), and the upcoming John Lithgow-led Jimpa (2025), Hyde has firmly established herself in the vein of erotic, intimate, and unconventional storytelling. “We’re shooting it this year,” the director confirmed. She continued by elaborating on the film’s exploration of idenтιтy and gender:

For me, Sєxuality, gender, and all of these things are very expansive ideas. We are not designed to be placed in boxes or into any binary idea about things. Our world is not like that. Biology is not like that. And certainly, socially, we’re not like that. We are incredibly interesting, amazing, vivacious creatures, and I think it’s really important to me to break away from the idea that you can only be one thing or that you have to fit a box that’s preordained for you.

Oscar Wilde is a great example of that. What does it mean to break down the idea of what’s anticipated or expected for your life?

What The Filming Update For An Ideal Wife Means

Emilia Clarke Steps Into A Powerful New Role

Clarke’s role in An Ideal Wife signals an exciting new chapter in her career, as she pivots toward more nuanced and challenging roles. Clarke is best known for playing Daenerys Targaryen on HBO’s Game of Thrones, which ended in 2019. She later joined the MCU television show Secret Invasion, where she played a shapeshifting alien named G’iah. Clarke’s upcoming projects suggest a shift toward more grounded storytelling, including McCarthy, where she stars opposite Michael Shannon as the nominal Republican senator’s wife.

An Ideal Wife not only allows Emilia Clarke to embody another significant historical figure but also gives her the opportunity to explore a layered story as a strong-willed woman experiencing an impᴀssioned Sєxual awakening. Hyde’s previous films, such as Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, where a retired teacher (Emma Thompson) seeks out a young Sєx worker to navigate her unsatiated desires, have consistently offered a raw and nuanced exploration of human idenтιтy. Hyde’s ability to balance vulnerability and strength could bring an electrifying depth to Clarke’s next role.

Our Take On Emilia Clarke’s Role In An Ideal Wife

A Role That Could Redefine Her Career

An Ideal Wife feels like the perfect project for Clarke to exhibit her range and depth as an actor. Clarke’s charisma and emotional authenticity make her a natural fit for Constance Lloyd, a progressive woman navigating love, societal expectations, and gritty transformation. With Hyde’s record of tackling intimate, thought-provoking narratives, the film promises to be both a poignant and empowering Victorian-era drama. Clarke’s return to the big screen in a story that celebrates a woman’s individuality is something to look forward to, and An Ideal Wife could become a defining moment in her post-Game of Thrones career.