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Felicity Jones to Star as Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Biopic 'On the Basis of Sex'

Felicity Jones (left) will play Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (right) (Photo: Rex Shutterstock)

Felicity Jones will star as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the biopic On the Basis of Sex, with shooting starting in Montreal in September.

Mimi Leder is directing from Daniel Stiepleman’s script, which was named to the 2014 Black List and detailed the numerous obstacles in Bader Ginsburg's fight for equal rights throughout her career. Focus Features and Participant Media are the production companies. Robert W. Cort is producing.

Ginsberg was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1993 by President Clinton and became the second female justice after Sandra Day O’Connor. Focus Features has been developing the project since 2015 with Natalie Portman previously attached to play Ginsburg.

Ginsburg is 84 and remains an associate justice who is part of the court’s liberal wing. She is one of three female justices on the current court along with Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

Jones starred as Jyn Erso in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and in Inferno opposite Tom Hanks. The British actress received a best actress Oscar nomination for her work in The Theory of Everything. She is also attached to Universal’s “Swan Lake” adaptation that Luca Guadagnino will direct from a script by Kristina Lauren.

Jones is repped by WME and Independent Talent Group. The news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.

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