Keira Knightley, fresh from the triumphant world premiere and sale of period drama Colette in Sundance, will shift gears and star as British intelligence whistle-blower Katharine Gun alongside Matt Smith in Official Secrets, Mark Gordon and eOne announced on Monday (February 12). […]

Official Secrets has been in the works for years with various cast members coming and going, however a reconstituted version has finally come together for the EFM ahead of a scheduled March 12 start date in Yorkshire, England.

Gavin Hood will direct the true story of Gun, a former Mandarin translator at the notorious British intelligence agency GCHQ in Cheltenham who made headlines after she leaked a confidential NSA memo that proposed the US and UK put pressure on six ‘swing’ nations on the UN Security Council to vote in favour of the imminent 2003 Iraq invasion. […]

“Official Secrets documents an incredibly intense and suspenseful true story, pulling the curtain back on one of the most controversial international incidents in recent history,” Gordon, who was recently named eOne chief content officer, said. “Combining Keira and Matt’s exceptional talent with Gavin’s unrivaled storytelling abilities, we are confident this film will leave a lasting impression with audiences around the world.”

Besides Colette, which Bleecker Street and 30WEST will release later this year for an awards run after paying mid-seven figures for US rights in Park City, Knightley will next be seen in November in Disney’s fantasy adventure The Nutcracker And The Four Realms, which Gordon also produced.