Thomasin McKenzie & Toby Wallace Set For ‘Sister Maria Goes To Rome’

Thomasin McKenzie and Toby Wallace have boarded Sister Maria Goes to Rome, the sophomore feature from Emily writer-director Frances O’Connor. 

The project, which is expected to begin shooting in spring 2026 in Rome and the Italian region of Lazio, sees Jojo Rabbit star McKenzie play Sister Maria, a spirited young nun with an unshakeable faith who arrives in Rome on a quest to save her beloved village but ends up clashing with a jaded tour guide (Wallace) who has lost his way. What starts as a battle between wide-eyed idealism and world-weary cynicism blossoms into an unexpected friendship that proves ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they believe in each other. 

Naomi Despres (Kill the Messenger) and Piers Tempest (The Wife) produce for Desmar Films and Tempo Productions with Guglielmo Marchetti producing for Notorious Pictures SpA in Italy. Michèle Marshall executive produces for Desmar Films. 

Embankment is handling worldwide sales for the title and is co-repping U.S. rights with WME Independent. 

“Rome has always been a city of possibility for me from my very first visit many years ago,” said O’Connor, who wrote and directed her 2022 debut feature Emily. “I wanted to create an uplifting and fun story for everyone that was about choosing hope, centered around this young nun who was irrepressibly positive. It buoyed me immensely to create a world where ordinary people triumph and this Frank Capra quote inspired me: ‘That’s all I’m here for, really, to try to tell you that there is good in the world. And that is wonderful.’”

Embankment Founder Hugo Grumbar added: “Worldwide audiences are craving warm-hearted, uplifting entertainment right now. Sister Maria will have people leaving the cinema with a skip in their step – her unadulterated positive view of the world is absolutely infectious.”