Norwegian actress Renate Reinsve will star as 18th-century philosopher and women’s rights advocate Mary Wollstonecraft in Mia Hansen-Løve’s upcoming period drama If Love Should Die, according to industry reports. The international co-production has also added Johnny Flynn and Vicky Krieps to its principal cast, with Goodfellas boarding sales ahead of a script-backed launch at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Cast and Production Team for If Love Should Die
According to casting disclosures, Reinsve, Flynn, and Krieps lead an ensemble that also features Charlie Kelly, Will Keen, Tom Sturridge, and Jane Beever. The film marks Hansen-Løve’s first English-language feature since her 2021 Cannes selection Bergman Island, which also starred Krieps alongside Mia Wasikowska, as reported by production notes.
Behind the camera, Hansen-Løve teams up with cinematographer Claire Mathon, editor Marion Monnier, production designer Mela Melak, and costume designer Louise Stanton. Producers attached to the project include David Thion at Paris-based Les Films Pelleas, Patrick O’Neill and Conor Barry for Wildcard in Ireland, María Zamora for Spain’s Elastica Films, Maria Ekerhovd at Mer Film in Norway, Joshua Horsfield and Saskia Duff at Intake Films in the UK, and Thembisa Cochrane and Georgie Paget at Caspian Films, alongside financing partners Anonymous Content and RT Features.
Did you know? Mary Wollstonecraft is widely celebrated not only for her 1792 treatise A Vindication of the Rights of Woman but also as the mother of Frankenstein author Mary Shelley.
Historical Focus on Mary Wollstonecraft
First announced in 2024, If Love Should Die focuses on the final twelve years in the life of Wollstonecraft, an English writer and early feminist philosopher. Set in England on the eve of the French Revolution, the narrative follows a young, impoverished, and solitary Wollstonecraft as she navigates Enlightenment ideals and resolves to support herself through her writing after losing her position as a governess, according to project synopses.
“I’m thrilled that I’m finally able to make the film I’ve been preparing for a long time and that is particularly close to my heart,” Hansen-Løve said in a statement provided to trade publications. “It’s a huge challenge: bringing Mary Wollstonecraft to the screen for the very first time. I’m also very happy to be supported by such a talented, committed team and above all, to share this adventure with the wonderful Renate Reinsve.”
Festival Momentum for the Lead Cast
Reinsve joins the project following her role opposite Sebastian Stan in Cristian Mungiu’s Cannes 2026 Palme d’Or winner Fjord, building on her previous festival run with Sentimental Value. Co-stars Flynn and Krieps recently appeared together in Malgorzata Szumowska and Michal Englert’s The Idiot(s), which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, according to festival logs.
Flynn’s recent credits include A Prayer for the Dying and the Telluride selection Elsinore. Krieps, known for her breakout role in Phantom Thread, recently appeared in Jim Jarmusch’s Venice 2025 Golden Lion winner Father, Mother, Brother, Sister and the Cannes 2025 drama Love Me Tender, based on contemporary film databases.
Pro Tip: When following arthouse European co-productions, tracking regional funding bodies like Eurimages, Screen Ireland, and the Norwegian Film Institute often provides the earliest timeline updates before official distributor rollouts begin.
Financing and Global Distribution Network
The multinational production brings together financial backing from Rodrigo Teixeira for RT Features, Nick Shumaker and David Levine for Anonymous Content, Raffaella Leone for Leone Film Group, Marco Perego for Artists Haven, and Nightjar Films, with development financed by MUBI. Anonymous Content is co-repping domestic rights alongside CAA Media Finance.
Co-producers on the feature include Marie Kjellson and Wik, Lars Thomas Skare for Mer Film, and Kristina Börjeson for Film i Väst, with Philippe Martin of Les Films Pelleas attached as an associate producer. The project is produced in association with executive producers including Franklin Laviola, Nicholas Laviola, Francesca Mormanni, Pio & Co, La Femme qui Aaimait les films, Tempio, Mikino, Bobby Allen of MUBI, and Seona Bell.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is playing Mary Wollstonecraft in If Love Should Die?
Renate Reinsve has been cast as Mary Wollstonecraft in Mia Hansen-Løve’s period drama.
What time period does the film cover?
The movie focuses on the final twelve years of Wollstonecraft’s life in England on the eve of the French Revolution.
Who are the other lead cast members?
Johnny Flynn and Vicky Krieps join Reinsve in key roles, alongside Charlie Kelly, Will Keen, Tom Sturridge, and Jane Beever.
Which companies are producing the film?
The film is a European co-production backed by companies including Les Films Pelleas, Mer Film, Elastica Films, Wildcard, Intake Films, Caspian Films, Anonymous Content, and RT Features.
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