Hollywood taking on story of smuggled French Jews

Anjelica Huston and Noah Schnapp to star in 'Waiting for Anya' adaptation.

Actress Anjelica Huston (photo credit: DANNY MOLOSHOK/REUTERS)
Actress Anjelica Huston
(photo credit: DANNY MOLOSHOK/REUTERS)
Actors Anjelica Huston and Noah Schnapp have both signed on to star in a Holocaust-era film about smuggling Jewish children from France into Spain.
Waiting for Anya, adapted from a 1990 children's book, is being produced by Goldfinch Studios and is slated to begin filming later this year, according to Deadline.com.
The book, by Michael Morpurgo, tells the story of Jo, a young shepherd boy, who accidentally begins helping smuggle Jews over the border in Lescun in southern France. Jo is aided by Benjamin, a Jewish man in hiding, and Benjamin's mother-in-law, who will be played by Huston. Benjamin has been separated from his daughter, Anya, and is desperately waiting for any word of her.
Schnapp, 13, is best known for for his role in the Netflix series Stranger Things. German actor Thomas Kretschmann will reportedly play Benjamin in the upcoming film. Kretschmann has previously played Adolf Eichmann as well as a variety of other Nazi officers in films including The Pianist, Downfall and Valkyrie. The Academy Award-winning Huston is best known for her roles in Enemies: A Love Story, The Witches, The Grifters and The Addams Family.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Waiting for Anya will be directed by the relatively unknown Ben Cookson, whose most recent film was 2014's Almost Married.