The Big Picture

• Bella Ramsey, known for The Last of Us, will star in Girl Next Door as Samantha Lewthwaite in a new project.
• Girl Next Door follows Samantha's journey from curiosity about Islam to involvement in radical activities.
• Ramsey's role as Ellie in The Last of Us and past projects like Game of Thrones have led to upcoming roles in various films.

After production began on The Last of Us Season 2, one of the series' main stars has landed a role in an intriguing new project. A new report from Variety announced that Bella Ramsey, who portrays Ellie in the hit HBO series, will star in Girl Next Door as one of the U.K.'s most infamous women. Ramsey will portray Samantha Lewthwaite, aka The White Widow, in the non-fiction film from writer-director Bruce Goodison. Goodison has experience working on true stories, previously directing several made-for-TV movies in the early 2010s (Bin Laden: Shoot to Kill, Targeting Bin Laden).

The plot details describe Girl Next Door as telling the story of Lewthwaite (Ramsey), who falls in love with an Islamic man in the mid-2000s. While at the beginning of the relationship, Sam was full of passionate and innocent curiosity about welcoming new faith, friends, and family into her life, it ultimately ended in her being consumed by more radical fringes. The film will follow Sam in the days leading up to the infamous London 7/7 attacks, which took place in 2005, as she pieces together her husband's involvement in the attack and how much she knew about it beforehand.

Bella Ramsey Is Busier Than a Bee

While Ramsey first made a name for themselves portraying Lyanna Mormont in the hit HBO series Game of Thrones, most consider her role in The Last of Us alongside Pedro Pascal to be their true breakout. They were nominated for several awards for their performance as Ellie, including an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress which was ultimately awarded to Sarah Snook for her performance in Succession. Ramsey has since parlayed their success in Game of Thrones and The Last of Us into several recent and upcoming projects.

Ramsey most recently starred as the lead in Netflix's Hilda, a supernatural fantasy series featuring Ameerah Falzon, Oliver Nelson, and Daisy Haggard. They also portray Molly in Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, as well as Birdy in the Prime Video coming-of-age film with Andrew Scott, Catherine Called Birdy. Ramsey will next appear in Sunny Dancer, a story about a young girl named Ivy who spends her summer in "chemo camp" and finds several unlikely friendships.

Girl Next Door is set to begin production in October 2024. Catch Ramsey next in The Last of Us Season 2, and watch the first season on Max.

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