British actress Bella Maclean, best known to audiences for her role in the Disney+ adaptation of Jilly Coopers Rivals, has landed a lead role in Ray Panthakis new indie, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

In Starland follows a middle-aged man, played by Sing Sing breakout Clarence Maclin, struggling to break free from the confines of his small town. That is, until, he meets a group of bold young artists Maclean among them that transform his perspective. Black-ish actor Marcus Scribnerand Top DogsMaxwell Cunninghamwill also star. Maclean made her television debut in BBC Ones Silent Witness before joining the cast of season four of Netflixs Sex Education as school student Jem.

In 2024, the young actress portrayed Agatha Taggie OHara in Disney+ series Rivals, the overlooked daughter of Declan (Aidan Turner) and Maud (Victoria Smurfit) who struggles withdyslexiawhile trying to pursue culinary dreams. Shes set to return in season two after the series was met with widespread critical acclaim.

Panthakis upcoming project, co-written with Jason Kavan, is his directorial debut. The British star has acted opposite Stephen Graham in Marcella (2016-2020) and Boiling Point (2021), the latter of which earned him a British Independent Film Award nomination, as well as Gangs of London (2020) and The Serpent Queen (2022), among other credits.

Panthaki will produce In Starland alongside Daniel Khalili (Trespass Against Us) under their newly formed production company Le Bateau Lavoir, which succeeds Panthakis Urban Way, Variety was first to report. Emmy-winning producer Daisy Allsop will also produce under her Archface banner.

Production on In Starland got underway in Mississippi in April.