Rhys Ifans to join Annette Bening and Jodie Foster in new Netflix biopic

Welsh actor Rhys Ifans is to star alongside Annette Bening and Jodie Foster in a new Netflix film Nyad

Based on a bestselling autobiography Find A Way, Nyad tells the remarkable true story of the 64 year old marathon swimmer Diana Nyad, who became the first person to complete a swim from Cuba to Florida.

The treacherous 110 mile swim, known as the ‘Everest of Swims’ took Nyad 53 hours, navigating dangerous open water, risking sharks and poisonous jelly fish. Succeeding on her fifth attempt, she undertook the swim without a shark cage.

Annette Bening plays Diana Nyad who was assisted on her record setting endeavour by her coach and best friend Bonnie Stoll, played by Jodie Foster, and a team of 35 supporters.

Ifans is playing John Bartlett, who strategically and meticulously planned and navigated Nyad’s swim though the Florida Straits.

Aware of the impact of weather and ocean currents on her journey, the Florida-based boat designer captained the catamaran that accompanied Diana as she swam.

BAFTA winner Ifans is known for many films including Notting Hill, Twin Town and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt1, and has recently appeared in Matthew Vaughn’s Disney spy film The King’s Man and Jon Watts’ Sony box office smash Spider-Man: No Way Home. The actor will next appear in Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon on HBO.

Directed by Oscar, BAFTA and Emmy winners Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, and adapted for the screen by Emmy winner Ann Biderman and Julia Cox, the film is being produced by Teddy Schwarzman from Black Bear Pictures and Andrew Lazar from Mad Chance.