Familial love is a complicated matter, especially when you suspect that the person close to you has committed murder. Based on the 1951 book by Daphne du Maurier, MY COUSIN RACHEL centers on a young Englishman named Philip (Sam Claflin) who inherits his guardian's Cornish estate. Philip soon finds himself falling for his beguiling cousin Rachel (Rachel Weisz), but his feelings are complicated when evidence suggests that she murdered Philip's guardian and is only showing an interest in Philip to steal his inheritance.
If the name Daphne du Maurier sounds familiar, that's because she's the classic romance novelist who penned the short stories The Birds (which was then made into the Hitchcock horror classic) and Don't Look Now. Maurier was known for being someone who didn't always present her readers with what most would call "conventional happy endings". Instead, Maurier expressed a flare for the paranormal in her stories, and is celebrated as a truly gifted novelist to this very day. In fact, this is not the first time that Du Maurier's novel has been adapted for the feature film treatment. Back in 1952, Olivia de Havilland and Richard Burton starred in a film adaptation directed by Henry Koster. That version of the story received four Academy Award nominations for its excellence. Additionally, Richard Burton won a Golden Globe for New Star of the Year for his portrayal of Philip Ashley.
Directed by Roger Mitchell, MY COUSIN RACHEL looks to blend themes of drama, romance and mystery into a period piece fueled on malicious intent, well-kept secrets and perhaps a spot of poisoned tea. The film is set to release on July 14, 2017, and will be going up against some pretty stiff competition as Fox's THE WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES and BAD DADS debut that weekend as well.