Set in Tokyo, The Earthquake Bird is described as a female-driven noir thriller. The story revolves around a young female expatriot who finds herself suspected of murder after her friend disappears. Before the disappearance, the expat and her friend became involved in a hot love triangle with an attractive photographer. Susanna Jones’ original 2001 novel snagged both the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and the Crime Writers’ Association New Blood Dagger Award for first-time authors.

With The Earthquake Bird now headed for production, Vikander is lining up to play the female lead in the film, according to Deadline. Riley Keough (Mad Max: Fury Road) is also reportedly in discussions to join the film’s cast. Production begins in May in Tokyo and Japan’s Sado Island.

After her break-out role as a sentient android in Alex Garland’s acclaimed 2015 sci-fi film Ex Machina, Vikander has steadily climbed the Hollywood ladder. In 2015, Vikander scored a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance opposite Eddie Redmayne in the period biopic The Danish Girl. Vikander has now taken the next step toward super-stardom with her performance as Lara Croft in the video game reboot Tomb Raider. We don’t yet know if Tomb Raider will do enough at the box office to warrant a sequel, let alone a franchise. So who knows if Vikander will have on-going work as Lara Croft. Tomb Raider certainly tries to set up a sequel, but of course that means little. Meanwhile, Vikander has also lined up a role in The Marsh King’s Daughter for Imitation Game director Morten Tyldum.

Tomb Raider was certainly Vikander’s most physically demanding role to date, if not her best. The Earthquake Bird sounds on paper like a solid vehicle for the actress as she continues establishing her on-screen persona and building her resume. Director Wash Westmoreland has already directed one film with an Oscar-winning lead performance - the 2014 drama Still Alice featuring a stirring Julianne Moore as an Alzheimer’s victim. Westmoreland now moves away from Oscar bait weepies to neo-noir thrillers with an Asian setting.

More: The 25 Best Films on Netflix Right Now

Netflix has yet to announce a premiere date for The Earthquake Bird.

Source: Deadline