Rhys Ifans to Play James Joyce in 'Lucia' Biopic

Most people have heard of the iconic Irish author James Joyce, if only because we were probably required to read either Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man or short stories from The Dubliners in high school. But he was one of the most influential writers of the 20th century, thanks in large part to his Ulysses, which reimagined Homer's epic poem over the events of a day in Dublin. 

Told through a variety of literary styles, the novel essentially introduced stream-of-consciousness storytelling as we know it today and explored themes that spanned sexuality, antisemitism, Catholicism, Irish nationalism, and more. But most are probably completely unfamiliar with the story of his daughter, Lucia Joyce, whose troubled life and complicated relationship with her famous father often seems like the stuff of fiction. But that's about to change with the arrival of Lucia, a feature film that aims to tell Joyce's daughter's story on her own terms. 

Born in Trieste in 1907, Lucia was the second child of Joyce and his partner (later wife) Nora Barnacle. She grew up in Italy and later Zurich before the family moved to Paris in 1920, where she pursued her dream of becoming a dancer. She was rumored to have been lovers with a young Samuel Beckett, though their relationship reportedly only lasted a short time, given that the playwright was involved with another woman and more interested in building a professional relationship with Lucia's famous father. 

But despite her talent as a dancer, Lucia struggled with mental health issues. She was diagnosed as a schizophrenic in the mid-1930s and institutionalized at a psychiatric clinic in Zurich. She was transferred to St. Andrews Hospital in Northampton in 1951, where she remained until her death nearly thirty years later. By the time she passed away in 1982, she had spent 50 years of her life in asylums. 

The film will star Maya Hawke (Stranger Things) as Lucia, opposite Rhys Ifans (House of the Dragon) as her father, James. It will follow Lucia as she struggles to fulfill her dreams of becoming a professional dancer while navigating her complex relationship with her father as his muse and confidante. Whether the film will depict Lucia's tragic end is a question only the movie itself can answer, but it seems unlikely that the dramatic nature of the story would not appeal to filmmakers.

Lucia hails from director Aisling Walsh (Miss Austen), who has something of a track record of making movies that explore the lives of artists and writers, including A Poet in New York, which starred Tom Hollander (Baptiste) as poet Dylan Thomas. Casting is by Amy Kate Dolan (Juliet and Romeo). The film is developed and produced by John Kelleher Media and EZ Films (Ireland) with the support of Screen Ireland.

Notably, this is not the only film in development about Lucia Joyce's life. Another film, titled James and Lucia, is also currently in development, starring Rupert Friend (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar) and Evanna Lynch (from the Harry Potter franchise) as the famous father-daughter duo.

Neither Lucia nor James and Lucia has a release date as yet.