re-casting

Elisabeth Moss Has to Drop Power of a Dog, But Have No Fear, Kirsten Dunst Is Here

Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

No one wants to lose the lead actress for your film, but when one of your stars walks out the door and Kirsten Dunst is the one to step in behind her? That’s a pretty great silver lining. Variety reports that, due to scheduling conflicts with The Handmaid’s Tale, Elisabeth Moss had to drop out of Jane Campion’s adaptation of Power of a Dog, but Dunst will be taking the role in her absence. Based on a book by Thomas Savage, the story follows a pair of rich brothers, played Paul Dano and Benedict Cumberbatch, who own the biggest ranch in the Montana valley. Dano’s character, the nice one, secretly marries a local widow (Dunst), which leads Cumberbatch’s cruel character to wage a “sadistic, relentless war to destroy her.” Whoa! That seems like an extreme reaction, but widow and secret wife seems like a great fit for Dunst, an extremely versatile talent. And, not for nothing, a top-quality Instagram user.

Kirsten Dunst Replaces Elisabeth Moss in The Power of a Dog