Diane Kruger will star alongside Talia Ryder (Never Rarely Sometimes Always) in Joika, writer-director James Napier Robertson’s film about elite American ballet dancer Joy Womack.

Ryder is playing Womack (Thomasin McKenzie was previously cast in the role). Kruger will play her tough but inspirational mentor Volkova, a former ballet dancer and the head of the Bolshoi’s training academy.

Sales agent Embankment have closed a raft of pre-sales on the pic: Australia/New Zealand (The Reset Collective), Germany (Square One), Italy (Eagle), Spain (Vertice), Greece (Spentzos), Israel (United King), South Africa (Filmfinity) and Portugal (Nos Lusomundo). Embankment is co-repping U.S. rights with UTA Independent Film Group and will continue sales at the Toronto market.

The film is a New Zealand-Polish co-production and is scheduled to shoot in Poland in early 2022. Producers are Napier Robertson and Tom Hern’s Four Knights Film alongside Anonymous Content, Laurie Ross, Paul Green, Belindalee Hope, Klaudia Smieja-Rostworowska and her company Madants. Robert Walak, Luke Rivett, Phil Rose, and Michael Cerny will Executive Produce with Embankment.