A film is in development about the Christchurch mosque shootings, with Rose Byrne set to portray Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
The film, titled They Are Us, will be written and directed by New Zealand screenwriter Andrew Niccol, and will focus on the week following the terror attacks on March 15 in 2019.
According to Deadline, the project follows Ardern’s response to the tragedy, her message of compassion and the government’s moves to ban assault rifles.
In response to the news of the film’s development, Ardern’s office issued a statement saying “the prime minister and the government have no involvement with the film”.
The movie is to be filmed in New Zealand and the script has been developed in consultation with members of the mosques that were targeted in the attacks.
“They Are Us is not so much about the attack but the response to the attack [and] how an unprecedented act of hate was overcome by an outpouring of love and support,” said Niccol.
“The film addresses our common humanity, which is why I think it will speak to people around the world. It is an example of how we should respond when there’s an attack on our fellow human beings.”