Millicent Simmonds and Rachel Brosnahan to star in Helen & Teacher

Millicent Simmonds and Rachel Brosnahan are to star in ‘Helen & Teacher’.

The pair have boarded the cast of the new flick that will tell the story of the famed deaf, blind and disability rights activist Helen Keller.

The project is being directed by Wash Westmoreland and sees Millicent – the deaf star of the horror flick ‘A Quiet Place’ and the sequel ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ – play the lead role with Rachel starring as Anne Sullivan, her committed but controlling translator and companion.

The film is set during the early 1900s and follows Keller’s time at Radcliffe College at Harvard University, where her expanding world view and sexual awakening bring her into conflict with the conservative Sullivan.

When Sullivan is courted by the publisher John Macy, tensions heighten between the pair and the bonds of their friendship are threatened.

Westmoreland and Laetitia Mikles have written the screenplay, in consultation with a team at Helen Keller National Centre for Youth and Adults.

Cornerstone will handle international sales and distribution and will launch sales at the American Film Market.

Westmoreland said in a statement: “Most people only know of Helen Keller’s story from when she was a child. ‘Helen & Teacher’ will look at her as a young adult when she developed a radical, world-changing political voice.

“Today, when some TikTok thread disputes Helen Keller’s achievements and even her existence, it is time for a film that shows her relevance, her brilliance and her unbreakable spirit.”

Cornerstone’s Alison Thompson and Mark Gooder added: “We are looking forward to reintroducing one of the most famous teacher-student relationships in modern history.

“The lifelong work on disability rights by these two remarkable women paved the way for future generations. What better way to do it than with this talented creative team.”