Leo Woodall, the British actor who turned heads in The White Lotus Season 2 and charmed audiences in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy just landed one of the biggest casting announcements in Hollywood.
Woodall is set to star opposite Sydney Sweeney in Custom of the Country, a film adaptation of Edith Wharton’s 1913 novel, fully financed by Studiocanal and produced by Charles Finch’s Rabbit’s Foot Films.
The casting was confirmed February 17.
Two of entertainment’s most compelling young stars. One of literature’s sharpest stories about ambition, power, and reinvention. The internet has thoughts.
What Is Custom Of The Country?
Custom of the Country is one of Edith Wharton’s most celebrated novels.
Published in 1913, it follows Undine Spragg, a fiercely ambitious young woman from the Midwest who uses her beauty, calculated charm, and relentless determination to claw her way into New York’s elite social circles at the turn of the century.
When one conquest is complete she moves to the next, navigating a series of marriages across America and Europe in pursuit of status, wealth, and power.
The novel is widely regarded as one of literature’s most biting critiques of social climbing and the price of ambition.
Wharton wrote Undine as a character who refuses to apologize for what she wants, a woman who treats her own life as a series of strategic moves in a game others pretend not to be playing.
Over a century later the character feels as relevant as ever. Sydney Sweeney plays Undine Spragg.
Why Is Sydney Sweeney Perfect For This Role?
Sweeney has spent the last several years proving she can carry morally complex characters.
Her work in Euphoria and The White Lotus demonstrated an ability to inhabit women who operate in the space between sympathy and discomfort, characters the audience cannot look away from even when they should.
Undine Spragg lives in exactly that space.
Beyond the dramatic credentials, Sweeney has been deliberate about her transition into prestige cinema.
Anyone But You showed she could anchor a mainstream Hollywood production.
Custom of the Country signals something more ambitious, a period film with serious literary source material and genuine potential.
Who Is Leo Woodall?
The 29-year-old British actor first registered with international audiences through The White Lotus Season 2, where he held his own against a cast of established names.
He followed that with Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.
He earned strong critical notices for his supporting role in Nuremberg alongside Russell Crowe and Rami Malek.
He stars in Vladimir, a Netflix limited series opposite Rachel Weisz that debuted March 6.
He leads Tuner opposite Dustin Hoffman, releasing spring 2026.
Custom of the Country adds Sydney Sweeney to that list. Woodall is no longer a name to watch, he is a name that is already here.
Who Is Directing Custom Of The Country?
The director is Josie Rourke, who also wrote the screenplay. Rourke previously directed Mary Queen of Scots, the 2018 historical drama starring Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie.
That film drew praise specifically for its treatment of female power and ambition, themes that sit at the center of Custom of the Country as well.
Rourke’s background is in theatre. She served as Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse in London for nearly a decade before transitioning to film.
That foundation in character-driven, text-based work makes her a logical choice for adapting Wharton.
When Will Custon Of The Country Be Released?
Studiocanal is fully financing the film and will release it theatrically across major international territories including the UK, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, and Benelux. International sales launched at the European Film Market in Berlin.
Casting director Nina Gold is continuing to build the ensemble around Sweeney and Woodall.
Production details beyond the two leads and director have not been officially confirmed.
A release date has not been announced, though industry timelines for a period production of this scale suggest a 2027 theatrical debut is likely.
Ron Halpern, Studiocanal’s EVP Global Production, and U.S. Chief Creative Officer Shana Eddy-Grouf are overseeing the project for the studio alongside VP Development Isobel Carter. Charles Finch and Owen Mahony of Monumental Pictures are co-producing.
What To Expect From Leo Woodall And Sydney Sweeney Together
The combination of Woodall and Sweeney is what has generated the most immediate reaction online.
Both are known for on-screen chemistry, Sweeney’s previous work has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to create tension with whoever shares her frame, and Woodall’s White Lotus performance showed he could match that energy without being overshadowed.
Wharton’s novel gives them material worth the attention.
The project is in development. The casting is confirmed. The anticipation is already building.
