Ruth Wilson & Matt Bomer To Star In AIDS Activism Drama From Director Michael Arden

Ruth Wilson and Matt Bomer will star in The Book Of Ruth, with Michael Arden directing the feature, according to Deadline. The film is based on the true story of Ruth Coker Burks, a devout Christian divorcée and single mother from Arkansas who became a champion and caregiver for AIDS sufferers in 1980s America.

Michael Arden, the two-time Tony Award nominated theater director who landed both those noms before the age of 35, will helm the pic, his feature film debut.

The screenplay comes from Rebecca Pollock and Kas Graham. Set in 1983, Ruth Coker Burks (Wilson) lives a busy life, devoted to her work, her six-year-old daughter Jessica, and her faith. When a handsome new neighbor (Bomer) turns out to be a gay New-Yorker who has fled the City and returned home after the death of his partner to AIDS, she decides to educate herself on the epidemic sweeping the country.

Arden spoke of the news saying, "It's a great honor and privilege to tell this important story about the responsibility one human has to another, especially in a time of crisis. As a gay man, I feel that Ruth's story of empathy in the face of great prejudice and adversary is one so needed in our modern time."

"It is vital for us to remember that we lost an entire generation to the AIDS epidemic and that so many people, including Ruth, sacrificed their own comfort, station and livelihood to help those in need during this plague," he added.

Ruth Wilson is a two-time Olivier Award winner and Golden Globe Award winner, and made her Broadway debut in Nick Payne's Constellations, opposite Jake Gyllenhaal. She recently starred on Broadway in King Lear. She is best known for her role as Alison Lockhart in the Showtime series "The Affair" (Golden Globe Award). She received Olivier Awards for Best Actress for Anna Christie opposite Jude Law, and Best Supporting Actress for A Streetcar Named Desire opposite Rachel Weisz, both at The Donmar Warehouse. She was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actress for Hedda Gabler at The National Theatre. On television, Wilson starred in the acclaimed BBC series "Luther," which was nominated for eight Emmy Awards. She received BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for Best Lead Actress for the BBC miniseries "Jane Eyre."

Matt Bomer made his Broadway debut in the 2018 revival of The Boys in the Band, which is currently being adapted for Netflix. He starred on the usa network series White Collar. He also was apart of in the 2012 comedy-drama Magic Mike and its 2015 sequel. In 2015, he won a Golden Globe Award and received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for playing a closeted writer of The New York Times in the drama television film The Normal Heart. Bomer made a guest appearance on the fourth season of FX's horror anthology series American Horror Story, and upgraded to the main cast during the fifth season. He joined the cast of Will & Grace when NBC picked it up for a revival in 2018, and he currently stars on the series The Sinner.

Michael Arden is a Tony-nominated director for his revival of Spring Awakening. The acclaimed production transferred from Deaf West Theater in Los Angeles to Broadway in fall 2015. He also won the Outer Critics Circle for Outstanding Director of a Musical and was nominated for a Drama Desk award for the production. Michael made his Broadway debut in Deaf West Theater and the Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Big River. Other directing credits include My Fair Lady at Bay Street Theater; Merrily We Roll Along at the Wallis Annenberg Center in Los Angeles, where he is currently the Artist in Residence; LA Ronde for his company, the Forest of Arden; and For the Record: John Hughes in LA and NYC. His production of The Pride opened at the Wallis Annenberg Center in June 2017. Other theatre credits include The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Times they are a Changin', Ragtime (Avery Fisher), It's Only Life, Swimming in the Shallows, Ace, Juno, As You Like It, The Winter's Tale, The Secret Garden, Pippin (Mark Taper Forum), and Aspects of Love at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London. Michael's film work includes Source Code, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, Bride Wars and So B It. He has also worked extensively in TV, most notably on FX and Fox's "Anger Management." Other TV credits include "GCB," "Nurse Jackie," "Royal Pains," "Unforgettable," "Off the Map," "Kings," "The Closer," "The Forgotten," "Bones," "The Return of Jezebel James," "Cashmere Mafia," "Grey's Anatomy," and "NUMB3RS." Concert work includes singing with Barbra Streisand, Chris Botti, and performances at 54 BELOW, Feinstein's at the Regency and Joe's Pub. Michael is an alum of The Interlochen Arts Academy and The Juilliard School.

Read the original article on Deadline.