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Anya Taylor-Joy currently stars in the Netflix original The Queen’s Gambit as the main protagonist, Beth Harmon. Harmon is a prodigal chess player who, from a young age, shows signs of becoming a Grandmaster. She uses tranquilizer medication and alcohol throughout life to remain in a fog, arguing it permits her to “see the board” — the moves, countermoves, and strategies needed to win. 

Anya Taylor-Joy
Anya Taylor-Joy attends the Miu Miu show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2020/2021 | Victor Boyko/Getty Images

Harmon becomes convinced that a sober mind is her enemy as she takes on competitor after competitor, establishing life-long friendships, and entering unique romances along the way. The Queen’s Gambit marks Anya Taylor Joy’s first significant departure from darker, more terrifying ventures. Previous notable on-screen appearances include Split, The Witch, The New Mutants, and Glass. 

Following The Queen’s Gambit, Taylor-Joy will combine these two distinct genres. She will take on a production set in the 1960s that starts peachy before taking a turn to the unpredictable and frightening. 

‘The Queen’s Gambit’ star will lead ‘Last Night in Soho’

Last Night in Soho is currently in post-production and expected to premiere on April 23, 2021. The movie will feature Taylor-Joy as Sandy: a young girl whose passion for fashion design is unparalleled. 

Sandy is mysteriously and unexplainably able to enter the 1960s, where she meets an idol — a breathtaking wannabe singer who knows what it means to live — not just survive.  However, 1960s London is not what it seems to be on the surface, and time begins to fracture as Sandy remains in the past. And, consequences ensue. 

Just like The Queen’s Gambit, the film will once again place Taylor-Joy in the 1960s, presumably spanning continents from America to England. While it will be a period piece in some sense of the word, the actor’s familiarity with the creepy and eerie will serve her well, as aspects of her performances in Split and The Witch may come to the surface. Taylor-Joy excelled in The Queen’s Gambit, and has several productions on the horizon, destined to lay the groundwork for her ascension up the Hollywood ladder. 

What else is Anya Taylor-Johnson set to star in? 

In addition to Last Night in Soho, Taylor-Joy is slated to star in four other upcoming productions: The Northman, an untitled George Miller Furiosa spinoff, Weetzie Bat, and The Sea Change. 

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The Northman will be a Viking revenge tale set in Iceland at the turn of the 10th century; Taylor-Joy will co-star alongside Nicole Kidman, Alexander Skarsgård, and more. In the untitled film mentioned above, Taylor-Joy will portray Furiosa in an origin story following the renegade warrior, Furiosa (preceding her years alongside Mad Max). 

Weetzie Bat, to be based on the novel of the same name, is a young adult story that follows the adventures of Weetzie (Taylor-Joy) and her friend Dirk. The Sea Change will recount the rocky marriage of a London playwright and his wife who travel to a remote Greek island, which leads to unexpected twists and turns.

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