LOS ANGELES, Dec 4 — The actress seen in “3 Days to Kill” and “Zombieland” is in talks to join the next feature from Tom Hooper, the British filmmaker behind “The King’s Speech.”

“The Danish Girl” tells the story of Einar Wegener, the Danish artist who was the first person in history to undergo gender reassignment surgery. In 1930, Wegener moved to Germany, where doctors agreed to perform the experimental procedure. After five operations in less than two years, the artist legally changed her name to Lili Elbe.

Wegener’s earlier marriage to the female painter Gerda Gottlieb, for whom he posed as a model, was subsequently invalidated by the King of Denmark. Lili Elbe died in 1931 due to complications of her final surgery, a failed attempt to implant a uterus.

Amber Heard is negotiating the strong supporting role of Oola. The actress would share the screen with Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander, who are set to play the Danish couple at the centre of the film.

The role will be a challenging one for Redmayne, the young British actor who previously worked with Hooper on the set of “Les Misérables.” While the filmmaker chose a male actor for the role of Lili Elbe/Einar Wegener, other directors previously attached to the project had more readily considered casting a woman. Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Gwyneth Paltrow and Rachel Weisz were among the names once said to be eyed for the role.

Tom Hooper will helm the feature from a screenplay based on the book “The Danish Girl” by American author David Ebershoff. The filmmaker reportedly discovered the story while working on “The King’s Speech,” the film that earned him an Oscar in 2011. — AFP-Relaxnews