Nova Scotia is about to become the backdrop for another major movie, and this one has some seriously big names attached.
Oscar-winning actresses Renée Zellweger and Sissy Spacek are starring in a new feature film called A Woman in the Sun, alongside rising star Mia Threapleton.
And production is getting underway in Nova Scotia this fall.
According to ACTRA Maritimes, A Woman in the Sun is currently in pre-production, with filming scheduled to run from October 5 through November 12, 2026.
Tourism Nova Scotia has also included the movie among the productions filming in the province this fall.
A Woman In The Sun Is Filming In Nova Scotia
A Woman in the Sun is a new drama from writer and director Julia Cox, who previously wrote and executive produced the Netflix film Nyad.
The project marks Cox’s feature directorial debut and has some major production companies behind it.
Black Bear and Artists Equity are financing the movie alongside Zellweger’s Big Picture Co.
Current production information lists Halifax, Nova Scotia as one of the filming locations, with additional filming planned in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
Filming in Nova Scotia is scheduled to begin October 5 and continue for more than a month.
Renée Zellweger Leads The Cast
At the centre of the movie is Renée Zellweger, the two-time Academy Award-winning actress known for movies including Bridget Jones’s Diary, Chicago, Cold Mountain and Judy.
Zellweger will play Claire Keating, a bartender living on Nantucket who is part of the island’s shrinking middle class.
Her life begins to change dramatically when her mother becomes sick and her daughter returns home.
The story follows Claire over the course of a month as she is forced to confront her past and figure out what she wants from her future.
Zellweger is also producing the movie through her production company, Big Picture Co.
Sissy Spacek & Mia Threapleton Are Also Starring
Zellweger isn’t the only major name attached to the movie.
Academy Award winner Sissy Spacek is also starring in the film.
Spacek has had a decades-long career and is known for movies including Carrie, Coal Miner’s Daughter and In the Bedroom. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner’s Daughter.
The third major member of the cast is Mia Threapleton.
Threapleton is the daughter of actress Kate Winslet and has been building her own acting career, with recent roles including Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme.
Together, the three actresses will anchor the movie’s multi-generational family story.
The Movie Is Actually Set In Nantucket
While a significant portion of the movie is being filmed in Nova Scotia, the story itself takes place on Nantucket, an island off the coast of Massachusetts.
That could make Nova Scotia’s involvement particularly interesting.
Production information currently lists both Halifax and Nantucket as filming locations, meaning parts of Nova Scotia may potentially be used to help create the movie’s coastal New England setting.
The production is also heading to the real Nantucket later this fall.
Local officials there approved filming permits for November 12 and 13, meaning the movie will use a combination of Canadian and American locations.
Exactly which Nova Scotia locations will appear on screen has not yet been publicly detailed.
The Movie Has Some Major Hollywood Names Behind It
There are some recognizable names involved behind the camera, too.
Black Bear and Artists Equity are co-financing the project.
Artists Equity is the production company founded by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, while Black Bear has been involved with movies including The Imitation Game and Sing Sing.
Black Bear is expected to distribute A Woman in the Sun in North America and the United Kingdom, with Elevation Pictures handling Canadian distribution.
Zellweger and Carmella Casinelli are producing through Big Picture Co., alongside producer Kim Roth.
When Will A Woman In The Sun Be Released?
An official release date for A Woman in the Sun has not yet been announced.
For now, the movie remains in pre-production, with its Nova Scotia shoot scheduled to begin October 5, 2026.
With two Academy Award winners leading the cast and more than a month of production scheduled in the province, it could be one of the biggest movies filming in Nova Scotia this fall.
And Nova Scotians may want to keep their eyes open over the next several weeks because some very familiar Hollywood faces could soon be filming around the province.
Cover photo retrieved from: https://variety.com/2026/film/markets-festivals/cannes-renee-zellweger-sissy-spacek-a-woman-in-the-sun-1236741991/
References
Screen Nova Scotia, A Woman in the Sun production listing
ACTRA Maritimes, What’s Filming
Tourism Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Film Locations
Screen Daily, Black Bear bringing Renée Zellweger, Sissy Spacek drama A Woman In The Sun to Cannes market
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