The Hollywood Reporter has brought word that the upcoming FX drama miniseries Mrs. America is expanding its all-star roster with the addition of Pitch Perfect‘s Elizabeth Banks for the role of Jill Ruckelshaus, one of the key members of the Republican Party women’s group who worked against the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.
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She joins Academy Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine), who will star as conservative radical Phyllis Schlafly, along with Sarah Paulson (Glass), the third collaboration between Paulson and Blanchett after Carol and Ocean’s 8, Rose Byrne (Neighbors), James Marsden (Westworld) and Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black).
Mrs. America will also include John Slattery (Mad Men) as Fred Schlafly, Margo Martindale (The Americans) as Bella Abzug, Ari Graynor (I’m Dying Up Here) as Brenda Feigen-Fasteau, Melanie Lynskey (Castle Rock) as Rosemary Thomson, Tracey Ullman (The Tracey Ullman Show) as Betty Friedan, Jeanne Tripplehorn (Criminal Minds) as Eleanor Schlafly, and Kayli Carter (Godless) as Pamela.
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Mrs. America will narrate the modern history of the women’s movement and comes from Emmy-winner producer/writer Dahvi Waller (Mad Men, Halt and Catch Fire) for FX Productions. Captain Marvel helmers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck are set to serve as executive producers and will be directing the first two episodes.
The series will explore the true story of the rise of feminism through the eyes of Schlafly, who led the backlash to the work of second-wave feminists like Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm, Bella Abzug, and Jill Ruckelshaus. Schlafly waged a campaign against the passage of the ERA as well as against the legalization of abortion and the gay rights movement. FX said the show would look at how the tension over the female empowerment movement helped change the political and cultural landscape.
Mrs. America was given a nine-episode order and will be executive produced by Waller, Blanchett, Stacey Sher, and Coco Francini. Production is expected to begin in sometime this year.
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