Kristen Stewart Has Been Cast To Play As Jean Seberg In 'Against All Enemies'

Kristen Stewart will star as Jean Seberg in the independent political thriller film Against All Enemies to start filming in summer.

Stewart's portrayal of Seberg is based on the actress' true-to-life events in the '70s, when the FBI did surveillance on her due to an alleged affiliation with the Black Panther Party.

Against All Enemies set in the late '60s and early '70s is directed by Benedict Andrews (Una) with the screenplay by Joe Shrapnel (Frankie & Alice) and Anna Waterhouse (Race). The film is brought by producers Fred Berger (La La Land), Brian Kavanaugh-Jones (Automatik) together with Kate Garwood, Stephen Hopkins, and Metalwork Pictures.

Other starring roles include that of Jack O'Connell, Anthony Mackie, Margaret Qualley, and Colm Meaney. Release dates are yet to be announced.

'Fame, Ridicule, And Tragedy'

Seberg was an American actress who lived in France half of her life. She was 18 years old when famous Hollywood director Otto Preminger approached her to star in the 1957 film Saint Joan. Because of her inexperience, Seberg's success did not come instantly.

Seberg's first major break occurred when she starred in Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless in 1960. Beyond the fame, she had to endure harsh criticisms not only by the public but also colleagues and even the government.

In the last few years prior to her death, Seberg was under the FBI counterintelligence program. She was accused of being involved in militant action movements particularly in the Black Panther Party. The FBI also accused that Seberg's lover, Hakim Jamal, was not the father of her child but rather that of a Black Panther loyalist.

Seberg's celebrity status was short-lived. On Aug. 30, 1979, she was found missing from her apartment in Avenue de Longchamp. Her body was later found, and she was declared dead at the age of 40. Police ruled the probability of suicide.

Glaring Similarities

Critics said that Stewart might have been compelled to accept the role due to the similarities in her life and Seberg's. For one, the Personal Shopper actress and her on-screen character, Seberg, first received their film awards in France instead of in their home country, United States.

Second, both actresses have received tremendous criticism from the public. Stewart was involved in a number of scandals, including her affair with Twilight director Rupert Sanders and her revelation that she is a bisexual.

Seberg's fame brought her so much ridicule that led to her being admitted to psychiatric institutions, as reported by Washington Post correspondent Martin Weil.