Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke has been hard at work on her upcoming film, Me Before You . While the movie is not scheduled to open until June, the first official trailer has been released. Along with offering a first look at Clarke in her new role, the trailer also revealed that Clarke’s character is set to fall in love with Hunger Games alum Sam Claffin.
According to UPI , Clarke is playing the role of Louisa in the film. Louisa is a struggling young woman who takes a job as a caregiver for William (Sam Claflin). William was left quadriplegic after suffering through a horrific accident and is unable to care for himself.
The major twist in the story, according to Entertainment Weekly , is that William planned on ending his life prior to Louisa entering his world. William promised his parents that he would give himself six months to live following his accident.
However, William’s situation is complicated after he meets Louisa, who is dealing with her own set of circumstances. This includes Louisa’s struggles in finding a good job and her place in the world. However, both of their lives are turned around after Louisa becomes William’s caregiver.
While Louisa falls in love with William, he realizes that he doesn’t want her life to be limited by his own disability. As their relationship continues to evolve, William and Louisa are forced to make difficult decisions about their future together.
In speaking about the upcoming movie, Claflin explained how the role was challenging to him as an actor. This is understandable given the circumstances surrounding his character, which is also another reason why the role opened Claflin up to new experiences.
“In a sense, it’s been something very, very different and challenging,” Claflin explained. “It’s a new world for me… my eyes are opening hugely as I kind of continue down that road. But I’m very, very excited.”
Claflin went on to reveal that the storyline is particularly emotional in the film and admitted that he cried when he first read the script.
“A script that makes me cry is a good script,” he stated in the interview. “The story, the sort of broken nature of this human being, is something that really appealed to me, purely because it’s a guy that has everything and then through one accident, loses everything. That to me is an interesting prospect [and] hugely heartbreaking.”
At the same time, Claflin added that Emilia Clarke’s character plays an important part in William’s transformation. In the end, their love story is something that attracted Claflin to the role and inspired him in his own life.
“It’s how this female carer inspires him to change that really, really struck a chord with me,” he continued. “It’s an incredible journey for both characters and for the surrounding characters. It’s a beautiful story.”
Me Before You is an adaptation of the bestselling novel by Jojo Moyes. Along with Claflin and Clarke, Jenna Coleman plays the part of Louisa’s sister, Katrina, while Charles Dance will make an appearance as William’s dad, Steven.
Claflin is known for his role as Finnick Odair in the hit Hunger Games franchise. Claflin is also getting ready to star opposite Chris Hemsworth in The Huntsman: Winter’s War .
For her part, Clarke is currently one of the stars of HBO’s Game of Thrones , in which she appears as Daenerys Targaryen. In addition to her role in Me Before You , Clarke is also set for a part in Voice from the Stone .
Me Before You , directed by Thea Sharrock, is set to premiere in theaters on June 3, 2016.
Tell us! Are you looking forward to seeing Emilia Clarke in Me Before You ? Let us know in the comments, and check out the trailer below.
[Image via Warner Bros]