Cynthia Erivo to star in 1970s London thriller Steel

Deadline

The Oscar-nominated actress and former Genius: Aretha star has signed on for Media Rights Capital's period drama about a self-made woman’s rise to power in 1970s London. Written by Adam Gyngell and Fred Fernandez Armesto, Steel "centers on Madeline Crowe (Erivo), a fiercely ambitious arms dealer who seizes control of her own destiny in a high-octane and dangerous profession dominated by her male colleagues," per Deadline. "The daughter of Nigerian immigrants, driven by an insatiable hunger to win at all costs, yet beholden to her son as a single mother, Crowe is forced to confront the kind of person, deep down, she really is. Steel explores how choices made by individuals desperate in pursuit of money and power shape the geopolitical landscape of our present, and how women like Madeline were the vanguards." The project is part of Erivo's first-look deal with MRC Television. “We love that it is a role that exploits Cynthia’s ability to convey intellect and emotional depth while also being – for lack of a better term – a badass,” says MRC Television president Elise Henderson. Steel will be shopped to networks and streaming services.