Felicity Jones Tapped To Play Jewish Queen Ruth Bader Ginsberg In Upcoming Biopic

By Becky Scott July 19, 2017

Sound the alarm: our big-screen Ruth Bader Ginsburg has officially been announced!

Felicity Jones of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” has signed on to play Jewish heroine and my personal queen, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, in a new biopic based on Ginsburg’s life.

The movie has been in the works since 2015, with Natalie Portman originally slated to be its star. When Portman withdrew, Jones was tapped to take over the role. While Jones is not Jewish, she does actively identify as a feminist, which should help her channel the badassery that Ginsburg has made her signature vibe.

The movie is titled “On the Basis Of Sex” and will tell the story of how Ruth Bader Ginsburg went from being just another Jewish youth growing up in Flatbush, Brooklyn, to becoming a hero to women (and men) everywhere as the second (and best) female justice to join the Supreme Court.

Becky Scott is the editor of The Schmooze. Follow her on Twitter, @arr_scott

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO