Sharon Maguire Directing Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Laura Linney, David Tennant & More In ‘The Joy Of Sex’; Love Triangle Comedy Pre-Sells To Lionsgate, Wild Bunch & More

Sharon Maguire is directing The Joy Of Sex, a comedy based on the true story behind the influential 1972 sex manual, with Colin Firth, Julianne Moore and Laura Linney leading the cast. The UK production has begun filming and brings together a high-profile ensemble including David Tennant, Jason Watkins and Vicky Krieps. The project matters because it revisits a book that helped reshape public attitudes towards sex and relationships in the 1970s.

The film centres on British scientist Alex Comfort, played by Firth, and the complicated romantic trio behind the book’s creation. The Joy of Sex sold more than 15 million copies worldwide and spent 70 weeks atop the New York Times bestseller list. Lionsgate will distribute in the UK, while the film has secured sales across continental Europe, Africa, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand.