Kate Mara and Ellen Page cast in lesbian drama ‘Mercy’

Hollywood stars Ellen Page and Kate Mara have been cast in the lesbian romance drama ‘Mercy’.

Shooting for the film will begin in September in Cincinnati for the film, directed by Israeli filmmaker Tali Shalom Ezer.

The film is produced by Christine Vachon and David Hinojosa, on behalf Killer Films.

Page, who is out as gay and often campaigns on LGBT issues, plays Lucy in the drama. Her character is the daughter of a man on death row.

She falls in love with the title character played by Mara.

The two characters are on opposing sides of the political cause which tests Lucy’s values.

Producers Vachon and Hinojosa released a statement saying they were moved by Ezer’s debut work ‘Princess’ at Sundance.

They said: “We were so enthralled by Tali’s first film and have been looking to work with Ellen and Kate for years. This is the perfect project to bring everybody together.”

The film has the executive producers Robert Halmi Jr and Jim Reeve.

Page starred in Freeheld alongside Julianne Moore which was released in 2015.

Moore earlier this year said she was honoured to work with Ellen Page, who could be her “authentic self” in Freeheld.

The pair appear together in the film about a police officer with terminal cancer who wants to leave her pension benefits to her lesbian partner.

55-year-old Moore said she was pleased that Page, who came out as gay in 2014, could be her “authentic self in a part”

Mara is known for House of Cards, for which she received an Emmy nomination.