First Look: Eddie Redmayne as trans icon Lili Elbe

The first posters have emerged for director Tom Hooper’s upcoming biopic ‘The Danish Girl’, which depicts the life of Lili Elbe – one of the world’s first known recipients of sexual reassignment surgery.

Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne will be portraying Elbe, both as Lili Elbe and her prior male identity Einer Wegener, with Swedish actor Alicia Vikander playing Elbe’s wife Gerda.

Based on David Ebershoff’s 2000 novel of the same name, the film was originally set to feature Nicole Kidman in the starring role.

Einer Wegener met Gerda Gottlieb at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen in 1882 and the two quickly bonded over their love of art and culture. Their relationship grows and the two become wed and travel Europe together practicing their illustration and immersing themselves in culture.

One day, Gerda is seeking a female model to pose for her work – having no luck, Einer volunteers to wear stockings to simulate a feminine figure so that his wife may hone her craft.

According to biographers, it was this moment that Einer realised that he felt more comfortable in feminine clothing, forming the female identity that would be known as Lili Elbe.

Gerda Wegener became renowned in the 1910’s for her beautiful portraits of a mysterious, beautiful woman – no one knowing the woman was her husband.

The Danish Girl is due for release in November 2015.

OIP Staff