After two decades of thriving in Hollywood separately, Dakota Fanning and her sister Elle Fanning are finally uniting on-screen in the film adaptation of The Nightingale – and the excitement comes with just a hint of nerves.
In an interview with Byrdie for its holiday issue, the All Her Fault actress opened up about the emotional journey of working alongside her younger sister. “We’re a little nervous but excited,” Dakota shared. “For a long time, we were very intentional about creating our own paths. But now we’ve grown into two individuals with our own journeys — and it finally feels right to come together.”
The sisters will star as on-screen siblings in the highly anticipated film version of Kristin Hannah’s bestselling novel, The Nightingale, set during World War II. The story follows two sisters in Nazi-occupied France who take drastically different paths in the face of survival and resistance.
Dakota and Elle aren’t just co-stars — they’re also co-producers through their company, Lewellen Pictures, founded in 2021 to champion distinctive, female-led stories. “It’s the best to be able to come together now,” Dakota said. “We’re very excited about The Nightingale. A little nervous, but excited.”
A Long-Awaited Collaboration
Though the Fanning sisters have both grown up in front of the camera — Dakota with early breakout roles in War of the Worlds and The Secret Life of Bees, and Elle with acclaimed performances in The Great and Maleficent — they’ve never actually shared a scene before.
“We’ve played the same character at different ages, but have never spoken to each other on camera,” the pair told The Hollywood Reporter when their casting was announced. “We’ve wanted to find the right story for years, and this one felt like the perfect fit.”
Originally slated years ago, The Nightingale has been in development since 2019 with TriStar Pictures, and is now scheduled to hit theaters on February 12, 2027, according to Variety.
Building a Legacy Beyond Acting
Beyond acting, the sisters are steadily building an identity as creators and producers. Through Lewellen Pictures, they’ve committed to developing films and series that challenge expectations and center around bold storytelling.
“My sister and I love to surprise people and be part of projects they might not expect from us,” Dakota told Byrdie. “Getting to produce things through our company in all different spaces has been so exciting. We have different strengths and weaknesses, but at the core, we’re the same. We share the same mission and vision.”
That shared vision seems to be paying off, both are among the most respected young women in Hollywood, balancing commercial success with critical credibility.
Earlier this year, Elle reflected on their collaboration during a Vanity Fair interview: “We’ve literally never done a scene together. This will be such a special moment for us as sisters and as artists.”
As anticipation builds for The Nightingale, fans are eager to witness that chemistry unfold for the first time, not just as family, but as two women at the top of their craft, finally sharing the same frame.
