“NORMAL People” star Daisy Edgar-Jones has boarded the drama “Where the Crawdads Sing” with Reese Witherspoon producing through her Hello Sunshine banner.

The project is based on Delia Owens’ debut novel, which has sold nearly 8.5 million copies worldwide. The story is set against the backdrop of the mid-20th century South and centers on a young woman named Kya, who is abandoned by her family and raises herself all alone in the marshes outside of her small town. However, when her former boyfriend is found dead, Kya is thrust into the spotlight, instantly branded by the local townspeople and law enforcement as the prime suspect for his murder.

The script is written by Academy Award-nominated writer Lucy Alibar with Olivia Newman directing. Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter are producing for Hello Sunshine. Elizabeth Gabler, Erin Siminoff and Aislinn Dunster are overseeing the project for 3000 Pictures. Alibar received a Humantitas Prize and Oscar nomination for adapted screenplay with Benh Zeitlin for “Beasts of the Southern Wild.”

In September, Edgar-Jones signed on for the lead role in Legendary’s social thriller “Fresh.” “Normal People,” based on Sally Rooney’s best-selling novel, broke a streaming record for BBC Three. Edgar-Jones stars in the series as Marianne Sheridan, opposite Paul Mescal’s Connell Waldron, as they become romantically involved during their final days in secondary school and during their undergraduate years at Trinity College Dublin.(SD-Agencies)