THR sends word that Tilda Swinton will play the lead role in Lynne Ramsay’s We Need to Talk About Kevin for BBC Films.

The film is based on Lionel Shriver’s novel, which follows a smart, educated New York mother who does her best to raise a son she never wanted in the first place. However, he turns out to be difficult to live with and is at the center of the woman’s marital breakdown. Interestingly, he then goes on a killing spree at his high school with a crossbow.

Ramsay is best known for his work on Ratcatcher which chronicled the life of a boy in ‘70s Glasgow. Jennifer Fox will produce.