Werner Herzog returns to fiction with 'Bucking Fastard' starring Kate and Rooney Mara

Werner Herzog makes his return to narrative filmmaking with 'Bucking Fastard', drawing inspiration from the real-life story of identical twins Greta and Freda Chaplin, who gained fame in the early 1980s in Yorkshire. The film debuted at the 2026 Venice Film Festival, featuring sisters Kate and Rooney Mara in their inaugural joint project. Herzog, who first learned about the Chaplin twins 45 years ago, tells the story of sisters Jean and Joan Holbrooke, who navigate their shared aspirations and romantic interests, defying societal expectations. The plot delves into their confrontations with the media and legal system. Herzog penned the screenplay in just five days and dedicates the film to David Lynch. The actual Chaplin twins, born in 1943, dealt with care facilities and a fixation from neighbor Ken Iveson.