Emilia Jones is to lead the cast of the biopic 'Winner'.

The 'CODA' actress is attached to star in Susanna Fogel's darkly comic movie which has started principal photography.

Emilia, 20, will star as Reality Winner – a former US Air Force member who was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for exposing Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.

The story centres on Winner, a young misfit from Texas who finds her morals challenged while serving in the Air Force and working as an NSA contractor.

The movie is to offer a fresh take on the traditional whistleblower thriller and the coming-of-age story follows an idealistic young woman punished for standing by her principles.

Connie Britton has been cast as Reality's mother while Zach Galifianakis will play her father. Danny Ramirez and Kathryn Newton have also been cast.

The script has been written by Kerry Howley and is based on her 2017 feature story for New York Magazine.

Fogel said: "As a filmmaker, I strive to tell stories that interrogate the world we live in and the systems that are broken in it. But in a fun way. Reality Winner is the perfect heroine for a film that meditates on ideas of personal power, morality and finding your voice.

"She's a true individual: she speaks many languages, she loves her guns, she could destroy you on Twitter, and her obsession with Pikachu is unmatched. Clearly, she's the perfect mouthpiece for a generation of people who are unique and fed up with feeling powerless."

The director added: "And there is no one more perfect to play her than Emilia Jones, one of the most exciting young actresses working today.

"I hope Reality's story will inspire others to speak up and defend their beliefs, whatever the cost. I'm thrilled to partner with this team of artists and activists to bring this movie to life."