Dakota Fanning is set to portray Gerald Ford's daughter Susan in the series The First Lady with Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Ford

Dakota Fanning has been confirmed to be taking on the role of Susan Ford in the upcoming biographical anthology series The First Lady.

According to Variety, the 27-year-old actress will be portraying the only daughter of former President Gerald Ford and his wife, Betty.

The roles of the former United States leader and his spouse are set to be filled by Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Pfeiffer, respectively.

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Flashback: Underwood's casting news comes just days after news Dakota Fanning (above 2018) would be playing Susan Ford, the only daughter of President Gerald Ford and wife Betty

Fanning and the Scarface actress previously shared the screen in the 2001 drama film I Am Sam. 

The First Lady will partially follow Susan as she navigates her teenage years in the White House while simultaneously introducing progressive ideas to her parents.

The upcoming series will also emphasize previously overlooked female leadership in the American government and include various other historical figures.

Viola Davis and OT Fagbenle will portray Michelle and Barack Obama, respectively, and Gillian Anderson is set to play Eleanor Roosevelt.

Retro: Michelle Pfeiffer will be playing Bett Ford while Aaron Eckhart will play the President. The Ford family is seen in 1974 above
Plotline: The First Lady will place an emphasis on previously overlooked female leadership in the White House and the American government; Fanning is pictured at the 26th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2020

Also set to appear in the upcoming series are Rhys Wakefield and Judy Greer, the latter of whom stepped in to fill a role previously held by Pamela Adlon.  

The First Lady was created by Aaron Cooley, who will also write and serve as an executive producer on the forthcoming show, which was given its initial production order by Showtime in February of last year.

Susanne Bier, who helmed the 2018 horror film Bird Box, will also serve as an executive producer and direct multiple episodes of the series. 

Principal photography on The First Lady began late last month, with Georgia serving as a shooting location. 

Serious talent: The former president and his wife Betty will be portrayed by Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Pfeiffer, respectively; the Fords and their daughter are pictured spending quality time together in 1975
Packed cast: Viola Davis will portray Michelle Obama in the upcoming series and Gillian Anderson is set to play Eleanor Roosevelt; Davis is seen in February of 2020

In recent years, Fanning has taken a leading role in the period mystery series The Alienist, where she portrays a character loosely based on New York City's first female detective, Isabella Goodwin.

The TNT show also stars Luke Evans, Daniel Bruhl and Q'orianka Kilcher, among various others.

The Coraline voice actress is also currently working on the upcoming drama film, The Nightingale.

The Melanie Laurent-directed project will adapt the 2015 novel of the same name, which was written by Kristin Hannah.

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The film, which also stars Fanning's younger sister Elle, is set to be released in December of 2022. 

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