Ferguson, 33, will play Ruth Harkness in the historical adventure, reported Variety.
Filming is expected to begin next month in China in the Sichuan region in the foothills of the Himalayas.
The movie is a UK/Chinese co-production, produced by Laura Bickford and Michelle Qi, CEO of Europe China Picture Group.
Harkness was the first person to bring a live panda from China to the United States. She was a New York socialite whose wealthy explorer husband died unexpectedly in 1936.
Harkness took over his expedition to China, joined forces with Chinese guide Quentin Young, and traveled into the uncharted Himalayas, where, against all odds, they rescued an orphaned baby panda.
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