Sophie Thatcher (Heretic), Erin Kellyman (28 Years Later: The Bone Temple), and Joe Alwyn (The Favourite) will star in Cavendish, an irreverent thriller set against the witch hunts of 17th century Britain, Variety reports.
From writer-director Christopher Andrews (Bring Them Down), the film is billed as “blending visceral action with sharp, unexpected humor.”
Set in 1645, Cavendish sees a privileged young bride (Thatcher) accused of witchcraft on her wedding day and pursued by a ruthless witch hunter (Alwyn). Forced into an uneasy alliance with a sharp-witted poacher living on the margins of society (Kellyman), the two women fight back, turning their powerlessness into strength through violence, wit and defiance.
Producers include Ivana MacKinnon & Emily Leo of Wild Swim Films, Rosa Attab & Jacqueline De Croy of January Films, and Klaudia Smieja-Rostworowska & Bogna Szewczyk-Skupien of Madants.
The film was developed in collaboration with BBC Film and received funding from the Polish Film Institute cash rebate program. Production is slated for September in Poland.
Cornerstone will handle international sales and distribution, with CAA Media Finance handling domestic.
“It’s rare to find a British action thriller in this period that feels this fresh, entertaining and original,” said Cornerstone’s Alison Thompson and Mark Gooder. “Cavendish is a real page-turner, with a wicked sense of humor and a bold subversion of traditional female roles. Christopher Andrews is going to create something fresh and exciting.”
Thatcher can next be seen in Nicolas Winding Refn’s Her Private Hell, premiering at Cannes next month before hitting theaters later this year, and the fourth and final season of “Yellowjackets,” currently in production for a late 2026 debut.
