Sophie Thatcher (The Heretic, The Companion), Erin Kellyman (28 Years Later, The Temple of Bones, Eleanor the Great), and Joe Alwyn (The Brutalist, Hamnet) are set to star in Cavendish, an “irreverent and innovative” thriller set in a 17th-century English witch hunt.
Writer-director Christopher Andrews (Bring Them Down) touts Cavendish as a film that “fuses visceral action with sharp, unexpected humor.” Cornerstone will handle international sales and distribution, with sales beginning in Cannes. Domestic services are handled by CAA Media Finance.
The story, set in 1645, 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 resourceful poacher (Kerryman) living on the fringes of society, the two women fight back, “turning their powerlessness into strength through violence, resourcefulness, and defiance,” according to the synopsis.
Cavendish is produced by BAFTA winner Evanna McKinnon and Emily Leo (How to Sex, Bring Them Down, The Beast) of Wild Swim Films. , January Films’ Rosa Attab and Jacqueline de Croix (You Were Not Really Here, I Daniel Blake), Claudia Smieja-Rostołowska and Bonya will co-produce. Szewczyk-Skpien (The Brutalist, The Testament of Ang Lee) from Polish production company Madanz; The film was developed in collaboration with BBC Film and also received funding from the Polish Film Institute’s cash rebate programme. Production is scheduled to begin in Poland in September 2026.
Cornerstone’s Alison Thompson and Mark Gooder said, “It’s rare to find British action thrillers of this era so fresh, funny and innovative.” “Cavendish is a true page-turner with a wicked sense of humor and a bold subversion of traditional female roles. Christopher Andrews intends to create something fresh and exciting and we can’t wait to share his vision with our buyers.”
Andrews’ debut feature, Bring Them Down, premiered at a special presentation at TIFF in 2024. The film stars Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbott and won the Douglan’s Hickox Award for Outstanding Debut Director at the 2024 British Independent Film Awards.
Thatcher is repped by CAA and Doreen Wilcox Little of Echo Lake Entertainment. Kellyman is repped by CAA, Curtis Brown Group and Goodman, Genow, Shenkman, Smelkinson & Christoper. Alwyn is repped by CAA, Lizzie Newell of Independent Talent and Kelly Alick of Entertainment 360. At UTA, Andrews is represented by Julian Tuan, Dan Earley, Stella Ginsberg and Milorad Dragicevic.
