Mike Leigh close to wrapping shoot on new feature film
- The seven-time Oscar-nominated and Palme d’Or-winning filmmaker reunites with long-time collaborators on an untitled project, launched at the EFM by Cornerstone Films
Shooting is set to wrap next week in London on the new, as-yet-untitled feature by Mike Leigh, marking the celebrated director’s first film since 2024’s Hard Truths [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]. A seven-time Oscar nominee, thirteen-time BAFTA nominee and Palme d’Or winner, Leigh remains one of British cinema’s most distinctive auteur voices. As is customary with his working method, details of the story are being kept under tight wraps, with the project continuing his long-standing practice of developing material through an extended process of rehearsal and collaboration rather than from a completed script.
The only available information for the project that is still listed as Untitled Mike Leigh 2025, reads: “With his distinctive cinematic voice, he once again delves into themes that challenge and resonate with modern audiences.” The cast is led by a quartet of actors closely associated with Leigh’s cinema, including Marion Bailey (Mr. Turner [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mike Leigh
film profile]), Paul Jesson (All or Nothing [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), Kate O’Flynn (Happy-Go-Lucky [+see also:
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film profile]) and Alice Bailey Johnson (Hard Truths).
Behind the scenes, Leigh is joined once again by many of his most trusted collaborators. The creative team includes costume designer Jacqueline Durran, hair and make-up artist Nora Robertson, production designer Jane Brodie, composer Gary Yershon, editor Tania Reddin and casting director Nina Gold. The film’s director of photography is Lucy Bristow, who has worked alongside Leigh for decades in various capacities, stepping into the role following the death of his long-time cinematographer Dick Pope.
Leigh’s previous feature, Hard Truths, premiered at Toronto and screened in competition at San Sebastián, before going on to receive widespread critical recognition, earning awards for lead actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste. Leigh won Cannes’ Palme d’or with Secrets & Lies, Venice’s Golden Lion with Vera Drake [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Locarno’s Golden Leopard with Bleak Moments, and has participated in major festivals with all of his films.
The film is produced by Georgina Lowe of Leigh’s production company Thin Man Films, with Gail Egan serving as executive producer. It is co-financed by Film4, in association with Desmar, Merino Films, Ventureland and Creativity Media.
International sales are being handled by London-based Cornerstone Films, which is launching the title at the European Film Market. Rights have already been sold in several territories, including Switzerland (Frenetic), Benelux (Cherry Pickers), Greece (Spentzos), the Middle East (Italia), Turkey (Mars), Australia and New Zealand (Transmission) and former Yugoslavia (MCF). Following their successful collaboration on Hard Truths, Bleecker Street will release the film in the US, while Studiocanal will handle distribution in the UK.
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