A new period action-thriller is set to make waves on the international market this Cannes season.
Sophie Thatcher, Erin Kellyman, and Joe Alwyn are officially attached to star in the upcoming film Cavendish, an “irreverent and original” witch hunt-set thriller from writer-director Christopher Andrews.
Set in 1645, Cavendish follows a privileged young bride (Thatcher) who is accused of witchcraft on her wedding day. She is quickly pursued by a ruthless witch hunter (Alwyn). Forced into survival, she forms an uneasy alliance with a sharp-witted poacher (Kellyman), and together the two women fight back against a violent system designed to erase them.
The film blends historical drama with action and dark humor, positioning itself as a genre-bending take on the witch trials era—one that flips traditional power dynamics and centers women navigating brutality, survival, and resistance. The project is being launched at Cannes by international sales and distribution company Cornerstone, with CAA Media Finance handling domestic rights.
The project is being produced by BAFTA winners Ivana MacKinnon and Emily Leo of Wild Swim Films, alongside Rosa Attab and Jacqueline De Croy of January Films, and Klaudia Smieja-Rostworowska and Bogna Szewczyk-Skupien of Polish production company Madants. Development support also came from BBC Film, with additional funding through the Polish Film Institute cash rebate program. Production is currently slated to begin in Poland in September 2026.
For Erin Kellyman, the project adds another high-profile genre title to her growing filmography, which includes 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and Eleanor the Great. Her casting is especially notable as she continues to carve out space in action-driven and character-forward projects that center women of resilience and complexity.
Production is expected to begin sometime this year, with further casting and distribution details likely to emerge following its Cannes market launch.