Jashandeep Singh
Benedict Cumberbatch-starrer ‘The Thing with Feathers’ is all set to begin filming in London, England, in January 2024. Based on Max Porter’s 2015 novel ‘Grief is the Thing With Feathers,’ the film follows a father and his two young sons who struggle with the sudden loss of their wife and mother respectively. The father gets stalked by a mysterious creature called “Crow,” which seems to be brought to life from the pages of his work as an illustrator. Crow eventually becomes a part of the family’s life and guides them out of grief.
London, where the shoot is scheduled to take place, has a well-established film and television industry. The city also features diverse locations, along with scenic historical architecture, which makes it a preferred choice for many filmmakers to shoot a variety of projects. London has previously hosted the filming of recent films like ‘Barbie,’ ‘The Little Mermaid,’ ‘The Flash,’ ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,’ ‘Red, White & Royal Blue,’ and ‘Heart of Stone.’
The film is helmed by Dylan Southern, who is known for directing acclaimed documentaries like ‘No Distance Left to Run,’ ‘Shut Up and Play the Hits,’ and ‘Meet Me in the Bathroom.’ The filmmaker also directed multiple music videos as well as the 2014 short film ‘The Gun.’ Speaking about the project, Southern said, “This is a genuinely meaningful story – but it’s also scary, thrilling, and subversive – and it achieves all of the above whilst remaining unsentimental. As a director, adapting this book provides the opportunity to combine striking genre elements with drama in a way that will not only move an audience but will frighten them and make them laugh too.”
Cumberbatch is currently the only star attached to the film. The Emmy Award-winning actor is recognized for his roles as William Prince Ford in ‘12 Years a Slave,’ Nick Kaufman in ‘The Whistleblower,’ Dr. Stephen Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Sherlock Holmes in the television series ‘Sherlock.’ The actor received Academy Award nominations for Best Actor for his portrayal of Alan Turing in ‘The Imitation Game’ and Phil Burbank in ‘The Power of the Dog.’
Expressing his excitement about the film adaptation, Cumberbatch stated, “Having been a huge fan of Max Porter’s extraordinary book and Enda Walsh’s stage adaptation I was skeptical about a film adaptation. But the experience of reading Dylan Southern’s adaptation rekindled the cinematic memory of reading this most visceral tale of a family consumed by grief.”
“Dylan has handled the deftness of Max’s kinetic poetry masterfully. It’s so well realized both on the page and in the deck and pitch. It holds all the wildly sharp turns of changing tones and colors between the domestic and mythic, between the despair, comedy, and every day of loss. It’s a thrilling read, and I couldn’t be more excited to be taking Dylan’s cinematic vision of it to the big screen,” Cumberbatch added. ‘The Thing with Feathers’ is produced by Andrea Cornwell of Lobo Films and Adam Ackland and Leah Clarke of SunnyMarch. The film is co-financed by Film4.
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