EXCLUSIVE: Will Poulter (Midsommar), Kit Connor (Heartstopper) and Manu Ríos (Elite) are set to lead buzzy horror Rapture, which HanWay Films will be launching for the Cannes market.
It’s an intriguing premise. Set in Medieval England in the year 1348, the story alights on Lansley Abbey, a remote stone monastery in Yorkshire, which houses ten monks bound by a life of strict routine and devotion. Their fragile peace is disrupted by the arrival of a messenger – a man with haunting news from the outside world who rapidly shows symptoms of a mystery illness. A virulent plague is spreading through the land: marked initially by a hemorrhagic fever, it turns its victims into “revenants” — restless, undead beings. As the contagion closes in, Lansley Abbey becomes a battleground: desperate outsiders beg for refuge while the infected threaten to overrun its walls. The monks are torn apart by a moral rift — between those who believe they must care for the sick and those who want to protect the centuries of knowledge safe-guarded by the monastery. As death is fully unleashed, so too is the brothers’ capacity for extraordinary acts of altruism and ruthless betrayal, forcing them to confront the ultimate question: what does it mean to be human?
The film marks the debut feature for playwright and director Jordan Tannahill. Filming is due to begin later this year in Hungary. Producers are Elevation Pictures (Infinity Pool), 2AM (Past Lives) and Brookstreet Pictures (The Brutalist). Eli Arenson (Lamb) is attached as director of photography.
Poulter and Connor reunite after recently starring in Alex Garland’s Warfare. Spanish actor and singer Ríos also appeared in Pedro Almodovar’s Strange Way Of Life.
Gabrielle Stewart, CEO HanWay Films, said: “We have all been blown away by the vision Jordan has for Rapture. It is rare to have such an atmospheric and terrifying zombie horror film that inhabits such an authentic historical world, with complex characters grappling with the biggest moral dilemmas. It is no wonder he has already attracted such great casting in Will, Kit and Manu with more to come, backed by top tier producers.”
Tannahill’s plays include Late Company and Botticelli in the Fire. His novel The Listeners was shortlisted for the Giller Prize, and in 2024 was adapted into a limited series for the BBC.
Tannahill is represented by CAA, Casarotto and Jackoway Austen. Will Poulter is represented by WME, Hamilton Hodell and Sloane Offer. Kit Connor is represented by Independent Talent, WME and Hansen, Jacobson. Manu Rios is represented by WME.
