“Cavendish” Set to Bring 17th-Century Witch-Hunt Action to the Screen

“Cavendish” is a thriller set during the 1645 British witch hunts. It follows a bride (Sophie Thatcher) accused of witchcraft on her wedding day, pursued by a witch hunter (Joe Alwyn). She teams with a poacher (Erin Kellyman) to fight back with violence, wit and defiance. Writer-director Christopher Andrews, whose debut *Bring Them Down* won a Douglans Hickox Award, leads the project. Cornerstone handles international sales; CAA Media Finance funds domestic production.

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Set in mid-17th-century Britain, the film aligns with a peak in witch-craft prosecutions marked by social paranoia and legal persecution, juxtaposing historical oppression with high-octane action.

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Sophie Thatcher (bride) is represented by CAA and Echo Lake Entertainment; Erin Kellyman (poacher) by CAA, Curtis Brown Group and Goodman Genow Schenkman Smelkinson & Christoper; Joe Alwyn (witch hunter) by CAA, Independent Talent’s Lizzie Newell and Entertainment 360’s Kelli Allick. Producers include BAFTA-winning Ivana MacKinnon and Emily Leo (Wild Swim Films), Rosa Attab and Jacqueline De Croy (January Films), and Klaudia Smieja-Rostworowska, Bogna Szewczyk-Skupien (Madants). The film was developed with BBC Film and received a Polish Film Institute cash-rebate.

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Development began with BBC Film, followed by financing from Cornerstone’s international sales arm and CAA Media Finance for domestic markets. The Polish Film Institute’s cash-rebate added funds. Cornerstone will launch sales at Cannes, and principal photography starts in Poland in September 2026.

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Cornerstone calls “Cavendish” a rare British period action thriller that feels fresh and original. Its blend of visceral combat, unexpected humor and a subversion of traditional female roles seeks to stand out in a genre that typically favors drama over kinetic storytelling. The film also demonstrates an international co-production model pairing UK talent with Polish financing and distribution.

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Alison Thompson of Cornerstone highlighted the scarcity of contemporary British action thrillers set in this period, noting the film’s originality. Mark Gooder, also of Cornerstone, praised its “wicked sense of humour” and its challenge to conventional portrayals of women in period narratives. Both expressed enthusiasm for showcasing the film at Cannes.

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• “It’s rare to find a British action thriller in this period that feels this fresh, entertaining and original,” — Alison Thompson, Cornerstone

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• “Cavendish is a real page-turner, with a wicked sense of humour and a bold subversion of traditional female roles. Christopher Andrews is going to create something fresh and exciting, and we can’t wait to share his vision with buyers” — Mark Gooder, Cornerstone

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• “Sophie Thatcher (“Heretic,” “Companion”), Erin Kellyman (“28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” “Eleanor the Great”) and Joe Alwyn (“The Brutalist,” “Hamnet”) are to star in “Cavendish, an “irreverent and original” thriller set against the witch hunts of 17th-century Britain.” — Variety

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• “turning their powerlessness into strength through violence, wit and defiance.” — Film Synopsis (Variety)

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Production begins September 2026; Cornerstone will target Cannes for international sales, with domestic and global distribution to follow principal photography.

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