Principal photography is officially underway in the UK for Seance on a Wet Afternoon, the latest cinematic venture from BAFTA-winning director Tomas Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy). In a major casting update, Joe Alwyn (The Brutalist, Hamnet) has joined the production, starring alongside Academy Award winner Rachel Weisz and Emmy winner Matthew Macfadyen.
Adapted by Emmy-winning screenwriter Jack Thorne (Enola Holmes), the psychological thriller follows Myra (Weisz), a self-proclaimed medium with a dangerous plan to achieve legitimacy. She convinces her husband, Billy (Macfadyen), to kidnap the child of a wealthy family, intending to "foresee" the child’s location and lead the police to a heroic discovery. However, as Myra’s true motivations surface, Billy realizes that the scheme threatens to consume them both. Alwyn’s role adds further intrigue to this tense, character-driven narrative.
The production boasts an elite behind-the-scenes lineup. Visuals are helmed by director of photography Marcell Rév (Euphoria), with production design by Jacqueline Abrahams (The Lobster) and costumes by Sarah Blenkinsop (All Of Us Strangers). The project is produced by Element Pictures—the team behind Poor Things—and Astral Projection, as part of a development deal with Fremantle.
Financed by Film4 and Fremantle, the film is already generating significant buzz in the international market. FilmNation Entertainment is handling international sales, while UTA Independent Film Group and CAA Media Finance manage domestic rights.
With Alfredson’s signature atmospheric directing style and a script from Thorne, Seance on a Wet Afternoon is positioned as a standout psychological drama for 2026. The combination of Alwyn’s rising profile and the established gravity of Weisz and Macfadyen ensures this production remains one to watch as filming continues across the UK.
