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Tomas Alfredson’s anticipated psychodrama “Séance on a Wet Afternoon,” starring Oscar winner Rachel Weisz (“The Favourite”), has been boarded by FilmNation ahead of the Cannes Film Market. Domestic rights are being repped by UTA Independent Film Group and CAA Media Finance.

Penned by “Adolescence” writer Jack Thorne, “Séance on a Wet Afternoon” is based on Mark McShane’s bestselling 1961 suspense novel of the same name. Weisz will star as Myra, a self-proclaimed medium who convinces her husband Billy to kidnap the son of a wealthy family so she can lead the police to the “missing” child and legitimize her psychic abilities. When Myra’s true intentions come to light, however, Billy realizes her plan threatens to consume them both.

The novel was previously adapted into a critically acclaimed 1964 film starring Richard Attenborough and Kim Stanley, who earned a best actress Oscar nomination for her performance.

Alfredson, who is best...

Certain stories are worth adapting more than once. Such is the case for Mark McShane’s Séance on a Wet Afternoon. The two notable, not to mention distinct interpretations of this 1961 novel each capture a disquieting tale of an overzealous medium, and her plan to become esteemed and famous. Although one film follows the text more closely, the other takes creative license by underscoring the novel’s ambiguous supernatural element.

While McShane’s Séance on a Wet Afternoon was published years after spiritualism peaked in 19th century England, there was still a niche interest in clairvoyance, mesmerism and the like. As seen in Bryan Forbes’ ‘64 film, plenty of people seek out folks like Myra Savage; specifically those who stand between this world and the next. Or so they claim. Yet for Myra, she craves more than local repute. No, the protagonist of Séance on a Wet Afternoon wants everyone to know her name.

Attempting to climb out of director’s jail after the disastrous The Snowman, Tomas Alfredson returned to his native country of Sweden for the comedy Se upp för Jönssonligan, which landed with poor reception and hasn’t seen the light of day here in the United States. However, it looks like the Let the Right One In and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy director will get another crack with a high-profile project.

Deadline reports he’ll direct Rachel Weisz in Seance on a Wet Afternoon, scripted by Jack Thorne and backed by Legendary. Adapted from Mark McShane’s 1961 suspense novel, the thriller follows a self-proclaimed psychic medium who convinces her husband to kidnap a child so she can help the police solve the crime and achieve renown for her abilities. When her true intentions come to light, however, her husband realizes the plan threatens to consume them both.

This won’t...

Exclusive: Rachel Weisz is set star in and produce Legendary’s adaptation of acclaimed suspense novel Seance on a Wet Afternoon with Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy helmer Tomas Alfredson to direct.

Alfredson comes aboard the project replacing Harry Bradbeer, who will remain on as an executive producer as he recently returned to direct Legendary’s Enola Holmes sequel after the success of the first film. BAFTA and Tony-winner Jack Thorne wrote the draft, from a story by himself and Bradbeer.

Based on Mark McShane’s acclaimed 1961 suspense novel of the same name, the story follows a self-proclaimed psychic medium who convinces her husband to kidnap a child so she can help the police solve the crime and achieve renown for her abilities. When her true intentions come to light, however, her husband realizes the plan threatens to consume them both. The novel was previously adapted as a film in 1964 starring Richard Attenborough and Kim Stanley.

The Notebook Primer introduces readers to some of the most important figures, films, genres, and movements in film history.The success of his latest release, Wife of a Spy (2020), has once again positioned Kiyoshi Kurosawa atop the list of international cinema's most celebrated filmmakers. Continuing what has been an exceptional festival circuit reign in recent years, the Kobe-born director's World War II drama was awarded the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and it is, as Notebook’s Aaron E. Hunt observes, an emblematic feature from Kurosawa, retaining several of the archetypes and tropes he has so often embraced. Indeed, a consistency in distinct systems of narrative and audiovisual expression has been central to Kurosawa's cinema, manifest in films spanning multiple genres and locations and relayed in mutable tones and mesmeric formal motifs. And though it took time to find traction with a global audience, this approach was something...

Harry Bradbeer, the Emmy-winning director of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag, has lined up his next film project. He’s reuniting with Legendary and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child writer Jack Thorne for Seance on a Wet Afternoon, a movie adaptation of author Mark McShane’s 1961 suspense novel. The Hollywood Reporter initially broke the news, revealing that Bradbeer […]

The post ‘Fleabag’ and ‘Killing Eve’ Director to Helm ‘Seance on a Wet Afternoon’ appeared first on /Film.

After working together on Legendary Entertainment's upcoming Millie Bobby Brown-starrer Enola Holmes, Harry Bradbeer and Jack Thorne will reteam for Seance on a Wet Afternoon.

Bradbeer, who earned an Emmy and Golden Globe for his directing work on the second season of Fleabag, will helm the feature from a script by Thorne based on Mark McShane’s acclaimed 1961 suspense novel of the same name.

The story will follow a medium who convinces her husband to kidnap a child so she can help the police solve the crime and achieve renown for her abilities. When her true intentions come to ...

After working together on Legendary Entertainment's upcoming Millie Bobby Brown-starrer Enola Holmes, Harry Bradbeer and Jack Thorne will reteam for Seance on a Wet Afternoon.

Bradbeer, who earned an Emmy and Golden Globe for his directing work on the second season of Fleabag, will helm the feature from a script by Thorne based on Mark McShane’s acclaimed 1961 suspense novel of the same name.

The story will follow a medium who convinces her husband to kidnap a child so she can help the police solve the crime and achieve renown for her abilities. When her true intentions come to ...

It was only recently that I saw, for the very first time, Bryan Forbes’ adaptation of Mark McShane’s novel Séance on a Wet Afternoon (1964), and as it was designed to do, it chilled me to the bone. The movie descends like a shroud upon the lives of Myra (Kim Stanley), a would-be psychic who seems at the beginning of the film to be what one might describe as dotty and demanding, and her cowed husband Bill (Richard Attenborough), a milquetoast of a man who seems far too acquiescent to her insistent personality. But Myra is more than just a bit dotty, she’s borderline demented, and she has emotionally pummeled her husband into participating in a bizarre kidnapping plan— they’ll “borrow” the daughter of a wealthy businessman and then achieve fame and riches by helping police to discover her whereabouts. As the crime progresses, Séance reveals itself to be a disturbing,...