Briarcliff Entertainment has acquired The Thing With Feathers, the narrative feature film debut from writer-director Dylan Southern, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, alongside newcomers Richard Boxall and Henry Boxall. It is described as a bold, genre-bending adaptation of Max Porter’s acclaimed novella Grief Is the Thing With Feathers.
The film, which world-premiered at the Sundance Film Festival before making its international debut at the Berlin International Film Festival, is scheduled to open in theaters on October 31, 2025.
Left to raise two young sons after the unexpected death of his wife, DAD’s life begins to unravel. Grief is messy and chaotic enough as it is, but when it takes the form of an unhinged and unwanted houseguest – CROW – taunting him from the shadows, things start to spiral out of control…but maybe that’s exactly what Dad needs.
In adapting the critically acclaimed book, Southern sought to preserve its poetic, fragmented, tonally adventurous storytelling, translating it to the screen through a heightened visual style that blends naturalism with the fantastic. In doing so he has created a film that playfully pushes the envelope – combining elements of psychological horror with heartrending emotional drama. The result is a hauntingly immersive and singular experience.
“Dylan Southern has crafted something truly unique—an emotional gut punch wrapped in a dark, fantastical nightmare,” said Tom Ortenberg, CEO of Briarcliff Entertainment. “With its bold visual storytelling and powerhouse performances, The Thing With Feathers is an unforgettable exploration of grief, madness, and transformation. We’re thrilled to bring this vision to audiences.”
The film is produced by Andrea Cornwell of Lobo Films (Love Lies BleedingLove Lies Bleeding (2024)), and Leah Clarke and Adam Ackland of SunnyMarch Productions (We Live in Time, The Mauritanian), with backing from Film4 and the BFI (awarding National Lottery funding), in association with Align, Uncommon Creative Studio, mk2 Films, and Rank and File, co-produced with Film I Vast and Filmgate Films.