5 Minutes
Taron Egerton and Jessica Henwick headline a London-set comedy thriller
A provocative new project titled Everybody Wants To F*ck Me has assembled a high-profile cast and an ambitious production team. Taron Egerton will take the lead, with Jessica Henwick co-starring, in a genre-blending comedy thriller set against the unpredictable backdrop of modern dating in London. The film marks writer-director Jonathan Schey’s latest feature: he wrote the screenplay and will direct, steering a tonal mix of dark humor, romantic misadventure and suspense.
Production, financing and release plans
This is a co-production between Studiocanal, Film4, LuckyChap and Parkville Pictures, with Studiocanal and Film4 providing full financing. Parkville Pictures (Sundance-winning) and LuckyChap (the production company associated with high-profile, critically discussed projects) are producing alongside Cecilia Frugiuele and Olivier Kaempfer. Film4 helped develop Schey’s script and the casting is being led by Kharmel Cochrane. Principal photography is scheduled to begin in London next month, and Studiocanal plans to launch worldwide sales at AFM while ensuring theatrical release in its territories, including the UK, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Benelux and Poland.
This mix of indie sensibility and studio backing suggests a film designed to travel well: intimate in tone but with commercial teeth, aimed at both festival programmers and international distributors.
Why the casting matters
Egerton has been pursuing a varied slate, moving fluidly between mainstream thrillers and independent drama. After producing and starring in Lionsgate’s She Rides Shotgun and appearing in streaming hits such as Black Bird’s related Smoke and the Netflix thriller Carry On, Egerton brings both leading-man charisma and a willingness to play morally messy characters. Henwick, meanwhile, has been building momentum across genres: from Apple TV+’s Silo to A24/Studiocanal’s Huntington, and recent work on Netflix’s Vladimir and The Roots Manoeuvre. Her versatility—action-ready yet emotionally precise—complements Egerton’s comedic instincts and dramatic range.
Comparisons are inevitable: expect tonal echoes of acclaimed British dramedies like Fleabag when it comes to frank relationship humor, while the thriller edge may call to mind the cat-and-mouse energy of shows like Killing Eve. The film also slots into a broader trend of movies that mine dating apps, hookup culture and millennial anxieties for darkly comic material.
Industry context and creative team
Studiocanal will steer international sales at AFM, a strategic move that signals confidence in the property’s global marketability. Ron Halpern, Joe Naftalin and Isobel Carter are overseeing the project for Studiocanal, with Farhana Bhula and David Kimbangi doing the same for Film4. The involvement of LuckyChap and Parkville signals both artistic ambition and access to festival circuits; the pairing of an Oscar-recognized production house with a Sundance-winning outfit is exactly the kind of collaboration that has launched surprise arthouse hits into the mainstream in recent years.
For fans and industry watchers, the casting by Kharmel Cochrane is a small but telling detail: Cochrane has a track record of assembling ensembles that balance star power with breakout talent, which could make Everybody Wants To F*ck Me a showcase for emerging performers alongside Egerton and Henwick.
"Schey’s film promises to be a timely, sharply observed take on dating culture," says Anna Kovacs, a London-based film critic. "If the script leans into both humor and unease, this could be one of those rare films that is both conversation-starting and genuinely entertaining."
In addition to its immediate casting and production news, the film arrives in a moment when audiences are drawn to genre hybrids that mix comedy with suspense. Whether Everybody Wants To F*ck Me becomes a festival darling, a streaming hit or a modest theatrical success will depend on tonal balance and how the filmmakers negotiate the line between provocation and empathy.
For now, the takeaway is simple: with Egerton and Henwick leading, a writer-director at the helm, and heavyweight European financing and sales in place, this is a title to watch for anyone following contemporary British cinema and the evolving landscape of comedy thrillers.
Source: deadline
Leave a Comment