The Cast Me film cast has been confirmed, with production now under way in London on a psychological thriller that brings together faces from Variety-covered projects including Sherwood, Game of Thrones and Spencer.
Newcomer Iniki Mariano leads the film in her debut feature role. Clare Holman, Dean-Charles Chapman, Samuel Adewunmi and Stella Gonet complete the main cast. Behind the camera, Marcus Anthony Thomas is making his feature directorial debut, with producer Jordi Morera of 2020Films alongside him.
What is Cast Me about?
The film centres on a young actor who lands what she believes is her dream role, chosen personally by a high-profile actor making his first move into directing. When the studio overturns that decision, she becomes fixated on understanding why, and the boundary between performance and reality begins to erode. It is a premise that taps directly into the anxiety and obsession that can accompany creative ambition.
Thomas described the project in a statement as exploring ‘the psychological cost of pursuing one’s dreams in the modern age, a core idea that transcends disciplines into universality.’ He added that the energy on set has been ‘exciting’ and that he cannot wait for audiences to experience the finished film.
The Cast Me film cast and the team behind it
Thomas’s path to this debut has been shaped in part by an intensive grounding in high-end television. He previously served as a production associate under a directing mentorship programme on House of the Dragon, a scheme overseen by Co-Showrunner Miguel Sapochnik, according to his profile on United Agents. In a statement, Thomas said he is ‘exceptionally grateful’ to have witnessed ‘the process of so many directors working at the highest possible level’ and to have married that experience with his own development as a storyteller.
His short film Space Plug, made in partnership with Disney and the National Film and Television School, premiered at BFI London Film Festival 2023, again according to United Agents. Thomas also co-hosts a filmmaking podcast called The Directors’ Take with fellow writer-director Oz Arshad, as Yahoo Entertainment has reported.
Producer Jordi Morera brings a substantial track record in short-form work to the project. According to Variety, Morera has produced more than 30 short films across fiction and animation, among them Do Not Feed the Pigeons, which won the BAFTA for Best British Short Animation in 2022. In a statement, Morera said he and Thomas have been making films together since 2019, and that he has seen first-hand ‘the distinctive voice and ambition’ Thomas brings to his work.
Morera acknowledged the current climate for independent production directly: ‘Given how challenging the landscape for independent filmmaking has become, we made the decision to take the leap and find a way to get Cast Me! made.’ He described the film as ‘an important milestone for 2020Films as the first feature from our slate to enter production.’
The Cast Me film cast has not yet been given a UK release date, with the production still in its filming phase in London.
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