‘Consent' star Kim Higelin to lead Ornella Pacchioni's UK-France co-production

French actress Kim Higelin will lead the cast of Earl Grey, a UK-French co-production by debut director Ornella Pacchioni.

Earl Grey is adapted from Pacchioni’s 2022 novel Londres a beau etre une ville laide. It is a co-production between France’s Master Movies and UK company Candid Broads Productions.

The film follows the story of a French girl living in London who, on the day of her 23^rd birthday, allows herself 24 hours before ending her life; until she meets an enigmatic stranger.

Production will begin this autumn, with UK casting underway for the role of the stranger.

Talks are underway with sales representatives for international sales.

“Earl Grey is about the quest for connection as a remedy for the discomfort of our time,” said Pacchioni. “It is very important for me to represent loneliness on screen to validate what so many suffer from today and, with humor, offer the necessary distance to detach from it.”

“The connection to the film was immediate,” said Candid Broads founder Oriane Pick, “Not only are we Frenchwomen living in London, Candid Broads’ true love has always been to nurture new talents and work with debut directors.

“Ornella’s unique vision in portraying mental health struggles intrigued us instantly and we cannot wait to accompany her on this exciting journey.”

Higelin was nominated for Best Female Revelation at the 2024 Cesar Awards for her role in Vanessa Filho’s Consent.

This story originally appeared on our sister site Screen