Yahoo Lifestyle Harris Dickinson’s Directorial Debut ‘Urchin’ Starring Frank Dillane Heads to EFM With Charades (EXCLUSIVE)
He may be Hollywood’s newly-crowned It boy thanks to his starring role in “Babygirl” opposite Nicole Kidman, but Harris Dickinson has already made moves behind the camera.
The British actor’s directorial feature debut “Urchin” — now in post-production — is heading to the European Film Market in Berlin, with Charades launching sales. Gersh and UTA Independent Film Group are co-repping the film in the U.S.
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Written by Dickinson, whose acting credits also include “Triangle of Sadness,” “Blitz” and “The Iron Claw,” the story follows Mike, a rough sleeper in London trapped in a cycle of self-destruction as he attempts to turn his life around. As per the description, the film is “raw and absurd,” and a “story about the strange patterns that keep pulling us back.”
The film stars Frank Dillane (“Harvest,” “Fear the Walking Dead”) as Mike, alongside Megan Northam (“Rabia,” “Meanwhile on Earth”) plus Amr Waked, Karyna Khymchuk and Shonagh Marie.
“Urchin” is produced by Archie Pearch for Devisio Pictures and Scott O’Donnell for Somesuch. Developed by BBC Film, it’s financed by BBC Film, BFI and Tricky Knot. Executive Producers are Eva Yates, Ama Ampadu, Alexandra Tynion and Olivia Tyson. Filming took place in East London.
“Urchin marks an exciting debut for Devisio and a bold step for Harris as a writer and director,” said Pearch, who launched Devisio with Dickinson in 2024. “Harris is a filmmaker who embraces risk, bringing raw emotion and a distinct vision to the screen. Urchin reflects his deep personal connection to these issues and his ongoing work in his community. Frank Dillane delivers an incredibly vulnerable, and unexpectedly humorous, performance that makes this film truly special.”
Added producer O’Donnell: “Urchin has been a wonderful journey. Harris has shown himself to be an exceptional writer and director and the film shines a light on characters so often overlooked in film. The combination of Harris’ very singular vision and Frank Dillane’s exceptional portrayal of Mike has delivered a bold and important film.”
Heads of department on “Urchin” include cinematographer Josée Deshaies (“Passages,” “The Beast”), casting director Shaheen Baig (“The Favourite,” “Lady Macbeth”), production designer Anna Rhodes (“Rye Lane”), costume designer Cobbie Yates (“Layla”) and BIFA Award-winning makeup and hair designer Lisa Mustafa (“Bird”).
“We were immediately drawn to Harris’ heartfelt writing and his vision for the project,” said Charades co-founder Carole Baraton. “We are confident he is an important voice to take out to the world, and are eager to collaborate with his hardworking and supportive producers, Archie and Scott.”
Dickinson and Devisio are represented by Brillstein Entertainment and Gersh while Sloane Offer Weber & Dern and Sheridans act as their attorneys. Dillane is represented by WME and B-Side.
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