‘Rings Of Power’ Star Morfydd Clark & Ariyon Bakare Lead Thriller ‘Arctic Skies’ With Filming Set For Steven Knight’s Birmingham Studio; Independent Launching For EFM

Andreas Wiseman

29 January 2025 at 10:11 am·2-min read

EXCLUSIVE: Morfydd Clark (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) and Ariyon Bakare (His Dark Materials) are set to lead UFO thriller Arctic Skies, which Independent Entertainment will launch for sales at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin.

The sci-fi-thriller, inspired by one of the most well-documented UFO encounters on record, follows the harrowing journey of a cargo plane crew who, while flying at 40,000 feet above the Arctic Circle, become the target of otherworldly attention.

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Pic will be shot at Steven Knight’s Digbeth Loc. Studios in Birmingham, UK, which has recently hosted Knight’s Peaky Blinders movie for Netflix.

Writer-directors are Birmingham duo Elliot and Zander Weaver of Elliander Pictures, which is producing with Lowkey Films. Independent Entertainment are aboard as executive producers. Jamie Gamache and Connor O’Hara produce for Lowkey. Colin M. McKeown also produces.

Ascending Brit actress Morfydd Clark is well known for her BAFTA-nominated role as Maud in Saint Maud and Galadriel in Amazon Prime’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Bakare is coming off Mr. Loverman with Lenny James and is also known for His Dark Materials, Carnival Row and sci-fi movie Life alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds.

Cora Palfrey, Chief Operating Officer, Independent Entertainment, commented: “Arctic Skies is a thrilling story that will captivate audiences and attract buyers looking for distinctive, commercial genre titles. We’re excited to collaborate with Elliot and Zander Weaver, and we’re confident they’ll deliver an extraordinary film. We can’t wait to present it at EFM.”

Steven Knight, founder, Digbeth Loc. Studios, added: “I’m thrilled to welcome Elliot and Zander’s project to Digbeth. To host such prodigious local talent is a privilege and I can’t wait to see the movie they make.”

Elliot Weaver, director and producer, commented: “This project has been a long time in the making and is deeply personal to us. The UFO encounter that inspired the film has intrigued us for years, and we’re thrilled to bring this story to life—one that delves into its profound mysteries while showcasing incredible performances from an outstanding cast.”

Clark is represented by Curtis Brown Group, UTA, Mosaic, and Sloane, Offer. Ariyon Bakare is represented Curtis Brown Group, Gersh and Goodmanagement.

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