Sophie Thatcher Leads Jennifer Kent’s Next Sci-Fi Film

Jennifer Kent has lined up her long-awaited next feature, and Sophie Thatcher now stands at the center of it.

Kent, the filmmaker behind The Babadook and The Nightingale, has set the sci-fi story The Girl Who Was Plugged In as her next movie, with Thatcher cast in dual lead roles. The move gives Kent a clear follow-up after a long gap between features and places one of the industry’s fastest-rising young actors in a demanding central performance.

Jennifer Kent’s return now has a title, a star, and a launch plan as the Cannes market comes into view.

The business side has already started moving. Goodfellas is preparing to launch international sales for the film at the upcoming Cannes market, with CAA Media Finance and Range involved, according to reports. That signals momentum for a project that has drawn attention not only because of Kent’s reputation, but also because this marks her third feature after two films that established a distinct, unsettling voice.

Thatcher’s casting gives the project another layer of intrigue. She has built momentum through recent film and television work, and a dual-role performance suggests Kent aims for something psychologically complex as well as speculative. While plot details remain limited, the package alone positions the film as one of the more closely watched titles heading into the market.

What happens next will matter on two fronts. Buyers at Cannes will test how strongly Kent’s return plays in the global market, and the film’s progress will show whether prestige genre projects still command attention in a crowded field. For now, the key signal is simple: Kent’s next movie has moved from anticipation to action.