'The Radleys' to Arrive in Theaters in Time for Spooky Season
Kelly Macdonald and Damian Lewis as Helen and Peter Radley in 'The Radleys'
Sky UK/Kevin Baker
While Disney+ and Netflix were announcing release dates for their respective high-end British shows for 2024, Sky Film's The Radleys was having a splendid debut on the movie side of the Edinburgh Film Festival. The TV movie adaptation of Matt Haig's hit novel of the same name, the story, billed as a dark comedy thriller, is about a seemingly ordinary middle-aged suburban family where the parents are harboring a massive secret. Peter and Helen Radley are vampires trying to give their kids a normal life. But as puberty hits and the teeth start growing, keeping it under wraps becomes more complex, especially since daughter Clara's accidental murder and draining of a classmate needs covering up.
Starring Damian Lewis (Wolf Hall) as Peter and Kelly MacDonald (Line of Duty) as Helen, this story, a parable about the dangers of trying to be someone you're not, goes far beyond your stereotypical life lessons. The film is a satire on British suburban middle-class life and the ridiculous customs and behaviors most people never question. That comes more into focus when Peter's twin brother Will (also played by Lewis) rolls into town and starts arguing that the best thing Peter and Helen can do for their children is to allow them to explore who they are.
With a planned release date in mid-October 2024 in hopes of hitting the Spooky Season audience, The Radley looks more fun than it has any right to be, mostly due to Lewis, who is having a ball sinking his teeth into the dual roles. Check out the trailer.
Here is the film's synopsis:
The Radleys are an ordinary family who hold a dark secret... they are abstaining vampires. As if being a teenager wasn't bad enough, bloodthirsty instincts take over the teens of the family, revealing the terrifying truth and opening the door for an extended family member to re-enter and upend The Radleys' once-perfect slice of suburbia.
Along with Lewis and MacDonald, Harry Baxendale (Holmes & Watson) and Bo Bragason (The Ballad of Renegade Nell) play Peter and Helen's children, Rowan and Clara. The rest of the cast includes Sophia Di Martino (Loki), Shaun Parkes (Small Axe), Jay Lycurgo (I May Destroy You), and Siân Phillips (Keeping Faith).
Jo Brand (An Extra Slice) developed the idea with Talitha Stevenson adapting Haig's novel for the screen, Euros Lyn (Heartstopper) directing, and Debbie Gray producing. Lewis executive produces through his production company, Ginger Biscuit Entertainment, alongside Julia Stuart and Laura Grange at Sky; Mark Gooder and Alison Thompson at Cornerstone; Peter Touche, Andrea Scarso, and Christelle Conan at Ingenious Media; and Julian Gleek of Genesius.
The Radleys will debut in theaters worldwide on Friday, October 18, 2024.
