In the Shadows producers take over UK release after distributor collapse
The producers of boxing biopic 'In the Shadows' will put the film into UK cinemas themselves after its distributor collapsed.
Producers Lee Magiday and Madeleine Sanderson plan a self-release, a release handled without a traditional distributor, following the administration filing of True Brit Entertainment in late September, as reported by Variety.
The film is based on the true story of British-Somali boxer, model and UNICEF Ambassador Ramla Ali. It stars Jasmine Jobson as Ali and was directed by Anthony Wonke.
'In the Shadows' is due to have its world premiere at the London Film Festival on Oct. 9. It will then screen across the UK on more than 30 screens, starting with a special screening and Q&A on Oct. 30 at London's Genesis Cinema.
The producers learned in mid-September there would be no money for P&A, the print-and-advertising spend that pays for marketing and getting prints into theatres. Executive producers Richard Fearn, Anushka Shah and Natasha Mudhar provided additional financial support to enable the self-release.
Metis Films is now physically handling UK distribution, with former True Brit executive Kate Neville-Towle overseeing marketing. Altitude Films is selling the film globally, meaning it is handling international sales to buyers in other territories.
Jobson is best known for starring in 'Top Boy', and she took the role of Ali when the film was shooting in London, as reported by Variety. Ali was the first boxer to represent Somalia at the 2020 Olympic Games. She has a world title fight on Nov. 8 in the US and will return to the UK to support the film with special event screenings and organised Q&As.
True Brit Entertainment filed for administration, a UK insolvency process, on Sept. 29, 2026, according to Deadline. The company was founded by Zygi Kamasa and focused on UK independent films, and it had launched three years before the filing, according to Screen Daily.
For audiences, the calendar is crowded. Premiere, cinema rollout and title fight all land within a month. The team is betting that Ali can move between the ring and the Q&A stage in time to carry both.
