Oscilloscope Buys Sophia Takal's Act One for 2027 US Cinema Release

Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired the US rights to Act One, a psychosexual thriller written and directed by Sophia Takal, with a cinema release planned for 2027, according to Variety. The deal was reported on 13 October 2026.

The deal covers distribution in the United States, meaning Oscilloscope will handle getting the film into American theatres. The film itself is a suspense story centred on power and desire. The plan is cinemas first.

Ella Beatty stars as Hannah, a sheltered 17-year-old who wants to be an actress, Variety reported. After she is passed over for a role in her senior year, according to Tribeca, she is drawn to Melanie, played by Ari Graynor, the founder of an elite acting studio.

The wider ensemble includes Sinclair Daniel, Tavi Gevinson, Elizabeth Reaser and Robert Sean Leonard. Their casting was detailed in the same Variety report on the acquisition.

Act One debuted at the Tribeca Festival on 10 June. It was selected for the 2026 festival, where new independent films often seek buyers before securing wider release.

Takal previously directed Always Shine, released in 2016, and Black Christmas. She told Variety that the new film drew on her own teenage acting experiences and the thrillers of the 1990s. Variety later published its festival review under the headline "'Act One' Review: An Intriguingly Off-Kilter Psychodrama."

Behind the camera, the producers are Takal, Allison Rose Carter, Julie Christeas, Jon Read, Stephanie Roush and Julie Waters. The executive producers are Evan Dyal, Ryan Kampe, Lawrence Michael Levine, Allison Stockel, Jon Stockel and Marilyn White.

The production had an early change. Takal told IndieWire that a previous star left before shooting, while financing raised with that name attached stayed in place.

For cinema-goers, this means a wait. Oscilloscope now holds the American release, with theatres set for 2027.