Iannucci's Conspiracy Thriller With McAvoy, Vikander and Egerton Heads to AFM

Armando Iannucci is writing and directing a new film, a conspiracy thriller starring James McAvoy, Alicia Vikander and Taron Egerton. Deadline reported the project on 29 October 2026, and says it is being taken to the American Film Market, known as AFM.

This is the first time all three actors have worked with Iannucci, the British writer and director best known for sharp political comedies. Three leading names in one new project is a notable line-up, even before a single frame is shown to an audience.

AFM is a trade event where films are bought and sold. Sales agents pitch projects to distributors and streaming services from around the world, and those buyers decide which countries and platforms will eventually show a film. Taking a project there as a "sales package" means the sales team is putting together the material it needs to pitch the film to those buyers.

FilmNation, a sales company, and UTA, a talent agency, are handling sales for the film ahead of the market. Kevin Loader is producing.

For a film like this, the market is often where the first buyers start to take shape. Deals struck there can decide where and how a film reaches audiences, sometimes long before its release date is set. No buyers have been named.

Iannucci has built his reputation on satire that targets powerful people and institutions. A conspiracy thriller is a different genre for him, and the report describes it that way. Whether the film takes that shape on screen will only become clear once audiences see it.