Cameras are rolling in the U.K. on Stages, the directorial debut of Sonoya Mizuno — an actor audiences know from Ex Machina, Annihilation, and the FX series Devs. The film was first announced in December 2025 and is now in production, according to Variety.

The story follows a young dancer at an elite ballet school who lands the lead in a prestigious recital, only to have her focus shattered by a family tragedy. The premise draws on territory Mizuno knows intimately: she trained at the Royal Ballet School and performed with English National Ballet, Dresden Semperoper Ballet, and Scottish Ballet before moving into acting.

The ensemble cast brings serious weight. Julie Delpy, Takehiro Hira, Kathryn Hunter, Kate Dickie, and Emma D'Arcy — the last best known as Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon — round out the company Variety.

Behind the camera, the producing team pairs established names with sharp independents. Peter Rice, former chairman of Disney General Entertainment, produces alongside Sam Ritzenberg and Myles Payne of London-based Agile Films, and Alex Garland, the writer-director of Civil War and Ex Machina — the latter being the film that gave Mizuno her breakout screen role. Jeremy Thomas, the veteran producer behind The Last Emperor and The Power of the Dog, serves as executive producer Variety.

The distribution picture is split across two of the biggest names in specialty film. A24 has acquired domestic rights — covering the United States and Canada. Focus Features has boarded international rights and will distribute overseas through Universal Pictures International, the global distribution arm of Universal Variety. That pairing gives the film a clear path to both North American and global theatrical screens, with two companies that specialise in release strategies for ambitious, director-driven work.

The creative team reads like a festival-circuit wishlist. Cinematographer Wyatt Garfield, costume designer Neesha Tulsi Champaneria, production designer Anna Rhodes, editor Shahnaz Dulaimy, hair and make-up artist Natasha Lawes, and casting director Lucy Pardee fill out the key department heads. Choreography falls to Hofesh Shechter, the internationally renowned choreographer whose work has been staged by companies including the Almeida Theatre and the Royal Ballet Variety.

For Mizuno, Stages marks a shift from the front of the camera to the back — and a return, in a sense, to the barre. No release date has been announced.