Oscar winner Renée Zellweger is set to star in and produce the psychological thriller Phantom Son, with David Yates to direct and Stuart Ford’s AGC Studios to finance and co-produce the project.
Phantom Son will center on Ronnie, a young and struggling runaway taken in by Audrey (Zellweger), a lonely woman whose own son was kidnapped twenty years earlier. As Audrey becomes convinced that Ronnie actually is her long-lost son, a twisted game of cat and mouse develops to blur the line between deception and delusion.
Zellweger and Carmella Casinelli developed the thriller under their Big Picture Co. banner and attached Yates to direct from a screenplay by Ian Scott McCullough. AGC Studios then joined as a producing partner. Additional casting is underway ahead of a planned early 2026 production start date.
“Phantom Son is that rare discovery with promise to connect on a broad scale with the kind of rich, character-driven storytelling we love, and we’re thrilled it’s taking shape with such an extraordinary team. With David at the helm and AGC as our partner, we’re poised to deliver something really special,” said Zellweger and Casinelli in a joint statement.
Yates directed the final four Harry Potter films, in addition to The Legend of Tarzan and the Fantastic Beasts trilogy. Zellweger has movie credits that include Judy, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Cold Mountain and Chicago.
AGC International and CAA Media Finance will jointly represent worldwide rights and launch sales at the American Film Market next week. Additional casting is underway for a Q1 2026 start.
Zellweger is repped by CAA; David Yates is repped by Casarotto Ramsay & Associates and CAA; Scott McCullough is repped by Independent Artist Group and Heroes & Villains.
