A first look has arrived at Black Palace (courtesy of Deadline), the upcoming period thriller from director Nick Hamm that takes audiences behind the imposing walls of Buckingham Palace during one of London’s darkest and most unsettling eras.
Set against the backdrop of 1888 London and the Jack the Ripper murders, the film stars Freya Allan (The Witcher), Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog), Joe Anders (Cape Fear), Raffey Cassidy (The Brutalist), Iain Glen (Game of Thrones), Martin Clunes (Wuthering Heights) and Juliet Stevenson (Truly Madly Deeply).
Written by Jon Croker (No One Gets Out Alive), Black Palace unfolds as London is gripped by fear. A rapidly expanding tabloid press fuels public hysteria with sensational reports about the mysterious serial killer known as Jack the Ripper.
At the center of the story is a young woman who is sent to work at Buckingham Palace, the heart of Queen Victoria’s British Empire. Her assignment is far from ordinary: she has been tasked with spying on Victoria’s wayward grandson, a prince who routinely disappears from the palace after dark.
But as she becomes increasingly close to the prince, her investigation takes an unexpected turn. She begins uncovering dangerous secrets that could threaten the monarchy itself — as well as put her own life at risk.
The newly released first-look images offer a glimpse into the film’s lavish period setting and its dark, mysterious atmosphere as production moves into post-production.
New Regency is handling worldwide sales for the project and is expected to begin discussions with potential distributors as the fall festival season gets underway.
Black Palace is produced by Marie-Christine Jaeger-Firmenich for SIMIA Productions, Piers Tempest for Tempo Productions, and Mark Huffam and Nick Hamm through their newly established banner, Hamm4. Hannah Shipley and Will Matthew serve as co-producers, while Jeremy Bolt and Jon Croker are executive producers.
Hamm says the film deliberately moves between different genres and tones, reflecting the unpredictable nature of the story.
“The film is constantly shifting between question and answer, tone and perspective, and that demanded a similarly fluid approach to genre,” said Hamm.
“One moment needing to thrill, the next to enchant; extreme fear had to sit alongside extreme passion. Much like the play within the story, the film itself becomes a kind of Jekyll & Hyde experience: romantic and terrifying, seductive and unsettling in equal measure.”
With its combination of Victorian-era intrigue, royal secrets, romance and the shadow of Jack the Ripper hanging over London, Black Palace promises a striking blend of historical thriller and gothic mystery.
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