Mia McKenna-Bruce is the latest addition to the cast of Throttled, Amazon MGM Studios’ upcoming romance film inspired by Lauren Asher’s bestselling Dirty Air book series. The BAFTA Rising Star Award winner will join previously announced stars Nicole Wallace, Josh Heuston and Julio Peña in the adaptation.
McKenna-Bruce, best known for her acclaimed performance in How to Have Sex, will portray Sophie Mitchell, the daughter of a powerful figure in the racing industry. Sophie is a fan-favourite character in Asher’s novels and plays a central role in Collided, the second instalment in the Dirty Air series.
Directed by Nzingha Stewart, Throttled follows Maya Alatorre, played by Wallace, an ambitious young woman who joins her older brother, Santiago (Peña), on the Formula One racing circuit. Her introduction to the high-pressure world of professional motorsport takes an unexpected turn when she develops feelings for Noah Slade (Heuston), her brother’s teammate and fiercest rival.
The relationship sets the stage for a forbidden romance complicated by family loyalties, fierce competition and the demands of life on the racing circuit.
Melissa Osborne, whose previous writing credits include My Fault: London and My Oxford Year, has adapted the screenplay. The film is being produced by Max Handelman and Elizabeth Banks through Brownstone Productions, alongside Jennifer Gibgot and Andrew Panay of Ethea Entertainment, as well as Garrett Grant. Asher and Alison Small will executive produce.
Amazon MGM Studios secured worldwide rights to the project in September, with the film set to stream on Prime Video. No official release date has been announced.
McKenna-Bruce’s casting adds further momentum to the actress’s growing career. Her breakout performance in Molly Manning Walker’s How to Have Sex earned widespread acclaim after the film won the Un Certain Regard prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. She subsequently received the BAFTA Rising Star Award and the British Independent Film Award for Best Lead Performance in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
The actress will next appear opposite Taron Egerton in the dark comedy Everybody Wants to Fck Me*, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. She is also set to portray Maureen Starkey, the first wife of Ringo Starr, in Sam Mendes’ upcoming The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event.
With its popular literary source material, Formula One backdrop and expanding ensemble, Throttled is shaping up to be another highly anticipated romance adaptation for Prime Video.
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