The Species

The Species is a period drama from director Justin Chadwick moving into pre-production for a June 2026 shoot in Northern Ireland. The film stars Anthony Hopkins as Charles Darwin and Charlotte Rampling as his widow Emma, with Tom Hollander as publisher Marshall Winwick and Billy Howle as their son George. BAFTA Rising Star winner Mia McKenna-Bruce recently joined the cast as Jane, the family's maid at the Darwin estate. Set against the backdrop of Victorian England, the story centers on Emma's late-life journey of self-discovery as she battles her son and a pushy publisher over Charles' unpublished autobiography, facing a crisis of faith over whether its heretical atheism will jeopardize her chance to reunite with her husband in the afterlife. The script is by Jacob Killion, with Christian Taylor of Taylor Lane Productions producing alongside Mary Aloe of Aloe Entertainment and Joshua Harris of Peachtree Media Group. Adolpho Veloso serves as cinematographer, with Lorne Balfe composing the score and Eyde Belasco handling casting. HanWay Films is managing international sales.