UK debut feature ’The Incomer’ starring Domhnall Gleeson and Gayle Rankin wraps in Scotland

EXCLUSIVE: UK filmmaker Louis Paxton’s debut feature, comedy The Incomer starring Domhnall Gleeson and House Of The Dragon star Gayle Rankin, has wrapped its Scottish Highlands shoot.

Set on a remote Scottish island, the film follows two siblings whose lives comprise of hunting seabirds, chatting to mythic creatures and defending their isle from dreaded ‘incomers’. Their world is upended with the arrival of an awkward council worker, played by Gleeson, who comes to uproot them to the mainland. 

The cast also includes Grant O’Rourke, Emun Elliott, Michelle Gomez and John Hannah.

It is produced by Earth Mama producer Shirley O’Connor and Emily Gotto under the UK banner Pilea Pictures. Gotto is the UK-based senior vice president of acquisitions and productions at AMC Networks Shudder. 

Backing came from BFI awarding National Lottery funding, Screen Scotland, musician Moby and actor Lindsay Hicks’ US production company Little Walnut, Day Zero, a joint US venture between Paramount Global and Trevor Noah, UK’s Head Gear and Ireland’s Inevitable Pictures. The co-producer is Wendy Griffin.

Edinburgh native Paxton is a graduate of the National Film and Television School (NFTS), whose short Ladybaby, starring Richard Gadd, aired on the BBC. He also received a Bafta Scotland nomination in 2021 for his short film Neville Is Dead.

Paxton says the “heartfelt” film draws on his family’s Orcadian heritage and the folklore of Scotland’s islands. “While entertaining, this is ultimately a story about identity and the stories we tell, to one another and to ourselves, inspired by the magical and mysterious history of our remote isles,” said Paxton. 

“The Incomer is heartfelt, mysterious and delightfully eccentric, exploring themes of isolation, heritage and the importance of human connection to foster positive change and renewal,” added Mia Bays, director of the BFI Filmmaking Fund.

“Louis is a truly unique talent, and this distinctive and heartwarming piece showcases that beautifully,” noted Kieran Hannigan, head of scripted at Screen Scotland.

Executive producers are Mia Bays (BFI), Kieran Hannigan and Steven Little (Screen Scotland), Noah and Sanaz Yamin (Day Zero Productions), Hicks and Moby (Little Walnut), Phil Hunt and Compton Ross (Head Gear) and Katie Holly (Inevitable Pictures).

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