Taron Egerton and James McAvoy team up for the first time in a conspiracy thriller from the Veep creator

Here's something for fans of high-calibre British talent working under clever direction: Taron Egerton and James McAvoy are finally starring together, thanks to a yet-untitled 'conspiracy thriller' set to be written and directed by none other than Armando Iannucci. No, it doesn't quite have the immediate mythic appeal of a DiCaprio/Pitt team-up, but if you know anything about modern British film and telly, you know these three don't tend to mess about.

The Cast: All the Crossovers

McAvoy's been kicking about since his Leto II days in Children of Dune (2003, which was a big event if you were even slightly obsessed with proper Dune adaptations) and then picking up strong leads in the likes of The Last King of Scotland and Atonement. He also racked up points in several franchises, from X-Men to Narnia. Egerton came along roasting people (and spy tropes) in Kingsman: The Secret Service in 2014, then pivoted to critical darling as Elton John in Rocketman—solid proof he can do both chaos and gravitas. You might also know him from television, especially from Black Bird and Smoke.

The film adds Alicia Vikander, who picked up an Oscar for The Danish Girl, acted her socks off in Ex Machina, and has carried the Tomb Raider reboot fairly respectably. Interesting bit—she's worked before with both Egerton (Testament of Youth) and McAvoy (Submergence), but this is the first time the whole trio will face off together.

• James McAvoy: Children of Dune, X-Men franchise, The Last King of Scotland, Atonement
• Taron Egerton: Kingsman series, Rocketman, Black Bird, Smoke
• Alicia Vikander: The Danish Girl, Ex Machina, Tomb Raider, Testament of Youth, Submergence

Iannucci and Loader: Proper Satire Incoming?

Now, it's not often you get Iannucci behind a big conspiracy thriller without assuming there's going to be a fair bit of biting wit involved. If you're not acquainted: he's the mind behind blistering political satire in In the Loop and The Death of Stalin, and of course TV landmarks like Veep (he co-created it, but the real British madness was The Thick of It—even sharper, in truth). It's worth noting his more recent HBO shows—Avenue 5 and The Franchise—haven't been his greatest hits (they had their moments, just not seismic ones), but his track record still puts him in the ‘always worth watching’ bracket.

The man producing this, by the way, is Kevin Loader, Iannucci's long-time collaborator (In the Loop, Death of Stalin, Avenue 5, and The Personal History of David Copperfield—2019, the last time Iannucci was making headlines with a feature film). Loader also has a BAFTA in his own right.

The Project: Details and Next Steps

What’s this movie actually about? No one's daring to say yet—not even the title's public. But if you're following the industry mechanics, the plan's to cart this package off to the American Film Market in Los Angeles, which is basically where films get bought and sold by people in suits. This year's AFM is set for 10–15 November — so if everything goes to plan, that's when big studios might snap up distribution, set dates, and fill in the rest of the cast.

The Taron Egerton–James McAvoy film will be shopped to buyers at the American Film Market in Los Angeles between 10–15 November 2026.