Sundance Comedy ‘The Incomer’, Starring Domhnall Gleeson & Gayle Rankin, Boarded By Charades; Trevor Noah & Moby Among Exec Producers

EXCLUSIVE: Paris-based Charades has come aboard to rep world sales rights to Sundance-bound comedy The Incomer, starring Domhnall Gleeson and House Of The Dragon actress Gayle Rankin.

UK director Louis Paxton’s singular Scottish debut will open the Next Section category in Park City.

The film is set on a remote Scottish island, where two siblings survive by hunting seabirds, retelling the stories of their ancestors, and defending the isle from dreaded ‘incomers’. Their world is upended with the arrival of an awkward council worker who has come to uproot them from their homeland.

Cast also includes Grant O’Rourke (Outlander), Emun Elliott (Prometheus), Michelle Gomez (Doctor Who), and John Hannah (Four Weddings and a Funeral).

The film is produced by Earth Mama producer Shirley O’Connor and Emily Gotto under the UK banner Pilea Pictures, and co-produced by Wendy Griffin. Backers include the BFI and Screen Scotland, with additional support from musician Moby and Lindsay Hicks’ U.S. production company Little Walnut, Day Zero Productions, a joint U.S. venture between Paramount Global and Trevor Noah, UK’s Head Gear and Ireland’s Inevitable Pictures.

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

Director Louis Paxton said: “The Incomer has been a joy to bring to life with an immensely talented team. This story is informed by my passions and influenced by those closest to me. It is a Scottish film, steeped in our history and humour, crafted for a universal audience. I am so excited to share all of this with audiences at the Sundance Film Festival 2026!”

Producers Shirley O’Connor and Emily Gotto added: “We’re honored to be selected at Sundance and to celebrate Louis as a breakout, singular new voice. We’re thrilled to premiere The Incomer to the world for the very first time, and even more excited to give the spotlight to such a remarkable cast.”

Charades co-founder, Carole Baraton, commented: “The Incomer is the kind of fresh breeze that occasionally sweeps through the industry: a deeply rooted filmmaker who understands his folklore and crafts offbeat comedy with finesse, control, and cinematic flair. We’re thrilled to bring this film to Sundance, where its strikingly contemporary themes will undoubtedly resonate with the audience”.

In 2022, director Paxton received a BAFTA Scotland nomination for his short film Neville Is Dead. His RTS-nominated BBC comedy short Calamity James followed in 2024. Louis has since directed episodes of the BBC One prime-time crime drama Shetland, as well as the BBC Three horror-comedy Wreck. He is currently developing original comedy series including Shearlings with BBC Comedy and Breadwinner with Birdie Pictures.