The supporting cast of the period feature includes Tom Hollander and Billy Howle

Anthony Hopkins and Charlotte Rampling will play Charles Darwin and his wife Emma in a new feature, The Species.

The supporting cast includes Tom Hollander as publisher Marshall Winwick and Billy Howle as the couple’s son, George.

Filming will begin in Northern Ireland in June 2026; Justin Chadwick is in the director’s chair, calling the shots from a screenplay by Jacob Killion. The director of photography is Adolpho Veloso; casting director Eyde Belasco is also attached.

The feature is produced by Christian Taylor of Taylor Lane Productions, who originated and developed the project, along with Mary Aloe of Aloe Entertainment and Joshua Harris of Peachtree Media Group. UTA Independent Talent Group reps domestic sales with HanWay on board for international.

Set against the backdrop of Victorian England and the censorship surrounding Darwin’s writings, the synopsis goes on: Emma Darwin is surrounded by memories of her visionary late husband Charles Darwin at Down House, their beautiful estate.

Whilst on a late life journey of self-discovery since recently being made a widow, she finds herself locked in a battle with her son George and pushy publisher Marshall Winwick over Charles’ autobiography.

Director Chadwick said: “I am excited to make a film with two truly brilliant actors that can catch the complex realities and themes that are in play in this piece. Charlotte and Anthony are nuanced and skilled actors at the heart of a film that deals unflinchingly with love, grief and death and a deep relationship that transcends space and time.”
Producer Taylor added: “The Species is a story that has lived with me for years – it’s about the intimate spaces between two people who loved each other deeply despite holding fundamentally different views.

“In today’s increasingly polarized world, their story feels remarkably timely – a reminder that we can bridge even our deepest differences through empathy, humor, and genuine connection. I’m thrilled to be working with Justin Chadwick and this extraordinary cast to bring Emma and Charles’ remarkable journey to the screen.”

Image credits: “Anthony Hopkins-Tuscan Sun Festival” by Elena Torre from Viareggio, Italia (edited by User: Marco Bernardini) is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. “Charlotte Rampling 2016” by Georges Biard is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.