Sonoya Mizuno's 'Stages' Begins Filming With Delpy, D'Arcy
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- Sonoya Mizuno has started filming her directorial debut "Stages" in the U.K., with Alex Garland — her collaborator on "Ex Machina" and "Devs" — serving as producer alongside Peter Rice and Agile Films' Sam Ritzenberg and Myles Payne.
- The film's ensemble cast includes Julie Delpy, Emma D'Arcy (reuniting with Mizuno from "House of the Dragon"), Takehiro Hira ("Shōgun"), Kathryn Hunter ("Poor Things"), and Kate Dickie ("Dept. Q").
- The plot follows a young dancer at an elite ballet school who earns the lead in a prestigious recital, only to have her focus shattered by a family tragedy — material drawn from Mizuno's own background training at the Royal Ballet School and dancing with English National Ballet, Dresden Semperoper Ballet, and Scottish Ballet.
- A24 acquired domestic rights while Focus Features boarded for international, with Universal Pictures International handling distribution abroad; Jeremy Thomas serves as executive producer.
- The creative team includes cinematographer Wyatt Garfield, choreographer Hofesh Shechter (OBE), and BAFTA-winning casting director Lucy Pardee.
Why it matters: Mizuno's transition from screen performer to filmmaker lands with unusual distribution heft — A24 for domestic and Focus Features via Universal Pictures International for international — a dual-territory setup typically reserved for established directors, and one that signals confidence in a personal ballet drama from a former professional dancer.
