Taskmaster season 16 star Susan Wokoma is set to star in an upcoming British movie based on a real-life story about a supposedly haunted painting. The Enola Holmes actor will also appear alongside Harry Potter star Jessie Cave in Curse in a Frame from New State Pictures.
The film is based on a real-life story from 2023 in which a young girl brought a painting from a Hastings charity shop that had reportedly been brought and returned twice after ruining the lives of its owners.
As reported by Variety, the film, which will be the feature debut of Maria Pawlikowska, has been described as a “sharp contemporary feature about belief, ambition, friendship — and the chaos that unfolds when a local story becomes an international obsession”.
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Speaking in a statement, Pawlikowska said: “I was interested in the ‘crazy but true’ premise of Curse in a Frame for its potential to mix tones, genre, formats — in a way that feels very much of the moment.
“We journey with these lovable, contemporary characters (played by our extraordinary ensemble cast) in this mysterious, mythological setting, and it was this clash of the modern and the ancient that got me excited, that seemed to allow for a morality tale to unfold – of friendship, ambition, belief, karma.”
Producer Ana Emdin told the publication: “What drew us to Curse in a Frame was its originality and the fact that the story already arrived in the culture with its own mythology.
“It was funny, unsettling, and very contagious. Working with Maria Pawlikowska, whose voice as a filmmaker is so prodigious, we were able to build that initial spark into something bolder, stranger, and far more expansive. And it was mind-blowing to see our exceptional cast elevate the story even further.”
Producer Yan Fisher added: “What makes Curse in a Frame so exciting is that it feels both specific and highly exportable. It is rooted in a very British world, but the premise is instantly accessible, and the tone is bold, fresh, and entertaining.
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“It is exactly the kind of original genre film that can cut through internationally.”
Troubleshooting’s Velvet Brown, 1899’s Kaja Chan, Three Day Millionaire’s Michael Kinsey, and Dempsey and Makepeace’s Michael Brandon round out the cast so far.
Curse in a Frame is now in post-production after being filmed in Hastings.
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Rebecca is a freelance journalist who specializes in TV and film. After beginning her career as a digital entertainment journalist for the Express & Star and Shropshire Star, she embarked on a freelance career in 2021 contributing to the likes of Metro UK, The Sun, WhatCulture, Screen Rant, FilmHounds Magazine and more.
Her particular field of interest is horror cinema and she has written for genre publications such as Ghouls Magazine and Moving Pictures Film Club.
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