Julie Delpy, Emma D’Arcy and Takehiro Hira Join Sonoya Mizuno’s ‘Stages’ for A24 as Focus Boards for International

Cameras have started rolling on “Stages,” the directorial debut of “Ex Machina,” “Devs,” “Civil War” and “House of the Dragon” star Sonoya Mizuno. Now shooting in the U.K., the film — first announced in December — has unveiled its ensemble cast, which includes Julie Delpy (“Meet the Barbarians,” “The Lesson”), Takehiro Hira (“Rental Family,” “Shōgun”), Kathryn Hunter (“Poor Things,” “The Tragedy of Macbeth”), Kate Dickie (“Dept. Q,” “Werwulf”) and Emma D’Arcy (“Digger,” “House of the Dragon”). “Stages” is being produced by Peter Rice and Agile Films’ Sam Ritzenberg and Myles Payne, alongside Alex Garland, with whom Mizuno has had a long onscreen collaboration, and executive produced by Jeremy Thomas. Popular on Variety A24 has acquired domestic rights, while Focus Features has boarded for international rights and will distribute internationally by Universal Pictures International (UPI). Details of the “Stages” plot have also been revealed, with the film following a young dancer at an elite ballet school finally earns the lead in a prestigious recital, but her focus is shattered by a family tragedy. Mizuno herself was a ballet dancer and trained at the Royal Ballet School before dancing with companies including English National Ballet, Dresden Semperoper Ballet and Scottish Ballet. The production’s creative team includes cinematographer Wyatt Garfield (“Late Fame,” “A Different Man”), costume designer Neesha Tulsi Champaneria (“Ish”), production designer Anna Rhodes (“Urchin,” “Rye Lane”), editor Shahnaz Dulaimy (“Top Boy”) hair and make-up artist Natasha Lawes (“100 Nights of Hero,” “How to Have Sex”), casting director and BAFTA-winner Lucy Pardee (“Die My Love,” “Aftersun”) and the OBE and multi-award-winning choreographer Hofesh Shechter. “Sonoya’s script is beautiful and heartfelt, and we’re thrilled to be bringing it to the screen with her,” Ritzenberg, whose London-based Agile Films is behind the upcoming musical horror-romance “Stuffed,” starring Jodie Comer and Harry Melling. “She’s assembled a wonderful cast and creative team, and stepped into directing with real confidence and instinct. We can’t wait for audiences to see it.” Julie Delpy is represented by Tavistock Wood and Management Production Entertainment. Kathryn Hunter is represented by Adam Hogan and Alexandra Stockley at Hamilton Hodell. Kate Dickie is represented by Maryam Hunwick (Hunwick Associates) and Taylor Jefferson (The Artists Partnership). Takeshi Hira is represented by Gersh and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner Auerbach Hynick Jaime LeVine Sample & Klein. Emma D’Arcy is represented by Dane Millard at Roxane Vacca Management in London and by Hylda Queally at CAA in Los Angeles.