Alice Birch’s directorial debut, Sweetsick, has tapped two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett as the lead (via Deadline). The revered playwright, notable for her work in Succession and Lady Macbeth, has joined forces with Searchlight and Film4 for the drama and remains excited for her debut behind the camera, especially with the Oscar winner at the center.
I could not be more excited to be making my debut feature as a director with such an extraordinary team of filmmakers and collaborators. I am in the safest hands with Tessa Ross and her brilliant team at House, and am so proud to be working with Searchlight and Film4. To have the peerless Cate Blanchett at the centre of it is thrilling,
The production is set to commence this fall in the U.K. and Greece, and as for the Tár star’s involvement, it extends beyond her acting credit.
Cate Blanchett Backs Alice Birch’s Directorial Debut Sweetsick
In addition to headlining Birch’s directorial debut, Blanchett, alongside Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, and Lee Groombridge, will produce the movie through her Dirty Films banner.
This isn’t surprising, as for years, Blanchett has been an outspoken advocate for women, trans, and non-binary voices in the medium, and has been critical of how male-dominated movie and TV sets can be (via Variety). As for her collaboration with Birch, who has proven her chops in the realm of screenwriting, Ross added that they were all drawn to her bold and beautiful vision.
We’re all very big believers in Alice Birch and it’s been wonderful to see that the fantastic team she’s gathered around her, not least the amazing Cate, feel the same way – all drawn in by her bold, beautiful vision.
With the shooting for the acclaimed playwright set to begin this fall, additional casting updates are expected to roll out soon.
What is Sweetsick About?
Birch’s directorial debut will focus on a mercurial woman, played by Blanchett, with the ability to see what others most intimately need, often at great personal cost, who sets out on a journey home.
Most of the details for the story remain under wraps. But given Birch’s track record in delivering stories, hopefully, the first-time director, who has an Emmy nod under her belt, will replicate her writing chops on the big screen.
| Movie | Rotten Tomatoes | IMDb |
| Lady Macbeth | 89% | 6.8 |
| Die My Love | 78% | 6.3 |
| Normal People | 91% | 8.4 |
| Succession — Season 2 | 97% | 8.8 |
Pete Spencer, VP of Development & Production, and Cameron Chidsey, Creative Executive, will be supervising the project for Searchlight Pictures. Birch’s recent works include Jennifer Lawrence’s Die My Love, and Blanchett recently headlined the Steven Soderbergh thriller Black Bag.
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Black Bag is available to stream on Prime Video (USA).
Die My Love is scheduled to release on November 7, 2025, in theaters (USA).
