Alicia Vikander, James McAvoy and Taron Egerton are going conspiracy-hunting for Armando Iannucci. Deadline reported on Thursday, Oct. 29, that the Veep and The Death of Stalin creator is writing and directing a new film with the three of them starring, and that the package is heading to the American Film Market (Deadline). DiscussingFilm’s post about the casting passed 50,000 views within ten minutes (DiscussingFilm on X).
This is the scene that sold me on Alicia Vikander and James McAvoy as a couple. In Submergence (2017) she walks out of the cold Normandy sea in a tiny black bikini, hair soaked, while McAvoy waits on the rocks. Thirty-six seconds, and now they are reuniting for Iannucci.
Alicia Vikander’s hub: her Ex Machina, The Danish Girl, Tulip Fever and Earthquake Bird nude scenes, ranked, plus photos and gossip. Open the Alicia Vikander hub →
What we know about the Iannucci thriller
Not much, and that seems to be the point. Deadline says details “are being held close to the vest, other than that Iannucci’s latest is best described as a conspiracy thriller.” It will be the first time any of the three stars has worked with Iannucci (Deadline).
BAFTA winner Kevin Loader, who produced Iannucci’s In the Loop, The Death of Stalin and The Personal History of David Copperfield as well as HBO’s Avenue 5, is producing. FilmNation and UTA are handling sales going into AFM. There is no title, plot or release date yet (Deadline, Deadline on X).
A Submergence reunion
Vikander and McAvoy have done the romance before. In Wim Wenders’ Submergence (2017) she played Danielle Flinders, a scientist, and he played James More, and the two fall for each other at a hotel on the Normandy coast. That beach walk in the black bikini is the clip at the top of this page. This time they get Egerton, a conspiracy and Iannucci’s sense of humour.
Vikander’s busy 2026
Deadline notes she recently starred in the Korean sci-fi film Hope, which premiered at Cannes, plus The Last Day and The Echo Chamber (Deadline). The Echo Chamber, Andrea Pallaoro’s film from Bernardo Bertolucci’s final screenplay, premiered in competition at Venice on Sept. 6, with Vikander as Anne opposite Luca Marinelli and Susan Sarandon (La Biennale). She told The Hollywood Reporter she hadn’t watched the final cut before Venice because she wanted to see it with an audience: “Terrifying!” She is also shooting Netflix’s series adaptation of André Aciman’s Enigma Variations (The Hollywood Reporter).
McAvoy, meanwhile, has his directing debut California Schemin’ in theaters, and Egerton, an Emmy nominee for Black Bird, just got strong reviews at TIFF for Everybody Wants to F*ck Me (Deadline).
My take
I have been watching Alicia Vikander since A Royal Affair, and she is at her best when a director lets her be smart and dangerous at the same time. Iannucci writes women who run rings around powerful men, so put her opposite McAvoy in a paranoid thriller and I’m in. Bring back that Submergence chemistry, add a few secrets, and this could be the sexiest film Iannucci has ever made. — Nico Grey
Photos: Alicia Vikander in 2026
Alicia Vikander’s hottest scenes
Before the trench coats and the conspiracies, three clips from her hub:
The clip everyone thinks of first. As the android Ava in Ex Machina (2014), Alicia Vikander slips out of her dress and stockings and stands fully nude in front of the glass. It is the role that made Hollywood notice her, and a good reminder of her range before a conspiracy thriller.
The Oscar scene. As Gerda Wegener in The Danish Girl (2015), Alicia Vikander pulls Eddie Redmayne’s Einar close in a lace slip, then lies back fully nude in bed. Brave, tender and over two minutes long, from the performance that won her the Academy Award.
For the period-drama fans: Alicia Vikander topless in an attic bed with Dane DeHaan in Tulip Fever (2017). Sophia sits up in the window light, bare breasts and messy hair, laughing between kisses. One of the hottest scenes on her hub.
See all 18 of Alicia Vikander’s clips, from Ex Machina to Earthquake Bird, on her hub →
What’s confirmed
The casting, director, producer and sales details are from Deadline’s Oct. 29 exclusive. The title, plot and release date have not been announced. X numbers were checked at about 11:59 p.m. Bangkok time on Oct. 29.
FAQ
What is Armando Iannucci’s new movie with Alicia Vikander?
An untitled conspiracy thriller that Iannucci is writing and directing, with James McAvoy, Alicia Vikander and Taron Egerton starring. Deadline broke the news on Oct. 29, 2026, and plot details are being kept under wraps.
Who is producing and selling the film?
Kevin Loader, who produced In the Loop, The Death of Stalin and The Personal History of David Copperfield, is producing. FilmNation and UTA are handling sales heading into the American Film Market.
Have Alicia Vikander and James McAvoy worked together before?
Yes. They played lovers in Wim Wenders’ Submergence (2017), where they meet at a hotel on the coast of Normandy. The Iannucci thriller reunites them.
Is there a release date?
No. The project is being taken to buyers at AFM, and no title, plot or release date has been announced.
Where can I watch Alicia Vikander’s nude scenes?
Her hub on Scandal Planet ranks her nude and sex scenes from Ex Machina, The Danish Girl, Tulip Fever, Earthquake Bird, A Royal Affair and more, all in one place.
Photos via CelebMafia (Venice, Vanity Fair Italy, Greg Williams, Cannes, New York) and CelebMasta (Mario Testino Towel Series). Submergence stills from Scandal Planet’s clip library. ScandalPlanet watermark only.
