Sally El Hosaini's new feature Unicorns reveals first look

Emerging British Indian RnB artist Jason Patel stars alongside Ben Hardy (Bohemian Rhapsody, X Men: Apocalypse) in the film, which is set against a secretive London subculture that follows a queer performer (Patel) living a double life and a single father (Hardy) working as a mechanic, whose lives collide after a chance encounter.
    
“When Laura Windows, our casting director, introduced us to Jason, we knew we'd found our unicorn. Jason has poured his heart and soul into this. His remarkable chemistry with Ben Hardy sizzles on screen. Ben's mesmerising performance is truly stellar. This is Ben Hardy unlike you've ever seen him,” states Sally El Hosaini and James Krishna Floyd. Floyd adds “To make my debut as writer/co-director on a story so close to my heart, alongside Sally, my longtime creative partner, is a privilege and beautiful ride.”

Oscar Nominated Bill Pohlad’s River Road Entertainment, the company behind iconic films like Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave and Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain, has boarded the project as producer and financier alongside Trudie Styler and Oscar Nominated Celine Rattray's Maven Screen Media and Philip Herd’s Chromatic Aberration. Bill Pohlad, Kim Roth, and Christa Workman join Herd, Rattray, and Styler as producers. 

River Road’s Bill Pohlad added, “We were thrilled by the prospect of working with Sally and when we read James’ affecting script, we fell in love with its heart and the vibrant subculture that it explores.”

Patel, who is queer, has stage credits including Jungle Book and Peter Pan. He was one of BBC Asian Network’s ‘Artists of the Week’ in 2022. The multi-hyphenate's debut EP will be released in 2023. 

Unicorns brings together a number of El Hosaini’s collaborators, including cinematographer David Raedeker BSC (The Souvenir 1 & 2, My Brother The Devil), editor Iain Kitching BFE (The Swimmers, My Brother the Devil), hair and make up designer Lisa Mustafa (The Swimmers, Top Boy), and composer Stuart Earl (Persuasion, My Brother the Devil). Casting director is Laura Windows (Pennyworth, No Man's Land), production designer is Rob Wischhusen-Hayes (Argylle, Radioactive), costume designer is Nirage Mirage (After Love, Pretty Red Dress). Renowned gaysian performer and Britain’s first out Muslim drag queen Asifa Lahore is a consultant and co-producer on the film.

The film is executive produced by Oscar Nominated director and producer Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot). Additional finance is provided by Sweden’s Film i Väst / Filmgate Films, Ffilm Cymru Wales with funding from the National Lottery, and Cambridge Picture Company.

Unicorns is the follow up film to El Hosaini’s acclaimed feature The Swimmers, which opened the 2022 Toronto Film Festival and subsequently premiered on Netflix in November, going on to reach #1 in 47 countries and the top ten in 86 countries. The film has been viewed by 60 million households to date and is nominated for the BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film. Sally El Hosaini’s first feature My Brother the Devil won prizes at Sundance, Berlin and the London Film Festival. Floyd starred in both The Swimmers and My Brother the Devil.

CAA Media Finance represents the film.