Emma D’Arcy isn’t done navigating treacherous power plays — only this time, the battlefield won’t be Westeros, but something entirely new. After rising to international prominence as Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon, D’Arcy is stepping into cinematic territory, joining an ensemble cast led by Tom Cruise in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s next feature film. The untitled project is currently filming in the United Kingdom and is set to be released by Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment on 2 October 2026.
D’Arcy confirmed the news through an exclusive statement to Deadline, “I’m delighted to be working with such extraordinary and exacting artists as Alejandro and Tom. They are the masters of their craft, and witnessing them in combination has been a privilege.” Production has been underway at Pinewood Studios since November 2024, with the project originally announced earlier this year. A synopsis teases a narrative centred around “the most powerful man in the world [who] embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s saviour before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.”
While best known for bringing quiet intensity to their portrayal of Rhaenyra, D’Arcy’s feature film appearances have been sparse since taking on the House of the Dragon lead. Their last film role came in 2021’s Mothering Sunday, a romantic period drama. With House of the Dragon now in production on its third season and its central character poised for a full-scale civil war, D’Arcy’s schedule seems to be opening up just enough for this major film detour.
Iñárritu, a five-time Academy Award winner, will be directing his first feature since 2022’s Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths. He brings a decorated filmography that includes Birdman, The Revenant, and Babel. This marks his first collaboration with Cruise, who remains one of Hollywood’s most bankable action stars. Cruise, still riding high from the Mission: Impossible franchise and his work on Top Gun: Maverick, will reportedly take on a role unlike any he’s done before.
The supporting cast includes Sandra Hüller, fresh off critical praise for Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest, along with Jesse Plemons (Civil War), John Goodman (Roseanne), Sophie Wilde (Talk to Me), Riz Ahmed (Venom), and Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man).
While House of the Dragon continues its own ascent on HBO, D’Arcy’s addition to Iñárritu’s latest signals a leap into another kind of prestige. Their performance as Rhaenyra remains a career-defining role, but this upcoming project has the potential to position them as a major player on the big screen as well. For now, the wait begins — for dragons, and for whatever world D’Arcy and Cruise are about to plunge into next.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, and anime — you name it. When she’s not reading or being a dedicated cinephile, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of Caleb from Love and Deepspace.
