Mia McKenna-Bruce Will Star in Claire Denis’ Next Film

BAFTA Rising Star winner Mia McKenna-Bruce, known for her breakout role in 2023’s How to Have Sex, has revealed her next film project will be in Claire Denis’ upcoming film, The Cry of the Guard.
McKenna-Bruce replaces Riley Keough as the lead and will star alongside Matt Dillon and Isaach de Bankolé, according to Variety. The film’s premise centers around a group of construction workers near Senegal who are confronted with a man whose brother was killed on the job.
The Cry of the Guard serves as Denis’ follow-up to her 2022 film, Stars at Noon — which won the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival.
The following year, McKenna-Bruce was among the Un Certain Regard-winning cast for Molly Manning Walker’s debut feature.
“We did group activities every week—playing football, music nights, poker nights—to make sure the cast and crew had this genuine connection,” McKenna-Bruce told Vogue in 2024. “Such a big part of the project was everyone trusting each other and, particularly for me, being able to be super vulnerable and feel comfortable. I completely did because I knew everyone really well.”
“Everyone was buzzing to be there every day because we all cared about what we were doing and loved Molly so much,” she added. “She gave me this self-belief because she had so much belief in me. It was the first time on set that I wasn’t scared to get things wrong or put forward my ideas.”
The British actress also won Best Lead Performance at the British Independent Film Awards and Breakthrough Performer of the Year at the London Film Critics’ Circle Awards.
Following her success, fans will also get to see McKenna-Bruce as the lead in the upcoming Netflix series, The Seven Dial Mystery — based on the Agatha Christie novel.
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