When will The Thing with Feathers premiere? Release date, cast details, first look, and more

Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, The Thing with Feathers is a British drama film based on Max Porter's 2015 novella, Grief Is the Thing with Feathers. Directed by Dylan Southern, the film is scheduled to be released in the U.S on November 28, 2025, following its November 21 release in the UK and Ireland.

The film tells the story of a widowed father, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, who is overwhelmed by grief as he tries to care for his two young sons after the sudden loss of his wife. His world begins to unravel when a dark, crow-like figure named Crow appears, becoming a haunting symbol of his pain.

The Thing with Feathers cast features Richard Boxall and Henry Boxall as the sons, Eric Lampaert and David Thewlis as Crow, and Vinette Robinson, Sam Spruell, Leo Bill, and Tim Plester in supporting roles, among other actors.

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Benedict Cumberbatch leads Dylan Southern's The Thing with Feathers

Benedict Cumberbatch at The Thing With Feathers Screening (Image via Getty)

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch plays the lead character of a grieving father in Dylan Southern's The Thing with Feathers. His life shatters after his wife's sudden demise, and his sons’ world begins to crumble. For his performance in the film, Cumberbatch earned a Golden Eye Award at the Zurich Film Festival on 29 September 2025.

During the film's premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Cumberbatch shared about the movie's themes and how people with grief or loss can associate with its narrative. The Imitation Game star stated:

"I think anyone who's experienced grief they're even if they're not a father.. or a husband can understand the sort of wide ranging emotions and the Searing pain of it and the oddity of it the kind of disassociation, the thing out the corner of your eye that feels surreal uncanny in its absence and how we explore that in a sort of cinematic way using some sort of horror elements or uncanny elements. I think it'll I think it will resonate with people who've experienced loss, yeah."

The British actor from London is best known for playing Sherlock Holmes, the Marvel sorcerer Doctor Strange, and complex characters in films like The Power of the Dog and 1917. Looking ahead, Cumberbatch is set to appear in Marvel's upcoming film, Avengers: Doomsday, among other projects for 2026.

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The Thing with Feathers trailer and other details

Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2025, The Things with Feathers is adapted from the novella Grief Is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter.

The story centers on a widowed father who, after losing his wife, finds himself haunted by a strange, crow-like figure called Crow, a physical manifestation of his grief. And as the haunting intensifies, the family is forced to face their loss, seek healing, and redefine what “home” means.

During the 2025 BFI London Film Festival, director Dylan Southern spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about his long commitment to adapting the story for the screen. He stated:

“I optioned the book on my own. I did everything you’re not meant to as a filmmaker. I spent my own money. And I was sort of in the hole. But I believed in this book and the idea of this film so much that I just kept pushing it and pushing it.”

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Benedict Cumberbatch's The Things with Feathers will hit the U.S theatres on November 28. Stay tuned for more updates.

Edited by Suchita Patnaha