Filmmaker Ben Wheatley reveals the reasons behind the clandestine production of his Midnight Madness selection for EIFF, titled 'Bulk'
In the world of British cinema, acclaimed director Ben Wheatley is making waves with his latest project, Bulk. This black-and-white sci-fi adventure, narrated by Bill Nighy and starring Sam Riley, Alexandra Maria Lara, Noah Taylor, and Mark Moreno, will have its world premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Wheatley, known for his love of visual effects history, from Georges Méliès to Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion creatures, is planning another sci-fi movie that harks back to the technology available to George Lucas during the production of the original Star Wars in the mid-1970s.
Bulk is a Quatermass-style yarn about Corey Harlan (Riley), a prize-winning freelance journalist with PTSD who is kidnapped and taken to a strange suburban house. The film, shot in 4:3 aspect ratio, partly on MetFilm's Brighton campus, is a homemade movie with some help from AI and digitized VHS camcorder footage.
After its Edinburgh debut, Bulk will screen as part of the Bradford 2025 "City of Culture" celebrations. The movie features travel through time and space, with Sam Riley's character often accompanied by Aclima and encountering various strange characters, many played by Noah Taylor.
Bulk was produced through Rook Films and is yet to start its international sales journey. It was made on a budget that is significantly lower than Wheatley's previous project, Meg 2: The Trench.
Meanwhile, Wheatley is currently shooting an episode of The Terminal List with Chris Pratt for Amazon, and hopes to shoot a neo-noir film titled Criminal Behaviour in Spain next year.
The first film in this lineup, Normal, will be premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September. Starring Bob Odenkirk, it's a hardboiled action thriller about a substitute sheriff in a small town.
Five years after George Floyd's murder, the UK film industry has shown some progress in inclusion, but remains noticeably limited in representation and opportunities for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) filmmakers and actors. Ethnic minority representation in film crew roles remains low, approximately 4.4%, compared to TV at 7.5%. BAME (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic) employees in strategic management/executive roles in film production were virtually non-existent as recently as 2015, with senior roles in VFX/animation around 8% occupied by BAME individuals.
However, BFI production funding shows a more optimistic trend, with 35% of funded projects in 2024-2025 having recipients identifying as Black or global majority, indicating some increased investment in diverse creative voices. Industry initiatives like ITV's "Fresh Cuts 2025" program, backed by an £80 million diversity commissioning spend, aim to boost new diverse talent in multiple genres and formats.
The distribution plans for Bulk are not yet finalized, with Wheatley planning to take it to as many festivals in Europe and the UK as possible. Bulk might be distributed by Mondo Macabro, a home video label run by Wheatley's partner in Rook Films, Andy Starke. It is expected to air on Film4 at some point next year.
Entertainment enthusiasts can anticipate Ben Wheatley's upcoming movie, Bulk, as it delves into the realm of science fiction, a genre close to the director's heart. This film, a blend of traditional filmmaking techniques and modern technology, falls under the broader categories of movies and TV that captivate audiences worldwide.
