Earlier this year, it was announced that Emmy Award winner Alexander Skarsgård would star opposite Harry Potter's Harry Melling in a film called Pillion, described as a "kinky queer romance." I, like many, was immediately intrigued by this premise and casting, and today we come bearing exciting news as A24 has acquired the project.
The movie is directed by Harry Lighton in his feature debut, a BAFTA-nominated filmmaker who is best known for his short film Wren Boys (2017). It comes from a script by Lighton, loosely based on the 2019 novel Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones.
As reported by Variety, A24 has purchased the US distribution rights to Pillion, meaning the company will be responsible for the marketing and release strategy. Element Pictures produced the film. There is no release date yet, but we know the movie is now in post-production, having wrapped filming in the UK this summer. So what is Pillion all about? It's also described as a "fun and filthy romance with heart." Count me in! Here's a synopsis:
"Pillion follows Colin (Melling), a weedy wallflower letting life pass him by. That is until Ray (Skarsgård), the impossibly handsome leader of a motorbike club, takes him on as his submissive. Ray uproots Colin from his dreary suburban life, introducing him to a community of kinky, queer bikers and taking all sorts of virginities along the way. But as Colin steps deeper into Ray’s world of rules and mysteries, he begins to question whether the life of a 24/7 submissive is for him. Has he found his calling, or simply swapped one form of suffocation for another?"
It's not entirely surprising that A24 has acquired Pillion considering how successful the company has been in recent years, plus its trend of distributing sex-positive stories. The progressive brand is known for influential and groundbreaking films, including experimental structures, nuanced storytelling, and fresh themes. In 2024 alone, A24 has released — or is about to release — a handful of sexy movies, including but not limited to Love Lies Bleeding, MaXXXine, and the upcoming Babygirl.
As for the cast, Skarsgård has been making very interesting acting choices for years now, never failing to surprise his fans with his latest role. Most recently, he starred alongside Kate Winslet in the film Lee and appeared in an episode of Mr & Mrs. Smith. And though perhaps not as recognizable as his co-star, Melling has made a name for himself post-Potter, in which he played Dudley Dursley, appearing in shows like The Queen's Gambit and movies such as The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Pale Blue Eye, and Harvest. I'm very interested to see what kind of chemistry these two actors have together onscreen.
Pillion just got a lot more anticipated.