NEW YORK – In one of the most aggressive bidding wars of the young 2026 film season, A24 has emerged victorious, securing the rights to an untitled erotic thriller spec script by British writer-actor Dylan Brady.
The deal, reported to be in the mid-seven figures, saw A24 beat out nine other major competitors, including Netflix, Amazon, Apple, and FX. The script, which was a breakout hit on the 2025 Brit List (the UK’s equivalent to the Black List for top unproduced screenplays), has already attracted the interest of Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman for the lead role.
The Plot: A Dangerous Game of Seduction
The project—originally titled Discretion but currently undergoing a title change to avoid confusion with an upcoming Kidman legal drama—is being described as a modern, subversive take on 90s classics like Fatal Attraction and Eyes Wide Shut.
The story follows a struggling young actor who takes a nannying job for a high-flying power couple: a prestigious film producer and her movie-star husband. His initial plan is calculated—to seduce his way into their industry inner circle and exploit their connections. However, he soon finds himself ensnared in a “far more dangerous game” that reveals deep rot within the couple’s marriage.
Subverting the Genre
Writer Dylan Brady, known for his acting roles in Andor and The Diplomat, has been vocal about his desire to breathe new life into the erotic thriller genre through a queer lens.
”Erotic thrillers have historically always been very heterosexual, where the marital unit is the hero that must be preserved from an ‘evil’ outsider,” Brady told Deadline. “I wanted to break that form. What if the ‘outsider’ is the hero, and the marriage is what’s truly toxic? It’s about looking at these power dynamics in 2026.”
The “Kidman” Connection
If the deal closes, this will mark yet another collaboration between Nicole Kidman and A24 following the success of 2024’s Babygirl. Kidman has carved out a niche in recent years for “psychologically thorny” and sexually charged roles, a trajectory that began with Big Little Lies and Eyes Wide Shut.
Project Status at a Glance:
| Component | Status |
| :— | :— |
| Studio | A24 |
| Writer | Dylan Brady |
| Starring | Nicole Kidman (In Talks) |
| Original Title | Discretion (Title Change Pending) |
| Genre | Queer Erotic Thriller |
| Budget/Deal | Seven-figure spec purchase |
What’s Next for the Project?
With A24 now officially at the helm, the focus shifts to finding a director and casting the “movie-star husband” and the “struggling actor” roles. Pre-production is expected to move rapidly, with industry insiders suggesting a fall 2026 filming start.
The acquisition signals a massive trend in Hollywood’s current “spec market,” where high-concept erotic thrillers are once again becoming the most coveted scripts for studios looking for adult-oriented, prestige-adjacent hits.
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