Eddie Redmayne Starring Opposite Julia Roberts in Sam Esmail’s ‘Panic Carefully’ (Exclusive)

Eddie Redmayne, currently starring in Peacock’s buzzy series Day of the Jackal, has joined Julia Roberts and Elizabeth Olsen in Warner Bros. Pictures’ Panic Carefully.

Sam Esmail, the creator of the well-regarded thriller series Mr. Robot, wrote the script for the feature and is directing.

Plot and character details are being kept in the hard drive, but the project is described as a paranoid thriller that has tonal influences of Silence of the Lambs and involves the hunt for a cyber terrorist. The film is also a reteaming of Esmail and Roberts after Netflix hit Leave the World Behind.

Esmail and Chad Hamilton are producing via Esmail Corp., along with Scott Stuber, Roberts, Marisa Yeres Gill and Lisa Gillan. Kevin McCormick and Chrystal Li are overseeing the project for Warners.

Panic Carefully came into the studio after a heated bidding war earlier this year. Part of the appeal for the filmmakers was a commitment to a theatrical run, which this year has been a growing factor in the selling of projects for filmmakers.

Redmayne’s Jackal series, in which he stars opposite Lashana Lynch, has proven to be a surprise hit with critics and audience since its debut in November. It was ranked no. 1 on Peacock’s top 10 TV shows and in the Top 5 streaming originals in the US during its debut week. The actor, who is one of the show’s exec producers, received Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice nominations for his performance. The show has already been renewed for a second season.  

Redmayne was recently seen on Broadway reviving his role as the Emcee in Cabaret, earning him a Tony nomination for lead actor in a musical. He also played the part in the 2022 West End revival, which he initiated, and went on to win the Olivier Award for best actor in a musical.

The actor, who won an Oscar for portraying Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, is repped by CAA, United Agents, and Jackoway Tyerman.