Contenders Film: London Underway, Kicking Off Movie Awards Season

With summer firmly in the rearview mirror, the film industry is bringing out its biggest guns, and 2025 is set to go out with a bang. So many movies, so few awards. Luckily, Deadline is here to help cut through some of that noise with Contenders Film: London, our annual UK stop that has kicked off Saturday featuring nine movies in the awards-season conversation.

As regulars already know, our event is like speed-dating for movie lovers, packed with juicy preview clips, star-studded panels and insights from all the best behind-the-scenes players.

Fresh from their world premiere in Toronto, director Rian Johnson, producer Ram Bergman and actor Josh O’Connor will share the secrets of Wake Up Dead Man, the latest Knives Out murder-mystery starring Daniel Craig as detective Benoit Blanc. Also stopping by will be director Noah Baumbach, who will be joined by star Adam Sandler, producer David Heyman and casting director Nina Gold to discuss Baumbach’s new film Jay Kelly, which stars George Clooney as a Hollywood star facing a life crisis and Sandler as his longtime manager.

Straight after last year’s papal hit Conclave, director Edward Berger will be back in the hot seat for his intimate, Macau-set gambling thriller Ballad of a Small Player, accompanied by his stars Colin Farrell and Fala Chen as well as cinematographer James Friend. And on a larger scale, we have the creative team behind Paul Greengrass’ visceral action thriller The Lost Bus: supervising sound editor Rachael Tate, VFX supervisor Charlie Noble and re-recording mixer William Miller. The trio will be on hand to explain how the production so scarily replicates California’s deadliest-ever wildfire.

For a change of pace, director Nia DaCosta will be discussing Hedda, her elegant, British-set period retelling of Henrik Ibsen’s classic drama. Opening up about their creative choices will be cinematographer Sean Bobbitt, costume designer Lindsay Pugh, casting director Des Hamilton and composer Hildur Guðnadóttir. Also offering food for thought is director Luca Guadagnino, whose film After the Hunt gives us a devastating look into cancel culture on campus. With him will be writer Nora Garrett, casting director Jessica Ronane and cinematographer Malik Hassan Sayeed.

For songs and spectacle, director Jon M. Chu will be on hand to reveal what lies in store for Elphaba and Glinda in the much-anticipated musical sequel Wicked: For Good, while Kerry Condon will be on hand to discuss the high-octane F1: The Movie. And on the other end of the scale, we welcome director Clint Bentley with his rural, turn-of-the-20th-century saga Train Dreams. Joining him on stage will be stars Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones and Condon, plus the film’s composer Bryce Dessner.

Throw in a panel dedicated to the art of casting and this year’s Contenders promises to be one of the very best so far. Follow along all day at Deadline.com and on our social channels via #DeadlineContenders.

Below is today’s lineup of films and panelists:

Contenders Film: London 2025

Lineup and panelists in order of appearance (subject to change)

NETFLIX

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Rian Johnson (Writer/Director/Producer)Ram Bergman (Producer)Josh O’Connor (Actor)

Jay Kelly

Noah Baumbach (Writer/Director/Producer)David Heyman (Producer)Nina Gold (Casting Director)Adam Sandler (Actor)

AMAZON MGM STUDIOS

After the Hunt

Luca Guadagnino (Director/Producer)Nora Garrett (Writer)Jessica Ronane (Casting Director)Malik Hassan Sayeed (Cinematographer)

Hedda

Nia DaCosta (Writer/Director/Producer)Sean Bobbitt (Director of Photography)Lindsay Pugh (Costumer Designer)Des Hamilton (Costume Designer)Hildur Guðnadóttir (Composer)

SPECIAL PANEL: CASTING

After the Hunt: Jessica Ronane (Casting Director)F1: The Movie: Lucy Bevan (Casting Director), Emily Brockmann (Casting Director)Hedda: Des Hamilton (Casting Director), Jo Harris (Casting Director)

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Wicked: For Good

Jon M. Chu (Director)

APPLE ORIGINAL FILMS

The Lost Bus

Rachel Tate (Supervising Sound Editor)William Miller (Re-Recording Mixer)Charlie Noble (VFX Supervisor)

F1: The Movie

Kerry Condon (Actor)

NETFLIX

Ballad of a Small Player

Edward Berger (Director/Producer)Colin Farrell (Actor)Fala Chan (Actor)James Friend (Director of Photography)

Train Dreams