Gillian Anderson (The Crown, Sex Education) and Rebecca Hall (The Beauty, Passing) have signed on to headline The Portrait, a psychological thriller written and directed by Sara Colangelo (The Kindergarten Teacher, Worth). The hot package is launching sales at next week’s American Film Market, with WME Independent representing domestic distribution rights and Rocket Science handling international sales.

Adapted from the novel by Ilaria Bernardini (Ibelin), the Hitchcockian narrative centers on Valeria (Anderson), an internationally celebrated author who has conducted a clandestine, years-long affair with Martín, a wealthy businessman. When Martín falls gravely ill and is placed out of her reach, a desperate Valeria devises a scheme to infiltrate his domestic world by commissioning his artist wife, Isla (Hall), to paint her portrait. As the sittings progress within the family’s grand London townhouse, a psychological game of cat-and-mouse unfolds between the wife and the secret lover.

The film reteams Colangelo with producers Talia Kleinhendler and Osnat Handelsman-Keren of Pie Films (The Lost Daughter, The Kindergarten Teacher), producing alongside Francesca Cingolani of Italian production house The Apartment (Maria). Principal photography is scheduled to take place on location in the United Kingdom in the first quarter of 2027.