Keira Knightly is reteaming with her Silent Night writer/director Camille Griffin in the upcoming dystopian sci-fi thriller, Conception. The film imagines a future where the government has completely taken control over parenting.
The official synopsis reads, "Conception is a sci-fi thriller set in the not-too-distant future of Britain, where the government has taken authoritarian rule over parenting. The film follows Rita (Knightley), a loyal civil servant and believer in the unforgiving system she upholds, until unexpected events endanger her own parental status, rendering her victim to the same laws she so readily inflicted on others."
While not much else is known about the film, the description and futuristic setting implies that the government will be using some sort of tech-based monitoring system to monitor parents. If the parental figures are found lacking, the government will step in to remove children from the residence.
Outside of Knightley, no additional cast members have been revealed.
In a press statement, Griffin conveyed her excitement to be reuniting with Knightley on another project. "I’m lucky to have found Keira. She is as great an ally as she is a talent. I plan to make a unique and exciting film together."
Silent Night was a 2021 British black comedy film which saw families gathering for an annual Christmas dinner. The twist was that an impending ecological disaster led to the government issuing suicide pills to spare its citizens an agonizing death due to poisonous gas.
The film didn't exactly set the box office on fire, earning a 65% approval rating from 110 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes for an average rating of 6.2 out of 10. On Metacrtic, the film has a 52 out of 100 rating.
Still, the interesting premise for Conception obviously has Maven Screen Media optimistic that the second collaboration between Knightley and Griffin will be more fruitful.
Celine Rattray and Trudie Styler are producing through their Maven Screen Media production banner. Maven issued a press statement on the project, which reads, "We are in awe of Camille’s vivid imagination and creative talent. She has a unique ability to express big complex ideas in every day, relatable events. We are thrilled to reassemble the Silent Night team and work with Keira again."
Conception is currently being shopped at this year's American Film Market, an annual film festival where the focus is on distribution and acquisition.
The film is under Equity, and will not be impacted by the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.