Woody Norman, Malachi Kirby, Tuppence Middleton, Conrad Khan and Kola Bokinni have been cast in "Skag & Bone," a British urban horror thriller described as a mix of "Top Boy" and "Talk to Me." Conor Boru will direct from a script he co-wrote with Ed Hartland, with UTA Independent Film Group boarding to package the project, arrange financing and handle North American rights, marking a notable step forward for the emerging director's second feature.

The story follows Norman's character, a 16-year-old rehoused with his mother on the fictional Stonemore Estate, who becomes provider and protector after she suffers a stroke, and is drawn between a drug lord (Bokinni) and a preacher (Kirby) as a gang war and a supernatural entity known as the Skag & Bone Man threaten the estate's residents. Middleton plays his mother and Khan his cousin, with all five leads bringing credits from major titles including "Downton Abbey," "Small Axe," "Peaky Blinders" and "Ted Lasso." Julien Loeffler and James Kermack are producing through their company Featuristic Films, whose recent credits include "Breathe Deep" and "Salvable."