The Splendid Thing

The Splendid Thing is a romantic comedy-drama-fantasy feature that Matthew Modine will direct and star in alongside Liam Neeson and John Cleese. Modine plays Declan King, a blocked novelist whose wife has left him, leaving him unable to finish his latest book. His literary agent sends him on a European book-signing tour hoping the change of scenery will spark inspiration, but things take a surreal turn when characters from his earlier novels begin materializing around him—including a Great Gatsby-esque figure played by Neeson who lands Declan in the hospital after a fistfight, and Cleese as a priest who doubles as the Grim Reaper. The film is being packaged by Hyde Park International at the Cannes Film Festival market. Modine co-wrote the screenplay with Stephen Wallis, with production from Natalie Marciano's Poster Child Pictures and Orian Williams. Principal photography is scheduled to begin on location in Italy in late August 2026, with additional cast members currently in discussions to join.