Sci-Fi Bulletin: Exploring the Universes of SF, Fantasy, Horror and Spy-fi!

She Who Brings Gifts – Mike Carey’s adaptation of his own novel The Girl With All the Gifts – is heading in front of the cameras next week with newcomer Sennia Nanua in the lead role of Melanie.

The story takes place a generation after the world has ended. Four adults and a unique child will decide the fate of humanity.

Joining Sennia Nanua are Gemma Arterton, Paddy Considine and Glenn Close with Anamaria Marinca, Fisayo Akinade, Anthony Welsh and Dominique Tipper.

Director Colm McCarthy says of his twelve year old star: “Sennia walked into the room as the last of 500 girls I’d met and just shone. She has taken being the lead actress in a film with Glenn, Gemma and Paddy in her stride and completely inhabits this amazing character. She’s a very special girl.”

Ben Roberts, Director of the BFI Film Fund says: “We’re thrilled that ‘Gifts’ is out of the box. Completely original, Mike Carey has adapted his own book brilliantly and found an inspired collaborator in Colm – who we’ve admired for some time. Camille and Angus have pieced it together with real ambition, and a first rate cast and crew.”

Richard Holmes, Senior Film Executive at Creative England, says of the project: “We are truly excited about She Who Brings Gifts – it is a pure genre film with added heart and brain. It has a fantastic West Midlands presence with a hugely respected international cast and a spectacular use of locations. We’re very proud to support it!”