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Hugh Bonneville, famed for his role in Downton Abbey, is set to star alongside Happy Valley's James Norton in an upcoming British comedy film. The film, titled Dog Person, will be directed by Tanya Reynolds, known for her portrayal of Lily Iglehart in Netflix's popular comedy-drama Sex Education. Dog Person is a black comedy that follows the life of a dental receptionist in her mid-thirties who feels trapped between education and exhaustion, as reported by Screen Daily. A synopsis continued: "When the 33-year-old breaks a tooth, she is forced to visit a new dentist where something unexpected is stirred within her. "She is then drawn into an unsettling fantasy in order to escape the pressures of a society that is preoccupied with perfection." Reynolds will also take on the lead role, sharing the screen with TV and film favourites Norton and Bonneville. Bonneville, aside from his iconic role in Downton Abbey, is also recognised for his performances in the Paddington trilogy and Bank of Dave. Meanwhile, Norton has had a successful year on the small screen, featuring in hits such as Playing Nice, King and Conqueror, and House of Guinness. In a statement, Reynolds summarised the themes of Dog Person as a story about a woman discovering her fetish later in life. "I wanted to make a film about the desire to stop being a person, even if just for a little bit," she elaborated. "This is a film about a woman discovering a fetish in her mid-thirties, and how she navigates this while trying to conceive a child with her rapidly dwindling supply of eggs." Despite the rather peculiar premise, the filmmaker and actress reassures audiences: "I think a lot of people will see themselves in Sally, even as she eats cod off of her dentist's living room floor." Producer Vaughan Sivell revealed he burst into laughter when he first encountered Reynolds' screenplay. "It's so exciting to discover a new voice," he said. "I read it on a plane, and within a few pages, I knew we had to make this film. "A few pages later, I was laughing out loud... Dog Person captures something honest about the pain, pressure and pleasure of being human – it's strange, beautiful and completely Tanya." Filming for Dog Person will commence in London and Wales next March, though no confirmed release date has been announced yet.
