EXCLUSIVE: Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch has been set to star in thriller Last Flight, in which he will portray a U.S. man who helped persecuted people find safe passage out of Iraq and Afghanistan.
BAFTA-winner Babak Anvari (Under The Shadow) is directing the movie, which is based on a script by one of the inspirations for the film, Kirk Wallace Johnson.
Johnson is an author and former USAID (United States Agency for International Development) coordinator who assisted in the reconstruction of Fallujah in Iraq, and the founder of the List Project, a charity resettling Iraqis who assisted the allies in the war. After returning from Iraq with PTSD, he worked closely with Senator Ted Kennedy to create the Special Immigrant Visa program, designated for Iraqis and Afghans who worked for the U.S. during the conflicts.
Johnson’s script “unfolds over the final days of a twenty-year war. The film follows Ali, a young Afghan man, who is fighting for his entire family’s life to find safe passage out of Afghanistan, before he is sent to certain death. To reach the border, he must put his trust in Kirk Johnson, an American stranger 7,000 miles away who is desperately trying to put the war behind him.”
Filming is being lined up for May 2026 in the UK, Morocco and Jordan.
The project is produced by Two & Two (I Came By) and Cumberbatch’s SunnyMarch (We Live In Time); Lucan Toh and Babak Anvari are producing for Two & Two, and Leah Clarke and Adam Ackland are producing for SunnyMarch. The Imitation Game and Doctor Strange star Cumberbatch will serve as an executive producer for SunnyMarch and Dave Bishop, George Hamilton and James Pugh from Protagonist Pictures will also serve as executive producers. WME Independent is representing U.S. distribution rights.
“Last Flight is a rare thriller that combines relentless edge of your seat tension with profound humanity,” said Protagonist Pictures CEO Dave Bishop. “Babak Anvari brings extraordinary urgency and compassion to this story, grounding its high-stakes momentum in the deeply human choices that define us. Benedict Cumberbatch will undoubtedly bring the intelligence, depth, and moral complexity this role demands. It’s an important story that speaks directly to our moment: a story about trust, responsibility, and the enduring bonds between people across borders. We’re incredibly proud to be introducing the project to buyers at EFM.”
British-Iranian filmmaker Anvari commented: “This story is deeply personal to me. I come from the region, and what sits behind Last Flight is immediate and lived. It is a thriller built on pressure, momentum, and impossible choices, always driven by human consequence. I have admired Benedict Cumberbatch for years, and having him at the centre of this film is incredibly exciting. He brings a rare presence that makes the stakes feel urgent and alive.”
“Last Flight is a moving, wild ride that is also a galvanising call to action: it reminds us that, even if you’re on the other side of the world and all you have is a phone, an internet connection, and a desire to help, you can make a difference,” added Two & Two and SunnyMarch.
