Ever since Emerald Fennell won the Oscar for best original screenplay in 2021 for her fiery feature directorial debut, Promising Young Woman, we’ve been waiting with bated breath to see what she does next. And while you may have spotted her in Barbie (as pregnant doll Midge, aka Barbie’s best friend) what we’ve been really excited about is her upcoming feature film, Saltburn.

While major plot points are being kept carefully under wraps for a while now, Deadline has reported that Saltburn will be a gritty thriller that tells a “story of obsession” with its focus on “a grand, aristocratic English family”.

Sounds intriguing. Here’s everything we know so far about Saltburn, including who will round out the all-star cast and the brand new trailer.

As we explained, concrete details of Saltburn’s plot are few and far between. What we do know is this: set in the early 00s, it’s been described as “a wicked tale of privilege and desire” that follows Oliver Quick, a young man struggling to find his place at Oxford University. That is until he finds himself drawn to the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton, who invites him to his eccentric family’s estate for a summer never to be forgotten.

As she proved in Promising Young Woman – a black comedy where a woman takes revenge on the men who assaulted her – Fennell is no stranger to complicated and morally grey plotlines, so we can expect the story to take dark turns at points. But a story that combines autumnal dark academia with compulsion, lust and secrecy? Sign us up.

Watch the newly released teaser trailer below:

Barry Keoghan (of The Banshees Of Inisherin fame) will play Oliver Quick, a Liverpudlian student who becomes sucked into the orbit of the aristocratic Felix Catton, played by none other than Euphoria and Priscilla’s Jacob Elordi.

The impeccable cast also includes the likes of Rosamund Pike, Carey Mulligan, Alison Oliver, Richard E Grant, Archie Madekwe, Sadie Soverall, Lolly Adefope and Ewan Mitchell, though their characters are yet to be confirmed.

MRC is the studio behind the film and LuckyChap Entertainment, the company Margot Robbie runs with her husband, Tom Ackerley, is producing. 

The good news is that principal photography for Saltburn began in the UK last summer, and it’s due to arrive in cinemas later this year. While many films are being delayed due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, Saltburn is set for general release on 24 November.

Images: Getty/Amazon studios