Raine Allen-Miller, director of Rye Lane, is working on her sophomore feature The Roots Manœuvre, it’s been revealed.
Raine Allen-Miller, the writer-director of 2023’s thoroughly charming South London rom-com, Rye Lane, has lined up her next project. According to Variety, The Roots Manœuvre (apparently with French spelling) is officially in the works, with Amazon MGM Studios’ Orion Pictures and BBC Film plotting a US theatrical release.
Like Rye Lane, The Roots Manœuvre will reportedly see the director return to her beloved London setting. The script, also written by Allen-Miller, “follows a young woman who orchestrates a daring heist to recover a stolen artifact, covering her tracks by managing the whirlwind of a luxury wedding.” It also sees Allen-Miller reuniting with BBC Film, who co-financed her first flick alongside Disney’s Searchlight Pictures and the BFI.
The director’s debut feature might have had a Disney-backed cinema release in the UK, but was sent straight to Hulu, Star+ and Disney+ worldwide. Amazon’s commitment to a cinema release, then, seems to be a clear vote of confidence in Allen-Miller’s hotly anticipated follow-up.
Read more: Rye Lane, and the cinema problem
After debuting to rave reviews at Sundance in 2023, Rye Lane earned its reputation as one of the best British rom-coms of recent years. Star David Jonsson’s profile has skyrocketed since with a role as a sweet-natured android in last year’s Alien: Romulus, and is the most recent recipient of the BAFTA Rising Star award, while co-lead Vivian Oparah earned a Best Actress BAFTA nomination for her part in the film.
Rye Lane is currently streaming on Disney+ in the UK. It’s proper lovely.
