Billie Piper, Woody Norman Lead Supernatural Horror 'Sketchbook'

Billie Piper and Woody Norman are set to star in the supernatural horror film 'Sketchbook'. Production on the Wales-set project is scheduled to begin in early 2027.

The film will feature Norman as a 14-year-old boy struggling to reintegrate with his mother, played by Piper, after years in foster care. He is introduced to a cursed sketchbook by a group of teenage misfits. The book makes anything drawn inside it come to life, which he uses to gain friendship, attention, and a sense of belonging.

As the drawings become darker and more dangerous, he discovers something inside the book is actually using him for its own nefarious purposes.

Director's Vision

Jamie Jones, who wrote and will direct the film, aims to create horror that feels immediate and grounded. "The book starts as something exciting and irresistible, but also serves as a metaphor for bullying, the fantasy of turning the tables on your tormentor," Jones said. He plans to work closely with the young actors to ground the horror in authentic relationships and behaviour.

Production Team and Reactions

The film is produced by Jay Taylor for Electric Shadow, Oscar-nominated producer David Lancaster for Rumble Films, and Wales-based producer Adam Knopf. Sales are being handled by WestEnd Films ahead of the American Film Market.

Taylor described 'Sketchbook' as "exactly the kind of bold, distinctive filmmaking we want to champion." He praised Jones's creation of a cinematic fable that twists the universal desire to belong into something deeply unsettling. Lancaster called Jones an incredibly exciting storyteller with a unique ability to access something deeply human beneath the horror.

Maya Amsellem, Managing Director of WestEnd Films, noted the project's strong international market potential, citing the attached cast and producing team.

Cast Background

Billie Piper was most recently seen in the film 'Elsinore', which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival. Woody Norman, who was Bafta-nominated for his role in 'C'mon C'mon', recently played Richard II in Andrew Garfield's historical drama 'The Uprising'. Director Jamie Jones previously wrote and directed 'Obey', which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and earned him a Bafta Cymru award.

The film's evocative Welsh setting is expected to add a further layer of dynamism and theatricality for audiences.