Shubhabrata Dutta
Brian Cox is a recipient of not one but two Laurence Olivier awards, the highest honor in British theater given by the Society of London Theatre, for the plays ‘Rat in the Skull’ (1984) and ‘Titus Andronicus’ (1988). So, you can pretty much understand his popularity as a stage actor. But that’s only half of it. His filmography, which spans more than 4 decades, includes movies like ‘Braveheart,’ ‘Rushmore,’ ‘Succession,’ ‘Manhunter,’ ‘Coriolanus,’ ‘Deadwood,’ ‘The Minus Man,’ and ‘Nicholas and Alexandra.’
Cox also features in ‘Rob Roy,’ ‘Pope John Paul II,’ ‘The Autopsy of Jane Doe,’ ‘Red,’ ‘25th Hour,’ ‘Zodiac,’ ‘The Bourne Identity,’ and ‘X2’ (the second installment of Bryan Singer’s ‘X-Men’ trilogy) to name a handful. His portrayal of self-made billionaire Logan Roy in ‘Succession’ won him a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, three Emmy award nominations, and a BAFTA Scotland nomination. And these are only some of his accolades. At the age of 77, the prolific actor is still going strong with a long list of upcoming ventures. Here they are!
1. The Electric State (2025)
‘The Electric State’ is a sci-fi adventure drama movie that marks the joint return of the Russo Brothers (Anthony and Joe) to the director’s chair after ‘The Gray Man’ (2022). Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely adapted the script from Simon Stålenhag’s graphic novel of the same name. The story is set in an alternate future and chronicles the journey of a teenage girl named Michelle, her companion robot (sent to her by her missing brother), and a drifter, across the American West in search of her younger brother. During the journey, they uncover a large conspiracy hidden beneath a world shared by humans and robots.
The cast includes Millie Bobby Brown as Michelle, and Chris Pratt as Keats, along with Ke Huy Quan, Brian Cox (voice), Stanley Tucci, Jason Alexander, Jenny Slate (voice), and Anthony Mackie (voice) among others. The Russo Brothers also serve as producers for the Netflix film that has completed post-production and will drop on Netflix on March 14, 2025. You can watch the trailer here.
2. The Marbles (TBA)
Brian Cox will be seen in David Wilkinson’s documentary film ‘The Marbles.’ Written by Emlyn Price and David Wilkinson. The film focuses on the Parthenon Marbles, which were ripped from their setting at the turn of the 19th century, and outlines the case of how they were returned by the British Museum to Athens and the ups and downs that have occurred since. The cast also includes Bill Nighy, Janet Suzman, David Wilkinson, and Clare Clifford. The film is in its post-production stage and is slated for release in the UK on March 25, 2025. A US release date is still awaited.
3. The Parenting (TBA)
Penned by ‘Saturday Night Live’ writer Kent Sublette and directed by Craig Johnson (‘The Skeleton Twins’), ‘The Parenting’ is an R-rated horror comedy movie. It follows a queer couple who rent a cozy countryside house to host a “meet the parents” weekend getaway only to realize that the house is haunted by a 400-year-old poltergeist (a supernatural entity that can make noises and cause other physical disturbances). How it affects their hosting is what we have to see. Needless to say, the combination of the director and the writer itself ensures that the movie will be a laughter riot (though not suitable for children). The cast of ‘The Parenting’ includes Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Dean Norris, Edie Falco, Parker Posey, Brandon Flynn, Vivian Bang, and Kate Avallone. The HBO Max movie has completed its post-production and a release date is yet to be announced.
4. Wittgenstein’s Poker (TBA)
Based on a 2001 book of the same name by David Edmonds and John Eidinow, both BBC journalists, ‘Wittgenstein’s Poker’ is a 10-min animated short directed by Christian De Vita, which showcases the real-life conversation/debate between philosophers Sir Karl Popper and Ludwig Wittgenstein at the Cambridge University Moral Sciences Club on October 25, 1946. British mathematician Bertrand Russell was also present at the meeting that was chaired by Wittgenstein. The latter used a fireplace poker to emphasize the points he was making, hence the name ‘Wittgenstein’s Poker.’
The cast of the short comprises Karl Markovics as Sir Karl Popper, Richard E. Grant as Ludwig Wittgenstein, and Cox as Bertrand Russell. The project has been stuck in its post-production stages since 2020 and updates about where it will be released and a release date are awaited rather patiently.
5. Glenrothan (TBA)
‘Glenrothan’ serves as the feature directorial debut of Brian Cox. The Lionsgate-Nevision family drama was created by Scottish actor/writer David Ashton, who also co-written it with Jeff Murphy (‘Hinterland’). The film tells the story of two brothers who reunite in the homeland after 40 years to save the family whisky distillery, the Glenrothan Distillery, in the Scottish Highlands. The last time the two spoke and saw each other was at their mother’s funeral when the younger brother left for America after a violent argument with their father.
‘Glenrothan’ is likely inspired by real-life The Glenrothes Distillery in Rothes, Scotland, which is famous for its single malt Scotch whiskey and was established in 1879 by a man named James Stuart. Other than Cox, who will also star in it, Jess Douglas-Welsh and Aidan Redmond will also star. The project is in its filming stage and more details regarding cast and release are awaited.
6. Gramercy Park (TBA)
Set in New York in 1883, ‘Gramercy Park’ is a historical series that tells the story of Kate Donovan, an Irish immigrant who takes up the profession of a prostitute to earn money and take care of her younger sister Maureen after losing their parents in an accident. Eventually, the two sisters lock away their past lives. While Kate becomes the mistress to some of Wall Street’s most influential men, Maureen too takes up a new identity and becomes a New York darling, marrying her way into one of the most influential families in America. But when Osgood Plimpton, a fixer and lawyer, finds out about the “secret” of the two sisters, their lives are threatened.
‘Gramercy Park’ is written by Janet Dulin Jones (‘What If God Were the Sun?’), and directed by Mike Newell (‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ and ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’) and Scott Winant (‘Breaking Bad‘ and ‘Fargo’). The cast includes Millie Brady, who is likely to play Kate Donovan, Gabriel Byrne as Osgood Plimpton, along with Cox and Mira Sorvino in yet-undisclosed roles. Further updates about the AMC series are awaited.
