Cannes 2025 festival-goers put their stamp of approval of Harris Dickinson the filmmaker, with his directing debut “Urchin” winning the FIPRESCI prize out of Un Certain Regard. What can’t the “Babygirl” and “Triangle of Sadness” and “Beach Rats” and “The Iron Claw” actor and future John Lennon star do?

A favorite of IndieWire’s Screen Talk podcast and Chief Film Critic David Ehrlich, “Urchin” seemed primed for a major scoop out of Cannes alongside other actor-turned-filmmakers (Kristen Stewart’s “Chronology of Water,” still without a buyer, and Scarlett Johansson’s “Eleanor the Great,” set up at Sony Pictures Classics and, we’re guessing, next poised for a TIFF bow).

Alas, it took two months since the festival’s end for rising distribution outfit 1-2 Special to step in and buy Dickinson’s film for North American distribution. Starring Frank Dillane as an unhoused, drug-chasing drifter in London, and in the vein of Mike Leigh’s “Naked” in terms of toxic emotional candor, “Urchin” follows Mike (Dillane) as he tumbles through a cycle of addiction, self-destruction, and London’s correctional system. In addition to the FIPRESCI prize, Dillane also won a Best Performance award out of Un Certain Regard. (IndieWire’s Anne Thompson even deemed Dillane a potential Oscar contender.)

Per a release on July 15, 1-2 Special will release “Urchin” in theaters this fall. Expect to play the gamut of fall festivals as word-of-mouth builds, and Dickinson’s viral star keeps rising (especially since “Babygirl”).

Producer Archie Pearch said, “We’re incredibly excited to have 1-2 Special on board as our North American distributor. Their bold, distinctive slate and deep passion for the film make them the ideal partner to help us connect with audiences across North America. As a new company ourselves, we recognized a kindred spirit in their entrepreneurial passion.”

Launched this past February ahead of the Berlinale by Sideshow co-founding executive Jason Hellerstein, 1-2 Special has launched with a suite of intriguing buys this year. The distributor is firmly in the Radu Jude business, with North American rights to the Romanian director’s Silver Bear winner “Kontinental 25” and upcoming Locarno premiere “Dracula.” There’s also Christian Petzold’s “Miroirs No. 3,” bought for the U.S. from Metrograph Pictures, and Simón Mesa Soto’s Un Certain Regard Jury Prize winner “A Poet” coming up.

“Urchin” was produced by Archie Pearch at Devisio Pictures, with Scott O’Donnell of Somesuch. The film was developed by BBC Film and financed by BBC Film, BFI, and Tricky Knot. Executive Producers are Eva Yates, Ama Ampadu, Alexandra Tynion, and Olivia Tyson.

The deal was negotiated by The Gersh Agency, UTA Independent Film Group, and Charades on behalf of the filmmakers with 1-2 Special.