Joy (upcoming film)

Joy is an upcoming British drama film starring Bill Nighy, Thomasin McKenzie and James Norton. Directed by Ben Taylor, it is the true story of the world’s first in vitro fertilisation baby. The screenplay is by Jack Thorne who developed the story with his wife Rachel Mason and Emma Gordon & Shaun Topp. It is produced by Wildgaze and Pathé for Netflix.

Synopsis
Set in the 1960s and 1970s, a nurse (McKenzie), a visionary scientist (Norton) and an innovative surgeon (Nighy) work to develop the first 'test tube baby'.

Cast

 * Bill Nighy as Patrick Steptoe
 * Thomasin McKenzie as Jean Purdy
 * James Norton as Robert Edwards

Production
A British production, the film is produced by Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey for Wildgaze, with executive producer Cameron McCracken for Pathé. Husband and wife team Rachel Mason and Jack Thorne developed the story with Thorne providing the screenplay. It is directed by Ben Taylor.

Filming got underway in the UK in September 2023.