Lauren McQueen to lead Michael J. Long's British drama Crack'd
Lauren McQueen will lead Michael J. Long's British psychological drama Crack'd, Variety reports exclusively. The MGM+/Lionsgate Robin Hood star plays Chloe, a once-promising young actress whose life unravels amid addiction, violation, and violence. Shot entirely in Liverpool and nearing picture lock, the feature is targeting an international festival premiere in early 2027.
A first-look image of McQueen in the role has been unveiled as production wraps on a feature that writer-director Long positions as a flagship for regional filmmaking from England's north-west.
Key Takeaways
- Lauren McQueen leads Crack'd as Chloe, a young actress trapped in a cycle of addiction, violation, and violence.
- Michael J. Long wrote and directed the Liverpool-set psychological drama, his second feature after Baby Brother.
- Robbie O'Neill and Jodie McNee join a largely Liverpudlian cast in the performance-led thriller.
- Long frames the project as the centerpiece of his Scouse New Wave movement championing Northern working-class stories.
- Crack'd is targeting an international festival premiere in early 2027.
Why does Lauren McQueen's Crack'd casting matter now?
McQueen has momentum after playing Maid Marian in MGM+ and Lionsgate's Robin Hood, and she is currently filming the series' second season. Landing the lead in Crack'd gives her a headline film role in a gritty, character-driven British feature while her Robin Hood profile remains high.
Variety reports that McQueen is repped by WME and Tapestry. The casting arrives as a first-look still debuts, signaling that the production is close to final cut.
What is Crack'd about?
The film follows Chloe, described as a once-promising young actress whose reality collapses inside a vicious circle of addiction, violation, and violence. Long says the story shifts from gritty social realism into psychological fracture, blending grounded drama with a fracturing mind-set.
Robbie O'Neill, known for Adolescence and Enola Holmes 3, and Jodie McNee of The Gathering star alongside McQueen and other Liverpudlian talent. AJ Jones also produces and appears on screen.
Who is behind the camera on Crack'd?
Long, a Liverpool-based filmmaker, calls Crack'd the flagship of a movement he is spearheading called the Scouse New Wave. “Our mission is to champion raw, character-driven storytelling with a distinctly Northern, working-class perspective,” he told Variety.
The film is exec produced by Marc Koebernick, Long, and Jones. Funk Films, run by Long and Tom Sidney, produces in association with Zope Studios. Paddy Rowan and Kayleigh Ann Coleman also produce, with Bobby Schofield and Shaun Fagan as associate producers. Ben Molyneux-Chan serves as director of photography.
Crack'd is Long's second feature after Baby Brother, another Liverpool-set story that premiered at the Oldenberg Film Festival in 2024 and won the Hans Ohlms Award. Long is repped by Independent Talent.
When will audiences see Crack'd?
Production is set and shot entirely in Liverpool, and the team is now nearing picture lock. Variety did not report a distributor or streaming deal alongside the casting news.
The film is targeting an international festival premiere in early 2027. For more British film and series news, follow our Streaming & TV Alerts coverage.
Variety broke the news in an exclusive report published July 7, 2026.