The Wasp, starring Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer – we talk to director Guillem Morales for Chiswick In Film Festival 2026

Guillem Morales on the set of The Wasp, with Natalie Dormer; Photograph Chris Harris

The Chiswick In Film Festival will be screening Guillem Morales’ film The Wasp (2024) on Friday 27 March, and he will be talking to Andrea Carnevali about it afterwards

I am excited to see the opening film of this year’s Chsiwick In Film festival on Friday 27 March. I know everybody is excited about everything these days on social media, so the currency of excitement has been devalued, but The Wasp (2024) is a psychological thriller – right up my street – and the director Guillem Morales is so down to earth and enthusiastic about what he does, his passion is infectious.

Plus, it is a two-hander between two great British actresses – Naomie Harris OBE, and Natalie Dormer.

“The Wasp offers two very complex female characters”, Guillem told me. “That’s something which is important because you don’t see it often”.

Natalie Dormer in The Wasp

“They are both amazing actresses at the top of their game”, he told me, sounding as if he could hardly believe his luck. “Natalie is playing a very different character than you’ve ever seen her play before. You’ve never seen her play a proper working-class woman. Everything in this country is about class”.

Natalie’s breakthrough role was playing Anne Boleyn in the Showtime series The Tudors (2007–08). She played the Duchess of York in Madonna’s film W.E. (2011) and Private Lorraine in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) but really hit the big time playing Margaery Tyrell on the HBO series Game of Thrones (2012–2016) and Cressida in the last two parts of The Hunger Games franchise (2014–2015).

Naomie was nominated for the Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her first film role in Moonlight ten years ago. Since then she has played Selena in the post-apocalyptic film 28 Days Later (2002), the witch Tia Dalma in the second and third Pirates of the Caribbean films, Winnie Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013), and Shriek in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe film Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021).

She has also starred as Eve Moneypenny in the James Bond films: Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and No Time to Die (2021).

Naomie Harris in The Wasp

Nominated for Best New Director at the Spanish Goya awards and director of ‘ a masterpiece’ of British television

This is Guillem Morales’ first feature film in English, so it says something about his reputation as a director that he has bagged two such great actors, but he is pretty hot property himself.

His first short film, Back Room (1999), won several international awards and was nominated for a Goya Award, the Spanish equivalent of a BAFTA, for Best Fiction Short Film in 2000. His first full length feature film, The Uninvited Guest (2004) won Best Picture at the Fant Festival of Bilbao and a nomination for Best New Director at the Goyas.

His speciality is dark, twisty, psychological thriller /horror.

In this country he is best known for his work on Inside no.9, the TV series which ran for ten years (2014 – 2024) and nine series – each episode a self-contained story with different characters in a new setting, that could morph unexpectedly into a different genre mid-programme.

“If you haven’t watched it, you are in for a treat. You never feel safe watching it, because you don’t know what it’s going to turn into”, he told me. “I’m very proud of Inside no.9“.

Inside no.9 – The 12 Days of Christine

He is responsible for 15 episodes, including The 12 Days of Christine, with Sheridan Smith in the lead role, which television critics raved about. The Times and The Telegraph both gave it five stars: Andrew Billen of The Times called it ‘a masterpiece’ and Benji Wilson wrote in The Telegraph that it was ‘in many ways perfect’.

So, I am looking forward to seeing The Wasp on the opening night of our weekend-long film festival at Chsiwick Cinema. Film buffs will appreciate the uniqueness of the event. It is a British film made with American money and although it had theatrical release in the States, it has not been seen in cinemas here. The way the finances of the film industry work, it was destined to go straight to streaming platforms, so this is a rare screening.

Sadly, that means the film is ruled out from consideration for a BAFTA.

“I felt sorry for the actresses. I felt they should have been considered for the BAFTAs”, Guillem told me.

Carla and Heather, the two main characters in The Wasp; best friends from school

“You are leading the amazing creativity of a lot of people, capturing something with an amazing crew of people”

Originally from Barcelona, Guillem came to the UK 15 years ago and is now a permanent resident. Having lived in a few other parts of London, he settled in Chiswick. “I really love it”.

Listening to him talking about what he gets out of making films makes you want to drop everything and run off to film school, or at very least sign up as an extra in one of his films.

“I have loved film all my life. It’s such a complex art – so fascinating”.

The kick he gets out of being a director?

“You can direct the creativity of so many people all with one objective. It’s like conducting an orchestra. You are leading the amazing creativity of a lot of people, capturing something with an amazing crew of people”.

(Can you hear the excitement?)

“Photography, architecture, performances, colours, textures, music, sound … it’s incredibly complex”.

He will have fun talking to Andrea Carnevali after the film. He gets just as carried away about the joy of film-making.

What could Guillem tell me about the film?

“Nothing”, he laughs. “The less you know, the better. I want the audience to come to it without knowing anything about it”.

Fine. I guess I will have to wait until 7.30pm on Friday 27 March.

Book tickets: The Wasp

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