MGM+ new original fantasy-adventure comedy The Portable Door will debut exclusively on MGM+ and coming exclusively to the U.S. market in April. The comedy stars multi-time Golden Globe nominee Sam Neill (Peter Rabbit, Jurassic Park) and Patrick Gibson (The OA, Tolkien), joining two-time Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained, No Time to Die) and Sophie Wilde (Eden, You Don’t Know Me). The award-winning Jeffrey Walker (Ali’s Wedding, Lambs of God) directed the film, which is adapted by Leon Ford (Griff the Invisible) from Tom Holt’s popular seven-book fantasy series.
The movie centers on Paul Carpenter (Gibson) and Sophie Pettingel (Wilde), lowly, put-upon interns who begin working at the mysterious London firm J.W. Wells & Co., and become increasingly aware that their employers are anything but conventional. Charismatic villains Humphrey Wells (Waltz), the CEO of the company, and middle manager Dennis Tanner (Neill) are disrupting the world of magic by bringing modern corporate strategy to ancient magical practices, and Paul and Sophie discover the true agenda of the vast corporation.
The cast also includes Miranda Otto (The Lord of the Rings, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Chris Pang (Crazy Rich Asians, Charlie’s Angels), Jessica De Gouw (Gretel & Hansel, Pennyworth), and Rachel House (Soul, Thor: Ragnarok).
A Jim Henson Company, Story Bridge Films, and Sky production, The Portable Door is produced by Todd Fellman from Story Bridge Films (Daybreakers, Bait 3D) and Blanca Lista (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance). The Jim Henson Company’s Lisa Henson and Chris Lytton are executive producing, as are Arclight Films’ Gary Hamilton, Brian Beckmann, Ying Ye, and Ryan Hamilton, alongside Julia Stuart and Laura Grange from Sky, and Cailah Scobie and Shana Levine with Stan. Arclight Films is handling international rights to the movie. UTA’s Independent Film Group and CAA Media Finance are jointly representing the film’s North American rights.
“The Portable Door is a charming young-adult action-adventure fantasy with a British sensibility that is an excellent addition to our curated film library,” said Michael Wright, head of MGM+. “With Sam Neill, Christoph Waltz, Patrick Gibson, and its wonderful cast of excellent actors, we’re thrilled to offer this delightful film to our audience of movie lovers.”
“There is no better home for this delightful and comedic adventure than on the prestigious new MGM+. Featuring deeply funny performances from our incredible cast, and a rich, high-fantasy setting, The Portable Door allowed us to create the kind of memorable, exciting world-building that The Jim Henson Company does best,” said executive producer Lisa Henson. “The Portable Door is poised to be the next Henson fan favorite.”
The Portable Door is the newest original film announced by MGM+, joining an expansive library of film titles from MGM and other major Hollywood Studios.