Bella Ramsey has spent two seasons dodging fungal horrors and ruthless survivors on The Last of Us. Now, they're facing a different kind of challenge: the awkwardness of being a teenager. In the new film Sunny Dancer, Ramsey plays Ivy Pritchard, a 17-year-old cancer survivor whose disease is in remission. As she tries to fit in with her peers, her parents—played by Baby Reindeer's Jessica Gunning and House of the Dragon's James Norton—decide to send her to CRF Camp, a summer program for young people with cancer.
At camp, Ivy meets a group of kids who understand her experience, including camp president Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris), and campers Ella (Ruby Stokes), Ralph (Earl Cave), and Archie (Conrad Khan). She soon bonds with fellow camper Jake (Daniel Quinn-Toye), but she's about to learn just how fragile life can be. The film has already charmed UK audiences and holds an impressive 88% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
In our exclusive sneak peek, Ivy's parents drop her off at camp, and her mother does everything she can to make her daughter feel welcome—by embarrassing her as much as possible. The clip is a hilarious showcase of the chemistry between Ramsey and Gunning, who bring a warm, relatable dynamic to the screen.
Writer-director George Jaques, who based the story on his own mother's battle with cancer, shared his excitement about the clip: "Embarrassing mother alert! Check out the incomparable Jessica Gunning and Bella Ramsey in this hilarious exclusive clip from my new film Sunny Dancer. The chemistry Jessica and Bella have on screen is the relationship we all hope to have in our lives. In this clip, Jessica is the protective mama bear eager to embarrass her child. Strictly out of pure love."
Can Ivy survive her mom's well-meaning but mortifying attempts to help? You'll have to watch the clip to find out—and catch the full film when it hits North American theaters starting September 18.
Sunny Dancer marks a departure for Ramsey, who has been a breakout star on HBO's hit series. They're joined by a talented cast that includes Gunning, Norton, Harris, and rising stars like Ruby Stokes and Conrad Khan. The film's music comes from Zachary Dawes and Este Haim, with a cameo from musician James Blunt.
For more on the film, check out our interview with the cast about their experiences on set. And if you're a fan of Ramsey's work, you might also enjoy this exclusive look at another upcoming project.
With its blend of humor and heart, Sunny Dancer is poised to be one of the must-see indie films of the season. Don't miss it when it arrives in theaters this week.
