Fred Hechinger (The White Lotus, Gladiator II) will be joined by Kit Connor (Heartstopper) in queer drama A Long Winter, set against the backdrop of a winter blizzard in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Set in the 1950s, the psychological drama will follow Mike, played by Hechinger, as he searches for his missing mother through the harsh winter conditions of the mountains. Kit Connor will play Mike’s brother, who is drafted into the Korean War, soon leaving him alone with his father, played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear), and mother, played by Irish actress Caitríona Balfe (Outlander).

During his search for his mother, Mike grows closer to Jimmy, played by D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, best known for his role as Bear Smallhill in Reservation Dogs. 

The film also stars David Furr, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Martin Freeman

Directed by Andrew Haigh, A Long Winter will mark his return to the big screen since 2023’s All of Us Strangers, starring Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal. Haigh, who is gay, is renowned for his work exploring LGBTQ+ lives and relationships, with previous projects including the film Weekend and the television series Looking.

Based on the short story of the same name by openly gay Irish author Colm Tóibín, the screen adaptation makes several significant changes from the source material. Most notable is the change in setting, from the Catalan Pyrenees to the American West, as well as the change in the lead character from Spanish to American, with Miquel becoming Mike.

Completely taken by the short story upon its release in 2006, novice filmmaker Haigh convinced Tóibín to sell him the rights to adapt it for the screen, describing the story as “the perfect manifestation of what I care about.“

A Long Winter will be released in Irish and UK cinemas on January 15. Check out the trailer below.