‘House of the Dragon’ star Emma D’Arcy to star in cancer drama inspired by director’s own journey

Emma D’Arcy, best known for her role as Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO’s House of the Dragon, has been cast in the UK short film Last Train Home. Directed by Jessi Gutch, the story is drawn from Gutch’s personal experience living with incurable cancer.

D’Arcy will portray Eve, a woman navigating the threshold between life and death while reconnecting with a childhood friend. The narrative shifts between a hospice bed and a steam train populated by ghosts, presenting what the filmmakers describe as a “coming-of-death” story. It aims to depict dying as an extended, complex experience rather than a single event.

Gutch, diagnosed at 27 with ovarian cancer that had spread to her liver and spleen, has long explored mortality in her work. Her previous project, The Forgotten C, drew from her semi-autobiographical experiences and earned a BIFA nomination. She has researched deathbed phenomena and the spiritual aspects of dying, which influenced the conception of Last Train Home.

The film developed during a residency at Prospect Cottage in Dungeness, the site of Derek Jarman’s former home, a location noted for its stark coastal landscape. Donna McKevitt, a longtime Jarman collaborator, will compose the score, adding a connection to the cottage’s artistic heritage.

“Cinema almost entirely avoids the dying process,” Gutch said. “But death is layered, messy, frightening, beautiful and often profoundly connective. This film exists because I’ve lived inside that space, and because so few stories allow us to stay there.”

Co-produced by Cat Marshall and Victoria Emslie under Last Train Home Ltd., the production operates on a £72,000 ($97,000) budget and is currently in financing. Executive producer Shoshana Ungerleider, M.D., noted that the film encourages a view of dying with curiosity and humanity rather than fear, reflecting broader efforts to rethink end-of-life care.

The creative team includes BAFTA Breakthrough honoree Nathalie Pitters as director of photography, Lucie Red as production designer, and Nse Asuquo as editor, with a commitment to ethical working conditions such as 7+1 hour shoot days and doula support for all cast and crew. The film seeks to challenge societal reluctance to discuss mortality and invite audiences to experience the complexities of life’s final chapter with honesty and tenderness.