True Brit Entertainment has released the official trailer for Sunny Dancer, the new coming-of-age drama starring Bella Ramsey. Written and directed by George Jaques, whose previous work includes Black Dog, the film arrives in UK and Irish cinemas from 14 August 2026.
Ramsey plays Ivy, a teenager who has recently come through cancer and is sent by her well-meaning but overprotective parents to spend the summer at what she less than lovingly calls “chemo camp.” The trailer makes it clear she has absolutely no desire to be there at first, but as Ivy slowly starts to let people in, the summer begins to open up into unexpected friendship, first love and the kind of emotional journey that may well damage us all. Lovely.
The trailer suggests Sunny Dancer is looking at what comes after survival. Ivy has come through cancer, but she is still working out who she is, what she wants, and how to be a teenager again when life has already forced her to grow up too quickly.
Alongside Ramsey, the cast includes Jessica Gunning and James Norton as Ivy’s parents, with Neil Patrick Harris, Ruby Stokes, Daniel Quinn-Toye, Earl Cave, Conrad Khan, Jasmine Elcock and Shalom Brune-Franklin also appearing.
For CultureCues, Sunny Dancer looks like a film with real warmth to it, where humour, pain and heart sit close together in a way that feels honest rather than overly polished. It looks funny, emotional and properly heartfelt, with Bella Ramsey at the centre of a story that already feels worth rooting for. Basically, we want to watch this immediately. Tissues may be needed, because this has “crying one minute, smiling the next” written all over it.
Sunny Dancer arrives in UK and Irish cinemas from 14 August 2026.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.