Juste après l’aube: a role in Olivier Boillot’s film
I play Lloyd in Olivier Boillot’s science-fiction film Juste après l’aube (Just After Dawn), and I’m very proud to have been part of it. I fancy talking about the people who made this film happen, and what really amazed me about seeing all of this being built over time.
Produced by Futurikon, the film’s cast includes Charlie Anson, Aïssa Maïga, Mehmet Kurtuluş, Vincent Grass, Fathia Youssouf, Bertrand-Xavier Corbi, Geneviève Emanuelli, Julie Judd and Alexandre Tessier. The initial premise: astronauts return from a lunar mission to discover an Earth from which humanity seems to have vanished. You can check out the official CANAL+ synopsis for that starting point, and I’ll let you find out more about the story for yourselves.
Olivier Boillot: perseverance at every step
I was first approached about the project roughly three years before its announced television broadcast. For Olivier, the journey was much longer. In a profile published on 12 October 2026, TL7 looks back on fifteen years of work to bring the film to the screen.
He’s one of the most persistent people I know. He’s impressed me at every step. And believe me, this isn’t the only project he’s had in mind for years. That’s something I find humbling: continuing to carry his film, working through the obstacles, holding on to the determination to make it happen and, above all, trusting the process. I have a great deal of admiration for that, and being able to join him for part of this journey has been a privilege.
Making science fiction in France is challenging
Science fiction doesn’t feel like a common choice in French cinema. It takes a great deal of will and a sense of daring to tackle it. But when I see the result and the scale at which this project was made, I find it incredible. It makes me think about what could be done with larger-scale budgets. I’m looking forward to seeing how it encourages other people, and producers, to dare to do this. It feels as though French cinema has become a little wary of it. Here’s the official trailer, which gives you a glimpse.
I also love hearing different languages in the film. They made the choice to have several spoken languages, with subtitles supporting the moments in languages we don’t understand. As a British actor working internationally in English and French, that space for different languages means something to me. It makes the film feel more worldly, and the events feel larger in scale, because not everyone is speaking the same language. It adds another dimension: the whole film feels international, yet it is still French, with plenty of French spoken in it. We affect one another even when we don’t speak the same language.
On set, something of a neighbourhood vibe
I arrived in the first days of filming. What I remember above all is the human experience, the people coming together to make this film. That process amazes me every time.
Everyone has their craft, their skills and their part of the work, and all of that becomes a film. I find it extraordinary to watch a piece of work take shape through what each person contributes. There’s something of a neighbourhood feel. Not everyone wants to spend time together. People are tired in the evenings; we want to go home and wake up the next morning with a bit more energy. But relationships are built, and things happen.
I’d love to talk about the scenes I did, but that’s going to be for another time. For now, I need to let you discover what the character and the film have in store. The film will speak for itself, and I’m not the main subject anyway. Above all, I’m proud to have taken part and witnessed its creation.
Hocus Pocus Studio and Marco Pascal: two contributions I want to highlight
I really want to highlight Hocus Pocus Studio’s visual-effects work. It’s substantial work, and what they’ve done is incredible. I can’t wait to see audiences discover it and be blown away. From my perspective, there is a place for this team to claim in the visual-effects world. I want to see their work really take off from this, and I think it will.
Marco Pascal also did tremendous work on the sound design, under Olivier Boillot’s supervision. You can really hear his work in the film. It plays an important part and needs to be mentioned. And I don’t want to leave out the music, composed by Rémi Weisrock.
For this particular style of cinema, I see three pillars: the direction, the sound, music included, and the visual effects. In science fiction, their role is essential, and you’ll see that sound plays an interesting role here.
Discover Juste après l’aube
The television broadcast is announced for Sunday 18 October 2026 at 20:50 Paris time on CINÉ+ FRISSON, within the CINÉ+ OCS offering. The official CANAL+ film page provides broadcast and viewing information. ALCA also introduces the film and its production. These external film and production resources are in French.
If you would like to see more of my work, here are my screen roles and acting showreel. And for a film or television project, you can get in touch here.
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