DNA Films

Overview

DNA Films is a British production company based in Clerkenwell, London, run by managing director Andrew Macdonald and partner Allon Reich. The company has produced some of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed British films of the past 25 years, with a core team of six people including general manager Joanne Smith.

DNA's current priority projects are the 28 Years Later trilogy for Sony Pictures and Alex Garland's film adaptation of the video game Elden Ring for A24. The first film in the trilogy, 28 Years Later (June 2025), grossed $151.3 million worldwide on a $60 million budget. The second installment, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (directed by Nia DaCosta), released in January 2026. The third film has not yet been greenlit but is expected given the first film's performance.

The company operates with a deliberately small team, relying on creative partnerships rather than infrastructure scale. Its primary collaborators are writer-director Alex Garland and director Danny Boyle, with distribution relationships at A24, Sony Pictures, and the BBC.

History

Founding and Early Partnership (1997 to 2003)

Andrew Macdonald and Duncan Kenworthy established DNA Films in 1997 as one of three UK National Lottery-backed franchise production companies. Macdonald brought experience from Trainspotting (1996) and The Beach (2000); Kenworthy brought experience from Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) and Notting Hill (1999). Their complementary strengths covered both edgy, youth-oriented content and mainstream commercial cinema.

Kenworthy departed in 2003. Allon Reich, who had joined DNA in 2002 following stints at Miramax and Film4, became Macdonald's producing partner. The Macdonald-Reich partnership has defined DNA's output for the past 22 years.

Breakthrough Productions (2002 to 2018)

DNA's early output demonstrated range across genre and prestige. 28 Days Later (2002), directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland, earned $82 million worldwide on an $8 million budget and revitalized the zombie horror genre. Love Actually (2003), written and directed by Richard Curtis, grossed $247 million worldwide and became a perennial holiday title. The History Boys (2006) adapted Alan Bennett's stage play. Sunshine (2007) reunited Boyle and Garland for science fiction.

The Garland partnership deepened with Never Let Me Go (2010, directed by Mark Romanek from Garland's adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel), Ex Machina (2014, Garland's directorial debut, produced by DNA and distributed by A24 in North America), and Annihilation (2018, Garland's science fiction thriller starring Natalie Portman).

A24 Partnership and Scale Expansion (2024 to 2026)

Civil War (2024), written and directed by Garland and produced by DNA for A24, grossed over $122 million worldwide. It was one of the largest budgets A24 had committed to at the time of production. Warfare (2025), written and directed by Garland and Ray Mendoza for A24, continued the DNA-A24 relationship.

The 28 Years Later trilogy represents DNA's largest-scale production to date. Macdonald reclaimed the rights to the original 28 Days Later from Searchlight Pictures and sold distribution rights to Sony Pictures, who committed to a trilogy. The first film had a $60 million budget (some reports cite $75 million including marketing). The second film, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, was shot back-to-back with the first, directed by Nia DaCosta from Garland's screenplay, and released in January 2026.

Upcoming Projects

Garland has written and will direct a film adaptation of Elden Ring, the fantasy role-playing game, based on a story by George R.R. Martin. The A24 project is a collaboration with Bandai Namco Entertainment. Reich, Macdonald, and Peter Rice are producing alongside Martin, Vince Gerardis, and Matthew Penry-Davey. Production is aiming for summer 2026.

DNA also has projects in development at BBC Film, Film4, and Orion Pictures, spanning romantic comedy, horror, and political thriller. The company is working with emerging British producers to bring new operators into the industry.

Business Model

Creative Partnership Approach

DNA operates with a six-person full-time team, scaling up per-project with freelance production staff. The company's model depends on deep creative relationships with a small number of writer-directors rather than a large development slate. Garland and Boyle are the two primary partnerships, with each collaboration built over multiple films and years of trust.

As partner Allon Reich has stated: "Our key collaborators are often in the US. You can't just make British films for a British audience. It doesn't work financially. The numbers don't add up." This means DNA projects are developed with international distribution in mind from the script stage.

Financing and Distribution

DNA films are financed through a combination of studio backing (Sony for the 28 Years Later trilogy), independent financing (A24, IPR.VC for Civil War), and UK public funding (BFI, BBC Film, Film4). The company's mid-budget range typically runs $8 million to $75 million per project.

Distribution partners are selected per project rather than through an output deal. A24 handles North American distribution for Garland's original projects. Sony Pictures handles worldwide distribution for the 28 Years Later franchise. This flexibility allows DNA to match each film with the distributor best suited to its scale and audience.

The Garland-DNA Pipeline

The relationship between DNA and Alex Garland has produced seven films across 22 years: The Beach (2000, writer), 28 Days Later (2002, writer), Sunshine (2007, writer), Never Let Me Go (2010, writer), Ex Machina (2014, writer-director), Annihilation (2018, writer-director), Civil War (2024, writer-director), Warfare (2025, co-writer-director), and 28 Years Later (2025, writer). The Elden Ring adaptation will extend this relationship into video game IP for the first time.

What Filmmakers Should Know

Access Routes

DNA does not accept unsolicited submissions. The company's six-person team means development capacity is limited. Projects reach DNA through:

1. Direct talent relationships: Writers and directors with existing industry representation whose work aligns with DNA's genre and prestige identity
2. Producer and agent referrals: UK and US talent agents at CAA, WME, and UTA bring packaged projects
3. In-house development: Macdonald and Reich develop concepts with writers they have prior relationships with

Budget and Scale Expectations

DNA projects range from $8 million (low-budget genre like the original 28 Days Later) to $75 million (studio-backed franchise like 28 Years Later). The typical mid-budget DNA production runs $15 million to $30 million. The company does not produce micro-budget films or blockbuster-scale productions above $100 million.

Content Identity

DNA's output spans horror, science fiction, literary adaptation, and romantic comedy. The common thread is intelligent, character-driven genre cinema that targets both UK and international audiences. The company does not produce pure arthouse films or mainstream franchise content. Filmmakers whose work sits in the mid-budget space between indie and studio - intelligent genre, prestige drama with commercial ambition - align with DNA's identity.

Notable Releases

Notable Productions

DNA Films has produced some of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed British films of the past 25 years. Key productions include 28 Years Later (2025, $151.3 million worldwide on a $60 million budget, directed by Danny Boyle, Sony Pictures distribution), 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (January 2026, directed by Nia DaCosta), Civil War (2024, $122 million+ worldwide, directed by Alex Garland, A24), Ex Machina (2014, $36 million worldwide, Garland's directorial debut, A24), Annihilation (2018, $43 million worldwide, starring Natalie Portman), Love Actually (2003, $247 million worldwide, directed by Richard Curtis), 28 Days Later (2002, $82 million worldwide on an $8 million budget), Never Let Me Go (2010), Sunshine (2007), The History Boys (2006), and Warfare (2025, co-directed by Garland and Ray Mendoza, A24). Upcoming projects include Alex Garland's Elden Ring adaptation for A24 (based on the video game, with George R.R. Martin, production aiming for summer 2026).

House Style and Genre Focus

DNA's output spans horror, science fiction, literary adaptation, and romantic comedy. The common thread is intelligent, character-driven genre cinema that targets both UK and international audiences. The company does not produce pure arthouse films or mainstream franchise content. Filmmakers whose work sits in the mid-budget space between indie and studio (intelligent genre, prestige drama with commercial ambition) align with DNA's identity. The Garland-DNA pipeline has produced nine films across 22 years: The Beach (2000, writer), 28 Days Later (2002, writer), Sunshine (2007, writer), Never Let Me Go (2010, writer), Ex Machina (2014, writer-director), Annihilation (2018, writer-director), Civil War (2024, writer-director), Warfare (2025, co-writer-director), and 28 Years Later (2025, writer). The Elden Ring adaptation will extend this relationship into video game IP for the first time. DNA also has projects in development at BBC Film, Film4, and Orion Pictures, spanning romantic comedy, horror, and political thriller.

How They Typically Find Talent and Take Submissions

DNA does not accept unsolicited submissions. The company's six-person team means development capacity is limited. Projects reach DNA through direct talent relationships (writers and directors with existing industry representation whose work aligns with DNA's genre and prestige identity), producer and agent referrals (UK and US talent agents at CAA, WME, and UTA bring packaged projects), and in-house development (Macdonald and Reich develop concepts with writers they have prior relationships with). DNA projects range from $8 million (low-budget genre like the original 28 Days Later) to $75 million (studio-backed franchise like 28 Years Later). The typical mid-budget DNA production runs $15 million to $30 million. The company does not produce micro-budget films or blockbuster-scale productions above $100 million. DNA films are financed through studio backing (Sony for the 28 Years Later trilogy), independent financing (A24, IPR.VC for Civil War), and UK public funding (BFI, BBC Film, Film4).

Watch: Trailers and Behind the Scenes

See Also

For understanding how mid-budget British production works, see Distribution Deals Explained. To model revenue projections for independent and studio-backed releases, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator. For budgeting films in DNA's typical range, use the Indie Film Budget Calculator.