Bailey, Portman to Star in Pumping Black Cycling Thriller

Jonathan Bailey, fresh off blockbuster successes in 2025 with Jurassic World Rebirth and Wicked For Good, will star alongside Oscar winner Natalie Portman in the psychological thriller Pumping Black. The film, set in the high-stakes world of professional cycling, is slated to begin production this fall.

Bailey portrays Taylor Mace, a 35-year-old cyclist on the brink of aging out of the sport but unwilling to retire. As the Tour de France looms, he falls under the influence of Andrea Lathe, the doctor played by Portman, who harbors her own intense drive for victory and power. To safeguard a closely guarded secret, Mace resorts to increasingly extreme measures in this adrenaline-fueled story described as a dangerous thriller evoking the intensities of Black Swan and Whiplash.

Mimi Cave, director of the 2022 horror film Fresh and 2025's Holland, will helm the project from a screenplay by Haley Hope Bartels. Producers include Stacey Sher of Shiny Penny, Sébastien Raybaud for Anton, Portman and Sophie Mas of MountainA, and Cave. Anton is financing the feature and plans to launch international sales at the Cannes Film Festival, with CAA co-representing domestic rights.