Emma Thompson has boarded Ben Whishaw short film “Good Boy” as an executive producer.

The grief-inspired short was written and directed by Tom Stuart. It tells the story of a young man called Danny (played by Whishaw) who grows increasingly desperate as he finds himself ferrying around his mother and a dead pigeon in the back of his VW van after a heist goes wrong.

“The Crown” star Marion Bailey plays Danny’s mother.

“Danny’s attempt to rob a bank with his overbearing mum is scuppered by the appearance of their family doctor,” reads the logline. “With his mum in the back of his van, and a dead pigeon on the passenger seat, Danny has a growing sense of desperation. But as more and more figures arrive to disrupt his day, we begin to sense that everything is not as it seems…”

Stuart previously co-wrote “Mainstream,” which premiered at Venice in 2020.

“It’s hard to make grief funny at the same time as painful, and this beautifully realised story about letting go is as perfect as it gets,” said Thompson. “Ben Whishaw gives a performance of remarkable intensity and sweetness, seasoned with the rage of loss and confusion. Tom Stuart’s film has a light heart but a steely truth – its fifteen minutes is thrillingly touching. It’s beautiful and moving and profoundly needed right now.”

The film, which has been endorsed by Bristol-based grief charity Let’s Talk About Loss, has been shortlisted in the live action short category at the Oscars.

Selina MacArthur (“This Is Going to Hurt”) edited the project. 

Kay Loxley, Max Marlow, Elettra Pizzi and Tom Stuart produce for 130 Elektra Films, with Alex Gonzalez, Gia Coppola and Goldcrest Films CEO Chris Quested exec producing alongside Thompson.