Go ‘Beneath’ with Gene Fallaize
Gene Fallaize has spent decades moving between radio, television, and film without ever settling for one lane. The British director and screenwriter runs Cupsogue Pictures and has kept his hand in every stage of production from development through post. His path started in Guernsey with hospital radio shifts before moving to BBC and commercial stations, then television production, and finally the feature world after an early producing role on Nick Love’s Outlaw.
That 2007 experience locked him into features. He produced roughly two dozen shorts and features before stepping behind the camera for his own work. Superman: Requiem arrived in 2011 as a high-profile fan film that drew nearly twenty million views. Subsequent credits include Airborne, The Woods of Daemar, the short Contact Lost, and the 2017 horror feature Cain Hill. The through-line has always been hands-on involvement and a preference for stories that linger with audiences.
Recent Projects and Career Milestones Since 2019
Since the original conversation, Fallaize directed Control in 2023, an action thriller starring Lauren Metcalfe with Kevin Spacey in a supporting role. He followed that by attaching to Nightmares, a thriller now in pre-production for a 2026 release. In April 2026 he announced Under the Watchful Gaze, a World War II drama set during the Nazi occupation of Guernsey. Cupsogue Pictures is producing, with filming scheduled for July and August on the island using local crew and talent. These projects mark a clear shift toward larger-scale period material and a return to his home territory.
Status of Beneath
Beneath remains in development. Lydia Hearst is still attached as marine salvager Emily Weaver, with Adam Southwick and Hearst listed among the producers. The project appears in the British Council database but carries no confirmed completion date or release as of mid-2026. The single-character structure and global inclusion rider that Fallaize highlighted continue to define its appeal for those tracking its progress.
Guernsey Roots and Upcoming Local Production
Fallaize’s Guernsey upbringing surfaces again with Under the Watchful Gaze. The story unfolds during the German occupation of the Channel Islands, a period that left deep marks on the local population. Production plans emphasize hiring island residents for both cast and crew, giving the film a built-in connection to place. Cupsogue Pictures will handle the shoot from its base, and the timing allows Fallaize to work near family and familiar locations while delivering a story that has personal resonance.
Control and Working with Kevin Spacey
Control stands as Fallaize’s most visible post-2019 credit. Written and directed by him, the film places Spacey in one of his first feature roles following his legal proceedings. The project tested Fallaize’s ability to manage a high-profile name alongside a tighter budget and schedule. It also reinforced his preference for staying close to the camera rather than retreating to video village, a method he credits for keeping performances grounded even under unusual circumstances.
Early influences remain constant. Fallaize still points to Hitchcock and Spielberg as the directors whose work shaped how he thinks about suspense and audience engagement. The list also includes Carpenter, Zemeckis, Kubrick, Darabont, Scott, and Lucas, but the two masters set the standard for craft and longevity. That foundation shows in the way he approaches single-character stories like Beneath and period thrillers like Under the Watchful Gaze.
His creative process starts with script work. Fallaize revises until the story and characters feel lived-in, then moves into casting and production with the same producers who helped launch earlier films. On set he stays beside the camera, watching performances in real time. In the cutting room he collaborates closely with editors, including Reeta Vampara on Beneath, to shape the final cut to his original intent. The method has carried through every project, whether low-budget shorts or features with larger casts.
Advice for newcomers has not changed. Fallaize stresses persistence over everything else. He notes that the industry rewards those who keep working when support is thin and compensation is modest. Skill and talent matter, yet the ability to absorb rejection and continue often determines who finishes films and who does not. The awards and released titles on his shelf serve as proof that consistency eventually produces results.
Mentors arrived through work rather than formal searches. Laura Frey, a former breakfast presenter, offered steady encouragement from Fallaize’s early radio days onward. Scott Spiegel, writer of Evil Dead 2 and producer of the Hostel films, provided industry connections and practical guidance that opened doors in Los Angeles. Both relationships developed naturally and continue to influence how Fallaize navigates projects and partnerships.
The mission stays twofold: tell strong stories and build a body of work that outlasts the maker. Fallaize describes himself as scientifically minded with no religious framework, so legacy becomes the measure that matters. He wants viewers to feel the weight of individual choices and the ripple effects those choices create, whether in a single-character survival story or a wartime drama rooted in real history.
The UK independent scene has settled into clearer tiers. Studio pictures sit at the top, mid-budget and streamer titles occupy the middle, and lower-budget artistic work fills the bottom. Fallaize observes that the bottom tier often produces interesting experiments yet struggles with distribution and impact. He continues to operate across the middle and lower levels, where hands-on control remains possible.
Festival appearances now focus on projects that are ready to screen. Plans for AFM, Berlin, and Cannes with Beneath have shifted with the production timeline, while Control and upcoming titles will determine future circuit stops. Comic-Con and genre events remain part of the calendar for audience engagement and casting conversations.
Five years from now, Fallaize expects to still be directing features. The personal goal of returning to Los Angeles has been tempered by steady UK and Guernsey work, yet the door stays open. The immediate slate, including Nightmares and Under the Watchful Gaze, keeps him busy on home ground while expanding the range of stories he can tell.
