Mike Leigh says his next film will likely be his last

The 83-year-old filmmaker suffers from myositis, a rare condition in which the immune system attacks the muscles, making directing even more physically demanding. 

By Matt Schimkowitz  |  July 28, 2026 | 9:41pm
Credit: Raph_PH
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Mike Leigh says his next film will likely be his last

After Tender Loving Care, legendary British filmmaker Mike Leigh may be calling it a day. Speaking to IndieWire, the writer-director behind Secrets And Lies, Mr. Turner, and 2024’s Hard Truths says making another movie is “not going to be possible” due to his mobility issues. Leigh suffers from myositis, a rare condition wherein the immune system attacks the muscles. As a result, he thinks it’s “very likely” the upcoming Tender Loving Care will be his last film. “I mean, I know the girls don’t like to hear me say that, but I think that is the case.” Nevertheless, Leigh, who turned 83 this year, considers himself “lucky in making this last film” because the crew was “very helpful.” He needed two friends to help him stand, which “I probably can’t do much more.” 

Leigh shared his myositis diagnosis last year in an interview with The Times. “It affects the muscles of the legs and the hands,” he said. “I have to use a stick, and when I stand up, two people will help me, and all that kind of shit. Apart from that I’m fine.” Throughout the interview, which was conducted months after the death of his longtime cinematographer Dick Pope, Leigh mused on their relationship and his future. “Dick and I had a real, special rapport, shared taste, sense of humour, aesthetic and way of working,” he continued. “I mean, I’m 81. I’ve just made a will and I’m not well.”

Starring Marion Bailey, Kate O’Flynn, Paul Jesson, and Alice Bailey Johnson, Tender Loving Care will make its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this September. It’s scheduled for a U.S. release on December 4, 2026.

 
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