The upcoming fantasy romance from writer-director Yaniv Raz explores heartbreak, time travel and second chances.
Love, loss, and the possibility of rewriting the past take center stage in ETERNAL RETURN, an upcoming fantasy romance starring Naomi Scott (Smile 2, Aladdin) and Kit Harington (Game of Thrones, Eternals). Written and directed by Yaniv Raz, the film blends romance, science fiction, and fairy-tale storytelling into an emotional journey about rediscovering love after heartbreak.
Set to arrive in theaters on December 4, 2026, Eternal Return also stars Sonoya Mizuno, Jay Lycurgo, Simon Kunz and Simon Callow. The film previously premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival before securing its North American theatrical release through Quiver Distribution.
A Magical Journey Through Love, Loss and Time
At the heart of Eternal Return is Cass (Naomi Scott), a young woman whose recent heartbreak has left her emotionally disconnected from the world around her. As she celebrates her 29th birthday, Cass finds herself struggling to move forward and rediscover the possibility of love.
Her carefully guarded existence begins to change when she encounters Virgil (Kit Harington), an eccentric cartographer whose unusual perspective on the world opens the door to an extraordinary adventure.
Alongside Virgil’s friend Malcolm (Simon Callow), Cass becomes involved in an ambitious attempt to travel backward through time. Their seemingly impossible journey could offer her something she believed was lost forever: the chance to open her heart and experience love again.
Rather than approaching time travel purely as a science-fiction concept, Eternal Return uses its fantastical premise to explore grief, emotional vulnerability and the lasting connections people carry with them throughout their lives.
The story raises questions about whether revisiting the past can heal the wounds of the present and whether finding love again requires changing history or learning to embrace the future.
Naomi Scott and Kit Harington Lead the Fantasy Romance
Eternal Return brings together two recognizable stars whose careers have included major fantasy franchises, superhero adventures, musicals and psychological thrillers.
Naomi Scott takes on the role of Cass following her acclaimed performance as troubled pop superstar Skye Riley in the 2024 psychological horror sequel Smile 2.
Scott became a household name portraying Princess Jasmine opposite Mena Massoud and Will Smith in Disney’s live-action Aladdin (2019). She also played Kimberly Hart, the Pink Ranger, in Power Rangers (2017) and Elena Houghlin in the 2019 reboot of Charlie’s Angels.
Her performance in Smile 2 further demonstrated her ability to portray characters struggling with overwhelming psychological and emotional challenges, making Cass another opportunity to explore vulnerability through a different cinematic genre.
Kit Harington stars opposite Scott as Virgil, bringing his experience in fantasy storytelling to a more intimate, romantic adventure.
Harington remains best known for his portrayal of Jon Snow throughout all eight seasons of HBO’s Game of Thrones, a role that earned him worldwide recognition and multiple major award nominations.
He later joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Dane Whitman in Marvel Studios’ Eternals (2021), appeared in the historical disaster film Pompeii (2014), and voiced Eret in How to Train Your Dragon 2 and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.
Harington has also expanded his television work with HBO’s financial drama Industry, showcasing another side of his acting range beyond the fantasy genre.
Together, Scott and Harington lead a story in which their characters’ developing connection becomes essential to an adventure that challenges the boundaries between imagination, memory and reality.
Director Yaniv Raz Explains the Inspiration Behind Eternal Return
Writer-director Yaniv Raz has described Eternal Return as a deeply personal return to the kinds of magical stories that influenced his love of cinema.
Rather than relying on fantasy simply for spectacle, Raz wanted to create a film in which extraordinary events provide a way to explore universal human emotions.
In a statement accompanying the film’s release, Raz explained:
“I grew up on films that trusted a little magic to tell the truth, stories where the impossible was simply the most honest way to say something real. Eternal Return is my map back to that kind of cinema, and to the people we lose and keep finding again.”
Raz also praised his leading performers for bringing authenticity and emotional depth to the film’s fantastical world.
“Naomi Scott, Kit Harington and Simon Callow gave its fairy tale a human weight, finding the love, longing and grief beneath the magic.”
For Raz, the ultimate goal is to leave audiences with more than a traditional romantic story. He hopes the film will reconnect viewers with the sense of wonder that made fantastical cinema memorable in the first place.
“My hope is that audiences leave feeling the way those films always left me: lighter and a little more willing to believe.”
His comments suggest a film that embraces magical realism while keeping its emotional foundation rooted in the experiences of people searching for connection, closure and hope.
A Supporting Cast Featuring Familiar Faces
Beyond its two leading stars, Eternal Return features an ensemble of performers with experience across film, television and theater.
Simon Callow portrays Malcolm, who joins Cass and Virgil on their extraordinary journey through time. Callow’s extensive career includes memorable appearances in Four Weddings and a Funeral, Shakespeare in Love and A Christmas Carol.
Sonoya Mizuno, known for her performances in Ex Machina, Crazy Rich Asians, Devs and HBO’s House of the Dragon, also joins the cast.
Jay Lycurgo, whose credits include Titans, The Batman and Netflix’s The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself, appears alongside Simon Kunz, known for Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Parent Trap and F1.
When Does Eternal Return Arrive in Theaters?
Eternal Return will open in theaters on Friday, December 4, 2026, with Quiver Distribution handling its North American release.
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Sean Tajipour
Sean Tajipour is the Founder and Editor of Nerdtropolis and the host of the Moviegoers Society and Reel Insights Podcast. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association. You can follow on Twitter and Instagram @Seantaj.
