The upcoming historical drama Canyon of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ celebrates its wrap on production with the release of first-look images of its stars. Written and directed by Coerte Voorhees, Canyon of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ centers on the lives of real-life archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris, specifically exploring the collaboration between Ann Morris and the Navajo in unearthing the secrets of the lost Anasazi people. The movie does not currently have a release date, but may be released in late 2025 or early 2026.

ScreenRant is happy to debut first-look images from Canyon of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ highlighting the film’s leads and teasing some of its biggest moments. You can see Harry Potter star and man with nicknames Tom Felton as Earl Morris, BAFTA-winning actor Abigail Lawrie as Ann Axtell Morris, and Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin as writer and poet Anne Morrow. The images also feature armed men on horseback, teasing intense moments.

Why Canyon Of The ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Is More Ambitious Than You Think

Canyon of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ is not just a movie based on a true story, although the tale of Ann Morris’ work with the Navajo is certainly one worthy of being told. But the actual movie has a scope much larger than that relationship–from early information, it appears to be part biopic, part history lesson, and part condemnation of what happened to the Navajo in 1805. Plus, Ann’s husband Errol is often considered to be part of the inspiration behind the now-iconic character of Indiana Jones.

In addition to showcasing Ann Morris’ relationship with the Navajo, Canyon of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ explores Morris’ own life as an archaeologist. The film is set to introduce audiences to a younger Morris as her career began in Southern France, and in an exciting way. As Morris unearths early Neanderthal history and the remains from ancient Roman battles, audiences will be briefly teleported to the thick of the fray.

Alongside Ann Morris’ story, Canyon of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ explores that of the Native American Nation of the Navajo, specifically the tragic 1805 mᴀssacre of Navajo people by the Spanish Horsemen. In fact, some of the last scene filmed for Canyon of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ were those tied to that horrific, and true, event. Director Coerte Vorhees said this about the experience of shooting those scenes, and the film in general:

Coerte Vorhees: Canyon of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ has been a giant puzzle for years in the making due to the nature of Ann’s complex story. It was critical for us as storytellers to honor the Navajo people and their history by visualizing it for modern audiences in the most cinematic way possible. Many segments were impossible to shoot during initial filming due to severe COVID restrictions at the time.

We are thrilled and honored to have these final scenes of great significance to the Navajo people portrayed in the film, which not only give context to what the archaeologists were uncovering in the 1920s, but will also give film audiences a level of historic immersion that only a film could highlight.