UNIT Film & TV delivered VFX for Mountainhead, the satirical comedy-drama written and directed by Jesse Armstrong in his feature directorial debut.

The film premiered on 31st May on HBO and Max, and on Sky and NOW in the UK on 1 June.

Mountainhead brings together an all-star cast including Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith, and Ramy Youssef in a biting commentary on privilege, power, and digital-era accountability. The film follows a group of billionaire friends that get together against the backdrop of a rolling international crisis.

Written and Directed by seven-time Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Jesse Armstrong (Succession), Mountainhead is Executive Produced by Armstrong, Frank Rich, Lucy Prebble, Jon Brown, Tony Roche, Will Tracy, Mark Mylod, and Jill Footlick.

The VFX were produced in-house by UNIT Head of Film & TV Louise Stevenson and Senior Post Producer Devan Vimal, who collaborated closely with the UNIT creative team to deliver a high-end finished product.

UNIT Film & TV delivered a portion of the film’s VFX, led by VFX Artist and Online Editor Sion Penny, with additional VFX contributions from Simon Giblin, Ben North, and Alex Antonio.

Grading for Mountainhead was completed offsite by UNIT Senior Colourist Dan Coles, who crafted a subtle, cinematic look that enhanced the film’s darkly comic tone and distinctive visual style.

Filming took place on location in Park City, Utah in March 2025, with a five-week shoot and a fast-turnaround post-production schedule ahead of its May release.

Louise Stevenson, UNIT Head of Film & TV and Devan Vimal, UNIT Senior Post Producer, said: “It was great to be working with Post Producer Katy Bishop from HBO again. The turnaround on this film was very tight, so trust in the team was essential. Managing a streamlined workflow across multiple sites using various platforms meant clear communication was key, and our focus was on delivering a high end product whilst also delivering on time and supporting a creative vision that was sharp and ambitious.”

Dan Coles, UNIT Senior Colourist, commented: “I loved grading this project and can’t wait for people to see it! Getting to collaborate with the brilliant Jesse Armstrong on his first TV Movie as a Director, as well as being reunited with Cinematographer Marcel Zyskind, having been just over 15 years since our last project, was an amazing experience for me. We went for a naturalistic and cinematic feel in the grade – emulating the look and feel of film with the LUT we created for shooting. This look was further enhanced and finished with the use of the Livegrain system.”

Sion Penny, UNIT VFX Artist and Online Editor, noted: “We worked closely with Katy, PPS Robert Platt-Higgins, VFX Production Manager Bébhinn Naughton and HBO Exec Mara Lopez to make sure they were happy with the complex paintout work. We had to remove all traces of other habitation in the location and often worked on overlength material pre-lock due to the turnaround of the project.”