If there’s one family literally oozing with creative energy, it’s surely the McCormack-Sharps. Not only is Liam Sharp a talented and award-winning comic creator, illustrator and novelist; Christina McCormack, his partner, is a publisher and writer; his daughter Matylda Mccormack-Sharp is carved her own distinct path as an artist.
Lorcan McSharp, too, Liam and Christina’s son, has established a deserved reputation as an independent filmmaker and genre storyteller. Now, that work has led to the creation of an all-new transmedia universe.
Lorcan’s work explores individuality, relational ambiguity and the hidden psychological forces shaping human behaviour in an increasingly mechanised world. Coming from a lineage that includes Liam Sharp, alongside carpenters, musicians, teachers and social workers, McSharp approaches filmmaking as an extension of lived experience and human connection.
Trained as a sports coach and behavioural health professional with a background in depth psychology and movement-based therapy, McSharp brings a distinctive sensitivity to character, power dynamics and the psychological roots of self-deception.
His selected filmography includes What Goes Around (2024), a short film examining morality and consequence through a teenager obsessed with collecting karma, as well as visual essays such as Divided Brain, Divided World (2022), Through the Shadow (2021) and What Does Patience Feel Like (2021).
He has also worked behind the camera as first assistant director, producer and contributing writer on projects including CLOUT (2025), and as assistant director on the documentary The Shepherds of Cat Island (2020), a continuous, single take drama that puts individual and collective responsibility under microscope to examine systematic prejudice and racial tension in the midst of World War Two.
ReRooted Films recently launched the psychological sci-fi short film Locked In, written and directed by Lorcan, which had its world premiere at Arquivo Regional da Madeira in Funchal, in Portugal’s Autonomous Region of Madeira last month. Supported by Visit Madeira, Lorcan travelled to the island for the premiere, as part of a growing creative partnership with the region.
Locked In, which was fully funded on Kickstarter within 40 hours, marks the launch of The Artificial Companion Universe (ACU), a transmedia anthology project exploring the impact of artificial intelligence assistants on everyday life.
Designed as a series of interconnected short films and graphic novels, the ACU examines themes such as outsourcing agency, self-deceit, surveillance and the struggle to maintain human connection in a world increasingly shaped by algorithms and automated decision-making. The project is intended to expand toward an anthology feature film, with each short film and graphic novel contributing to a larger narrative framework.
Blending psychological drama, science fiction and satirical dark humor, Locked In follows Garreth, the creator of ANDY, an AI system designed to enforce every goal he has set for himself. When Garreth delegates his willpower to a system that locks and unlocks his apartment, fridge and phone according to strict self-imposed protocols, he begins to confront the true cost of living permanently “locked in” — and what may have to be sacrificed to regain freedom. As old recordings of himself become his jailer, the film evolves into a reflection on masculinity, self-optimisation culture and the risks of allowing our idealized selves to replace genuine human connection.
Jack Thomas Dickson stars as Garreth, with Maya Hughes portraying Vanessa, his warm and unpredictable girlfriend who challenges his rigid routines. The voice of ANDY, Garreth’s intense and poetic artificial companion, is performed by McSharp himself.
The film is written, directed and edited by McSharp, with cinematography and colour by Andrius Hahn. The official poster artwork was created by Eisner-nominated comic artist Liam Sharp.
Choosing Madeira for the world premiere reflects the project’s intended long-term relationship with the island. Development of the ACU’s flagship graphic novel Jeff Never Dies will follow in collaboration with Sétima Dimensão, a Funchal-based independent publisher that has promoted original Portuguese comics in Madeira since 2004.
Future installments of the ACU are planned to return to the island, with Jeff Never Dies set in Madeira and envisioned as a future filming location, linking the project’s premiere to potential production.
Associate producer Roberto Macedo Alves, IT Engineer and publisher of Setima Dimensão, contributes expertise in digital transformation, artificial intelligence adoption and innovation policy, reinforcing the ACU’s commitment to exploring the evolving relationship between humans and intelligent systems.
“I saw the trailer for Locked In and was immediately impressed by its visual atmosphere and the strength of its central idea,” Alves said. “This is exactly the kind of powerful science fiction that challenges audiences to reflect on the technologies shaping our lives.”
Visit Madeira’s support for the premiere and the director’s visit highlights the region’s growing role as a hub for cultural innovation, film tourism and creative industries. By hosting the launch of a new science fiction universe, Madeira strengthens its reputation as a destination where nature, culture and forward-looking storytelling intersect.
• Check out Retro Films at rerootedfilms.com
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Comics, Creating Comics, Digital Media, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Film, Other Worlds
Related Articles
-
Creators Coalition on AI gathers steam
-
Publishers’ Licensing Services, Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society partner with Copyright Licensing Agency on generative AI licence
-
From “Nick Hazard” to “Garth”, to the new feature film, “57 Seconds”, Philip Harbottle’s SF videocasts continue to entertain
Leave a Reply