Apple Original Films’ Blitz, a highly anticipated World War II drama film directed by Steve McQueen, is generating awards buzz months before its release in theaters and the BFI London Film Festival. The film’s first look has been teased on the festival’s official social media accounts, offering a Look into the project starring Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan and newcomer Elliott Heffernan. The sneak peek shows Ronan in an ominous state, while Heffernan can be seen gazing into the distance while sheltering in what appears to be part of the London Underground. This seems to fit with the plot of the film, which follows nine-year-old George, played by Heffernan, who lives in London during World War II.
Saoirse Ronan (Via Saoirse Ronan/Twitter)
When the bombs start falling on the city, George is sent to safety in the English countryside by his mother Rita, played by Ronan. However, as the Germans continue to drop bombs on the British capital, George finds himself in immense peril while a distraught Rita searches for her missing child. The film also stars Erin Kellyman, Paul Weller, Stephen Graham, Harris Dickinson, Leigh Gill, and more. McQueen, best known for directing the Best Picture-winning feature 12 Years a Slave, directs the film from a self-written screenplay. He produces the film alongside Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner for Working Title Films, and Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan, and Michael Schaefer for New Regency.
Ronan, a highly sought-after Hollywood star, has four Oscar nominations and has made a name for herself with a string of successes in projects like Atonement, The Lovely Bones, and The Grand Budapest Hotel. Her role as an Irish immigrant in 2015’s Brooklyn earned critical acclaim and led to her earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. After a string of successful films, Ronan’s career has cooled off in recent years, but she is set to make a comeback with roles in Blitz and Bad Apples.
