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Steve McQueen will premiere his latest feature film. Blitz, An exploration of London during World War II, on opening night of this year’s London Film Festival. The film will be shown for the first time worldwide.
Directed, produced, and written by McQueen, the film follows the epic journey of George (Elliot Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London who is sent to safety in the English countryside by his mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan). The synopsis reads: Defiant and determined to return home to Rita and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, George sets out on an adventure, only to find himself in immense danger while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son. Blitz This film marks the first solo work as a screenwriter for a feature film by McQueen.
The film stars Saoirse Ronan and newcomer Elliot Heffernan, with Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Paul Weller, Stephen Graham, Lee Gill, Micah Ricketts, C.J. Pickford, Alex Jennings, Joshua McGuire, Hayley Squires, Erin Kellyman, and Sally Meacham. Rounding out the cast.
McQueen’s Lammas Park is producing alongside Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner for Working Title Films, and Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan, and Michael Schaefer for New Regency, with Anita Overland and Adam Sumner as producers.
The film will premiere on Wednesday 9 October at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, with simultaneous screenings across the UK. The evening will see McQueen return to the opening night of the London Film Festival. He has twice opened the festival before with widows In 2018 and Mangrove In 2020.
Blitz “A film about Londoners. It honors the spirit of what Londoners endured during the air raids, but it also explores the true representation of Londoners, while at its heart it’s the story of a working-class family desperate to be reunited during times of war,” McQueen said this afternoon. . “I couldn’t be happier that the BFI London Film Festival has invited us to open this year’s festival and celebrate the world premiere of Iron Man. Blitz In my town.”
“The BFI London Film Festival is a great opportunity for us to showcase our work and to celebrate the work of our beloved filmmakers,” said Kristy Mathieson, Director of the BFI London Film Festival.Blitz “It is a film of incredible scale. Steve McQueen brings nuance to the film at every turn; the depth and character of the city is unrivalled and makes this subject matter feel entirely new. It is a stunning production that will leave audiences in awe of the director, his crew and creative collaborators. We are honoured to share this film with audiences in London and across the UK, and we can’t think of a better way to open the 2024 BFI London Film Festival.”
Blitz It will premiere in select cinemas on November 1 before streaming globally on Apple TV+ on November 22.
The London Film Festival takes place from October 9 to 20.
