Saoirse Ronan has signed on to star in Blitz, a new World War II drama from acclaimed director Steve McQueen (Hunger, 12 Years a Slave). The film is being developed by New Regency for Apple. McQueen will also pen the screenplay.
We’ve known about the existence of this project since 2021, but this is the first major piece of casting news. Plot wise, we still only know that the film will focus on stories of several Londoners during the heavy bombing days of WWII, known as the Blitz, a time between 1940 and 1941 that saw London decimated by airstrikes by German forces.
Taken from the German word “blitzkrieg,” which translates into “lightning war,” the term was first used by the British press before finding itself as the descriptor for this part of the war.
This will be McQueen’s first film since 2018 heist movie Widows, although he did direct a series of films for the BBC under the Small Axe banner, which explored life for West Indian immigrants in London. It won five BAFTAs.
He also produced and directed three documentaries for the BBC too; Black Power: A British Story Of Resistance, Subnormal: A British Scandal, and Uprising.
As one of the most celebrated contemporary directors, anything McQueen makes is exciting. Hopefully we can learn more about Blitz soon.
Ronan can currently be seen in mystery film See How They Run, while she’s got Garth Davis‘ sci-fi thriller Foe lined up and is currently filming Nora Fingscheidt‘s drama The Outrun.
Filming on Blitz is expected to begin towards the end of this year.
#Peace.Love.Blitz
