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It has been very quiet in regards to Blitz, the hotly anticipated Apple Original Film from Steve McQueen. A World War II set movie from the auteur has been pegged as an Oscar player, but there was nothing firm about Apple’s plans, let alone any promotional material. Well, that all changed today.
Blitz is going to be the Opening Night Gala at the 68th BFI London Film Festival in October. The cast is led by Saoirse Ronan, Harris Dickinson, and newcomer Elliott Heffernan, who seems to be the protagonist, going by the plot description below. McQueen writes and directs. Blitz will premiere in select theaters on November 1st before streaming on Apple TV+ November 22nd. Mark your calendars.
Here is the press release with the announcement:
The 68th BFI London Film Festival (9 to 20 October) in partnership with American Express is excited to announce that this year’s opening night gala will be the world premiere of the Apple Original Film, Blitz, directed, produced and written by Academy Award and BAFTA winner Steve McQueen.
Blitz follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. George, defiant and determined to return home to Rita and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in east London, ensues on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son.
The film stars Academy and BAFTA Award-nominee Saoirse Ronan and newcomer Elliott Heffernan, with Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Paul Weller, Stephen Graham, Leigh Gill, Mica Ricketts, CJ Beckford, Alex Jennings, Joshua McGuire, Hayley Squires, Erin Kellyman, and Sally Messham rounding out the cast.
McQueen’s Lammas Park produces alongside Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner of Working Title Films, Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan and Michael Schaefer for New Regency, with producers Anita Overland and Adam Somner.
The world premiere of Blitz marks a return to the LFF by the London-born director, who has opened the festival twice before with Widows in 2018 and Mangrove in 2020, and has a long-standing relationship with the LFF, also premiering Hunger, 12 Years a Slave, Shame, Lovers Rock and Occupied City at the festival. McQueen was awarded the BFI’s highest honour, the BFI Fellowship, at the BFI London Film Festival in 2016 for his outstanding contribution to film and moving image culture.
Blitz is a tale of resilience and humanity in the face of adversity, with the city of London forming the tapestry of the film. The 68th BFI London Film Festival opening marks a homecoming for the film and its director and is a true celebration of British excellence in cinema.
McQueen reunites with production designer Adam Stockhausen (12 Years a Slave, Widows), costume designer Jacqueline Durran (Small Axe) and composer Hans Zimmer (12 Years a Slave), with cinematographer Yorick Le Saux (Little Women) and makeup designer Naomi Donne (No Time to Die).
“Blitz is a movie about Londoners,” says McQueen. “It honours the spirit of what and how Londoners endured during the blitz, but also explores the true representation of people in London, while at its core is the story of a working-class family desperate to be reunited during times of war. I could not be more thrilled that the BFI London Film Festival have invited us to open this year’s festival, and to celebrate the world premiere of Blitz in my hometown.”
“Blitz is a film of incredible scale,” says Kristy Matheson, BFI London Film Festival Director. “Steve McQueen infuses the film with nuance at every turn; the depth of character and texture of the city are all peerless and make this subject feel completely new. It’s an astounding production that will leave audiences in awe of the director, his cast and creative collaborators. We are honoured to share this film with audiences in London and across the UK and can think of no better way to open the 2024 BFI London Film Festival.”
Blitz will premiere in select cinemas on 1 November, 2024 prior to streaming globally on Apple TV+ on 22 November, 2024.
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