Darkest Hour goes into production

Image of Gary Oldman as Churchill released.

by Amber Wilkinson

First-look image of Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour.
First-look image of Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. Photo: Jack English/Universal Pictures

UK production has begun on Joe Wright's Darkest Hour, which stars Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, which features an original screenplay by The Theory Of Everything screenwriter Anthony McCarten.

The cast will also include Stephen Dillane, John Hurt, Lily James, Ben Mendelsohn, and Kristin Scott Thomas.

Working Title's synopsis of the film reads: "Within days of becoming Prime Minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill must face one of his most turbulent and defining trials: exploring a negotiated peace treaty with Nazi Germany, or standing firm to fight for the ideals, liberty and freedom of a nation. As the unstoppable Nazi forces roll across western Europe and the threat of invasion is imminent, and with an unprepared public, a skeptical King, and his own party plotting against him, Churchill must withstand his darkest hour, rally a nation, and attempt to change the course of world history."

Many of the production team have worked with Wright before, including costume designer Jacqueline Durran, production designer Sarah Greenwood and composer Dario Marianelli (Atonement for Focus and Working Title and make-up and hair designer Ivana Primorac.

Focus Features holds worldwide rights to the Working Title Films production. The film will be released in the US on November 24th, 2017 and Universal Pictures International will distribute the film globally, beginning with the UK on December 29th, 2017.

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