Saoirse Ronan embraces her maternal side in the World War II drama “Blitz” from Apple Studios.
Written and directed by Oscar-winning “12 Years a Slave” and “Widows” filmmaker Steve McQueen, the film follows the journey of a defiant 9-year-old boy George (Elliott Heffernan), who attempts to return home to his mother Rita (Ronan) after being sent to “safety” in the English countryside. When officials tell Rita that her son did not make “arrive at his destination,” she sets off on a mission to find him, while George finds himself in fiery trouble.
The film takes place during the WWII Blitz when the German Air Force, Luftwaffe, bombed London and other British cities from September 1940 to May 1941. The German blitzkrieg, or “lightning war,” killed an estimated 40,000 people and left more homeless and injured.
McQueen’s company Lammas Park produced the film alongside Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner of Working Title Films, Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan and Michael Schaefer for New Regency and Anita Overland and Adam Somner.
Guided by British soldiers, George dodges burning buildings and runs through flooded train stations in the trailer, as flashbacks show the days when he and his mother were reunited. McQueen was inspired to tell this story through the lens of the young Black boy after seeing an image at the Imperial War Museum of a boy lugging his suitcase alone. Newcomer Heffernan looks strikingly similar to the young boy in the photograph.
Alongside Oscar nominee Ronan and Heffernan, Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Paul Weller and Stephen Graham are among the rest of the cast.
Steve McQueen’s World War II drama starring Saoirse Ronan, “Blitz,” closed the 62nd New York Film Festival, Film at Lincoln Center in July. The film will make its official world premiere Oct. 9, opening the BFI London Film Festival.
“Blitz” will debut in select theaters Nov. 1 and will be available to stream on Apple TV+ Nov. 22.
