Steve McQueen‘s World War II drama “Blitz” will world premiere as the opening night gala of the 68th BFI London Film Festival (LFF). The Apple original film, directed, produced, and written by McQueen, marks the Academy Award and BAFTA winner’s return to the festival.
“Blitz” follows George (Elliott Heffernan), a nine-year-old boy in wartime London, as he’s sent to the countryside for safety by his mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan). The film chronicles George’s journey back to London and Rita’s search for her missing son.
The cast also includes Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Paul Weller and Stephen Graham. McQueen’s Lammas Park produces alongside Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner of Working Title Films, and Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan and Michael Schaefer for New Regency.
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This premiere marks McQueen’s third time opening the LFF, following “Widows” in 2018 and “Mangrove” in 2020. The London-born director received the BFI Fellowship at the 2016 festival.
McQueen said: “‘Blitz’ is a movie about Londoners. It honors 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.”
LFF Director Kristy Matheson added: “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.”
The film reunites McQueen with production designer Adam Stockhausen, costume designer Jacqueline Durran and composer Hans Zimmer. Yorick Le Saux serves as cinematographer, with Naomi Donne as make-up designer.
“Blitz” will release in select cinemas on Nov. 1, before streaming globally on Apple TV+ from Nov. 22.
The 68th BFI London Film Festival runs Oct. 9-20, with screenings at various London venues including the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX. The festival will also feature screenings at partner cinemas across the U.K., including venues in Nottingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Belfast, Sheffield, Newcastle and Bristol.
