Introduction

Blitz is a 2024 historical war drama film written, produced and directed by Steve McQueen. The film stars Saoirse Ronan and Elliot Heffernan (in his film debut), supported by Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Paul Weller, and Stephen Graham.

Outline

In London during World War II, 10 year old George is the mixed race son of a white woman, Rita and a black man who was deported to Grenada. He is sent away to evacuate the city amidst the Blitz, but instead defiantly goes on an adventure to return to his mother, only to find himself in immense peril from a succession of Dickensian characters.

Cast

• Elliott Heffernan as George Hanway
• Saoirse Ronan as Rita, George’s mother
• Harris Dickinson as Jack
• Benjamin Clementine as Ife
• Kathy Burke as Beryl
• Paul Weller as Gerald, Rita’s father
• Stephen Graham as Albert
• Leigh Gill as Mickey Davies
• Mica Ricketts as Jess
• CJ Beckford as Marcus
• Alex Jennings as Victor Smythe
• Joshua McGuire as Clive
• Hayley Squires as Tilda
• Erin Kellyman as Doris
• Sally Messham as Agnes
• Devon McKenzie-Smith as Ken “Snakehips” Johnson
• Celeste as Anita Sinclair
• Peter Rogers as Bus driver

Production

Development

In October 2021, it was announced that McQueen would write, direct and produce a new feature film titled Blitz for New Regency, with Lammas Park producing alongside Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner of Working Title Films. In March 2022, McQueen confirmed his next project was going to be about Londoners during the Blitz of World War II and that he had discussed this with Anne, the Princess Royal, as she awarded him his knighthood at Windsor Castle. In June 2022, it was announced that Apple TV+ had picked up the distribution rights. Producers are New Regency’s Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan and Michael Schaefer.

Casting

In September 2022, it was announced that Saoirse Ronan would be heading the cast and Adam Stockhausen leading the production design. In December 2022, Harris Dickinson, Erin Kellyman, Stephen Graham and Kathy Burke were added to the cast, along with singer-songwriter Paul Weller in his feature film acting debut. Later that month, Benjamin Clementine, Leigh Gill, Mica Ricketts, CJ Beckford, Hayley Squires and Sally Messham were announced as joining the cast.

Filming

Principal photography began in London in November 2022. Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden was used as a base. In January 2023, filming took place close to London Waterloo station. Later that month, special effect crews simulated bombs hitting the water in the River Thames at Wapping. Filming also took place in the London borough of Greenwich. In February 2023, it was reported that production had relocated to Hull’s old town, with a filming schedule of two weeks.

Music

While Hans Zimmer has previously ventured musically into World War II with films like Dunkirk and Pearl Harbour, working on Blitz allowed him to look at the era, and a facet of his own family history, in a new way. Zimmer revealed that his mother had been “a refugee in England during the Second World War, and Steve McQueen gave me one direction. He said ‘After you watch this film, you will understand your mother better’”, during a Deadline Sound & Screen event. The story moved Zimmer to create a score to reflect the unrelenting chaos and brutality of the blitz: “This score is unmitigatedly horrendous”, he said. “It is an absolute horrible score, it’s so dissonant, it’s so committed to this atonality.”

Release

Blitz premiered as the opening film at the BFI London Film Festival held at the Royal Festival Hall on 09 October 2024. This was McQueen’s third directorial effort to do so after 2018’s Widows and 2020’s Mangrove, which was part of his Small Axe anthology series. The film was then released in selected cinemas in the US and UK on 01 November 2024, before streaming on Apple TV+ from 22 November.

The film received generally positive reviews from critics.

Trivia

• The flooding of the Balham tube station during the Blitz was also a key plot point in the 2007 film, Atonement.
  • A young Saorise Ronan also appeared in Atonement. In this film the tube station depicted was London Bridge.
• Gerald serves George bacon and eggs and a glass of milk for breakfast, along with a piece of cheese.
  • These items were heavily rationed in Britain during WW2, the quantity amounting to two-weeks’ rations in some cases.
  • This gives audiences an idea of how much Gerald cares for his grandson.

Production & Filming Details

• Director(s):
  • Steve McQueen
• Producer(s):
  • Alison Banks … line producer
  • Tim Bevan … producer
  • Susan Dolan … associate producer
  • Eric Fellner … producer
  • Natalie Lehmann … executive producer
  • Steve McQueen … producer (p.g.a)
  • Arnon Milchan … producer
  • Yariv Milchan … producer
  • Claire O’Neill … associate producer: to Mr. Fellner
  • Anita Overland … producer (p.g.a)
  • Michael Schaefer … producer
  • Sheeraz Shah … executive producer
  • Adam Somner … producer
  • Anna Smith Tenser … executive producer
  • Sarah Jane Wright … executive producer (as Sarah-Jane Wright)
• Writer(s):
  • Steve McQueen
• Music:
  • Hans Zimmer
• Cinematography:
  • Yorick Le Saux … director of photography
• Editor(s):
  • Peter Sciberras
• Production:
  • Apple Studios
  • Lammas Park
  • New Regency Productions
  • Working Title Films
• Distributor(s):
  • Apple Studios (United States, 2024)(theatrical)
  • Altitude Film Distribution (United Kingdom, 2024)(theatrical)
  • Piece Of Magic Entertainment (France, 2024)(theatrical)
  • Piece of Magic Entertainment (Netherlands, 2024)(theatrical)
  • Apple TV+ (World-wide, 2024)(VOD, video)
• Release Date: 09 October 2024 (BFI London Film Festival, UK).
• Running Time: 120 minutes.
• Rating: 12A.
• Country: UK.
• Language: English.

Video Link(s)