First look at Sam Mendes’ World War I movie ‘1917’ revealed
Filming has begun on Sam Mendes’ World War I epic 1917, which follows two young soldiers through the conflict.
Read more: Sam Mendes '1917' is could be just one long take
And, as Mendes and his team have headed out of the studio to shoot some on location footage, we’ve had our first glimpse at the cast in costume. You can check those out below.
It all looks very - well - faithful, with these shots looking like they were ripped straight from archives of the time, with only cameras and the crew’s modern outfits giving the game away.
The eagle-eyed will spot Mark Strong and George Mackay in the images, but there’s no sign as yet of the rest of the cast, which includes Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch and Richard Madden.
Little is known about the project’s plot, only that Sam Mendes has co-written the script (a first for the director) and it’s his first movie since he left Bond behind, following his work on Skyfall and Spectre.
It’s being produced by Steven Speilberg, and has Roger Deakins behind the camera, so there’s plenty of pedigree involved in the project.
“I couldn’t be happier to be back working with Amblin and Steven Spielberg again, alongside Donna Langley and all at Universal,” Mendes said in a statement to Deadline. “I’ve been working on this script for over a year, so it’s very exciting to start making the movie itself a reality.”
Read more: Spielberg's plan to shoot on Salisbury Plain causes uproar
With the titular year being one of the darkest periods of the war, with the battles of Arras, the second battle of Aisne, and other violent events, there’s plenty of room for drama in Mendes’ film.
And with 1917’s December 25 release date placing it firmly in Oscar season, we’d expect this one to be nominated for a trophy or two (or ten).