Time is the enemy in the first trailer for Sam Mendes’ 1917 WWI epic

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Everyone knows that war can be hell, and when director Sam Mendes' 1971 WWI drama explodes into theaters, moviegoers will be reminded of just how soldiers have sacraficed for the good of their country and its people.

1971 marks Mendes' return to the battlefield for the first time since 2005's JARHEAD, which served as a psychological study of operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm during the Gulf War. The filmmaker's upcoming war epic also sets up Mendes' return to directorial duties, after helming back-to-back Bond sequels with 2012's SKYFALL and the ill-received SPECTRE (2015), both starring Daniel Craig as the suave superspy.

After watching the above trailer, it looks as if Mendes is taking a "go big or go home" approach to his next film, as even the footage we'd received today feels epic, emotional, and unafraid to show the consequences of war.

1917 stars George MacKay and GAME OF THRONES alum Dean-Charles Chapman as two young British soldiers who are given a mission to cross into over enemy lines in order to deliver a message that will cease a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers, including the brother of Chapman’s character. Joining MacCay and Chapman for the onscreen war effort are co-stars Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Madden, and Andrew Scott.

Here is the official synopsis for 1917:

At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers, Schofield (Captain Fantastic’s George MacKay) and Blake (Game of Thrones’ Dean-Charles Chapman) are given a seemingly impossible mission. In a race against time, they must cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers—Blake’s own brother among them.

1917 is directed by Sam Mendes, who wrote the screenplay with Krysty Wilson-Cairns (Showtime’s Penny Dreadful). The film is produced by Mendes and Pippa Harris (co-executive producer, Revolutionary Road; executive producer, Away We Go) for their Neal Street Productions, Jayne-Ann Tenggren (co-producer, The Rhythm Section; associate producer, Spectre), Callum McDougall (executive producer, Mary Poppins Returns, Skyfall) and Brian Oliver (executive producer, Rocketman; Black Swan).

Reteaming with Mendes for 1971 is cinematographer Roger Deakins. In the past, Mendes and Deakins have joined forces for JARHEAD, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD and SKYFALL, the last of which earned Deakins an Oscar nod for his exemplary work. Another intriguing member of the 1917 crew is editor Lee Smith, who in the past helped bring Christopher Nolan's DUNKIRK to screens. In fact, Smith has collaborated with Nolan on several occassions, by editing films such as THE PRESTIGE, THE DARK KNIGHT, INCEPTION, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, and INTERSTELLAR. With a powerhouse of talent such as this, one can only hope for great things when 1917 hits the cinematic battlefield.

1917 will march into select theaters on December 25, with a wide release planned for January 10, 2020.