Sam Mendes’ 1917 adds Strong, Firth, Cumberbatch & more to its cast

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

As production efforts ramp up for Sam Mendes' 1917 World War I drama, DreamWorks Pictures and Universal Pictures have proudly announced that several stars have recently joined the film's cast. Now set to star alongside previously mentioned actors George MacKay (CAPTAIN FANTASTIC, PETER PAN) and Dean-Charles Chapman (GAME OF THRONES, BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP) for Mendes' wartime saga are Mark Strong (KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE), Andrew Scott (SPECTRE, VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN), Richard Madden (CINDERELLA, MEDICI), Daniel Mays (THE BANK JOB, ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY), Adrian Scarborough (CHRISTOPHER ROBIN), Jamie Parker (HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD), Nabhaan Rizwan (INFORMER), Clair Duburcq, with Colin Firth (THE KING'S SPEECH, A SINGLE MAN) and Benedict Cumberbatch (SHERLOCK, DOCTOR STRANGE).

Production on 1917 is scheduled to begin on April 1st, with Mendes directing from a screenplay he wrote alongside PENNY DREADFUL's Krysty Wilson-Cairns. The film follows two young British soldiers (MacKay and Chapman) on a single day at the height of World War I. Produced by Neal Street Productions for DreamWorks Pictures and Universal Pictures, 1917 is aiming for a Christmas Day release in both the United States and Canada.

As the film continues to come together, the list of top-tier talent assigned to the project keeps evolving. For example, in charge of the film's cinematography is BLADE RUNNER 2049 and SKYFALL cinematographer Roger Deakins, with ROAD TO PERDITION's Dennis Gassner heading up the project's production design. Jacqueline Durran of DARKEST HOUR fame will be designing the costumes, while Thomas Newman will compose the score. The movie will also be distributed internationally, courtesy of Universal and Amblin partners, with eOne handling the U.K. release on Amblin's behalf.

With such an impressive list of creatives and contributors now assigned to the 1917 project, I'm finding myself hard-pressed to think that this isn't something to watch out for. We'll be sure to keep you updated as the film develops.