A trio of Oscar favorites are about to take a deep dive into history. Kerry Condon is the latest actor to join Anthony Maras’ “Pressure” which will begin shooting in the U.K. next month. The Working Title and StudioCanal title also features Emmy nominee Andrew Scott and Oscar winner Brendan Fraser.
The World War II drama is the true story of the United Kingdom’s Chief Meteorological Officer James Stagg (Scott), who was responsible for keeping Dwight D. Eisenhower (Fraser) up to date on the weather before the historic Normandy landings. When to proceed with the invasion, and the potentially rough conditions across the English Channel, was a key decision for Eisenhower and the Allies. Condon will portray Captain Kay Summersby, a trusted aid and chauffeur to Eisenhower.
According to Deadline, acclaimed playwright David Haig (“My Boy Jack,” “Killing Eve”), co-wrote the screenplay with Maras who is best known for 2018’s middling thriller “Hotel Mumbai.”
An official synopsis from the financiers reads as follows: “In the 72 hours leading up to D-Day, all the pieces are in place except for one key element — the British weather. Britain’s Chief Meteorological Officer James Stagg is called upon to deliver the most consequential forecast in history, locking him into a tense standoff with the entire Allied leadership. The wrong conditions could devastate the largest-ever seaborne invasion, while any delay risks German intelligence catching on. With only his trusted aide Captain Kay Summersby to confide in, and haunted by a catastrophic D-Day rehearsal, the final decision rests with Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower. With only hours to go, the fate of the war and the lives of millions hang in the balance.”
Condon earned her first Academy Award nomination for “The Banshees of Inisherin.” Her next projects include the upcoming Disney+ series “Skeleton Crew” and Joseph Kosinski’s 2025 release “F1” alongside Brad Pitt. Andrew Scott earned critical acclaim this past year for his role in “All of Us Strangers” and is an Emmy favorite for his performance as “Ripley” in the hit Netflix limited series. He has already shot Rian Johnsson’s “Knives Out” threequel “Wake Up Dead Man” and just wrapped Richard Linklater’s “Blue Moon.” Fraser was last seen in “Killers of the Flower Moon” and will be seen next in Max Barbakow’s “Brothers” which drops on Prime Video on Oct. 17. He also recently finished production on Hikari’s “Rental Family,” which Searchlight Pictures will release in 2025.