Hoping to change the course of World War II and save tens of thousands of lives, two intelligence officers plot to break Hitler’s deadly grip on Europe by recruiting the most unlikely of secret agents: a dead man. That’s the story of “Operation Mincemeat,” a meat and potatoes looking WWII thriller from Netflix and director John Madden (“Shakespeare In Love”)
Due in select theaters on Friday, May 6, and premiering on Netflix Wednesday, May 11, the film does feature a solid cast that includes Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen, Kelly Macdonald, Penelope Wilton, and Johnny Flynn. Macfadyen might be the one to watch here as his career has really been given a boost these last few years from his beloved supporting performance on HBO’s “Succession.”
Written by Michelle Ashford, producers on the film include Charles S. Cohen, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Kris Thykier, and executive producers are Simon Gillis and Christian McLaughlin. Here’s the official synopsis:
It’s 1943. The Allies are determined to break Hitler’s grip on occupied Europe and plan to launch an all-out assault on Sicily; but they face an impossible challenge – how to protect the invasion force from potential annihilation. It falls to two remarkable intelligence officers, Ewen Montagu (Colin Firth) and Charles Cholmondeley (Matthew Macfadyen) to dream the most inspired and improbable disinformation strategy of the war – centered on the most unlikely of secret agents: a dead man. OPERATION MINCEMEAT is the extraordinary and true story of an idea that hoped to turn the tide for the Allies – taking impossibly high risks, defying logic, and testing the nerves of its creators to breaking point.
It remains to be seen if this will be “Dunkirk,” and let’s face it, it doesn’t really look like it, but it could be an entertaining addition to the English WWII canon thanks to that exciting cast. We’ll find out soon enough that “Operation Mincemeat” hits in May, and you can watch the first trailer below.