Andrew Scott’s New D-Day Drama Is Set to Deliver a Gripping Behind-the-Scenes Battle

The fate of the free world rested on a decision that could not be undone. Now, a gripping new film is taking audiences inside the tense 72 hours before D-Day, when military commanders and meteorologists faced the terrifying possibility that one wrong call could change the course of the Second World War.

Pressure, from the producers of Darkest Hour, tells the untold true story behind the planning of Operation Overlord. Starring Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Kerry Condon and Damian Lewis, the film arrives in cinemas on 9 September.

Exclusive free screenings will take place on Monday 7 September at five Cineworld locations nationwide.

A decision that could change history

At the heart of Pressure is General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, and Captain James Stagg, the Scottish meteorologist whose forecasts played a crucial role in determining whether the invasion could go ahead.

With the largest seaborne invasion in history approaching, the Allied leadership faced an agonising choice. Launch too early in dangerous weather and risk disaster, or delay and potentially lose the crucial opportunity to liberate Europe.

Andrew Scott takes on the role of Stagg, following acclaimed performances in projects including All of Us Strangers and Ripley.

Scott was drawn to the complexity of a character who was defined more by his expertise than his charm.

“James Stagg struck me as a singular character, quite different to any I’ve played before,” he says. “He’s not particularly charming or likeable – but that doesn’t mean that he isn’t extraordinarily gifted.”

The actor also believes the film needed to convey the enormous scale of what was at stake.

“It’s enormously important for this film to have a huge scale so you feel what’s genuinely at stake, the huge vastness of the actual D-Day landings themselves,” Scott explains.

Brendan Fraser steps into Eisenhower’s shoes

Brendan Fraser plays Eisenhower, the man ultimately responsible for deciding whether Operation Overlord would proceed.

To prepare for the role, Fraser spent weeks immersing himself in biographies of the future US president and studying the top-secret D-Day plans Eisenhower helped develop.

Damian Lewis also joins the cast as Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, better known as Monty, one of Britain’s most experienced commanders and a key figure in the Allied operation.

Kerry Condon plays Lt Kay Summersby, Eisenhower’s trusted aide. The actress described the role as an opportunity to explore a more private side of the commander as the immense pressure of the invasion mounted.

See Pressure before its official release

YOU can attend one of five exclusive free previews on Monday 7 September, ahead of the film’s nationwide cinema release on Wednesday 9 September.

The screenings will take place at:

• Birmingham – Broad Street
• High Wycombe
• Leeds
• London – Wandsworth
• Newcastle upon Tyne

Tickets are available through the exclusive See It First previews.

Bringing D-Day to the screen

Written and directed by Australian filmmaker Anthony Maras, Pressure marks his return to feature filmmaking following his acclaimed debut Hotel Mumbai, starring Dev Patel.

For Maras, filming in the UK was particularly important because the story is so deeply connected to the country’s history and collective memory.

“I really wanted to shoot it in the United Kingdom, because it’s a story so firmly rooted in the DNA of the people here,” he says.

The production sought locations that could capture the scale of the operation, from Allied headquarters to beaches and ports, while keeping the focus on the tense command rooms where decisions were being made.

Rather than simply recreating the battlefield, Pressure turns its attention to the people behind the invasion — the commanders, advisers and meteorologists forced to weigh impossible risks while millions of lives depended on their judgment.

With its combination of a remarkable true story, an acclaimed cast and a decision that carried extraordinary consequences, Pressure offers a tense new perspective on one of the defining moments of the Second World War.