A single photograph inspired filmmaker Steve McQueen to direct his new movie Blitz.
As seen in the interview below, McQueen said an image of a boy gave him the idea to begin work on the World War II historical drama.
“In a way, if you are from Britain, particularly in London and other cities in the UK, I think Blitz is in our psyche on day one, even if we know it or not. I suppose how it really came into focus for me as an idea for a feature film was when I found this image of this child on a station, on a platform,” said McQueen.
“There was this Black child, this boy and I just looked at him and thought ‘Where do you come from? When I saw this image, I thought, ‘Who is he and what is his story? I wanted to tell it,” added the 12 Years A Slave director and producer.
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Blitz is about a 9-year-old biracial boy named George (played by Elliott Heffernan) in wartime London, whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) decides to send him to the English countryside, so he can be safe from bombings by the Nazis.
But George wants to be with his mom and grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller), and he embarks on an adventure filled with peril so he can return home to his family in East London.
The period drama also stars Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, and Stephen Graham.
McQueen won an Oscar for producing 12 Years A Slave.
The filmmaker not only helmed Blitz but also wrote the script.
McQueen’s Lammas Park produced the film with Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner of Working Title Films, alongside Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan and Michael Schaefer for New Regency. Anita Overland and Adam Somner are also producers.
Blitz will premiere on Apple TV+ Nov. 22.
