Anais Gutierrez
Christopher Nolan’s anticipated WWII drama ‘Dunkirk’ had its London premiere on Thursday, and it was seriously epic. The night was marked by good reviews, heartfelt moments and epic red carpet encounters.
The movie featuring Harry Styles, Tom Hardy, and other big names will be officially out on July 21.
What a night
The London premiere of ‘Dunkirk‘ was held at London’s Odeon Leicester Square on Thursday night. The anticipated film tells the story of how Allied troops were surrounded by German forces. The British Army launched Operation Dynamo, which saw 338,226 troops being evacuated in around 900 vessels including fishing boats, fire ships, paddle steamers and private yachts.
The film’s stars include Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy and Mark Rylance. It was also the screen debut of former One Direction Harrys Styles, who caused screams from the crowds in the red carpet.
Before the screening started, director Christopher Nolan proclaimed “I firmly and passionately believe this is one of the greatest casts put together for any movie.” He thanked Warner Bros. for giving a “British movie an American budget.”
The premiere was attended by a group of WWII veterans who walked down the red carpet along with Prince Harry, who also attended the premiere. Harry offered his congratulations to the film stars, delivering a total red carpet moment.
The premiere screening was greeted with moderate applause, with the attending veterans getting the strongest reception. Other early viewers have been effusive with praise for Nolan’s effort. Director Edgar Wright tweeted that “Dunkirk” is a “powerful, immersive, intense masterpiece.”
Getting his acting debut
The news of Harry Styles casting in the latest Christopher Nolan project caused quite a buzz, not only from Onedirectioners excited about seeing him but for those who didn’t know what to expect from the singer. Well, Nolan is no stranger to doing unique casting.
He cast Robin Williams in one of the actor’s rare turns as a bad guy in 2002’s “Insomnia,” had David Bowie play Nikola Tesla in 2006’s “The Prestige,” and then there was the shocking choice of choosing Heath Ledger to play The Joker in 2008’s “The Dark Knight,” which went on to earn Ledger a posthumous Oscar win for best-supporting actor.
Nolan sees similarities to those castings and going with Styles.
“Ever since I cast Heath Ledger as The Joker and raised all kinds of eyebrows, I’ve recognized that this is my responsibility and I really have to spot the potential in somebody who hasn’t done a particular thing before,” Nolan told Business Insider.
“Because whether you’re taking about Harry Styles or Mark Rylance you don’t really want to cast them in a position where they are doing something they’ve already done. You want to give the audience something different. So you’re looking at their talent and how that can be used.”
Good call.
Source: Indie Wire
