Production has begun on the WWII drama Pressure which tells the behind the scenes story of the critical days before the invasion of Normandy on D-Day and the role the weather played in its successful launch. Joining the film now is Chris Messina (Based on a True Story) and Damian Lewis (Billions).
The planning for D-Day took several months to initiate and rehearse, but one critical element that could not be predicted so far in advance was the weather. The Allies needed very specific weather conditions that included a full moon for aerial craft to better navigate, high tides for the boats to land properly on the beaches and few clouds. D-Day was famously postponed for 24 hours because the weather conditions were not favourable with high winds and heavy seas, forcing the Allies to hope for easier weather the following night.
Messina will play Irving P. Krick, a US meteorologist working with Andrew Scott’s James Stagg to predict the weather, while Lewis will play British Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery.
This is not Lewis’ first foray in a World War II drama as his breakthrough role was in HBO’s hit and groundbreaking drama Band of Brothers, starring as Easy Company leader Richard ‘Dick’ Winters. Easy was deployed on D-Day and played a critical role in the capture of Utah Beach and towns further inland throughout the campaign.
Coincidentally, Andrew Scott also starred in Band of Brothers‘ D-Day episode as a member of the 101st Airborne who got separated from his platoon and briefly joined up with Winters and Easy.
Pressure stars Andrew Scott, Kerry Condon, Brendan Fraser, Chris Messina and Damian Lewis. Directing the film is Anthony Maras (Hotel Mumbai) is directing from a script he wrote with David Haig (Downton Abbey: The Movie). The film is based on Haig’s stage play of the same name and filming is currently underway in the UK.
In the seventy-two 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 (Andrew Scott) 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 (Brendan Fraser). With only hours to go, the fate of the war and the lives of millions hang in the balance.
Ricky Church – Follow me on Twitter for more movie news and nerd talk.
