Branagh is transformed into Boris for TV series on Covid crisis in UK
STAGE AND SCREEN VETERAN CAPTURES PM
THE FIRST picture of Sir Kenneth Branagh playing Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a new TV series has been unveiled.
The image shared by Sky shows the 60-year-old stage and film actor with blond tousled hair frowning into the distance – a picture that uncannily captures the Prime Minister.
The series This Sceptred Isle will focus on the coronavirus pandemic in the UK.
Sky said: “The five-part drama will chart the events surrounding the Prime Minister, the Government and the country in the face of the first wave of the global pandemic.”
The series is based on the first-hand testimony of people from Downing Street, the Department of Health, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, care homes and hospitals, according to the broadcaster.
Filming has begun for the series, which is being directed by Michael Winterbottom.
Tim Shipman, political editor of The Sunday Times, is acting as a consultant.
A post on Sky TV’s Twitter page, which was shared alongside the image, said: “No, you’re not seeing things. That’s Kenneth Branagh as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the first day of filming This Sceptred Isle.”
The drama will begin with Mr
Johnson’s appointment as Prime Minister and will recount the first coronavirus cases in the UK.
It will tell the story of the 56-year-old premier falling ill with the virus, as well as the arrival of his son, Wilfred.
This Sceptred Isle will also focus on the impact of the pandemic on the country as a whole. It will air in the autumn of next year on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV.
Sir Kenneth, originally from Belfast, has been nominated for five Academy Awards and five Golden Globe Awards.
No, you’re not seeing things. That’s Kenneth on the first day of filming. A post yesterday on Sky TV’s Twitter account.