1917 (2019 film)

1917
UK theatrical release poster
Directed bySam Mendes
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyRoger Deakins
Edited byLee Smith
Music byThomas Newman
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 4 December 2019 (2019-12-04) (London)
  • 25 December 2019 (2019-12-25) (United States)
  • 10 January 2020 (2020-01-10) (United Kingdom)
Running time
119 minutes[1]
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • United States[2]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$90–100 million[3][4]
Box office$390.4 million[5]

1917 is a 2019 war film directed and produced by Sam Mendes, who co-wrote it with Krysty Wilson-Cairns. Partially inspired by stories told to Mendes by his paternal grandfather Alfred about his service during World War I,[6] the film takes place after the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line during Operation Alberich, and follows two British soldiers, Will Schofield (George MacKay) and Tom Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman), in their mission to deliver an important message to call off a doomed offensive attack. Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Claire Duburcq, Colin Firth, Adrian Scarborough, and Benedict Cumberbatch also star in supporting roles.

The project was announced in June 2018, with MacKay and Chapman signing on in October and the rest of the cast joining the following March. Filming took place from April to June 2019 in the UK, with cinematographer Roger Deakins and editor Lee Smith using long takes to have the entire film appear as two continuous shots.

1917 premiered in the UK on 4 December 2019 and was released theatrically in the United States on 25 December by Universal Pictures and in the United Kingdom on 10 January 2020 by Entertainment One. It was a critical and box office success, grossing $390 million worldwide. The film was nominated for ten awards at the 92nd Academy Awards, winning three, and received numerous other accolades.

  1. ^ "1917". British Board of Film Classification. 6 December 2019. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  2. ^ "1917". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  3. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (26 December 2019). "Making of '1917': How Sam Mendes Filmed a "Ticking Clock Thriller"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 26 December 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  4. ^ Lang, Brent (10 January 2020). "Box Office: 1917 Picks Up Impressive $3.2 Million in Previews, Kristen Stewart's Underwater Bombing". Variety. Archived from the original on 12 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  5. ^ "1917". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  6. ^ Simon, Scott (21 December 2019). "It Was Part Of Me": Director Sam Mendes On The Family History In '1917'". KTEP. Archived from the original on 25 December 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2019.