Brendan Fraser, known for his Oscar-winning role in The Whale, is set to portray Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower in the upcoming D-Day film Pressure, produced by Working Title and Studiocanal.
Fraser will star alongside BAFTA winner Andrew Scott, who was recently announced to play Britain’s Chief Meteorological Officer James Stagg. The film is a tense drama focusing on the crucial days leading up to the Normandy landings.
Scott’s character, Stagg, had the pivotal role of advising Eisenhower on the weather conditions essential for the success of the invasion. Eisenhower, affectionately called Ike, was a celebrated leader during World War II and later became the 34th U.S. President, serving from 1953 to 1961.
Directed by Anthony Maras (Hotel Mumbai), Pressure is set to begin filming in the UK in September. Casting is ongoing, and Studiocanal is managing global sales.
The screenplay, co-written by Olivier Award winner David Haig and Maras, is based on Haig’s acclaimed play. It delves into the personal and professional strains on Stagg and the conflicts between teams with differing weather predictions for D-Day. The narrative focuses on the high-stakes decision-making process and the magnitude of the Normandy invasion.
According to the official synopsis: “In the 72 hours leading up to D-Day, all preparations are complete except for one crucial element — the British weather. Britain’s Chief Meteorological Officer James Stagg is tasked with providing the most important weather forecast in history, leading to a tense standoff with the Allied leadership.
Incorrect weather conditions could ruin the largest seaborne invasion ever, while any delay could alert German intelligence. With only his trusted aide Captain Kay Summersby for support and haunted by a disastrous D-Day rehearsal, the ultimate decision falls to Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower.
As the hours tick down, the outcome of the war and millions of lives hang in the balance.” Fraser, who is nearly the same age as Eisenhower was during the Normandy landings, was recently seen in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. His upcoming projects include Searchlight’s Rental Family.
Fraser is represented by CAA, Linden Entertainment, and Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson.