Pressure (2026 film)
British-French historical drama film
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Pressure is a 2026 war drama film directed and edited by Anthony Maras, written by Maras and David Haig, and based on Haig's 2014 stage play. It stars Andrew Scott as meteorologist James Stagg and Brendan Fraser as Dwight D. Eisenhower, along with Kerry Condon, Chris Messina, and Damian Lewis in supporting roles. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for the performances (particularly Scott and Fraser).
- David Haig
- Anthony Maras
by David Haig
- Tim Bevan
- Eric Fellner
- Cass Marks
- Lucas Webb
| Pressure | |
|---|---|
U.S. theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Anthony Maras |
| Screenplay by |
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| Based on | Pressure by David Haig |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Jamie D. Ramsay |
| Edited by | Anthony Maras |
| Music by | Volker Bertelmann |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | StudioCanal |
Release dates |
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Running time | 100 minutes[1] |
| Countries |
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| Language | English |
Premise
In the tense 72 hours before D-Day, and with the fate of the free world hanging in the balance, Pressure follows General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Group Captain James Stagg as they face an impossible choice: launch the largest and most dangerous seaborne invasion in history or risk losing the war altogether.
Cast
- Andrew Scott as James Stagg
- Brendan Fraser as Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Kerry Condon as Kay Summersby
- Chris Messina as Irving P. Krick
- Damian Lewis as Bernard Montgomery
- Henry Ashton as John Eisenhower
- Con O'Neill as Trafford Leigh-Mallory
- Daniel Quinn-Toye as Michael Gregory
- Toby Williams as Bryant
- Max Croes as Private Eugene Shaw
- Roseanna Brown as Operator
Production
The film is produced by Working Title Films and financed by StudioCanal.[2] It was directed by Anthony Maras, who co-wrote the script with David Haig. It is adapted from Haig's stage play Pressure which premiered in Edinburgh in 2014 and later moved to the West End.[3]
Andrew Scott was reported to be leading the cast in July 2024 as Group Captain James Stagg.[4] The same month, Brendan Fraser was cast as Dwight D. Eisenhower.[5] The following month, Kerry Condon joined the cast as Eisenhower's assistant Captain Kay Summersby.[6] They were later joined in the cast by Damien Lewis and Chris Messina. Principal photography began in the United Kingdom in September 2024.[7][8] Filming locations included Mentmore Towers in Mentmore, Buckinghamshire.[9] Volker Bertelmann composed the score.[10]
Release
In November 2024, Focus Features acquired North American distribution rights to the film; it will also distribute the film through parent company Universal Pictures across Latin America, the Middle East, North Africa, and pan-Asia.[11][2] Pressure was theatrically released on 29 May 2026 in the United States,[12] and will be released in the United Kingdom on 11 September.[13]
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 86% of 35 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10.[14] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 67 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
