Kenneth Branagh to play UK PM Boris Johnson in new TV series

Actor Kenneth Branagh is all set to play UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a new TV series for Sky, reported Variety. 

Directed by Michael Winterbottom, the project, titled This Sceptred Isle, is being touted as a look into Britain’s response to the COVID-19 crisis and is expected to be a five-part series. Fremantle, Richard Brown’s Passenger and Winterbottom’s Revolution Films will serve as producers.

The show, that will revolve around Johnson and his government when faced with the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic including his hospitalisation with COVID in March, was first announced in June. It is now set to premiere on Sky in fall 2020.

Talking about his vision, Winterbottom said, “The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic will be remembered forever. A time when the country came together to battle an invisible enemy. A time when people were more aware than ever of the importance of community.”

He went on to share that the series will tell countless true stories, “from Boris Johnson in Number 10 to front line workers around the country — chronicling the efforts of scientists, doctors, care home workers, and policymakers to protect us from the virus.”

After great speculation since the series’ announcement about who will play Johnson, Branagh’s appointment comes as a piece of welcome news. He was most recently seen in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet.