Kenneth Branagh will play British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in This Sceptred Isle, a new five-part Sky drama charting the Johnson government's handling of the first wave of the pandemic in early 2020.
Michael Winterbottom will direct Belfast-born Branagh, who recently starred in sci-fi thriller Tenet and is currently working on the autobiographical Belfast, in the film, which Deadline reports is based on the first-hand testimony of people including those from Number 10 Downing Street, the Department of Health, The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), and from hospitals and care homes across the UK.
Shooting will start in early 2021 and is set to premiere in autumn 2022, according to Deadline.
"The first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic will be remembered forever. A time when the country came together to battle an invisible enemy," Winterbottom, who has previously made The Trip, Greed, and 24-Hour Party People, said.
"A time when people were more aware than ever of the importance of community. Our series weaves together 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 policy makers to protect us from the virus".
