Harry Styles and Lily James are set to hit the big screen together. The popstar and actor have just been confirmed as the leads in the upcoming LGBTQ+ drama
My Policeman, a historical love triangle based on Bethan Roberts’ 2012 novel of the same name.
Collider is reporting that Styles will play Tom, a police officer working in Brighton, England in the 1950s. James will play Marion, who develops a crush on Tom as a child. Marion becomes an elementary school teacher and she and Tom marry, but Tom soon finds himself falling in love with Patrick, a museum curator. The love triangle continues until one of the parties involved breaks, setting into motion a series of devastating consequence at a time when homosexuality was a criminal offence. The drama takes place in the 1950s and in the 1990s, when the trio are reflecting on their lives. Roberts wrote the novel from the perspective of Marion and Patrick, whose role has yet to be confirmed. According to
Collider, Amazon Studios, who won the rights to the film in a bidding war, are eyeing someone older than 26-year-old Styles for the role of Patrick.
My Policeman will be directed by actor and Tony-nominated director Michael Grandage. Roberts’ novel will be adapted by screenwriter Ron Nyswaner, who was nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for writing the 1993 Oscar-winning film
Philadelphia starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. Greg Berlanti, who is best known for his work on
Dawson’s Creek, Riverdale, You, Love, Simon and the new Crave film
Unpregnant, will produce. Filming on
My Policeman is currently scheduled to begin in the spring of 2021.
My Policeman’s casting announcement is the latest news in Styles’ impressive foray into the film world. Following his scene-stealing debut in Christopher Nolan’s 2016
Dunkirk, Styles was recently cast in
Don’t Worry Darling. Also set in the 1950s (Styles appears to only accept projects set decades before he was born), the Olivia Wilde-directed film also stars Florence Pugh and Chris Pine. Written by Katie Silberman, the film is set in a utopian California community that is isolated from the general public. So, a cult? It’s a cult, right? Styles is coming into the project somewhat late as a replacement for Shia LaBeouf, who had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts.As for James, she’s continued to steadily split her time between TV and feature films. The British actor played Lady Rose MacClare for three seasons on
Downton Abbey. On the big screen, James has starred in Edgar Wright’s
Baby Driver, Disney’s live action
Cinderella, the Beatles musical film
Yesterday and as a young Meryl Streep in 2018’s
Mama Mia! Here We Go Again. James is set to star opposite Armie Hammer in the upcoming thriller
Rebecca, which also stars Kristin Scott Thomas.[video_embed id='-1']Before you go: Lily James 'overwhelmed' working with Meryl Streep[/video_embed]
