Kenneth Branagh transforms into U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson in first look at This Sceptred Isle

Nick Romano
·1 min read
Kenneth Branagh transforms into U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson in first look at This Sceptred Isle

Willem Defoe Talks About What Makes Kenneth Branagh Such a Great Director

Willem Defoe discusses his experience being directed in 'Murder on the Orient Express'

We've seen Brendan Gleeson as U.S. President Donald Trump in Showtime's The Comey Rule. Now, we gaze across the pond to see Kenneth Branagh as the man often dubbed the Trump of the U.K.

The Murder on the Orient Express star and director transforms himself into U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as shown in a first-look photo for the Sky Original limited series The Sceptred Isle. Filming on the five-part drama has just begun.

Rich Fury/Getty Images; Peter Summers/Getty Images

The show seeks to dramatize the events surrounding Johnson, the U.K. government, and the country in the face of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The story, co-written by Michael Winterbottom and Kieron Quirke, is based on a variety of first-hand accounts, including from those within the Department of Health, The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), and hospitals and care homes across the country.

Phil-Fisk/Sky UK Ltd.

This Sceptred Isle currently does not have a U.S. release plan that we know of, but it will air on Sky Atlantic and stream on the service NOW TV in the U.K.

Winterbottom directs all five episodes and serves as an executive producer. Richard Brown also executive produces, while Melissa Parmenter, Josh Hyams, and Anthony Wilcox produce. The Sunday Times political editor Tim Shipman acts as a consultant on the series.

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