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Kenneth Branagh Is Boris Johnson As Covid Spreads In The This England Trailer
The based-on-truth miniseries lands in the autumn. See the trailer via Empire.

Kenneth Branagh Is Boris Johnson As Covid Spreads In The This England Trailer

Thought it might well seem too soon for a drama based on the unfolding Covid crisis and the UK government's slapdash responses to same, that isn't stopping Kenneth Branagh, Michael Winterbottom and the team behind Sky miniseries This England, which has its first trailer online.

Branagh stars as our much-maligned mop-headed bumbler-in-chief, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, buried under prosthetics and a blond wig to bring him to life.

The miniseries chronicles a chunk of Johnson's first term as PM, including his early hospitalization with coronavirus and the increasingly criticised response as cases – then deaths – began to soar in Britain.

Ophelia Lovibond plays Johnson’s wife, Carrie Symonds, while Simon Paisley Day plays Dominic Cummings, Johnson’s Chief Advisor.

Winterbottom shared the directing workload with Julian Jarrold, and wrote the series alongside Kieron Quirke. Sky has yet to confirm a launch date, but we can expect this one in the autumn.

And that wasn't the only news from the company, which also unveiled the second series of Billie Piper-starring dark comedy I Hate Suzie.

Fellow comedies include Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything, which features Sheridan Smith as a recovering “addict to everything,” while Romantic Getaway stars Katherine Ryan and Romesh Ranganathan as a couple who steal money from their boss in order to fund IVF treatment. Finally, there's Christmas Carole, which boasts Vigil's Suranne Jones and takes a modern look at the Dickensian classic. Jones plays an unashamedly outspoken and wealthy tech entrepreneur.

Another series of COBRA is also ready to bring a fresh crisis for Robert Carlyle, alongside fellow drama The Tattooist Of Auschwitz.

On the film front, there are a mix of originals and acquisitions headed our way, including Letitia Wright in starring Aisha, Colin Farrell’s After Yang, political thriller The Independent (more on that one here) and Liam Hemsworth/Russell Crowe-featuring Poker Face.

Finally, the company also announced that Universal's two-part adaptation of hit stage musical Wicked will shoot in the UK at Sky Studios Elstree. Perhaps no coincidence that US company Comcast owns both Universal and Sky…