Steve McQueen has said that former Jam frontman Paul Weller “was doubtful” about starring in his new World War II drama Blitz, but ultimately “trusted” the director.
The film receives its world premiere at the opening night of the London Film Festival on Wednesday (October 9), and will then go into a limited cinematic release in the UK and US on November 1.
The Oscar-winning director (12 Years a Slave, Shame, Widows) has cast newcomer Elliot Heffernan as the film’s protagonist, a nine-year-old boy that is sent from London for his safety as German bombs rain down on the city, but the boy is determined to return home.
Saoirse Ronan plays his mother, while the film also stars Kathy Burke, Stephen Graham and Harris Dickinson, as well as musicians Weller and Benjamin Clementine.
In a new interview with Variety, McQueen has spoken about his choice to cast the Modfather in his first major film role. “With Paul, I just thought there was an authenticity to his face,” the director said.
“He looks like a person from that time. He also writes and performs his own songs, so I thought he must be able to act. He was doubtful, but trusted me and we got him an acting coach and he got confident every day. He’s such a beautiful man.”
McQueen has also written an original song for the film, alongside longtime collaborator Nicholas Britell. Titled ‘Winter Coat’, it is sung in the film by Ronan, and McQueen has admitted he went in not knowing whether she could sing. “When we heard her it was like, ‘Oh, thank God for that.’ Because not only could she sing, but she could sing like a bird.”
McQueen added: “That song ‘Winter Coat’ was initiated by me, because my father, when he died, left me his winter coat and I’d always wanted to make a song about the idea of this textual nature and physical nature of remembering someone.”
Blitz is McQueen’s first feature film since 2018’s Widows, but he has since made the BBC anthology series Small Axe and the epic documentary Occupied City.
Weller, meanwhile, released his 17th solo album ’66’ in May, the day before his 66th birthday.