‘The Duke’ trailer: Helen Mirren and ‘Downton’ actor star in uplifting ’60s movie
The Duke finally has a new release date after being postponed last year.
From the late director of Notting Hill, Roger Michell, the new movie tells the amazing real-life story of a taxi driver who stole a portrait from London’s National Gallery in 1961.
The cast is led by Helen Mirren (The Queen) and Jim Broadbent (Bridget Jones).
They’re joined by Matthew Goode (Downton Abbey), Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk), and Anna Maxwell Martin (The Bletchley Circle).
Watch the trailer here:
The official synopsis reads: “The Duke is the true story of Kempton Bunton, a 60-year old taxi driver, who stole Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. It was the first (and remains the only) theft in the Gallery’s history.
“Kempton sent ransom notes saying that he would return the painting on condition that the government invested more in care for the elderly – he had long campaigned for pensioners to receive free television. What happened next became the stuff of legend. Only 50 years later did the full story emerge – Kempton had spun a web of lies.
“The only truth was that he was a good man, determined to change the world and save his marriage – how and why he used the Duke to achieve that is a wonderfully uplifting tale.”
The Duke was originally due out in cinemas last September, but the release was delayed due to concerns over the pandemic.
The movie will now premiere in the UK and Ireland on Friday 25th February.
It’ll then follow into US cinemas a month later than originally planned on Friday 22nd April.
Take a look behind the scenes in this fun video:
Downton Abbey star Matthew Goode is playing Jeremy Hutchinson, the barrister who defended Kempton in 1965.
A sequel to the Downton Abbey movie is coming later this year, although it’s currently unclear if Matthew Goode will be back as Henry Talbot.
The actor only made a brief appearance as Lady Mary’s husband in the first Downton film in 2019.
Goode is, however, starring alongside Bridgerton actress Phoebe Dynevor in new period drama movie The Colour Room.
Notting Hill is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.