Andrew Scott leads the stacked cast of the real-life meteorological war thriller Pressure, in which he portrays Scottish Met Office weather expert James Stagg. The meteorologist was tasked with delivering one of the most crucial forecasts in history as Allied leaders prepared to launch the invasion of France ahead of D-Day.

The Fleabag star plays Britain’s chief meteorological officer, who, following a disastrous D-Day rehearsal, insists that worsening weather conditions could pose a serious threat to the entire operation.

Working relentlessly to stay ahead of Britain’s unpredictable weather, Stagg finds himself in direct tension with top Allied decision-makers. With hours to go — and the risk of German intelligence discovering the seaborne invasion plan — the final decision ultimately falls to Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower, played by Brendan Fraser in the film The Mummy.

andrew scott, pressure

Focus Features

Andrew Scott’s upcoming war thriller Pressure teases a tense stand-off between his character, meteorological expert James Stagg, and Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower, played by Brendan Fraser.

In the trailer, Eisenhower warns that the stakes could not be higher, declaring: “The fate of the war, thousand of lives… hinge on this,” after Stagg argues that even the most advanced long-range forecast remains little more than “educated guesswork.”

Early reactions have already begun building buzz for the film. Fox Philadelphia called it “the first must-see movie of the summer,” while Fox TV Houston described it as “a gripping cinematic masterpiece.”

Directed by Anthony Maras, Pressure is set for US release this Friday, with its UK release following on 9 September.

andrew scott, brendan fraser, pressure

Focus Features

Co-written by Maras and David Haig, with the latter adapting his 2014 stage play of the same name, Pressure also stars The Banshees of Inisherin‘s Kerry Condon as Stagg’s aide Captain Kay Summersby, Homeland‘s Damian Lewis as British Army officer Bernard Montgomery and Sharp Objects‘ Chris Messina as US meteorologist Irving P Krick.

Pressure hits US cinemas on 29 May. In the UK, the film releases on 9 September.

Source: Various