Okay so ACAB unless they’re reckoning with their sexuality against the backdrop of 1950s Britain and said cop is Harry Styles. This is, give or take, the plot for Harry’s next movie My Policeman: a British drama set in both the mid 20th-century and early noughties, as an elderly retired policeman looks back upon his life spent with a former male lover after said lover rocks up at their front door, elderly and invalid. Meanwhile, his wife — who he has been with since the days of the affair, watches on as the secrets start to unfold. And who could be playing said wife? Well, none other than the Golden Globe-nominated star of The Crown, Emma Corrin.
Yep, as of yesterday, the news has been announced that Emma will follow up her highly acclaimed turn in the hit Netflix series with the Amazon Studios production of Bethan Roberts’ unassuming 2012 novel, which few had paid attention to until Harry’s involvement was revealed. The screenplay has been written by Rob Nyswaner, who earned an Oscar nomination for his adaptation of Philadelphia in the 1990s, and will be directed by Michael Grandage, who has won Tony and Oliver awards for his work as a theatre director. This will mark his screen debut.
Emma’s role was previously slated to be played by Lily James when Harry’s casting was first announced in September last year, but the actress has dropped out of the project due to unforeseen circumstances. If all goes to plan, the film is expected to start shooting in April 2021. Harry’s still in Los Angeles wrapping up filming on Don’t Worry Darling, his follow-up to Dunkirk. That movie, directed by Olivia Wilde and starring Oscar nominee Florence Pugh, has not yet been slated for release, but following the success of Booksmart, don’t be surprised if it becomes an Oscar contender for 2021/22.
My Policeman, however, seems like it’ll be a bit more of a modest affair, but with this team behind it, it’s almost guaranteed to become one of the most talked about British films in recent memory when it arrives. What’s more, stylist Harry Lambert is the go-to person for clothes for both Emma and Harry, so when the press tour for My Policeman arrives expect some iconique his/hers outfits on the red carpet.