Damian Lewis, Chris Messina Join Brendan Fraser-Led D-Day Movie ‘Pressure’

Photo Credit: 1. Three Lions / Getty Images 2. Daniel Zuchnik / WireImage / Getty Images 3. Harry Warnecke / NY Daily News Archive / Getty Images
Photo Credit: 1. Three Lions / Getty Images 2. Daniel Zuchnik / WireImage / Getty Images 3. Harry Warnecke / NY Daily News Archive / Getty Images

Brendan Fraser has experienced a renaissance (or, should we say, a Brennaissance) since his Oscar-winning role in 2022’s The Whale. It appears he’s continuing to ride that wave, as it’s been announced the actor will portray famed Allied general and US President Dwight D. Eisenhower in an upcoming film about the lead-up to the Allied landings at Normandy. What’s more, two veterans of the war genre are slated to appear alongside him.

Brendan Fraser speaking into a microphone on stage
Brendan Fraser accepting the Oscar for Best Actor for The Whale at the 95th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, 2023. (Photo Credit: Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

The film, titled Pressure, is currently in the pre-production stage, with filming slated to begin in the United Kingdom this coming September. Directed by Anthony Maras and based on the West End production by David Haig, the synopsis reads as follows (per Deadline),

“In the seventy two hours leading up to D-Day, all the pieces are in place except for one key element – the British weather. Britain’s chief meteorological officer James Stagg is called upon to deliver the most consequential forecast in history, locking him into a tense standoff with the entire Allied leadership. The wrong conditions could devastate the largest ever seaborne invasion, while any delay risks German intelligence catching on.

“With only his trusted aide Captain Kay Summersby to confide in, and haunted by a catastrophic D-Day rehearsal, the final decision rests with Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower. With only hours to go, the fate of the war and the lives of millions hang in the balance.”

Paratroopers with the 101st Airborne Division standing around Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower addressing paratroopers with the 101st Airborne Division on D-Day, 1944. (Photo Credit: MPI / Getty Images)

As aforementioned, Brendan Fraser will be portraying Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force during World War II. Given his position, the future president of the United States was intimately involved when it came to planning D-Day, from the timing of the landings to what occurred in their lead-up.

Fraser’s announcement follows that of Irish actor Andrew Scott, who is best known for portraying James Moriarty in the BBC adaptation of Sherlock (2010-17) and the Priest in Fleabag (2016-19). The actor is no stranger to war films, as he appeared in 2019’s World War I feature, 1917.

Scott is slated to play Group Capt. James Stagg, a British meteorologist who worked alongside the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. Notably, he was the one to convince Eisenhower to change the date of the D-Day landings, as inclement weather threatened to disrupt the initial plan to launch the assault on June 5, 1944.

Pushing the landings back a day ensured their success.

Portrait of Andrew Scott
Andrew Scott attending the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica, California. (Photo Credit: Araya Doheny / Getty Images)

Three other names have also been revealed as being involved in the project. Kerry Condon, best known for portraying Siobhán Súilleabháin in 2022’s The Banshees of Inisherin, was announced in August 2024. Damian Lewis, best known for his work on Band of Brothers (2001) and Homeland (2011-20), and Chris Messina, who appeared in Argo (2012) and The Mindy Project (2012-17), were both revealed as being involved the following month.

More from us: US Navy Exonerates Black Sailors Court-Martialed in 1944 Port Chicago Disaster

Want War History Online‘s content sent directly to your inbox? Sign up for our newsletter here!

Pressure is backed by Studiocanal and Working Title. Additional casting is currently underway.

Clare Fitzgerald

Clare Fitzgerald is a Writer and Editor with eight years of experience in the online content sphere. Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from King’s University College at Western University, her portfolio includes coverage of digital media, current affairs, history and true crime.

Among her accomplishments are being the Founder of the true crime blog, Stories of the Unsolved, which garners between 400,000 and 500,000 views annually, and a contributor for John Lordan’s Seriously Mysterious podcast. Prior to its hiatus, she also served as the Head of Content for UK YouTube publication, TenEighty Magazine.

In her spare time, Clare likes to play Pokemon GO and re-watch Heartland over and over (and over) again. She’ll also rave about her three Maltese dogs whenever she gets the chance.

Writing Portfolio
Stories of the Unsolved

linkedin.com/in/clarefitz/