Paul Greengrass’s upcoming film isn’t just about battles and power—it’s about people caught in the storm of history. Through his lens, we see ordinary lives pressed under the weight of rising tension, a king determined to silence dissent, and the way small sparks of resistance can grow into a fire that changes everything.
The trailer opens with the powerful line, “I’m no soldier. I’m no priest. I’m just a farmer… a plowman.” That simple introduction sets the stage for the film’s central conflict. The story follows thousands of ordinary people who rise in rebellion under the leadership of a humble plowman, marching toward London to challenge the king’s rule. With everything to lose, they risk their lives for justice, while the king vows to “crush” the uprising before it can threaten his power.
Greengrass shared with PEOPLE that the spark for the film first struck him during the pandemic.
Greengrass said, “What was interesting to me about its universality was that it was sort of the first moment in our history when, if you like, the common person, the common man and woman took center stage, and history was no longer going to be about kings and queens and the rich and powerful”.
“It was going to be about what ordinary folk wanted and their grievances and their dreams and hopes,” he added.
Starring Andrew Garfield as Wat Tyler, the follow A man once broken by grief, his family claimed by the Black Death, has lived in quiet sorrow for seven long years. But when the crown’s crushing levies bleed his village dry, this reluctant farmer finds himself thrust into the role of unlikely champion. What begins as a spark of defiance against King Richard II’s tyranny grows into a full‑blown uprising, with a man of the soil leading the justice charge.
Andrew Garfield leads the film, joined by Claire Foy as Polly, the inventive engineer mother, with Nonso Anozie portraying Moonface, Nicola Coughlan lighting up the screen as Silky the Fairy, and Jessica Gunning adding charm as Dame Washalot.
We last saw Andrew Garfield as Tim, the affable father, in The Magic Faraway Tree (2026), a live‑action fantasy adventure adapted from Enid Blyton’s beloved children’s classic.
Led by Andrew Garfield, the film features Primetime Emmy Award winner Claire Foy as Polly, the inventive engineer mother, with Nonso Anozie stepping into the role of Moonface, Nicola Coughlan shining as Silky the Fairy, and Jessica Gunning bringing charm to Dame Washalot.
English filmmaker Paul Greengrass won the BAFTA Award for Best Director and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Director for his acclaimed film United 93 (2006). Earlier in his career, he also earned British Academy Television Awards recognition for co-writing and producing the powerful television film Omagh, further establishing his reputation for directing gripping, fact-based dramas.
Focus Features will bring The Uprising to theaters across both the United States and the United Kingdom on September 11, 2026, giving audiences on both sides of the Atlantic the chance to experience the historical epic on the big screen the very same day.
