Apple TV+ goes for Oscar gold with Blitz, a WWII movie dropping this November

Saoirse Ronan is a determined mother searching for her son in the first trailer for Blitz, Apple’s World War II drama from Oscar winner Steve McQueen.

The movie is set during WWII, with Nazi Germany frequently bombing London’s citizens. Rita (Foe’s Ronan) sends her 9-year-old son, George (Elliott Heffernan), to the English countryside to avoid the bombings in the city. However, George never reaches his destination. As George embarks on a dangerous journey home, Rita frantically races to find her son.

“This is for all the parents whose children have been evacuated,” Rita says while searching for George.

Blitz’s ensemble cast includes Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Weller, Stephen Graham, Paul Weller, Leigh Gill, Mica Ricketts, CJ Beckford, Alex Jennings, Joshua McGuire, Hayley Squires, Erin Kellyman, and Sally Messham.

Blitz, one of Digital Trends’ most anticipated films this fall, is written and directed by McQueen. The British director’s recent works include 2018’s Widows, 2020’s Small Axe, and 2023’s Occupied City. McQueen produces alongside Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer, Anita Overland, and Adam Somner.

Blitz is one of the last remaining dominoes in the Best Picture race for the 2025 Oscars. McQueen has a proven track record with the Academy, having won Best Picture for 2013’s 12 Years a Slave. The film bypassed the summer festival circuit, where several Oscar contenders premiered. Instead, Blitz will open the BFI London Film Festival on October 9. McQueen’s WWII drama will also serve as the closing film of the New York Film Festival on October 10.

Blitz will premiere in select theaters on November 1, followed by an Apple TV+ streaming release on November 22.