The WWII-set biopic Lee is headed to theaters this fall. The film, which stars Kate Winslet as war photographer Lee Miller, will premiere September 20, 2024. Deadline reports that the North American rights to the film have been jointly picked up by Roadside Attractions and Vertical. The film chronicles Miller’s life as she fights against sexism to cover the raging war in Europe, and her later years, as she struggles with the horrors she’s witnessed. It is the feature directorial debut for acclaimed cinematographer Ellen Kuras; in addition to Winslet, the film also stars Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose), Andrea Riseborough (To Leslie), Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Noémie Merlant (Portrait of a Lady on Fire), Josh O’Connor (Challengers), and Alexander Skarsgard (Infinity Pool). Lee is a passion project for Winslet, who is also a producer on the film; it is an adaptation of the 1985 biography The Lives of Lee Miller, which was written by Miller‘s son, Antony Penrose.
Lee‘s release date will place it in a relatively quiet month for wide releases. It will be pitted against the George Clooney/Brad Pitt thriller Wolfs, and the Dreamworks animated feature The Wild Robot., both of which also debut on the 20th. It will premiere a week after the animated prequel Transformers One and the recently rescheduled horror thriller Speak No Evil bow on September 13, and will have to contend with yet another return of the maniacal Jigsaw when Saw IX debuts on September 27.
Who Was Lee Miller?
Born in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1907, Lee Miller was one of the most sought-after fashion models in New York, but took an interest in photography and abandoned modelling. She became the muse and protégé of famed photographer Man Ray, and earned attention for her own work. She moved to the UK, marrying surrealist painter Ronald Penrose. She was in England when World War II broke out in 1939, and she documented the devastation of the Battle of Britain in London. When Allied troops landed in continental Europe in 1944, she followed soon after, reporting on the liberation of France, the invasion of Germany, and the atrocities of the Nazi death camps in Buchenwald and Dachau. After the war, Miller settled down and largely gave up photography; she died in 1977 of cancer at age 70.
Lee premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, where it earned a 68% “Fresh” rating from Rotten Tomatoes. In his review, Collider‘s Nate Richard praised Winslet‘s central performance and a rare dramatic turn for Andy Samberg, but found that the film “feels far more interested in simply laying out the facts like it’s a university history lecture”.
Lee will debut in theaters September 20, 2024. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
via Collider