Netflix has delivered an early Christmas gift for fans of Kate Winslet. The Oscar-winning actress will make her directorial debut this year with Goodbye June, and the streaming service has just shared the first photos from the film and from behind the scenes, where Winslet was coordinating the biting drama. In addition to helming the project, she plays a starring role in the story of a mother whose health takes a turn that thrusts the entire family into disarray. The feature hits select theaters on December 12 before coming home on the platform just in time for Christmas on December 24.
Goodbye June fittingly takes place around the holidays as four adult siblings and their exasperated father navigate the chaos that comes from their mother’s unexpected decline. They’re forced to reckon with the potential loss on short notice during what’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. As seen in the photos, the event brings everyone together amid the impending tragedy for what’s sure to spark more than a bit of family drama and, perhaps, some togetherness. However, the quick-witted June is clever enough to orchestrate her decline on her own terms, bringing a bit of biting humor, brutal honesty, and plenty of love to her family in what could be her final moments.
Winslet has long been a cinematic favorite, from her past turns in Titanic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Revolutionary Road, to her more recent roles, like in the war biopic Lee. Her first film comes packed with other talented actors ready to help her flesh out her vision this time around. That includes Oscar nominees Toni Collette and Andrea Riseborough, BAFTA winner Timothy Spall, Emma. star Johnny Flynn, and fellow Oscar winner Helen Mirren among the main cast, with the supporting cast including Stephen Merchant, Fisayo Akinade, Jeremy Swift, and Raza Jaffrey.
Who Else Helped Make ‘Goodbye June’ a Reality?
Joining Winslet on the production side was Kate Solomon, who previously worked with the actress on the aforementioned Lee, which premiered in theaters last year. She’s also served as a producer on the Daisy Ridley-led Magpie and the Paul Greengrass-directed United 93. The script for Goodbye June, meanwhile, was penned by Joe Anders in what represents his first writing credit. Before the film, Anders had primarily stuck to acting, also appearing alongside Winslet in Lee and acting in Sam Mendes‘s war epic 1917. On the horizon, he’s due to appear in the star-studded new Cape Fear series featuring the likes of Amy Adams, Patrick Wilson, and Javier Bardem.
Goodbye June hits select theaters on December 12 before coming home for the holidays on Netflix on December 24. Check out the first images in the gallery above.
via Collider