Michael Winterbottom is once again going to be blending reality with some fiction for a new project, this time a five-episode miniseries about the UK government's reaction to the early days of the pandemic. And he's scored Kenneth Branagh to play Boris Johnson.
There's little indication yet whether it'll point out the various flaws of the political reaction, but the focus appears to be more on the doctors, nurses and members of the public who came together to start fighting the virus.
Winterbottom wrote the drama with Kieron Quirke and is on to direct all five episodes. "The first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic will be remembered forever," says Winterbottom. "A time when the country came together to battle an invisible enemy. A time when people were more aware than ever of the importance of community. Our series weaves together countless true stories – from Boris Johnson in Number 10 to front line workers around the country – chronicling the efforts of scientists, doctors, care home workers and policy makers to protect us from the virus".
We'd guess Branagh will need a little prosthetic assistance to play Johnson - that'll be a sight to see. Winterbottom plans to film the series this year with the idea to premiere it in 2022, by which time we might actually want to watch something about that subject. But ask us again in a year...