Kenneth Branagh to star as Boris Johnson in new Sky series This England

Kenneth Branagh will star as Boris Johnson in a new Sky drama series, This England, due for release later this year.

Written and co-directed by Michael Winterbottom (The Trip, The Road To Guantanamo, 24 Hour Party People), the five-part dramatization will highlight Boris Johnson’s tumultuous first months as UK Prime Minister.

Sky says: “The drama takes us inside the halls of power, as Johnson grapples with Covid-19, Brexit, and a controversial personal and political life.

Events in government will be interwoven with stories from around the UK.

From experts and scientists who raced against time to understand the virus, to doctors, nurses, and care-home workers who worked tirelessly on the frontline, this drama will amalgamate these aspects of the pandemic with ordinary people's lives that were thrown into turmoil.

The teaser, released on Wednesday, opens with an exultant voiceover by Branagh, 61, as the prime minister, saying: “A new dawn is breaking, 2020 will be a year of prosperity.”

Watch the official teaser below.