If your social media timeline has been absolutely flooded with news about Don’t Worry Darling since its chaotic, dramatic premiere at the Venice Film Festival, you’re not alone. Do Florence Pugh and Olivia Wilde hate each other? Did Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine while taking his seat for the premiere? It’s all anyone has been able to talk about.
In fact, the #spitgate rumours spread like such internet wildfire that both Pine and Styles’ publicists were forced to issue statements denying the incident, and when Styles returned to New York City to resume his Love on Tour world tour, he even made light of the incident.
Addressing the crowd, and the rumours, the singer/actor laughed as he said: “It’s wonderful, wonderful, wonderful to be back in New York. I just popped very quickly to Venice to spit on Chris Pine”.
Harry Styles jokingly addresses internet speculation that he spat on Chris Pine at the Venice premiere of #DontWorryDarling:
“It’s wonderful, wonderful, wonderful to be back in New York. I just popped very quickly to Venice to spit on Chris Pine.” pic.twitter.com/5PEswcATmF
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) September 8, 2022
With the drama of Don’t Worry Darling behind us, it’s time to turn our attention to Styles’ other big acting gig this year. He’s playing the lead in the Amazon Studios film My Policeman, an adaptation of the Bethan Roberts book of the same name.
In My Policeman, Styles plays a closeted gay man in 1950s Britain who soon finds himself in a dramatic love triangle after he begins dating a schoolteacher (Emma Corrin), but also has a secret love affair with a museum curator (David Dawson).
Still, the press roll out for My Policeman hasn’t been without drama. While discussing the gay sex scenes in the film in a recent Rolling Stone profile, Styles found himself facing backlash and being mocked online for, well, not knowing anything about queer cinema, basically.
“So much of gay sex in film is two guys going at it, and it kind of removes the tenderness from it,” Styles told Rolling Stone. “There will be, I would imagine, some people who watch it who were very much alive during this time when it was illegal to be gay, and [director Michael Grandage] wanted to show that it’s tender and loving and sensitive.”
Will My Policeman‘s premiere reach the heights of Don’t Worry Darling? It’s unlikely, but with My Policeman already generating Oscar buzz, it’s time to turn our attention to it.
Here’s everything we know so far:
Related: Olivia Wilde, Florence Pugh and the ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ Drama: A Complete Timeline
Related: Is ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ Actually Good? Here’s What the Reviews Say
Who Is Starring in My Policeman?
Playing the titular policeman Tom Burgess is the one and only Harry Styles, while The Crown‘s Emma Corrin is playing Marion Taylor and The Last Kingdom‘s David Dawson will round out the love triangle as Patrick Underwood.
Of course, My Policeman is split between the 1950s and the ’90s, so there’s another trio playing these characters in the later timeline, as well. In the ’90s, Tom is played by Linus Roache (Homeland), Marion is played by Gina McKee (Catherine the Great) and Patrick is played by Rupert Everett (My Best Friend’s Wedding).
Rounding out the cast in the supporting roles are:
- Andrew Tiernan as Bert
- Jack Bandeira as Leonard
- Tristan Sturrock as Defence lawyer
- Kadiff Kirwan as Nigel
- Richard Dempsey as Librarian
- Maddie Rice as Jackie Stewart
- Dora Davis as Sylvie
- Róisín Monaghan as Teacher
- Michael Ayala-Cole as Teddy Boy
- Joseph Potter as Roy
- Sarah Lockett as Teacher
- Nicolas Tennant as Gordon Burgess
Who Directed My Policeman?
My Policeman is directed by Michael Grandage. Prior to My Policeman, Grandage directed the 2016 film Genius, which starred Colin Firth, Jude Law and Nicole Kidman. Grandage also comes from an acting background, having starred in the ’90s TV series Bugs.
Who Wrote My Policeman?
The original My Policeman novel was written by Bethan Roberts.
The screenplay, however, was written by Ron Nyswaner. Nyswaner is best known for writing the 1993 film Philadelphia. He was later nominated for Best Original Screenplay (then known as Best Screenplay — Written Directly for the Screen) at the 1994 Academy Awards for his work, but lost to Jane Campion for The Piano.
Is My Policeman Based on a Novel?
My Policeman is indeed based on the romance novel by Bethan Roberts, which was originally published in 2012.
What Is My Policeman About?
Per the film’s official synopsis: “A beautifully crafted story of forbidden love and changing social conventions, My Policeman follows three young people — policeman Tom (Styles), teacher Marion (Corrin), and museum curator Patrick (Dawson) — as they embark on an emotional journey in 1950s Britain.
“Flashing forward to the 1990s, Tom (Roache), Marion (McKee), and Patrick (Everett) are still reeling with longing and regret, but now they have one last chance to repair the damage of the past.
“Based on the book by Bethan Roberts, director Michael Grandage carves a visually transporting, heart-stopping portrait of three people caught up in the shifting tides of history, liberty, and forgiveness.”
Is There a Trailer for My Policeman?
There is indeed! You can watch it right here:
Where Was My Policeman Filmed?
My Policeman was filmed in and around Brighton, London and Hove in England, as well as Venice in Italy.
The bulk of the novel is set in Brighton, and a lot of the film’s principal filming took place on location in Brighton, as well.
Notably, the Palace Pier and the Royal Pavilion were both given 1950s makeovers for the film, and they also shot outdoor scenes against a backdrop of buildings that remain from that time period.
When Will My Policeman Be Released in Australia?
My Policeman will hit Prime Video on November 4, 2022. If you’re keen to see it on the big screen, it’ll likely do a limited cinema run around this time, as well.
Where Can I Watch My Policeman?
Either on Prime Video, or in cinemas.
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