Advertisement

Kenneth Branagh as Boris Johnson in first 'This England' trailer

Watch: Kenneth Branagh transforms into Boris Johnson for first This England trailer

A first-look trailer for Sky drama This England shows Kenneth Branagh transformed as Boris Johnson in the series about the first COVID lockdown.

Oscar-winning actor Branagh, 61, plays the outgoing Prime Minister in the early days of the pandemic as he sent the country into lockdown and sparked public outrage at his own behaviour.

Read more: Have I Got News For You returns with Boris Johnson tribute special

Branagh sports a dishevelled blond hairstyle as Johnson and has adopted his bumbling style of speech for the role.

The trailer also includes Branagh as Johnson being admitted to hospital with COVID, and familiar scenes from the daily press conferences that took place in the early days of the pandemic.

Kenneth Branagh transforms into Boris Johnson for first This England trailer
Kenneth Branagh transforms into Boris Johnson for first This England trailer. (Sky)

Sky Atlantic and NOW TV are due to begin airing This England from 21 September as a six-part series that will make its debut just two weeks after Johnson officially leaves office.

The drama, written by Michael Winterbottom and Kieron Quirke, also stars Ophelia Lovibond as Johnson's wife Carrie Symonds and Simon Paisley Day as adviser Dominic Cummings.

In the trailer, some scenes hint at the animosity between Symonds and Cummings as she is shown telling Johnson of his adviser in frustration: "You have to reign him in."

Read more: How to watch House of the Dragon in the UK

Viewers will get a glimpse of Johnson's potential successor, Rishi Sunak, in the trailer too as a brief scene shows him heading into a meeting about the furlough scheme.

Picture shows: Carrie (OPHELIA LOVIBOND) and Prime Minister Boris Johnson (KENNETH BRANAGH)
Carrie is played by Ophelia Lovibond and Kenneth Branagh is Prime Minister Boris Johnson. (Sky)

Cummings can be heard saying: "Our focus groups show that people will accept a lockdown if we support them financially."

Sunak replies: "I agree. Obviously the impact on the economy would be huge."

The cast also includes Andrew Buchan as disgraced former Health Secretary Matt Hancock, Tim Goodman as the PM's father Stanley Johnson, Alec Nicholls as Sir Patrick Valance and Jimmy Livingstone as Chris Witty.

Picture shows: Prime Minister Boris Johnson (KENNETH BRANAGH)
The drama tells the story of the first lockdown in the early days of the pandemic. (Sky)

The drama, which includes scenes of Cummings' downfall after breaking the Government's own lockdown rules, is cut through with stories from hospitals, care homes and people struggling during the pandemic across the UK.

It was originally titled This Sceptred Isle and has been renamed This England.

Johnson is due to leave his role as Prime Minister on 6 September and his replacement, which is currently being battled out between Sunak and Liz Truss, will be announced on 5 September.

This England will begin on 21 September on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV.

Watch: Tory leadership candidate Sunak appears on This Morning