The sleeper hit of 2026 has officially made the leap from cinema to your living room, and it wasted no time making an impression. PRESSURE, the gripping WWII drama-thriller directed by Anthony Maras, arrived on PVOD on June 16th and almost immediately emerged as one of the most popular titles on home video. The film hit theatres in the United States on May 29th, and while it never quite secured the kind of wide nationwide release enjoyed by tentpole titles, it made every screen count. It grossed over $15 million at the box office, surpassing the domestic runs of older WWII titles such as NUREMBERG and LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA, and generating the kind of genuine word-of-mouth awareness that money simply cannot buy.

The film stars Andrew Scott as RAF Group Captain James Stagg and Brendan Fraser as General Dwight D. Eisenhower, unfolding across the tense 72 hours before D-Day as the two men face an impossible decision — launch the largest seaborne invasion in history, or risk losing the war altogether. The ensemble is rounded out by Kerry Condon, Damian Lewis, and Chris Messina, but it is Scott’s performance that has drawn the most attention, and rightly so. PRESSURE holds an 86% critics score and a remarkable 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the site’s consensus noting that the film finds a fresh angle on one of the most dramatised days in military history, with Scott’s simmering performance at its thrilling core. 

Andrew Scott, the celebrated actor known for his transformative performances in FLEABAG, SHERLOCK, ALL OF US STRANGERS, and RIPLEY, is now stepping behind the camera to shape the future of filmmaking. In a significant evolution of the Redbreast Unhidden platform, Scott is deepening his partnership with the prestigious initiative, bringing his discerning eye and commitment to creative exploration to a curated selection of emerging talent. The award represents more than just recognition—it embodies a shared vision between Scott and Redbreast to illuminate the next generation of filmmakers and uncover the cinematic gems that might otherwise remain hidden from broader audiences.

Presented officially at the renowned SXSW festival, the Redbreast Unhidden Award honors one outstanding filmmaker from a carefully selected shortlist of short film finalists, offering winners not merely accolades but tangible support to propel their careers forward. The inaugural winner in 2025, Andy Reid for BRIEF SOMEBODIES, set an inspiring precedent for what this award could mean for emerging voices in cinema. This year, the competition has grown even more compelling. Scott has meticulously curated a shortlist featuring five original works that demonstrate the bold storytelling and innovative vision the award celebrates: CAN I PUT YOU ON HOLD by James Cutler, VISITORS by Cali’ Minnie’ Schedeen, WE WERE HERE by Pranav Bhasin, IMAGO by Ariel Zengotita, and WINTER CEREMONY by Sidi Wang.

Each film represents a distinct artistic perspective and the kind of fearless creative ambition that Scott himself has come to exemplify throughout his acting career. In a new interview with THE GLOSS, Scott talks about where he’s at in his life and his love of supporting creatives.

One of Ireland’s most celebrated actors is stepping into one of history’s most consequential moments. Andrew Scott has been cast in the upcoming World War II drama PRESSURE, a film that shines a spotlight on the untold human story behind the D-Day landings—specifically, the man whose shoulders bore the weight of one of the most critical meteorological decisions of the war.

Scott portrays James Stagg, a real-life meteorologist who faced an almost unimaginable responsibility: predicting the weather conditions that would determine whether the Allied invasion of Normandy could proceed at all. This wasn’t merely a matter of academic accuracy; the stakes were existential. A wrong forecast could have spelled catastrophic failure for the operation. A delay risked exposing the entire mission to enemy detection and compromise. In the hands of one man’s calculations lay the fate of thousands of soldiers and the trajectory of the war itself.

The film unfolds across seventy-two agonizing hours before D-Day, capturing the mounting tension as Stagg works in close collaboration with the Allied commanders tasked with orchestrating the invasion. But at the emotional core of PRESSURE lies the fraught relationship between the meteorologist and General Dwight D. Eisenhower, played by Brendan Fraser—the supreme commander bearing ultimate responsibility for green-lighting the operation. It is a study in the human cost of command, the burden of expertise, and the impossible choices demanded of those who must act decisively with incomplete information.

By centering the narrative on the personal and professional dynamics between these two men, PRESSURE offers audiences something rare: a window into the quiet, unglamorous decisions that shaped the course of history. Rather than dwelling on battlefield heroics, the film examines the tension between science and strategy, between the men who read the clouds and the commanders who must read the moment. It is a deeply human drama about the weight of responsibility, the vulnerability of those entrusted with momentous choices, and the way that pivotal historical events often turn not on grand gestures but on conversations in cramped rooms between exhausted men facing impossible odds.

With Scott’s commanding presence and Fraser’s embodiment of Eisenhower’s burden, supported by Kerry Condon and an ensemble cast, PRESSURE is positioned to deliver a gripping and emotionally resonant examination of one of the Second World War’s most pivotal hours—told through the eyes of those who lived it.

Andrew Scott has built a career on embracing the messy, contradictory aspects of human nature. In reflecting on the roles that have defined his professional journey, the actor reveals a consistent thread running through his most memorable performances: a deep commitment to portraying characters who resist easy categorization. From the manipulative yet vulnerable Priest in FLEABAG to the calculating con artist Tom Ripley in RIPLEY, Scott has repeatedly chosen parts that demand audiences sit with discomfort and moral ambiguity rather than retreat into judgment.

His breakthrough role as Sherlock Holmes in SHERLOCK introduced him to a global audience, but it was his willingness to subvert the detective’s cold brilliance with moments of genuine yearning that made the character resonate. This same instinct guided his approach to RIPLEY, where he peeled back the layers of a character defined by desperation and desire. Scott doesn’t shy away from portraying men who are fundamentally broken in compelling ways—characters whose flaws are not incidental but central to who they are.

Scott’s earlier work in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN demonstrated his ability to hold his own alongside established names while bringing quiet intensity to supporting moments. Yet it’s in recent years that he’s truly flourished, taking on roles in projects like ALL OF US STRANGERS where vulnerability becomes a superpower. These choices reflect an actor unafraid of emotional exposure, willing to let audiences see the fractures beneath the surface.

At the heart of Scott’s philosophy lies a fundamental belief in the power of strong writing. He recognizes that great acting cannot exist in a vacuum—it requires material worthy of the effort, scripts that provide depth and complexity enough to inhabit fully. His approach to taking creative risks stems from this understanding: he seeks out narratives that challenge him precisely because they challenge audiences. There’s no safety in the roles he selects, no guaranteed sympathy. Instead, there’s the thrill of presenting characters so authentically drawn, so painfully human, that viewers cannot help but connect with them despite—or perhaps because of—their fundamental flaws.

This commitment to complexity over comfort has become Scott’s signature. He understands that audiences crave connection with imperfect people, that we recognize ourselves most clearly in characters who fail, who want the wrong things, who hurt those around them while desperately seeking connection. By consistently choosing roles that honor this truth, Andrew Scott has become one of cinema’s most compelling chroniclers of the human condition in all its messy, contradictory glory.

WALK THE BLUE FIELDS is shaping up to be a compelling romance with serious star power, following the announcement that Andrew Scott has joined an already impressive ensemble cast. The film, led by Academy Award nominee Emily Blunt, adapts Claire Keegan’s short story of the same name into what promises to be an emotionally resonant exploration of love, sacrifice, and impossible choices. Set against the Irish landscape, the narrative centers on a woman confronting a devastating truth on what should be the happiest day of her life, when a long-buried love triangle from her past threatens to unravel everything she’s worked toward.

Scott’s addition marks a significant coup for the production, joining fellow newcomers Tom Cullen and Ciarán Hinds in roles that remain tantalizingly mysterious. The acclaimed actor, celebrated for transformative performances in SHERLOCK and FLEABAG, has proven his range across an eclectic array of projects, from the psychological thriller RIPLEY to the BAFTA-nominated drama ALL OF US STRANGERS. Most recently, he brought intensity to BLUE MOON opposite Ethan Hawke and demonstrated his ability to balance humor and tension in WAKE UP DEAD MAN, the latest entry in the increasingly unpredictable KNIVES OUT series. With PRESSURE, a World War II drama, and ELSINORE alongside Olivia Colman already lined up for the coming months, Scott’s schedule reflects a career in full creative momentum.

Director John Crowley, whose masterful handling of BROOKLYN established his ability to capture intimate human moments within sweeping narratives, takes the helm with a script from playwright and screenwriter Conor McPherson. This creative team signals an approach that prioritizes emotional depth and nuanced character work—precisely what Keegan’s source material demands. The pairing of such thoughtful filmmaking sensibilities with this powerhouse cast suggests WALK THE BLUE FIELDS could be something truly special, a film that honors the quiet devastation of its source material while expanding it into a fully realized cinematic experience. As details about Scott, Cullen, and Hinds’s specific roles slowly emerge, anticipation continues to build for what could be one of the year’s most moving films.