In June 2020, after years of speculation, it was confirmed that Kate Winslet would take on the role of Lee Miller, British Vogue’s World War II correspondent under the magazine’s formidable editor-in-chief Audrey Withers, in a film directed by Oscar-nominated auteur Ellen Kuras. (Kuras previously worked with Winslet on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, for which she served as cinematographer.) Now, Deadline reports that Winslet will be joined by a string of stars, both established and emerging: Marion Cotillard, Jude Law, Josh O’Connor and Andrea Riseborough.
Titled Lee, the hotly-anticipated drama will take inspiration from the biography The Lives of Lee Miller by Antony Penrose – Miller’s son with her second husband Roland Penrose, a historian and champion of the Surrealist movement. The Post writer Liz Hannah is penning the script in collaboration with The Lee Miller Archives.
“This is absolutely not a biopic,” Winslet told the publication. “What we wanted to do was find the most interesting decade in her life. It was the period from 1938 to 1948 that took her right through the war. I’m surprised that a film has never been made about this incredible woman. She has been misunderstood and so often viewed through the lens of a man. What she did, as a female photographer on the front lines during World War II, [was educate] people on what actually happened during the war. Lee was the woman who was documenting war for women, through women’s eyes, for a women’s magazine.”
Lee Miller, a woman who lived a thousand lives
Lee Miller famously began her career as a model for American Vogue after Condé Nast prevented her from stepping in front of a car in Manhattan and brought her to meet then editor-in-chief Edna Woolman Chase. She later relocated to Paris to study photography under Man Ray – becoming his lover and muse for several years. Following the Blitz, she signed on to be British Vogue’s official war correspondent. Travelling to France shortly after D-Day, she captured the siege of St Malo; the liberation of Paris; and the opening of Dachau for the magazine’s pages. In spite of her professional success, she experienced depression throughout her life.
Who is starring in the film?
Alongside Kate Winslet as Lee Miller, Jude Law will reportedly play Roland Penrose and Josh O’Connor will take on the part of Antony Penrose. Meanwhile, Andrea Riseborough will appear as Audrey Withers and Marion Cotillard as Solange D’Ayen, the fashion director of French Vogue who was another close ally of Miller’s.
When will we see Lee in cinemas?
While an official release date hasn't yet been confirmed, Lee is slated to hit theaters in 2023.
This article was previously published on Vogue UK.
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