At last! After a barren summer and the effects of the pandemic, the period drama release roster is back to full health and there are A LOT of period dramas to look forward to for the rest of 2022.
Its been some time since I was able to write a post about how many great period dramas are due for release VERY soon, but I’m happy to report that September 2022 looks like a bumper month for NEW period dramas here in the UK.
So grab your cinema pass or snuggle up on the sofa, and catch these new period drama gems!
See How They Run – 9th September
September starts strong with See How They Run, an historical whodunnit murder mystery with a simply stellar ensemble cast!
The film is set in the West End of 1950s London. Plans for a film version of a play grind to a halt after a member of the crew is murdered. Sam Rockwell and my fave Saoirse Ronan play Inspector Stoppard and his sidekick Constable Stalker, who are given the task of finding the killer.
While not based on real life events, some of the characters in the film are based on real people, including the legendary actor and filmmaker Richard Attenborough.
In cinemas in the UK from the 9th of September
The Serpent Queen – 11th September
Starz is developing quite the reputation for female-centered period dramas. Hot on the heels of Becoming Elizabeth, get ready to meet The Serpent Queen aka Catherine de Medici, Queen of France and wife of Henri II.
The trailer for the new series, starring Samantha Morton as Catherine, has generated a A LOT of online debate amongst period drama lovers. Forget about the historical nuance, this queen is being portrayed with a dark side here.
Will I still be watching? Most definitely. This is personally one on my most anticipated period dramas for 2022. And hats off to Starz for trying something different.
Airing on Starzplay from the 11th of September
Don’t Worry Darling – 23rd September
Probably the most hotly anticipated film on the list, Don’t Worry Darling brings together two of Hollywood’s current hottest properties – Florence Pugh and Harry Styles – in this psychological thriller directed by Olivia Wilde.
Pugh and Styles play a young couple in the 1950s, living in the seemingly perfect town of Victory, which has been created and paid for by the mysterious company Jack is working for. Curiosity about the company’s top secret project begins to consume Alice, and cracks begin to form in their utopian life…
In cinemas in the UK from the 23rd of September
Catherine, Called Birdy – 23rd September
This film has been on my radar for a while, but I must admit I wasn’t excited about it until I saw the recent trailer. A medieval comedy based on a children’s book sounds like it shouldn’t work, but it totally does!
Bella Ramsey plays Birdy, a 14 year old girl in medieval England navigating through life and avoiding potential suitors her father has in mind. Andrew Scott and Billie Piper star as the parents trying to find her a husband. I’m SO interested to see how the film will deal with the themes of sexism and the patriarchy in a medieval (and comedic) context.
In cinemas in the UK from the 23rd of September, prior to streaming on Prime Video from October 7th 2022
A Jazzman’s Blues – 23rd September
I’m usually quite good on keeping track of period dramas in development and due for release, but this one sneaked in as a nice surprise!
Set against a soundtrack of juke joint blues, Joshua Boone and Solea Pfeiffer play a star-crossed couple navigating the world as young Black people in this latest offering from Tyler Perry. Expect a tale of forbidden love, family drama and music. So good there’s already a little bit of Oscar buzz about it!
Airing on Netflix from the 23rd September
Blonde – 28th September
You all know I love my Netflix period dramas, so I have high hopes for Blonde, the latest portrayal of Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe (played by Ana de Armas).
This fictional portrait of Marilyn Monroe boldly reimagines the tumultuous private life of the Hollywood legend — and the price she paid for fame. Blonde will cover the years in which Marilyn exploded onto the Hollywood scene. It will also cover the tragic events that led to her early death at the age of 36.
Be warned – Netflix has announced this will be their first ever movie released with an NC-17 rating in America as a result of its graphic depictions of sexual violence – so we can expect a similar rating this side of the pond.
Airing on Netflix from the 28th of September
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The Empress – 29th September
It was only a matter of time before the fascinating Empress Sissi got the Netflix treatment.
The German language series will focus on the Empress’ younger years. When rebellious Elisabeth falls for Emperor Franz and becomes his unlikely bride, she enters a world of tension and intrigue at the Viennese court – think Diana in The Crown, but set in the 19th Century Hapsburg court.
The critically acclaimed film Corsage, focusing on Sissi’s later years, is due for release in the UK at the end of December. Will these series compliment and tell the other half of her tragic story?
Airing on Netflix from the 29th of September
Mrs Harris Goes To Paris – 30th September
I simply ADORE my period dramas about fashion and Mrs Harris Goes To Paris looks set to be no different.
Lesley Manville (shortly due to star as Princess Margaret in series five of The Crown) stars as a widowed cleaning lady in 1950s London who falls madly in love with a couture Dior dress, and decides that she must have one of her own. The rather dishy Lucas Bravo (Gabriel from Emily in Paris) plays one of Mrs Harris’ new French amis.
If you’re looking for a lighter, sweet-hearted period drama to watch this September, this is it.
In cinemas in the UK from the 30th of September
The Greatest Beer Run Ever – 30th September
Okay, so the title doesn’t scream period drama, but The Greatest Beer Run Ever tells one man’s story of leaving New York in 1967 to bring beer to his childhood buddies in the Army while they are fighting in Vietnam.
Sounds a bit far fetched right? But its actually based on a true story. Zak Efron plays veteran John ‘Chickie’ Donahue who has the unenviable task of delivering the beer. Alongside Efron, the film stars Russell Crowe as war photographer Arthur Coates and Bill Murray as bartender The Colonel.
In cinemas in the UK and streaming on Apple TV from the 30th of September
There are literally so many great new period dramas due for release in September 2022 I can’t decide which ones I want to watch first!
Which one will you be watching first? Let us know in the comments below!
While you’re waiting for these new releases to hit our screens, why not catch up with some Netflix period dramas or even some great period drama films that were released last year?