The BFI London Film Festival has announced their opening night gala film, and it’s a doozy. Dubbed the “international premiere,” Steve McQueen’s highly anticipated film, “Widows,” will be the festivals opening film.
“Widows” is the perfect film to open a festival, especially if you’re looking for a star-studded turn-out. There aren’t many films opening later this year with a cast that can compete with McQueen’s latest. “Widows” stars Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Colin Farrell, Daniel Kaluuya and Jacki Weaver with Robert Duvall and Liam Neeson. The film is a thriller that follows a group of widows that have to take their future into their own hands after their criminal husbands are killed during a job.
READ MORE: ‘Widows’ Trailer: Steve McQueen & Gillian Flynn Team Up For Star-Studded Crime Drama
If the cast in front of the camera isn’t enough to get people excited, then the creators behind the camera put it over the top. You have Steve McQueen directing, best known for his award-winning film “12 Years a Slave.” And the film is co-written by McQueen and “Gone Girl” author Gillian Flynn.
“I am absolutely delighted that ‘Widows’ will be opening this year’s BFI London Film Festival. Watching the UK TV version of Lynda La Plante’s original thriller as a teenager in the 80s had a major impact on me and so it feels very special to be sharing this film with a UK audience,” said McQueen.
“We treasure the work of BFI Fellow and Festival alumni Steve McQueen, so it’s an utter pleasure to open our Festival with the International Premiere of ‘Widows.’ Adapted from a ground-breaking UK television classic into a feature to savor on the biggest cinema screens, this is scintillatingly rich storytelling from a magnificent filmmaker, probing issues around race, class and gender, while always delivering immense style and crackingly sharp thrills,” said BFI London Film Festival Artistic Director, Tricia Tuttle.
The BFI London Film Festival begins October 10, and for those of us not able to make it, “Widows” will hit theaters November 16.