Helen Mirren To Star In Golda Meir Biopic

Helen Mirren (State of Play, The Queen) will play Israel's only female Prime Minister, Golda Meir, in an upcoming biopic titled Golda, according to Deadline. The film will be directed by Guy Nattiv (Skin), and comes from a script by Nicholas Martin (Florence Foster Jenkins). The film is expected to begin production in October.

"As someone who was born during the Yom Kippur War, I am honored to tell this fascinating story about the first and only woman to ever lead Israel," said Nattiv. "Nicholas Martin's brilliant script dives into Golda's final chapter as the country faces a deadly surprise attack during the holiest day of the year, a core of delusional generals undermining Golda's judgment, all the while undergoing secret treatments for her illness. I could not be more excited to work with the legendary Miss Mirren to bring this epic, emotional, and complex story to life."

Mirren's next film, The Duke, is currently slated for a release sometime this year. Like Golda, The Duke is a period piece. The film's log line reads: "In 1961, Kempton Bunton, a 60-year-old taxi driver, steals Goya's portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London." Mirren plays Dorothy Bunton, Kempton's wife. The film also stars Jim Broadbent (Game of Thrones), Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk), Matthew Goode (Watchmen), and Anna Maxwell Martin (Line of Duty).

Mirren has also recently been cast as Hespera, a key role in the DC sequel Shazam: Fury of the Gods, which is expected out in 2023. Also on the horizon for the actor is Fast 9, the latest installment in the Fast Saga, which according to its Super Bowl trailer is "coming soon," and will see Mirren reprise the role of Magdalene Shaw.