Adapted from the eponymous 2014 stage play by David Haig, ‘Pressure’ is a historical war thriller movie helmed by Anthony Maras. Set in the middle of World War II, the narrative, which is based on an untold true story, follows General Dwight D. Eisenhower, a Supreme Allied Commander who must make an impossible choice that directly affects the fate of the free world. Stuck between launching the deadly seaborne invasion, also referred to as the D-Day invasion, and risking losing the war altogether, Dwight enlists the help of Britain’s chief meteorological officer, James Stagg, who is hired to make the most vital weather forecast in history.
In the 72 hours leading to D-Day, Dwight’s decision depends on the British weather and James’ forecast, as the wrong conditions could have grave consequences, while a delay in the operation could give the Germans an upper hand in the war. As the lives of millions hang in the balance, Dwight must make the final decision. Starring Brendan Fraser, Andrew Scott, Kerry Condon, Chris Messina, and Damian Lewis, the World War II film is set in the UK, with unpredictable British weather driving the enthralling, suspenseful tale.
Pressure Filming Locations
The shooting for ‘Pressure’ took place primarily in England, specifically in East Sussex and Buckinghamshire. According to reports, principal photography for the period film commenced in September 2024 and continued for nearly two months before concluding in late October of the same year. Jamie D. Ramsay, the cinematographer, shared a few words about the film and its crew members, stating, “Proud to share PRESSURE, our new film with Anthony Marras. The incredible Andrew Scott helms this WW2 drama. No man is an island and I have the most wonderful crew!”
East Sussex, England
A major chunk of ‘Pressure’ was reportedly lensed in the ceremonial county of East Sussex, located in South East England. In October 2024, the cast and crew members set up camp on Camber Sands Beach near Rye in the village of Camber, where they depicted the beach scenes of the D-Day landings. As per reports, the beach was also utilized to portray the Normandy beaches in June 1944. Various pivotal outdoor sequences for the Brendan Fraser starrer were also shot in the 371-acre Seaford Head Nature Reserve, which is a part of Seaford to Beachy Head Site of Special Scientific Interest.
You can also spot the scenic and gigantic chalk sea cliffs, the Seven Sisters, on the English Channel coast in several establishing and exterior shots. During production, the director, Anthony Maras, and his team faced the core conflict of the narrative — predicting the British weather. Three teams of meteorologists and marine specialists measured sand dunes and tracked water levels with lasers for a month or so to determine the safety of filming on the beach. However, a few days before shooting the D-Day sequence, they received the worst news possible about the weather conditions.
In an interview with Gold Derby, Maras revealed, “They said there is going to be 50-plus knot winds. There’s going to be 6-foot waves. There’s no way you’re going to be able to film this next week. And we’re going further into an English winter, which just gets more and more brutal. And I remember thinking, ‘Well, we’ve got to call it off. There’s no point in picking up, leaving the location where we can film inside and going to a beach and just sitting there for a week.” The cast and crew delayed the shoot by just a single day and took a gamble. The day they originally planned to conduct the shoot, a massive storm destroyed all the production design, after which the crew began designing the set from scratch.
“As we got there to film, like in the film, the clouds parted, the sun came out and we got the weather we needed for D-Day and we were pinching ourselves the whole way through it. No 6-foot waves, no 50-knot winds. It was as we needed it. And that continued throughout the whole film. The weather miraculously was on our side. And even veterans, even people who’d worked in the industry in England for 30 years, they go, ‘Mate, we haven’t seen the weather turn in anyone’s favor like it has on this film ironically about weather,’” Maras said.
Buckinghamshire, England
A portion of the Brendan Fraser starrer was also taped in the ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire in South East England. In particular, the taping of the war drama film was carried out at Mentmore Towers in the eponymous village. The stunning 19th-century English country house is an icon in the world of cinema and television, having hosted the production of titles such as ‘Batman Begins,’ ‘Eyes Wide Shut,’ ‘The Mummy,’ and ‘Johnny English.’ Designed by celebrated architect Sir Joseph Paxton, the property showcases a unique blend of Elizabethan and Jacobean architecture, lending it a breathtaking grandeur that makes it an ideal backdrop for a film like ‘Pressure.’
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