We’re always trying to track what historical costume movies and TV shows are coming up. Spring was thin, but while summer isn’t exactly Historical Costume Drama season, there’s a ton of trailers out for summer, fall, and beyond. As always, you can keep an eye on what’s forthcoming on our Upcoming Movies page!
June
Damsel (June 22)
Circa 1870, Samuel Alabaster, an affluent pioneer, ventures across the American frontier to marry the love of his life, Penelope.
Woman Walks Ahead (June 29)
In the 1890s, Catherine Weldon (Jessica Chastain) travels to paint Sitting Bull’s portrait and gets involved in the Lakota struggle over land rights.
July
The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco (July on BritBox)
Two characters from the original Bletchley Circle series travel to 1956 America and join forces with two U.S. codebreakers to tackle a string of murder cases.
Anne with an E season 2 (July 6 on Netflix)
August
Christopher Robin (Aug. 3)
Working-class family man Christopher Robin encounters his childhood friend Winnie-the-Pooh, who helps him to rediscover the joys of life; costumes by Jenny Beavan, starring Ewan McGregor and Hayley Atwell.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Aug. 10)
A writer (Lily James) forms an unexpected bond with the residents of Guernsey Island in the aftermath of World War II when she decides to write a book about their experiences during the war.
The Little Stranger (Aug. 31)
Spooky story set in an English mansion in 1948, adapted from a Sarah Waters (Tipping the Velvet, Fingersmith) novel.
September
Poldark season 4 (Sept. 30 on PBS)
October
The Happy Prince (Oct. 5)
Rupert Everett writes, directs, and stars in this Oscar Wilde biopic.
Versailles season 3 (Oct. 6 on Ovation)
First Man (Oct. 12)
Biopic of Neil Armstrong, first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.
November
Outlander season 4 (November on Starz)
Robin Hood (Nov. 21)
Yet another “gritty” reboot with WTF costumes.
December
Mary Poppins Returns (Dec. 25)
In Depression-era London, a now-grown Jane and Michael Banks, are visited by the enigmatic Mary Poppins following a personal loss. Starring Emily Blunt, costumes by Sandy Powell.
No Release Date
The Aspern Papers
Adaptation of a Henry James novel, starring Vanessa Redgrave and Joely Richardson, set in 1885 Venice.
The Current War
Jake Gyllenhaal and Benedict Cumberbatch as “Electricity titans Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse compete to create a sustainable system and market it to the American people.” It’s been on hold due to the whole Weinstein company crisis.
Mademoiselle Paradis
A blind pianist living in 18th-century Vienna forms an extraordinary relationship with the physician who is trying to restore her sight.
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
An advertising executive jumps back and forth in time between 21st-century London and 17th-century La Mancha, where Don Quixote mistakes him for Sancho Panza.
The Miniaturist
A woman moves to live with her new husband in 17th-century Amsterdam, but soon discovers that not everything is what it seems. Starring Romola Garai; costumes by Joanna Eatwell.
Vanity Fair
A new adaptation of the Thackeray classic.
The Woman in White
A TV miniseries adaptation of Wilkie Collins’ classic gothic novel.
Which of these are you most excited for?
Several of these BBC productions have already aired, and will air on PBS; though PBS seems to think we don’t know they haven’t aired (or haven’t found other means to watch them), even thought they are co-producers. I am getting so tired of this!
Thanks for the airdates for the movies …. looking forward to several.
PBS still hasn’t published the air dates tho! Trust me, I’ve been hunting.
The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco!!!! Can’t wait.
I had no idea this was in the works! Very excited!
What richness, as Jo March would say. Can’t wait to see “The Happy Prince.” (Has Stephen Fry ever been on M.C. Monday? He was a superb Wilde in a rather tepid bio-pic some years ago.) And “The Aspern Papers” with Redgrave and daughter?!
Both Rupert Everett & Stephen Fry have MCM pages, plus I’ve reviewed ‘Wilde’ on the blog!
Oh, yes, I forgot The Happy Prince! Considering Everett is writing, directing and staring as the main character, I have a feeling it’s a very… Personal movie.
Speaking of historical biopics with queer protagonist, I can’t believe you missed this ball of awesome. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6a6Kc00o8E&t=1s
I was thinking the time period was too late for our focus!
I’m curious what season two of “Anne with an ‘E'” will be like. Will it become a flat out “in name only” show, or still take ideas from the book series?
I wish it would stop pretending to care about the original material at all. What a disappointment that show was.
I don’t know which of those two options is less bad; that show is such a disappointment and is really not at all in line with the spirit of AoGG at all. But it’s “gritty” so there’s that. Ugh.
JRM, the “Hot” Henry VIII in the Tudors is in the Aspern Papers? NOPE!
The Aspern Papers look really good (I don’t hate Johnatan Rhys Meyers, so that might be a factor), so does Madamoseille Paradis and The Man Who Killed Don Quijote. The Miniaturist is an adaptation of the book, which I’d like to read before I get to watch it. And I really look forward to Robin Hood, because it looks like a trainwreck of Guy Richie’s King Arthur proportions!
Here’s hoping we actually get to see The Man Who Killed Don Quixote! Apparently terry gilliam lost the rights to the film in a legal battle with a producer who didn’t actually give him any money.
There are so many flicks/tv shows that I want to watch. They are in no particular order: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Happy Prince, The Miniaturist, Versailles Season 3 (where McM abound), Aspern Papers, Outlander Season 4 with Sam + Rollo, Mlle. Paradis, Mary Poppins (would love a Hamilton musical movie), and Mary Poppins Return (Sandy Powell)
I’ve seen the Robin Hood trailer: run, don’t walk,to the nearest exit. Matt Easton, historical fencing teacher, weapons collector and arms & armour historian, ran it on his YouTube site. Scary awful! (the trailer, not the site.)
I’m interested in Guernsey Literary, and curious about Christopher Robin. Not sure about may of the others. I am still laughing about Robin Hood—is there a way to add more scare quotes to “historical”? :-)
Anne with an E was a horrible abuse of the original material that I will not be watching. I didn’t make it 3 episodes before I decided I was done with child abuse porn that really missed the point of the original books. It was such a shame because they had so many excellent elements in play—excellent production design, good cast—and yet it’s like whoever wrote it took a 3 line synopsis of Anne and welded it onto Oliver Twist or something, and then didn’t have the discipline to avoid going over the top. So disappointing. The one good thing is that it inspired me to go back to the source material—and as I suspected, they really just got AoGG very, very wrong. I’m happy to recommend Rachel McAdams’ audiobook version from Audible.
I am torn on The Current War… I like BC but he never really seems to set in an American accent. Also, are you sure that’s Jake Gyllenhaal?
You are right dear Nzie, Jake Gyllenhaal isn’t in The Current War. That’s Michael Shannon.
“Damsel” looks absolutely hilarious and pretty interesting. As for a lot of the other films/TV shows? I’m honestly shocked there’s nothing about Henry VIII and his six wives here. Some of them are just blatant reiterations of the same old books and stories that they keep remaking every 10 to 15 years. I’d like to see more historical costume dramas about different stories, from different regions, and different times.