A major new historical drama starring Andrew Garfield will bring one of Essex's most famous stories to cinema screens this week.
The Uprising, directed by Paul Greengrass and set during the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt, shines a spotlight on a pivotal moment in English history that began in the Essex village of Fobbing.
Wat Tyler Country Park in Basildon is named after one of the revolt’s leaders, keeping Essex’s link to the uprising alive.
Andrew Garfield said: "It’s very interesting that it’s never been turned into a film before, this popular uprising, because it’s ripe for a great story like this, and a kind of epic, sweeping adventure for these characters in the way that Paul has told it.
"I feel very lucky that I got to be a part of bringing the story to an audience."
The film follows Garfield’s character, the Ploughman, as he rallies an army of ordinary people alongside Wat Tyler, played by Cosmo Jarvis, and radical priest John Ball, played by Jamie Bell.
Director Paul Greengrass said: "That period of history, 1381, following the Black Death, there was a great national convulsion and uprising.
"It felt to me like a great story and an exciting basis for a movie.
"In my telling of the story, the Ploughman is the first to raise his hand in rebellion in Essex.
"In Andrew Garfield’s Ploughman, I wanted to give a voice to the countless ordinary people who rose up and paid the price for it."
Garfield said the film’s themes still matter today.
He said: "Around the world there are things and conflicts happening where there are people that are being squeezed to that point where they say, 'I can’t keep living like this.'"
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Greengrass, best known for the Bourne action-thriller series, brings his immersive style to the film.
Garfield said: "He casts an incredible ensemble of actors, obviously, but not only that, he casts an incredible ensemble of extras.
"So anywhere you looked, you felt like you were in reality."
The Uprising is released in cinemas across the UK and Ireland on Friday, October 9.
The 1381 revolt is also cited as part of Colchester's history of resistance, alongside Boudicca's rebellion, the 1550s Protestant martyr executions and the 1648 Siege of Colchester.
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