Kate Winslet’s eight-year struggle to film the war reporter biopic “Lee”

It's always exciting to see a new Kate Winslet film in the cinema. This week she stars in the biopic Lee, in which she plays renowned US photojournalist Lee Miller. Miller was a former model who famously delivered intrepid portrayals of World War II while working for Vogue.

Winslet has been involved in this particular project for a long time. The idea first came from director Ellen Kuras, who had worked with Winslet when she was cinematographer on Eternal Flame. Kuras saw a book about Miller and noticed the resemblance between her and Winslet.

The film was officially announced in 2015 and since then the star has been fighting doggedly to bring the story to the screen. It was her decision to hire Kuras as director – her first time at the helm of a feature film.

Winslet has been part of the project from the beginning, and a recent Vogue article described her as “a very involved producer, responsible for everything from finances to script and casting to camera angles,” as well as her role in front of the camera. This is Winslet's film through and through, and the road to the screen was anything but easy.

The original screenplay was written by John Collee and Marion Hume and based on the biography The Lives of Lee Miller by Antony Penrose, Miller's son. Penrose supported the production and gave Kuras full access to all of his mother's diaries and archival materials. Screenwriter Liz Hannah, who received a Golden Globe nomination for her journalist drama The Post, was later brought in.

Read more: Kate Winslet had one condition for her new film Lee (HuffPost)

Winslet was heavily involved throughout the process, personally selecting the screenwriters and working with fellow producer Kate Solomon to get the film off the ground. She told Vogue that she had some “incredibly upsetting” encounters with men in the industry while seeking financing. She said: “I've even had a director say to me, 'Listen, you do my movie and I'll get your little Lee financed.' Little! Or potential male investors would say things like, 'Tell me, why should I like this woman?'”

But in late 2021, the film gained momentum when Marion Cotillard, Andrea Riseborough and Josh O'Connor joined the cast, as well as Jude Law, who was later replaced by Alexander Skarsgård. Cotillard joined when Winslet wrote to her personally about the role of French journalist Solange d'Ayen.

Read more: Kate Winslet talks about Andy Samberg's “sweet” reaction to her first drama role (Yahoo Entertainment)

However, Winslet's determined pursuit of financing did not prevent the process from being as precarious as it often is with independent films. At one point, Winslet paid two weeks' wages for the entire cast and crew out of her own pocket. In September 2022, the film was ready to go in front of cameras.

Then disaster struck. On the first day of filming, Winslet slipped during a rehearsal and seriously injured her back. “I had three huge bruises on my spine,” Winslet told Vogue. “I could barely stand.” She was determined not to delay the film at such a crucial stage and acted despite the excruciating pain.

Less than a year after that painful day on set, Lee premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. Winslet's eight-year journey to bring her passion project to the screen was worth it, as critics praised her dedication and commitment to the role. Variety wrote that she delivered a “fantastic interpretation of a woman who doesn't care about maintaining the status quo.”

Read more: Kate Winslet: Photographer Lee Miller “has to deal with so many challenges” (PA Media)

It took another year for Lee to make it to cinemas, but now the film has arrived in multiplexes and will eventually make its way to Sky's streaming offering. It's a testament to Winslet's determination behind the scenes to bring us all a story she needed to tell.

“Lee” will be in UK cinemas from September 13th.