Kate Winslet to Make Directorial Debut

Winslet plans to act in and also produce the movie, which has a script from Joe Anders, her son with ex-husband Sam Mendes.

Kate Winslet in 'Mare of Easttown'. Photo: HBO.

Preview:

Kate Winslet will star in, direct and produce ‘Goodbye June.’
It’s a Netflix film focused on a family.
Winslet’s son Joe Anders wrote the script.

It’s a common refrain that every actor secretly wants to direct. Well, maybe not all of them, but there are sufficient egos of many who see themselves as taking the reins and overseeing everything on set.

Yet it also presents quite the challenge; since the director is responsible for all decisions, so if you’re going to take it on, you have to decide whether you’re going to transition to more on the directorial side, such as Greta Gerwig, or switch between, as Ben Affleck appears to have chosen.

The latest person known more for their work in front of the camera now looking to transition behind it is Kate Winslet, who according to Screen Daily, has found her directorial debut in new Netflix family drama ‘Goodbye June.’

Goodbye June

Not Yet Rated

A touching, yet humorous story which sees a fractured group of siblings pull together under sudden and trying circumstances. Read the Plot

While we wondered whether she might try her hand at TV first (as she’s been taking more of a role behind the scenes of small screen work), she’s jumping straight to making movies –– albeit with a relatively smaller scale project.

What’s the story of ‘Goodbye June’?

Kate Winslet stars in 'Lee'.

Netflix is describing the movie as a “touching, yet humorous” drama which sees a fractured group of siblings pull together under sudden and trying circumstances.”

So there you have it. With luck, Winslet can bring something fresh to what sounds like a very familiar story.

The actor (and now director) does at least have an impressive cast lined up to appear alongside her –– Toni Collette, Johnny Flynn, Andrea Riseborough, Timothy Spall and Helen Mirren are all on board the movie.

And keeping it in the family, Winslet’s son, Joe Anders –– whom she shares with director Sam Mendes –– wrote the script for the movie.

This new movie will be set in in England in the present day and Winslet plans to kick off production soon in the U.K.

She has some support from Kate Solomon, who worked on ‘Lee’ with Winslet and will produce the new movie alongside the actor.

As with other actors who look to grow their career beyond simply performing, Winslet has also been working as a producer on several of her projects, including on the likes of ‘Mare of Easttown’ and ‘I Am…’

Winslet on Directing

Kate Winslet stars in director James Cameron's 'Avatar: The Way of Water.'

Winslet’s decision to finally jump into the directing world might not be so surprising to those who heard her on the ‘How to Fail’ podcast, where she told host Elizabeth Day that she had resisted calls to direct, partly due to the time commitment involved, she now felt a sense of “urgency” and responsibility to women in Hollywood to step behind the camera.

Here’s what she said:

“So many people will say to me on film sets, people I work with and know well, whether it’s an actor or a crew member, they will say, ‘Why aren’t you directing?’ and I’ll go ‘No, no, no, please don’t say it. Stop saying it. Why does everyone keep saying it?’ But the more I’m not doing it now, with the need to change the culture, the more I feel like I’m actually letting down other women by not doing it. I’m really starting to feel that in quite a loud way. The more of us that are doing it, the more will be inspiring others to do it. There’s no way I’m ever going to do something unless I really know how to do it properly.”

What else is Kate Winslet working on?

Kate Winslet 'Lee'. Photo: Roadside Attractions & Vertical.

Winslet was most recently seen in the aforementioned ‘Lee,’ about model-turned-World War II photographer, which included Riseborough among its cast.

She landed a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the film, which was also nominated for the BAFTA for outstanding British film of the year.

In addition to that, she was seen on small screens in HBO limited series ‘The Regime,’ playing a quirky dictator.

Coming up, Winslet has family movie ‘Dreamscapes,’ an audio/visual experience for which she provides the narration. And in December, she’ll once more be seen as Na’vi warrior woman Ronal in ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’ the second of James Cameron’s planned sequels to the 2009 original.

When will ‘Goodbye June’ be on screens?

Given that it’s a Netflix movie and Winslet –– for all her acting and showbiz clout –– isn’t exactly on the level of Gerwig yet (who has been able to secure a cinematic release for her Narnia movie), we wouldn’t expect to see this one arrive in theaters.

Instead, it seems likely to debut on the streaming service’s system. Which is not always a bad thing, as it guarantees a huge potential audience. And you know people will be drawn to the idea of a movie directed by Winslet.