‘Peterloo’ First Trailer: Mike Leigh Returns and Brings to Life Britain’s Infamous 1819 Massacre

Four years after earning critical acclaim and four Oscar nominations with “Mr. Turner,” Mike Leigh is returning to the historical period drama with “Peterloo.” Amazon Studios has debuted the first trailer for Leigh’s historical epic, starring Rory Kinnear, Maxine Peake, and Neil Bell, and the footage makes it clear Leigh has crafted one of his most ambitious films to date.

“Peterloo” recounts the infamous Peterloo Massacre of 1819. The event was one of the bloodiest episodes in British history after government-backed cavalry charged into a peaceful crowd of 80,000 that gathered in Manchester, England to demand democratic reform.

While Leigh is well known for his intimate character dramas (see “Secrets & Lies,” “All or Nothing,” “Another Year”), he has also had great critical success with historical period pieces. Films such as “Topsy-Turvy” and “Mr. Turner” have been favorites with critics and multiple Oscar nominees. “Peterloo” finds Leigh reuniting with his “Mr. Turner” cinematographer Dick Pope.

Amazon Studios will open “Peterloo” in theaters November 9. Watch the first trailer below.