Steven Spielberg has returned to the director's chair with his latest film The BFG... and it is packed with British acting talent.
Mark Rylance in The BFG
Over the year and during his career, Spielberg has been a huge supporter of British actors and has cast a whole host of them in his films.
- Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies & The BFG
Mark Rylance is Spielberg's latest collaboration as the pair reunites for The BFG. The British actor takes on the title role in what his is second film project with the filmmaker.
The pair first worked together last year on Bridge of Spies, which not only sent Rylance's star rocketing, but saw him pick up a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance at the beginning of 2015.
The BFG sees them work together again as they bring one of Roald Dahl's most iconic and loved characters to life. A mix of live action and motion capture sees Rylance truly take on the role of the BFG like never before. This is the first live-action adaptation of this book.
Rylance and Spielberg are set to work together for a third time on Ready Player One, which is based on the book of the same name by Ernest Cline. The movie is set to hit the big screen in 2018.
- Penelope Wilton - The BFG
Penelope Wilton is a British actress who has enjoyed a career that has spanned over forty years, during which time she has moved between film, television, and theatre.
She has returned to the big screen with The BFG, which sees her team up with Spielberg for the first time.
This is the first feature film for Wilton since the success of The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and she takes on the role of The Queen, who befriends the BFG and Sophie.
There's plenty other British talent on show in the film, as Ruby Barnhill, Rebecca Hall, and Rafe Spall also star. So far, the movie has grossed over $112 million at the global box office.
- Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln
Daniel Day-Lewis already had two Best Actor Oscar-nominated when he teamed up with Spielberg for the first time... his role in Lincoln saw him bag a third.
It was the beginning of 2013 when we saw the actor take on the role of Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln. The movie is set during the last four months of his life, where the Civil War still raged and he battled to bring an end to slavery.
Jared Harris and David Oyelowo were some of the other British actors that were on board.
Lincoln was the first feature film for Spielberg since War Horse in 2012 and was a film that was met with critical acclaim upon release.
It went on to be nominated for twelve Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. It went home with Best Actor and Best Production Design.
- Christian Bale - Empire of the Sun
It was 1987 when Christian Bale got his big-screen breakthrough, landing the central role of Jim in epic World War II drama Empire of the Sun.
Spielberg cast Bale after seeing him in Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna and the filmmaker really did play a huge hand in launching Bale's acting career.
Empire of the Sun is based on the novel by J.G. Ballard and was adapted for the big screen by Tom Stoppard. The movie follows a young English boy who struggles to survive under Japanese occupation during World War II.
John Malkovich was also on board as Basie, while Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers, and Leslie Phillips were some of the other British actors that joined Bale on the cast list.
- Jeremy Irvine - War Horse
Spielberg has always had a knack for uncovering young acting talent... and he gave Jeremy Irvine his big screen debut back in 2011 in War Horse.
At the time, Irvine was best known for his role as Luke in Life Bites but landed the central role of Albert Narracott, who enlists to serve in World War I after his beloved horse is sold to the cavalry.
The movie was based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo, which had been turned into a stage production before it was made into a movie.
War Horse was littered with British talent as Peter Mullan, Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Toby Kebbell were all on board.
War Horse was a critical and commercial hit and launched Irvine's movie career.
- Jude Law - A.I. Artificial Intelligence
Hard to believe, but it was back in 2001 when A.I. Artificial Intelligence hit the big screen - yes, it really was fifteen years ago.
Jude Law took on the role of Gigolo Joe as he collaborated with Spielberg for the first time. He teamed up with another child star in Haley Joel Osment.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence is based on the short story Super-Toys Last All Summer Long by Brian Aldiss and was adapted for the big screen by Spielberg himself. It was his first feature since
Brendan Gleeson and Ben Kingsley were some of the other home-grown talents that was on the cast list.
The film went on to gross $235.9 at the global box office and was nominated for two Oscars; Best Original Score and Best Visual Effects.
- Daniel Craig - Munich & The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
Daniel Craig has worked with Spielberg on a couple of film projects... the first coming in 2006 in the form of historical drama Munich.
Craig took on one of the main roles in the film, which explored the Israeli government's secret retaliation against the Palestine Liberation Organisation after the Munich massacre at the 1972 Olympic Games. Ciarán Hinds and Geoffrey Rush were the other Brits on the cast list.
Craig reunited with Spielberg in 2011 when he lent his voice to the villainous role of Red Rackham in The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn.
The movie brought together a terrific British cast as Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, Daniel Mays and Toby Jones were also on board.
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn was a huge success upon release and went on to gross $374 million. A sequel is still believed to be in the pipeline where Peter Jackson would direct and Spielberg would produce.
- Liam Neeson & Ralph Fiennes - Schindler's List
When it comes to Spielberg movies, Schindler's List is up there as one of his most accomplished and powerful pieces of work. No matter how many times you watch it, it still packs and incredible punch.
Released back in 1994, the movie was set in Poland and was based on the life of German businessman Oskar Schindler, who saved the lives of thousands of Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust.
The movie saw the director work with Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes, as they took on the central roles of Schindler and Amon Göth. They both deliver hugely impressive and powerful performances that stay with you long after the credits have rolled.
Schindler's List was one of the most acclaimed films of that year and was nominated for twelve Oscars; winning seven, including Best Picture and Best Director. Neeson and Fiennes were nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor but lost out to Tom Hanks for Philadelphia and Tommy Lee Jones for The Fugitive.
- Band of Brothers
It is not just in film that Spielberg has been a real champion of British talent... his television projects have also cast many British stars.
Spielberg and Tom Hanks teams up as producers in 2001 to bring Stephen E. Ambrose' non-fiction book Band of Brothers to the small screen in a new mini-series.
The ten-part series followed 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division's Easy Company through jump training in the U.S. through to fighting in Europe in World War II.
Damian Lewis took on the central role of Richard 'Dick' Winters, in what proved to be a major breakthrough role for the British actor.
Tom Hardy, Michael Fassbender, Marc Warren, Dexter Fletcher, and Richard George Warden were some of the other British actors who had roles in the series, which went on to be a huge hit.
The BFG is out now.