Production has begun in London on The Price of Peace, a political thriller written and directed by Anthony McCarten, with Mia Threapleton and Danny Huston joining the previously announced cast.

The film is set around the 1945 Potsdam Conference, when U.S. President Harry S. Truman, U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin met to decide the future of Europe following the end of the Second World War. The story centers on the tense decisions and shifting balance of power between the three leaders as political tensions rise and personal crises unfold behind closed doors.

The real Potsdam Conference took place between July 17 and August 2, 1945, at Cecilienhof Palace near Berlin. It was the last of the major wartime meetings between the Allied leaders and dealt with critical decisions about postwar Germany, including its demilitarization and new borders, as well as an ultimatum demanding Japan’s surrender. Partway through the conference, Churchill was replaced by newly elected Prime Minister Clement Attlee after Britain’s general election results came in, adding another layer of political tension to the real-life events on which the film is based.

Guy Pearce plays Harry S. Truman, Jared Harris plays Winston Churchill, and Merab Ninidze plays Joseph Stalin. Threapleton joins the cast as Mary Churchill, the youngest daughter of Winston and Clementine Churchill, while Huston plays Lieutenant General Leslie Groves, one of the key figures behind the Manhattan Project, the secret U.S. mission that developed the world’s first atomic bomb.

Mia Threapleton is the daughter of Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet and film director Jim Threapleton. She began acting as a teenager and has since appeared in The Buccaneers, Dangerous Liaisons, and Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme. She has largely built her career under her own name, separate from her mother’s, and has spoken about wanting to be recognized for her own work rather than her family connections.

Danny Huston comes from a well-known family of filmmakers as the son of director John Huston and the half-brother of actress Anjelica Huston. He has appeared in a wide range of acclaimed films over the years, including 21 Grams, The Aviator, Children of Men, and The Constant Gardener, and has also taken on television roles in Yellowstone, Succession, and American Horror Story.

McCarten is a four-time Academy Award nominee, known for writing Darkest Hour, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Theory of Everything, and The Two Popes. Speaking about the project, he called the Potsdam Conference a turning point in modern history, marking the moment the Second World War gave way to the Cold War, and said he was excited to begin production with such a strong cast bringing the story to life.

The Price of Peace is produced by Raccoon Features, Muse of Fire Productions, and Salloway Studios, in association with Spark Productions, Sub Rosa Group, and Ingara. SND is serving as co-producer and is also handling French distribution and international sales, while CAA Media Finance is representing the project in the U.S. The film was first introduced to buyers at the European Film Market in February, where SND’s Ramy Nahas said the response from international buyers was strong and that the film is expected to resonate with audiences worldwide. The London shoot marks the official start of principal photography following months of casting and financing discussions since its EFM debut.

With production now underway in London, The Price of Peace brings together an experienced cast and crew to revisit one of the most consequential political meetings in modern history. No release date has been announced yet.