Mark Rylance and Kenneth Branagh Set for New Christopher Nolan Film

Acclaimed actors Mark Rylance and Kenneth Branagh, both known for their Shakespearean work, have been cast in an upcoming film directed by Christopher Nolan, according to Deadline. Actor Tom Hardy is also set for the film, Dunkirk, which focuses on the 1940 evacuation of Dunkirk during World War II. Warner Bros. has set a release date of July 21, 2017, for the film.

The Dunkirk evacuation, which was code-named Operation Dynamo, involved the removal of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbor of the French city. The operation was decided upon when large numbers of Belgian, British, and French troops were cut off and surrounded by the German army, during the Battle of France.

Mark Rylance is the former artistic director of London's Globe Theatre. He has appeared on Broadway in Boeing-Boeing, La Bête, Jerusalem, and, most recently, the repertory productions of Richard III and Twelfth Night. He has won Tonys for his work in Boeing-Boeing, Jerusalem, and Twelfth Night.

Kenneth Branagh is known for directing and starring in several Shakespeare film adaptations, including Henry V (for which he received Academy Award nominations for Best Actor and Best Director), Othello, and Hamlet. He made his Broadway directorial debut in 2003 with The Play What I Wrote.