The Uprising (2026)
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A desperate man's act of defiance against oppressive taxes ignites a massive peasant revolt in 14th-century England.
The story
In 1381, following the devastating Black Death, England is ruled by a young, troubled King Richard II and a powerful council. To generate revenue, the council imposes heavy taxes on the peasantry. When a local ploughman, who has lost his family to the plague, is harassed by tax collectors and soldiers, he kills a soldier in a desperate act of defiance. This spark ignites a widespread rebellion across the country. Led by the ploughman, the veteran soldier Wat Tyler, and the radical priest John Ball, the rebels begin a march toward London to demand justice and relief from the oppressive regime.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1381, England is gripped by the aftermath of the Black Death. King Richard II, a troubled youth, is ruled by a council that imposes crushing taxes on the peasantry. When a local ploughman kills a soldier during a tax dispute, his actions ignite a nationwide revolt led by himself, the soldier Wat Tyler, and the priest John Ball. The rebels march on London to petition the King, who is kept at a distance by his council. The King eventually meets the rebels, promising them self-determination while the mob sacks London and beheads members of the council. The following morning, the King secretly has Tyler killed and lures the rebels into a trap. The Ploughman, realizing the King's treachery too late, can only watch as Ball and most of the rebels are slaughtered. He escapes with a few survivors. One year later, the Ploughman, now dressed in green-hooded garb, ambushes the King in a forest. He reveals himself as a leader of a band of outlaws, choosing to spare the King but declaring that his defiance will haunt the crown forever. The film ends with the King heard screaming in his palace under a thundering sky.
- First release year
- 2026
- Runtime (minutes)
- 128
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Paul Greengrass
- Writers
- Paul Greengrass · writer
- Cast and characters
- Andrew Garfield · Ploughman; Jamie Bell · John Ball; Stephen Dillane · Simon Sudbury; Tom Hollander · Sir Robert Hales; Cosmo Jarvis · Wat Tyler; Thomasin McKenzie · Alyce; Jonny Lee Miller · William Walworth; Woody Norman · Richard II of England; Katherine Waterston · Joan of Kent
- Genres
- action; period drama
- Themes
- class struggle; religious persecution; government corruption
- Tone and mood
- bleak; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- historical drama; rebellion; medieval
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its performances, action sequences, and contemporary social relevance, but criticized its bleak tone and aesthetics, Greengrass's signature handheld shaky camera style, and the Robin Hood-inspired epilogue.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 57 · scale: 100 · review count: 33
- Production trivia
- The film was previously in development as 'The Hood' starring Benedict Cumberbatch.; It was retitled 'The Rage' before becoming 'The Uprising'.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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