In Suffragette, Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep take on the story of the struggle for women’s suffrage in early 20th-century Great Britain. Mulligan plays Maud, a young working mother who joins the Women’s Social and Political Union to campaign for the right to vote. Streep will portray Emmeline Pankhurst, a real-life founder of the WSPU and controversial leader who encouraged militant tactics.
The script comes from Abi Morgan, who’s dipped her quill into history several times before, with the Margaret Thatcher drama The Iron Lady and Cold-War-era TV show The Hour. The trailer, true to life, depicts snippets of the escalation of the campaign to secure the vote for women, a fight which counted among its strategies arson, vandalism, hunger strikes and bombings.
With a cast rounded out by Helena Bonham Carter and Brendan Gleeson, the film was also the first to shoot on location at the House of Parliament, a benefit not just for the sake of verisimilitude but for set design budget, as well.
Suffragette is slated to premiere in limited release Oct. 23, expanding nationwide by Thanksgiving.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Jane Fonda Champions Climate Action for Every Generation
- Biden’s Campaign Is In Trouble. Will the Turnaround Plan Work?
- Why We're Spending So Much Money Now
- The Financial Influencers Women Actually Want to Listen To
- Breaker Sunny Choi Is Heading to Paris
- Why TV Can’t Stop Making Silly Shows About Lady Journalists
- The Case for Wearing Shoes in the House
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Eliza Berman at eliza.berman@time.com