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Harry Styles to play 1950s copper alongside Lily James in LGBT+ drama 'My Policeman'

Watch: Harry Style talks about starring in new LGBTQ drama ‘My Policeman’

Things had been quiet on the acting front for Harry Styles since he made his debut appearance in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, but he has now signed on to two projects in the space of a week.

After replacing Shia LaBeouf in Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling, the former One Direction singer has now been announced as the star of LGBT+ drama My Policeman.

Harry Styles performs on NBC's "Today" at Rockefeller Plaza on February 26, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
Harry Styles performs on NBC's "Today" at Rockefeller Plaza on February 26, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

Read more: Styles praises Christopher Nolan

Deadline reports that the adaptation of Bethan Roberts’s novel focuses on married couple Tom and Marion in the 1990s, whose lives are rocked by the return of Patrick — a figure from their past.

In a flashback to the 1950s, it is revealed that policeman Tom — played by Styles — and Patrick had a passionate affair at a time when being gay was illegal and before he married Marion (Lily James).

Harry Styles made his acting debut in Christopher Nolan's 2017 war film 'Dunkirk'. (Credit: Warner Bros)
Harry Styles made his acting debut in Christopher Nolan's 2017 war film 'Dunkirk'. (Credit: Warner Bros)

It’s another meaty role for Styles, appearing alongside a major star in James, who is about to be seen in Ben Wheatley’s take on Rebecca for Netflix.

Don’t Worry Darling, meanwhile, will see Styles appear alongside recent Oscar nominee Florence Pugh in the psychological thriller, helmed by Wilde in the wake of her Booksmart success.

Read more: Mark Rylance talks up Styles’s acting ability

Styles looks to be embracing acting with both arms, despite suggesting at the Dunkirk premiere that it might be his only Hollywood outing.

He made it to the final shortlist to play Elvis Presley for Baz Luhrmann and reportedly turned down the chance to play Prince Eric in Disney’s live-action take on The Little Mermaid.

Harry Styles poses for photographers upon arrival at the Brit Awards 2020 in London, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)
Harry Styles poses for photographers upon arrival at the Brit Awards 2020 in London, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)

My Policeman will be helmed by veteran theatre director Michael Grandage, who won an Olivier Award for Caligula in 2004 and a Tony for Red in 2010.

The adapted screenplay was written by Philadelphia Oscar nominee Ron Nyswaner and cameras are expected to roll next summer.

Read more: Francis Lee furious at sex scenes cut from God’s Own Country

Published in 2012, the Sussex-set novel received positive reviews from critics for its tenderness and very real treatment of a forbidden relationship.

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