A first-look image of Kate Winslet in I Am Ruth has finally arrived and we couldn't be more excited to see the Oscar-winning star back on our TV screens.
The film marks the return of Channel 4's acclaimed I Am... anthology series and stars Mia Threapleton — Kate Winslet's daughter from her first marriage to director Jim Threapleton — as her on-screen daughter Freya.
I Am Ruth will be the opening story in the third season of female-led tales from Dominic Savage, with stars like Vicky McClure, Lesley Manville, Gemma Chan and Letitia Wright previously taking center stage.
Savage's films are renowned for "exploring the experience of women in moments that are emotionally raw, thought-provoking and personal" and this latest offering, which he wrote with Winslet, looks at the pressures of social media for teenage girls.
Here's everything we know about the drama...
I Am Ruth release date — when's it on TV?
I Am Ruth will air on Thursday, 8 December at 9pm on Channel 4. Other cast and details of the other two films in the trilogy will be announced in 2023.
There's no news on when it might be coming to the US at this stage.
I Am Ruth plot — what happens?
The fictional storyline for I Am Ruth was developed and co-authored by Dominic Savage and Kate Winslet, who worked together to create a tale for our times about the endemic mental health crisis affecting young people. A Channel 4 press release reads...
"The film offers an honest and authentic portrayal of a mother and daughter’s increasingly strained relationship. Winslet stars as Ruth, a loving and concerned mother who witnesses her teenage daughter Freya (Mia Threapleton) retreating into herself as she becomes more and more consumed by the pressures of social media."
"I Am Ruth follows the success of two previous I Am series, offering distinctive single films exploring the experience of women in moments that are emotionally raw, thought-provoking and personal, which have seen a tremendous response to the series from the public and critics alike."
I Am Ruth cast — who's in it?
Leading the cast as Ruth is Kate Winslet, who has earned a reputation as one of the finest actresses of her generation after bursting on to the scene in Hollywood blockbuster Titanic in 1997.
Since then she's appeared in films such as Revolutionary Road and The Holiday and won an Academy Award for The Reader, collecting a string of Golden Globes and BAFTAs on the way. Last year she also returned to the world of television with a critically acclaimed performance in HBO's Mare of Easttown last year.
Mia Threapleton will be appearing alongside her mum for the second time when she plays her on-screen daughter Freya, with the pair previously working together on 2015 film Little Chaos. The 22 year-old also had a role in Starz period drama Dangerous Liaisons earlier this year.
No other casting details have been revealed at this stage, but we'll be sure to keep you updated when more names are added.
Kate Winslet on I Am Ruth
“The collaborative and sensitive way in which Dominic Savage goes about creating and filming each episode of 'I Am' is challenging, rewarding and completely immersive," said Kate Winslet in a C4 press release.
"The actors become these roles, and there is simply no room for pretending. It's a working environment that any actor would give anything to be a part of, and I can safely say with my hand on heart that I will never forget the things we learned as we made this piece. The low-key, quiet nature in which we put this together is how I aspire to work all the time.
"Often creative environments can be big and overwhelming, but part of Dominic's directorial process is to keep things to a bare minimum and just focus on the actors and the world we are creating alongside him, and with his unwavering support. It was a privilege and an inspiration to work with Dominic Savage. He's simply extraordinary.”
Co-writer Dominic Savage added...
“Creating I Am Ruth for Channel 4 has been an honor as well a sublime creative experience for me. Collaborating closely with the incredible Kate Winslet to bring this important story surrounding child mental health to the screen has been an absolute highlight of my filmmaking career. It encapsulates everything that I love about making drama - experimental, raw, instinctive, with fearless acting, and above all, about something that affects all of us in some way. I believe that many parents and children will relate to our story of immense difficulty and hope.”
Who else is starring in I Am... series 3?
There are no details of which other actresses will be starring in the the rest of season three at the time of writing, but we'll be sure to post them here when they are revealed.
Who else has starred in C4's I Am... anthology series?
Kate Winslet will be the seventh star to star in the series, with all the previous films in the anthology series available to view on All4.
I Am Nicola (starring Vicky McClure)
Hairdresser Nicola is searching for her romantic ideal, but she's stuck in a coercive relationship with her partner Adam (Perry Fitzpatrick)
I Am Kirsty (starring Samantha Morton)
When single mother Kirsty is left with spiralling debts, her neighbour (Paul Kaye) offers to help her. But all is not as it seems, forcing Kirsty to make some desperate decisions.
I Am Hannah (starring Gemma Chan)
Hannah, a woman in her mid-thirties, reaches a crossroads in her life. Facing impediments both within and beyond her control, Hannah is confronted by a crisis of aspiration and identity.
I Am Victoria (starring Suranne Jones)
Victoria appears to have the perfect family, job and home. But beneath the veneer of happiness, something is wrong.
I Am Danielle (starring Letitia Wright)
Career-driven Danielle falls for model Michael (CJ Beckford). But then Danielle discovers a disturbing secret.
I Am Maria (starring Lesley Manville)
Maria is at a crossroads in life. Feigning happiness in her marriage has become suffocating, and Maria's 60th birthday sparks clarity about her suppressed feelings of discontent.
Is there are trailer for I Am Ruth?
There sure is, check it out here...
