▁H uis man , ▁Glen ▁Pow ell , ▁Jess ica ▁Brown ▁Find lay , ▁K atherine ▁Park inson , ▁Matthew ▁Go ode , ▁Tom ▁Cour ten ay ▁and ▁Pen el ope ▁Wil ton . ▁Set ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁the ▁plot ▁follows ▁a ▁London - based ▁writer ▁who ▁begins ▁ex ch anging ▁letters ▁with ▁a ▁resident ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁Gu ern sey , ▁which ▁was ▁under ▁German ▁occupation ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁ ▁A ▁British ▁and ▁French ▁vent ure , ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁distributed ▁and ▁fin anced ▁by ▁Studio Can al ▁and ▁produced ▁by ▁Blue print ▁Pictures ▁and ▁the ▁Maz ur / K ap lan ▁Company . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁development ▁began ▁on ▁a ▁film ▁adaptation ▁based ▁on ▁Sh af fer ' s ▁novel . ▁Initial ly , ▁Kate ▁W ins let ▁was ▁announced ▁as ▁the ▁lead , ▁with ▁Kenneth ▁Bran agh ▁attached ▁to ▁direct . ▁However , ▁both ▁dropped ▁out ▁in ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁James ▁signed ▁on ▁for ▁the ▁lead ▁role , ▁with ▁New ell ▁set ▁to ▁direct . ▁The ▁film ▁entered ▁pre - production ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁with ▁principal ▁phot ography ▁taking ▁place ▁across ▁England ▁from ▁ 2 3 ▁March ▁to ▁ 1 5 ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁▁ ▁The ▁Gu ern sey ▁Liter ary ▁and ▁Pot ato ▁Pe el ▁Pie ▁Society ▁premier ed ▁in ▁London ▁on ▁ 9 ▁April ▁ 2