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World War Two remains one of the most well-known events in human history. How could it not? It’s one of the most cut-and-dry examples of good triumphing over evil, with just about everyone on the planet having at least a partial understanding of what it was and what it entailed. With hundreds upon hundreds of adaptations across books, plays, games, movies, and shows that chronicle the victories and defeats of the Allied and Axis powers, who else can throw their hat into the ring?
Steven Knight is famously known for his BBC crime drama, Peaky Blinders. But coming later this fall, Knight will forego the damp alleys of post-war Birmingham for the sunny deserts of Africa in an all-new historical drama that chronicles the initial foundation of the British Special Air Service, or SAS. The SAS, at the time, was a freshly formed unit tasked with operating behind enemy lines in the North African Campaign.
Despite a similar name, Rogue Heroes does not share any ties to the film released a year prior, SAS: Red Notice. An exclusive report from Deadline ensures this. Here’s a breakdown of the SAS: Rogue Heroes trailer.
Taking Matters Into Their Own Hands
The trailer opens with an overhead shot of a convoy of vehicles trawling along a trodden path in the desert sand. We cut to a British fort, a worn-down structure, then to a village boasting Nazi iconography, which appears to have been freshly occupied. We’re given a quick glimpse at the three soldiers we’ll be following. According to Birmingham Live, our leading protagonists are David Stirling (Connor Swindells), Paddy Mayne (Jack O’ Connell), and Jock Lewes (Alfie Allen). The thudding of boots and rattling of buckles starts, slowly at first, quickly intensifying until it reaches an apex of noise.
Suddenly, it stops. Stirling is seen sitting in a restaurant, eyeing another soldier who pulls out a large map from behind his shoulder. Stirling makes a quip: “A map? Oh goodness, this must be serious.”
“Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” starts blaring over scattered footage of soldiers marching, plotting, and squabbling. We’re given a brief glimpse of the situation in wartime Africa. It isn’t great: the German advance continues to gain more ground, with the British putting up only passive resistance. However, an idea is presented to hopefully turn the tide in favor of the Allied powers. A group of soldiers is to be gathered for what Wrangel Clark (Dominic West) declares as the Special Air Service.
A License to Behave Badly
From here, we’re given a few more cast members and locations, along with some humorous moments to lighten the mood. We briefly see a tantalizing nightclub where a woman named Eve (Sofia Boutella) voices her interest in aiding the war effort to Stirling. Cutting back to the base, Stirling asks a prospective recruit how many women he has slept with. When the recruit bluntly responds with “twelve, sir,” Stirling dully welcomes him into the SAS. Following this, we get a closeup of Stirling, who remarks, “We have only one order. Go, Kill, Return.”
As the chorus for “Dirty Deeds” kicks in, we see the trio of leading men bust into what appears to be a mess hall, lit up by lamps in the dead of night. The soldiers are dressed in thick jackets, sporting dark face paint and submachine guns slung over their shoulders. After a polite greeting from Mayne, they unload their guns into the occupants of the mess hall. Explosions fill the screen as what is assumedly the surrounding base is blown to smithereens, building by building.
The dark skies give way to a brief brawl inside a prison cell, bleeding into a dimly lit sky full of airplanes. It’s a stark contrast to the dominating yellows and oranges that have populated the trailer so far: a solemn blue lit up by bright lightning strikes. Paratroopers start to drop through the mess of clouds. The music muffles as the soldiers hit the dirt, reflecting the utter hell they must be landing into.
Welcome to the SAS
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We’re reminded of the desert as we cut back to daytime. Two camels take the camera’s focus. Stirling gives out a final mission statement: “We are a long shot,” he says as we see Mayne fire his gun off into the sandy sky. “A shot in the dark,” followed by the clink of drinks held by Stirling and Eve. “But, at least we are a shot.”
The music stops. Stirling is seen in his evening wear in broad daylight, vomiting over the side of a rooftop. Someone offscreen asks: “Hangover? Memories of Scotland?”
The trailer concludes with one last action shot: a plane angling downward, kicking up the dirt with explosive brass until the bullets destroy a transport vehicle. Back at the air base, a soldier declares the SAS as “all mad,” to which Stirling replies with: “At last, he gets it.” Cue an explosive title card.
The trailer gives off the impression that, while the series remains a historical drama, there will be plenty of lighthearted moments to accompany the tribulations of war. A potential romantic relationship involving Stirling and Eve is hinted at from their repeated interactions. We’re guaranteed a variety of action set pieces, whether they involve boots-on-the-ground operations or airborne raids. In-between everything else, we can expect some crass humor to help ease the tension in the blistering heat.
With a star-studded cast, a limited number of six episodes, and Steven Knight being the creative force behind it all, SAS: Rogue Heroes is shaping up to be a brilliant miniseries due to air later this fall.
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