The first trailer for The Dig was revealed by Netflix on Thursday.
In the film, Lily James portrays amateur archaeologist Peggy Preston who works with Carey Mulligan’s wealthy widow Edith Petty to discover an Anglo-Saxon burial ship.
Set in 1939, the real-life discovery is one of Britain’s most famous archaeological digs, and was found in Sutton Hoo, in Suffolk.
The Dig FIRST LOOK: Lily James stars as an amateur archaeologist who helps discover an ancient burial ship in the film’s first trailer, which was released on Thursday
The trailer opens with Carey’s Edith meeting Ralph Fiennes’ Basil Brown at her house as they head out to look at her land and the mounds that appear to have been there for centuries.
Basil tells Edith that the excavation is ‘usually done with museums’, but as the eve of war is upon them, she tells him: ‘Yes, but with a war coming they couldn’t embark on new adventures.’
Having a history in the field, Basil explains: ‘I’ve been on a dig since I was old enough to hold a trowel, my father taught me.’
Drama: Lily portrays amateur archaeologist Peggy Preston who works with Carey Mulligan’s wealthy widow Edith Petty to discover an Anglo-Saxon burial ship (pictured: Carey)
Historical fiction: Set in 1939, the real-life discovery is one of Britain’s most famous archaeological digs, and was found in Sutton Hoo, in Suffolk
The pair discover that the land is most likely ‘someone’s graveyard’, Viking or older, before he and his team get to work.
Lily is part of the main dig, working alongside Ralph’s Basil and Johnny Flynn’s as-yet-unnamed character, who she appears to be embarking on a secret romance with.
As they dig and men from the museum come to Edith’s property, Johnny’s character asks: ‘Do you think there’s something beneath?’
And it quickly becomes clear that there is certainly something at the site, as Basil urges Edith to come and see what they discovered and she questions: ‘Why would anyone want to bury a ship?’
Excavation: The trailer opens with Carey’s Edith meeting Ralph Fiennes’ Basil Brown at her house as they head out to look at her land and the mounds she wants to dig up
Task: Basil tells Edith the excavation is ‘usually done with museums’, but as the eve of war is upon them, she tells him: ‘Yes, but with a war coming they couldn’t embark on new adventures’
Ralph claims the ship was most likely ‘a grave of a warrior, or a king’, as Lily finds a gold coin and delightfully claims: ‘there’s more, there’s much more.’
With the war effort beginning to ramp up around them, the group watch as a spitfire flies overhead and they tried to finish excavating before the ‘hostilities begin.’
But even with a war looming, the press seem desperate to get to know more about the find as they pester Edith for details.
A well-meaning neighbour tells her: ‘Everyone is going to want a piece and this is your find, why else would you be playing around in the dirt while the rest of us are preparing for war? It means something don’t it?’
Hidden: It quickly becomes clear that there is something at the site, as Basil urges Edith to come and see what they discovered and she asks: ‘Why would anyone want to bury a ship?’
Huge discovery: Ralph claims the ship was most likely ‘a grave of a warrior, or a king’, as Lily finds a gold coin and delightfully claims: ‘there’s more, there’s much more’
Carey’s Edith then says: ‘Life is very fleeting, I’ve learnt that, there are moments you should seize.’
She appears interested in improving her relationship with Basil, she asks if he will have dinner with her which he agrees to without a second thought.
He then tells her: ‘A man could dig the earth his whole life and not find anything like I’ve discovered here.’
Tense: With the war effort beginning to ramp up around them, the group watch as a spitfire flies overhead and they tried to finish excavating before the ‘hostilities begin’
Difficulties: But even with a war looming, the press seem desperate to get to know more about the find as they pester Edith for details
The discovery was known as ‘Britain’s Tutankhamun’, and is laid out in John Preston’s novel which finds its characters in a country on the eve of war.
Examining class tensions, love and loss through the eyes of its central characters, it sees Edith, amateur archaeologist Basil (Fiennes) and his fellow excavator Preston work on excavating the burial mounds at the widow’s home.
The novel’s author is the nephew of one of the real-life excavators, Peggy Piggott (named Preston in the film), and while he only became aware of this connection after he began writing the book it is the first account to focus heavily on her discoveries.
Candid: Carey’s Edith then says: ‘Life is very fleeting, I’ve learnt that, there are moments you should seize’ as she appears to try and improve her relationship with Basil
Inspiration: The discovery was known as ‘Britain’s Tutankhamun’, and is laid out in John Preston’s novel which finds its characters in a country on the eve of war
Piggott was the first person to discover gold in the burial ship, and her story is one of the novel’s central narratives.
As a historical fiction novel, The Dig is said to stray from the true story behind the dig in certain aspects, as the author has taken literary licence with the subject.
Netflix have announced the film will be released theatrically and on the streaming platform on January 29, 2021.
One to watch: Netflix have announced the film will be released theatrically and on the streaming platform on January 29, 2021