Watch: First PHILOMENA Clip With Judi Dench & Steve Coogan

Check out the very first clip from the upcoming British drama Philomena, which stars legendary Judi Dench as an Irish woman seeking the illegitimate son she was forced to put up for adoption. Still nothing about the official U.S. release date, but I guess we’ll pretty soon have that info. In the meanwhile, head inside to find the latest video & let us know what you think!

Stephen Frears directed the whole thing from a script written by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope, which is based on the 2009 investigative book by BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith titled The Lost Child of Philomena Lee.

As we previously reported, Coogan also stars as Martin Sixsmith, and the film focuses on the efforts of Philomena Lee, mother to a boy conceived out of wedlock and given away for adoption in the United States.

Following church doctrine, she was forced to sign a contract that wouldn’t allow for any sort of inquiry into her son’s whereabouts. After starting a family years later in England and, for the most part, moving on with her life, Philomena meets Sixsmith, a BBC reporter with whom she decides to track down her long-lost son.

Philomena has been selected to be screened in the main competition section at this year’s Venice International Film Festival, so as we said – we’ll pretty soon have more updates to share.

Make sure you stay tuned!