The Uprising True Story: Andrew Garfield & 7 Things to Know
The Uprising opens in theaters on September 11, 2026 and uses the real 1381 Peasants’ Revolt as the foundation for an Andrew Garfield-led historical action drama. Paul Greengrass writes and directs the film, which follows ordinary people rising against the rule of King Richard II.
Focus Features describes the movie as being set against true events that helped inspire the legend of Robin Hood. Butter Flix also has a dedicated The Uprising movie page.
Table of Contents
- When does The Uprising release?
- Is The Uprising based on a true story?
- Who does Andrew Garfield play?
- What caused the 1381 revolt?
- Who else is in the cast?
- Who directs the movie?
- How historical is the Robin Hood angle?
1. When Does The Uprising Release?
The Uprising opens in U.S. theaters on September 11, 2026. Focus Features is distributing the film domestically.
The release is cinema-first, with no simultaneous streaming premiere announced.
2. Is The Uprising Based on a True Story?
Yes, but the film dramatizes and reshapes real history. Its background is the English Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, a mass uprising against taxes, feudal restrictions and royal authority during the reign of the young King Richard II.
The historical revolt is real, but the movie uses fictionalized storytelling around its central hero and the Robin Hood connection.
3. Who Does Andrew Garfield Play?
Garfield plays a grieving commoner who becomes a leader of the rebellion. Focus Features presents him as the figure who helps organize ordinary people into an army against the Crown.
The character functions as the audience’s entry point into the uprising rather than as a strict biography of one historical person.
4. What Caused the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt?
The revolt grew from economic pressure, labor restrictions, heavy taxation and resentment toward the ruling class after the Black Death transformed England’s workforce.
A new poll tax helped ignite the rebellion, which spread rapidly toward London and brought commoners into direct confrontation with royal authority.
5. Who Else Is in The Uprising Cast?
The ensemble includes Jamie Bell, Stephen Dillane, Tom Hollander, Cosmo Jarvis, Thomasin McKenzie, Jonny Lee Miller, Woody Norman, Katherine Waterston and Sky Yang.
Several performers portray figures connected to the revolt and the royal government, giving the film a broad political and battlefield perspective.
6. Who Directs The Uprising?
Paul Greengrass writes and directs the film. His career includes historically grounded thrillers and dramas built around fast-moving political crises, making the revolt a natural fit for his handheld, immediate style.
Jason Blum is among the producers, marking another non-horror project from Blumhouse.
7. How Historical Is the Robin Hood Connection?
The Peasants’ Revolt is historical; the Robin Hood framing is a dramatic invention. The movie links the rebellion to the cultural legend of an outlaw hero fighting oppressive authority rather than claiming the medieval revolt literally created the Robin Hood story.
That distinction is important for viewers using the film as a starting point for the real history.
Final Take
The Uprising mixes a genuine medieval rebellion with a more mythic Robin Hood-style hero story. Andrew Garfield leads a large ensemble, while Paul Greengrass uses the 1381 revolt as the basis for a fast-moving historical drama about taxation, class anger and resistance.
Sources
Focus Features: The Uprising
Associated Press: The Uprising review and historical context