Brenda Blethyn joins Ethel & Ernest

Brenda Blethyn

Up may have gotten your tear ducts nice and moist, but get ready for new animated movie Ethel & Ernest , which could just leave you crying bucket-loads.

Based on the graphic novel by Raymond Briggs, which itself is based on the true life story of his own parents, Ethel & Ernest follows the titular couple from their initial meeting in 1928 right up to their deaths in 1971.

Now being adapted into a full-length animated movie by The Snowman producer John Coates, British stalwarts Jim Broadbent and Brenda Blethyn have just been cast in the lead roles, and will lend their vocals to the decade-spanning tale.

Yes, it sounds a bit like a British version of that opening montage in Up , though hopefully imbued with a little more optimism and a little less heartbreak.

Still, better have those hankies ready just in case.

Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.