Kate Winslet's Directorial Debut 'Goodbye June' Began as Her 22-Year-Old Son's School Assignment

He wrote a screenplay for a school assignment. His Oscar-winning mother turned it into a star-studded Netflix film. Actress Kate Winslet makes her directorial debut with Goodbye June, based on a script written by her 22-year-old son, Joe Anders. The film, now streaming on Netflix, also stars an ensemble cast including Helen Mirren and Toni Collette.

"Mom, It Was Just an Assignment"

According to Entertainment Weekly, the project began when Anders wrote the screenplay for an intensive six-month course at the National Film and Television School. "He said to me, 'I have written this thing, it's probably not very good, but will you read it?'" Winslet recalled. Her reaction was immediate and decisive. She told her son, "Well, you've written a screenplay, and we are gonna make this into a film... I'll produce it, and we'll get incredible actors, and I'll play one of the sisters." Anders was floored, responding, "Mom, stop. What are you doing? It's just an assignment," but Winslet's mind was made up.

From Actor to Director: The Power of 35 Years in Film

Winslet initially planned only to produce and star, but about a year later, she decided to direct it herself. "I just realized I didn't wanna let it go," she said. She mobilized her extensive network, built over 35 years in the industry. "I know exactly the DP I'm calling, I know exactly like the line producer I'm calling," Winslet explained. "Let's just run at it. Don't think, go!"

The film, Goodbye June, centers on four siblings who gather as their mother (Helen Mirren) faces a terminal cancer diagnosis just two weeks before Christmas. Winslet plays Julia, a successful professional, while Andrea Riseborough plays her tense and financially struggling sister, Molly.