12 Years a Slave director Sir Steve McQueen receives knighthood, reveals details of new film Blitz to Princess Anne

12 Years a Slave director Sir Steve McQueen receives knighthood, reveals details of new film Blitz to Princess Anne
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Oscar-winning filmmaker Sir Steve McQueen received his knighthood from Princess Anne at Windsor Castle — and teased his new directorial project Blitz.

The 52-year-old 12 Years a Slave and Widows director attended the investiture Tuesday alongside his mother, Mary, who watched as Queen Elizabeth II's daughter bestowed knighthood upon her son for his services to art and film.

According to the Independent, McQueen told the region's PA news agency he was "very happy" that his mother was able to attend, and that he also spoke to Princess Anne about his upcoming works.

"We discussed pending projects I'm doing. I'm doing a film called Blitz and we discussed that," he told the outlet. "Blitz is the one we're working on which we hopefully start some time in the autumn. It's about London, starting in 1940, this is what we're attempting to do and we'll see how it pans out."

Steve McQueen receives Knighthood
Steve McQueen receives Knighthood

Steve Parsons - WPA Pool/Getty Images Steve McQueen and his mother, Mary, at his knighthood ceremony at Windsor Castle.

In addition to receiving a Best Picture Oscar for producing his 2013 drama 12 Years a Slave, McQueen earned critical praise for directing Viola Davis in the ensemble crime thriller Widows in 2018.

He released the ambitious five-part film series Small Axe at the end of 2020, which follows several West Indian immigrants as they navigate life in London between the 1960s and 1980s.

Steve McQueen receives Knighthood
Steve McQueen receives Knighthood

The Royal Family/Twitter Steve McQueen receives knighthood from Princess Anne at Windsor Castle.

"I'm just very happy that these small stories connected with so many people," McQueen previously told EW of Small Axe's impact. "These stories that weren't about people who were superheroes. It was about a man opening up a restaurant, a man wanting to join the police force, a woman who wanted to make sure her son got a good education, people who wanted to have a house party. It was those things, which were actually monumental, even though on paper they seem so simple."

See photos from McQueen's investiture with Princess Anne above.

Check out more from EW's The Awardistfeaturing Oscars analysis, exclusive interviews, and our podcast diving into all the highlights from the year's movies and performances.

Related content: