The Duke in cinemas

The incredible art theft perpetrated by a kind-hearted taxi driver more than 60 years ago has been made into a film. Helen Mirren and James Broadbent have also starred in the film, Reuters reports.

The Duke, which is coming to cinemas in New York and Los Angeles, tells the story of 60-year-old Kempton Bunton who stole a portrait of the Duke of Wellington by Spanish master Francisco Goya from the National Gallery in London in 1961.

According to Mirren, she knew nothing about the story and was very surprised that such an unusual burglary actually took place.

Filming of The Duke ended just before the national lockdown in spring 2020. The director of the picture, Roger Michell, author of the iconic romantic comedy Notting Hill, passed away in September 2021 at the age of 65. His last released work was the melodrama My Cousin Rachel.

It's worth noting that the film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival back in September 2020, but its wide release was prevented by Covid.

The release of The Duke was part of New York's Angelika Film Center and Sony Pictures Classics' "Bring A Friend Back To The Movies" initiative to encourage audiences to visit cinemas after the pandemic.