British actress Dame Judi Dench is to star as a woman searching for her long lost son in the film “Philomena”. In the movie, Dench, who has also had starring roles in such films as “Mrs. Brown” in which she played Queen Victoria and as the title character’s boss M in the James Bond films, plays a woman who was forced to give up her son for adoption by the Catholic Church.

Her search begins 50 years later. The film also stars British actor Steve Coogan who has had a recent successful turn in the film “Alpha Papa”. Coogan plays political journalist Martin Sixsmith who intended to write the story of the search but ended up helping Philomena instead.

The film is directed Stephen Frears who also directed such flicks as “My Beautiful Laundrette” and “The Queen”. “Philomena” will be released in British cinemas on November 1. Dench has won a Best Supporting Actress Academy Awards for her role in “Shakespeare in Love” as well as a Tony for Best Actress in a Play for “Amy’s View”.

She has also won a slew of BAFTA Awards as well as Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Her most recent role was in 2012’s “Skyfall”.

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