Steve McQueen’s film work has never exhibited much of an interest in moral complexity or psychological nuance, usually conveying themes such as the institutionalized horror of chattel slavery (12 Years a Slave) or the principled self-negation of Irish republican resistance (Hunger) in easily understood terms. It makes sense, then, that his latest tale of another dark period in recent history is told primarily from the perspective of a child.
Blitz follows George (Elliott Hefferman), a young boy evacuated from London during the heavy German bombing raids of the city that began in September 1940. Bailing early from a train carrying him and hundreds of other children to the relative safety of rural villages, he hops on another heading back to the city, hoping to return to his mother, Rita (Saoirse Ronan), and grandfather, Gerald (Paul Weller), in their increasingly devastated East End neighborhood.
McQueen’s choice to recreate this particular...
Blitz follows George (Elliott Hefferman), a young boy evacuated from London during the heavy German bombing raids of the city that began in September 1940. Bailing early from a train carrying him and hundreds of other children to the relative safety of rural villages, he hops on another heading back to the city, hoping to return to his mother, Rita (Saoirse Ronan), and grandfather, Gerald (Paul Weller), in their increasingly devastated East End neighborhood.
McQueen’s choice to recreate this particular...
- 10/11/2024
- by David Robb
- Slant Magazine
The English visual artist turned filmmaker Steve McQueen directed a Best Picture-winning historical epic over a decade ago, and since then, he has—whether consciously or not—avoided taking the awards bait that might be expected to follow a triumph like 12 Years A Slave. He zig-zagged into a pulpy,...
- 10/11/2024
- by Jesse Hassenger
- avclub.com
With his new World War II drama Blitz, uncompromising filmmaker Steve McQueen is once more tackling weighty, vital material. He tells us about his ongoing mission to break new ground…
Here’s what you need to know about Steve McQueen, as a man and as a filmmaker: he will not waste your time. Not with false modesty, nor with empty boasting. Not by suffering fools or flattering royalty. This is sometimes mistaken for brusqueness. It isn’t. It’s a guarantee that when a single shot of a priest conversing with a prisoner lasts 17 minutes and 11 seconds (as in 2008 feature debut Hunger), or when his 2023 Holocaust documentary Occupied City takes four hours and 26 minutes (not including interval), every moment is necessary and accounted for.
It’s this disciplined focus on what McQueen emphatically calls “the work... The W-O-R-K” which has enabled the 54-year-old to frequently...
Here’s what you need to know about Steve McQueen, as a man and as a filmmaker: he will not waste your time. Not with false modesty, nor with empty boasting. Not by suffering fools or flattering royalty. This is sometimes mistaken for brusqueness. It isn’t. It’s a guarantee that when a single shot of a priest conversing with a prisoner lasts 17 minutes and 11 seconds (as in 2008 feature debut Hunger), or when his 2023 Holocaust documentary Occupied City takes four hours and 26 minutes (not including interval), every moment is necessary and accounted for.
It’s this disciplined focus on what McQueen emphatically calls “the work... The W-O-R-K” which has enabled the 54-year-old to frequently...
- 10/10/2024
- by Ellen E Jones
- Empire - Movies
BFI CEO Ben Roberts and Working Title producer Tim Bevan praised the confirmation of the Independent Film Tax Credit (Iftc), at the opening night of the 68th BFI London Film Festival.
“It’s really brilliant news that this morning the government confirmed a game-changing new tax initiative to support British films, which will create so many opportunities for filmmaking and developing talent,” said Roberts in his opening address. “A strong and diverse film culture, including this film festival, needs all the support it can get.”
Roberts also welcomed Lisa Nandy, UK culture secretary under the new Labour government, who attended...
“It’s really brilliant news that this morning the government confirmed a game-changing new tax initiative to support British films, which will create so many opportunities for filmmaking and developing talent,” said Roberts in his opening address. “A strong and diverse film culture, including this film festival, needs all the support it can get.”
Roberts also welcomed Lisa Nandy, UK culture secretary under the new Labour government, who attended...
- 10/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
Steve McQueen’s “Blitz” isn’t just a movie, it’s a lot of movie. It’s one of the most enormous cinematic experiences in recent memory. It’s a World War II epic with a stunning sense of scale. It’s an intimate family drama about meaningful relationships in crisis. It’s an intelligent recontextualization of a historical era that’s too often viewed through a single lens. It’s a Dickensian melodrama with outsized yet believable characters. It’s an Irwin Allen-esque disaster film with impeccable visual effects. It’s got great musical numbers. It’s funny. It’ll make you cry. I’ve been to whole film festivals with less cinema than Steve McQueen packs into just two hours.
“Blitz,” which had its world premiere at the London Film Festival, tells a story about a family trying to survive the Nazi bombing raids in the United Kingdom,...
“Blitz,” which had its world premiere at the London Film Festival, tells a story about a family trying to survive the Nazi bombing raids in the United Kingdom,...
- 10/9/2024
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
Intricately detailed yet broad in its brushwork, Steve McQueen’s Blitz offers a densely packed vision of London at war in 1940, as seen through the eyes of a 9-year-old boy (discovery Elliott Heffernan), trying to make it home to his single mother, Rita (Saoirse Ronan). Aptly enough, given the city where it’s set, the film is positively Dickensian in its tendency to heap misfortune on top of melodrama, though it offers relatively little of the sort of light comic relief that Charles Dickens also excelled at. But no one could quarrel with its timely message about how much ordinary folks suffer when bombs fall on civilian targets.
However, while there’s much to admire here — including some bravura sequences, top-notch craft contributions and a long-overdue effort to show that London was more racially diverse than you might guess from watching movies from the time or made later but set...
However, while there’s much to admire here — including some bravura sequences, top-notch craft contributions and a long-overdue effort to show that London was more racially diverse than you might guess from watching movies from the time or made later but set...
- 10/9/2024
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Steve McQueen said he prefers a collaborative style of filmmaking, saying that “being a director is not about being an arsehole”.
“Once you have a situation where everyone’s together – I’ll take a good idea from anybody,” said UK filmmaker McQueen, at a Screen Talk ahead of the world premiere of his new film Blitz, opening the 68th BFI London Film Festival this evening.
“A director is not about being an arsehole. A director is about listening and feeling and smelling and tasting…There are too many arseholes, trust me,” said the director, who did not name names.
This...
“Once you have a situation where everyone’s together – I’ll take a good idea from anybody,” said UK filmmaker McQueen, at a Screen Talk ahead of the world premiere of his new film Blitz, opening the 68th BFI London Film Festival this evening.
“A director is not about being an arsehole. A director is about listening and feeling and smelling and tasting…There are too many arseholes, trust me,” said the director, who did not name names.
This...
- 10/9/2024
- ScreenDaily
Oscar- and BAFTA Award-winning British writer and director Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave, Hunger, Shame, Small Axe, Uprising, Occupied City) got a huge applause in honor of his birthday on Wednesday during a BFI London Film Festival event.
He spoke during a “Screen Talk” Wednesday afternoon and press conference ahead of the world premiere of his new movie Blitz — starring Saoirse Ronan, Stephen Graham, Elliot Heffernan and Benjamin Clementine — which is the opening film of the 68th edition of the London fest (Lff).
The movie, McQueen’s third Lff opening film, follows 9-year-old George (Heffernan) in wartime London after his mother Rita (Ronan) sends him as an evacuee to safety in the English countryside. Defiant and determined to get back home on his own to his mother and grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, George encounters real danger as a distraught Rita tries to find her footloose son.
He spoke during a “Screen Talk” Wednesday afternoon and press conference ahead of the world premiere of his new movie Blitz — starring Saoirse Ronan, Stephen Graham, Elliot Heffernan and Benjamin Clementine — which is the opening film of the 68th edition of the London fest (Lff).
The movie, McQueen’s third Lff opening film, follows 9-year-old George (Heffernan) in wartime London after his mother Rita (Ronan) sends him as an evacuee to safety in the English countryside. Defiant and determined to get back home on his own to his mother and grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, George encounters real danger as a distraught Rita tries to find her footloose son.
- 10/9/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Steve McQueen is set to open the BFI London Film Festival on Wednesday night with a world premiere — and it’s not his first time doing so. But his new film “Blitz” is very different from crime thriller “Widows,” which lifted the curtain back in 2018.
“Blitz” is set in WWII London as it came under devastating nightly attacks from German bomber planes, with a population that was forced to seek shelter underground not knowing what would be left of the city they returned to each morning. Taking place over just a few days, the visceral drama follows a 9-year-old boy — played by newcomer Elliot Heffernan — sent off to safety in the countryside but determined to return home to find his mother (Saoirse Ronan), who likewise is desperately searching for her missing son amid the chaos and carnage.
For the Oscar-winning and two-time BAFTA-winning McQueen, the idea of “Blitz” first began...
“Blitz” is set in WWII London as it came under devastating nightly attacks from German bomber planes, with a population that was forced to seek shelter underground not knowing what would be left of the city they returned to each morning. Taking place over just a few days, the visceral drama follows a 9-year-old boy — played by newcomer Elliot Heffernan — sent off to safety in the countryside but determined to return home to find his mother (Saoirse Ronan), who likewise is desperately searching for her missing son amid the chaos and carnage.
For the Oscar-winning and two-time BAFTA-winning McQueen, the idea of “Blitz” first began...
- 10/8/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
John Boyega and Danielle Deadwyler will soon ask voters to try a little tenderness come Oscar season. Variety reports that Boyega and Deadwyler have signed on to star respectively as legendary soul singer Otis Redding and his wife, Zelma Redding, in a biopic called “Otis & Zelma.”
The film will be directed by Channing Godfrey Peoples (“Miss Juneteenth”) from a script by Donnetta Lavinia Grays, with revisions by Godfrey Peoples. It’s produced by Fifth Season, Homegrown Pictures and Kinfolk Management + Media. It will tell the Reddings’ love story, which started when Redding was on his ascent to stardom, continued through his finding success with era-defining hits like “These Arms of Mine” and “Try a Little Tenderness,” and was cut tragically short when Otis died in a plane crash in 1967 at age 26, leaving Zelma a widow with three children.
Zelma is still alive and has kept her husband’s legacy...
The film will be directed by Channing Godfrey Peoples (“Miss Juneteenth”) from a script by Donnetta Lavinia Grays, with revisions by Godfrey Peoples. It’s produced by Fifth Season, Homegrown Pictures and Kinfolk Management + Media. It will tell the Reddings’ love story, which started when Redding was on his ascent to stardom, continued through his finding success with era-defining hits like “These Arms of Mine” and “Try a Little Tenderness,” and was cut tragically short when Otis died in a plane crash in 1967 at age 26, leaving Zelma a widow with three children.
Zelma is still alive and has kept her husband’s legacy...
- 10/2/2024
- by Liam Mathews
- Gold Derby
John Boyega and Danielle Deadwyler are set to portray late soul legend Otis Redding and his widow Zelma Redding in Fifth Season’s forthcoming biopic “Otis & Zelma.”
Directed by breakout filmmaker Channing Godfrey Peoples and produced by Fifth Season, Homegrown Pictures and Kinfolk Management + Media, the music-based film chronicles the life of Otis Redding, who is considered to be one of the most impactful singer-songwriters of our lifetime, with indelible hits including “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” “Respect,” “These Arms of Mine,” “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” and “Hard to Handle.” Redding’s burgeoning superstar career was tragically cut short when he died in a 1967 plane crash, leaving behind Zelma and three young children. He was 26 years old.
With revisions by Godfrey Peoples, “Otis & Zelma” is written by acclaimed playwright, screenwriter and actor Donnetta Lavinia Grays. The film “celebrates the 10 short years Otis and Zelma had together,...
Directed by breakout filmmaker Channing Godfrey Peoples and produced by Fifth Season, Homegrown Pictures and Kinfolk Management + Media, the music-based film chronicles the life of Otis Redding, who is considered to be one of the most impactful singer-songwriters of our lifetime, with indelible hits including “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” “Respect,” “These Arms of Mine,” “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” and “Hard to Handle.” Redding’s burgeoning superstar career was tragically cut short when he died in a 1967 plane crash, leaving behind Zelma and three young children. He was 26 years old.
With revisions by Godfrey Peoples, “Otis & Zelma” is written by acclaimed playwright, screenwriter and actor Donnetta Lavinia Grays. The film “celebrates the 10 short years Otis and Zelma had together,...
- 10/2/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Steve McQueen doesn’t do anything by halves. Case in point: his last film wasn’t just a film. It was five films, the Small Axe anthology, released on the BBC in late 2020, telling Black British stories set between the 1960s and ’80s – illuminating essential pieces of history that had rarely, if ever, been told on the screen. Next, McQueen is digging even further into the past with Blitz, a big-screen release that, per its title, explores the bombardment of London in World War II. It does so through the eyes of George (Elliott Heffernan), a young boy whose escape to the country doesn’t go as planned, and instead finds himself traversing the blazing city while his mother (played by Saoirse Ronan) searches for him.
As McQueen tells Empire in a major new interview, the seeds of his latest work were sown during his previous endeavour. “While doing research for Small Axe,...
As McQueen tells Empire in a major new interview, the seeds of his latest work were sown during his previous endeavour. “While doing research for Small Axe,...
- 9/25/2024
- by Ben Travis
- Empire - Movies
The official poster for the forthcoming release Blitz from director Steve McQueen, starring Saoirse Ronan, has just been released.
Sir Steve McQueen’s Blitz follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. George, defiant and determined to return home to his mom and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son.
Written and directed by Academy and BAFTA Award-winning McQueen, the film stars Academy and BAFTA Award nominee Ronan and newcomer Heffernan, with Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Weller, Stephen Graham, Leigh Gill, Mica Ricketts, Cj Beckford, Alex Jennings, Joshua McGuire, Hayley Squires, Erin Kellyman and Sally Messham rounding out the cast. McQueen’s Lammas Park produces alongside...
Sir Steve McQueen’s Blitz follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. George, defiant and determined to return home to his mom and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son.
Written and directed by Academy and BAFTA Award-winning McQueen, the film stars Academy and BAFTA Award nominee Ronan and newcomer Heffernan, with Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Weller, Stephen Graham, Leigh Gill, Mica Ricketts, Cj Beckford, Alex Jennings, Joshua McGuire, Hayley Squires, Erin Kellyman and Sally Messham rounding out the cast. McQueen’s Lammas Park produces alongside...
- 9/19/2024
- by Editor
- CinemaNerdz
Steve McQueen’s filmography will be feted at the 2024 Middleburg Film Festival.
The annual festival, which will take place from October 17 through 20, will honor Academy Award winner McQueen with the Visionary Director Award. McQueen’s latest film “Blitz” will open the festival, and the auteur will participate in a post-screening conversation.
“Blitz” follows the “epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. George, defiant and determined to return home to Rita and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son,” per the official synopsis.
“Blitz” will screen at Middleburg as a co-presentation with the British Embassy. British Ambassador to the United States Dame Karen Pierce will introduce the feature, and also receive the Festival’s inaugural Film Diplomacy Award.
The annual festival, which will take place from October 17 through 20, will honor Academy Award winner McQueen with the Visionary Director Award. McQueen’s latest film “Blitz” will open the festival, and the auteur will participate in a post-screening conversation.
“Blitz” follows the “epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. George, defiant and determined to return home to Rita and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son,” per the official synopsis.
“Blitz” will screen at Middleburg as a co-presentation with the British Embassy. British Ambassador to the United States Dame Karen Pierce will introduce the feature, and also receive the Festival’s inaugural Film Diplomacy Award.
- 9/19/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen is back with “Blitz,” his first feature film since 2018’s “Widows” and one of the awards season’s most-anticipated titles. The first trailer for “Blitz” debuted on Thursday.
Set in 1940s London, “Blitz” “follows the epic journey of George (newcomer Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother, Rita (Saoirse Ronan), sends him to safety in the English countryside,” reads the official synopsis provided by Apple Original Films. “George, defiant and determined to return home to his mom and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son.”
“Blitz” is set to premiere at the London Film Festival on October 9 before it closes out the New York Film on October 10. It will then have a limited theatrical release on November 1 before Apple adds...
Set in 1940s London, “Blitz” “follows the epic journey of George (newcomer Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother, Rita (Saoirse Ronan), sends him to safety in the English countryside,” reads the official synopsis provided by Apple Original Films. “George, defiant and determined to return home to his mom and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son.”
“Blitz” is set to premiere at the London Film Festival on October 9 before it closes out the New York Film on October 10. It will then have a limited theatrical release on November 1 before Apple adds...
- 9/19/2024
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Here’s a first look at the brand new trailer for Blitz.
Sir Steve McQueen’s film follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. George, defiant and determined to return home to his mom and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son.
Apple Original Films’ Blitz will debut in select theaters November 1, 2024 before premiering globally on Apple TV+ November 22, 2024.
Written and directed by Academy and BAFTA Award-winning McQueen, the film stars Academy and BAFTA Award nominee Ronan and newcomer Heffernan, with Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Weller, Stephen Graham, Leigh Gill, Mica Ricketts, Cj Beckford, Alex Jennings, Joshua McGuire, Hayley Squires, Erin Kellyman and Sally Messham rounding out the cast.
Sir Steve McQueen’s film follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. George, defiant and determined to return home to his mom and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son.
Apple Original Films’ Blitz will debut in select theaters November 1, 2024 before premiering globally on Apple TV+ November 22, 2024.
Written and directed by Academy and BAFTA Award-winning McQueen, the film stars Academy and BAFTA Award nominee Ronan and newcomer Heffernan, with Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Weller, Stephen Graham, Leigh Gill, Mica Ricketts, Cj Beckford, Alex Jennings, Joshua McGuire, Hayley Squires, Erin Kellyman and Sally Messham rounding out the cast.
- 9/19/2024
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Across his career, British director Steve McQueen has always proved ambitious – whether directing all five instalments of Small Axe, flirting with blockbuster territory in Widows, or unflinchingly conjuring American history in 12 Years A Slave. And his latest is not only another film set in the past, but it once again finds him working on a big canvas – get ready for Blitz, set in World War II amid the (you guessed it) London Blitz, as the capital city is devastated by enemy bombers. Caught in the middle of it all is 9-year-old George (Elliott Heffernan), sent away by his mother Rita – played by Saoirse Ronan – to safety, but inadvertently caught up in the middle of the conflict as the city blazes around him. Watch the trailer here:
While there have been plenty of World War II films in recent years, few have gone into the heart of the Blitz – and McQueen’s film,...
While there have been plenty of World War II films in recent years, few have gone into the heart of the Blitz – and McQueen’s film,...
- 9/19/2024
- by Ben Travis
- Empire - Movies
Apple Original Films has revealed the trailer and poster for Blitz, the new historical drama from writer and director Sir Steve McQueen Cbe. The film will debut in select theaters on November 1, 2024, before premiering globally on Apple TV+ on November 22.
Blitz has been rated PG-13 for thematic elements, including some racism, violence, some strong language, brief sexuality, and smoking.
Blitz follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside.
George, defiant and determined to return home to his mom and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son.
Written and directed by Academy and BAFTA Award-winning McQueen, the film stars Academy and BAFTA Award nominee Saoirse Ronan and newcomer Elliott Heffernan.
Blitz has been rated PG-13 for thematic elements, including some racism, violence, some strong language, brief sexuality, and smoking.
Blitz follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside.
George, defiant and determined to return home to his mom and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son.
Written and directed by Academy and BAFTA Award-winning McQueen, the film stars Academy and BAFTA Award nominee Saoirse Ronan and newcomer Elliott Heffernan.
- 9/19/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
"My Mom sent me away." "She did it to keep you safe." Apple has finally unveiled the official trailer for the movie Blitz, the next cinematic creation from maestro Steve McQueen. It's set to premiere soon at the 2024 New York & London Film Festivals this fall, before opening in theaters in early November and streaming on Apple TV+ later that month. The new film follows the stories of a group of Londoners during the events of the London bombing in World War II (from 1940 to 1941). A defiant young boy goes on an adventure running around London during the war only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son. Saoirse Ronan stars as Rita, along with Elliott Heffernan as her 9-year-old son George. The full ensemble cast for this includes Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Paul Weller, Stephen Graham, Leigh Gill, Mica Ricketts, Cj Beckford,...
- 9/19/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Steve McQueen is debuting his latest period piece, this time starring Saoirse Ronan.
McQueen writes and directs “Blitz,” which follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside.
Per the official synopsis, “George, defiant and determined to return home to his mom and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son.”
Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Stephen Graham, Leigh Gill, Mica Ricketts, Cj Beckford, Alex Jennings, Joshua McGuire, Hayley Squires, Erin Kellyman, and Sally Messham also star.
Academy Award winner McQueen reunites with production designer Adam Stockhausen, costume designer Jacqueline Durran (“Small Axe”), and composer Hans Zimmer (“12 Years a Slave”) for the production. The feature is also a reunion...
McQueen writes and directs “Blitz,” which follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside.
Per the official synopsis, “George, defiant and determined to return home to his mom and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son.”
Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Stephen Graham, Leigh Gill, Mica Ricketts, Cj Beckford, Alex Jennings, Joshua McGuire, Hayley Squires, Erin Kellyman, and Sally Messham also star.
Academy Award winner McQueen reunites with production designer Adam Stockhausen, costume designer Jacqueline Durran (“Small Axe”), and composer Hans Zimmer (“12 Years a Slave”) for the production. The feature is also a reunion...
- 9/19/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Exclusive: It was the faded monochrome photograph of a small Black boy, both hands gripping a valise, as he leaves London with a party of other school-age evacuees, that caught Steve McQueen’s eye while he was researching his Small Axe film anthology.
“I just wanted to know who he was … what was his story?” the Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave filmmaker recalls thinking when Deadline met up with him to talk about his thrilling, deeply personal new movie Blitz. It’s set in 1940 wartime London, when Hitler’s Luftwaffe unloaded its payloads and pounded the city seemingly nonstop for eight months.
The movie, a Lammas Park, Working Title and New Regency production for Apple, will have its world premiere October 9 as opening-night film of the BFI London Film Festival at the Southbank Centre.
The following night, October 10, it’s the New York Film Festival’s closing-night feature. Blitz then...
“I just wanted to know who he was … what was his story?” the Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave filmmaker recalls thinking when Deadline met up with him to talk about his thrilling, deeply personal new movie Blitz. It’s set in 1940 wartime London, when Hitler’s Luftwaffe unloaded its payloads and pounded the city seemingly nonstop for eight months.
The movie, a Lammas Park, Working Title and New Regency production for Apple, will have its world premiere October 9 as opening-night film of the BFI London Film Festival at the Southbank Centre.
The following night, October 10, it’s the New York Film Festival’s closing-night feature. Blitz then...
- 9/18/2024
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
Bafta winner and Emmy nominee Jack Lowden is the latest high-profile industry figure to join Screen International’s ‘The Future Of UK Film’ Summit, set for September 24 at BFI Southbank.
Lowden will take part in the session titled ‘The Talent Game - Packaging a UK Film’ alongside producer Elizabeth Karlsen from Number 9 Films, Jane Epstein from Independent Talent and Katie Ellen from HanWay Films. The panel will consider points including the skill of matching UK talent with the right projects, approaches producers can take to putting together their projects with “bankable” talent, the current state of the international market for UK projects,...
Lowden will take part in the session titled ‘The Talent Game - Packaging a UK Film’ alongside producer Elizabeth Karlsen from Number 9 Films, Jane Epstein from Independent Talent and Katie Ellen from HanWay Films. The panel will consider points including the skill of matching UK talent with the right projects, approaches producers can take to putting together their projects with “bankable” talent, the current state of the international market for UK projects,...
- 9/11/2024
- ScreenDaily
Actors walk away from projects all the time, for all sorts of reasons. "Scheduling conflicts" and "creative differences" are two of the most-cited, but for the most part, when word comes out about an actor parting ways with a movie or TV show, they leave before filming has actually begun. Sometimes they walk away perilously close to the start of production, as was the case when Joaquin Phoenix bailed on a Todd Haynes' movie last month less than a week before cameras started rolling (and he could potentially face legal action because he cut it so close).
But in 2021, something even more unusual happened: Actor John Boyega left the production of writer/director Jeremy Saulnier's Netflix action thriller "Rebel Ridge" one month after the movie started filming. An exit like that is extremely rare in modern Hollywood, and it caused the film to shut down so Saulnier could find a new lead actor.
But in 2021, something even more unusual happened: Actor John Boyega left the production of writer/director Jeremy Saulnier's Netflix action thriller "Rebel Ridge" one month after the movie started filming. An exit like that is extremely rare in modern Hollywood, and it caused the film to shut down so Saulnier could find a new lead actor.
- 9/9/2024
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
British Film Institute’s London Film Festival annual Screen Talks returns with a star-studded lineup that includes Andrea Arnold, Sean Baker, Steve McQueen, Lupita Nyong’o, Zoe Saldaña, and many more.
After featured Martin Scorsese, Andrew Haigh, and Lulu Wang spoke at the festival in 2023, this year’s crop of filmmakers represent the most highly-anticipated features on the 2024 festival circuit.
Sean Baker famously won the Palme d’Or at Cannes 2024 for “Anora,” which is an early Oscar frontrunner after IndieWire critic David Ehrlich praised the film for being a blend of “Uncut Gems” and “Pretty Woman.” At BFI, Baker will discuss his filmography including “Tangerine,” “The Florida Project,” and “Red Rocket.”
Steve McQueen, director of the Lff’s Opening Night Gala-selected film “Blitz,” will talk about his new film, alongside his work for the big and small screen, from “Hunger” and “12 Years a Slave” to “Widows,” “Small Axe,” and “Occupied City.
After featured Martin Scorsese, Andrew Haigh, and Lulu Wang spoke at the festival in 2023, this year’s crop of filmmakers represent the most highly-anticipated features on the 2024 festival circuit.
Sean Baker famously won the Palme d’Or at Cannes 2024 for “Anora,” which is an early Oscar frontrunner after IndieWire critic David Ehrlich praised the film for being a blend of “Uncut Gems” and “Pretty Woman.” At BFI, Baker will discuss his filmography including “Tangerine,” “The Florida Project,” and “Red Rocket.”
Steve McQueen, director of the Lff’s Opening Night Gala-selected film “Blitz,” will talk about his new film, alongside his work for the big and small screen, from “Hunger” and “12 Years a Slave” to “Widows,” “Small Axe,” and “Occupied City.
- 9/3/2024
- by Harrison Richlin and Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The BFI’s London Film Festival has set an impressive lineup of starry names including Academy Award winners Steve McQueen, Denis Villeneuve, Lupita Nyong’o, and recent Palme d’Or winner Sean Baker for this year’s screen talk Q&a sessions. Scroll down for the entire screen talks programme.
This year’s London Film Festival runs from 9 October – 20 October. The festival will open with Steve McQueen’s latest feature Blitz, an exploration of London during World War 2, on opening night at this year’s London Film Festival. The pic will screen as a world premiere.
Directed, produced, and written by McQueen, the film follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. The Synopsis reads: George, defiant and determined to return home to Rita and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London,...
This year’s London Film Festival runs from 9 October – 20 October. The festival will open with Steve McQueen’s latest feature Blitz, an exploration of London during World War 2, on opening night at this year’s London Film Festival. The pic will screen as a world premiere.
Directed, produced, and written by McQueen, the film follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. The Synopsis reads: George, defiant and determined to return home to Rita and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London,...
- 9/3/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Steve McQueen, Bass, 2024. Installation view, Dia Beacon, New York, May 12, 2024–April 14, 2025. © Steve McQueen. Photograph by Bill Jacobson Studio, New York.“The point now is that I found a home—or a hole in the ground, as you will.”1Upstate New York’s Dia Beacon is surrounded by bucolic scenery, but beneath the post-industrial campus of the art institution, there is a hole. A blank slate enveloped in cool darkness, a palatial underground expanse of concrete, the subterranean gallery has hosted a number of site-specific installations by artists such as Joan Jonas, Carl Craig, and now British artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen, whose Bass is on view through next spring.Bass is a beguiling, confrontational work: over the course of its approximately 40-minute runtime, there is no dialogue, no moving image, and no semblance of a traditional narrative—things one might expect from an artist whose film projects, including Hunger (2008), 12 Years A Slave...
- 8/29/2024
- MUBI
Acorn Media International has announced the highly anticipated release of Anne Rice’s Interview With The Vampire Season 2 and the comprehensive Season 1 & 2 Box Set, set to arrive on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital on 7 October 2024. This release follows the critically acclaimed first season, promising fans a continuation of the gothic, visually stunning saga that has captivated audiences worldwide.
The second season of Anne Rice’s Interview With The Vampire dives deeper into the dark and seductive world of immortals. Reprising their roles, Jacob Anderson (Game of Thrones) as Louis, Sam Reid (The Newsreader) as Lestat, Eric Bogosian (Succession) as Daniel Molloy, Delainey Hayles (Too Close) as Claudia, and Assad Zaman as Armand, the series promises to deliver even more thrills, ecstasy, and pain set against a richly gothic backdrop.
The new season picks up immediately after the climactic events of Season 1. Louis and Claudia, having conspired to kill Lestat, flee New...
The second season of Anne Rice’s Interview With The Vampire dives deeper into the dark and seductive world of immortals. Reprising their roles, Jacob Anderson (Game of Thrones) as Louis, Sam Reid (The Newsreader) as Lestat, Eric Bogosian (Succession) as Daniel Molloy, Delainey Hayles (Too Close) as Claudia, and Assad Zaman as Armand, the series promises to deliver even more thrills, ecstasy, and pain set against a richly gothic backdrop.
The new season picks up immediately after the climactic events of Season 1. Louis and Claudia, having conspired to kill Lestat, flee New...
- 8/5/2024
- by Emily Bennett
- Love Horror
Nach dem Eröffnungsfilm Anfang der Woche hat das New York Filmfestival jetzt den Abschlussfilm seiner 62. Ausgabe bekannt gegeben.
Abschlussfilm des New York Film Festival: Steve McQueens „Blitz“ (Credit: Apple TV+)
Mit der Nordamerikapremiere von Steve McQueens „Blitz“ wird die 62. Ausgabe des New York Filmfestival am 10. Oktober abgeschlossen. Das gab das Festival jetzt bekannt.
In „Blitz“ spielt Elliott Heffernan den neunjährigen George, der von seiner Mutter Rita (Saoirse Ronan) aus dem London des Zweiten Weltkrieg auf’s Land in Sicherheit gebracht wird. Doch George ist trotzig und wild entschlossen, zu seiner Mutter und seinem Großvater Gerald (Paul Weller) in den Osten Londons zurückzukehren. Also macht er sich auf den Weg, auf dem er in große Gefahr gerät, während seine Mutter verzweifelt nach ihrem vermissten Sohn sucht.
„‘Blitz‘ ist eine lebendige und eindringliche Darstellung des Lebens während des Krieges, ein akribischer historischer Bericht, der unmissverständlich auf unser heutiges Zeitalter des endlosen Krieges verweist.
Abschlussfilm des New York Film Festival: Steve McQueens „Blitz“ (Credit: Apple TV+)
Mit der Nordamerikapremiere von Steve McQueens „Blitz“ wird die 62. Ausgabe des New York Filmfestival am 10. Oktober abgeschlossen. Das gab das Festival jetzt bekannt.
In „Blitz“ spielt Elliott Heffernan den neunjährigen George, der von seiner Mutter Rita (Saoirse Ronan) aus dem London des Zweiten Weltkrieg auf’s Land in Sicherheit gebracht wird. Doch George ist trotzig und wild entschlossen, zu seiner Mutter und seinem Großvater Gerald (Paul Weller) in den Osten Londons zurückzukehren. Also macht er sich auf den Weg, auf dem er in große Gefahr gerät, während seine Mutter verzweifelt nach ihrem vermissten Sohn sucht.
„‘Blitz‘ ist eine lebendige und eindringliche Darstellung des Lebens während des Krieges, ein akribischer historischer Bericht, der unmissverständlich auf unser heutiges Zeitalter des endlosen Krieges verweist.
- 7/26/2024
- by Jochen Müller
- Spot - Media & Film
Steve McQueen’s Blitz, starring Saoirse Ronan and Elliott Heffernan will be the Closing Night selection of the 62nd New York Film Festival
Film at Lincoln Center has announced that Steve McQueen’s Blitz (shot by Yorick Le Saux and with a score by Hans Zimmer), starring Saoirse Ronan and Elliott Heffernan with Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Paul Weller (of The Jam and Style Council), Stephen Graham, Leigh Gill, Mica Ricketts, Cj Beckford, Alex Jennings, Joshua McGuire, Hayley Squires, Erin Kellyman, and Sally Messham will be the Closing Night selection of the 62nd New York Film Festival.
“It is with immense pride, gratitude, and fondness that I’m able to return to the New York Film Festival with Blitz,” said Steve McQueen. “I’ve been lucky enough to have enjoyed a number of memorable experiences at the festival and with New York audiences, and I’m enormously grateful...
Film at Lincoln Center has announced that Steve McQueen’s Blitz (shot by Yorick Le Saux and with a score by Hans Zimmer), starring Saoirse Ronan and Elliott Heffernan with Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Paul Weller (of The Jam and Style Council), Stephen Graham, Leigh Gill, Mica Ricketts, Cj Beckford, Alex Jennings, Joshua McGuire, Hayley Squires, Erin Kellyman, and Sally Messham will be the Closing Night selection of the 62nd New York Film Festival.
“It is with immense pride, gratitude, and fondness that I’m able to return to the New York Film Festival with Blitz,” said Steve McQueen. “I’ve been lucky enough to have enjoyed a number of memorable experiences at the festival and with New York audiences, and I’m enormously grateful...
- 7/25/2024
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
After showcasing three of the five Small Axe films, Steve McQueen is set to have the international premiere of Blitz at the New York Film Festival. After world premiering at the London BFI Film Festival on October 9th, he’ll be jetting down to the big apple to close out the 62nd edition. Many were scratching their heads when it was announced that the film favored a London premiere – many had the film on their Venice, Telluride and Toronto bingo cards. Apple Original Film will put this in theaters on November 1st ahead of its global premiere on Apple TV+ on November 22.…...
- 7/25/2024
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen is headed back to the New York Film Festival.
On Thursday, Film at Lincoln Center revealed that McQueen’s “Blitz” starring Saoirse Ronan and newcomer Elliott Heffernan will close the 62nd edition of the New York Film Festival. The event is being billed as the Apple Original Film’s North American premiere, following the “Blitz” world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival in early October. (The NYFF premiere designation all but officially rules out a potential screening at the Telluride Film Festival.)
“Blitz” is the eighth McQueen film to screen at the New York Film Festival in its history, following “Hunger,” “Shame,” Best Picture winner “12 Years a Slave,” the Amazon title “Lovers Rock” (part of McQueen’s “Small Axe” anthology), and last year’s documentary “Occupied City.” “Blitz” will land in New York on October 10.
“It is with immense pride, gratitude, and fondness that...
On Thursday, Film at Lincoln Center revealed that McQueen’s “Blitz” starring Saoirse Ronan and newcomer Elliott Heffernan will close the 62nd edition of the New York Film Festival. The event is being billed as the Apple Original Film’s North American premiere, following the “Blitz” world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival in early October. (The NYFF premiere designation all but officially rules out a potential screening at the Telluride Film Festival.)
“Blitz” is the eighth McQueen film to screen at the New York Film Festival in its history, following “Hunger,” “Shame,” Best Picture winner “12 Years a Slave,” the Amazon title “Lovers Rock” (part of McQueen’s “Small Axe” anthology), and last year’s documentary “Occupied City.” “Blitz” will land in New York on October 10.
“It is with immense pride, gratitude, and fondness that...
- 7/25/2024
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
As the fall festival season continues to take shape, we now know when one of our most-anticipated films will arrive in North America. Film at Lincoln Center announced Steve McQueen’s Blitz, starring Saoirse Ronan and Elliott Heffernan, will be the Closing Night selection of the 62nd New York Film Festival, making its North American premiere on October 10 at Alice Tully Hall. This will follow the film’s World Premiere at BFI London Film Festival the day prior and continues a long-standing relationship between McQueen and NYFF as all of his features have played at the festival, except for Widows and two of his Small Axe films.
Here’s the NYFF synopsis: “Blitz, an authentic and astonishing recreation of London during its blitzkrieg by the Germans during World War II, pushes the artistry of Steve McQueen to ever more impressive levels. Working on a vast scale, McQueen sets things at human eye level,...
Here’s the NYFF synopsis: “Blitz, an authentic and astonishing recreation of London during its blitzkrieg by the Germans during World War II, pushes the artistry of Steve McQueen to ever more impressive levels. Working on a vast scale, McQueen sets things at human eye level,...
- 7/25/2024
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Steve McQueen’s World War II drama starring Saoirse Ronan, “Blitz,” will close the 62nd New York Film Festival, Film at Lincoln Center announced on Thursday. The movie will screen on October 10 at Alice Tully Hall in Manhattan, which will mark its North American premiere.
“Blitz,” which McQueen wrote, directed and produced, stars Ronan as a working-class single mother living in London during Nazi Germany’s 1941 blitzkrieg that began on September 7 and continued for 57 consecutive days and nights, killing almost 1,500 people.
The film is told from the points of view of Ronan’s Rita and her 9-year-old son George (played by newcomer Elliott Heffernan), who become separated during the air raids. According to the description offered by the festival, the film “offers a multicultural portrait of 1940s London too infrequently seen on screens” and is “Dickensian in its scope and storytelling.”
The supporting cast includes Kathy Burke, Benjamin Clementine, Harris Dickinson,...
“Blitz,” which McQueen wrote, directed and produced, stars Ronan as a working-class single mother living in London during Nazi Germany’s 1941 blitzkrieg that began on September 7 and continued for 57 consecutive days and nights, killing almost 1,500 people.
The film is told from the points of view of Ronan’s Rita and her 9-year-old son George (played by newcomer Elliott Heffernan), who become separated during the air raids. According to the description offered by the festival, the film “offers a multicultural portrait of 1940s London too infrequently seen on screens” and is “Dickensian in its scope and storytelling.”
The supporting cast includes Kathy Burke, Benjamin Clementine, Harris Dickinson,...
- 7/25/2024
- by Missy Schwartz
- The Wrap
The North American premiere of Steve McQueen’s Blitz will close the 62nd New York Film Festival on October 10.
Saoirse Ronan and Elliott Heffernan star as working-class single mother Rita and her nine-year-old son George who become separated during the bombing of London by Germany during the Second World War.
The cast includes Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Paul Weller, Stephen Graham, Leigh Gill, Mica Ricketts, Cj Beckford, Alex Jennings, Joshua McGuire, Hayley Squires, Erin Kellyman, and Sally Messham.
The Apple Original Film will premiere in theatres on November 1 ahead of its global premiere on Apple TV+ on November...
Saoirse Ronan and Elliott Heffernan star as working-class single mother Rita and her nine-year-old son George who become separated during the bombing of London by Germany during the Second World War.
The cast includes Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Paul Weller, Stephen Graham, Leigh Gill, Mica Ricketts, Cj Beckford, Alex Jennings, Joshua McGuire, Hayley Squires, Erin Kellyman, and Sally Messham.
The Apple Original Film will premiere in theatres on November 1 ahead of its global premiere on Apple TV+ on November...
- 7/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Lionsgate has commenced production on The Long Walk, its adaptation of the 1979 novel from Stephen King, starring Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson, adding seven to the cast.
The newcomers are Garrett Wareing (Ransom Canyon), Tut Nyuot (The Witcher: Blood Origin), Charlie Plummer (National Anthem), Ben Wang (American Born Chinese), Jordan Gonzalez (Pretty Little Liars: Summer School), Joshua Odjick (Welcome to Derry), and Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit). Details as to their roles are under wraps.
Originally published under King’s pseudonym Richard Bachman, The Long Walk focuses on a dystopian America that is entertained by the Long Walk — a competition in which 50 teenage boys walk without rest. Each competitor must keep walking faster than three miles per hour — or risk being eliminated.
Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) is directing from a script by Jt Mollner. Lawrence is also producing the project through his company about:blank,...
The newcomers are Garrett Wareing (Ransom Canyon), Tut Nyuot (The Witcher: Blood Origin), Charlie Plummer (National Anthem), Ben Wang (American Born Chinese), Jordan Gonzalez (Pretty Little Liars: Summer School), Joshua Odjick (Welcome to Derry), and Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit). Details as to their roles are under wraps.
Originally published under King’s pseudonym Richard Bachman, The Long Walk focuses on a dystopian America that is entertained by the Long Walk — a competition in which 50 teenage boys walk without rest. Each competitor must keep walking faster than three miles per hour — or risk being eliminated.
Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) is directing from a script by Jt Mollner. Lawrence is also producing the project through his company about:blank,...
- 7/24/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Calculus Capital, the investment firm that has backed companies including Jude Law’s Riff Raff Entertainment, has picked up the £60m film & TV production finance business of Great Point Media (Gpm), which went into administration in March.
Gpm subsidiary Illium previously provided production finance for shows including the BBC’s Small Axe, ITV’s Manhunt and Channel 4’s Brexit: The Uncivil War. It is currently backing around 20 upcoming high-end scripted and documentary projects.
Illium was technically owned by Great Point Investments (Gpi), itself a wholly owned subsidiary of Gpm, which was not placed into administration.
But its future was...
Gpm subsidiary Illium previously provided production finance for shows including the BBC’s Small Axe, ITV’s Manhunt and Channel 4’s Brexit: The Uncivil War. It is currently backing around 20 upcoming high-end scripted and documentary projects.
Illium was technically owned by Great Point Investments (Gpi), itself a wholly owned subsidiary of Gpm, which was not placed into administration.
But its future was...
- 7/15/2024
- ScreenDaily
As any UK-based film lover knows, the opening night gala of the London Film Festival is always one to keep an eye out for. In recent years, that coveted slot has been reserved for the likes of Emerald Fennell's scandalous scandalous Saltburn, Matthew Warchus' raucous Roald Dahl romp Matilda The Musical, and Samuel Jeymes' slick neo-spaghetti western The Harder They Fall. And this year's 68th BFI London Film Festival — which will run from Wednesday 9 October to Sunday 20 October — looks to have another doozy lined up for us. As announced by the BFI earlier today, kicking things off this year will be Oscar and BAFTA award winning writer-director Steve McQueen's Apple Original WWII drama Blitz, which stars Saoirse Ronan, Harris Dickinson, and nine-year-old newcomer Elliott Heffernan.
Having opened Lff twice before — first with 2018's Widows and then again in 2020 with Small Axe anthology feature Mangrove — McQueen is no stranger...
Having opened Lff twice before — first with 2018's Widows and then again in 2020 with Small Axe anthology feature Mangrove — McQueen is no stranger...
- 7/1/2024
- by Jordan King
- Empire - Movies
Barry Jenkins’ 10-episode limited series “The Underground Railroad” is a modern masterpiece. Many said as much when it first debuted, back in May 2021, and many more have discovered its incomparable beauty, power, and grace in the years since. On June 25, The Criterion Collection will recognize the series by releasing a four-disc Blu-ray set — marking its physical media debut — complete with audio commentary by Jenkins, his companion film “The Gaze,” deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, a graphic novel adaptation of an unfilmed episode, and more.
Being featured in a collection as prestigious as Criterion’s — which Jenkins himself compared to the Library of Congress, saying, “This is where films go to live forever” — will undoubtedly introduce “The Underground Railroad” to even more viewers. It deserves them, just as it deserves to join the exclusive collection featuring heralded titles (with ties to TV) like “Dekalog,” “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me,” and “Small Axe.
Being featured in a collection as prestigious as Criterion’s — which Jenkins himself compared to the Library of Congress, saying, “This is where films go to live forever” — will undoubtedly introduce “The Underground Railroad” to even more viewers. It deserves them, just as it deserves to join the exclusive collection featuring heralded titles (with ties to TV) like “Dekalog,” “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me,” and “Small Axe.
- 6/25/2024
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
On the surface, making a piece of genre cinema about a serious subject could seem distancing. By not addressing the issue in the most realistic manner it could come across like you care more about exciting the audience with cinematic tropes than exploring the truth of a situation. But using genre as a vessel to confront major issues can actually be more thought-provoking because cinema fundamentally isn’t real life, it’s strange and fantastical and, ultimately, more akin to the dreamstate. Liam Pinheiro-Rogers shows this with London’s Forgotten, his eerie fantasy drama about the cyclical nature of knife crime. Pinheiro-Rogers brings a ghostly edge to his spin on the knife crime drama, telling the story of a young man who wanders London’s urban streets which have played host to the countless stories of knife crime victims. It’s an incredibly compelling piece of work and we’re...
- 6/11/2024
- by James Maitre
- Directors Notes
Exclusive: Here’s a first look at Sherwood Season 2, the highly-anticipated next instalment of James Graham’s BBC drama.
Filming on the House Productions show recently took place in and around the UK city Nottingham, and the images show the likes of Lorraine Ashbourne, Monica Dolan, Perry Fitzpatrick, David Morrissey, David Harewood, Michael Balogun, Christine Bottomley, Oliver Huntingdon and Robert Lindsay in character. Scroll to the bottom for all seven images.
Season 1 was a ratings success and was one of the most-watched British dramas of 2022, following a murder that shocks a former mining town where divisions still remain years after the miners’ strikes of 1984 and 1985.
The second season will introduce two new families, who become entangled with the Sparrows from the first run, entering a complex web of local gangs, old rivalries, revenge, and betrayal. At the same time, a new Sheriff of Nottingham fights passionately against a proposed new mine,...
Filming on the House Productions show recently took place in and around the UK city Nottingham, and the images show the likes of Lorraine Ashbourne, Monica Dolan, Perry Fitzpatrick, David Morrissey, David Harewood, Michael Balogun, Christine Bottomley, Oliver Huntingdon and Robert Lindsay in character. Scroll to the bottom for all seven images.
Season 1 was a ratings success and was one of the most-watched British dramas of 2022, following a murder that shocks a former mining town where divisions still remain years after the miners’ strikes of 1984 and 1985.
The second season will introduce two new families, who become entangled with the Sparrows from the first run, entering a complex web of local gangs, old rivalries, revenge, and betrayal. At the same time, a new Sheriff of Nottingham fights passionately against a proposed new mine,...
- 6/10/2024
- by Max Goldbart and Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Apple TV+ thriller series Liaison, which stars Vincent Cassel and Eva Green, has sold to TF1 in France.
The Anglo-French show remains on Apple globally but has been sold non-exclusively in its second window by distributor Newen Connect.
Produced by Newen Studios-backed Ringside Studio in the UK and Leonis Productions in France, the high-stakes thriller follows two agents (played by Cassel and Green) and former lovers, who must work together in a post-Brexit era to counter violent international cyberattacks that threaten the United Kingdom, while facing the explosive buried secrets of their past relationship. With an international backdrop that includes London, Paris, Brussels and Syria, Liaison explores how the mistakes of the past have the potential to destroy the future. Peter Mullan (Ozark; Mum; The Lords of the Rings – The Rings of Power), Gerard Lanvin (Call My Agent!), Daniel Francis (Small Axe), Laetitia Eido (Fauda), BAFTA Rising Star...
The Anglo-French show remains on Apple globally but has been sold non-exclusively in its second window by distributor Newen Connect.
Produced by Newen Studios-backed Ringside Studio in the UK and Leonis Productions in France, the high-stakes thriller follows two agents (played by Cassel and Green) and former lovers, who must work together in a post-Brexit era to counter violent international cyberattacks that threaten the United Kingdom, while facing the explosive buried secrets of their past relationship. With an international backdrop that includes London, Paris, Brussels and Syria, Liaison explores how the mistakes of the past have the potential to destroy the future. Peter Mullan (Ozark; Mum; The Lords of the Rings – The Rings of Power), Gerard Lanvin (Call My Agent!), Daniel Francis (Small Axe), Laetitia Eido (Fauda), BAFTA Rising Star...
- 5/29/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
How do the makers of Bridgerton keep a fandom as dedicated as theirs guessing? How does the Netflix show surprise a core of fans who are so intimately familiar with Julia Quinn’s source books that they’re anticipating every blush and ball before it even gets to the screen?
One solution, as has happened in season three, is to play with the established order of things. Though Benedict Bridgerton’s romance follows on from that of his brother Anthony’s in Quinn’s book series, the TV show has (rightly!) vaulted over that to first show the love story between Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington.
Their other answer? Invention. In addition to TV-only characters Madame Delacroix, Will and Alice Mondrich and Queen Charlotte herself, a new raft of invented-for-the-show characters appear in season three. Here they all are, along with info on the actors playing them, plus a couple...
One solution, as has happened in season three, is to play with the established order of things. Though Benedict Bridgerton’s romance follows on from that of his brother Anthony’s in Quinn’s book series, the TV show has (rightly!) vaulted over that to first show the love story between Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington.
Their other answer? Invention. In addition to TV-only characters Madame Delacroix, Will and Alice Mondrich and Queen Charlotte herself, a new raft of invented-for-the-show characters appear in season three. Here they all are, along with info on the actors playing them, plus a couple...
- 5/16/2024
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Dearest readers: It’s Bridgerton Week at IndieWire. We’re celebrating the new season by diving deep on one of the best romance shows on TV.
Season 3 of “Bridgerton” promises everything audiences love about the show: gossip, gloves, and games. This season finally focuses on the romance between Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin (Luke Newton) which isn’t an easy road because there’s someone else in the mix, Lord Debling (Sam Phillips). Other storylines include Francesca Bridgerton’s (Hannah Dodd) introduction into society which she doesn’t take too well.
A longtime series writer, Jess Brownell, steps into season three’s showrunner shoes and brings back a mix of old favorite characters into a greater spotlight and new characters to come in and shake up society. Here’s all the actors who are main players and who they’ll be playing in season 3.
Luke Newton (Colin Bridgerton)
Newton with...
Season 3 of “Bridgerton” promises everything audiences love about the show: gossip, gloves, and games. This season finally focuses on the romance between Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin (Luke Newton) which isn’t an easy road because there’s someone else in the mix, Lord Debling (Sam Phillips). Other storylines include Francesca Bridgerton’s (Hannah Dodd) introduction into society which she doesn’t take too well.
A longtime series writer, Jess Brownell, steps into season three’s showrunner shoes and brings back a mix of old favorite characters into a greater spotlight and new characters to come in and shake up society. Here’s all the actors who are main players and who they’ll be playing in season 3.
Luke Newton (Colin Bridgerton)
Newton with...
- 5/15/2024
- by Kerensa Cadenas
- Indiewire
Amazon UK MD Chris Bird was among the latest group of industry execs to appear in front of the UK’s British Film & High-End TV Inquiry this afternoon, during which he revealed how much cash the streamer has invested in content from UK broadcasters for the first time.
“We have spent more than $400 million licensing, co-producing, and co-commissioning content from the UK Public Service Broadcasters,” Bird said. “Not only to make bigger and better shows but we’ve also helped produce everything from Steve McQueen’s Small Axe and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag to the recently announced second and third seasons of The Night Manager with the BBC.”
Deadline was first to break news of The Night Manager returning with Tom Hiddleston signed on to star.
Prime Video doesn’t only help produce these hits but also distributes them to territories across the globe, Bird added. “Outside of America, British...
“We have spent more than $400 million licensing, co-producing, and co-commissioning content from the UK Public Service Broadcasters,” Bird said. “Not only to make bigger and better shows but we’ve also helped produce everything from Steve McQueen’s Small Axe and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag to the recently announced second and third seasons of The Night Manager with the BBC.”
Deadline was first to break news of The Night Manager returning with Tom Hiddleston signed on to star.
Prime Video doesn’t only help produce these hits but also distributes them to territories across the globe, Bird added. “Outside of America, British...
- 5/8/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
British actor Sheyi Cole has a prominent role in Thea Sharrock’s Netflix original film “The Beautiful Game.”
The film revolves around the Homeless World Cup, an annual soccer tournament bringing together displaced or dispossessed players from nearly 50 countries, playing not merely for a trophy but for a second shot at life. Cole plays Jason, a would-be ladies’ man given a sharp #MeToo education when he inappropriately comes onto sparky Mexican-American player Rosita (Cristina Rodio).
“One thing that was great about Thea is that she was so hands on – any concerns that we had, she was willing to have conversations and was able to alleviate any concerns that we essentially had, surrounding that conversation with Jason,” Cole told Variety. “I think what she really wanted to highlight was Jason’s naivety and innocence. And the lack of role models that he had in his life. So although Jason does make grave mistakes,...
The film revolves around the Homeless World Cup, an annual soccer tournament bringing together displaced or dispossessed players from nearly 50 countries, playing not merely for a trophy but for a second shot at life. Cole plays Jason, a would-be ladies’ man given a sharp #MeToo education when he inappropriately comes onto sparky Mexican-American player Rosita (Cristina Rodio).
“One thing that was great about Thea is that she was so hands on – any concerns that we had, she was willing to have conversations and was able to alleviate any concerns that we essentially had, surrounding that conversation with Jason,” Cole told Variety. “I think what she really wanted to highlight was Jason’s naivety and innocence. And the lack of role models that he had in his life. So although Jason does make grave mistakes,...
- 3/29/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Micheal Ward is a rising young British actor who has rapidly gained recognition for his acclaimed performances on screen. Though only in his mid-20s, Ward has already landed starring roles in high-profile TV shows and films, establishing himself as one of the most promising talents of his generation.
Ward first drew major attention for his role as Jamie in Top Boy, the Netflix revival of the hit crime drama series. His emotional performance as a conflicted teenager navigating London’s underground drug trade earned widespread praise. This breakthrough has led to other prominent parts, including co-starring in Steve McQueen’s award-winning anthology film series Small Axe. With his raw talent and versatility, Ward represents the future of Black British acting.
Micheal Ward in Top Boy (2011) Early Life and Education
Micheal Ward was born on June 18, 1997 in Homerton, London to parents of Jamaican descent. He grew up in Hackney with his mother,...
Ward first drew major attention for his role as Jamie in Top Boy, the Netflix revival of the hit crime drama series. His emotional performance as a conflicted teenager navigating London’s underground drug trade earned widespread praise. This breakthrough has led to other prominent parts, including co-starring in Steve McQueen’s award-winning anthology film series Small Axe. With his raw talent and versatility, Ward represents the future of Black British acting.
Micheal Ward in Top Boy (2011) Early Life and Education
Micheal Ward was born on June 18, 1997 in Homerton, London to parents of Jamaican descent. He grew up in Hackney with his mother,...
- 3/24/2024
- by Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Berlin — In a bellwether deal on one of the cutting edges of European TV, Zdf Studios has taken distribution worldwide on drama series “The Zweiflers,” produced by Turbokultur for Ard Degeto Film and Hessischer Rundfunk (Hr).
Created and showrun by David Hadda, the six-part series will premiere in Germany on Ard’s Mediathek streaming service in the spring and also be shown on Das Erste, Ard’s main linear channel, in the near future.
In an age of spiraling costs and a large need to cut through a still immensely crowded market, Europe’s public broadcasters –Zdf Studios, not Zdf in this case – are looking to partner. The most obvious partners are other state TV networks, even in their own country if the co-operation works.
“We have already added Ard Degeto Film projects to our portfolio before. And there will be more in the future. There are no limits to our choice of partners,...
Created and showrun by David Hadda, the six-part series will premiere in Germany on Ard’s Mediathek streaming service in the spring and also be shown on Das Erste, Ard’s main linear channel, in the near future.
In an age of spiraling costs and a large need to cut through a still immensely crowded market, Europe’s public broadcasters –Zdf Studios, not Zdf in this case – are looking to partner. The most obvious partners are other state TV networks, even in their own country if the co-operation works.
“We have already added Ard Degeto Film projects to our portfolio before. And there will be more in the future. There are no limits to our choice of partners,...
- 2/16/2024
- by John Hopewell and Callum McLennan
- Variety Film + TV
This evening we met the cast and crew of Wicked Little Letters on the red carpet of the film’s European Premiere in Odeon Luxe, Leicester Square, London. Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley star alongside Anjana Vasan, BAFTA Nominee Timothy Spall, BAFTA winner Joanna Scanlan, Hugh Skinner, BAFTA winner Malachi Kirby, Gemma Jones, Lolly Adefope (Ghosts), Eileen Atkins (The Crown), and Alisha Weir (Matilda!).
Wicked Little Letters will be released in UK and Irish cinemas on 23 February 2024. Scott Davis, Colin Hart and Ethan Hart were on the red carpet, here are their interviews.
Wicked Little Letters Premiere Interviews
Plot:
Based on a true story, a 1920s English seaside town bears witness to a farcical and occasionally sinister scandal in this riotous mystery comedy. Based on a stranger-than-fiction true story, the feature follows two neighbours: deeply conservative local Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) and rowdy Irish migrant Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley). When...
Wicked Little Letters will be released in UK and Irish cinemas on 23 February 2024. Scott Davis, Colin Hart and Ethan Hart were on the red carpet, here are their interviews.
Wicked Little Letters Premiere Interviews
Plot:
Based on a true story, a 1920s English seaside town bears witness to a farcical and occasionally sinister scandal in this riotous mystery comedy. Based on a stranger-than-fiction true story, the feature follows two neighbours: deeply conservative local Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) and rowdy Irish migrant Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley). When...
- 2/13/2024
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The visceral melodic pulse heard in the bass playing of Aston “Family Man” Barrett, who died on February 3, is most closely associated with anchoring the messages and providing the sonic heartbeat within Bob Marley’s music. In 1970, Family Man and his brother, drummer Carlton “Carly” Barrett, began playing with Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, who had formed the Wailers in 1963.
Following the departure of Tosh and Wailer from the group in 1973 and throughout Marley’s rise to global stardom as the decade progressed, the Wailers served as his backing band,...
Following the departure of Tosh and Wailer from the group in 1973 and throughout Marley’s rise to global stardom as the decade progressed, the Wailers served as his backing band,...
- 2/4/2024
- by Patricia Meschino
- Rollingstone.com
Apple TV+ has just dropped a trailer for its newest series, ‘Constellation’, and it’s shaping up to be a must-watch. This platform has a knack for delivering top-notch shows like ‘For All Mankind’ and ‘Severance,’ and ‘Constellation’ seems to be following in those footsteps.
Starring the talented Noomi Rapace and Jonathan Banks, the series is set to premiere on February 21st. It kicks off with three episodes, followed by weekly releases until March 27th. So, mark your calendars!
The story revolves around Jo, played by Rapace, an astronaut who comes back to Earth after a space disaster. She finds that parts of her life are mysteriously missing. It’s a mix of space adventure and a deep dive into human psychology as Jo tries to uncover the truth about space travel’s hidden history and reclaim what she’s lost.
The cast also includes names like James D’Arcy and Julian Looman,...
Starring the talented Noomi Rapace and Jonathan Banks, the series is set to premiere on February 21st. It kicks off with three episodes, followed by weekly releases until March 27th. So, mark your calendars!
The story revolves around Jo, played by Rapace, an astronaut who comes back to Earth after a space disaster. She finds that parts of her life are mysteriously missing. It’s a mix of space adventure and a deep dive into human psychology as Jo tries to uncover the truth about space travel’s hidden history and reclaim what she’s lost.
The cast also includes names like James D’Arcy and Julian Looman,...
- 1/24/2024
- by Hrvoje Milakovic
- Fiction Horizon
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