News

BAFTA TV Award winner Chris Cottam is set to direct The Light Fantastic, a new ballroom dance comedy movie starring Jeremy Irvine, Rupert Everett, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, and Layton Williams. Cornerstone will launch worldwide sales for the film at the American Film Market (AFM) in Las Vegas.

Inspired by a true story, The Light Fantastic follows Jason (Irvine), a gay firefighter in his 30s who aspires to become a professional ballroom dancer. Set in Blackpool, the story chronicles his journey of self-discovery as he challenges ballroom traditions under the watchful eye of his traditional instructor Reynolds (Everett).

The film will feature choreography by famed mother-and-son dance duo Mark and Shirley Ballas. He’s a three-time Dancing with the Stars winner, she’s head judge on the British version of the show, Strictly Come Dancing. Debbie Gray (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande) will produce for Genesius Pictures, with principle photographer set to begin in the U.

by Mark Brinkerhoff

Wow. The power of women.

I remember Nicole Kidman's speech at the 2018 Golden Globes like it was yesterday. You certainly could sense a genuine sisterhood between the five principle stars of Big Little Lies, HBO's unexpectedly titanic, initially limited series. Amid the backdrop of #MeToo, it was quite a moment for Nicole Kidman and company.

The actress's output in the 2010s was, charitably, something of a mixed bag. For every dazzling turn in Rabbit Hole (2010), The Paperboy (2012), or Paddington (2014), there were plenty of barely released (if at all) misfires like Tresspass (2011), The Railway Man (2013), and Queen of the Desert (2015). With the notable exception of Lion (2016), things looked awfully bleak for Kidmaniacs stateside heading into a post-presidential election year...

Tim Richards’ Vue, Europe’s largest privately owned cinema operator, is teaming with UK producers Andy Paterson and Annalise Davis, and virtual production outfit Dimension Studios, to form Virtual Circle, to deliver a slate of £5m-£15m UK films. Vue will directly release the films into cinemas.

Virtual Circle has been set up in response to the new 40% Independent Film Tax Credit (Iftc); the first two films, 2040 and Campbeltown ‘69, are expected to shoot this summer.

The aim is to use virtual production to “bring additional scale” to the films, said Davis.

“Script always comes first but at Virtual Circle, we...

Cinema Management Group has reported brisk sales on Kensuke’s Kingdom featuring Cillian Murphy on the back of wins at the British Animation Awards for best picture, best screenplay and best original music.

Blue Fox Entertainment has acquired the film for North America; Modern Films for the UK & Ireland; Movies Inspired for Italy Periscoop for Benelux; Arthouse Traffic for Ukraine; New Horizon for Poland; Playarte for Brazil; and Cinetopia for Chile, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia. Encore Inflight acquired worldwide airline rights.

Based on the best-selling novel by Michael Morpurgo (War Horse) and adapted for screen by Frank Cottrell-Boyce,...

Over the last few years, globally, there has been a significant increase in our degree of viewership due to the proliferation of various Ott platforms. As it has embraced niche audiences and content, it has empowered filmmakers and emerging talent to showcase their work to a wider audience. In India too, the wave has been felt with web series such as Sacred Games (2018), Scam 1992 (2020), Paatal Lok (2020), Jubilee(2023), and The Railway Man (2023), among others. The recent Netflix extravaganza, Heeramandi, directed by auteur filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, whose image among cinephiles and general viewers is held with respect, also roused similar expectations. Unfolding across eight episodes, the ambitious series centers around the lives of tawaifs (nautch girls) in the red-light district of Heera Mandi in Lahore, before the partition of India. The series has all the signature styles of the filmmaker of displaying exuberance and is crammed with exquisitely choreographed songs,...

“Lord of the Rings,” “Elvis” and “Faraway Downs” star David Wenham is to reprise one of other his best-known roles in upcoming feature “Spit.”

The picture is a sequel to 2003 comedy crime thriller “Gettin’ Square,” in which Wenham played Johnny ‘Spit’ Spitteri, a recently-released ex-convict and Sam Worthington (“Avatar”) played an older brother trying to keep the kid out of trouble.

Production of “Spit” has got underway in Gold Coast and Brisbane, Queensland and will continue through May.

The new film is directed by ‘Gettin’ Square” and “The Railway Man” director Jonathan Teplitzky, from a screenplay by Queensland-based writer and lawyer Christopher Nyst.

It is produced by Trish Lake of Queensland-based Freshwater Pictures alongside Greg Duffy, Felicity McVay and Wenham. It received major production investment from Screen Australia with local distribution by Transmission Films and international rights sales managed by Moviehouse Entertainment.

In “Spit,’ Spitteri finds himself locked up in...

Amusing, uplifting, and about as sugary and teeth-sabotaging as caramelized popcorn, The Beautiful Game celebrates the healing power of team sports for those who might feel pushed to society’s margins by misfortune or choice. Although prefaced with the vague assurance that it’s based on true stories, this comedy-drama by eminent British screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce (The Railway Man) and directed by Thea Sharrock (Wicked Little Letters) is a tidily assembled, happy-ending-hewing narrative package that revolves mostly around the fortunes of a half dozen unhoused men, competing for England in the Homeless World Cup.

Bill Nighy stars as the team’s manager, a former scout for major London football club West Ham, who takes the team to Rome, where he must also accommodate each player’s foibles and faults, including the arrogance of star striker Vinnie (Micheal Ward, of Empire of Light). After a short theatrical run in the U.

The original Doughtlander may not be over, but Outlander: Blood of My Blood hopes to close the gap.

For sure, it will be taking over where Outlander leaves off, even if it explores a story long before Jamie and Claire were figments of their parents' imagination.

Here’s what we know bout Blood of My Blood Season 1 so far.

What is Outlander?

It’s best to start with what we know, which is what came before. Outlander is based on a series of books by author Diana Gabaldon.

Outlander is a time-traveling love story between 20th-century (married) nurse Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser and 18th-century Jamie Fraser.

When visiting the ancestral home of her husband, Frank, Claire stumbles through the rocks at Craigh na Dun, which takes her back in time.

Unable to easily find her way back, the sassy lady leans on handsome laird Jamie for protection, and soon, they are in love.

Exclusive: Netflix has set a March 29 global launch for Homeless World Cup movie The Beautiful Game, which stars Oscar nominee Bill Nighy (Living) and BAFTA winner Micheal Ward (Top Boy).

The movie will follow Mal (Nighy), the manager of England’s homeless soccer team, who takes his players to Rome with the hope of being crowned champions of the Homeless World Cup, a global street tournament. At the last minute he decides to bring talented striker Vinny (Ward), who could give them a real chance at winning, but Vinny must overcome personal demons and embrace the team to give them a chance at winning the tournament. Above is a first-look image from the movie.

Also starring are Susan Wokoma, Callum Scott Howells, Kit Young, Sheyi Cole, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Robin Nazari, Aoi Okuyama, Cristina Rodlo, Tadashi Watanabe, Kazuhiro Muroyama and Valeria Golino.

The long-gestating project, which began filming in 2021, has been produced by Graham Broadbent,...

‘Spit’ is one of five features to receive a share of $4.6m (A$6.9m).

Australian filmmaker Jonathan Teplitzky is working on a sequel to his 2003 crime comedy Gettin’ Square – one of five features to receive a share of $4.6m (A$6.9m) in production funding from national body Screen Australia.

The latest round of funding will also support Kriv Stenders’ The Correspondent; Cathy Randall’s Red Rock Run; Kate Woods’ Kangaroo; and Nicholas Clifford’s One More Shot.

Teplitzky’s Spit will mark the return of David Wenham as ex-junkie John Spitieri, who travels back to Australia only to find himself...

‘Spit’ is one of five features to receive a share of $4.6m (A$6.9m).

Australian filmmaker Jonathan Teplitzky is working on a sequel to his 2003 crime comedy Gettin’ Square – one of five features to receive a share of $4.6m (A$6.9m) in production funding from national body Screen Australia.

The latest round of funding will also support Kriv Stenders’ The Correspondent; Cathy Randall’s Red Rock Run; Kate Woods’ Kangaroo; and Nicholas Clifford’s One More Shot.

Teplitzky’s Spit will mark the return of David Wenham as ex-junkie John Spitieri, who travels back to Australia only to find himself...

Genre filmmaker Kiah Roache-Turner has reteamed with Cornerstone for his latest pic, Beast Of War, which the company will launch at the upcoming American Film Market.

Described as a “survival action thriller,” the film follows a band of soldiers stranded in the open ocean who must face a heart-pounding battle for survival against the ultimate apex predator — a great white shark.

Beast of War is produced by Bronte Pictures’ Blake Northfield and Pictures in Paradise’s Chris Brown and will begin production in 2024 in Australia and Malta. CreatureNFX’s director, Paul Trefry, will create practical creature effects from his studio in Australia. Trefry is well known for his work with directors such as James Cameron, Ridley Scott, and Baz Luhrmann.

Full synopsis reads: 1942. A warship carries hundreds of Australian soldiers across the Timor Sea to the frontline of WW2. Suddenly,...

Another shark movie is set to join the already bloody waters of the American Film Market, this time from Brit banner Cornerstone.

The company has reteamed with genre writer and director Kiah Roache-Turner (Sting, Wyrmwood: Apocalypse, Nekrotronic) on his upcoming survival action thriller Beast of War, in which a band of soldiers stranded in the open ocean must face a heart-pounding battle for survival against the ultimate apex predator — a great white shark. Cornerstone will handle worldwide sales and distribution and will launch the project at the upcoming AFM.

Set in 1942, Beast of War follows a warship carrying hundreds of Australian soldiers across the Timor Sea to the frontline of WWII. Suddenly, Japanese fighter jets scream out of the sky, and within minutes the ocean becomes a hell of steel, fire, oil and blood. With the vessel destroyed, a handful of soldiers build a makeshift raft from floating debris as they cling to their lives.

Japan’s Hiroyuki Sanada has become one of Hollywood’s most familiar Asian actors, with action roles in franchises like “Mortal Kombat,” “Avengers: Endgame” and now “John Wick 4,” as well as nuanced character turns in “Minamata” and “The Railway Man.”

“John Wick” star Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski created a role especially for Sanada so that he could join the action-packed universe. But it is the upcoming “Shogun” series for FX and Hulu that has given the Hollywood-based Sanada a new calling.

What do you like most about your part in ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’?

There’s a scene between John Wick and my character Shimazu Koji, up on the roof top where the two old friends are drinking whiskey. Just talking. Talking, not fighting. That’s a very rare thing in this movie. It created atmosphere and established their chemistry.

As an action franchise, “John Wick” is pretty intense.

With filming set to start next month in Europe, we have official details on the Return to Silent Hill, including confirmation that Jeremy Irvine and Hannah Emily Anderson will star in the film:

"Jeremy Irvine and Hannah Emily Anderson will star in the new psychological horror Return to Silent Hill. Christophe Gans, director of the first Silent Hill feature, is returning to reprise his role at the helm of this next installment in the film franchise. Written by Gans, Sandra Vo-Anh (Beauty and the Beast) and William Josef Schneider, Return to Silent Hill is based on Silent Hill 2, the second and most popular game in Konami’s successful video game series.

The film follows James, a man broken after being separated from his one true love. When a mysterious letter calls him back to Silent Hill in search of her, he finds a once-recognizable town transformed by an unknown evil.

Actor Sunny Hinduja, who is known for his work in ‘Tvf Aspirants’, is playing the antagonist in the Kartik Aaryan-starrer ‘Shehzada’. Hinduja said that he shares a very special bond with Kartik as both of them are rank outsiders in the entertainment industry.

Talking about Kartik, Sunny said, “Kartik and I share a very special bond. We both did not have any connections in the industry and that has been a common link between us to begin with. During the shoot of this incredible film, we had so much to share and learn from each other.”

“His dedication and humble nature is the reason people love him so much. His journey is no less than an inspiration. He is a perfect example of the phrase ‘its all about how bad you want it’,” Sunny added.

The film, which is set to release on February 17, stars Kriti Sanon as the female lead.

Colin Firth in The Railway Man The Railway Man, 10.40pm, BBC1, Wednesday, August 24

Nuanced twin performances from Colin Firth and Jeremy Irvine as the old and young Eric Lomax - which show care in the way they maintain consistent mannerisms - anchor this real life adaptation of the former Royal Signals officer's memoir. The film not only tells of the brutality Lomax suffered as a PoW working on the Burma railway but spins out beyond that to show how he later tracked down his chief persecutor (Takashi Nagase), with affecting results. Nicole Kidman is slightly odd casting as Lomax's wife, but don't let that put you off.

Late Night, 9.55pm, BBC3, Sunday, August 28

It might drift towards the formulaic but with Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling riffing off against one another, this comedy drama from Nisha Ganatra has plenty to recommend it. Thompson plays late-night talk show host Katherine, a sharp-witted frontwoman in the.

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) has unveiled the finalists for two of its pitching competitions, one in partnership with Monster Pictures and the other with Sony.

Both events will be held during the upcoming Aacta Screenfest.

Aacta Pitch: Focus

Developed with Sony, Aacta Pitch: Focus is aimed at film students, offering the opportunity to pitch, develop, shoot a proof of concept and produce a short film, with

guidance from an experienced panel of short filmmakers. The grand prize is $15,000 in production funds along with an extensive suite of complimentary film equipment from Sony.

Finalists include:

I Can’t Get Next To You – Mollie McGregor, Jenna Woodhouse, London Hartard, Chloe Bobbin (Aftrs)

Trapped within her father’s grief and desperate to connect with her late mother, Glen

accidentally travels back in time, from 1988 to 1969, where she must contest with her teen father for her young mum’s...

Exclusive: As production of Studiocanal and The Picture Company’s horror thriller Baghead begins, Deadline has learned that War Horse actor Jeremy Irvine, Top of the Lake Emmy nominee Peter Mullan, You actress Saffron Burrows, and Netflix Dark actress Julika Jenkins have joined the feature alongside previously announced Ruby Barker and Freya Allan.

Baghead is adapted from the festival fave short film of the same name and will be directed by Alberto Corredor who also directed the short. Christina Pamies and Bryce McGuire wrote the screenplay. Baghead follows the enigmatic Baghead, a diminutive wrinkled up person who is able to manifest the dead and bring them back to our world for brief periods of time. People seek out the medium to reconnect with lost loved ones. Once in contact with Baghead however, the title character’s true powers and intentions are revealed and there is a high price to pay...

Applications are open today for Aacta Pitch: Bite, a feature film development initiative in partnership with Monster Pictures.

The call out is for horror or elevated genre feature film concepts; the theme of ‘bite’ can be taken literally, as in monsters, vampires, zombies or cannibals, or metaphorically, as in to ‘take the bait’.

The winner will receive $10,000 in development funds and an Australian theatrical distribution agreement with Monster Pictures, as well as two tickets to the Aacta Awards and a 12-month Aacta professional membership.

Last year’s theme was isolation, and in addition to the winning project, Julia Corcoran’s Burning, a further five projects were also optioned.

Keeping in line with the overall spirit of the initiative, the project ideas must work effectively with minimal locations, small casts and lower budgets.

“After such a successful first year, Monster Pictures is really looking forward to sinking our teeth into this year’s initiative.

Sam Reid has been cast in the lead role of Lestat in AMC’s “Interview With the Vampire” series, Variety has learned.

The show, which was officially greenlit in June, is based on the Anne Rice novel of the same name. The book centers on the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac as he relates the story of his life to a reporter, in particular how he was turned into a vampire and then mentored by Lestat de Lioncourt.

The casting could represent a long-term investment in Reid on AMC’s part. As the company has the rights to all of Rice’s “The Vampire Chronicles” books and Lestat appears in multiple entries, Reid could find himself portraying the character across multiple series. At this time, however, “Interview With the Vampire” is only “Vampire Chronicles” series that has been greenlit by AMC.

He will be the third actor to portray Lestat onscreen,...

BAFTA and Golden Globe Award winner actor Bill Nighy and BAFTA Rising Star award-winning actor Micheal Ward (Top Boy, Small Axe- Lovers Rock), will lead the cast of ‘The Beautiful Game’, a new Netflix Film from director Thea Sharrock.

Joining Nighy and Ward are Valeria Golino on the cast are, Callum Scott Howells (It’s a Sin), Kit Young (Shadow & Bone), Sheyi Cole (Small Axe – Alex Wheatle), Robin Nazari (Snabba Cash), Tom Vaughan – Lawlor (Avengers Infinity War, The Infiltrator), Susan Wokoma (Chewing Gum, Enola Holmes), Layo-Christina Akinlude (The End of the F**king World) and Cristina Rodlo (No One Gets Out Alive).

The film follows a team of English homeless footballers, led by their coach Mal (Bill Nighy), who travel from London to Rome to compete in a global annual football tournament – The Homeless World Cup. At the last minute, they decide to bring with them a talented striker...

Exclusive: Small Axe and Top Boy star Micheal Ward and Emma actor Bill Nighy have been set to lead The Beautiful Game, a Netflix film about a group of English homeless footballers who compete in the Homeless World Cup.

Thea Sharrock (Me Before You) is directing from a screenplay by Frank Cottrell-Boyce (The Railway Man). Producers are Blueprint Pictures’ Graham Broadbent and Pete Czernin with Anita Overland.

Also starring are Valeria Golino (Morning Show), Callum Scott Howells (It’s a Sin), Kit Young (Shadow & Bone), Sheyi Cole (Small Axe), Robin Nazari (Snabba Cash), Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (Avengers Infinity War), Susan Wokoma (Enola Holmes), Layo-Christina Akinlude (The End of the F**king World) and Cristina Rodlo (No One Gets Out Alive).

Led by their coach Mal (Bill Nighy), the film follows the soccer team as they travel from London to Rome for the Homeless World Cup. At the last minute they decide to...

Based on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Multicom has extensive experience supplying two way radio communications to the Film & TV industry on the Gold Coast and Australia wide.

Having supplied some of the largest productions in Australia we understand the industries unique communication requirements. Offering genuine 24/7 service our clients have direct access to a dedicated rental coordinator day or night.

With previous clients including Disney, Touchstone pictures, Bazmark Films, ABC(America), Village Roadshow Pictures, Fremantle media, Endemol, Nine Network and Nickelodeon, you can be confident Multicom has the experience to ensure seemless communications for your next production.

Spanning over 25 years in Film & TV communications we are proud to have supplied many productions over the years, some of which include: Street Fighter (1994), The Thin Red Line (1998),

Big Brother (2001 – 2004), Survivor Australia (2002 – 2005), Condemned (2006), Australia (2008), Nims Island (2013), The Railway Man (2013) Unbroken (2013), San Andreas (2014), Pirates of the Caribbean (2015), Shallows (2016) The Bureau of Magical Things (2017 – 2020),

Reef Break...

HBO Max’s upcoming “Green Lantern” series is eyeing actor Jeremy Irvine for the role of Alan Scott.

Irvine would join Finn Wittrock in the series, who has been cast in the lead role of Guy Gardner. HBO Max declined to comment.

Scott was Earth’s first Green Lantern, who, true to the comics, is a gay man. He was created by Martin Nodell and made his comic book debut in 1940. A train engineer by trade, Scott derived his powers from a mystical green lantern crafted from a mysterious meteorite. He later joined the Justice Society of America, and in universe-hopping adventures would sometimes team with members of the Green Lantern Corps, including Hal Jordan.

Based on the DC Comics property, the show was first announced in 2019 and was ordered to series last year. The story spans decades and galaxies, beginning on Earth in 1941 with Scott, and then heading to...

Titles include animation ’Kensuke’s Kingdom’ and Terence Davies’ next feature, ‘Benediction’.

The 10 biggest recipients of BFI production funding in 2020 received a total of £11.6m in support.

They include additional Covid-related production awards for BFI-backed projects interrupted at the start of pandemic such as Benediction, True Things and Pirates.

Nearly all 10 titles, with the exception of Earwig, also received £20,000 as part of pilot initiative BFI Step-up, which enabled productions to provide opportunities for production crew from under-represented groups to work on BFI-funded features

1. Kensuke’s Kingdom, Jigsaw Films (£1.62m)

Sally Hawkins, Cillian Murphy and Ken Watanabe are among the English-language voice cast of this animated feature,...

“Sometimes the most dangerous journey is to the center of your own mind.”

A Talash Video Centre production in association with Digital Boulevard, Twelve Corner Productions & China House Arts, are proud to officially announce the international On-Demand release of the British short sci-fi drama Cognition – starring Bafta Winner Andrew Scott and Jeremy Irvine.

Following the rare privilege of a public premiere and a three-week cinema release at the Archlight Cinema, part of the iconic Battersea Power Station complex in London. The official multi-language international Video On Demand release will be available on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, and YouTube Premium today.

The English audio version will be accompanied by subtitles in Castilian, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish while being available in 92 Countries.

Cognition not only secured rare prime time coverage on BBC London News (BBC One), where it was described as a “short Feature with big...

Venice Critics’ Week Names New Head

Venice Film Festival independent sidebar Critics’ Week has hired Beatrice Fiorentino as its new General Delegate, replacing Giona A. Nazzaro who left earlier this year to take the reins at Locarno. Fiorentino is a journalist, critic and teacher who has been a member of the Critics’ Week selection committee since 2016. “I proudly and with great enthusiasm take on this challenge, aware of the responsibility that was trusted on me. Together with the selection committee and the new programming team we will work in continuity with the path of those who preceded us. We don’t have to create anything new. We will keep our gaze well focused on the present and the future of cinema,” she said.

Nick Manzi Among Lionsgate UK Departures

Nick Manzi, head of productions and acquisitions at Lionsgate UK, is set to leave the company, we can confirm. As we revealed earlier this month,...

His departure follows the exits of Zygi Kamasa and Nicola Pearcey.

Nick Manzi, the highly-respected head of productions and acquisitions at Lionsgate UK, is set to leave the company.

Lionsgate declined to comment but sources have confirmed Manzi’s departure is imminent. His exit will follow that of former Lionsgate Europe CEO Zygi Kamasa, who joined UK outfit Marv Films as group CEO earlier this year. It was also recently confirmed Nicola Pearcey will be stepping down as president of Lionsgate UK and Europe by the end of the year.

Further redundancies are understood to be taking place in the company’s London office.

Eight finalists will compete in Aacta and Monster Pictures pitch competition, Pitch: Isolation, with the winner to receive $10,000 in development funding and a theatrical distribution agreement.

The call out was for original concepts based around any kind of isolation – physical, societal or psychological – and ideas that work effectively with minimal locations, small casts and low costs.

The pitch will be streamed live, December 1, on Aacta Screenfest, judged by an industry panel including Monster Pictures owner Grant Hardie, Chris Brown and Fairvale Entertainment’s Toby Louie and Nicholas Levene.

The finalists:

Blackheath

Karina Banno, Raechelle Banno, George Maher

Max recounts her time in the strict religious community she recently escaped but struggles to move on as she fears her old ‘Family’ may be closing in on her and the only person she has left.

Burning

Jordan Watton, Julia Corcoran

A low-achieving outsider who works as volunteer firefighter ignites a series of...

Executive has spent 14 years at the studio.

Nicola Pearcey, longtime president of Lionsgate UK and Europe, is leaving the company after 14 years to “pursue new opportunities”.

A replacement has yet to be announced for Pearcey, who will step down from her role at the end of 2020. The moves comes less than four months since Lionsgate revealed Zygi Kamasa was to exit his role as CEO of Lionsgate UK and Europe after 15 years, with Pearcey taking on his duties.

The brace of high-profile departures indicate Lionsgate may be moving away from the UK production space to instead focus on handling major releases for its parent company.

Talash Video Centre and Digital Boulevard, in association with China House Arts and Twelve Corner Productions, have revealed the trailer for the upcoming British sci-fi short ‘Cognition’

This short is a dystopian sci-fi drama/thriller about a son confronting his past trauma. Journeying through the symbolic landscape of the subconscious mind, the story follows an unbreakable bond between father and son…. A bond that transcends Space And Time…..

Produced and Directed by Ravi Ajit Chopra and starring Andrew Scott (1917, Fleabag, Spectre) and Jeremy Irvine (War Horse, Treadstone, The Railway Man), It was filmed on location at the iconic Battersea Power Station, and was the last film to be shot at the Grade II* listed building during the huge redevelopment.

Also in trailers – Riz Ahmed and Olivia Cooke star in trailer for ‘The Sound of Metal

The short will premiere at Archlight Cinema at the Battersea Power Station on 9th October...

Voice cast includes Sally Hawkins, Cillian Murphy, Ken Watanabe and Raffey Cassidy.

Animated feature Kensuke’s Kingdom, which includes Sally Hawkins and Cillian Murphy among its voice cast, has secured fresh finance and animation partners as it goes into production.

UK-based Lupus Films, whose credits include Ethel & Ernest, will receive backing from the BFI, Ffilm Cymru, Creative Wales and Film Fund Luxembourg on the adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s bestselling children’s novel.

Cardiff-based firm BumpyBox has come on board as the production’s Welsh animation partner. Previously announced production partners include Luxembourg-based Melusine Productions and French production company Le Pacte.

Jed Mercurio, creator of hit series “Line of Duty” and “Bodyguard,” will executive produce a three-part sequel to BAFTA-winning 1999 single drama “The Murder of Stephen Lawrence,” for U.K. broadcaster ITV.

Titled “Stephen,” the series will be directed by Alrick Riley (“NCIS”) and written by Frank Cottrell Boyce (“The Railway Man”) and Joe Cottrell Boyce (“Vivid”). Paul Greengrass, who directed the 1999 drama, will executive produce alongside Mercurio, Mark Redhead (“The Secret”) and Jimmy Mulville (“Whose Line Is It Anyway?”). Mercurio’s Htm will produce, with Madonna Baptise (“The Stranger”) serving as producer.

“The Murder of Stephen Lawrence” (pictured) recreated the night in April 1993 when 18-year-old student Stephen Lawrence died after being attacked by a gang of youths in south London. The narrative was as seen through the eyes of his parents, Doreen and Neville Lawrence. The sequel will portray the investigation that secures the convictions of two of the gang...

Justin Kurzel and Shaun Grant, the Australian directing and writing team behind “Snowtown” and the recent “True History of the Kelly Gang,” will reunite for a TV series adaptation of “The Narrow Road to the Deep North.” The series is being set up at Fremantle.

The underlying novel by Richard Flanagan, published in 2013, chronicles a century dominated by war, with the forced labor on the Thai-Burma Railway as its dramatic heart. The story is told by an Australian doctor who was taken prisoner during World War II and became an unlikely and uncomfortable hero after the war’s end. The book won the 2014 edition of the Man Booker Prize.

Fremantle’s director of scripted entertainment, Jo Porter, will produce the adaptation as a limited series. Other Fremantle executives involved include Chris Oliver-Taylor, Amy Noble and Nat Lindwall.

“Richard Flanagan’s novel has been hailed as a masterpiece around the world.

Netflix announced earlier this month it would be setting up a new production base at England’s Shepperton Studios, a new power move at a time when Disney, Apple, WarnerMedia, and more are all gearing up to launch their own streaming platforms to compete against Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and more. The streaming wars are nearly upon us and British film producers are worried what that means for the future of independent film in the UK. Several producers recently spoke to The Guardian expressing their fears that all of the attention on streamers will leave the UK film industry neglected.

Andy Paterson, who co-produced the Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman-starring drama “The Railway Man” and “Girl With a Pearl Earring,” said the amount of content needed to fill all of the various streaming platforms means there’s never been a better time to be a filmmaker or producer in Britain.

Exclusive: Cold War star Tomasz Kot is set to play celebrated inventor and futurist Nikola Tesla in the feature biopic Nikola.

Based on a screenplay by Leap Year director and Girl With a Pearl Earring producer Anand Tucker, the story will focus on Tesla’s last big experiment, which was regarded as a failure at the time, but may in fact have been among his great triumphs. Tucker will also direct. The character piece will explore Tesla’s personal journey to achieve his scientific ambitions while risking financial security and battling his inner demons.

Ingenious Media is arranging financing and Daria Jovicic (The Railway Man) will produce under her Latitude Media banner. Peter Touche, Andrea Scarso and Ximo Paris will executive produce, with Tucker’s Seven Stories co-producing. Jovicic and Tucker previously collaborated on features The Railway Man, Incendiary and Girl With a Pearl Earring.

UTA’s Independent Film group...

Exclusive: Sally Hawkins (The Shape Of Water), Cillian Murphy (Inception), Ken Watanabe (The Last Samurai) and Raffey Cassidy (The Killing Of A Sacred Deer) are to voice the animated adaptation of War Horse scribe Michael Morpurgo’s novel Kensuke’s Kingdom.

The children’s book tells the story of Michael, who is taken by his family on a round-the-world sailing trip. When a storm strikes he is washed overboard and ends up on a remote island in the Pacific where he struggles to survive on his own. He soon realizes there is someone close by, someone who is watching over him and helping him to stay alive.

Sherlock Gnomes animator Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry (Junk) will direct the adventure story with an ecological message whose script comes from Frank Cottrell-Boyce (The Railway Man). Bankside is handling sales at the Efm and has previously closed pre-sales in France (Le Pacte...

Australia’s two-time Oscar-nominated actress Jacki Weaver heads the cast of sci-fi series “Bloom.” An original commission for Australian streaming platform Stan, the six-part series is produced by Sony Pictures Television’s Playmaker.

The story takes place a year after a devastating flood has killed five locals in an idyllic country town, and when a mysterious new plant appears. The plant’s phenomenal ability to restore youth is so formidable that attempting to harness it means re-evaluating values. It is a miracle some will kill to keep secret.

With finance from Stan and federal funding body Screen Australia, production is now under way in Victoria state. Sony Pictures Television will distribute outside Australia.

The series is created by Glen Dolman. Production is by Sue Seeary and shot by Aacta-winning cinematographer Geoff Hall. The series is directed by John Curran and Mat King.

The lead cast includes Bryan Brown, Phoebe Tonkin,...

Concerns around market impact of a BFI-endorsd Eis fund.

Key figures in the UK film industry have given a generally positive response to the report from the BFI’s Commission on UK Independent Film which was published this week. However concerns were raised about some aspects.

John McVay, the chief executive of UK producers’ association Pact, suggested the Commission came into being partly as a result of Pact’s own report last year, ‘The State of the UK Independent Film Sector’, which highlighted the “parlous” state of the sector and recommended the UK’s film tax credit should be...

Producers looking for different kinds of locales for their next projects are turning increasingly to Thailand, which recently launched a 20% rebate on qualified spend.

Indeed, the Southeast Asian country is a land of captivating beauty and exotic locations that filmmakers can use to add production value to their shoots. It’s also a country narrow and dicey alleyways, street food vendors and crowded marketplaces that can deliver a message of menacing grittiness – making it an ideal destination for noir-like stories and steamy situations.

The introduction of the new program has only increased the country’s attractiveness.

Specifically, Thailand’s rebate on qualified spend ranges from 15% to 20%. It can include a 3% bonus for the hire of Thai personnel in key positions, and a 2% bonus if the project in question also promotes Thai tourism.

To qualify, projects must spend a minimum of 50 million baht on local goods and services, which amounts to about $1.56 million.

MaryAnn’s quick take… As harshly beautiful as its landscape, this is a stark corrective to the American western it echoes, and a pragmatic confrontation with the deep, tenacious roots of modern racism. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto) women’s participation in this film

(learn more about this)

Australia’s Northern Territory in the 1920s is “sweet country,” drools Sergeant Fletcher, “cattle country.” But it’s not his country to do anything with, and this is not his story, except as the villain… or, rather, as a personification and representation of the villainy of colonialism and racism.

As the title of the story of Sam Kelly (Hamilton Morris), Sweet Country is ironic at best: it’s no longer sweet for him, and its sweetness is what has enticed his invaders. Sam is an Aboriginal...

MaryAnn’s quick take… An ostensible fairy tale of the creative life in London that tries too hard to be eccentric, while also trying too hard to be grounded and realistic. This is one of those idiosyncrasies that you really can’t have both ways. I’m “biast” (pro): I’m desperate for movies about women

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto) women’s participation in this film

(learn more about this)

Bella Brown, orphan of unusual circumstance, is, we are informed, “the oddest of oddballs.” Except she’s not very odd at all. She’s a pretty normal woman with a touch of Ocd, creative aspirations that she can’t seem to bring to fruition, and an inability to get to work on time. (Those might be unusual characteristics for women onscreen, but they are entirely mundane in the real world.

Author: Jon Lyus

This evening the red carpet was unfurled for The Mercy, the latest film from The Theory of Everything’s James Marsh starring Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz.

Related: The Mercy First Trailer

The Mercy follows Donald Crowhurst (Firth) on the 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, a dangerous solo voyage and the struggles he confronted on (and after) the epic journey, while his family awaited his return. It is one of the most enduring mysteries of recent times.

David Thewlis, Jonathan Bailey, Mark Gatiss and Ken Stott complete the cast, and the film is released on the 9th of February.

Our intrepid carpet-voyagers Scott Davis and Colin Hart were present and correct this evening, here’s how they got on.

The Mercy World Premiere Interviews

The Mercy Trailer

The Mercy Official Synopsis

Following his Academy Award® winning film The Theory of Everything, James Marsh directs the incredible true...

Author: Zehra Phelan

A new trailer has arrived from Studiocanal for The Mercy starring Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz.

Related: The Mercy First Trailer

The film follows Donald Crowhurst (Firth) on a dangerous solo voyage and the struggles he confronted on the epic journey while his family awaited his return is one of the most enduring mysteries of recent times.

Directed by The Theory of Everything’s James Marsh the film stars David Thewlis (Anomalisa, The Theory of Everything) and Ken Stott (‘War & Peace’, The Hobbit), alongside Firth and Weisz.

The Mercy Official Synopsis

Following his Academy Award® winning film The Theory of Everything, James Marsh directs the incredible true story of Donald Crowhurst (Colin Firth, The King’s Speech, Kingsman: The Secret Service, The Railway Man), an amateur sailor who competed in the 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race in the hope of becoming the first person in history...

Simon Brew Nov 17, 2017

From the director of The Theory Of Everything comes The Mercy. Here's the first trailer...

Heading into UK cinemas on February 9th 2018 is The Mercy, the new film from The Theory Of Everything director James Marsh. Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz headline this one, and we've got the first trailer and an official synopsis to bring to you.

We'd best get down to work, then. Trailer first...

And here's the synopsis...

Following his Academy Award® winning film The Theory of Everything, James Marsh directs the incredible true story of Donald Crowhurst (Colin Firth, The King’s Speech, Kingsman: The Secret Service, The Railway Man), an amateur sailor who competed in the 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race in the hope of becoming the first person in history to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe without stopping. With an unfinished boat and his business and house on the line, Donald leaves his wife,...

Brian Cox, best known for his role as Hannibal in Manhunter, delivered one of his most challenging performances this year as Prime Minister Winston Churchill in Churchill. The feature hits Blu-ray and DVD October 3 via Cohen Media Group. Directed by Jonathan Teplitzky (The Railway Man), the project centers [...]...

Kevin Spacey is set to play celebrated American writer Gore Vidal in an upcoming Netflix original biopic titled Gore. Michael Hoffman, who directed 2009's The Last Station starring Helen Mirren and James McAvoy, will direct the 1980s-set film with UK producer Andy Paterson (The Railway Man, Girl With A Pearl Earring) producing. The film is shooting in Italy. Vidal had a love affair with Italy, spending large periods of time in Rome in the early 1960s and later between the…...

Author: Scott Davis

There have been many films over the decades based on the life of Winston Churchill and the momentous things the former Prime Minister did during the war. Indeed, there is a separate film due for release later this year called Darkest Hour, with Gary Oldman in the lead role, but not many have looked inwards at the man himself.

In Churchill, the new film directed by Jonathan Teplitsky (The Railway Man), the story focuses not just on the 96 hours before D-Day but also what Churchill was thinking in the days leading up to it.

It was that exploration of the human behind the man that drew the director to the project:

“When you think of Churchill, you think of all sorts of greatness and what have you but the script wasn’t that – it was more about exploring the human being behind that and the fascinated me...

Chicago – Winston Churchill, except to hardcore history buffs, is fast fading from the cultural radar. Often called the Greatest Briton Ever, the lion who led his people for so many years became a bit toothless during the greatest World War II battle ever conceived, D-Day the Sixth of June. That moment in his life, and the lives of those around him, is the subject of the magnificent new film, “Churchill.”

Rating: 5.0/5.0

In the past of film history – closer to when Winston Churchill absolutely mattered to his generation – this movie might have been a major event, because of its grand psychological profile of the Prime Minister. The director Jonathan Teplitzky (of the underrated WWII film “The Railway Man”) takes the highly intelligent and thrilling script by Alex von Tunzelmann and creates a historical masterwork, even though the chains of “period movie” and “World War II” shackles the impression of rendering such subject matter today.