EDWARD HOLCROFT, HENRY LLOYD HUGHES, BEN BATT, CRAIG PARKINSON CAST IN JULIAN FELLOWES' NEW PERIOD SET SERIES THE ENGLISH GAME ON ORIGINS OF FOOTBALL!

'THE ENGLISH GAME'

JULIAN FELLOWES FOOTBALL ORIGINS SERIES AT NETFLIX

Edward Holcroft will lead The English Game

While his fans are waiting for Julian Fellowes to finish shooting the movie version of Downton Abbey, and while we are waiting for the production on the small screen adaptation of his own Napoleonic wars set novel Belgravia to start in United Kingdom with Alice Eve as the lead, and while he is also preparing The Gilded Age epic TV saga at NBC, he has finished casting for another new period set television series of his, but this time something more for men! THE ENGLISH GAME will be a six part series set in the late 19th century and will describe how the world's most popular sport of football crossed class lines and became a worldwide phenomenon despite its humble beginnings on the pitch at London’s Limes Field! 

THE LADS IN THE TEAM  
To air sometime next year at Netflix, the series will have dashing Edward Holcroft (whom we watched in period set series Wolfhall, Gunpowder, Alias Grace and also as Ben Whishaw's gay lover in London Spy) as the lead star of

Craig Parkinson, Henry Lloyd Hughes and Kevin Guthrie

the team which, back then, included both Etonians and factory workers! The cast also includes Craig Parkinson, Kevin Guthrie and Spanish Princess

Gerard Kearns, Ben Batt and Daniel Ings will also star!

herself Charlotte Hope! They will be joined by James Harkness, Jamestown's Niamh Walsh and Ben Batt, Gerard Kearns, Daniel Ings, Les Miserables' star Henry Lloyd Hughes, Kate Phillips and Downton Abbey's Joncie Elmore.

TRAILER FOR BBC'S YEARS AND YEARS SERIES WHICH FOLLOWS A FAMILY 15 YEARS FROM NOW STARRING RUSSELL TOVEY, EMMA THOMPSON!

'YEARS AND YEARS'

 FIFTEEN YEARS FROM NOW!

Something British for you this Monday: BBC has given us the first trailer for their new series YEARS AND YEARS, a drama with a futuristic spin. Russell Tovey and Emma Thompson lead the six part drama in which

Years and Years will hit BBC One sometime next month!

each episode covers a few years out of the 15 years in the life of one family with a humorous, positive approach. The series will air next month on BBC.

YEARS AND YEARS FOLLOWS
the Lyons, a busy Manchester family. Daniel’s (Russell Tovey) getting married to Ralph. Stephen (Rory Kinnear) and Celeste worry about their kids. Rosie’s chasing a new fella. Edith hasn’t been home for years. All

Emma Thompson plays the manipulative new prime minister!

presided over by Gran (Anne Reid), the imperial Muriel. But when their lives all converge on one crucial night in 2019, the story accelerates into the future, following the lives and loves of the Lyons over the next 15 years. Britain has withdrawn from Europe, America is isolationist, China is asserting itself, and a new world begins to form. But someone’s taking advantage, as MP Vivienne

Russell T. Davies is the show's writer and creator!

Rook (Emma Thompson) begins her rise to power – that new breed of politician, an entertainer, a rebel, a trickster and a terror, leading us into an unknown future. Set against this, the Lyons have to navigate their everyday hopes and fears, knowing that one ordinary family could never change the world. Or could they?

PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT ON KENNETH BRANAGH'S ALL IS TRUE SHEAKESPEARE'S FINAL YEARS FILM WITH JUDI DENCH, IAN MCKELLEN

'ALL IS TRUE'

The movie is out May 10th in limited US cinemas

WHEN THE PLAY ENDS

This one already went through UK and US cinemas (in limited release in the pre award season) but is getting a wider US release next month May 10th! ALL IS TRUE is Kenneth Branagh's project which he not only directed, but also plays the lead role together with other two legendary British thespians Judi Dench and Ian McKellen! Written by Ben Elton, the historical movie offers a look at the final days in the life of renowned playwright William Shakespeare.

SHAKESPEARE'S FINAL YEARS

Sir Ian McKellen is Will's patron and possibly love.

This small scale movie is set  in the summer of 1613, when, just 14 years after it had been built, the Globe Theater burned to the ground due to errant sparks from a stage cannon during a performance of ALL IS TRUE, the original title of a play believed to have been written by Shakespeare and John Fletcher that a decade later was renamed Henry VIII. Evidently demoralized by the destruction of his theatre, the 49 year old playwright (Kenneth Branagh) retreated to rejoin his wife (Judi Dench) and two daughters, of whom he had seen very

Judi Dench plays Will's wife who was 8 years older than him.

little for some 20 years. Pressing even harder on him are thoughts of his son Hamnet, whom he had scarcely known before his death at age 11 a decade earlier.

JUDI DENCH AND IAN MCKELLEN

His illiterate wife Anne is played by Judi Dench! She resents his disruptive arrival after so long! Lydia Wilson plays Will's daughter Susanna Hall

Kenneth Branagh has directed five films based on Shakespeare!

accused of being unfaithful to her husband John (Hadley Fraser). Kathryn Wilder plays Will's unmarried younger daughter Judith, Hamnet's twin sister

Interior scenes were shot using only candle light!

who can't even read and thinks her father wishes she died instead of her brother. Ian McKellen is dandy Earl of Southampton, the writer's patron and maybe something more. 

YASUKE, AN EPIC MOVIE ON FEUDAL JAPAN'S FIRST EVER AFRICAN SAMURAI IN WORKS AT MGM! PLUS A POSSIBLE TV SERIES ON THE CHRONICLES OF AMBER EPIC FANTASY SAGA

'YASUKE' EPIC MOVIE ON

JAPAN'S 1ST AFRICAN SAMURAI

Yasuke will be turned into an epic movie

As Deadline reports MGM is planning a movie on first black samurai YASUKE based on the true story of history’s only recorded African samurai in feudal Japan! The story written by Stuart C. Paul, will follow YASUKE, native of Portuguese Mozambique, who was taken captive and brought to 16th century Japan as a slave to Jesuit missionaries. The first black man to set foot on Japanese soil, Yasuke’s arrival arouses the interest of Oda Nobunaga, a ruthless warlord seeking to unite the fractured country under his banner. The movie will examine the complex relationship between the two men as Yasuke earns Nobunaga’s friendship, respect and ultimately, the honour, swords and title of samurai.

CHRONICLES OF AMBER TV SHOW

The series has been in work for a few years now

It is interesting that Stuart C. Paul is also developing another epic series. Over at Skybound Entertainment (owned  by The Walking Dead's Robert Kirkman) he is preparing a TV series out of Roger Zelazny's fantasy saga THE CHRONICLES OF AMBER. The ten part saga which inspired many of today's popular epic fantasy series and novels, and has been sold in more than 15 million copies around the world,  revolves around Corwin, who awakens on Earth with no memory but soon finds he is a prince of a royal family that has the ability to travel through different dimensions of reality (called “shadows”) and rules over the one true world or dimension known as Amber.

PABLO SCHREIBER TO LEAD MASSIVE EPIC FANTASY TV SERIES ADAPTATION OF HALO VIDEO GAME AT SHOWTIME!

'HALO' SF TV SERIES

CASTS PABLO SCHREIBER AS

Pablo Schreiber will lead the war against aliens

LEAD STAR

While the premiere of Henry Cavill's Witcher has been pushed for next year, another epic TV series based on a massively popular video game has just found its lead star! Pablo Schreiber will lead the cast in HALO adaptation at Showtime! He will topline the new fantasy series as Master Chief, Earth’s most advanced warrior in the 26th century and the only hope of salvation for a civilization pushed to the brink of destruction by the Covenant, an unstoppable alliance of alien worlds committed to the destruction of humanity. 

Newcomer Yerin Ha will also star in the new series

Meanwhile, newcomer Yerin Ha will play a new character which does not exist in the video game: Quan Ah, a shrewd, audacious 16 year old from the Outer Colonies who meets Master Chief at a fateful time for them both.

The production on the show based on the game sold in over 77 million copies around the world will begin this Autumn in Hungary. Pablo Schreiber has an Emmy nomination for his role in Orange is the new Black. He will also star in Chris Evans series Defending Jacob at Apple's new streaming service. Otto Bathurst, whose recent Robin Hood movie was visually stunning albeit a bit bad as a film itself, is directing and producing the series.

SAM CLAFLIN, OLIVIA MUNN, FREIDA PINTO, ELEANOR TOMLINSON IN LOVE, WEDDING, REPEAT ROMANTIC COMEDY! DAVID THEWLIS TO LEAD NAT GEO'S NEW FRANCE 17TH CENTURY EPIC SERIES BARKSKINS

'LOVE, WEDDING, REPEAT'

SAM CLAFLIN, FREIDA PINTO, OLIVIA MUNN MOVING TO ROME

Sam Claflin will take the male lead!

Well, this will be quite a cute cast indeed: Deadline reports that our favourite British star Sam Claflin is joining Rome set romantic comedy movie LOVE, WEDDING, REPEAT together with Freida Pinto, Eleanor Tomlinson and Olivia Munn. Joel Fry, Allan Mustafa, Jack Farthing and Tim Key will also appear in the film! 

The main protagonist of the romantic movie is Jack who finds himself juggling brotherly duties to ensure his sister Hayley has the wedding of her dreams while unexpectedly being reunited with Dina (Olivia Munn), the woman he fell in love with and lost two years ago.

Freida Pinto and Olivia Munn will star in the romantic comedy as well

Fate lends a hand when the wedding seating is re-arranged. It will be an English Language remake of French wedding comedy 'Plan de Table'!

'BARKSKINS' NEW EPIC SAGA

DAVID THEWLIS TO LEAD AT NAT

The series will be based on Annie Proulx book

GEO

Another potentially very interesting period set series for us: David Thewlis has been cast as the lead star of BARKSKINS a new historical drama set to air at National Geographic's 172 channels around the world next year! 

Based on a book by Pulitzer Prize winning author  Annie Proulx, it follows a disparate group of outcasts who must navigate the brutal hardships, competing interests, and tangled loyalties at the crossroads of civilization— 1600s New France, where the war to escape their past and re-make themselves is cast against the vast and unforgiving wilds of North

British thespian David Thewlis will take the lead role in the new epic series

America. David Thewlis will be Monsieur Claude Trepagny, a wealthy landowner with grand visions for New France.

SF WEDNESDAY: ALDEN EHRENREICH TO LEAD BRAVE NEW WORLD SF SERIES FOR NBC'S NEW STREAMING SERVICE! DRAMACORP'S RARE SF SERIES POSTER PROMISES BLEAK EXISTENCE

ALDEN EHRENREICH TO LEAD

BRAVE NEW WORLD SERIES

Although his Han Solo movie was a disaster for the franchise, Alden Ehrenreich is returning to sf as he will lead sf series BRAVE NEW

Alden will lead the new sf series at NBCU

WORLD at NBC! An adaptation of Aldous Huxley novel will launch their new streaming platform NBCU next year.

The story is set in a utopian society that has achieved peace and stability through the prohibition of monogamy, privacy, money, family, and history itself. As citizens of New London, Bernard Marx and Lenina Crowne have only ever known a rigid social order, a perfect pharmaceutical called Soma, and a culture of instant gratification and ubiquitous sex. Curious to explore life beyond the strictures of their society, the two New Worlders embark on a vacation to the Savage Lands, where they become embroiled in a harrowing and violent rebellion. Bernard and Lenina are rescued by John the Savage (Alden Ehrenreich), who escapes with them back to New London. The arrival of John, a subversive outsider, in the New World, threatens to disrupt the stability of New London’s utopian society.

'RARE' POSTER

FOR DRAMACORP'S SF SERIES

Rare should start shooting next year

Speaking of sf, check out the first rather atmospheric poster for Dramacorp's science fiction series RARE which will start filming next year as a French and Swedish co production. In this near distant future series the world is faced with a predicament that threatens to wipe out humanity. People are faced with two choices, to go into a “great sleep” until earth has recovered or for the less fortunate to harvest crops and try to increase CO2 production. The hour long drama series transports us to a not-so distant future in which humanity is faced with a predicament threatening humanity: If you are not one of the lucky few who are chosen for

Dramacorp is a production company of our favourite Beta Film!

the government program "The Great Sleep" - and cryogenically frozen for two centuries - you are doomed to a bleak subsistence existence. Hanna is not one of the lucky ones. In fact, she is much more than that.

BOY CALLED CHRISTMAS FAMILY FANTASY ADVENTURE CASTS MAGGIE SMITH, JIM BROADBENT, MICHIEL HUISMAN, SALLY HAWKINS, TOBY JONES, KRISTEN WIIG!

'BOY CALLED CHRISTMAS'

GATHERS A HELLUVA CAST!

This will certainly be a star studded movie! A whole bunch of well known names has just joined the cast of BOY CALLED CHRISTMAS a Studiocanal and Netflix family movie. Jim Broadbent, Toby Jones,

Les Miserables' Henry Lawfull and Michiel Huisman will lead the cast

Sally Hawkins, Michiel Huisman, Henry Lawfull, Maggie Smith and Kristen Wiig have all been signed. Oscar nominated Monster House director Gil Kenan is helming!

BOY CALLED CHRISTMAS
based on the first book in the five part series written by Matt Haig, raimagines the origin story of Father Christmas, following an ordinary young boy called Nikolas who sets out on an adventure into the snowy north in

Acting legends Jim Broadbent and Maggie Smith also star!

search of his father who is on a quest to discover the fabled village of the elves, Elfhelm. Taking with him a headstrong reindeer called Blitzen and a loyal pet mouse, the young boy soon meets his destiny.

NEW PHOTOS FROM CATHERINE THE GREAT EPIC MINI SERIES WITH HELEN MIRREN AND DISNEY'S MANDALORIAN STAR WARS TV SERIES WITH PEDRO PASCAL

'CATHERINE THE GREAT'

IMPERIAL COURT PHOTOS ARE IN

Sky Atlantic has released new photos which offer a few new glimpses into CATHERINE THE GREAT epic series which they're doing with HBO to air sometime this year. The lavish 18th century series will chart the latter years of

The new series will probably hit the small screens sometime this spring or summer

Catherine’s 34 year reign, as she turns Russia, which was mostly looked down upon by the rest of Europe before her, into one of the greatest powers of Europe.

CATHERINE THE GREAT
Written by Elizabeth I's Nigel Williams, the four part mini series will see Helen Mirren playing the legendary Russian monarch while Jason Clarke

Jason Clarke as Potemkin and Helen Mirren as Empress Catherine the Great. Together they've turned 18th century Russia into the leading power of Europe.

will play her long standing lover Russian General Grigory Potemkin. The series also stars Joseph Quinn as her son Grand Prince Paul, Georgina

Real Catherine was not a s skinny woman as Helen Mirren

Beedle as Princess Natalia, Antonia Clarke as Princess Sofia, Phil Dunster as Count Andrei Razumovsky, Adam el Hagar as Valerian Zubov, Paul Kaye as infamous rebel and impostor Emelyan Pugachev and Sam

The series was written by Nigel Williams

Palladio as Catherine's young lover Alexander Vasilchikov. Rory Kinnear is Panin, a skilful politician, advisor and governor to Catherine’s son, Richard Roxburgh is Prince Grigory Orlov, her most famous lover who helped her

The series will also air on HBO in Northern America

come to power by overthrowing her husband, Kevin McNally is his brother Alexei Orlov, Bodyguard's Gina McKee is her confidant and lifelong friend Countess Bruce, Clive Russell is The Fool!

'THE MANDALORIAN'

STAR WARS SPINOFF SERIES PICS

Disney's new streaming service Disney + has, meanwhile, revealed first photos from their Star Wars spinoff series THE MANDALORIAN, a ten

The budget of the new series was close to $100 million!

 episode science fiction adventure set in a galaxy far away and following  Boba Fett's home planet. Pedro Pascal leads the cast as a lone traveller through

The Mandalorian will air in ten hourlong episodes with different directors

galaxy of Mandalorian origin who flies in his own gunship Razor's Crest. Gina Carano portrays a character named Kara Dune, a former Rebel shock

Mandalorian will officially launch Disney + streaming service this November

trooper, while Carl Weathers will play Greef Karga the leader of a bounty hunter guild! Nick Nolte, Werner Herzog, Omid Abtahi and Giancarlo Esposito will also star in the series that will have its episodes directed by Bryce Dallas Howard, Taika Waititi and Jon Favreau who is the show's

Gina Carano is a Rebel shock trooper in the series

creator and executive producer. The new sf series will open Disney + when it launches November 12th this year. 

THE MANDALORIAN
After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before

Pedro Pascal plays the lead role of the Mandalorian

the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.

TRAILER & POSTER FOR HBO'S GENTLEMAN JACK 19TH CENTURY SERIES WITH SURANNE JONES AS RICH HEIRESS WHO DRESSED, WORKED AND LOVED LIKE A MAN!

'GENTLEMAN JACK' IS HERE

TO SEDUCE YOUR DAUGHTERS

Well, this is what might happen when you do a co-production: your partner might air the series you did together before you! HBO has released a trailer and also Monday, April 22nd as the start date for new eight part drama

Jack will first visit USA before returning to UK

GENTLEMAN JACK and BBC hasn't even set airing date for UK yet (but we know it will be sometime this spring)! 1832 set mini series will see Suranne Jones playing a lesbian heiress who behaved, governed her lands and loved like a man!  She was also known as a diarist who chronicled her life in extensive journals.

GENTLEMAN JACK
follows real life landowner Anne Lister (Suranne Jones) from Halifix, who not only had no intention of marrying a man, but also became one of the first modern lesbians and also one of the first lesbians to officially (not legally) marry another woman, wealthy heiress Ann Walker (Sophie Rundle). The

The series was created by Happy Valley's Sally Wainwright

series, which also stars Joe Armstrong, Peter Davison, Shaun Dooley, Gemma Jones, Tom Lewis, Timothy West, follows Anne Lister as she returns to West Yorkshire in 1832, determined to transform the fate of her faded ancestral home Shibden Hall and the mines she inherited. She was

The story is based on Anne Lister's diaries written in more than 4 million words, large part of it in secret code.

considered largely scandalous due to her public relationships with women, a penchant for masculine fashion sense and business prowess during the Industrial Revolution but was still a popular figure widely known as Gentleman Jack!