Last week your trusted HOLLYWOOD SPY
informed you that
Michael Bay's new epic show
BLACK SAILS (which set 20 years before the events in Robert Louis Stevenson’s "Treasure Island", chronicles the adventures of fabled buccaneer Captain Flint and his men aboard the Walrus) got its first cast member in MERLIN's hunk
Tom Hopper who will play Billy Bones, the first mate of The Walrus who is caught in the middle of the power struggle between Flint and his main dissenter Singleton, and now the show has its lead star as well: according to "Digital Spy" British star
Toby Stephens (also known as Maggie Smith's son) will play Captain Flint in this eight episode pirate series which is currently preparing for production in South Africa and will air in 2014 at
Starz.You've seen Toby in ROBIN HOOD series and in DIE ANOTHER DAY.
TELEVISION HEADLINES
In other TV news today, BBC is preparing another epic saga titled THE
VILLAGE. The sweeping saga will follow the residents of one English
village across the
20th century and their turbulent lives. "Digital Spy"
reports that newcomer Bill Jones will play Bert Middleton, the youngest
child of a poor family whose parents John (John Simm) and Grace (Maxine
Peake) struggle to provide for him. "Upstairs Downstairs" actor Nico
Mirallegro will play their second son Joe, who works at the Big House
and comes into contact with the troubled Caro (Emily Beecham). Charlie
Murphy ("Misfits") will play village newcomer Martha Lane, who has a big
impact on Bert's life, while Anthony Flanagan ("Being Human"),
Annabelle Apsion ("Shameless"), Joe Armstrong ("Robin Hood"), Matt
Stokoe ("Misfits") will also star. The six part series will air in 2013.
Over in USA, Lifetime is planning WITCHES OF EAST END series, in which
Jenna Dewan Tatum will play one of lead star Julia Ormond's
daughters, struggling to keep her supernatural powers a secret. Dewan
will play Freya Beauchamp, a free spirit who settles down with her
millionaire fiancé in the secluded Long Island town of North Hampton. A
series of events forces Ormond's character to reveal to her two adult
daughters that they are in fact powerful, immortal witches.
EMPEROR CLIP
Today I also have the first clip from historical epic by
Peter Webber EMPEROR, a gripping tale of love and honor forged between fierce enemies of war inspired by true events, of the bold and secret moves
that won the peace in the shadows of post-war Japan. The film describes the American occupation of Japan in the perilous and unpredictable days just after Emperor Hirohito's World War II surrender. As General Douglas MacArthur (
Tommy Lee Jones) suddenly finds himself the de facto ruler of a foreign nation, he assigns an expert in Japanese culture - General Bonner Fellers (
Matthew Fox), to covertly investigate the looming question hanging over the country: should the Japanese Emperor, worshiped by his people but accused of war crimes, be punished or
saved? Caught between the high-wire political intrigue of his urgent mission and his own impassioned search for the mysterious school teacher (
Eriko Hatsune) who first drew him to Japan, Fellers can be certain only that the tricky subterfuge about to play out will forever change the history of two nations and his heart.
20th century and their turbulent lives. "Digital Spy"
reports that newcomer Bill Jones will play Bert Middleton, the youngest
child of a poor family whose parents John (John Simm) and Grace (Maxine
Peake) struggle to provide for him. "Upstairs Downstairs" actor Nico
Mirallegro will play their second son Joe, who works at the Big House
and comes into contact with the troubled Caro (Emily Beecham). Charlie
Murphy ("Misfits") will play village newcomer Martha Lane, who has a big
impact on Bert's life, while Anthony Flanagan ("Being Human"),
Annabelle Apsion ("Shameless"), Joe Armstrong ("Robin Hood"), Matt
Stokoe ("Misfits") will also star. The six part series will air in 2013.
Over in USA, Lifetime is planning WITCHES OF EAST END series, in which 
All kinds of interesting tidbits today! I think Black Sails will be a lot of fun - at least I hope so!!
ReplyDeleteyep, I was swamped with epic goodness today :) I have hight hopes for BLACK SAILS!
DeleteThat was a whole lot of awesome you just gave us there, Dezzie!! Black Sails sounds great! And Tommy Lee Jones us always good!! Exciting stuff:)
ReplyDeleteI'm very happy with this weeks news so far too :) I usually get the best ones when I turn away from Hollywood :)
DeleteI have fairly strong opinions about MacArthur and what he did to the Philippine Islands in WWII and what he did to his own men. I used to live in the PI and came to be friend with a great many Filipinos and had first hand accounts about what it was like. Oooh the horror.
ReplyDeleteThe Village looks really good. The BBC usually does a good job with those six part series. Looking forward to that one.
I can imagine, Annzie, Americans did horrid things there and they keep doing it still everywhere around the world. They've always been the biggest threat to peace in the world.
DeleteWe do love BBC's mini series! Especially sweeping sagas.
I loved the Filipino people and I was there with my father when Marco's was put into power. It was one of the few times I lived with him and we were there for three years. The poverty there was staggering, beyond belief and there they were surrounded by people who were wealthy and treated them like garbage. Yet they were kind. I'd go back to visit but now it's too dangerous. I've a friend who still lives there and he knows he has to get out soon. It's hard for him to leave but it's not safe anymore.
Deleteyou lived there as a kid?
DeleteI have a very dear friend Samantha Sotto, worldwide famous writer, there, and other of our dear writing friends, Jeremy Bates also lives there.
My question is, how did Jenna get my outfit? =P That is a series I will have to keep an eye out for. That there is my stomping grounds. Okay, not the Hamptons but thereabouts. I had family in N. Hampton...but he must have lived in the "not featured in the show" part. =)
ReplyDeleteshe's a snake, she is :) Stealing other people's skin.... :)
DeleteYep, only a very few of us live in show settings LOL
My body is almost as voluptuous in my snake skin outfit too =)
Delete:))) you do realize that isn't really an outfit, but some bodypaint :) Painters would sure have troubles painting my walrus body :)
DeleteMatthew Fox and Tommy Lee Jones? Yep, all good. Love Jenna's skin suit. Wow . .
ReplyDeleteI got a little lost in The Village write up though; my fault I'm sure, other things on my mind and I don't watch as much TV as I'd like. Saved Nico's pic as a casting possibility for one of my young characters in my women's fiction novels.
I was blogging around a place or two, and went from opera, to cello's to Apocalyptica. Is this to your taste?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rsx98UquzI&feature=related
.......dhole
it's body paint methinks :)
DeleteNico is cute, isn't he? Wish I had tummy like his :(
I've always loved me violins and cellos!
I'm surprised for some reason that Jenna Dewan is doing a Lifetime series. Perhaps her husband will guest star in an episode!
ReplyDeleteyep, I've never even heard of Lifetime before :)
DeleteI'm not really interested in any of these. Sorry again. :(
ReplyDeletebetter luck next time, I will probably have second THE HOBBIT trailer later tonight :)
DeleteMacArthur's corncob pipe seems a little overblown, doesn't it? It will be an interesting movie though.
ReplyDeleteif they are honest and not biased, it might be.
DeleteI'm not normally one for bog-standard dramas, but I like the sound of The Village, if for nothing else than John Simm is there :)
ReplyDeleteJamie @ Mithril Wisdom
seems like a nice sweeping drama, I always loved those stories which stretch over a long period ...
DeleteEmperor looks good
ReplyDeleteglad you like it
Deleteglad you like it
DeleteI'm looking forward to the village. Also, anything with Toby Stephens, I'm there.
ReplyDeletewe do love Toby :)
DeleteDezzy - Sounds like some cool stuff happening. I loved the animated movie about Captain Flint called "Treasure Planet." This sounds amazing too.
ReplyDeleteglad you liked today's news, don't forget to check out THE HOBBIT trailer two tomorrow or today :)
DeleteThanks for introducing me to EMPEROR Dez, I didn't know about that project. It's interesting that Tommy Lee Jones is playing the same general that my beloved Gregory Peck once played, but I think TLJ is better suited for that role.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what to make of Toby Stephens yet, I love his mom Maggie Smith of course, but he was an awful Rochester in the BBC Jane Eyre. A far cry from Timothy Dalton's performance.
be welcome, Flixy, we've followed the production of that film for more than a year now here.
DeleteHaven't seen JANE EYRE, I usually avoid Austen and Bronte projects :) I think Toby is best in villain roles .