JOSH RADNOR & MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD IN RIDLEY SCOTT'S PBS CIVIL WAR DRAMA
The first American series at PBS in ten years Ridley Scott's Civil War drama MERCY STREET has announced its cast! Josh Radnor, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Gary Cole and Cherry Jones will star in the series that follows the lives of two volunteer nurses on opposing sides of the Civil War — New England abolitionist Mary Phinney (Winstead) and Confederate supporter Emma Green. The Green family’s luxury hotel in Alexandria has been transformed into Mansion House, a Union Army hospital tending to the war’s wounded. The series is inspired by memoirs and letters from real doctors and nurse volunteers at the hospital in Alexandria, the longest occupied Confederate city of the war.
VICTORIA JUSTICE TO GUEST
STAR IN 'UNDATEABLE' NBC SITCOM'S LIVE EPISODE In other TV news, our favourite TV sitcom, the wonderfully warm, delightful and joyful UNDATE- ABLE has announced Victoria Justice as the
guest star in the penultimate episode of the second season which airs
live for both coasts May 5th! Airing at NBC on Tuesdays, this
wonderfully charming comedy show follows a group of loving friends who
spend most of their days at their bar helping each other find love in
life. The sitcom stars Chris D'Elia, Brent Morin, David Fynn, Rick
Glassman, Ron Funches and Bianca Kajlich.
'FLESH AND BONE' TRAILER
NEW STARZ LIMITED TV SERIES
Starz has released the first trailer for their new Winter 2015 limited
series FLESH AND BONE which shows that ballet can be a rather tense and
dangerous affair! Not what you'd expect from a bunch of tutus flying
around. The eight episode series will follow an aspiring ballet dancer
(Sarah Hay) who leaves home for New York. Her natural talent lands her a
spot in a high-profile ballet troupe run by a demanding teacher (Ben
Daniels), but she must make peace with her past in order to achieve her
dreams. Acclaimed American dancer Ethan Stiefel is doing the
choreography for the series which also stars Marina Benedict and Tovah
Feldshuh.
It seems that Lea Seydoux and Vincent Cassel will star together again after BEAUTY AND THE BEAST since they've been just cast in last year's Cannes winnerXavier Dolan's new movie IT'S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD! Rounding up the stellar cast are Marion Cotillard and Gaspard Ulliel. As 'Deadline' reports, the movie follows a writer who, after 12 years of absence, goes back to his hometown, planning on announcing his upcoming death to his family. As resentment soon rewrites the course of the afternoon, fits and feuds unfold, fuelled by loneliness and doubt, while all attempts of empathy are sabotaged by people’s incapacity to listen, and love.
HAILEE STEINFELD
TO LEAD 'BREAK MY HEART 1,000 TIMES' MOVIE ADAPTATION! Yet another movie adaptation of a YA book will be the big screen
version of Daniel Water's BREAK MY HEART 1,000 TIMES which is going to
star Hailee Steinfeld in the lead role. Described as a mix of 'The Fault
In Our Stars' and 'The Sixth Sense' it is set after a cataclysmic event
that has torn the barrier between our world and the next, leaving
‘Remnants’, ghost-like essences of the deceased, part of everyday life.
After years of quiet coexistence with the living, a Remnant sends a
threatening message to a young girl, propelling her on a mission with
consequences that will forever change the course of her life. Scott
Speer (STEP UP REVOLUTION) is directing!
INTRIGUING 'YOUTH' TEASER
MICHAEL CAINE & RACHEL WEISZ
Staying in the field of foreign films, check out a rather intriguing teaser for Oscar Winner Paolo Sorrentino's YOUTH which stars Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel as two longtime friends vacationing in the Swiss Alps. Caine plays Fred, an acclaimed composer and conductor and Keitel is Mick, a renowned filmmaker. While Mick scrambles to finish the screenplay for what he imagines will be his last important film, Fred has no intention of resuming his musical career. The two men reflect on their past, each finding that some of the most significant experiences can come later in life. Rachel Weisz, Jane Fonda and Paul Dano also star!
Since Hollywood is sleeping, we're having an international day here at the spy's, people, starting with a rather stunning trailer for an extremely lavish and expensive Dutch historical epic movie ADMIRAL which shows some really high level cinematography, lighting and costumes in the first English trailer below! Set in the 17th century it follows the life of famous Dutch admiral Michiel de Ruyter.
When the young republic of The Netherlands is attacked by the
aggressive Kingdom of England, France and Germany and the country itself
is on the brink of civil war, only one man can lead the county's
strongest weapon, the Dutch fleet: Michiel de Ruyter. He scored several
major victories against them and was very much loved by his sailors and
soldiers! Charles Dance, Rutger Hauer are in the cast! The movie will
have worldwide distribution as well, including UK, Germany and USA.
'GEMMA BOVERY' TRAILER
WITH GEMMA ARTERTON
The second trailer for you today is for French movie GEMMA BOVERY which opens up in selected US cinemas May 29th. When British beauty Gemma Bovery (Gemma Arterton) and her furniture restorer husband move to a charming old farmhouse in the same Norman village where Flaubert’s literary classic “Madame Bovary” was written a century earlier, a local baker and Flaubert expert becomes entranced with Gemma and sets out to be her guide and mentor to her new surroundings. As reality sets in on rural French domesticity, the Boverys’ marriage begins to fray and Gemma finds herself catching the eye of a young playboy. She finds herself seemingly fulfilling fears that her destiny is linked to that of Flaubert’s doomed heroine. Jason Flemyng also stars.
Gorgeous new posters for some of the historical dramas arriving soon. First on the list today is A ROYAL NIGHT OUT out in British cinemas May 15th! On V.E. Day in 1945, as peace extends across Europe, Princesses Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) and Margaret are allowed out to join the celebrations. It is a night full of excitement, danger and the first flutters of romance. Rupert Everett and Emily Watson are King George and Queen Elizabeth, with Jack Raynor also in the cast.
'TESTAMENT OF YOUTH'
WITH KIT HARINGTON, COLIN MORGAN, AND ALICIA VIKANDER
The second film for today has already been released over at the British isles, but is out in USA June 5th! TESTAMENT OF YOUTH stars Alicia Vikanderas intelligent and free spirited Vera who overcomes the narrow mindedness of her conservative parents, winning a scholarship to Oxford. Entranced by her brother's dashing friend Roland (Kit Harington), who shares her literary aspirations, she plunges into an intoxicating romance. Blooming, in love and on the cusp of fulfilling her ambitions, Vera's dreams are brutally shattered by the onset of war. When Roland and her brother (Taron Egerton) ship out to the front, she abandons the cloistered environs of university life and volunteers as a nurse. Immediately confronted with the pitiless reality of the war's victims, her life is irrevocably changed as she loses, one-by-one, the young men she held so dear. The star studded cast also includes Colin Morgan, Miranda Richardson, Emily Watson, Dominic West, Hayley Attwell.
A trailer for you to start this weekend: sf action starring the third of the Hemsworth brothers, the oldest Luke Hemsworth. INFINI stars him, Bren Foster and Grace Huang as soldiers sent on a mission to an off-world mining facility, seeking the mysterious Whit Carmichael (Daniel MacPherson). The soldiers soon find that a deadly alien virus is a far greater threat than Carmichael, who seems to have an aversion to the disease. The Australian sf thriller opens in USA theatres May 8th.
JULIAN FELLOWES TO PRODUCE
DOCTOR THORNE VICTORIAN TELEVISION SERIES Good news for all you DOWNTON ABBEY fans: its creator Julian Fellowes
will prepare a new, three part drama for British ITV which will be a
small screen adaptation of the popular Victorian classic DOCTOR THORNE
by Anthony Trollope. Funny enough, or not at all, the new series will
also be set in a great country manor telling the story of Dr Thomas
Thorne, who lives in the village of Greshamsbury with his beautiful
niece, Mary, a girl blessed with every gift except money. She has grown
up alongside the Gresham sisters and their handsome brother Frank, whose
home is the great house and estate at Greshamsbury Park and who is in
love with her.
'CHOCOLATE CITY' TRAILER IS
LIKE CHOCOLATE MAGIC MIKE
And another trailer for you today: bringing hot chocolate into theatres May 22nd following a young, new exotic dancer (Robert Ri'chard) who hasCHOCOLATE CITY club sizzling like never before. At home, he is Michael, an inner city college student struggling to help his mother (Vivica A. Fox) make ends meet. However, when his part time job doesn't pay the bills, Michael begins to find success at a nightclub dancing as "Sexy Chocolate."
As the money starts rolling in, Michael must deal with the unexpected pressure of being the female clubgoers' favourite flavour while hiding his new "job" from his mother and girlfriend. Co-starring Tyson Beckford and Michael Jai White!
SAM CLAFLIN AND RIZ AHMED JOIN FELICITY JONES IN THE SPINOFF
While the geekdom is in frenzy, anxiously awaiting December premiere of STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS, the spinoff to the popular science fiction saga STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE is already casting its stars. Set between 'Episode III Revenge of the Sith' and the original 'Star Wars' movie 'A New Hope', ROGUE ONE will revolve around a group of rebels looking to steal blueprints to the Death Star. Due to be released December 2016, it will have Oscar nominee Felicity Jones in the lead roles alongside rising star Sam Claflin! Ben Mendelsohn and another of our fave British stars Riz Ahmed will also star in the Gareth Edwards directed movie! After that, December 2017 will bring STAR WARS VIII to the cinemas.
'VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN'
FIRST PHOTO WITH JAMES MCAVOY AND DANIEL RADCLIFFE Although it is out this October in USA and September in Europe, we
haven't seen any photos nor a trailer for VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN ... but now
we have the first set picture of James McAvoy as the lunatic scientist
who wants to create a monster and Daniel Radcliffe as his assistant
Igor.
While no less than four new rival movies on the famed medieval Sherwood hero are being planned by different studios in Hollywood at the moment, it seems our green hero ROBIN HOOD will sneak onto the small screens as well! As 'Deadline' reports, Free Mantle Media has bought TV rights on Angus Donald's historical adventure books THE OUTLAW CHRONICLES to be adapted by Michael Konyves whose LAST KNIGHTS with Clive Owen is currently playing in the cinemas around the world.
In THE OUTLAW CHRONICLES, as Robin’s mission turns from trying to
raise money for his pardon to something much greater, he must confront
the demons of his past, as well as protect those he most loves,
including Marie-Anne, Countess of Locksley, the love of his life.
'TUT' EPIC SERIES TRAILER
BEN KINGSLEY AND AVAN JOGIA GO ANCIENT EGYPTIAN
Keeping up with the epic style, check out the first trailer for SpikeTv's Ancient Egypt set series TUT! Starting July 19th, it stars Avan Jogia as Ancient Egypt’s Boy King. Ben Kingsley plays Ay, the Grand Vizier to King Tutankhamun who wields tremendous power and influence as his top adviser. The series follows his rise to power and his struggle to lead Egypt to glory, while his closest advisors, friends and lovers scheme for their own nefarious interests. The six hours series will air in three nights also starring Nonso Anozie, Sibylla Deen, Kylie Bunbury, Alexander Siddig, Peter Gadiot and Iddo Goldberg!
TO GET A MOVIE ADAPTATION Now, this one was supposed to be adapted twice into a TV series but
it never got beyond the pilot stage: now, 'Deadline' reports that Kiera
Cass' bestselling YA fantasy novel THE SELECTION (the first in the five
book series) is going to be adapted into a movie after Warner Bros. has
bought the rights. It follows 35 underprivileged girls who are chosen
to compete to live in a life of luxury if they marry the prince. The
protagonist, America Singer, is sweet on a young man from her district,
but when she’s exposed to the opulence of a royal life, she’s
conflicted, even though a rebel uprising threatens the pampered.
In TV news, one of our fave channels ABC Family is going to adapt Cassandra Clare's bestsellers MORTAL INSTRUMENTS into a TV series titled SHADOW HUNTERS and they have found their lead star in British actor Dominic Sherwood (VAMPIRE ACADEMY, and he also stars in Taylor Swift's latest video). The story follows young Clary Fray who finds out that she comes from a long line of SHADOW HUNTERS, human angel hybrids who hunt down demons. When her mother is kidnapped, Clary is thrown into the world of demon hunting with mysterious Shadowhunter Jace. Now living among faeries, warlocks, vampires and werewolves, Clary begins a journey of self-discovery as she learns more about her past and what her future may hold. Lily Collins played Clary in a recent MORTAL INSTRUMENTS movie.
'THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS'
NEW 19TH CENTURY TV SERIES Meanwhile, 'Deadline' reports that PBS's Masterpiece will adapt
Elizabeth Gilbert's THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS for the small screens.
It is the second novel of the author of EAT, PRAY, LOVE inspired by the
true-life adventures of real 19th century female botanical explorer! The
lead heroine Alma Whittaker is a brilliant, determined, and thoroughly
scientific woman, struggling to express her intellectual curiosity in a
society where women’s lives are confined to the domestic sphere, and is
equal parts Elizabeth Bennet and Charles Darwin.
'THE LITTLE PRINCE' TRAILER
JEFF BRIDGES, PAUL RUDD, MARION COTTILARD LEAD THE STELLAR VOICE CAST
Sometime ago I shared with you the first photos from new animated version of THE LITTLE PRINCE and now we have the first trailer as well. The story of the French movie follows the adventures of a pilot (Jeff Bridges lends him his voice in the English version) who crashes his plane in the Sahara desert. There, he meets a young Prince who lives on the asteroid B-612. The pilot soon discovers that the Prince is on Earth as part of a mission to travel across the universe, meeting adults on different planets so that he can learn their personal stories. Paul Rudd, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, James Franco, Benicio Del Toro, Paul Giamatti, Albert Brooks, Ricky Gervais are also in the voice cast! The movie is out this October.
Two trailers for you today and some great new posters, starting with a movie which most people rightfully deem unnecessary: FANTASTIC FOUR a contemporary re imagining of Marvel's original and longest running superhero team, centres on four young outsiders who teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe, which alters their physical form in shocking ways. Their lives irrevocably upended, the team must learn to harness their daunting new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy. Out this August the movie stars Jamie Bell and Michael B. Jordan.
'JURASSIC WORLD' NEW TRAILER
UNLEASH THE DINOS!
Clearly, I've always wanted to say that :) Check out three new scary posters and a new mind blowing trailer for this summer's biggest adventure JURASSIC WORLD which will bring dinosaurs back this June. Starring Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard alongside Judi Greer, Vincent D'Onofrio and Nick Robinson, the story is set twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic Park, with Isla Nublar now featuring a fully functioning dinosaur theme park, JURASSIC WORLD, as originally envisioned by John Hammond. After 10 years of operation and visitor rates declining, in order to fulfil a corporate mandate, a new attraction is created to re-spark visitor's interest, which backfires horribly.
Two sets of gorgeous new posters for two of highly anticipated 2015 period set dramas: starting with Kate Winslet's A LITTLE CHAOS which has hit UK cinemas this weekend and will hit USA in June. It is a directing debut of Alan Rickman who is also starring in the film as a part of the cast also including Stanley Tucci, Helen McCrory, Matthias Schoenaerts, Steven Waddington and Jennifer Ehle.
Romantic historical A LITTLE CHAOS drama has Kate Winslet playing Sabine, a talented
landscape designer, who is building a garden at Versailles for King
Louis XIV (Alan Rickman). Sabine struggles with class barriers as she
becomes romantically entangled with the court's renowned landscape
artist played by Matthias Schoenaerts.
FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD
A CLASSIC LOVE STORY
Another period set romantic drama will arrive into European and US cinemas this May! It's the new big screen adaptation of FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD classic novel from Thomas Hardy also starring Matthias Schoenaerts!
The story of independent, beautiful and headstrong Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan), who attracts three very different suitors: Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts), a sheep farmer, captivated by her fetching willfulness; Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge), a handsome and reckless Sergeant; and William Boldwood (Michael Sheen), a prosperous and mature bachelor. This timeless story of Bathsheba's choices and passions explores the nature of relationships and love - as well as the human ability to overcome hardships through resilience and perseverance.
An international day today, starting with the first photo from Antonio Banderas' new historical movie ALTAMIRA (also starring Rupert Everett) telling the true story of a little girl and her father who discovered the now famous pre-historic cave paintings at ALTAMIRA. However, the find brought disgrace on the family and the wrath of the Catholic church, who thought that the claim of ten thousand year-old art was an attack on the ‘truth’ of the Bible.
'THE TALE OF TALES' TRAILER
SALMA HAYEK & VINCENT CASSEL RULING A BIZARRE WORLD Something exquisitely weird and morbid is the first stunningly captivating, and yet bizarre, trailer for Italian fantasy movie THE TALE OF TALES based on a 17th century collection of fairy tales by Italian author Giambattista Basile! The movie weaves realistic and fantastical elements together into three different storylines, with SalmaHayek playing the Queen of Longtrellis and John C. Reilly as her King, Vincent Cassel as the King of Strongcliff and Toby Jones as the King of HighHills. It will premiere at Cannes this year!
'ATTACK ON TITAN' TRAILER
IS SPECTACULAR & DESTRUCTIVE
And here's a rather spectacular and also destructive trailer for Japanese sf epic action ATTACK ON TITAN which is out this August (with the sequel END OF THE WORLD out September) set in a world where all of humanity must live behind massive walls, to protect themselves from gigantic humanoid creatures known as the Titans. Eren Yeager (Haruma Miura) along with his adoptive sister Misaka Ackerman (Kiko Mizuhara) and their friend Armin Arlert (Kanata Hongô), joins the elite fighting unit known as the Survey Corps to battle the Titans, after Eren's mother passes away following a Titan breaching the walls.
ALAN RICKMAN AND DOUGLAS BOOTH LEAD GOTHIC THRILLER
Here's another book adaptation for you: Juan Carlos Medina will direct the adaptation of Peter Acroyd's bestselling novel DAN LENO AND THE LIMEHOUSE GOLEM with Alan Rickman, Douglas Booth and Olivia Cook already being cast. THE LIMEHOUSE GOLEM will be set in 1880 London, as a Gothic murder mystery described as being in the style of David Fincher’s SEVEN and James Watkins’ THE WOMAN IN BLACK.
The story of THE LIMEHOUSE GOLEM will focus on a series of murders which has shaken the
community to the point where people believe that only a legendary
creature from dark times, the mythical so-called Golem, must be
responsible.
'IMPASTOR' COMEDY TRAILER
WITH MICHAEL ROSENBAUM AS THE NEW GAY PASTOR
The only other thing I have for you today is the trailer for TV Land's new comedy series IMPASTOR which should air this summer starring Michael Rosenbaum as Buddy, a man in debt who
cons a small town into believing he is their new gay pastor. Sara Rue
stars as Buddy's assistant, while Mircea Monroe plays the head trustee of Loomis Lutheran Church who has a crush on Buddy.
Aimee Garcia appears as a bartender from San Francisco and
Buddy's girlfriend.
Fresh thing today is the new teaser trailer for STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS in which Jason Isaac plays an X-wing fighter pilot sent on a mission by a certain princess who meets John Boyega’s stormtrooper and their fates are forever intertwined. Daisy Ridley will play Ray, a scavenger from the desert planet of Jaku who does everything for herself and is very solitary! There's also the first look at Harrison Ford's Han Solo!
PAUL HAGGIS TO ADAPT
'THE LAST OF THE TRIBE'
Two highly intriguing book adaptations for you today, with two great directors, starting with brilliant Paul Haggis who might direct the adaptation of THE LAST OF THE TRIBE jungle thriller based on The Last of the Tribe: The Epic Quest to Save a Lone Man in the Amazon, by Washington Post reporter Monte Reel. It's a compelling true story: It’s estimated that more than 40 undiscovered indigenous tribes make their home in the Brazilian Amazon. The constitution says that if there’s even one surviving Indian, the surrounding land becomes a preserve that cannot be exploited commercially. When one such Indian was discovered in 1996, big money interests tried to kill him, while a small group tried to save him.
RIDLEY SCOTT TO ADAPT
'DYING TO BE ME' CANCER BOOK Meanwhile, 'Deadline' also reports that Ridley Scott will produce the
movie adaptation of Anita Moorjani's bestseller DYING TO BE ME in which
she describes her four-year battle against cancer. Over whelmed by
malignant cells, her body began shutting down. As her organs failed, she
entered into an extraordinary near-death experience where she realized
her inherent worth and the actual cause of her disease. Upon regaining
consciousness, her condition improved. She wrote in the book that within
three days, 70% of her cancer was gone. Shortly after, she was declared
cancer free. She also recounts stories of her Hong Kong childhood, the
search for true love, leading to a near end in a hospital bed. Raised in
a Hindu family that lived in Chinese and British society, she came away
from near death with an epiphany that miracles are popular.
'LEARNING TO DRIVE' TRAILER
WITH OSCAR WINNERS PATRICIA CLARKSON AND BEN KINGSLEY
Check out a lovely trailer for new romantic comedy drama LEARNING TO DRIVE in which Patricia Clarkson plays a Manhattan writer who, as her marriage dissolves, takes driving lessons from a Sikh instructor (Ben Kingsley) with marriage troubles of his own. In each other's company they find the courage to get back on the road and the strength to take the wheel.