EXCITING WAR OF THE WORLDS BBC FANTASY SERIES TRAILER IS HERE WITH RAFE SPALL, ELEANOR TOMLINSON! WORLD ON FIRE WW2 SERIES STARTS TONIGHT WITH SEAN BEAN, JONAH HAUER KING, LESLEY MANVILLE

  'WORLD ON FIRE' SERIES

BRINGS WW2 TO BBC TONIGHT!

World on Fire starts tonight at BBC in UK

The latest of the new period set series to premiere at the start of the new Autumn TV season is World War II epic saga WORLD ON FIRE which launches tonight at BBC! The seven episode mini series, which will also air on Masterpiece PBS later on in USA, tells the story of World War Two through the lives of ordinary people from all sides of this global conflict. Based on real lives the series takes us across the first year of the war, from ordinary life in Manchester to the beaches of Dunkirk, getting right under the skin and into the hearts and minds of those

Jonah Hauer King takes the lead role of translator Harry Chase!

living their lives during this extraordinary time as they grapple with the unthinkable: a world in flames.

The Story Of The Series 
Summer 1939. Translator Harry (Jonah Hauer-King) is working at the British Embassy in Warsaw, falling in love with Polish waitress Kasia

Sean Bean and Lesley Manville are Harry's mother and the father of Tom and Lois

(Zofia Wichłacz). When German tanks roll into Poland and Britain declares war on Germany, Harry and Kasia are faced with terrible choices. With her life

Julia Brown is Mancunian factory worker Lois Bennett, Hary's girlfriend

in grave danger, the only way for Kasia to be safe is to escape. Can Harry help her - and if he does, how will he ever explain himself to factory worker and

Brian J. Smith is gay war surgeon Webster O'Connor fighting for his lover and his patients in Paris

singer Lois Bennett (Julia Brown), the girl he left behind in Manchester? As the Nazi threat spreads across Europe, Kasia must choose between love and

Ewan Mitchell is Tom Bennett who joins the army!

fighting for her country, Harry must find his place in the world, and Lois seizes new opportunities the war throws up. The conflict overturns everything for Harry's snobbish mother Robina (Lesley Manville) and for Douglas

Zofia Wichlacz is Polish waitress Kasia who joins Polish resistance

(Sean Bean), Lois' pacifist father, and her firecracker younger brother Tom (Ewan Mitchell), who joins the navy and finds himself under fire in one of the first major battles of the war. In Berlin, outspoken American journalist

Helen Hunt is American journalist Nancy Campbell

Nancy (Helen Hunt) risks her life trying to help her neighbours the Rosslers from the attentions of the ruling Nazi regime‎, while in Paris Nancy's nephew, medic Webster (Brian J. Smith) refuses to leave the city and the man he loves.

  'THE WAR OF THE WORLDS'

BRINGS ALIENS TO EARTH

BBC has also launched earlier today the first exciting trailer for their long delayed series THE WAR OF THE WORLDS which will also air sometime

The War of the Worlds will air this Autumn on BBC

this Autumn as the small screen adaptation of H.G. Wells' famous sf classic! Rafe Spall, Eleanor Tomlinson, Rupert Graves and Robert Carlyle star

Rafe Spall takes the lead role in the new sf series

in the story set in London during the Edwardian era, where George and Amy's attempt to start a life together as a young couple is interrupted by a Martian invasion of Earth!

TRAILER FOR 'MARY' HORROR WITH GARY OLDMAN, EMILY MORTIMER AND 'FRANKIE' MELANCHOLIC DRAMA WITH ISABELLE HUPPERT, BRENDAN GLEESON, GREG KINNEAR, MARISA TOMEI

  'MARY' THRILLER TRAILER

Mary sails into cinemas October 11th!

HORROR ON THE HIGH SEAS!

Two totally different films for you today, but both with quite strong ensemble casts! MARY will sail into cinemas this October bringing horror on its deck! Gary Oldman, Emily Mortimer, Michael Landes, Jennifer Esposito star in a movie about a family which, looking to start a charter-boat business, buys a ship that holds terrifying secrets once out on isolated waters. It is possible you won't be able to sleep after watching the trailer below:

  'FRANKIE' DRAMA TRAILER

Frankie premiered at Cannes this year

 FROM CANNES FILM FEST

Also having quite a strong cast, and also out next month, October 25th, is another movie with a name in the title. FRANKIE, starring Isabelle Huppert, Brendan Gleeson, Greg Kinnear, Marisa Tomei, Jaremie Renier, follows three generations  which are grappling with a life-changing experience during one day of a vacation in Sintra, Portugal, a historic town known for its dense gardens and fairy-tale villas and palaces. 

CAST REVEALED FOR JULIAN FELLOWES' 19TH CENTURY NEW YORK SERIES THE GILDED AGE: CHRISTINE BARANSKI, MORGAN SPECTOR, AMANDA PEET, CYNTHIA NIXON CAST!

  'THE GILDED AGE' EPIC

 DRAMA REVEALS FIRST CAST!

Cynthia Nixon will be Ada Brook

After many years of delay, the production is finally ready to start and the cast has been announced for Julian Fellowes' period set series THE GILDED AGE which will follow the lives of the millionaire titans of New York City in the 1880s!  Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Amanda Peet and Morgan Spector are the first cast members! 

The Story Begins in 1882 – introducing young Marian Brook, the orphaned daughter of a Southern general, who moves into the home of her rigidly conventional aunts in New York City. Accompanied by the mysterious Peggy Scott, an African American woman masquerading as her maid, Marian gets caught up in the dazzling lives of her stupendously rich

Morgan Spector will be George Russell

neighbours, led by a ruthless railroad tycoon and his ambitious wife struggling for acceptance by the Astor and Vanderbilt set. Will Marian follow the established rules of society, or forge her own path in this exciting new world that is on the brink of transformation into the modern age?

Christine Baranski will be Agnes van Rhijn, a proud and stubborn aristocrat who will never accept that the world has changed, and that ancient values are being replaced by new ones. She found herself penniless as her parents’ plantation was foundering, even before the war, but she managed to catch a husband just in time. Agnes has a son named Oscar, whom she worships, but her worship is not returned. Cynthia Nixon is Ada Brook, another victim of the collapse of

Amanda Peet will be Bertha Russell!

the old south, but unlike her sister Agnes, she never found a way to get out until it was too late, and she was forced back on her sister’s charity. She is not naturally confrontational, but she is capable of standing up for what she believes. Amanda Peet will play middle class Bertha Russell who backed her instincts when she set out to catch her husband George, the son of a merchant family who has proved to be a financial genius. She is determined to use her money and position to break into a society that resists change at every turn. Morgan Spector will portray George Russell, a classic robber baron of his own time, but pleasant enough in company. He’s fond of his wife and his children, but utterly ruthless in business. He has already acquired millions, and billions will follow. In every challenge, George must win.

ANDREW BUCHAN, RAY STEVENSON JOIN THE SECOND AND THE FINAL PART OF THE SPANISH PRINCESS EPIC TV SAGA AT STARZ!

  'THE SPANISH PRINCESS'

HIRES A FEW NEW COURTIERS

I'm sure you will all agree that this year's White Princess continuation THE SPANISH PRINCESS was an embarrassing disaster, filled with terrible writing, poor casting and the worst acting we've ever seen on the small

Andrew Buchan is no stranger to epic drama

screens, but for some reason Starz did not cancel it but is currently shooting eight more final episodes that will close the whole affair and finish it for good. And now they've added some new names for the final season and among them are some of our favourite Brits: Andrew Buchan (as upwardly mobile Sir Thomas More), Ray Stevenson (as Henry's boorish brother in law, King James IV of Scotland) alongside Sai Bennett (as Henry's sister Princess Mary now of age to forge a political alliance for the Tudors through her own marriage) and Peter Egan (as Tudor stalwart General Howard). Sadly, Charlotte Hope and Stephanie Levi John, who have shocked us with their atrocious efforts in acting and utter lack of charisma in the first part, return to their roles of Catherine of Aragon and her lady in waiting, with bland Ruairi O’Connor as king Henry VIII.

  The Second Part
Based, very loosely, and historically ridiculously inaccurate, on the books by Philippa Gregory, the series continues the story of Queen Catherine and Henry VIII. Presiding over the most glamorous court in Europe and beloved by their people, together

Ray Stevenson recently starred in The Musketeers adaptation

they create an England that is proud, confident and strong enough to withstand threat from abroad. Catherine’s struggle to produce an heir places her marriage and position in the court at risk, and she is haunted by her

We've never heard of Sai Bennett before, but she calls herself a model

choices from the past. Despite proving herself a politician, a diplomat, a national inspiration and even a military commander, Catherine must battle to save her love with the King, and to preserve the peace and prosperity of their reign.

PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT ON DREAMWORKS' ENCHANTING ANIMATED ADVENTURE ABOMINABLE!

  'ABOMINABLE' ADVENTURE

Abominable is out this Friday!

 BRINGS A MAGICAL YETI THIS WEEK!

The last quartal of the year usually brings us animated adventures for the Autumn and Winter moments filled with festive atmosphere around Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The honour of announcing that season this years goes to ABOMINABLE animated adventure which Dreamworks is releasing this Friday! It will continue opening around the world throughout October! Originally titled Everest, the movie started its production almost ten years ago under the helm of Jill Culton who was later on replaced by another director only to return to the movie in 2018 again. Visually stunning and filled with delightful, heart warming images and enchanting animated landscapes, the $75 million worth movie is expected to earn about $20 million in its first opening weekend. This is the third yeti film in recent time to be released beside Smallfoot and Missing Link!

A Yeti Must Find His Family 
When teenage Yi (Chloe Bennet) encounters a young Yeti on the roof of her apartment building in Shanghai, she and her mischievous friends Jin (Tenzing Norgay Trainor) and Peng (Albert Tsai) name him “Everest” and embark on an epic quest to reunite the magical creature with his family at the highest point on Earth. But the trio of friends will have to stay one-step ahead of Burnish (Eddie Izzard), a wealthy man intent on capturing a Yeti, and zoologist Dr. Zara (Sarah Paulson) to help Everest get home. Check out the beautiful trailer below and tell us what you think:

COMEDY TUESDAY: SEAN HAYES TO PLAY A WOMAN IN LAZY SUSAN! NBC BUYS GAY SITCOM LIKE SON, LIKE FATHER, QUIBI PRODUCING THE MONARCHY IS GOING TO S*** COMEDY SERIES

  SEAN HAYES TO LEAD

 LAZY SUSAN COMEDY FILM

Comedy Tuesday, people, today, starting with Will & Grace star Sean Hayes who will play a woman in LAZY SUSAN, a film he also wrote! Also starring Matthew Broderick and Allison Janney this big hearted comedy follows Susan (Hayes), the self centred oddball in her family who lazily skated

Sean Hayes will be Lazy Susan!

through life with their grudging support until one day she wakes up to realize she’s middle aged with no job, no relationship, and an increasingly estranged family. She finally decides to take charge and turn things around, but never having done anything herself before, the struggle is real as Susan becomes the woman she always wanted to be, all on her own.

  Like Son, Like  Father
NBC has bought Nick Lehmann's gay son and father sitcom LIKE SON, LIKE FATHER which centres on Nick, an out and proud gay man, who finds himself in the unenviable position of assuming the role of his newly outed father’s gay mentor and new roommate.

Monarchy Is Going To S***

Over at Quibi, they will develop sitcom THE MONARCHY IS GOING TO S*** from Jim Parsons, set in the modern day kingdom of Andova, where the lives of twin princesses are thrown into utter disarray when the King’s newly discovered illegitimate son is named as the rightful heir to the throne. But the two irreverent princesses won’t exactly go away quietly, not when they believe The Monarchy Is Going To S***.

QUEEN OF WINTER ANNOUNCES FIRST DAY OF AUTUMN WITH FROZEN 2 SECOND TRAILER FROM DISNEY WHICH REVEALS ELSA'S FATHER AND MOTHER!

  'FROZEN 2' 2ND TRAILER

FROM ENCHANTED FOREST

Frozen 2 will storm its way into cinemas November 22nd

Now that the opening date, November 22nd is closing, Disney has released a new trailer for FROZEN 2 revealing with it some of the new characters as well, for example Elsa's and Anna's father King Agnarr voiced by Alfred Molina! There is also a cute salamander from enchanted forest called Bruni who is drawn to Elsa's ice magic! The stars from the original movie Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, and Jonathan Groff all return in the voice cast this time as well! Evan Rachel Wood joins them as their mother Queen Iduna.

The Kingdom Is Not Safe! 
Why was Elsa born with magical powers? What truths about the past await Elsa as she ventures into the unknown to the enchanted forests and dark seas

The first movie is still the highest grossing animated film ever

beyond Arendelle? The answers are calling her but also threatening her kingdom. Together with Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven, she'll face a dangerous

Elsa will not have any love interest in this part either!

but remarkable journey. In “Frozen,” Elsa feared her powers were too much for the world. In “Frozen 2,” she must hope they are enough.

PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT ON LAVISH EPIC TV SERIES CATHERINE THE GREAT WITH HELEN MIRREN, JASON CLARKE, JOSEPH QUINN, RICHARD ROXBURGH! CAST PHOTOS AND TRAILER!

  'CATHERINE THE GREAT'

ALL BOW, THE EMPRESS IS HERE!

Catherine arrives this October to the small screens

From yesterday's visit to the exotic queen of Jhansi, we are moving today to Matushka Rosiya and the lavish imperial court of CATHERINE THE GREAT, epic new historical mini series starring Helen Mirren as Russia's most famous tzarina who made her country bigger than it ever was before and turned her palace into Europe's centre of glamour and glitz and also scandal! The four episode saga is ready to start October 3rd at Sky Atlantic in UK, Italy, Germany, Spain and Austria, and then on October 21st over at HBO in USA and Canada (I'm not fully sure, but I'm guessing it will also air on HBO's cable channels around the world, so

The focus of the story is the relationship between Catherine and Potemkin

you might catch it there if you are not from the mentioned territories). Unlike most other series which usually dealt with her arrival on the throne after

Catherine wears a lot of glamorous wintery outfits in the series

throwing down her husband (which is the case with another one that is currently in production The Great with Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult)

The series will also hit HBO from October 21st

this one will depict Catherine's older years when she spent her time chasing hot young hunks and enjoying her relationship with Count Potemkin.

Helen Mirren is actually to thin, the real Catherine was rather fat in her late years

Born in 1729 she became Empress of Russia in 1762, and reigned until her death in 1796 which makes her the country’s longest ruling female leader.

Jason Clarke plays Catherine's commander and lover Potemkin

During her reign she managed to turn Russia into a power that became a top player in Europe instead of being ignored by the rest of the continent, she

Richard Roxburgh is Catherine's old lover Grigory Orlov

spread the territory of the empire and made the number of its citizens almost ten times bigger, and although she tried to modernize certain systems in the

The empress wears traditional Russian kokoshnik headdress during her secret wedding

country, she also made the number of enslaved pheasants bigger than ever before as she was very prone to gifting her lovers and friends with estates and whole villages and towns to rule.

Catherine The Great 
 delves into the politically tumultuous and sexually charged court of the most powerful female monarch in history. Catherine wielded supreme power

Rory Kinnear is Catherine prime minister Panin

throughout Russia for nearly half of the 18th century – strong-minded, independent, brilliantly intelligent and sexually liberated, she was the

Antonia Clarke plays grand princess Sophia

definition of the modern woman. The story follows Catherine towards the end of her reign and her passionate affair with Grigory Potemkin. Amid scandal,

Potemkin spent his life overseeing Catherine's wars against the Ottomans

intrigue and immense conflict, this is a story of obsessive love. Unable to publicly marry and famously promiscuous, they develop a unique and devoted relationship, overcoming their adversaries and together shaping Russia as we know it today.

Who Are The Imperial Courtiers?

 Beside Joseph Quinn as her son Grand Prince Paul, Jason Clarke as her lover Prince Grigory Potemkin, Antonia Clarke as Paul's wife Princess Sophia and Adam El Hagar as general Valerian Zubov who had an affair

Joseph Quinn is Grand Prince Paul, Antonia Clarke Grand Princess Sofia

with the much older empress, the cast will also have Rory Kinnear as Panin, a skilful politician, advisor and governor to Catherine’s son, Richard

Gina McKee is Countess Praskovya Bruce, Catherine's confidante

Roxburgh as Prince Grigory Orlov, her most famous lover who helped her come to power by overthrowing her husband, Kevin McNally as his brother

Thomas Doherty is Pyotr Zavadovsky

Alexei Orlov, Bodyguard's Gina McKee as her confidant and lifelong friend Countess Bruce, Clive Russell as The Fool, Paul Kaye as infamous

Pop star Sam Palladio is one of Catherine's lovers Vasilchikov

Pugachev, Sam Palladio as Catherine's young lover Alexander Vasilichikov, and Paul Ritter as general Suvorov! Thomas Doherty will be Peter

Helen Mirren's ancestors are actually Russian!

Zavadovsky; Raphael Acloque is Platon Zubov, James Northcoate is Alexander Bezborodko and Andrew Rothney is Alexander Dmitriev Mamonov.

STUNNING POSTERS AND TRAILER FOR HISTORICAL EPIC THE WARRIOR QUEEN OF JHANSI WITH DEREK JACOBI, RUPERT EVERETT, NATHANIEL PARKER, BEN LAMB, DEVIKA BHISE

'WARRIOR QUEEN OF JHANSI'

The film is out in India this November

WHO FOUGHT AND DIED FOR THE
FREEDOM OF HER PEOPLE

I've written about this one a couple of times over the years, but now it is finally getting into cinemas with November set as the release month for THE WARRIOR QUEEN OF JHANSI previously known as Swords and Sceptres, which boasts a rather strong British cast led by Derek Jacobi as Lord Palmerston, Rupert Everett as Sir

She was the queen of Jhansi in mid 19th century

Hugh Rose, Nathaniel Parker as Sir Robert Hamilton and Jodhi May as evil Queen Victoria herself!

The Warrior Queen Of Jhansi 
 also starring Ben Lamb and directed by female director Swati Bhise (the producer of Dev Patel's The Man Who Knew Infinity), is a sweeping historical tale of women's empowerment, which brings the true story of Lakshmibai (played by Indian star Devika Bhise whom you have watched before in The Accidental Husband and The Man Who Knew Infinity with Dev Pathel and Jeremy Irons), the historic

She died aged 30 in the battle with 5,000 of her soldiers

Queen of Jhansi who fiercely led her army against the British East India Company in the infamous mutiny of 1857. From Queen Elizabeth to Queen Victoria, two-and a half centuries of East India Company rule will be reversed by its attempt to crush India's Warrior Queen. Lakshmibai is known as one of the most prominent figures within the independence movement of India. The passion to free her province from colonial rule led this young woman to become one of the greatest generals of the Indian army and to go down in history for her bravery, strategic acumen, and as a force to reckon with by the East India Company and the British Raj. The Warrior Queen of Jhansi is the story of the woman who lived, fought and died for the freedom of her people.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post on another great female ruler!

SAM WORTHINGTON IS A MAN WHOSE FAMILY SUDDENLY DISAPPEARS IN TRAILER FOR NETFLIX THRILLER FRACTURED! ORDINARY LOVE TRAILER WITH LIAM NEESON, LESLEY MANVILLE

  'ORDINARY LOVE' TRAILER

LIAM NEESON & LESLEY MANVILLE

First trailer has been released for moving British drama movie ORDINARY LOVE which is out this December starring Liam Neeson and

Ordinary Love is out December 6th in UK

Lesley Manville as Joan and Tom who have been married for many years. There is an ease to their relationship which only comes from spending a life time together and a depth of love which expresses itself through tenderness and humour in equal part. When Joan is unexpectedly diagnosed with breast cancer, the course of her treatment shines a light on their relationship as they are faced with the challenges that lie ahead and the prospect of what might happen if something were to happen to Joan. ORDINARY LOVE is a story about love, survival and the epic questions life throws at each and every one of us.

'FRACTURED' TRAILER

STARRING SAM WORTHINGTON!

Another thriller for you this week, this time coming from Netflix, for their movie FRACTURED with Sam Worthington, which will stream

Fractured streams from October 11th!

from October 11th! Driving home after a tense holiday weekend with his in-laws, Ray Monroe (Sam Worthington), a well meaning but overwhelmed family man, pulls into a rest area with his wife Joanne (Lily Rabe) and daughter Peri (Lucy Capri). The trip takes a turn for the worse when Peri is hurt in an accident and the family rushes to a nearby emergency room run by a staff with dubious intentions. After being sent away for further testing Peri and Joanne vanish and all records of their visit disappear. Ray's concern turns into a desperate race to find his family and discover the truth of what happened to them.