SEE FIRST POSTER FOR EXPENSIVE HISTORICAL SERIES RISE OF THE RAVEN DEPICTING THE 15TH CENTURY BATTLE OF BELGRADE

   RISE OF THE RAVEN  

FIRST EPIC TV SERIES POSTER IS HERE

Beta Film has issued the first poster for their new ten part series RISE OF THE RAVEN an epic adventure series that will air in Autumn 2024 on Hungarian

Rise of the Raven will arrive this Autumn

TV2 network, Austrian ORF and other national broadcasters around Europe.

 

STORY IS SET

 in 15th century Europe, when army commander Janos Hunyadi scores a decisive victory against all odds at the Battle of Belgrade, re-shaping the history of Europe. Hunyadi’s life is plagued by scandal, political power plays, and conspiracies between noble families from Italy, Poland, Austria, Serbia, and Hungary. His strongest allies are the women in his life: Elizabeth, the wife who not only stands by him, but fights alongside him, and Serbian princess Mara Brankovic, his first love, who was forced to become Sultan Murad wife. When the Ottoman Empire mobilises an army of unprecedented size to march west with the objective of conquering the Vatican and Europe, Hunyadi leads his small but mighty army to the battlefield, sealing a hard-fought victory. In celebration, Pope Callixtus III orders that churches all over the world shall ring their bells each day at noon. And even today, more than five centuries later, they still do.

 

 WHO IS IN THE CAST?

Alongside Hunyadi, played by Gellért L. Kádár stands his wife, Elizabeth Szilagyi, portrayed by Vivien Rujder. They are joined by a stellar international cast, including Austria’s Laurence Rupp as King Albert II,  Murathan Muslu, as sultan Murad II, Serbian Hollywood star Rade Serbedzija who, I imagine, plays Serbian despot Djuradj Brankovic, Mara's father, and Giancarlo Giannini. Meanwhile, Franciska Torocsik is Serbian princess Mara, later the Turkish sultana.

🎬🇭🇺Watch the first trailer for 'Rise of the Raven' - an epic #Hungarian drama series which tells the story of János Hunyadi who defeated the Ottoman army in 1456 at the Battle of Belgrade, halting its march across Europe.

Can't wait for the series to air! pic.twitter.com/t1CjNIEt4Z

— Balázs Orbán (@BalazsOrban_HU) April 23, 2023

COLOSSEUM IS SHAKING IN NEW TRAILER FOR THOSE ABOUT TO DIE EPIC TV SERIES WITH ANTHONY HOPKINS, RUPERT PENRY JONES, TOM HUGHES, IWAN RHEON AND A WHITE LION

 THOSE ABOUT TO DIE 

STUNNING NEW EPIC SERIES TRAILER

Peacock has released a stunning second trailer for their new epic series THOSE ABOUT TO DIE which they will stream in USA from July 18th with Europe watching it from July 19th on Prime Video. Anthony Hopkins, Rupert Penry Jones, Tom Hughes and Iwan Rheon lead the cast directed by blockbuster wizard himself Roland Emmerich!

 

IT IS AN EPIC TV DRAMA SET

in year 79 AD in the corrupt world of the spectacle-driven gladiatorial competition, exploring a side of ancient Rome never before told — the dirty business of entertaining the masses, giving the mob what they want most... blood and sport. The series introduces an ensemble of characters from all corners of the Roman Empire who collide at the explosive intersection of sports, politics, and dynasties. You can read more about this $100 million worth series in our previous spotlight. 

 

BETA FILM PRODUCING A TV SERIES ON FAMOUS MOVIE ICON MARLENE DIETRICH AND HER ROMANCE WITH REMARQUE

  MARLENE DIETRICH  

GETTING HER OWN TV SERIES

Out dear Beta Film is uniting with producer Nico Hofmann on a six part series on famous movie icon Marlene Dietrich inspired by Thomas Hüetlin’s upcoming novel ‘Man Lebt Sein Leben Nur Einmal’ (You Only Live Once)!

The series is inspired by Huetlin's book

The novel starts in 1937. The Venice Film Festival has just ended. Hollywood diva Marlene Dietrich is sitting on the terrace of the Hotel Excelsior  with Josef von Sternberg, who made her a global star as the director of “The Blue Angel”. Then a completely different, exceptional artist comes to the table, introduces himself and begins a charming small talk: German writer Erich Maria Remarque, who achieved world fame with his anti-war novel “Nothing New in the West.” At this moment one of the wildest love affairs of the 20th century begins, that lasts only a few years and pushes both of them to their emotional limits. A love story full of pleasures and ecstasies, full of disappointments and new beginnings against the background of the looming human catastrophe of the Second World War. Like tens of thousands of other people, both are on the run from the Nazi terror system in their home country, both are in painful creative and career crises.

BETA FILM TO MAKE A PERIOD SET SERIES ON THE FAMILY OF FAMOUS WRITER THOMAS MANN

  NEW BETA SERIES 

THE MANNS, STORY OF A FAMILY

German Beta Film is planning  a six episode period set series on Thomas Mann based on Tilman Lahme 1920s-set novel ‘Die Manns – Geschichte Einer Familie’ THE MANNS - STORY OF A FAMILY.

The book will be turned into a six episode series

The story will be told through the eyes of the younger generation finding their place in a changing world.

Thomas Mann's literary work towers above the competition - and it dominates the family. His wife Katia has his back and keeps the children away. Her sharp tongue is feared. The beautiful son Klaus wants to be as famous as his father as a writer. Erika, the eldest daughter, loves as passionately as she hates. The shy Golo seeks his happiness away from his family. Michael wants to become a great musician and fights against his short temper and the high demands of his family. Father's favorite, Elisabeth, talks to animals and wants to save the world. And everyone gossips about Monika. The siblings experiment with love and drugs, squander their parents' money - and become serious opponents of Hitler. Wherever fate takes them: the Manns stick together. And they betray each other.

 

ASHER KEDDIE BECOMES VICTIM OF DAVID WENHAM'S LOVE IN PARAMOUNT'S FAKE TV SERIES THAT STARTS TOMORROW

    FAKE TV SERIES  

OUT TOMORROW AT PARAMOUNT +

Unlike next week when the small screens will see the premieres of the final season of Valhalla epic series at Netflix, the second season of Australian

Fake begins July 4th on Paramount

hit series The Twelve and the second season of Starz costume drama Serpent Queen, this week has a very meagre offer, just one series of interest hits the telly this week:  Paramount + Australian original new mini TV series FAKE which arrives to the streamer July 4th, which is this Thursday! 

 

BASED ON

Stephanie Wood’s memoirs, this new thriller series follows Birdie Bell (Asher Keddie), a magazine features writer who thinks she’s found her perfect match when she meets successful grazier, Joe Burt (David Wenham), on a dating app. But as the relationship intensifies, Birdie

It will be an eight episode series

is torn between Joe’s magnetic pull and the instinct that her boyfriend isn’t all he has led her to believe. This gripping new eight-part series explores love in a world of liars, cheats, fantasists and phonies and goes deep inside the psychology of the victim of a love scam. Nicholas Brown, Heather Mitchell, Louisa Mignone, Anne Charleston and lovely Ming-Zhu Hii, whom we watched earlier this year in Prosper Australian hit television series from the same streamer, also star. See the exciting and thrilling trailer for this true story series below and tell us will you be tuning in tomorrow and watching this new series?

 

SEE IAN MCKELLEN, GEMMA ARTERTON, MARK STRONG, ALFRED ENOCH, BEN BARNES IN THE CRITIC MOVIE TRAILER

    THE CRITIC TRAILER  

WITH IAN MCKELLEN & GEMMA ARTERTON

First trailer has been released for a film that actually premiered last year in Toronto but will hit UK cinemas September 13th starring Ian McKellen and

The Critic will open in UK this September

Gemma Arterton in the lead roles alongside Mark Strong, Alfred Enoch, Romola Garai, Ben Barnes and Lesley Manville. 

WHAT IS THE FILM ABOUT? 

 Based on Anthony Quinn's novel Curtain Call, THE CRITIC set in 1930s London, is a thrilling tale of ambition, blackmail, and desire with a dazzling anti-hero at its heart. When the most feared and vicious theatre critic in town Jimmy Erskine (Mckellen), finds himself suddenly in the cross hairs of the Daily Chronicle’s new owner David Brooke (Strong), he strikes a Faustian pact with struggling actress Nina Land (Arterton) who is desperate to win his favor. See the thrilling and super stylish trailer below and tell us what you think.

 

SEE NEW SET PHOTOS FROM RUSSIAN 13TH CENTURY HISTORICAL MOVIE EVIL CITY

   NEW ZLOY GOROD  

HISTORICAL FILM SET IMAGES

Back in June last year, exactly a year ago, while Hollywood was sleeping, either due to the strike of the writers, or due to the embarrassment of many of the well promoted movies flopping real hard at the box office, I transferred you over to Matushka Rossiya with the first set photos from their new historical epic movie EVIL CITY (Злой город) which gave us the first look at what the costumes will look like in this movie directed by Konstantin Buslov who is currently working on the post production. Aleksandr Metyolkin, Aleksey Guskov, Vladimir Sychyov, Viktor Dobronravov and Yuriy Chursin are just same of the names in the cast. Today you can feast your eyes on some new images from this epic adventure which finished production last month in a full scale city built for the purpose of the movie with over 40 buildings and more than 1000 costumes for the actors. The movie is supposed to hit cinemas this Autumn.

 

WHAT IS THE STORY?

  During the invasion of Rus' in the 13th century, Batu Khan spent two months trying desperately to take and capture the city of Kozelsk, losing thousands of soldiers and siege weapons. And when, having killed all the defenders, among whom were women with children, he finally took the city, he ordered that the name of the city should be forgotten forever and henceforth be known only as the "Evil City". But Kozelsk has remained for centuries a model of stamina and courage, worthy of being told about it.  Hope we get a trailer soon, I will be posting it for you as soon as we get it!

 

BEHOLD THE FIRST IMAGES OF PAUL MESCAL, JOSEPH QUINN, CONNIE NIELSEN IN RIDLEY SCOTT'S EPIC SEQUEL TO GLADIATOR

   GLADIATOR II  

FIRST IMAGES FROM THE EPIC SEQUEL

Vanity Fair has decided to spoil us this Monday and launch the beginning of the new week with first highly anticipated images from GLADIATOR II which give us the exclusive first look at Paul Mescal in the lead role of Lucius Verus alongside Pedro Pascal as Marcus Acacius, with new pictures also giving us a glimpse at Connie Nielsen who returns to the story that will continue November 22nd when the film hits cinemas ahead of the festive

Paul Mescal got some muscles for the role of Lucius

season.Two relatively young brothers rule the vast empire, with Fred Hechinger as Emperor Caracalla and Joseph Quinn as Emperor Geta.

 

THE STORY OF GLADIATOR II
 continues decades after the first movie in which Russell Crowe played his father, now Lucius has come of age and has gotten far away from his mother, as Variety reveals. While he was still a child, Lucilla sent him to the northern coast of Africa, to a region called Numidia that was (at that point) just outside the reach of the Roman Empire. He never fully understood why, and as he grew stronger, so did his resentment even if his mother’s reasons had been pure. As Gladiator II begins, Mescal’s Lucius, according to Variety, has a wife and child, and lives a relatively peaceful life with them until conquerors from his homeland begin to encroach. He’s taken root in a seacoast town in Numidia. He’s a blue-eyed, fair-skinned man with red hair, and he couldn’t be more different from the inhabitants, director Ridley Scott reveals. It’s one of the last surviving civilizations, as the Romans begin to descend in North Africa and take it all over. Leading that charge is Pedro Pascal’s Marcus Acacius, a Roman general said to have trained as a junior officer under Crowe’s character, although he wasn’t seen in the first movie. Lucius, once the grandson of the emperor of Rome, finds himself a prisoner of it. But when he gets to Rome as a prisoner and has a first round in the arena, he sees his mother—to his shock. He doesn’t know whether she’s alive or not. And she’s now with the general who he came face-to-face with on the wall in Numidia. Lucilla doesn’t recognize the battered creature in the Colosseum as her son, and has no idea about the bloody history between him and the man she loves.

 

THE SHAH, THE SPY, THE MADMAN IS THIRD TV SERIES PROJECT ANNOUNCED ON REZA PAHLAVI, THE LAST EMPEROR OF PERSIA

   NEW ROYAL TV DRAMA  

THE SHAH, THE SPY, THE MADMAN

There are in total currently three TV projects on the shah of Persia and this is the third, latest one: Tina Gharavi and Shahriar William Raee are set to direct THE SHAH, THE SPY, THE MADMAN envisioned as a returning show about Iran’s last emperor, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi! The first season will focus on the U.S.’s covert plot to overthrow Pahlavi in the early 1950s as operatives oust his Prime Minister and install a pliable young King in order to thwart the Soviet Union. Later seasons would explore the Shah’s reign, the grand 2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire, and the 1979 Iranian Revolution!