SEE FIRST LOOK AT CHARLES DANCE AS MICHELANGELO IN BBC AND PBS SERIES RENAISSANCE: THE BLOOD AND THE BEAUTY

    FIRST CHARLES DANCE   

IMAGE FROM MICHELANGELO BBC DRAMA

BBC has sent us the first image of Charles Dance as famous Michelangelo in their new docuseries RENAISSANCE: THE BLOOD AND THE BEAUTY. The three part series, which will also air on PBS, explores an era of violence and power politics that produced some of the Western world’s greatest works of art. The new documentary series aims to reveal an unfamiliar side to the Renaissance, with Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael also represented along with their patrons in 16th-century Italy.

PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT ON NEW NETFLIX HIGH END DOCUDRAMA TESTAMENT: THE TRUE STORY OF MOSES NARRATED BY CHARLES DANCE

    NETFLIX' TESTAMENT   

THE TRUE STORY OF MOSES DOCUMENTARY

The series is now available on Netflix

If you are looking for something appropriately religious to watch this Easter Sunday, earlier this week, a few days ago, Netflix has released new documentary series TESTAMENT: THE TRUE STORY OF MOSES which is available for streaming as of March 27th. After the success of Alexander: The Making of a God, this is their new high end historical documentary series in the form of a three episode docudrama which mixes live action sequences with the narration from the experts who tell the story of the biblical patriarch who trusted God and led his people out of Israel. Among the contributors are Rachel Adelman of Hebrew College, Pete Enns of Eastern University, Tom Kang of New Story Church, and Andy C. Lewter of Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship. 

 

THIS NEW DOCUDRAMA FOLLOWS

 the journey of Moses from outcast and outlaw to deliverer of the Israelites and messenger of God from the banks of the Nile to Mount Sinai to the Red Sea and includes viewpoints of different faith traditions, including traditional, historic Christianity. With Charles Dance as the narrator and actor Avi Azulay in the titular role, the cast also includes Dominique Jade Tipper as Zipporah, famous Turkish actor Mehmet Kurtulus as Pharaoh, Ishai Golan as Aaron, Reymonde Amsellem as Miriam, Tülay Günal as Bithiah, Melis Ulaş as Jochebed, Oberon K.A. Adjepong as Jethro, Emre Alp Törün as Dathan, Cem Emüler as Haman.

 

ALICIA VIKANDER JOINS CATE BLANCHETT AND CHARLES DANCE IN RUMOURS COMEDY MOVIE ON MOST POWERFUL WORLD LEADERS LOST IN THE WOODS!

  ALICIA VIKANDER JOINS  

CATE BLANCHETT IN RUMOURS

Alicia Vikander will star opposite Cate Blanchett in ensemble comedy movie RUMOURS which will hit cinemas later this year following seven leaders of the world’s wealthiest liberal democracies at the annual G7 summit after they become lost in the woods and face increasing peril while attempting to draft a provisional statement regarding a global crisis. Roy Dupuis, Charles Dance, Denis Menochet, Rolando Ravello, Takehiro Hira also star in this international feature shot over in Hungary for German and Canadian producers.

PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT ON STARZ' THE SERPENT QUEEN CATHERINE DE MEDICI EPIC TV SERIES STARTING SEPTEMBER WITH SAMANTHA MORTON! CHECK OUT NEW CHARACTER PHOTOS!

  THE SERPENT QUEEN  

IT FEELS GOOD TO BE BAD 

Serpent Queen bows September 11th

As I already told you before this Autumn will be a season of female rulers when it comes to historical series, and beside the queens from Lord of the Rings series The Rings of Power, Netflix The Empress, French Marie Antoinette and queen Truselda of German tribes in the second season of Barbarians  THE SERPENT QUEEN is probably our most anticipated one. Starz has now given us new lavish photos from this new eight part historical series in which Samantha Morton plays one of the most frightening queens of all times - Catherine de Medici of France! The series will launch Sunday September 11th created by Justin Haythe and based on the 2004 non-fiction book Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France by Leonie Frieda. After it finishes, Dangerous Liaisons will take up the Sunday evening prime time premiere historical drama slot at Starz.

 

IF YOU DON'T TEACH YOUR ENEMIES THEIR LESSON, THEY WILL NEVER LEARN

Scheming and cunning, Catherine de Medici was one of the most powerful women in the world. After becoming an orphaned teenager from the famous ruling family of Medici and then marrying into the 16th century French court she is expected to bring a hefty dowry and produce many heirs, but Catherine discovers her husband is already in love with another woman and then, her dowry remains unpaid and she learns she is unable to conceive. But with intelligence and determination, she keeps her marriage alive, mastering the bloodsport of the monarchy and ruling France for 50 years. In THE SERPENT QUEEN, Catherine tells her story through flashbacks, defending her actions and imparting lessons she's learned to her new servant, Rahima (Sennia Nanua). When her uncle Pope Clement (Charles Dance) brokers her marriage and a geopolitical alliance with France, but she learns on her wedding night that her husband is in love with Diane de Poitiers (Ludivine Sagnier), a stunningly beautiful lady-in-waiting who is twice the king-to-be's age. Catherine is thrust into a world where she must learn quickly who she can trust and seek to outmaneuver anyone who underestimates her. The rest of the cast includes Liv Hill as the younger version of Catherine, Antonia Clarke as Catherine's daughter in law Mary Queen of Scots, whom Catherine sent back to Scotland after her son Francis (George Jacques) died and she officially became regent in her own right on behalf of her 10-year-old son Charles IX. She then ruled France for three years by herself until Charles reached his maturity. After Charles died in 1574, Catherine also played a key role in the reign of her third son, Henry III. He outlived her by just seven months. She was generally despised in history seen as enemy by both Catholics and Hugenots and scary to common folks who were afraid of her love for all things occult - her pet astrologer was famous Nostradamus.

WHO ARE THE COURTIERS?

Raza Jaffrey will appear as Duke Francois Guise,the leader of Catholics. Colm Meaney is Catherine's husband king of France. Enzo Cilenti will play Ruggieri, the magician  and soothsayer! Barry Atsma will be famous Montmorency, who cares about the greater good of the society he serves as its foremost military leader. Nicholas Burns portrays Antoine de Bourbon, the rival of Catherine's Valois family. Danny Kirrane is Louis de Bourbon, his stronger willed and more intelligent brother! Memet Ali Alabora will appear as Sultan Suleiman! Adam Garcia will also have a reoccurring role and I think it was him getting quartered in the trailer below. Lee Ingleby is the middle aged Henry and I've heard Rupert Everett will guest star.

 

ENTER THE KINGDOM OF DREAM IN THE SANDMAN EPIC TV SERIES STARTING THIS AUGUST WITH TOM STURRIDGE, CHARLES DANCE, JENNA COLEMAN, JOELY RICHARDSON, STEPHEN FRY

  THE SANDMAN EPIC SERIES  

DREAM THE WORLD ANEW

The series streams August 5th

There is not much to expect in the scorching month of August, I can tell you that right now, but what I can definitely promise you is that we are getting a visit from the god of dreams himself when THE SANDMAN ten episode fantasy drama television series based on the 1989–1996 comic book written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics starts streaming from August 5th. The series was developed by Gaiman, David S. Goyer, and Allan Heinberg! You can check out the rather expensive looking brand new trailer released today down below:

The show will have ten episodes

 

 

ENTER THE KINGDOM OF DREAM

A wizard attempting to capture Death to bargain for eternal life traps her younger brother Dream instead. And thus, in 1916, Morpheus, the king of dreams and one of the seven Endless, is captured in an occult ritual. Fearful for his safety, the wizard kept him imprisoned in a glass bottle for many decades. After being held captive for 106 years, Morpheus escapes and sets out to restore order to his kingdom of the Dreaming. After his escape, Dream, also known as Morpheus, goes on a quest for his lost objects of power.

Tom Sturridge leads the cast

WHO IS IN THE CAST?

The cast is lead by Tom Sturridge as Morpheus, the king of dreams and ruler of the Dreaming. Gwendoline Christie is Lucifer Morningstar: The ruler of Hell. Vivienne Acheampong is Lucienne, the librarian of the Dreaming, while Boyd Holbrook is The Corinthian: A nightmare who escaped the Dreaming. Charles Dance is Sir Roderick Burgess: A charlatan occultist. Asim Chaudhry is Abel, a resident of the Dreaming, while Sanjeev Bhaskar is Cain. Kirby Howell-Baptiste is Death: Dream's kinder and wiser sister. Mason Alexander Park is Desire: Dream's androgynous sibling. Donna Preston is Despair: Dream's deformed sister who is twins with Desire. Jenna Coleman is Johanna Constantine: An occult detective investigating the Dreaming. Coleman plays two versions of the character: the eighteenth century-residing ancestor Lady Johanna Constantine and her present day descendant! Joely Richardson is Ethel Cripps: Burgess' fiancee and the mother of John Dee. Niamh Walsh is young Ethel Cripps. David Thewlis is Dr. John Dee: Cripps's son whose endeavor to find "truth" jeopardizes the world. Stephen Fry is Fiddler's Green / Gilbert: A mythical place of the Dreaming! Mark Hamill is the voice of Mervyn Pumpkinhead: A chain-smoking janitor whose head resembles a jack-o'-lantern.

BEHOLD SAMANTHA MORTON AS CATHERINE DE MEDICI AND HER ROYAL COURT IN THE SERPENT QUEEN EPIC TV SERIES LAVISH PHOTOS!

  THE SERPENT QUEEN  

BEHOLD THE COURTIERS!

A couple of weeks ago I brought you an exclusive list of all the period set shows we can expect to arrive to us this Autumn, and beside Lord of the Rings

The series will start September 11th on Starz

series The Rings of Power, THE SERPENT QUEEN is probably our most anticipated one. Starz has now given us first lavish photos from this new

Samantha Morton plays Catherine de Medici herself

eight part historical series in which Samantha Morton plays one of the most frightening queens of all times - Catherine de Medici of France! We can only

Charles Dance is the pope, Catherine's uncle

hope that the show will be better than their last dramas about famous queens - the godawful Spanish Princess and painfully almost atrociously dull Becoming Elizabeth. 

 

WHAT'LL THE SERIES BE ABOUT?

Scheming and cunning, Catherine de Medici was one of the most powerful women in the world. After becoming an orphaned teenager from the famous ruling family of Medici and then marrying into the 16th century

Liv Hill is a rather strange choice for young Catherine

French court she is expected to bring a hefty dowry and produce many heirs, but Catherine discovers her husband is already in love with another woman and then, her dowry remains unpaid and she learns she is unable to conceive. But with intelligence and determination, she keeps her marriage alive,

Diane de Poitiers is strangely ugly in the series for some reason

mastering the bloodsport of the monarchy and ruling France for 50 years. In THE SERPENT QUEEN, Catherine tells her story through flashbacks, defending her actions and imparting lessons she's learned to her new servant, Rahima (Sennia Nanua). When her uncle Pope Clement (Charles Dance)

Mary Queen of Scots and her ladies in waiting

brokers her marriage and a geopolitical alliance with France, but she learns on her wedding night that her husband is in love with Diane de Poitiers (Ludivine Sagnier), a stunningly beautiful lady-in-waiting who is twice the king-to-be's age. Catherine is thrust into a world where she must learn quickly who she can trust and seek to outmaneuver anyone who underestimates her.

Ludivine Sagnier is the strangest choice for Diane de Poitiers

The rest of the cast includes Liv Hill as the younger version of Catherine, Antonia Clarke as Catherine's daughter in law Mary Queen of Scots, whom Catherine sent back to Scotland after her son Francis (George Jacques) died and she officially became regent in her own right on behalf of her 10-year-old son Charles IX. She then ruled France for three years by herself until Charles

Liv Hill as the rather unattractive and dull young Catherine

reached his maturity. After Charles died in 1574, Catherine also played a key role in the reign of her third son, Henry III. He outlived her by just seven months. She was generally despised in history seen as enemy by both Catholics and Hugenots and scary to common folks who were afraid of her love for all things occult - her pet astrologer was famous Nostradamus.

WHO ARE THE COURTIERS?

Raza Jaffrey will appear as Duke Francois Guise,the leader of Catholics. Colm Meaney is Catherine's husband king of France. Enzo Cilenti will play Ruggieri, the magician  and soothsayer! Barry Atsma will be famous Montmorency, who cares about the greater good of the society he serves as its

Senia Nanua is Catherine's servant Rahima

foremost military leader. Nicholas Burns portrays Antoine de Bourbon, the rival of Catherine's Valois family. Danny Kirrane is Louis de Bourbon, his stronger willed and more intelligent brother! Memet Ali Alabora will appear as Sultan Suleiman! Adam Garcia will probably be Nostradamus but that is just my guess.

BREAKING NEWS: SEE TRAILER FOR NETFLIX' AGAINST THE ICE WITH NIKOLAJ COSTER WALDAU, CHARLES DANCE, AND BRITBOX' MYSTERY SERIES MAGPIE MURDERS WITH LESLEY MANVILLE! TIM ALLEN TO LEAD SANTA CLAUS TV SERIES

  AGAINST THE ICE TRAILER   

FOR NEW NETFLIX MOVIE

Against the Ice will stream March 2nd!

Coming this March to Netflix is new polar adventure thriller AGAINST THE ICE starring Nikolaj Coster Waldau, Charles Dance, Ed Speleers and Joe Cole. In 1909, Denmark's Alabama Expedition led by Captain Ejnar Mikkelsen was attempting to disprove the United States' claim to North Eastern Greenland, a claim that was rooted in the idea that Greenland was broken up into two different pieces of land. Leaving their crew behind with the ship, Mikkelsen sleds across the ice with his inexperienced crew member, Iver Iversen. The two men succeed in finding the proof that Greenland is one island, but returning to the ship takes

Against the Ice is Netflix' first original from Iceland

longer and is much harder than expected. Battling extreme hunger, fatigue and a polar bear attack, they finally arrive to find their ship crushed in the ice and the camp abandoned.

 

 SANTA CLAUS MINI SERIES 

WITH TIM ALLEN AT DISNEY +

The film series had three movies

Great news coming from Disney + today is that Tim Allen will star in a mini series, a sequel to his famous THE SANTA CLAUS with Last Man Standing's Jack Burditt as the showrunner. Here is the logline: Scott Calvin is on the brink of his 65th birthday and realizing that he can’t be Santa forever. He’s starting to lose a step in his Santa duties, and more importantly, he’s got a family who could benefit from a life in the normal world, especially his two kids who have grown up at the Pole. With a lot of elves, children, and family to please, Scott sets out to find a suitable replacement Santa while preparing his family for a new adventure in a life south of the pole.

 MAGPIE MURDERS TRAILER 

FOR NEW BRITBOX SERIES

Speaking of trailers, check out the first one for Britbox original series MAGPIE MURDERS which will stream its six episodes February 10th on the British streamer! Based on Anthony Horowitz’s novel it stars Lesley

Magpie Murders will stream on Britbox from February

Manville as Susan Ryeland, editor to best-selling writer Alan Conway (Conleth Hill). But, when the infamous mystery writer hands over his latest manuscript, the last chapter is missing. Before Susan can get her hands on the

The murder mystery within murder mystery will have six episodes

missing chapter, Conway is murdered. Naturally, she sets off on a quest to figure whodunnit. In his last novel he turned everyone he knew into the characters of this murder mystery within the murder mystery.

PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT ON WILDLY STELLAR HISTORICAL ADVENTURE THE KING'S MAN WITH HARRIS DICKINSON, RALPH FIENNES, GEMMA ARTERTON, AARON TAYLOR JOHNSON, RHYS IFANS, MATTHEW GOODE, CHARLES DANCE, TOM HOLLANDER, STANLEY TUCCI, NEIL JACKSON, DANIEL BRUHL

    THE KING'S MAN   

A WILDLY STELLAR ADVENTURE

The King's Man is out December 22nd

Believe it or not I showed you the first trailer for this one back in July of 2019, but it then had a very long road to the cinematic release: thanks to Covid outbreak and many other factors, THE KING'S MAN period set action spy movie is finally arriving to theatres around the globe almost four years after it was shot and made - the premiere has been scheduled for December 22nd ahead of the Christmas holidays. It will play in cinemas for 45 days before heading over to the digital platforms. 

  THE STORY OF THE KING'S MAN 

The prequel to Kingsman franchise, which dealt with history's very first independent intelligence agency, goes back to the beginning of the 20th

Harrison Dickinson and Ralph Fiennes lead the cast

century (and also deeper in the past) and follows a collection of history's worst tyrants and criminal masterminds who gather to plot a war to wipe out

Matthew Vaughn directed the movie

millions, and one man must race against time to stop them. The third sequel of the Kingsman franchise is also in works.

WHO ARE THE KING'S MEN?

Directed by Matthew Vaughn, the period set prequel to Kingsman movie series (Kingsman: The Secret Service was released in 2014 and Kingsman: The Golden Circle in 2017) about a mysterious British intelligence agency explores its origins with the help of one of the most stellar cast the big screen has ever seen: gorgeous Harris Dickinson leads the ensemble next to

The film was shot back in 2019

Ralph Fiennes (as Orlando, Duke of Oxford), Aaron Taylor Johnson, Gemma Arterton (as Polly), Daniel Bruhl (as real life clairvoyant performer Erik Jan Hanussen), Rhys Ifans (as Rasputin), Charles Dance (as colonial officer Herbert Kitchener), Matthew Goode (as Tristan), Tom Hollander (who plays three rulers George V and his cousins emperors Wilhelm II of Germany and Nicholas II of Russia) ,Djimon Hounsou, Stanley Tucci (as Merlin), Serbian actress Branka Katic (as Tsarina Alix), Alison Steadman (as Guinevere), Neil Jackson, Robert Aramayo (as Yugoslav hero Gavrilo Princip), and Joel Basman (as Gawain).

The release of the movie was delayed five times

Check out the latest short but super dynamic trailer below and tell us what you think: will you watch the film?

 

NEW ADAPTATIONS: ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE SERIES AT NETFLIX, THE BUSINESS FROM POLDARK PRODUCERS, HOUSE OF SECRETS AT DISNEY +, CHARLES DANCE, PETER MULLEN JOIN NESBO'S HANGING SUN

ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE

TV SERIES AT NETFLIX

 

Netflix will produce the series

It has been announced a couple of times before, but Anthony Doerr's ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE has been officially greenlit for series adaptation at Netflix where the four part series will be produced by Shawn Levy and Steven Knight. The series tells the story of Marie Laure, a teenager who is blind, and Werner, a German soldier, whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II! The world wide search for the, possibly blind, lead has already started. The book won Pulitzer Prize in 2015 and has been sold in almost ten million copies around the globe so far.

 

  IAIN BANKS THE BUSINESS  

TV SERIES VERSION

Speaking of adaptations, Poldark producer Tom Mullens will adapt Iain Banks' thriller novel THE BUSINESS into a TV series following Kate

The Business is becoming a series

Telman, a working class Glaswegian who has risen through the ranks to become a senior executive in a secretive super corporation, known only as The Business. Telman discovers that The Business is planning to buy a small country in order to secure a seat on the UN and that, despite the benevolent image and democratic structure it presents to the world, the company will stop at nothing to increase its influence. So begins a dangerous personal reckoning as Telman travels the globe from Scotland to the Swiss Alps, the American Midwest, Pakistan and the Himalayas, determined to uncover the conspiracy at the heart of the shady company she works for. 

 

  THE HANGING SUN ADS  

CHARLES DANCE, PETER MULLEN

Midnight Sun becomes Hanging Sun

Over at Sky, Charles Dance and Peter Mullen have joined Jessica Brown Findlay, Alessandro Broghi and Sam Spruell in the movieadaptation of Jo Nesbo's THE HANGING SUN a noir thriller set in a part of Norway where religion dominates, the sun never sets, and local residents seem to be from a different era. The film follows John, a man on the run because he has betrayed his powerful crime lord father, Dad. To escape from his family, John heads north and takes refuge deep in the forest near an isolated village. The only thing standing between John and his destiny are Lea, a woman facing hardship with a great deal of strength, and her son Caleb, a curious, pure hearted boy.

  HOUSE OF SECRETS  

TELEVISION SERIES AT DISNEY +

And in our four adaptation for today, Disney + is preparing action adventure fantasy series adaptation of Ned Vizzini and Chris Columbus' book

Disney + is producing the series

HOUSE OF SECRETS which he will direct himself. The story revolves around siblings Brendan, Eleanor and Cordelia Walker, who aren’t pleased when their family relocates to a creepy Victorian house once owned by an occult novelist, Denver Kristoff. By the time the Walkers realize that their new neighbor has sinister plans for them, they’re trapped in the magical house, traveling through the fantastical intertwined universes of Kristoff’s novels.

EMILY BLUNT'S WESTERN SERIES THE ENGLISH ADS RAFE SPALL, TOM HUGHES, TOBY JONES, STEPHEN REA,CIARAN HINDS! CHARLES DANCE, COLM MEANEY AND OTHERS JOINS SAMANTHA MORTON IN SERPENT QUEEN CATHERINE DE MEDICI SERIES

 EMILY BLUNT'S THE ENGLISH

WESTERN TV SERIES ADS CAST

Emily Blunt was announced by the BBC recently as the lead of their new six part Western series THE ENGLISH but now they've revealed

Emily Blunt will lead The English

additional cast. The series, which will also air on Amazon Prime Video in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, is set in the mythic mid American landscape in the year of 1890, and follows Cornelia Locke (Emily Blunt), an English woman who arrives into the new and wild landscape of the West to wreak revenge on the man she sees as responsible for the death of her son. Upon meeting Eli Whipp (Chaske Spencer), an ex cavalry scout and member of the Pawnee Nation by birth, they join together and discover a shared history which must be defeated at all costs, if either of them are to survive. The stellar cast of this thrilling, romantic, epic horse opera, will

Ciaran Hinds, Tom Hughes and Rafe Spall will also star

also include Rafe Spall, Tom Hughes, Stephen Rea, Valerie Pachner, Toby Jones, Ciaran Hinds, Malcolm Storry, Steve Wall, Nichola McAuliffe, Sule Rimi and Cristian Solimeno.

SERPENT QUEEN EPIC SERIES

CASTS CATHERINE DE MEDICI'S COURTIERS AND RIVALS

Over at Starz, after casting Samantha Morton as infamous Catherine de Medici in THE SERPENT QUEEN eight episode saga, they have now made

Samantha Morton will be Catherine de Medici

other cast additions. Considered an immigrant, common and plain, Catherine de Medici is married into the 16th century French court as an orphaned teenager expected to bring a fortune in dowry and produce many heirs, only to discover that her husband is in love with an older woman, her dowry is unpaid and she’s unable to conceive. Yet, only with her intelligence and determination, she manages to keep her marriage alive and masters the bloodsport that is the monarchy better than anyone else, ruling France for 50 years. Amrita Acharia will be a member of Catherine's retinue, Enzo Cilenti will play Ruggieri, the magician

Enzo Cilenti and Barry Atsma will also star in the series

and soothsayer! Barry Atsma will be famous Montmorency, who cares about the greater good of the society he serves as its foremost military leader. Nicholas Burns portrays Antoine de Bourbon, the rival of Catherine's Valois

Colm Meaney will be the king, Charles Dance the Pope

family. Danny Kirrane is Louis de Bourbon, his stronger willed and more intelligent brother. Meanwhile, Charles Dance recurs as Pope Clement; Ludivine Sagnier as Diane de Poiters, the king's mistress; Liv Hill as Young Catherine with Colm Meaney as King Francis.