PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT ON DIANE DE POITIERS HISTORICAL SERIES ON FRENCH KING'S FAVOURITE WITH HUGO BECKER, ISABELLE ADJANI, GERARD DEPARDIEU, VIRGINIE LEDOYEN

  DIANE DE POITIERS SERIES 

THE KING'S FAVOURITE

Straight from the French court arrives new French historical mini series DIANE DE POITIERS which follows the life of the infamous French courtesan

The series is streaming on Salto

who held the French king in her wicked clutches for decades. Also known as THE KING'S FAVOURITE this costume drama is already streaming on French streamer Salto and will hit their France 2 channel from November 7th! The series has our dearest Hugo Becker as King Henry II, Virginie Ledoyen as Anne de Pisseleu, lead star Isabelle Adjani as the king's older lover Diane de Poitiers and Gaia Girace as the queen of France Catherine de Medici looking not very happy. Both Catherine and Diane look totally different than the ones depicted in The Serpent Queen series which is currently successfully airing over at Starz. The cast also has Gérard Depardieu as Nostradamus, Joey Starr as Comte de Kervannes, Olivier Gourmet as Charles Quint, Guillaume Galienne as Ambroise Paré, Samuel Labarthe as François 1st, and Jeanne Balibar as Marguerite de Navarre! The project is also being offered to international buyers as two 100minute episode series or four 50 minute episode one. You can also check out a clip showing the king fondling Diane while they are preparing poor Catherine for their first wedding night.

 

  IN THIS EPIC TV SERIES
about the royal Valois-Angoulême house who ruled in the midst of the Renaissance, a woman rides in the lead in the race for honours: her name is Diane de Poitiers, experienced huntress whose unalterable beauty fueled rumors and legends during her lifetime... and long after her death. Despite her unchallenged influence over Henry, the youngest son of Francis I, her position at court remained fragile in the face of the powerful rival Anne de Pisseleu, the King's favourite, who had a fierce hatred for her. And wasn't Henry's marriage to Catherine de Medici definitively compromising the dreams of Diana, who did not hesitate to compare herself to the goddess Artemis? Can the great Nostradamus (Gerard Depardieu) himself predict Diane's future? Can a simple courtesan escape the suspicions of the inquisition which relentlessly hunts down Protestants and witches? Almost a queen... More than a queen... Diane de Poitiers is a formidable firebrand, an icon of fashion and power, and a free woman.

 

ISABELLE ADJANI LOOKS IMPOSSIBLY YOUNG IN DIANE DE POITIERS EPIC TV SERIES CLIP ABOUT THE ROYAL LOVER OF HUGO BECKER'S KING HENRY II OF FRANCE

  DIANE DE POITIERS  

FIRST CLIP IS HERE!

Straight from the French court we have the first clip from French historical mini series DIANE DE POITIERS and although short it does gives us the first glimpse on the main characters: Hugo Becker as King Henry II,

Isabelle Adjani looks very young in the series

Virginie Ledoyen as Anne de Pisseleu, lead star Isabelle Adjani as the king's older lover Diane de Poitiers and Gaia Girace as the queen of France

The series will air on French TV later this year

Catherine de Medici looking not very happy.  To air sometime later this year on French Television, the project will be offered to international buyers as two 100 minute episode series or four 50 minute episode one.

 

  IN THIS EPIC TV SERIES
about the royal Valois-Angoulême house who ruled in the midst of the Renaissance, a woman rides in the lead in the race for honours: her name is Diane de Poitiers, experienced huntress whose unalterable beauty fueled

First glimpse of Hugo Becker as king Henry II of France

rumors and legends during her lifetime... and long after her death. Despite her unchallenged influence over Henry, the youngest son of Francis I, her position at court remained fragile in the face of the powerful rival Anne de Pisseleu, the King's favourite, who had a fierce hatred for her. And wasn't Henry's marriage

Gaia Girace as Catherine de Medice with the set crew

to Catherine de Medici definitively compromising the dreams of Diana, who did not hesitate to compare herself to the goddess Artemis? Can the great Nostradamus (Gerard Depardieu) himself predict Diane's future? Can a

Another photo of Catherine de Medici at the sets

simple courtesan escape the suspicions of the inquisition which relentlessly hunts down Protestants and witches? Almost a queen... More than a queen... Diane de Poitiers is a formidable firebrand, an icon of fashion and power, and a free woman.

NEW ISABELLE ADJANI PICS AS DIANE DE POITIERS FROM NEW HISTORICAL MINI SERIES! NAOMI WATTS IS SAVING BILLY HOWLE FROM A MOUNTAIN BLIZZARD IN INFINITE STORM SURVIVAL MOVIE TRAILER

 DIANE DE POITIERS SERIES 

NEW ISABELLE ADJANI PICS

Isabelle Adjani shared this one on her Facebook

The production started last September over in France and the airing of the two 90 minute episode mini series DIANE DE POITIERS will be sometime this year on French television, but we have some new photos of Isabelle Adjani as the famous royal mistress. The cast will also include Samuel Labarthe as King François I, Virginie Ledoyen as Anne de Pisseleu, Gaia Girace as queen Catherine de Médici with Joey Starr as Count of Kervannes, Gérard Depardieu as Nostradamus, Guillaume Gallienne as Ambroise Paré, Hugo Becker as king Henri II himself, and Jeanne Balibar

First photo of Isabelle in full costume at the sets in France

as Marguerite de Navarre. Diane de Poitiers was for more than twenty years the favorite of Henri II, King of France. A woman of character and legendary beauty, Diane nonetheless remained a simple courtesan and her position at

The series will probably be presented at Series Mania

court remained fragile. Wasn't Henry's marriage to Catherine de Medici compromising his dreams of domination? And her passion with Henri, twenty years her junior, and without which she is nothing, can that really last forever?

  INFINITE STORM TRAILER  

BASED ON A TRUE STORY

The movie is out March 25th in USA

After she is done saving her kid from bad guys in Desperate Hour, Naomi Watts will try to save Billy Howle from certain death at a snowy mountain in INFINITE STORM which will storm its way into cinemas March 25th directed by Malgorzata Szumowska. As an experienced climber (Naomi Watts) ascends Mt. Washington, she turns back before she reaches the summit as a huge blizzard approaches. But on her way down, she encounters a lone, stranded man (Billy Howle), and takes it upon herself to get them both down the mountain before nightfall arrives and they succumb to the storm. The movie is based on a true story! 

HUGO BECKER IS KING HENRY II, GERARD DEPARDIEU NOSTRADAMUS IN ISABELLE ADJANI'S DIANE DE POITIERS HISTORICAL TV SERIES ON FAMOUS ROYAL COURTESAN

  DIANE DE POITIERS SERIES 

FINDS NEW KING OF FRANCE

It was supposed to be Nicolas Duvauchelle sitting on the French throne, but as the production is about to start next week, DIANE DE POITIERS

Hugo Becker is king Henry II in the new series

historical mini series has cast gorgeous Hugo Becker as Henry II, but you won't see us complaining as he is known as Jamie Dornan of France. With Isabelle Adjani playing his older lover Diane, the two 90 minute part series has also cast Gerard Depardieu as Nostradamus! Gaia Girace is queen Catherine de Medici, Samuel Labarthe will play François 1st. Virginie Ledoyen will be Anne de Isseleu and Marguerite de Navarre will be played by Jeanne Balibar. The series will air next year on France 2.

 OFFICIAL PLOT

Won't Henry's marriage to Catherine de Medici definitively compromise the dreams of his much older lover Diana, who does not hesitate to compare herself to the goddess Artemis? Can the great Nostradamus himself predict Diana's future? Can a simple courtesan escape the suspicions of the Inquisition, which relentlessly hunts down

First look at Isabelle Adjani in the costume of Diane de Poitiers

Protestants and witches? Almost queen… More than queen… Diane de Poitiers, the hero of this new mini series, is a formidable flamboyant, an icon of fashion and a powerful, free woman.You can read more here.

BREAKING NEWS! EMILIA SCHULE, JAMES PUREFOY TO LEAD CANAL + NEW EPIC TV SERIES ON MARIE ANTOINETTE! SEE BENJAMIN VOISIN, GERARD DEPARDIEU, CECILE DE FRANCE, XAVIER DOLAN IN BALZAC'S LOST ILLUSIONS PERIOD SET ADAPTATION

 MARIE ANTOINETTE SERIES

IN PRODUCTION AT CANAL +

I did say many times that in these times of woke hardships, European studios will be the ones to save the period set genre and next to a slate of German, Russian and Italian costume series we now have another one coming

The first photo of Emilia as Marie Antoniette from the sets!

from France: beside the two part saga on Diane de Poiters, they are now preparing an eight part saga MARIE ANTOINETTE over at Canal + which brought us Versailles as well. German actress Emilia Schule has been set as the lead in Deborah Davis written and produced series which will also have James Purefoy, Marthe Keller, Louis Cunningham, Jack Archer,

German actress Emilia Schule takes the lead

Jasmine Blackborow, Gaia Weiss, Crystal Sheperd, Caroline Piette, Oscar Lesage, Roxane Duran, Liah O’Prey, Jonas Bloquet, Nathan Willcocks, Laura Benson, Nicola Perot, Paul Bandey, Maximilien Seweryn in the international cast.

 

  MARIE ANTOI NETTE WAS

barely 14 years old when she left Austria and her mother empress Maria Theresa to marry the Dauphin in France. She is still a stubborn and dissipated young child who must comply with French rules, which are numerous and complicated. The young princess quickly suffers from not being able to live her life as she sees fit. She is constantly under pressure to carry on the Bourbon line. A mission more

Gaia Weiss, James Purefoy, Marthe Keller (could be M. Theresa)

complicated than expected: even if the relationship between Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI improves over time, it will take them seven years to consummate their marriage. From the young runner-up to the queen of style, a true fashion icon, Marie Antoinette quickly impresses with her charisma and naturalness. She will gradually understand the codes and secrets of the French

Jonas Bloquet, Maximilien Seweryn, Oscar Lesage, Jack Archer

court and completely recreate Versailles in her image! But her success stirs up jealousy and rivalry. Defamatory pamphlets and persistent rumors about her private life undermine her reputation. It will take a lot of courage and dignity to defeat her numerous enemies at the Versailles court.

  LOST ILLUSIONS CLIP 

STRAIGHT FROM VENICE!

Speaking of French costume drama, check out the first clip from new French period set movie LOST ILLUSIONS which has premiered over at

Illusions Perdues is out October 21st

Venice Film Festival with rather rave reviews. Xavier Giannoli directed the 19th century set big screen adaptation of Honoré de Balzac's novel with the cast that includes Gerard Depardieu, Xavier Dollan, Cecile de France, and Vincent Lacoste. Benjamin Voisin plays Lucien de Rubempré, a young, lower class poet, who is madly in love with the baroness Louise de Bargeton. The risk of scandal forces them to flee to Paris where they hope to live and love freely. Lucien soon finds rejection and loses the baroness’s support. He finds himself alone, penniless, hungry, and humiliated until the

The movie is getting rather nice reviews over at Venice

day he seeks revenge by writing controversial – yet banal – articles. Inside the Paris he so coveted, he finds a cynical world where everything – and everyone – can be bought and sold. Can he find his way and remain faithful to his hopes and dreams? The movie is out October 21st in France, 28th in Russia. 

THE KING AND I TO GET NEW MOVIE ADAPTATION! GERARD DEPARDIEU, CECILE DE FRANCE, XAVIER DOLAN, BENJAMIN VOISIN LEAD PERIOD SET MOVIE ADAPTATION OF BALZAC'S LOST ILLUSIONS

  THE KING AND I GETTING  

A NEW MOVIE ADAPTATION

The many times adapted story of  Anna Leonowens who sets sail from England for Bangkok, the capital of Siam, to take the position of schoolteacher for the royal court of the King of Siam, will be made into a movie by

The 1956 original movie was famous for Deborah Kerr's ballgowns

Paramount. The scary thing is that the producers plan " to reimagine this classic story with a contemporary perspective that explores diversity and the contrasting worldviews of the characters by drawing from real history and the musical." God help us all!

   LOST ILLUSIONS   

NEW BALZAC ADAPTATION

Speaking of period set dramas, check out the first photo from new French movie LOST ILLUSIONS an adaptation of Honoré de Balzac's novel

The movie is coming this October

"Les illusions perdues" or Human Comedy. Directed and written by Xavier Gianolli, it sees Benjamin Voisin playing Lucien de Rubempré, a young, lower class poet, who is madly in love with the baroness Louise de Bargeton. The risk of scandal forces them to flee to Paris where they hope to live and love freely. Lucien soon finds rejection and loses the baroness’s support. He finds himself alone, penniless, hungry, and humiliated until the day he seeks revenge by writing controversial – yet banal – articles. Inside the Paris he so coveted, he finds a cynical world where everything – and everyone – can be bought and sold. Can he find his way and remain faithful to his hopes and

First photo from the new movie adaptation of Lost Illusions

dreams? Gerard Depardieu, Cecile de France and Xavier Dolan also star in the film scheduled for October 21st release.

1ST PHOTOS FROM EUROPE'S NEW PERIOD SET MOVIES: FRENCH HOME FRONT WITH GERARD DEPARDIEU & ESTONIAN MEDIAEVAL THRILLER MELCHIOR THE APOTHECARY

     'HOME FRONT' 

 STARRING GERARD DEPARDIEU

Home Front will arrive to French cinemas in November

As Tinseltown is still deep in its slumber, we continue charting the international waters here at the spy's headquarters this time with first photos from two new European period set movies. French drama HOME FRONT, based on the novel Des Hommes by Laurent Mauvignier, was a part of Cannes Film Festival's official selection. Starring Gerard Depardieu, it will arrive into French and Belgian cinemas this November. Check out the trailer below:

What's The Story?    
In 1960 they were called up to fight in the Algerian War. Two years later, Bernard, Rabut, Février and others came back to France. They kept quiet,

The film was presented at Cannes Film Festival

living in silence. But 40 years later, it takes almost nothing — a birthday party, or a gift held in one’s pocket — for the past to overwhelm those who have

Yoann Zimmer also stars in the French war drama

denied it for so long. In a village where everyone knows everyone, four veterans of the Algerian War are haunted by their past. Lucas Belvaux both wrote and directed the film.

     'MELCHIOR THE APOTHECARY'

MEDIAEVAL ESTONIA MYSTERIES

I think we had an Estonian or Latvian movie presented here only once before, but now they are preparing something new together with Germany. Currently shooting over in Tallinn is MELCHIOR THE APOTHECARY

The film is an Estonian, Latvian and German coproduction

mediaeval crime movie, envisioned as a movie trilogy, based on Indrek Hargla's seven popular historical crime novels. Märten Metsaviir stars as clever Apothecary Melchior, who, beside curing the ill also solves mysteries

The books on which the film is based have been translated around Europe

and now needs to discover the secrets behind a wave of murders set in mediaeval Tallinn. In the first movie, Melchior is set with the task of solving the murder of a famous knight of the order. During the investigation, he finds out that the victim was going after a mysterious prisoner in Tallinn, whose

The film is being directed by Elmo Nuganen

traces lead back to the local Dominican monastery. In a medieval world where people look for signs of God or the Devil in everything, Melchior’s detective work appears to be truly magical – it’s even believed that he can speak with the dead. Melchior’s actual “secret weapon” is his knack for noticing traitorous

The film is planned as the first part of the whole trilogy of movies

details and his ability to understand the darkest desires of the human soul. He knows, better than anyone else, that sin is always waiting at the door and temptation can poison even the most noble of intentions. The movie is planned to arrive into cinemas sometime in the Autumn next year.

TIMOTHY SPALL & VANESSA REDGRAVE TO LEAD 'MRS LOVRY & SON' FAMOUS PAINTER BIOPIC! 'TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH' INDO CHINA WAR MOVIE POSTER WITH GERARD DEPARDIEU, GASPARD ULLIEL

  'MRS LOVRY & SON'

TIMOTHY SPALL AND VANESSA REDGRAVE TO STAR

Timothy Spall plays Mr Lowry

Some more period set movie news at the end of the week! After playing a legendary painter in Mr Turner, Timothy Spall will take a brush into his hands again in MRS LOVRY & SON next to Vanessa Redgrave. It depicts the relationship between artist L.S. Lowry and his mother, Elizabeth. The movie will explain how Lowry lived all of his life with his overbearing mother, a deterring voice as he pursued his artistic ambition. However, a rent collector by day, Lowry took art classes in the evening and painted into the early hours to become one of the most significant artists of the 20th Century famous  for his scenes of life in the

Vanessa Redgrave will play his overbearing criticising mother

industrial districts of North West England in the mid-20th century. He rejected many awards during his life, including a knighthood in 1968.

  'TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH'

POSTER WITH GASPARD ULLIEL AND GERARD DEPARDIEU

You may also check out the first poster for period set war drama TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH (Les Confins du Monde) starring Gerard Depardieu and Gaspard Ulliel. Indochina, 1945. Robert, a young French

We are waiting for the first trailer for the new French war movie

soldier, witnesses the Japanese executing his family. Hungry for revenge, he enlists in the fight alongside the French soldiers, but his encounter with an Indochinese prostitute will turn his beliefs and his hatred on their head.

RUSSIAN WEEKEND: NEW RUSSIAN EPIC TV SAGA'S 'MATA HARI' WITH RUTGER HAUER, GERARD DEPARDIEU, CHRISTOPHER LAMBERT, JOHN CORBETT, 'ROAD TO CALVARY' SET IN THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

  'MATA HARI' TV SERIES

AN EPIC TRUE STORY

The series was produced by Russian, Ukrane, Portugal

This one has already aired in motherland Russian earlier this year, and is currently airing over in Ukraine, but I'm guessing it has been airing around the world as well since I remember it was a huge hit among the buyers at last year's Mipcom. MATA HARI is a 12 episode period set drama with an international cast that includes Vahina Giocante, Oisin Stack, Rutger Hauer, Gerard Depardieu, John Corbett, Rade Serbedzija, Christopher Lambert, Pasha Sol, Alexey Guskov and Svetlana Hodchenkova!

Vahina Giocante plays the lead role of Mata Hari

LOVE AND SURVIVAL  
Margaret McLeod is penniless and out on the streets after her husband leaves her and gains custody of her only daughter. With no other means of making a living, she decides to become an exotic dancer. Under the stage

The series features Mata Hari's steamy choreographies!

name of MATA HARI, Margaret soon wins fame and notoriety, becoming extremely popular with the European elite. She becomes a regular guest of luxury villas and magnificent mansions, her every performance creating a real

The name Matahari means 'eye of the day' in Indonesian and Malay

sensation. But the year is 1913 and the world is on the verge of a war that will change the entire course of history. MATA HARI cannot even imagine what fateful role she is to play in these coming events.

  'ROAD TO CALVARY'

SERIES CELEBRATING 100 YEARS FROM RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

The series is an epic adaptation of Alexey Tolstoy novel

Another of the Russian television series has, meanwhile, been a hit at this year's Mipcom, which was held last year in Cannes. ROAD TO CALVARY is an epic TV series adaptation of Alexey Tolstoy's novel to be broadcast on the 100 year anniversary of the Russian Revolution of 1917.

  St. Petersburg, 1914. The capital city lives as if in anxious expectation of some fatal day. Russia strives for changes. The central characters in the story are the Bulavin sisters. The young Dasha (Anna Chipovskaya) is stern and

The series is set in the six years that have changed the course of Russian history

idealistic, while the married Katya (Yulia Snigir) is careless and unhappy in her marriage. Both girls fall in love with a Decadent poet Alexey Bessonov, the

Road to Calvary follows the lives of two different sisters

master of minds, who is hopelessly disappointed in life. The love drama turns into a tragedy as World War I begins. The whole country is bestirred, a flow of fateful events carries the sisters away, separates them, destroys their families

Road to Calvary features battle scenes depicting tragedy of war

and puts them on the different sides of the barricades. The characters’ paths often cross and diverge again. But out there, at the end of this continuous walk of pain, the light of hope and of a new and never-before-seen world is shining.