SPOTLIGHT & TRAILER ON THE 'HALCYON' HOTEL WW2 SET TV SERIES WITH STEVEN MACINTOSH, OLIVIA WILLIAMS, MATT RYAN, ALEX JENNINGS

'THE HALCYON' HOTEL

NEW WW2 SERIES TRAILER

I was chatting recently with one of the generals of my Twitting Angel Squads about how unlike January this year that brought such luscious treats as War and Peace, And Then There Were None and Beowulf, January 2017 isn't bringing us anything special. But one thing we have to settle on is ITV's THE HALCYON eight episode period set series which will hit the British channel January 2nd set in a fancy WW2 hotel! Today, you can check out the first trailer!

THE HALCYON 
set in the 1940, tells the story of a “bustling and glamorous” five star hotel at the centre of London society and a world at war. The story will reveal London life against the backdrop of war and the impact it has on families, politics, relationships and work across every social strata all wrapped in a soundtrack of jazz music of that time.

MUSIC, LOVE AND POLITICS

The occupants of the hotel include the imperious owner, Lord Hamilton (Alex Jennings),  who cheats on Lady Hamilton (Olivia Williams), but the central relationship is the enmity between Lady Hamilton and the hotel manager, Richard Garland (Steven Macintosh), who share a dark secret. There is also the initially unspoken love between Freddie (Jamie Blackley), the Hamiltons’ elder son and a young Spitfire pilot, and Emma (Hermione Corfield), Garland’s daughter, the hotel receptionist. The younger son, Toby (Edward Bluemel), is secretly gay. Matt Ryan plays American journalist Joe O'Hara.

1ST PHOTOS FROM DECEMBER PERIOD SET NEW TV SERIES 'WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION', BRONTE SISTERS 'TO WALK INVISIBLE', 'HALCYON' WW2 HOTEL, EPIC 'LAST DRAGONSLAYER'

  BBC'S AND AGATHA CHRISTIE'S  

'WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION'

First photos are arriving for upcoming new period set television series, among them BBC's latest adaptation of Agatha Christie! After scoring amazing success with their last year's And Then There Were None, which boasted a tremendous cast, BBC is bringing us THE WITNESS FOR THE PROSECU- TION this December within their festive programme schedule! Admittedly it does look much weaker than the last year's project and does not have such a strong cast. This one stars Kim Cattrall, Toby Jones, Andrea Riseborough and Billy Howle.

With the long terrible shadow of the Great War falling across the rackety, feral 1920s, THE WITNESS FOR THE PROSECU- TION is a compelling story of deceit, desire, murder, money and morality, innocence and guilt, heartbreak and most painful and dangerous of all, love. The story starts after the murder of glamorous and rich Emily French (Kim Cattrall). All the evidence points to Leonard Vole (Billy Howle), a young chancer to whom the heiress left her vast fortune and who ruthlessly took her life. At least, this is the story that Emily’s dedicated housekeeper Janet McIntyre (Monica Dolan) stands by in court. Leonard however, is adamant that his partner, the enigmatic chorus girl Romaine (Andrea Riseborough), can prove his innocence.

  BBC'S 'TO WALK INVISIBLE'  

BRONTE SISTERS MINI SERIES

Speaking of BBC December will also bring us their new mini series on Bronte sisters TO WALK INVISIBLE which shows them in a new light and tells the story behind these three women who, despite the obstacles they faced, came from obscurity to produce some of the greatest novels in the English language. Jonathan Pryce plays the role of the Brontë sisters’ father, Patrick, and is joined by Chloe Pirrie as Wuthering Heights author Emily Brontë. Finn Atkins portrays ambitious older sister Charlotte who wrote Jane Eyre and Charlie Murphy plays the determined, level headed younger sister Anne the author of novels Agnes Grey and The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall. Their reckless brother Branwell, whose destructive behaviour threatened to destroy his family, is played by always great Adam Nagaitis.

  ITV'S 'HALCYON' SERIES

SET IN WW2 HOTEL 
Their rival ITV is, meanwhile, ready to air their eight part period set series HALCYON  set in the luxury of the Halcyon Hotel in World War II London! Fast paced and filled with music of that era, it shines a spotlight on the class divide between the upstairs and downstairs inhabitants of the hotel and their enduring relationships, lives and politics, set against the backdrop of World War II as it reaches its ferocious peak.  Olivia Williams is lady Hamilton, the owner of HALCYON, Steven Macintosh is the hotel manager. Lord and lady Hamilton also have two sons: Freddie (Jamie Blackley), a young Spitfire pilot, who's in love with Emma, manager's  daughter, the hotel receptionist, and younger son Toby (Edward Bluemel), who is secretly gay.

  'THE LAST DRAGON SLAYER'  

SKY'S CHRISTMAS TV MOVIE

Meanwhile, Sky One's Christmas festive programme will include a new television adaptation of THE LAST DRAGON SLAYER  based on the  first in the series of popular fantasy novels written by Jasper Fforde. Little Ellise Chappell plays an orphan Jennifer Strange, a young inhabitant of the Ununited Kingdoms, who discovers that her destiny is to become the last Dragonslayer. This magical series also stars Ricky Tomlinson, Pauline Collins and John Bradley.

CHARIOT RACES POSTER FOR 'BEN HUR' EPIC REMAKE WITH JACK HUSTON, RODRIGO SANTORO, MORGAN FREEMAN! 'HALCYON' HOTEL WW2 SERIES CASTS MATT RYAN, OLIVIA WILLIAMS, STEVEN MACKINTOSH

 'THE HALCYON' HOTEL

SERIES CASTS OLIVIA WILLIAMS, MATT RYAN, STEVEN MACKINTOSH

Earlier last winter I told you that ITV is preparing new period set series and now the cast has been revealed for the eight part 1940's set series THE HALCYON! The cast of the luxury hotel staff series will include Steven Mackintosh, Olivia Williams, Matt Ryan, Kara Tointon, Alex Jennings, Hermione Corfield and Mark Benton.

WW2 LONDON

The story of the series will reveal London life against the backdrop of WW2 and the impact it has on families, politics, relationships and work across every social strata. The story will unspool through the eyes of journalist Joe O’Hara visiting the bustling and glamorous five-star hotel! The series will be filled with music including a Beverly Knight performance.

'BEN HUR' EPIC POSTER

REVEALS THE CHARIOT RACE

New poster with the legendary chariot scene has been revealed for the remake of BEN HUR out this August! It follows Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston), a prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebbell), a Roman army officer. Stripped of his title, separated from his family and the woman he loves (Nazanin Boniadi), Judah is forced into slavery. After years at sea, Judah returns to his homeland to seek revenge, but finds redemption! Morgan Freeman plays his mentor, while Rodrigo Santoro is Jesus Christ!

2,500 HOLLYWOOD YOUNG STARS AUDITION FOR STAR WARS HAN SOLO SPIN OFF MOVIE! ITV ORDERS 'THE HALCYON' HOTEL WW2 SERIES!

 'STAR WARS' HAN SOLO SPIN

OFF AUDITIONS 2,500 ACTORS

And while Steven Spielberg confirmed today that he is still planning to make INDIANA JONES 5 and that he has no intention of replacing Harrison Ford in the lead role with some of the popular young actors (Chris Pratt was mentioned in gossips), Harrison will still be replaced by a young actor in STAR WARS Han Solo spin-off movie to be directed by moviemakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller.

FROM COLTON TO HUNTER   
And more than 2,500 actors have already auditioned for the role in the film set for May 2018 release! And the list of those who have tried out for the role of young HAN SOLO includes some well known names such as: X MEN'S Aaron Johnson, WALKING DEAD's Chandler Riggs, Hunter Parrish, JURASSIC WORLD's Nick Robinson, Miles Teler, Dave Franco, Ed Westwick, Tom Felton, GALAVANT's Joshua Sasse, Ansel Elgort, Logan Lerman, TRANSFORMERS' Jack Reynor, ARROW's Colton Haynes, and even MR. ROBOT's Rami Malek! Before this one hits the cinema, you will first see STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS later this month, then STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE spin off December 2016 and STAR WARS VIII in May 2017!

 'THE HALCYON' HOTEL

WW2 SET DRAMA AT ITV

Do you wonder how will ITV replace DOWNTON ABBEY which ends this Christmas? They plan to open the doors of THE HALCYON Hotel, an eight part series which will reveal London life against the backdrop of WW2 and the impact it has on families, politics, relationships and work across every social strata. The story will unspool through the eyes of journalist Joe O’Hara visiting the bustling and glamorous five-star hotel!