PBS Masterpiece and BBC have announced new TV series adaptation of Henry James' classic novel THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY with Nell Tiger Free leading the cast as Isabel Archer, a vivacious New World ingénue who leaves America for Old World Europe, keen to experience all that life has to offer. A young woman with charm and an innate intellectual curiosity,
Gemma Arterton, Jim Sturgess, Hugh Skinner will star
Isabel rejects a series of marriage proposals, but when she inherits an unexpected fortune that promises to grant her freedom, she falls prey to two American ex-pat schemers: the elegant Madame Merle (Gemma Arterton), and the charming but calculating Gilbert Osmond (Jim Sturgess). Bill Nighy plays Mr. Touchett, who is enamored with Isabel’s youth and spirit and
Bill Nighy, Nell Tiger Free and Hamish Frew will also star
hopes to help her in her quest for freedom, while Miranda Richardson is Mrs. Touchett, Isabel’s fantastically eccentric aunt, who takes her to Europe in search of a husband. Jack Wolfe is Ralph Touchett, Hugh Skinner is Lord Warburton, Hamish Frew is Casper Goodwood, Thomas Coombes is Mr Bantling, Lydia Leonard is Countess Gemini and Edward Rosier will be played by Dean-Charles Chapman.
I told you last year that BBC
was working with Catherine Shepherd on TWO WEEKS IN AUGUST thriller series that tells the story of a woman who
goes on holiday to
Greece with her family and friends to rediscover joy in her life and
today we have a trailer for you as well. We thought BBC might actually save it for August, but the eight part series starts May 23rd! You can check out the exciting trailer below and tell us what you think, will you be watching the new series?
THE STORY OF THE SERIES FOLLOWS
Zoe who begins to act on her deepest desires and the holiday she hoped for
becomes a reckoning for a group of adults who refuse to grow up. But when they discover they are trapped on the island, and become faced with
real life-or-death situations, the group soon turn on each other to
find out who is to blame. Is Zoe responsible for
the drama and destruction around her or, as heaven turns to hell, are
bigger forces at play? We are in Greece after all, the land of the
ancient Gods...The cast is led by Jessica Raine as Zoe, Damien Molony as her troubled husband Dan, Nicholas Pinnock as their old friend Solomon and Antonia Thomas as his new wife Jess, alongside Leila Farzad and our dearest Hugh Skinner as uni friends Nat and Jacob
I told you last year that BBC
was working with Catherine Shepherd on TWO WEEKS IN AUGUST thriller series that tells the story of a woman who goes on holiday to
Greece with her family and friends to rediscover joy in her life and today we have the first images. It follows Zoe who begins to act on her deepest desires and the holiday she hoped for
becomes a reckoning for a group of adults who refuse to grow up. But
when they discover they are trapped on the island, and become faced with
real life-or-death situations, the group soon turn on each other to
find out who is to blame. Is Zoe responsible for the drama and destruction around her or, as heaven turns to hell, are bigger forces at play? We are in Greece after all, the land of the ancient Gods...The cast is led by Jessica Raine as Zoe, Damien Molony as her troubled husband Dan, Nicholas Pinnock as their old friend Solomon andAntonia Thomas as his new wife Jess, alongside Leila Farzad and our dearest Hugh Skinner as uni friends Nat and Jacob.
And it is such a massively stellar ensemble movie: Sir Ian McKellen's movie FRANK AND PERCY which also stars Roger Allam will also have Hugh Skinner, Sir Stephen Fry, Dame Joanna Lumley, Sir Derek Jacobi, Rob Brydon and Dame Sian Phillips in the cast. The story follows two older men who meet while walking their dogs on Hampstead Heath. What begins as a casual conversation about the weather and aching hips gradually deepens into an unexpected friendship – and perhaps something more.
I told you last month that BBC
is working with Catherine Shepherd on TWO WEEKS IN AUGUST thriller series that tells the story of a woman who goes on holiday to
Greece with her family and friends to rediscover joy in her life. Zoe
begins to act on her deepest desires and the holiday she hoped for
becomes a reckoning for a group of adults who refuse to grow up. But
when they discover they are trapped on the island, and become faced with
real life-or-death situations, the group soon turn on each other to
find out who is to blame. Now we know that Jessica Raine will star as Zoe, Damien Molony as her troubled husband Dan, Nicholas Pinnock as their old friend Solomon and Antonia Thomas as his new wife Jess, alongside Leila Farzad and Hugh Skinner as uni friends Nat and Jacob.
The airing dates for this one are getting closer and closer, people! Whydates in plural? Because for the first time ever Netflix has decided to split THE WITCHER into two parts, so the first batch of season three's eight episodes will stream from June 29th (five episodes) and then the other part from July 27th! And, yes, this is the last season with Henry Cavill in the lead role of Geralt the Witcher, after that season four will have Liam Hemsworth
in the lead role, if they do not cancel it of course in the meantime due to the backclash from the audience who are not happy with Henry leaving and with the producers turning the
This season will have eight episodes
adaptation into a garbage.
In the upcoming season three, Geralt takes Ciri into
hiding, determined to protect his newly-reunited family against those
who threaten to destroy it. Entrusted with Ciri’s magical training,
Yennefer leads them to the protected fortress of Aretuza, where they
hope to uncover more about the girl’s untapped powers! Instead, they
discover they’ve landed in a battlefield of political corruption, dark
magic, and treachery. They must fight back, put everything on the line — or risk losing each other forever.
THE THIRD SEASON
is also loosely based on Andrzej Sapkowski's books although fans have been angry with
the producers for changing too much and rumour has it that Cavill has
left the project for the same reason and for the bad writing which
really has been godawful so far. Cavill now has a Warhammer series to lead and he has also been announced as the new Highlander. So is expected to lead two new epic adventure series while Netflix is left to save what is there to save from the poorly written Witcher adaptation. Joey Batey, Bard Edwards, Mimi Ndiweni, Eamon Farren, MyAnna Buring, Wilson Mbomio and Tom Canton are also set to return in Season 3. New arrivals are Robbie Amell as Gallatin, a born fighter who leads an army of guerrilla
Scoia’tael fighting on behalf of Nilfgaard, and Hugh Skinner as Prince Radovid, a royal playboy and younger
brother to King Vizimir. With his good looks and often
drunken charm, Radovid surprises with how incisive he can be in matters
of politics, but it’s all games until someone gets hurt.
After breaking Netflix viewing records, epic fantasy series THE WITCHER is shooting season three and now we have news that Hugh Skinner and Robbie Ammel have joined Henry Cavill in the cast. Amell will be Gallatin, a born fighter who leads an army of guerrilla Scoia’tael fighting on behalf of Nilfgaard. Unafraid to speak his truth, Gallatin’s loyalty to his people ultimately leads him on a collision course with Francesca over power. Skinner is Prince Radovid, a royal playboy and younger brother to King Vizimir, Radovid finds himself suddenly a man on the inside of the Redanian Intelligence. With his good looks and often drunken charm, Radovid surprises with how incisive he can be in matters of politics, but it’s all games until someone gets hurt.
YAKAMOZ S-245 SERIES
APOCALYPSE AT NETFLIX
Beside Heirs to the Land which arrives tomorrow, another non English series comes to Netflix this month: April 20th will bring us YAKAMOZ S-245 Turkish series starring their hunkiest star Kivanc Tatlitug. Free-spirited dive instructor and marine biologist Arman is set to join in a research mission aboard a submarine. However, when the sun starts killing everyone up above, Arman and his science crew need to get onboard a military sub to survive. As they try to figure out what is happening up above as well as what the military sub's true mission is, tensions arise between the crews, and especially between Arman and the boat's second commander, Umut. Arman will not only fight to stay alive but also will get a second chance with the love of his life. At the end of it all, he will learn... that he is a hero, a leader, and a legend.
Yes, I'm a bit shocked myself as Mara has no charisma whatsoever, but Audrey Hepburn is next in line to get a biopic and Apple has unveiled that
Rooney Mara will star and also produce
Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name) will helm it with Rooney Mara producing and taking the lead role. Five time Oscar nominee Hepburn was born in Belgium and grew up in Netherlands during World War II when the Germans occupied the country. As Deadline writes, she studied ballet in Amsterdam in 1945 and then took part as a chorus girl in London’s West End. Her first film role was tiny in the 1952 feature Monte Carlo Baby. She then got the title role of the Broadway play Gigi, which earned her great praise. Her first leading role was 1953’s Roman Holiday for which she notched an Oscar, a Golden Globe Award, and a BAFTA Award. Other movies she played in include big screen classics such as Sabrina, Funny Face, The Breakfast at Tiffany's, Charade and the most famous My Fair Lady!
REAL LOVE(YES,IT'S REAL LOVE)
RUSSELL TOVEY, HUGH SKINNER IN NEW BRITISH COMEDY
Meanwhile, currently in post production is British comedy movie REAL LOVE (YES, IT'S REAL LOVE) which will, directed and written by Jamie Adams, revolve around a trio of friends who stage a fake wedding in order to secure a large inheritance. The cast is really delightful, led by our
Russell Tovey and Hugh Skinner will star in the comedy
gorgeous boys Russell Tovey and Hugh Skinner, next to Sian Clifford, Ophelia Lovibond, Rosie Day and Richard Herring. Down-on-their-luck best friends Sally, Denise and Mick, hatch a plan to receive a sizeable family inheritance by staging a sham wedding.
Two years ago when I first informed you that Universal is preparing first gay romantic comedy from a big studio we prayed that its lead Billy Eichner will get a hot partner in it and the one he has just got could not really be any hotter indeed: our dearest Luke MacFarlane will lead BROS romantic
Billy Eichner and Luke MacFarlane will take the leads
comedy together with him. Nicholas Stoller, who also co wrote the script with Eichner, will direct the movie which revolves around two men with commitment issues who attempt to start a relationship together. The film will be out exactly a year from now.
FALLING FOR FIGARO TRAILER
TO FIND YOUR VOICE YOU MUST SING FROM THE HEART!
And here is a super delightful trailer for world's first operatic movie comedy FALLING FOR FIGARO which will sing its way into cinemas this
Falling for Figaro arrives this October!
October starring always lovely Hugh Skinner, hilarious Joanna Lumley and Danielle Macdonald in the lead role. She plays a brilliant young fund manager who leaves her unfulfilling job and long term boyfriend to chase her lifelong dream of becoming an opera singer in the Scottish Highlands. She meets a fellow opera student while in training, and what begins as a rivalry develops into something more. Ben Lewin, who also wrote the script, directed the movie which is a coproduction between USA, UK and Australia where the film was also shot. The film will premiere in September at Toronto Film Festival.
NINE PERFECT STRAN- GERS TV news for you today, starting with the latest info from Hulu: after Manny Jacinto the latest one to join the mini series NINE PERFECT STRANGERS with Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarthy is Luke Evans. The series, based on Liane Moriarty's book, takes place at a boutique health and wellness resort that promises healing and transformation as nine stressed city dwellers try to get on a path to a better way of living. Watching over them during this ten-day retreat is the resort’s director Masha (Nicole Kidman), a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies. Luke Evans, whom you can watch next month in Angel of Darkness mini series, will play Lars, one of the nine “perfect” strangers in the drama set for next year.
'LITTLE BIRDS' TRAILER
FOR A PROVOCATIVE NEW SERIES
The series hits Sky this August
Sky has finally released the first, rather provocative and erotic, trailer for their immersive and unusual new period set series LITTLE BIRDS which will have all its episodes out August 4th with the cast led by Juno Temple and Hugh Skinner. The Morocco set new mini series will air on Sky on Demand and Now TV where you will be able to watch it.
Little Birds Springboards
from the erotic vignettes of Anais Nin into
the Tangier International Zone of the 1950s. We arrive there with New
York heiress Lucy Savage (Juno
Juno Temple leads the cast of the new Morocco set series
Temple) fresh off the transatlantic
steamer and ready for love and marriage in exotic climes. But when her
husband Hugo (Hugh Skinner) does not greet
Hugh Skinner will play the husband of Juno Temple's character
her in the way she expected,
she spins off into the surprising, diverse and degenerate world of
Tangier in 1955. What Lucy discovers is a world in flux, a
There will be a lot of exotic vistas in the new series airing in August on Sky
country
quivering on the cusp of independence, populated by a myriad of
characters including a scandalous dominatrix, Cherifa Lamor (Yumna
Marwan) who particularly captures Lucy’s imagination.
A month or so ago, I informed you that a new musical movie filled with opera is on its way and now we have the male lead revealed for FALLING FOR FIGARO, a romantic comedy which already features Danielle Macdonald and Joanna Lumley in lead female roles. Harlots star Hugh Skinner has joined the cast together with Shazad Latif, Rebecca Benson and Gary Lewis as Screen Daily reports.
Danielle Macdonald plays a brilliant young fund manager, who decides
to leave her unfulfilling job and long term boyfriend to pursue her
lifelong dream of becoming an opera singer, in the Scottish Highlands.
She begins intense vocal training with a former opera diva (Joanna
Lumley) and meets a fellow student (Hugh Skinner) who is also training
for an upcoming contest. The film will feature arias from famous operas
including The Barber Of Seville, The Marriage Of Figaro, Don Giovanni,
Romeo And Juliet and Carmen.
NATALIE DORMER TO PRODUCE
SPITFIRE SISTERS WW2 SERIES
It is possible Natalie will also star in the series
After launching her own production company, the star of many period set projects Natalie Dormer has joined with Freemantle on SPITFIRE SISTERS, an eight episode WW2 series which will follow the women of the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), the ‘glamour girls’ of the battle as they take on one of the most dangerous jobs in the war. Filled with friendships, love, camaraderie, and deep tragedy and loss, the women of ATA were tasked with flying 90 different types of aircraft from base to base ready for the frontline. Female pilots from all over the world travelled to the UK to join the group but the glamour of being in the ATA came with the tragedy of flying during the war. SPITFIRE SISTERS is the war through the eyes of the women; the dangers they faced and their fight for acceptance and equality. Morgan Lloyd Malcolm is penning the scripts for the upcoming series.
JUNO TEMPLE, HUGH SKINNER, MATT LAURIA TO 1950'S TANGIER
More cast has been announced for Sky Atlantic's new period set six part drama LITTLE BIRDS the adaptation of Anais Nin’s book of erotic stories,
Our dearest Hugh Skinner is returning to period set TV
set in Tangier in 1955, in the famous international zone, one of the last outposts of colonial decadence!
Juno Temple plays American debutante Lucy Savage faced with a culture
shock.
David Costabile will play Lucy’s larger than life father, Grant Savage,
an arms manufacturer who wants to control his daughter, wiith Amy
Landecker as his loquacious wife Vanessa. Having set Lucy up with an
English Lord, Hugo Cavendish Smythe (played by Harlots, Poldark and Star Wars star Hugh Skinner) Grant
thinks he has a malleable, potentially useful son-in-law but
Matt Lauria leads the American part of the cast
unbeknownst
to the Savages, Hugo has already lost his heart to someone else. Matt
Lauria will be Bill, a bartender and bohemian artist who works in
neighbourhood nightclub El Sirocco and soon becomes a confidante of both
Lucy and Hugo. Although he is not what he seems and his flirtation and
the hand of friendship offered to Lucy and Hugo is very much a cover for
some more nefarious motivations.
As Lucy fights to carve out her independence and identity, her life
becomes intertwined with Cherifa Lamour (Yumna Marwan), a Moroccan
dominatrix who services the diplomats and foreigners of this colourful,
bohemian world and Egyptian Aristocrat Adham Abaza (Raphael Acloque),
and they all become entangled with some very dangerous characters. Nina
Sosanya, Rossy De Palma, Jean Marc-Barr and Raphael Acloque also star.
You can almost hear the sound of Abba's greatest hits as MAMMA MIA: HERE WE GO AGAIN is ready to dance its way into cinemas this weekend! And speaking of those songs, you will again hear Waterloo, I Have a Dream, Dancing Queen, Fernando and of course, Mamma Mia in the sequel too! Directed by Ol Parker, it is opening July 20th set after the events of the first film with flashbacks to 1979 to tell the story of how Donna came to be on the island of Kalokairi and trying to figure out who fathered her daughter, Sophie.
DONNA IS DEAD! Five years after the events of Mamma Mia!, on the Greek island of Kalokairi, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is pregnant with Sky's (Dominic Cooper) child while running her mother's (Meryl Streep)
villa. Her relationship with Sky has been turbulent for some time,
giving her cause to doubt that she can survive without her mother,
Donna, who had passed away one year prior. With Tanya (Christine Baranski) and Rosie's (Julie Walters)
guidance, Sophie will find out more of Donna's past, including how she
fronted The Dynamos, started her villa on the island from nothing, met
each one of Sophie's dads (Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgård, and Colin Firth),
and raised a daughter, without a mother to guide her. She also has an
unexpected visit from someone she has never even met: her grandmother,
Ruby Sheridan (Cher).
WHO ELSE IS IN THE FILM?
With the flashbacks featuring rather heavily in the movie with the main character from the original 2008 movie now dead and gone, the cast will also include younger versions of the leading stars and thus Lily James joins the movie as young Donna, Jessica Keenan Wynn as Young Tanya, Alexa Davies as Young Rosie. When it comes to boys, Jeremy Irvine joins the cast as Irish American architect Young Sam, Hugh Skinner as British banker Young Harry and Josh Dylan as Young Bill, Swedish sailor and travel writer! Andy García is Fernando Cienfuegos, the manager of the Hotel Bella Donna, old friend of Ruby’s! Celia Imrie is Vice-Chancellor! The movie was shot last year in the wonderful seaside of Croatia where Game of Thrones is also being shot!
