A new movie take on Wells' The Island of Doctor Moreau is being prepared by Timothy Woodward Jr who has already cast Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Thomas Kretschmann, Ashley Greene and Praya Lundberg. EYES IN THE TREES will follow a video journalist (Meyers), his former protegeé (Greene) and a film crew who trek into an isolated forest in Thailand on an island known to locals as “The island of death” after the government held shadowy genetics experiments led by Dr. Addis (Hopkins).
The trip turns into a fight for survival after the expedition makes nightmarish discoveries and learns of Addis’s plans to regress mankind.
Disney's epic adventure series based on Jules Verne's work NAUTILUS, which already has Shazad Latif as captain Nemo has just added Richard E. Grant, Muki Zubis, Benedict Hardie, Jacob Collins
Benedict Hardie, Richard E. Grant, Jacob Collins Levy, Luke Arnold
Levy and Luke Arnold. The series that is now shooting down in Australia, will follow Indian prince Captain Nemo and his steampunk submarine on marital adventures. Grant will guest star as the leader of Karajaan, a port town Nemo and his crew encounter on their adventures.
GANDHI TV SERIES
CASTS GANDHI AS GANDHI
Speaking of exotic lands, Applause Entertainment is adapting Ramachandra Guha’s Gandhi Before India and Gandhi – The Years that Changed the World
It will be a huge project over in India
into a TV series covering everything from GANDHI’s earliest days and his actions as a lawyer in South Africa to the independence struggle in India, telling the lesser known stories of his life that played an important role in shaping him into a Mahatma. It will also tell the stories of all his compatriots and contemporaries of the freedom movement, who played integral parts in shaping what became free and modern India. Pratik Gandhi, the surname is coincidental, will star as Gandhi, who rose from a campaigning lawyer to lead India to independence from the British Empire before his tragic assassination in 1947. Sameer Nair, pictured in the photo with Pratik and Guha, will produce.
THE GOOD NEIGHBOR TRAILER
FEAR WHAT'S NEXT DOOR
The Good Neighbor is out this year
And here is a rather dynamic trailer for thriller movie THE GOOD NEIGHBOR in which a budding friendship takes a tragic flip when one of them runs over a younger lady. A nightmarish night unfolds for neighbors David (Luke Kleintank) and Robert (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) once they by chance hit a girl on her bike and flee the scene. Whereas David is more and more affected by emotions of guilt, Robert exhibits no regret and turns into overbearing and possessive.
When David meets Vanessa (Eloise Smyth), the sufferer’s sister, he submits to a reckless ardour and underlying sense of redemption earlier than realising Robert will do unspeakable issues to guard their secret…
EDGE OF THE WORLD TRAILER WITH JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS
Edge of the World will hit VOD later this June
Over at Digital Spy we spied today the first trailer for historical adventure which will hit UK streaming platforms in late June, EDGE OF THE WORLD (formerly known as The White Rajah) a new historical movie from director Michael Haussman in which Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays Sir James Brooke, the British adventurer who became King of Sarawak in the 1840's and embarked on a lifelong crusade to end piracy and head hunting - only to face charges of
Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Dominic Monaghan lead the cast
murder and piracy himself. He was the real-life 19th century inspiration behind Rudyard Kipling's The Man Who Would Be King and also Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim!
THE RULER OF SARAWAK Born in Bengal to a British expatriates, Brooke would join the Bengal
Army of the British East India Company before being seriously wounded
and
The film was helmed by Michael Haussman, director of music videos
sent to England to recover. Having inherited a small fortune, he
later bought a 142-ton boat and set sail for Borneo in 1838 in order to
escape a certain
The movie was filmed in English and a mix of local Sarawak dialect
romantic scandal. After falling in love with this
tropical paradise, he fought pirates and the Sultan’s enemies to win, in
1841, a crown as Rajah of Sarawak,
Dominic Monaghan plays Rajah's right hand and friend
where he ruled a jungle kingdom
larger than England until his death in 1868.
Brooke was knighted by Queen Victoria for his bravery, but went on to
defy the monarch when the British Empire tried to colonize Sarawak. The
reign of
The first idea to make this movie appeared back in 2010.
the White Rajah lasted three generations across a century, and
the family's legacy is now immortalised in the recently opened Brooke
Gallery at Fort Margherita in Kuching, Sarawak.
Who Is In The Rajah's Cast?
Beside Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the lead role, the cast also includes Hong Kong singer-turned-actress Josie Ho as Madame Lim, the explorer's former lover and Chinese leader, and Dominic Monaghan who is playing
The movie written by Rob Alyn was shot last year at Borneo
Colonel Arthur Crookshank, Brooke’s cousin and comrade-in-arms. Ralph Ineson plays Sir Edward Beech with Hannah New as Elizabeth Crookshank. The rest of the cast is made of native actors.
If you ask me, the most interesting movie project offered to the buyers at this year's Cannes Virtual Market, was THE WHITE RAJAH (I hear they will turn it into just Rajah to avoid the pressure of the racist part of the
The first idea to make this movie appeared back in 2010.
public), a new historical movie from director Michael Haussman in which Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays Sir James Brooke, the British adventurer who
Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Dominic Monaghan lead the cast
became King of Sarawak in the 1840's and embarked on a lifelong crusade to end piracy and head-hunting - only to face charges of murder and piracy
The movie was filmed in English and a mix of local Sarawak dialects
himself. He was the real-life 19th century inspiration behind Rudyard Kipling's The Man Who Would Be King and also Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim!
The Ruler Of Sarawak Born in Bengal to a British expatriates, Brooke would join the Bengal
Army of the British East India Company before being seriously wounded
and
The film was helmed by Michael Haussman, director of music videos
sent to England to recover. Having inherited a small fortune, he
later bought a 142-ton boat and set sail for Borneo in 1838 in order to
escape a certain
Hong Kong actress Josie Ho plays one of the female roles
romantic scandal. After falling in love with this
tropical paradise, he fought pirates and the Sultan’s enemies to win, in
1841, a crown as Rajah of Sarawak,
Dominic Monaghan plays Rajah's right hand and friend
where he ruled a jungle kingdom
larger than England until his death in 1868.
Brooke was knighted by Queen Victoria for his bravery, but went on to
defy
The movie was shot over at the island of Borneo
the monarch when the British Empire tried to colonize Sarawak. The
reign of the White Rajah lasted three generations across a century, and
the family's
All of the characters who are not English or Chinese are played by Sarawak actors
legacy is now immortalised in the recently opened Brooke
Gallery at Fort Margherita in Kuching, Sarawak.
Who Is In The Rajah's Cast?
Beside Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the lead role, the cast also includes Hong Kong singer-turned-actress Josie Ho as Madame Lim, the explorer's former lover and Chinese leader, and Dominic Monaghan who is playing
The movie written by Rob Alyn was shot last year at Borneo
Colonel Arthur Crookshank, Brooke’s cousin and comrade-in-arms. Ralph Ineson plays Sir Edward Beech with Hannah New as Elizabeth Crookshank. The rest of the cast is made of native actors.
Three new trailers and posters for you this lazy Saturday people, before we hit some lavish Shakespeare tomorrow (do stay tuned). First up today, a stunning
The movie is based on a true story!
poster for historical adventure THE 12TH MAN a World War II thriller coming from Norway which is currently out in North America and some parts of Europe starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
The story is set in Norway, 1943: after a failed anti-Nazi sabotage
mission leaves his eleven comrades dead, Norwegian resistance fighter
Jan Baalsrud (Thomas Gullestad) finds himself on the run from the
Gestapo through the snowbound Arctic reaches of Scandinavia. It's a
harrowing journey across unforgiving, frozen wilderness that will
stretch on for months and force Jan to take extreme action in order to
survive. They were 12 saboteurs. The Nazis killed 11 of them. This is
the true story of the one who got away...
'A-X-L' FANTASY MOVIE
WITH A CYBORG DOGGO!
Then there is also something much brighter: a beautiful trailer for lovely family adventure A-X-L which arrives to cinemas August 24th! It is a
The movie was directed by Oliver Daly
new adventure about a down-on-his luck teenage bike rider, Miles (Alex Neustaedter), who stumbles upon an advanced, robotic, military dog named A.X.L. Endowed with next generation artificial intelligence but with the heart of a dog, A.X.L. forms an emotional bond with Miles, much to the chagrin of the rogue military scientists who created A.X.L. and would do anything to retrieve him. Knowing what is at stake if A.X.L. gets captured, Miles teams up with his smart, resourceful crush, Sara (Becky G), to protect his new best friend. Thomas Jane also stars in this thrilling adventure.
'BLEEDING STEEL' TRAILER
WITH JACKIE CHAN AGAINST THE BORG... OR SOMETHING LIKE IT
Bleeding Steel arrives to USA this July!
Some strange and imaginative cyborg technology can be seen in Jackie Chan's BLEEDING STEEL as well! He plays a special force agent and police officer who is assigned to protect a young woman involved in a science experiment of longevity, from a gangster with an army of advanced technology who desires to obtain her power, while also having connections with him. Australian superstar Callan Mulvey also stars in the expensive $65 million worth action adventure arriving from Chinese Honk Kong. After playing last winter in parts of Europe and this spring in Asia, this delightfully trashy flick hits Northern America this July!
The film comes from Judi Dench's Red Joan producers
Period set Friday today as well, starting with the first poster for Gemma Arterton's new drama SUMMERLAND set in WW2! In this love story, Gemma plays fiercely independent writer Alice who secludes herself in her study: occupied by her work but also profoundly lonely, haunted by a love affair from her past.
When spirited young Frank, an evacuee from the London Blitz, is dumped into her irritable care, his innocence and wonder awaken Alice’s deeply buried emotions.
Bravely embracing life’s miraculous unpredictability, Alice learns that wounds may be healed, hope and second chances do exist, and any woman must defiantly be two things: who and what she wants.
'THE ASPERN PAPERS'
WITH JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS AND JOELY RICHARDSON
There is also the first poster and a photo from a movie I've been announcing for years now: THE ASPERN PAPERS in which Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Call Me By My Name's James Ivory is producing
plays an ambitious editor who tries to obtain romance letters a romantic poet sent to his mistress. Jon Kortajarena joins Joely Richardson and her mother Vanessa Redgrave in the big screen adaptation of Henry James novel!
The 19th century movie follows Morton Vint (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), a
young writer and publisher fascinated by iconic romantic poet Jeffrey
Aspern, who strives to get his hands on the letters Aspern wrote to his
beautiful mistress Juliana Bordereau. Now, decades later, Juliana
(Vanessa
The movie has been offered for international sales this month in Berlin
Redgrave) lives in a Venetian palazzo with her niece (Joely
Richardson), whom she dominates and whom Morton tries to seduce.
TO VISIT THE 19TH CENTURY IN 'ASPERN PAPERS' MOVIE
Jonathan Rhys Meyers has become a father this year
Your period set movie info for today includes a new gig for Jonathan Rhys Meyers! He has just joined Joely Richard- son and her mother Vanessa Redgrave in the big screen adaptation of Henry James novel THE ASPERN PAPERS
The 19th century movie follows Morton Vint (Jona- than Rhys Meyers), a
young writer and publisher fascinated by iconic romantic poet Jeffrey
Aspern, who strives to get his hands on the letters Aspern wrote to his
beautiful mistress Juliana Bordereau. Now, decades later, Juliana
(Vanessa Redgrave) lives in a Venetian palazzo with her niece (Joely
Richardson), whom she dominates and whom Morton tries to seduce.
RICHARD MADDEN
TO GO CRAZY AT 'IBIZA'
While we are waiting to see whether Amazon will order his science fiction pilot Oasis for a whole series and whether he will have flashback scenes in the second season of historical series Medici: Masters of
Richard Madden was your fave Prince Charming in Cinderella
Florence which starts shooting next month, our most favourite Richard Madden will do a little bit of comedy. As 'Deadline' reports, he will join Netflix movie IBIZA which already has Gillian Jacobs, Phoebe Robin- son and Vanessa Bayer in the cast! The story of the movie depicts a business trip to Spain that turns into a night clubbing adven- ture.
Medici series aired on Netflix worldwide, so this won't be the first
time Madden is working with them. As I reported before, after Medici,
Game of Thrones, Birdsong, Lady Chatterley's Lover and Klondike, super
talented and charismatic Richard Madden will return to TV also in
Electric Dreams, in one of the episodes of the anthology sf series based
on Philip K. Dick's stories.
Now if this isn't a superhunky series of cast additions to a movie I don't know what is: as 'Deadline' reports, three of our favourite Hollywood hunks have joined the long postponed big screen adaptation of THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY and those are Glen Powell, whom you've recently seen in Hidden Figures, our beloved Dutchman Michiel Huisman, whom you adored in The Age of Adeline, alongside Matthew Goode, and two British ladies Penelope Wilton and Jessica Brown Findlay, who now join Lily James and Tom Courtenay in the adaptation of Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows international best selling epistolary novel which has been sold in millions of copies in almost 40 countries around the world!
A WW2 STORY The lead role originally meant for Kate Winslet, back when Kenneth
Branagh was supposed to direct, now goes to Lily James portraying a
journalist Juliet Ashton who forms a bond with a secret book society
formed during German occupation of the Channel Islands during WWII. The
free spirited Ashton forms a life changing bond with the eccentric
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, when she decides to write
a book about the club. Mike Newell (Prince of Persia, Love in the time
of Cholera, Four Weddings and a Funeral) is directing!
'BLACK BUTTERFLY' TRAILER
JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS VS ANTONIO BANDERAS
Only a week ago I showed you a poster for the remake of French
thriller Papillon Noir by Herve Korian now titled BLACK BUTTERFLY and now we have the first, very thrilling, trailer as well.
Antonio Banderas plays Paul, a down on his luck screenwriter who picks
up a drifter (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and offers him a place to stay.
However, when the deranged stranger takes Paul hostage and forces him to
write, their unhinged relationship brings buried secrets to light.
Piper Perabo and Abel Ferrara also star in the movie which is out
sometime later this year.
Small movies Monday for you today, starting with the first trailer and poster for the movie adaptation of CARRIE PILBY a best selling novel from Caren Lissner in which Bel Powley plays a girl of high intelligence who struggles to make sense of the world as it relates to morality, relationships, sex and leaving her apartment. Beside Powley in the title role, the cast also includes Nathan Lane as her shrink, with William Moseley, Gabriel Byrne and Jason Ritter also in the cast. The movie should be out in US cinemas beginning of April.
'BLACK BUTTERFLY' POSTER
JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS VS ANTONIO BANDERAS The
first poster has also been released for the remake of French
thriller Papillon Noir by Herve Korian now titled BLACK BUTTERFLY.
Antonio Banderas plays Paul, a down on his luck screenwriter who picks
up a drifter (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and offers him a place to stay.
However, when the deranged stranger takes Paul hostage and forces him to
write, their unhinged relationship brings buried secrets to light.
Piper Perabo and Abel Ferrara also star in the movie which is out
sometime later this year.
'THE DINNER' TRAILER
RICHARD GERE & STEVE COOGAN
First trailer and poster have also been released for intense drama
thriller THE DINNER the movie adaptation of Herman Koch's novel.
Starring Richard Gere, Steve Coogan, Laura Linney and Chloe Sevigny and
out this May it offers a look at how far parents will go to protect
their children.
Today I'm reminding you of the two epic programmes that are airing this week on the telly, starting with new TV movie version of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM which airs tomorrow at BBC One! Starring John Hannah, Maxine Peake, Matt Lucas and Nonso Anozie it is set in the tyrannical court of Athens, where the pitiless dictator Theseus plans his wedding to Hippolyta, a prisoner of war, and young Hermia is sentenced to death by her own father. Meanwhile, in the town below, amateur theatre group the Mechanicals rehearse, with all their comic rivalries. And beyond Athens, in the wild woods, dark forces are stirring...
'ROOTS' EPIC TV REMAKE
MALACHI KIRBY, JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS, MATTHEW GOODE
Also debuting tomorrow simultaneously at History, A&E and Lifetime in four consecutive nights is the new mini series version of ROOTS! The $50 million eight hour saga is a historical portrait of American slavery recounting the journey
of one family and their will to survive and ultimately carry on their
legacy despite hardship! WithMalachi Kirby playing the lead role of Kunta Kinte, the star studded cast also includes Jonathan Rhys Meyers (as a merciless slave owner), Laurence Fishburne (as "Roots" author Alex Haley), James Purefoy (a tobacco plantation owner who buys Kunta Kinte), Mehki Phifer (as a mute farm slave) and Matthew Goode (as Dr. William Waller who is more benign toward slaves)!
JOSH HARTNETT, JOHN RHYS DAVIES & CHARLOTTE RAMPLING
Well this is a rather nice cast: Josh Hartnett has just been joined by two acting legends John Rhys Davies and Charlotte Rampling in sf movie VALLEY OF THE GODS which, as 'Deadline' reports, intertwines the stories of the richest man on earth, an ancient Najavo legend and writer John Ecas (Josh Hartnett), who possesses an unbridled imagination.
John, the film’s narrator, has the ability to alter reality,
launching the narrative into the realm of spectacular fantasy. The film
follows the three narratives as the characters attempt to escape the
inevitable drama that is about to unfold when supernatural visions
ultimately clash with impending reality. Charlotte Rampling is currently
nominated for an Oscar for 45 YEARS, while Davies is playing Elven King
in THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES.
'ROOTS' EPIC TV TRAILER
MALACHI KIRBY, JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS, MATTHEW GOODE
In the video department today, check out the first trailer for History Channel's scripted mini series ROOTS which will be simulcast also on Lifetime and A&E from May 30th! To air in two hour episodes in four days, it is a historical portrait of American slavery recounting the journey of one family and their will to survive and ultimately carry on their legacy despite hardship! With Malachi Kirby playing the lead role of Kunta Kinte, the star studded cast also includes Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Laurence Fishburne, James Purefoy, Mehki Phifer and Matthew Goode!
LILY COLLINS JOINS MATT BOMER IN PERIOD SET SERIES
Some really great casting news from the TV realm today, bringing some of our most beloved faces to the small screens, starting with dearest Lily Collins who has just been cast as the female lead next to Matt Bomer in Amazon's new series THE LAST TYCOON! Based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished novel it will also have Kelsey Grammer and Rosemarie DeWitt in the cast!
As 'Deadline' reports, the project centres on Monroe Stahr (Matthew
Bomer), Hollywood’s first wunderkind studio executive in the 1930s as he
climbs to the height of power pitting him against his mentor and
current head of the studio Pat Brady (Kelsey Grammer)! Lily Collins will
play Brady’s young daughter Celia, a lost young rich girl in love with
Monroe who begins taking her seriously after her intriguing movie pitch.
Rosemarie Dewitt joins the cast playing Pat Brady’s wife, Rose Brady.
'THE ROOTS' EPIC SERIES
JAMES PUREFOY, MATTHEW GOODE JOIN JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS, LAURENCE FISHBURNE
Meanwhile, A&E has really rounded up an extremely star studded cast for their historical mini series THE ROOTS which, spanning multiple generations, follows the story of young Kunta Kinte (Malachi Kirby), who is captured in his homeland of Gambia and transported in brutal conditions to colonial America, where he’s sold into slavery. Throughout the series, the family continues to face adversity while bearing witness and contributing to notable events in U.S. history, including the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, slave uprisings and eventual emancipation.
THE STAR STUDDED CAST Rap star T.I., Mekhi Phifer, James Purefoy, Matthew Goode have now
joined Forest Whitaker, Anna Paquin, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Anika Noni
Rose, Laurence Fishburne! The four, two hour, episode series will see T.I. play Cyrus, a headstrong slave who fights for his freedom for the Union Army against Confederate Forces; Mekhi Phifer is Jerusalem, a mute slave who works on the Murray plantation, but who is not quite what he appears to be; James Purefoy will play John Waller, the wealthy owner of a Virginia plantation who buys Kunta Kinte as a slave upon his arrival in America; Matthew Goode is Dr. William Waller, the educated, charming brother of John Waller!
Casting news to start the week, people, beginning with our dear Jonathan Rhys Meyers who always chooses deeply spiritual roles and this new one isn't different: according to 'Deadline' he will lead the cast in SHAMBHALA in which the story follows the sole survivor of a plane crash in the mountains of Pakistan who must deal with that trauma against the backdrop of an alien culture and language. The story will be told non chronologically, emphasizing themes of enlightenment and redemption. Australian/ Indian actress PallaviSharda and HOMELAND's Akshay Kumar will also star! You will next watch Meyers in Roland Emmerich's STONEWALL!
'THE LAST WORD' DRAMA
STARRING SHIRLEY MACLAINE AND AMANDA SEYFRIED Meanwhile, Mark Pellington will helm comedy drama THE LAST WORD
starring ShirleyMacLaine and Amanda Seyfried. The story will follow a
retired businesswoman named Harriett (Shirley MacLaine) who wants to
control everything around her until the bitter end and decides to write
her own obituary to make sure her life is told the way she wants it to
be. But when Anne (Amanda Seyfried), a young writer at the local
newspaper, is assigned to the task, she refuses to follow the script and
instead insists on finding out the true facts about Harriett’s life.
The pair then set out to uncover the ups and downs of Harriett’s life,
initially as reluctant partners, and what begins as an attempt to shape
her own legacy turns out to be a reawakening of passions for Harriett —
and a life altering friendship for Anne.
STAR STUDDED 'BIG STONE GAP'
ASHLEY JUDD, PATRICK WILSON, WHOOPI GOLDBERG, JENNA ELFMAN, JANE KRAKOWSKI
A lovely and exquisitely star studded trailer has been released for BIG STONE GAP drama which is out October 9th! Big Stone Gap is home to some of the most charming eccentrics in the state. Ave Maria Mulligan (Ashley Judd) is
the town's self proclaimed spinster, a thirty-five year old pharmacist
with a "mountain girl's body and a flat behind." She lives an amiable
life with good friends and lots of hobbies until the fateful day in 1978
when she suddenly discovers that she's not who she always thought she
was. Before she can blink, Ave's fielding marriage proposals, fighting
off greedy family members, organizing a celebration for visiting
celebrities, and planning the trip of a lifetime, a trip that could
change her view of the world and her own place in it forever. Jane Krakowski, Patrick Wilson, Whoopi Goldberg, Jenna Elfman, Anthony LaPaglia all star!
(Meyers), his former protegeé (Greene) and a film crew who trek into an isolated forest in Thailand on an island known to locals as “The island of death” after the government held shadowy genetics experiments led by Dr. Addis (Hopkins).
The trip turns into a fight for survival after the expedition makes nightmarish discoveries and learns of Addis’s plans to regress mankind.
(Meyers), his former protegeé (Greene) and a film crew who trek into an isolated forest in Thailand on an island known to locals as “The island of death” after the government held shadowy genetics experiments led by Dr. Addis (Hopkins).
The trip turns into a fight for survival after the expedition makes nightmarish discoveries and learns of Addis’s plans to regress mankind.
