BBC CELEBRATES 400TH ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST FOLIO WITH NEW STAR STUDDED DOCUDRAMA SHAKESPEARE: RISE OF A GENIUS

  BBC'S SHAKESPEARE  

RISE OF A GENIUS DOCUSERIES

Marking the 400th anniversary of the publication of William Shakespeare's First Folio, gripping three-part docuseries SHAKESPEARE: RISE OF A GENIUS tells the incredible story of how a glover’s son from rural Stratford became the greatest writer who ever lived. Taking a deep dive into Shakespeare’s life story, the place and time he inhabited and the work he produced, the three part series reveals a dangerous and exciting world filled with bitter rivalries, rebellion, murder and deadly plague, that ignited and nourished his creative genius. Cinematic drama vignettes depict Shakespeare’s life alongside a host of stars and experts, including Dame Judi Dench, Brian Cox, Adrian Lester, Helen Mirren, Martin Freeman and Jessie Buckley, alongside academics and writers bringing fresh insights into the story of Britain's greatest writer. Tracing Shakespeare’s life story, each episode follows the triumphs and setbacks of his writing life, revealing how the people he met and the world he witnessed found their way into his work. The series starts on BBC Two from November 8th. Daniel Boyarsky plays Shakespeare himself in the series.

Shakespeare - Rise of a Genius' this Tuesday on BBC2https://t.co/8I2UyZ8eIR

— Film Warwickshire (@filmwarks) October 29, 2023

JUDI DENCH, DEREK JACOBI, RUSSELL TOVEY, JENNIFER SAUNDERS IN DELIGHTFUL ALLELUJAH COMEDY MOVIE TRAILER! MARTIN COMPSTON, TONY CURRAN IN MOVING MAYFLIES BBC SERIES TRAILER

 MAYFLIES SERIES TRAILER 

STARRING MARTIN COMPSTON

Mayflies will air December 28th at BBC

Two British projects for you today, starting with a trailer for two part series MAYFLIES which will air on BBC during the holidays, December 28th! The adaptation of Andrew O'Hagan's acclaimed novel sees a friendship forged between James and Tully in a small Scottish town in 1986. One weekend, they make a vow to each other to go at life differently. But then, 30 years on, half a life away, the phone rings. Tully (Tony Curran) has the worst kind of news. He has cancer and he makes a request that tests his and James' (Martin Compston) friendship to the limit. After sharing his devastating news, Tully asks his old pal for help ending his own life, yet James isn’t comfortable keeping their plan a secret from Tully’s partner Anna (Ashley Jensen).

 

   1ST ALLELUJAH TRAILER  

WITH JUDI DENCH, DEREK JACOBI AND JENNIFER SAUNDERS

A delight coming from Pate Films today is the first trailer from ALLELUJAH movie starring Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Russell Tovey, Jennifer Saunders, David Bradley and Julia McKenzie. The film is out March 17th, at the anniversary of British NHS.

  WHEN THE GERIATRIC WARD

of a small Yorkshire hospital is threatened with closure, the hospital decides to fight back by galvanizing the local community. They invite a news crew to film their preparations for a concert in honour of the hospital’s most distinguished nurse. What could go wrong? ALLELUJAH celebrates the spirit of the elderly patients whilst paying tribute to the deep humanity of the medical staff battling with limited resources and ever-growing demand. But in the midst of the tears and the laughter, we slowly realise that there is something threatening the hospital that is far more lethal than the politicians demanding efficiency at any cost…

 

SEE JUDI DENCH, DEREK JACOBI, JENNIFER SAUNDERS IN ALLELUJAH MOVIE! EMILY WATSON, ADEWALE AGBAJE TO LEAD LATE IN SUMMER WW2 ROMANCE! RACHEL BLOOM JOINS JULIA CHILD SERIES 2ND SEASON

  LATE IN SUMMER FILM  

EMILY WATSON GETS THE LEAD

A little bit of everything today, starting with Emily Watson who will lead new WW2 romance movie LATE IN SUMMER with Harriet Walter and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje! Set just as WWII draws to a close, the film will chart how a brief encounter leads to a love affair that ignites a dormant passion in a lonely farmer’s wife and an American GI. With the world around them conspiring against their relationship, it’s not long before the realities of their existence force them to make a very difficult decision. Timothy Spall is producing.

   1ST ALLELUJAH IMAGES  

WITH JUDI DENCH, DEREK JACOBI AND JENNIFER SAUNDERS

Speaking of British thespians, check out the first images from ALLELUJAH movie starring Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Russell Tovey, Jennifer Saunders, David Bradley and Julia McKenzie. The film should arrive next year at the anniversary of British NHS. When the geriatric ward of a small Yorkshire hospital is threatened with closure, the hospital decides to fight back by galvanizing the local community. They invite a news crew to film their preparations for a concert in honour of the hospital’s most distinguished nurse. What could go wrong? ALLELUJAH celebrates the spirit of the elderly patients whilst paying tribute to the deep humanity of the medical staff battling with limited resources and ever-growing demand. But in the midst of the tears and the laughter, we slowly realise that there is something threatening the hospital that is far more lethal than the politicians demanding efficiency at any cost…

 JULIA SERIES 2ND SEASON 

HIRES RACHEL BLOOM

Although we are still not shocked but scandalised and disgusted that HBO's Julia Child series JULIA did not score any Emmy nominations, not even Sarah Lanchashire for the lead, while some Korean garbage and other undeserving trash did, we are looking forward to the second season which has just cast Rachel Bloom. She will have a recurring role as Elaine Levitch, a dynamo who comes to WGBH by way of CBS to work with Julia on ‘The French Chef.'

NETFLIX TO CROWN LAST KINGDOM SERIES WITH SEVEN KINGS MUST DIE EPIC FEATURE FILM FINALE! JUDI DENCH, DEREK JACOBI, RUSSELL TOVEY, JENNIFER SAUNDERS CAST IN ALLELUJAH!

  ALLELUJAH MOVIE  

CASTS JUDI DENCH, RUSSELL TOVEY AND DEREK JACOBI

Here's another amazing ensemble: Richard Eyre has cast Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Russell Tovey, Jennifer Saunders, David Bradley for his new movie ALLELUJAH over at Pathe!  The story is set on a geriatric

The film has already started shooting over in London

ward in a small Yorkshire town that comes under threat of closure, and attempts to fight back by inviting a news crew to film their preparations for a concert in honour of the hospital’s most distinguished nurse.

  LAST KINGDOM EPIC SERIES 

TO END WITH A FEATURE FILM

While we are waiting for the fifth and final season to start next year, Netflix has announced that their THE LAST KINGDOM series will be crowned by a feature film as well SEVEN KINGS MUST DIE in which Alexander Dreymon will reprise his role of Uhtred along with the rest of

The film will start shooting early next year in Budapest

the crew of one of world's most popular historical series ever. Set in the 9th century, the series covers the resistance of the Kingdom of Wessex to ongoing Viking incursions to Southern England. The shooting of the film will start shortly before the final season starts airing.

BELFAST DRAMA ON KENNETH BRANAGH'S CHILDHOOD TRAILER WITH JUDI DENCH, CIARAN HINDS, JAMIE DORNAN, COLIN MORGAN! DANIEL DONSKOY, MURATHAN MUSLU LEAD CAST ADDITIONS IN BARBARIANS EPIC TV SERIES SEASON 2!

 BARBARIANS SEASON TWO 

STUNNING CASTING ADDITIONS

Yesterday I showed you first photo from the second season of Netflix' hit epic series BARBARIANS which has just started shooting in Poland, but I wanted to take a minute and show you just how crazy stunning freshly appointed additions to the cast are: our sweet boo  Daniel Donskoy, who

Murathan, Donskoy, Fella and Heyer are new cast members!

stole our heart as Grand Duke of Russia in Victoria and ran away with it, will play Flavus, the brother of Arminius, next to insanely magnetic Murathan Muslu, beautiful Katharina Heyer, and charismatic Alessandro Fella!

 

  BELFAST MOVIE TRAILER  

KENNETH BRANAGH'S CHILDHOOD

And here is a rather upbeat trailer for period set drama BELFAST from Kenneth Branagh which follows his own childhood and is out in cinemas

 Belfast opens in cinemas this November

November 12th. Filled with music, the film revisits Kenneth's memories of being 9 years old and growing up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, right in the middle of troubles breaking out between the Protestants and the Catholics that so ravaged the country. Judi Dench and Ciaran Hinds play his grandparents, with Jamie Dornan as his father who is trying to make a living for his family but forced to do that by commuting to England where the opportunities and pay are more available. Little newcomer Jude Hill takes the lead role of a colorful young kid who particularly loves American Westerns and often visits the local movie house. Colin Morgan also stars.

RUSSELL TOVEY, CELIA IMRIE JOIN CELINE DION, SAM HEUGHAN, PRIYANKA CHOPRA IN TEXT FOR YOU ROMCOM! SIX MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT TRAILER WITH JUDI DENCH, EDDIE IZZARD, JIM BROADBENT, JAMES D'ARCY

  TEXT FOR YOU ROMCOM  

RUSSELL TOVEY AND CELIA IMRIE JOIN THE STELLAR CAST

Well, it is definitely a cast addition any director would die for: Russell Tovey and Celia Imrie have joined English adaptation of German movie TEXT FOR YOU which already has Sam Heughan, Priyanka Chopra and queen of pop Celine Dion in its ensemble. The story will see Priyanka playing a woman, who, to ease the pain after tragically losing her fiancé, starts

Celia Imrie and Russell Tovey have joined the cast!

to send romantic texts to his old cell. It turns out the phone number has been reassigned to a man (Heughan) across town suffering from similar heartbreak. The two meet and feel an undeniable connection, but can’t seem to leave the past behind. The music and influence of Celine Dion gives them the courage to take a chance on love again.

 SIX MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT 

TRAILER BASED ON TRUE EVENTS!

The film will arrive to UK next March

Speaking of great cast, check out an international trailer for war drama SIX MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT which is currently airing in cinemas around Europe but is set for UK in March next year which is unusual, as Russia and Spain have already seen it. 

 

     Directed by Andy Goddard it is set in Summer 1939. Influential families in Nazi Germany have sent their daughters to a finishing school in an English seaside town to learn the language and be ambassadors for a future looking National Socialist. A teacher there (Eddie Izzard) sees what is coming and is trying to raise the alarm. But the authorities believe he is the problem. Judi Dench stars as the principal of the

Judi Dench plays the principal of the school!

school, with the super stellar cast also including British legends Jim Broadbent, David Schofield and James D'Arcy! The main plot is loosely

The movie is currently airing in Russian and Spanish cinemas

inspired in the real-life Augusta Victoria College, located in the also real-life coastal town Bexhill-on-Sea. Named after the last empress of Germany, it was closed in 1939.

JUDI DENCH, CIARAN HINDS, JAMIE DORNAN CAST IN KENNETH BRANAGH'S DRAMA BELFAST BASED ON HIS CHILDHOOD! DAISY RIDLEY, KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS IN WW2 FILM WOMEN IN THE CASTLE

     'BELFAST' MOVIE 

SETS JUDI DENCH AS KENNETH BRANAGH'S GRANDMOTHER

According to Belfast Telegraph Kenneth  Branagh is secretly shooting a new movie BELFAST based on his own childhood with Judi Dench playing his grandmother, Ciaran Hinds his grandad, Jamie Dornan playing his father and Caitriona Balfe his mother. The semi

Kenneth Branagh said that his parents were related with the half of Belfast and that he went to school with the other half

autobiographical film inspired by his early childhood growing up in Northern Ireland surrounded by a large extended family, will see Jude Hill playing him as a young boy in the late 1960s.  He visited his grandparents twice a week, but when he was nine, his dad, a joiner, and mum, who worked in a chip shop, moved to Reading, Berkshire, to escape the tumult in Northern Ireland.

     'WOMEN IN THE CASTLE' 

SENDS DAISY RIDLEY AND KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS TO WW2

There is another period set movie that has just announced its ensemble cast: Daisy Ridley, Kristin Scott Thomas and Nina Hoss, will star in Jane Anderson's big screen adaptation of Jessica Shattuck's book WOMEN IN THE CASTLE about three widows of conspirators involved in

The movie will be an adaptation of a bestselling novel

an assassination attempt on Hitler. The story of the three German women, set during and after World War II, explores how each deals with the fallout of her personal life and the devastation around her differently. The characters are fictional. Anderson previously directed Glenn Close in The Wife.

JUDI DENCH IS LEADER OF FAIRIES IN DISNEY'S STUNNING ARTEMIS FOWL TRAILER WITH FERDIA SHAW, COLIN FARRELL

'ARTEMIS FOWL' TRAILER

 HAS JUDI DENCH AS THE HEAD OF ALL POWERFUL FAIRIES

Disney has decided to launch the new week with a new trailer for their family fantasy adventure ARTEMIS FOWL which arrives into theatres May

Artemis Fowl is out May 29th around the world

29th as a big screen adaptation of Eoin Colfer's popular novel directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Judi Dench (Commander Root, the fairy head of the LEPrecon), Colin Farrell, and little Ferdia Shaw.

Artemis Fowl is a spellbinding adventure that follows the journey of 12-year-old genius Artemis Fowl, a descendant of a long line of criminal masterminds, as he seeks to find his father who has mysteriously disappeared. With the help of his loyal protector Butler, Artemis sets out to find him, and in doing so uncovers an ancient, underground civilization - the amazingly advanced world of fairies.

The movie is a big screen adaptation of beloved novels by Eoin Colfer

Deducing that his father's disappearance is somehow connected to the secretive, reclusive fairy world, cunning Artemis concocts a dangerous plan, so dangerous that he ultimately finds himself in a perilous war of wits with the all-powerful fairies.

DELIGHTFUL BLITHE SPIRIT PERIOD SET COMEDY TRAILER WITH JUDI DENCH, DAN STEVENS, ISLA FISHER! NATALIE ZEA, MICHAEL RAYMOND JAMES TO LEAD LA BREA APOCALYPTIC SERIES

     'LA BREA' APOCALYPTIC

TV SERIES GATHERS ITS CAST

If all the floods, fires, quakes and plagues around us aren't a sign enough of apocalypse for you, there will be more new apocalyptic shows on the

Natalie Zea takes the female lead

small screens too in the upcoming season. NBC has just announced that Natalie Zea will take the female lead in their high concept apocalyptic series LA BREA to be directed by Thor Freudenthal!  

    

 What's The Story?
When a massive sinkhole mysteriously opens in Los Angeles, it tears a family in half, separating mother (Natalie Zea) and son from father (Michael Raymond James) and daughter (Zyra Gorecki). When part of the family find themselves in an unexplainable primeval world alongside a disparate group of strangers, they must work to survive and uncover the mystery of where they are and if

Michael Raymond James will play the father in the series

there is a way back home. Just to remind you, La Brea is famous group of tar pits in Los Angeles, filled  with pitch that has seeped up from the ground in this area for tens of thousands of years.

     'BLITHE SPIRIT' TRAILER

PUTS JUDI DENCH AND DAN STEVENS AMONG SPIRITS

Blithe Spirit arrives this spring

True love never dies. Literally in the first delightful trailer and poster for Studiocanal's fantasy comedy  BLITHE SPIRIT which will spirit its way into UK cinemas this May starring Judi Dench and Dan Stevens alongside Isla Fisher, Leslie Mann and Emilia Fox. Judi Dench plays a  spiritualist medium who holds a seance for a writer (Dan Stevens) suffering from writers block but accidentally summons the spirit of his deceased first wife which leads to an increasingly complex love triangle with his current wife of five years. The movie does not have a release date for Northern America, but will hit parts of Europe from June.

1ST PHOTOS FROM SIX MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT WITH JUDI DENCH, SHADOWPLAY WW2 SERIES WITH TAYLOR KITSCH, SOPHIA LOREN IN THE LIFE AHEAD, NAOMI WATTS IN PENGUIN BLOOM

FIRST PHOTOS FROM

SIX MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT WW2 MOVIE WITH JUDI DENCH

First photos from a bunch of new period set movies for you today starting with SIX MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT in which Judi Dench plays a headmistress of a finishing school in an English seaside town in 1939 to which

The movie also stars James D'Arcy and Jim Broadbent

influential families in Nazi Germany have sent their daughters to learn the language and be ambassadors for a future looking National Socialist. A teacher (Eddie Izzard) there sees what is coming and is trying to raise the alarm. But the authorities believe he is the problem

SHADOWPLAY WORLD WAR 2 SERIES WITH TAYLOR KITSCH
There is also the first look at Taylor Kitsch as Max McLaughlin a Brooklyn cop assigned to set up a police force in post-World War II Berlin in SHADOWPLAY high end historical TV series! His mission is to take down

Shadowplay also stars Michael C. Hall as Max' superior

"Engelmacher" Gladow, the Al Capone of post-war Berlin, played by Sebastian Koch! But Max has an ulterior motive: he is also on the trail of his brother Moritz (Logan Marshall-Green) who may be behind gruesome acts of revenge against former Nazis.

THE LIFE AHEAD NETFLIX MOVIE WITH SOPHIA LOREN

Netflix has released first photo of Sophia Loren from their new movie THE LIFE AHEAD set in seaside Italy, where a Holocaust survivor with a

The film is an adaptation of Romain Gary's bestselling novel

daycare business, Madame Rosa (Loren), takes in 12-year-old street kid Momo, the boy who recently robbed her! The two loners become each other's protectors, anchoring an unconventional family.

PENGUIN BLOOM TRUE STORY FILM WITH NAOMI WATTS
Screen Daily has published first photo of Naomi Watts in real life drama PENGUIN BLOOM in which she and Andrew Lincoln lead the true

Glendyn Ivin is directing the true life story for the big screens

story about a family that rediscovers hope when it adopts an injured magpie chick after a near-fatal accident leaves a mother of three paralysed from the waist down. Jacki Weaver also stars.

CATS TRAILER WITH JUDI DENCH, IAN MCKELLEN, IDRIS ELBA, JASON DERULO AIN'T SOMETHING YOU'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE! PLUS NEW TRAILER AND PHOTOS FOR HIS DARK MATERIALS EPIC TV SERIES WITH JAMES MCAVOY

  'CATS' TRAILER WILL PROBABLY

SCARE THE HELL OUT OF YOU!

Cats will meow this December, literally!

Attention, spylings, we have a special broadcast today with fresh news and updates from Comic Con which is raging currently over in San Diego. The day brought us the very first trailer for the live action movie musical version of famous CATS and I don't know what to say, as someone said somewhere in comments it looks like stuff of nightmares with people in purrrfectly terrible masks of cats. And plus an annoyingly bad rendition of legendary song Memories by infamously overrated Jennifer Hudson. If it is any consolation, at least part of the cast is amazing (if you can get over the fact that Taylor Swift is in it as well): Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Laurie Davidson, Jason Derulo, Rebel

Judi Dench leads the cast as Old Deuteronomy!

Wilson, Idris Elba, James Corden, Ray Winstone, are just some of the better known names in the Tom Hooper directed musical which is out a few days before Christmas.

CATS THE MOVIE MUSICAL 
Based on the book “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T.S. Eliot, the musical follows the Jellicle cats, a family of felines who go before the group’s leader Old Deuteronomy to see who will be selected to travel to the Heaviside

Sir Ian McKellen is, naturally, Gus the Theatre Cat!

layer for a new life. Over the course of a single night, their tribe makes what is known as "the Jellicle choice" and decide which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life.

  'HIS DARK MATERIALS' TRAILER

PLUS DEMON ANIMALS PHOTOS

BBC has, meanwhile, released new trailer and photos (showing all the animals in the story) for their epic fantasy small screen TV series adaptation of

James McAvoy leads the cast as Lord Asriel!

Philip Pullman's HIS DARK MATERIALS which will also air on HBO later this Autumn!  The first season follows Lyra (Dafne Keen), a seemingly

Lyra and her demon animal Pan!

ordinary but brave young girl from another world. Her search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children, and becomes a quest

Armoured battle polar bear Byrnison

to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. As she journeys through the worlds, including our own, Lyra meets Will, a determined and courageous

Stelmaria the snow leopard!

boy. Together, they encounter extraordinary beings and dangerous secrets, with the fate of both the living   and the dead  in their hands. James McAvoy

Mrs Coulter's golden monkey demon!

is her father Lord Asriel. The new photos show polar bear Byrnison, snow leopard Stelmaria, Lord Asriel's dæmon, the golden monkey, dæmon of Ruth Wilson’s Mrs Coulter and Pan, Lyra's demon.

JUDI DENCH, DAN STEVENS, ISLA FISHER TO GET IN A PICKLE WITH AN ANGRY GHOST IN BLITHE SPIRIT COMEDY MOVIE!

   'BLITHE SPIRIT' COMEDY

INVITES JUDI DENCH AND DAN STEVENS ON A SEANCE

Dan Stevens will take the male lead

This one really sounds fun: as Screen Daily reports, Judi Dench, Dan Stevens and Isla Fisher have boarded British comedy BLITHE SPIRIT which will be based on Noel Coward’s 1941 play. It should start production next month in London. Edward Hall is directing for Protagonist pictures.

BLITHE SPIRIT
will be a newly imagined adaptation of Coward’s comedy stage play, which revolves around a best-selling crime novelist suffering from writer’s block who struggles to finish his first screenplay. His quest for inspiration leads him to invite an eccentric mystic to

I'm guessing Judi Dench will be the eccentric mystic in the film

his home to perform a séance. He gets more than he bargained when they inadvertently summon the spirit of his first wife.

PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT ON KENNETH BRANAGH'S ALL IS TRUE SHEAKESPEARE'S FINAL YEARS FILM WITH JUDI DENCH, IAN MCKELLEN

'ALL IS TRUE'

The movie is out May 10th in limited US cinemas

WHEN THE PLAY ENDS

This one already went through UK and US cinemas (in limited release in the pre award season) but is getting a wider US release next month May 10th! ALL IS TRUE is Kenneth Branagh's project which he not only directed, but also plays the lead role together with other two legendary British thespians Judi Dench and Ian McKellen! Written by Ben Elton, the historical movie offers a look at the final days in the life of renowned playwright William Shakespeare.

SHAKESPEARE'S FINAL YEARS

Sir Ian McKellen is Will's patron and possibly love.

This small scale movie is set  in the summer of 1613, when, just 14 years after it had been built, the Globe Theater burned to the ground due to errant sparks from a stage cannon during a performance of ALL IS TRUE, the original title of a play believed to have been written by Shakespeare and John Fletcher that a decade later was renamed Henry VIII. Evidently demoralized by the destruction of his theatre, the 49 year old playwright (Kenneth Branagh) retreated to rejoin his wife (Judi Dench) and two daughters, of whom he had seen very

Judi Dench plays Will's wife who was 8 years older than him.

little for some 20 years. Pressing even harder on him are thoughts of his son Hamnet, whom he had scarcely known before his death at age 11 a decade earlier.

JUDI DENCH AND IAN MCKELLEN

His illiterate wife Anne is played by Judi Dench! She resents his disruptive arrival after so long! Lydia Wilson plays Will's daughter Susanna Hall

Kenneth Branagh has directed five films based on Shakespeare!

accused of being unfaithful to her husband John (Hadley Fraser). Kathryn Wilder plays Will's unmarried younger daughter Judith, Hamnet's twin sister

Interior scenes were shot using only candle light!

who can't even read and thinks her father wishes she died instead of her brother. Ian McKellen is dandy Earl of Southampton, the writer's patron and maybe something more.