THIS WEEK'S EPIC TV EVENTS: BBC'S 'A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM' WITH JOHN HANNAH, MAXINE PEAKE, 'ROOTS' EPIC REMAKE WITH JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS, MATTHEW GOODE, JAMES PUREFOY, LAURENCE FISHBURNE

  NEW BBC'S TV MOVIE

'A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM'

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! With Malachi 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)! 

NEW 'A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM' BBC MOVIE PHOTOS! RIDLEY SCOTT TO ADAPT 'WRAITHS OF THE BROKEN LAND' WESTERN! MICHELLE FAIRLEY JOINS 'WHITE PRINCESS' EPIC SERIES

'WRAITHS OF THE BROKEN LAND'

A RIDLEY SCOTT WESTERN

In movie news, Ridley Scott has a plan of adapting S. Craig Zahler's Western novel WRAITHS OF THE BROKEN LAND into a feature movie! Together with the team with which he did THE MARTIAN, he will helm the movie set near the Mexican border at the turn of the previous century. A group of men assemble and storm across the badlands to find their captive sisters, doing anything they deem necessary to achieve their goal. Lives, ethics and sanity are imperilled during the wild, brutal struggle that ensues and nobody is safe.

'WHITE PRINCESS'

MICHELLE FAIRLEY JOINS THE CAST OF THE EPIC TV SERIES
Earlier this spring I informed you that English actress Jodie Comer will play the lead role in WHITE PRINCESS epic TV series, a sequel of the BBC and Starz series WHITE QUEEN, now done only by Starz, and now GAME OF THRONES Michelle Fairley has been added to the cast!  The 8 part series tells the story of England’s War of the Roses from the perspective of the women. Michelle Fairley will play Margaret Beaufort, Henry Tudor’s mother and mastermind behind his ascent to the Throne of England. Jodie Comer's Princess Elizabeth of York comes in conflict with her after being forced into marriage with the new king Henry VII in order to unite the Houses of York and Tudor!

'A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM'

  NEW BBC MOVIE PHOTOS 

Meanwhile, while we wait for the BBC to show us a first trailer, here are some new photos from their TV movie adaptation of William Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM in which Maxine Peake appears as Queen Titania!  Matt Lucas will appear as Bottom, John Hannah as Theseus, Eleanor Matsuura as Hippolyta and newcomer Hiran Abeysekera as Puck. Nonso Anozie is Oberon. The CGI rich project is set in the tyrannical court of Athens and the magical forest around the city filled with fairies and other mystical creatures! The movie should air some time this summer!

RYAN REYNOLDS TO JOIN REBECCA FERGUSON IN 'LIFE' MARS SET SF MOVIE? PINK TO SING FOR 'ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS'! 1ST BBC'S 'A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM' PHOTO WITH MAXINE PEAKE

RYAN REYNOLDS TO JOIN

REBECCA FERGUSON'S 'LIFE' SF FILM

While his DEADPOOL movie  is earning surprisingly big bucks in US cinemas and also around the world (it is well over $250 million now), 'Deadline' reports that Ryan Reynolds is considering joining Rebecca Ferguson in LIFE sf movie that I mentioned last week when she got the lead role. Coming from the scribes who wrote DEADPOOL, the new movie follows the crew of the International Space Station, who, after retrieving a sample from Mars, discover that it displays signs of life, and proves to be more intelligent than expected.

'A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM'

FIRST BBC MOVIE PHOTO IS HERE
In TV news, check out the first photo from BBC's upcoming new TV movie A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, the adaptation of famous Shakespeare's play showing Maxine Peake as Queen Titania!  Matt Lucas will appear as Bottom, John Hannah as Theseus, Eleanor Matsuura as Hippolyta and newcomer Hiran Abeysekera as Puck. The CGI rich project is set in the tyrannical court of Athens and the magical forest around the city!

PINK TO SING A SONG FOR 

'ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS' MOVIE

When it comes to clips, check out a video in which Pink talks  about White Rabbit  song that she recorded for ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS which also offers new glimpses into the sequel movie which comes out this May starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Rhys Ifans. There is also a new poster for the movie! 

BBC ORDERS 'TROY: FALL OF A CITY' EPIC TV SERIES, CASTS MAXINE PEAKE, JOHN HANNAH, MATT LUCAS IN 'MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM' TV MOVIE! 'ANGRY BIRDS' MOVIE TRAILER WITH JASON SUDEIKIS, DANNY MCBRIDE

'TROY: THE FALL OF A CITY'  

TV SERIES COMING TO BBC

As always, BBC has something epic in store for us! Together with David Farr (the NIGHT MANAGER scribe) they will produce a  historical television series based on the fall of Troy! TROY: FALL OF A CITY is supposed to retell the majesty and wonder of the Trojan War to the new generation of viewers. With the 3,000 year old story told for the first time through the eyes of a Trojan family, who become entangled in the conflict as war with Greece breaks out, the drama will re-examine the Judgement of Paris, a key event in the ancient world's most prominent tales. The series will convey the emotional richness, the effects of war, and the toll taken on city and family by the horrors of siege.

BBC'S 'MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM' TV MOVIE 

CASTS MAXINE PEAKE, MATT LUCAS AND JOHN HANNAH
BBC has already announced 20 part drama DICKENSIAN, Ian McKellen and Anthony Hopkin's THE DRESSER and the new adaptation of WAR AND PEACE, Tom Hiddleston's THE NIGHT MANAGER! There's also A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM TV movie adaptation starring VILLAGE's Maxine Peake as Titania, Matt Lucas (Paddington) as Bottom, John Hannah (SPARTACUS) as Theseus, Eleanor Matsuura (The Lady In The Van) as Hippolyta and newcomer Hiran Abeysekera as Puck. The CGI rich project is set in the tyrannical court of Athens and the magical forest around the city!

'THE ANGRY BIRDS' TRAILER 

WITH JASON SUDEIKIS 

Sony has released the first trailer for their animated movie adaptation of famous THE ANGRY BIRDS which are to flap  their wings in the cinemas May next year! The movie takes us to an island populated entirely by happy, flightless birds...Or almost entirely. In this paradise, Red (Jason Sudeikis), a bird with a temper problem, speedy Chuck (Josh Gad), and the volatile Bomb (Danny McBride) have always been outsiders. But when the island is visited by mysterious green piggies, it's up to these unlikely outcasts to figure out what the pigs are up to.