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)! 

JOSH HARTNETT, JOHN RHYS DAVIES, CHARLOTTE RAMPLING IN 'VALLEY OF THE GODS' SF MOVIE! 'ROOTS' EPIC TV SERIES TRAILER WITH MALACHI KIRBY, JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS, MATTHEW GOODE, JAMES PUREFOY

  'VALLEY OF THE GODS' SF FILM

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, MATT BOMER LEAD 'LAST TYCOON' 1930'S TV SERIES! JAMES PUREFOY, MATTHEW GOODE JOIN JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS, LAURENCE FISHBURNE IN 'THE ROOTS' EPIC MINI SERIES

'THE LAST TYCOON' 

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!

GORGEOUS NEW 'WOLF TOTEM' POSTER FOR JEAN JACQUES ANNAUD'S EPIC SAGA! MALACHI KIRBY TO LEAD 'ROOTS' EPIC MINI SERIES REMAKE WITH LAURENCE FISHBURNE

'ROOTS' EPIC SERIES REMAKE

MALACHI KIRBY IS KUNTA KINTE

In television news today, the lead man has been found for the new small screen adaptation of famous ROOTS which will air next year at A+E! 'Deadline' has confirmed that dashing young British actor Malachi Kirby will play the legendary Kunta Kinte in the event TV series which will follow the iconic character as he is captured from his homeland Gambia and sold into slavery in America, and his descendants struggle to survive over the next century. The four night eight hour series will air at A+E, Lifetime and History Channel worldwide. Laurence Fishburne will play Alex Haley, the man on whose book the series is based on.

'WOLF TOTEM' POSTER

FIND YOUR TRUE PLACE!

You can check out the new poster for the brilliant adaptation of outstanding Jiang Rong's novel WOLF TOTEM (which yours truly had the utmost honour to translate years ago). Directed by the French director with impeccable vision and special sensibility Jean Jacques Annaud (SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET, ENEMY AT THE GATES, TWO BROTHERS, DAY OF THE FALCON) this sweeping saga will open in US theatres next month!

STUNNING MONGOLIAN SAGA
The story of WOLF TOTEM is set in 1969, when student Chen Zen (William Feng Shaofeng) is sent from Peking in China to the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia to teach shepherds. Instead, he learns about the shepherds and the bond they share with the wolves, a bond that is threatened by a government apparatchik. The sweeping saga tells of human bonding with the nature describing the captivating life of Mongol nomads and animals as well. With the budget of $40 million, the movie was shot for almost a year in Mongolia, and Annaud had to acquire a dozen wolf pups in China in order to train them for several years for the film. Annaud said one of the most challenging scenes was depicting a pack of wolves attacking horses during a blizzard in the middle of the night. The music in the film was composed by James Horner.