SEE TRAILER FOR 19TH CENTURY SET HISTORICAL SERIES BLACK GOLD WITH MARTON CSOKAS, TOM WLASCHIHA, GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE

   BLACK GOLD SERIES    

REVEALS TRAILER  WITH MARTON CSOKAS

Swiss Studios, the producers of Davos 1917 and Stella, has prepared  BLACK GOLD, a six episode historical series, from Justin Koch and Matthias Greving, which will be set in 1900 in a small village on the edge of the Lüneburg Heath in North Germany, where the poor farming family Lambert is cheated by the large scale farming family Pape of the oil  deposits discovered under their fields. When the oil rush takes hold of the village and threatens to destroy the farming community forever, the women of  the Lamberts fight for justice and win their independence. This led the hardworking village population being torn between progress, environmental destruction and survival. Gwendoline Christie and Marton Csokas play English prospectors Emma and Tyler Robertson, who come to a quiet village near Lüneburg Heath after oil fields are discovered. Tom Wlaschiha is also in the cast and so are Aaron Hilmer, Harriet Herbig-Matten, Henny Reents and Hans Zimmer, the Oscar winner is scoring the music. It will air on German ARD from December 22nd. Check out the violent trailer below.

 

19TH CENTURY SET HISTORICAL SERIES BLACK GOLD CASTS MARTON CSOKAS, TOM WLASCHIHA, GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE

   BLACK GOLD SERIES    

REVEALS LEAD CAST WITH MARTON CSOKAS

Swiss Studios, the producers of Davos 1917 and Stella, has prepared  BLACK GOLD, a six episode historical series, from Justin Koch and Matthias Greving, which will be set in 1900 in a small village on the edge of the Lüneburg Heath in North Germany, where the poor farming family Lambert is cheated by the large scale farming family Pape of the oil  deposits discovered under their fields. When the oil rush takes hold of the village and threatens to destroy the farming community forever, the women of  the Lamberts fight for justice and win their independence. This led the hardworking village population being torn between progress, environmental destruction and survival. Gwendoline Christie and Marton Csokas play English prospectors Emma and Tyler Robertson, who come to a quiet village near Lüneburg Heath after oil fields are discovered. Tom Wlaschiha is also in the cast and so are Aaron Hilmer, Harriet Herbig-Matten, Henny Reents and Hans Zimmer, the Oscar winner is scoring the music. It will air on German ARD from December 22nd.

PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT ON 18TH CENTURY PARIS SET HISTORICAL SERIES DANGEROUS LIAISONS WITH CHARACTER PHOTOS AND NEW TRAILER

 DANGEROUS LIAISONS SERIES 

THIS ISN'T LOVE! IT'S WAR

The show starts November 6th on Starz

After the embarrassingly atrocious Becoming Elizabeth which shares, together with The House of Dragon, the title of year's biggest borefest so far,  Starz did redeem itself a bit with the fun and dynamic The Serpent Queen, but will they dig themselves back into the new depths of dullness with DANGEROUS LIAISONS, the new adaptation of the 1700s Paris set novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, which arrives November 6th? Well, judging by the bleak casting, especially the lifeless and mediocre female lead, I probably won't even give it a go, but you might think differently, so the spy is presenting you the show today. Of course, probably nobody expects that this could come anywhere near the Oscar winning movie from 1988 which, directed by Stephen Frears, starred Glenn Close, John Malkovish, and Michelle Pfeiffer! You can check out a new trailer below the post.

  DANGEROUS LIAISONS IS

actually not a direct adaptation but a prelude of Laclos’ classic 18th-century novel focusing on the origin story of how his iconic characters, the Marquise de Merteuil (the godawful Alice Englert) and the Vicomte de Valmont (Nicholas Denton), met as passionate young lovers in Paris on the eve of the revolution. This modern take on a classic story takes audiences through wonder and terror, beauty and degradation, seduction and deception in pre-revolutionary Paris. Driven to right the wrongs of their past, the young couple’s survival depends on their skills of seduction and manipulation of not only the French nobility but of each other. The current Marquise de Merteuil (Lesley Manville) navigates her own path in a world of men, using the power of secrets to take back control, and Valmont who will stop at nothing to regain his title that was recently taken from him. Their on- again off-again love story is the heart of the series

WHO ELSE IS IN DANGER?

The new series which will air its eight episodes weekly from November 6th and streaming on Starz app and Hulu, will also star Kosar Ali who brings in the forced diversity element as Victoire, Camille’s best friend and partner in crime; Carice van Houten as Jacqueline de Montrachet, a pious noblewoman with a mysterious connection to our heroine; and Paloma Faith as the fiery Florence de Regnier, a stalwart of the French court. Hilton Pelser, Fisayo Akinade, Michael McElhatton, Nathanael Saleh, Colette Dalal Tchantcho, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, and Tom Wlaschiha also appear in the series shot lat year in Czech republic.

SCANDINAVIAN SUNDAY: SEE HILMA PERIOD SET MOVIE TRAILER FROM LASSE HALLSTROM, THE DREAMER SERIES TRAILER WITH CONNIE NIELSEN ABOUT OUT OF AFRICA AUTHOR!

  HILMA MOVIE TRAILER  

FROM LASSE HALLSTROM

After the exciting updates from epic TV projects that Netflix presented to us at yesterday's Tudum event, we are continuing the weekend this Sunday by moving

Hilma will also stream on Viaplay UK

swiftly to Scandinavia, beginning our visit with the land of Sweden from which arrives the first trailer for new period set movie helmed by one of our favourite directors, always brilliant Lasse Hallstrom.

To open in their cinemas October 19th after which it will also be available on their streamer Viaplay, HILMA explores Hilma af Klint's enigmatic life, now recognized as one of the Western world's first abstract artists. The cast led by Lasse's and Lena Olin's daughter Tora Hallstrom, also includes Tom Wlaschiha, Lily Cole and Adam Lundgren. Beside directing and casting his wife and daughter, Lasse also wrote the script.

 

 THE DREAMER SERIES 

ON OUT OF AFRICA AUTHOR

Already streaming on Viaplay since last Sunday is period set TV series THE DREAMER (Drømmeren) aka Becoming Karen Blixen, which depicts the life of Karen Blixen, the author of famous Out of Africa played in the six

The Dreamer started last Sunday on Viaplay

episode series by Connie Nielsen. The story of this historical drama predominantly focuses on the author's return to Denmark after many years in East Africa. Penniless, sick and divorced, the story depicts her journey from this point to becoming a renowned writer. We met Blixen near ends, economically and emotionally bankrupt after her farm fails and her soulmate, as she calls English aristocrat Denys Finch Hatton, dies in an airplane accident and she is about to commit a suicide. This one comes from Denmark and features scenes in both Danish and English language. The drama was a part of Canneseries main competition this year.

WATCH MATTHEW FOX SAVING THE WORLD FROM OIL CRISIS IN LAST LIGHT APOCALYPTIC TV SERIES TRAILER WITH TOM WLASCHIHA ARRIVING THIS SEPTEMBER

  LAST LIGHT TRAILER  

FOR NEW PEACOCK SERIES

Among the new series that September is bringing to us together with the new season is LAST LIGHT apocalyptic five episode series based on Alex Scarrow’s novel about a family fighting to survive during the fallout of an oil crisis. It will premiere on September 8th on Peacock with Matthew Fox in the lead role alongside Tom Wlaschiha. 

 

   THE SERIES FOLLOWS
petro-chemist Andy (Matthew Fox) who knows how dependent the world is on oil. It’s while he’s on a business trip to the Middle East that he realizes something is wrong with the world’s oil supply, and that sets off a chain reaction: transportation grinds to a halt and law enforcement becomes overwhelmed. Andy’s teenage eco-warrior daughter is alone in London while his wife, Elena (Joanna Froggatt), and young disabled son are in Paris. Amid the chaos, each member of the family will sacrifice everything to find one another, despite the distance and the dangers that separate them. Plus, while trying to solve the source of the crisis, Andy is confronted with his past role in trying to make a greener world.

SEE LESLEY MANVILLE, TOM WLASCHIHA IN STARZ 'DANGEROUS LIAISONS' PERIOD SET TV SERIES TEASER! 1ST PICS FROM ARABIA'S MOST EXPENSIVE EPIC TV SERIES EVER RISE OF THE WITCHES! THE AWOKEN DYSTOPIAN NOVEL TO BECOME TV SERIES ABOUT CRYOGENICS

 RISE OF THE WITCHES 

SAUDI EPIC TV SERIES 

Well, twas a long time we had anything from Arabia here, so let us correct that with first photos from new Saudi epic TV series RISE OF THE WITCHES their most ambitious and expensive show ever from MBC Studios. Based on the best-selling Saudi mythology books by Osamah Almuslim, the series, set in ancient Arabia, tells the story of an epic war between two rival witch covens, led by Afsaar and Da’ja’a. Growing up in a world dominated by male magicians who want to prevent women from having any access to magical powers (so kinda the opposite of misandrist Wheel of Time), both witches secretly learn the arts and go on to form their own groups in order to protect themselves and gain power. Ida AlKusay and Sumaya Rida. lead the ten part saga which will stream on pan Arabic streamer Shahid.

 

  THE AWOKEN DYSTOPIA  

TO BECOME A TV SERIES

The Awoken novel is out this week

Speaking of fantasy, Keshet Studios has bought TV series rights on Katelyn Monroe Howes' dystopian novel THE AWOKEN which is out this week at Penguin Random House. When Alabine Rivers, a politically active young woman with a bright career and romance ahead of her, discovers she has terminal cancer, the only thing that gives her solace is the possibility of a second life through the emerging field of cryogenics. A century later, scientists have discovered how to bring the cryogenically frozen back to life, but humanity is locked in a philosophical battle over the ethics of this new God-like power, a battle that has turned violent: those who are resurrected, the Awoken, have been declared illegal and are to be shot on sight. Which means here very life is now a crime!

 STARZ' DANGEROUS LIAISONS 

AIR DATE AND TRAILER

Meanwhile, Starz has unveiled today the first teaser and air date for their eight part TV series version of DANGEROUS LIAISONS which will

The series arrives this November

arrive November 6th starring Alice Englert, Nicholas Denton, Lesley Manville, and Tom Wlaschiha. The series is a bold prelude of Laclos’ classic 18th century novel focusing on the origin story of how his iconic characters, the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, met as passionate young lovers in Paris on the eve of the revolution. This modern take on a classic story takes audiences through wonder and terror, beauty and degradation, seduction and deception in pre-revolutionary Paris. Driven to right the wrongs of their past, the young couple’s survival depends on their skills of seduction and manipulation of not only the French nobility but of each other. Alice Englert and Nicholas Denton portray the notorious lovers: Camille who is taken in by the current Marquise de Merteuil (Lesley Manville) navigates her own path in a world of men, using the power of secrets to take back control, and Valmont who will stop at nothing to regain his title that was recently taken from him. Their on- again off-again love story is the heart of the series. It’s not love… it’s war. I must admit those two youngsters look terribly dull and miscast to me, no passion nor talent in them.

SEE TOM WLASCHIHA, LENA OLIN, LILY COLE IN 1ST PHOTOS FROM LASSE HALLSTROM'S PERIOD SET MOVIE DRAMA HILMA

  FIRST HILMA PHOTOS 

FROM LASSE HALLSTROM'S PERIOD SET MOVIE DRAMA

Scandinavian leading streamer Viaplay is quickly expanding its business around Europe and is planning to offer at least 70 Viaplay Originals by the end of 2022, with the wider plan of achieving around 12 million subscribers by the end of 2025. One of the ways to attract the audience is doing more English language programmes so they hired our favourite director Lasse Hallstrom to direct their original movie HILMA, which he also wrote, starring Game of Thrones star Tom Wlaschiha!

NEW BIOPIC HILMA

explores the life of revolutionary Swedish artist and feminist pioneer Hilma af Klint (1862-1944, played by Tora Hallstrom), and beside streaming later this year on Viaplay, it will also bow this fall in theaters! In the film, Tom Wlaschiha stars as Rudolf Steiner, the Austrian artist and founder of the anthroposophical spiritual movement. Steiner became a key figure and mentor for Hilma af Klint who created more than a thousand striking paintings, sketches and watercolors that remained largely unknown until decades after her death. The film explores the enigmatic life of Klint, who navigated through the artistic scene to eventually become one of the Western world’s first abstract artists. Jazzy De Lisser portrays Thomasine Andersson, who became Hilma’s close friend and travel companion after working as a nurse for her mother. Lena Olin (the movie is a family affair as Lena is Lasse's wife and Tora is their daughter), Lily Cole, Rebecca Calder, Maeve Dermody, Catherine Chalk as the members of her group of female artists, Anna Björk as her mother, Adam Lundgren as her brother, Martin Wallström as her nephew and Jens Hultén as her brother, also star.

ELIO GERMANO BUILDS HIS OWN ISLAND AND PROCLAIMS ITS INDEPENDENCE IN ROSE ISLAND NETFLIX COMEDY MOVIE TRAILER ALSO STARRING TOM WLASCHIHA, DUSTIN HOFFMAN

 ROSE ISLAND TRAILER

BUILD YOUR OWN ISLAND!

You probably wouldn't believe that the plot of this movie is actually a real life true story, but it actually is even though it sounds utterly crazy! In ROSE ISLAND (L'incredibile storia dell'isola delle rose), an Italian movie which willair on Netflix December 9th, Elio Germano plays Giorgio Rosa, an

Rose Island will stream from December 9th!

idealistic engineer who builds his own island off the Italian coast and declares it a nation, drawing the world's attention. Values are tested when the Italian Government declares him an enemy, but to change the world risks must be taken. Dustin Hoffman, Tom Wlaschiha, are just some of the international stars that also have cameos in this hilarious comedy movie written and directed by Sydney Sibilia.

     The 400 square meter island, built in 1967 had a restaurant, bar, nightclub, souvenir shop and a post office! It even had its currency. The island was swiftly invaded by the police as Italian government saw in it the owner's intention to build a tourist hotspot and avoid taxes. Italian navy destroyed it with explosives in 1969. Just one death was registered - the owner's dog.

PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT ON DAS BOOT WW2 EPIC TV SERIES SEASON 2 WITH TOM WLASCHIHA, VICKY KRIEPS, THOMAS KRETSCHMANN, VINCENT KARTHEISER

'DAS BOOT' SEASON 2

The second season is already airing in Germany

READY TO AIR THIS SPRING!

Back in 2018 your trusted spy was among the first ones to inform you about Sky's award winning DAS BOOT World War II series which proved to be a big success for the production company airing on Sky's channels around Europe and Hulu in USA. Now the series is back with the second season which is airing right now on Sky Germany and will air this month on cable channels around Europe too and Sky's channels in Austria, Italy, UK and Ireland. Beside Tom Wlaschiha, Vicky Krieps, Rick Okon, Vincent Kartheiser, the eight episode second season will also have Thomas

Tom Wlaschiha returns as the head of the Gestapo

 Kretschmann as the new addition to the cast! Speaking of epic, stay tuned this weekend for Hollywood Spy's Wildly Extensive List of Period Set Shows we can expect in 2020 albeit corona lockdown.

 The 2nd Season Of Das Boot
is set in December 1942. We meet the very experienced U-boat ace Johannes von Reinhartz (Clemens Schick) who is sent with U-822 on a secret mission

German superstar Thomas Kretschmann joins the cast

to the US East Coast in order to disembark three saboteurs. His loyalty is questioned and U-612, with its Commanding Officer Wrangel (Stefan

German actor Rick Okon returns as the submarine officer

Konarske), is sent in pursuit. Former U-612 Commanding Officer Hoffmann (Rick Okon) narrowly escaped death in the Atlantic Ocean. In New York he finds shelter with Sam Greenwood (Vincent Kartheiser), who owes his life

German superstar Clemens Schick leads the cast of the second season

to Hoffmann, and meets the sleazy German-born lawyer Berger (Thomas Kretschmann). Will he enable him to return to Germany? Back in La Rochelle, Simone (Vicky Krieps) is still secretly helping those affected by the

The first season was sold to more than 100 countries and was so successful that Sky ordered the second season after airing the first episode of the first one.

Nazi occupation, and Forster (Tom Wlaschiha), Head of the Gestapo, suspects as much, as Simone and her roommate Margot (Fleur Geffrier) work to secure an escape route for a Jewish family.

FIRST TEASERS AND PHOTOS FROM 'DAS BOOT' WW2 TV SERIES WITH TOM WLASCHIHA, JAMES D'ARCY, VINCENT KARTHEISER, LIZZY CAPLAN!

   'DAS BOOT' TV SERIES

WHEN BOYS BECAME MEN

Das Boot hits Sky this November

Your treat for this Saturday are new photos and the first trailer for World War II German TV series DAS BOOT which will hit Sky One (in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, UK, Ireland, Italy) November 23rd and will later also air on Hulu in Northern America, AMC in Spain and Portugal and Epix and Viasat in Russia, Central and Eastern Europe! The series, which explores the emotional torment of life during World War Two, cost $33 million to make and is inspired by Lothar Günther Buchheim’s best selling novel which was

Das Boot series will also air on Hulu in Northern America

previously made into an Oscar nominated movie by Wolfgang Petersen! Tom Wlaschiha, Vicky Krieps, Lizzy Caplan, Vincent Kartheiser, James

These Uboat submarines were active from the first till the last day of the war

D’Arcy, Thierry Frémont, August Wittgenstein, Rainer Bock, Rick Okon, Leonard Scheicher, Robert Stadlober, Franz Dinda and Stefan Konarske, are just of the names in the international cast!

DAS BOOT TV SERIES
 starts in the fall of 1942 in occupied France. Nazi submarine U-612 is ready for its maiden voyage, preparing to head into the increasingly brutal warfare with its young crewmen, including the new commander, Klaus Hoffmann

German submariners had the lowest survival rate of any branch of service of any country during World War Two. Of the some 40,000 men who served on U-boats, 33,000 were killed.

(Rick Okon). As the 40 young men take on their first mission, they struggle with the cramped and claustrophobic conditions of life underwater. Meanwhile, at the port of La Rochelle, the world of Simone Strasser spirals out of control as she is engulfed in a dangerous liaison and forbidden love, torn between her loyalty for Germany and the French Resistance, and causing her to question everything.