ANIMATED EASTER WEEKEND PART II: ENCHANTED NEW ANIMATED FAIRY TALES 'AINBO' FROM PERU AND 'MAVKA: THE FOREST SONG' AND 'THE STOLEN PRINCESS' FROM UKRAINE

 'AINBO'

FROM RAINFORESTS OF AMAZON

Second part of our animated Easter Weekend today, beginning with an enchanting story that is in production over in Peru. AINBO will bring South American indigenous elements, lush landscapes and mythology onto the big screens. Its eponymous heroine is a young indigenous girl who lives in the heart of the Amazon, protected by rainforest’s Mother Spirit. One day, she learns how her world is being threatened by Yacuruna, an ancient demon, embodied in deforestation and an illegal mining project. With the help of mythological creatures – a giant turtle, for instance – she sets out to battle these evils.

 'MAVKA: THE FOREST SONG'

MAGICAL WOODS OF UKRAINE
Folk legends and mythological elements, but this time the Ukrainian ones, will also be seen in MAVKA: THE FOREST SONG which is in production in the Ukraine and follows  Mavka - a beautiful forest nymph and soul of the Forest - who faces an impossible choice between love and her duty as guardian to the Heart of the Forest, when she falls in love with a human - the talented young musician Lukash. This story is about the magical power of love. That kind of love that enables human nature to find the magic within and reveals abilities and qualities that empower a person to reach beyond possible and to hold against evil and human vice.

 'THE STOLEN PRINCESS'

THE LOVE OF RUSLAN & MILA

Also coming from the Ukraine is animated comedy fantasy movie THE STOLEN PRINCESS aka Ruslan and Lyudmila. Fate had it for a young traveling bard Ruslan to meet the King's daughter Mila. In spite of different social standings our heroes found a lot in common and shortly fell in love. But their happiness couldn't last long because Mila was kidnapped by Chernomor the sorcerer. He plans to sacrifice Mila to prolong his immortality and power. Ruslan doesn't want to accept the loss of his beloved and launches himself on a search. He is about to witness many wonders on the way. He is going to meet an ill-tempered learned cat, a cowardly wizard, a stone monster and a talking head guarded by a horde of skeletons. Ruslan will overcome all obstacles, defeat all enemies and fighting against the evil won't hesitate to risk his life for a loved one. 

ANIMATED EASTER WEEKEND PART I: DELIGHTFUL NEW ANIMATED ADVENTURES 'MANOU THE SWIFT' AND 'RICHARD THE STORK'

 'MANOU THE SWIFT'

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Animated Easter weekend for you, today and tomorrow, in which I will present you with some new animated movies you might not have heard about before! We start with MANOU THE SWIFT, English language animated adventure produced in Germany by LUXX Film.

To be released sometime this year it follows little swift Manou who grows up believing he's a seagull. Learning to fly he finds out he never will be. Shocked, he runs away from home. He meets birds of his own species and finds out who he really is. When both seagulls and swifts face a dangerous threat, Manou becomes the hero of the day.

 'RICHARD THE STORK'

A SPARROW AMONG STORKS

Playing around Europe this spring, and also coming from Germany is another bird hero RICHARD THE STORK. Orphaned at birth and raised by storks, the teenage sparrow Richard believes he is one of them. But when the time comes to migrate to Africa, his stork family is forced to reveal his true identity and leave him behind in the forest, since he is not a migratory bird and would not survive the journey. Determined to prove he is a stork after all, Richard ventures south on his own. But only with the help of Olga, an eccentric owl with an imaginary friend and Kiki, a narcissistic, disco-singing parakeet, does he stand a chance to reach his goal and learn to accept who he really is.

FIRST 'STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI' POSTER AND TRAILER ARE OUT WITH DAISY RIDLEY, OSCAR ISAAC, MARK HAMILL

 'STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI' 

POSTER & TRAILER RELEASED

I must admit I almost forgot about this one, which tells a lot of how much the force may or may not be with me, so it came as a big surprise for me today: the first, rather blah, teaser and poster have been released for STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI today at the Star Wars 40th Anniversary Celebrations in Orlando. The eight part of the popular sf saga continues the story of the characters we met in Star Wars: Force Awakens.

ITS TIME FOR THE JEDI TO END 
Directed this time by Rian Johnson, and arriving into cinemas around the world December 15th it will again follow the adventures of the characters played by Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Carrie Fisher, Gwendoline Christie, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong'O and Mark Hamill with Benicio Del Toro and Laura Dern as the new cast members. Kelly Marie Tran will play a Resistance maintenance worker Rose, who joins Finn on an adventure. The new movie might see Luke Skywalker training Ray to become a Jedi herself.Part of the story will be set on a mineral planet of Crait, with an abandoned old rebel base.

DOLPH LUNDGREN JOINS JASON MOMOA, NICOLE KIDMAN AS KING NEREUS IN 'AQUAMAN'! 'BEATRIZ AT DINNER' TRAILER WITH SALMA HAYEK, JOHN LITHGOW! HUGO WEAVING JOINS PETER JACKSON'S 'MORTAL ENGINES'

 'AQUAMAN' CASTS

DOLPH LUNDGREN AS MIGHTY KING NEREUS OF XEBEL

There will be all kinds of underwater royals in DC's much anticipated AQUAMAN since Dolph Lundgren has just been cast as evil king Nereus of the underwater kingdom of Xebel who wants to thrown down Jason Momoa's AQUAMAN, the king of Atlantis, and take his wife queen Mera (Amber Heard) too! He also has the power of manipulating with water in all possible ways. The plot of the December 2017 movie is kept under wraps, but we know that Nicole Kidman will be AQUAMAN's mother queen Atlanna,  Willem Dafoe is Aquaman's scientific advisor Nuidis Vulko, Patrick Wilson will be his half brother Ocean Master Orm, while Yahya Abdul Mateen II has been cast as villain Black Manta!

HUGO WEAVING

JOINS 'MORTAL ENGINES'
Meanwhile, another epic project, Peter Jackson's big screen adaptation of MORTAL ENGINES has cast Hugo Weaving reuniting them again after LOTR and Hobbit! I've reported previously that  Robbie Sheehan, Rohan Raftery, Hera Hilmar and Stephen Lang have already been cast in the leading roles. He might play historian Valentine who collects and preserves artefacts in a post apocalyptic world in which, many years after the "Sixty Minute War," cities survive a now desolate Earth by moving around on giant wheels attacking and devouring smaller towns to replenish their resources. Valentine is a historian in London which has four major guilds: the Historians, the Navigators who steer the course, the Merchants, who run the economy, and the Engineers, who keep the machines working in order for the city to survive.The movie will come exactly one year after Aquaman!

 'BEATRIZ AT DINNER' TRAILER

 SALMA HAYEK & JOHN LITHGOW

Today, you can enjoy a rather fun trailer for new comedy movie BEATRIZ AT DINNER which is out this June starring Salma Hayek, Chloe Sevigny and Jay Duplass alongside John Lithgow and Connie Britton! The story of the movie follows a holistic medicine practitioner who finds herself a fish out of water when her car breaks down at a wealthy client’s house and she joins a celebratory dinner party.

JUDE LAW IS YOUNG DUMBLEDORE IN 'FANTASTIC BEASTS' SEQUEL! 'WARRIOR QUEEN' EPIC MOVIE ON QUEEN AMANIRENAS! 'THE MIST' STEPHEN KING TV SERIES TRAILER

  'FANTASTIC BEASTS' SEQUEL

JUDE LAW CAST AS THE YOUNG PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE

While we are waiting to see him as the very naughty king in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword this summer, it has just been announced that Jude Law will take the role of young Dumbledore in FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM 2! Eddie Redmayne returns in the lead role of New Scamander, a magiologist, in the sequel in which Jude Law will portray Dumbledore before the wizard became the Headmaster at Hogwarts, as he has been known in the Harry Potter movie series. When we meet him in the Fantastic Beasts sequel, Dumbledore is still serving as the wizarding school’s Transfiguration professor. He is also a contemporary of Gellert Grindelwald, the charismatic dark wizard who believes wizards are superior to Muggles and No-Majs. This part, in the series of possible five movies each happening in a different city, should arrive in November next year.

  'WARRIOR QUEEN' EPIC MOVIE

ON QUEEN AMANIRENAS OF KUSH
Meanwhile, while we await for Britannia epic series in which the Celts are fighting the Romans, there will be a movie in which people on the entirely side of the world are fighting them too! As 'Deadline' reports today Universal will produce WARRIOR QUEEN, based on the true story of the young African Queen Amanirenas. Queen Amanirenas ruled over the Kush Kingdom of Nubia, one of the richest Kingdom’s in Ancient Africa. She successfully led her army of Nubians into battle against the mighty invading Roman Empire forcing them to withdraw and negotiate peace.

  'THE MIST' TRAILER FOR

NEW STEPHEN KING TV SERIES

Spike TV has released the first very spooky trailer for their new ten part series based on Stephen King's THE MIST which launches June 22nd! It follows the residents of Bridgeville, Maine, who find themselves engulfed by a foreboding mist containing a myriad of inexplicable and bizarre threats that put their humanity to the test. As the eerie fog rolls in, a family is torn apart by a brutal crime that suddenly cuts them off from the rest of the world, and in some cases, each other. Family, friends and adversaries become strange bedfellows, battling the mysterious mist and its threats, fighting to maintain morality and sanity as the rules of society break down.

PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT ON VICTORIAN THRILLER 'MY COUSIN RACHEL' WITH SAM CLAFLIN, RACHEL WEISZ, IAIN GLEN, HOLLIDAY GRAINGER! NEW POSTER AND TRAILER

  'MY COUSIN RACHEL' WITH

 SAM CLAFLIN & RACHEL WEISZ

If you follow your spy regularly, as you should because it is a cardinal sin not to, you already know that our most anticipated film of the year 2017 (which we, by the way, consider a very poor one movie wise), is the latest big screen adaptation of famous Victorian thriller MY COUSIN RACHEL which has just got an exciting new trailer and also a rather gorgeous and atmospheric new poster depicting, unlike the first one, both Rachel Weisz and Sam Claflin, the lead stars of the spooky mystery romance. The long awaited movie will hit cinemas in Europe and United States this summer, from June 9th!

POISONED BY CHARMS
 In the movie, our favourite British hunkster Sam Claflin plays a young orphan Phillip whose tranquil existence gets interrupted when he receives a note from his older cousin and guardian Ambrose, who writes that he is being poisoned. Ambrose soon turns up dead of an apparent brain tumor, but Phillip is suspicious of Ambrose's strange wife Rachel, played by Rachel Weisz. When Rachel appears in Philip's home, he determines to solve the mystery, but finds himself captivated by the presence of the enigmatic widow falling under the beguiling spell of her charms.

FROM DAPHNE DU MAURIER

The movie is the latest adaptation of the 1951. novel by legendary writer Daphne Du Maurier who also wrote some of Hitchcock's most famous movies Rebecca and Birds.  A few years ago BBC had a mini series based on her book Jamaica Inn. Directed and written by Roger Michell, a man who helmed Notting Hill, MY COUSIN RACHEL also stars Iain Glen and Holliday Grainger who starred with Sam Claflin also in Their Finest, Any Human Heart and The Riot Club. The beautiful locations that you can see in the trailer have been found in Italy.

CLAFLIN'S AND WEISZ' OTHER PERIOD SET PROJECTS
Both Sam Claflin and Rachel Weisz have other upcoming period set movies. Sam will star in THE NIGHTINGALE a 1829 Tasmania set thriller and in World War 1 movie JOURNEY'S END with Paul Bettany. Rachel is shooting a queen Anne, the last monarch of the House of Stuarts, movie THE FAVOURITE with Nicholas Hoult and also a JAMES MIRANDA BARRY movie on the women who lived her entire life as a man so she could study and practice medicine.

CATE BLACHETT SPREADS GALACTIC CHAOS IN MAGNIFICENT 'THOR: RAGNAROK' TRAILER WITH CHRIS HEMSWORTH, ATHONY HOPKINS, KARL URBAN, TOM HIDDLESTON, IDRIS ELBA

  'THOR: RAGNAROK' TRAILER

IS INTERGALACTIC GOODNESS 

Your biggest movie treat this Monday arrives straight from Asgard! The first trailer (the best trailer we've seen this year so far) for THOR: RAGNAROK has been unleashed today announcing probably the biggest of the superhero films of the year 2017 which is overly filled with them.

In THOR: RAGNAROK, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok, the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization, at the hands of an all powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela (mega powerful Cate Blanchett). But first. after she blasts him all the way to the remote planet of Sakaar, he must survive a deadly gladiator contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger, the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) whom he looks more than happy to see in the ulta spectacular trailer below!

THE CAST OF ACTING GODS

The superstellar cast also includes Tom Hiddleston as the naughty God of Mischief Loki ready to behave badly again, Karl Urban as warrior Skurge one of Hela's brutal servants who loves to carry around a double sided axe and is, as you can see, all bald, Anthony Hopkins as Thor's Godly Daddy, Idris Elba as Heimdall who probably came over to Sakaar to rescue Thor but comes upon some nasty alien beast, Ray Stevenson as Volstagg, Sam Neill,  Ken Watanabe,  Tadanobu Asano, Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster the barbaric ruler of Sakaar, in the movie that should arrive into cinemas at the end of October in Europe and in USA on November 3rd this winter.

MOST ANTICIPATED 2017 NEW EPIC TV SERIES BRIEF OVERVIEW: BRITANNIA, JAMESTOWN, WHITE PRINCESS, VERSAILLES, KNIGHTFALL, WILL, TROY FALL OF A CITY, STILL STAR CROSSED

  'BRITANNIA' 

To air sometime this year on Sky One (probably September), the ten episode epic series is set in 43AD as the Roman Imperial Army returns to crush the Celtic heart of Britannia - a mysterious land ruled by warrior women and powerful druids who can channel the powerful forces of the underworld. Spy More

  'JAMESTOWN' 

Also airing this year on Sky One (May 5th), the eight part saga is set in the early 17th Century, following three courageous women who leave their dark pasts behind in England, and make the journey of a lifetime across the ocean for a new life in America. Spy More

  'WHITE PRINCESS' 

To start airing its eight episode season from April 16th on Starz it will bring the story of Elizabeth of York, the White Queen's daughter, and her marriage to the Lancaster victor, Henry VII from the Tudor dynasty. Spy More

'VERSAILLES' 

Already airing in France, the second season of the lavish saga about famous Sun King who is building his court at Versailles, will air in UK from April 21st, Germany from May, Canada June and in USA on Ovation from Autumn. Spy More

'KNIGHTFALL' 

Telling the story of the final days of Knights Templar during the 14th century it will air later this year in ten episodes on History Channel, A+E with the cast lead by Tom Cullen! Spy More

  'WILL' 

A drama about the lost years of young William Shakespeare after his arrival to London in 1589 when theatre was like rock and roll and ayoung man with a dream changed the world with his words.Ten episode saga starts this summer on TNT. Spy More

  'TROY: FALL OF A CITY'

Retelling the legendary story of the 10 year old siege of Troy, which occurred in the 12 or 13th century BC, this BBC and Netflix eight part series will air later this year. Spy More

'STILL STAR CROSSED' 

Eight part period drama that picks up where the famous story of Romeo and Juliet leaves off, charting the treachery, palace intrigue, and ill-fated romances of the Montagues and Capulets will start airing on ABC Monday May 29th. Spy More

HOT FROM THE SPYLINE

 POLDARK third season starts on BBC in June - THE DURRELLS second season starts on ITV this month, third season has been ordered too - VICTORIA second season starts on ITV this Autumn will have Christmas Special - MEDICI: MASTERS OF FLORENCE second season shoots in September, sadly, won't have Richard Madden as it will focus on Cosimo's grandson Lorenzo Medici. THE LAST KINGDOM season 2 already airs in UK, will hit Neftlix from May. THE CROWN season 2 will have young Camila Parker Bowles

STUNNING NEW POSTERS & TRAILERS FOR SUMMER 2017 BLOCKBUSTERS 'KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD' WITH JUDE LAW, CHARLIE HUNNAM, TOM CRUISE'S 'THE MUMMY', AND 'WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES'

'KING ARTHUR' POSTERS

REVEAL GUINEVERE AND A VERY ROYAL NEW MEGA BANNER

A bunch of brand new posters for you to start the weekend, spylings! First, a very long banner for KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD (click on it below to see it full size) alongside a new poster featuring Charlie Hunnam in the lead role and the first one for Astrid Berges Frisbey's Guinevere who is actually a mage in this one.

LEGEND OF THE SWORD
Out this May, it sees the young Arthur running the back passages of Londonium with his crew, not knowing his royal lineage until he grabs Excalibur. Instantly confronted by the sword's influence, Arthur is forced to make up his mind. He joins the rebellion and a shadowy young woman named Guinevere, he must learn to understand the magic weapon, deal with his demons and unite the people to defeat the dictator Vortigern (Jude Law notice his uber stylish villainous outfits in the new trailer below), the man who murdered his parents and stole his crown to become king. Eric Bana also stars alongside Millie Brady, Aidan Gillen, Annabelle Wallis, David Beckham and Katie McGrath.

'THE MUMMY' POSTER

 WITH TOM CRUISE

There's also the first movie poster for Tom Cruise starring reboot of famous THE MUMMY in which Sofia Boutella plays an ancient princess awakened from her crypt beneath the desert, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia, and terrors that defy human comprehension. Annabelle Wallis stars in this one as well, out this June!

'WAR FOR THE PLANET OF APES' 

 CAESAR RULES THE NEW POSTER

There's also a new poster for yet another of this summer's possible blockbusters WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES which will ape its way into cinemas later this July with Caesar and his apes being forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet. 

JACK REYNOR TO LEAD 'ELECTRIC DREAMS' SF SERIES 'IMPOSSIBLE PLANET' 2ND EPISODE! RICKY MARTIN JOINS EDGAR RAMIREZ, PENELOPE CRUZ IN 'VERSACE' MINI SERIES! BBC 'MINIATURIST' PERIOD SET SERIES 1ST PHOTO

'ELECTRIC DREAMS' SF SERIES

 JACK REYNOR IN 2ND EPISODE

TV news today, starting with Channel 4 and US Amazon's anthology sf series Phillip K. Dick's ELECTRIC DREAMS which will have ten episodes each with different stars, stories and directors. Jack Reynor and Benedict Wong have been announced as the stars of the second episode, based on Dick's story Impossible Planet.

Written and directed by The Night Manager’s David Farr, it will see them playing two disillusioned, disenchanted and indifferent space tourism employees who take up an elderly woman’s (Geraldine Chaplin) request for a trip back to Earth, the existence of which is a long debunked myth. She appears easily confused, plus she’s rich – so, for the right payment, what’s the harm in indulging her fantasies? However, as their journey unfolds, their scam begins to eat away at them and they ultimately find themselves dealt a bitter sweet surprise. Timothy Spall will lead the Tom Harper directed first episode based on The Commuter story.

'THE MINIATURIST' BBC SERIES

CASTS ANYA TAYLOR JOY, ALEX HASSELL AND ROMOLA GARAI

I've announced this one last year, but now we have the cast: Alex Hassell, Romola Garai and Anya Taylor Joy will star in BBC's period set three part series THE MINIATURIST based on Jessie Burton novel!  Set in 1686 Amsterdam it tells the story of Nella (Taylor-Joy) who moves to the city to become the wife of a wealthy merchant. Nella is given a miniature version of her new home, which is furnished by a Miniaturist, whose creations start to reflect real events in the house. She then starts to discover the secrets of the house and its inhabitants including her cold sister-in-law Marin (Garai).

'VERSACE' TV SERIES

RICKY MARTIN AS GAY LOVER

Over at FX it seems they are gathering Latin stars in the cast for their new mini series VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY. The series has now added Ricky Martin under Ryan Murphy's direction. Edgar Ramirez and Penelope Cruz have already been cast in the lead roles.

In its ten episode run VERSACE will examine the shocking July 1997 assassination of Gianni Versace (Edgar Ramirez) on the steps of his Miami Beach mansion by sociopath and serial killer Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss). Ricky Martin will play Versace’s longtime gay partner Antonio D’Amico while Penelope Cruz is set to portray Versace’s sister Donatella.