JENNIFER ANISTON IN 'CAKE'! ANNE HATHAWAY JOINS ROBERT DE NIRO IN 'INTERN'! SALMA HAYEK IN 'SEPTEMBERS OF SHIRAZ'! STUNNING ICARUS TEASER AND POSTER FOR 'DA VINCI'S DEMONS' SECOND SEASON

ANNE HATHAWAY TO JOIN

ROBERT DE NIRO IN 'THE INTERN'

Casting changes for THE INTERN comedy: Anne Hathaway has replaced Reese Witherspoon as Robert De Niro's partner in the new comedy to be directed by Nancy Meyers. Hathaway will play a boss in a huge fashion company to which a retired man (Robert De Niro), who was once a successful businessman himself, is assigned as an intern. He quickly becomes a very important link at his new workplace and also an important part of his new boss' life.

JENNIFER ANISTON IN 'CAKE'
A rather interesting script will be seen in CAKE too in which Jennifer Aniston will play a woman who becomes fascinated by Nina, a woman in her chronic pain support group, but she must face her own personal tragedy when she discovers Nina's suicide and develops a relationship with Nina's husband.

SALMA HAYEK IN 'SEPTEMBERS OF SHIRAZ'

Meanwhile, another gorgeous Hollywood lady, Salma Hayek will star in THE SEPTEMBERS OF SHIRAZ with fellow Oscar nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo. Based on Dalia Sofer's novel and produced by Gerard Butler, the movie will focus on a Jewish family in Iran around the time of the Islamic Revolution.

DA VINCI'S DEMONS 2ND SEASON

 STUNNING ICARUS TEASER!

And in TV news today, beside the info that BBC has officially greenlit the second season of THE MUSKETEERS epic show, you can check out a truly stunning Icarus teaser for the second season of DA VINCI'S DEMONS which airs at the end of March with Tom Riley as Leonardo venturing over to the empire of Incas! You can read more about the second season in our extensive spotlight! 

ANIMATED MOVIE SUNDAY: 'ERNEST & CELESTINE' WITH LAMBERT WILSON, 'ME AND MY SHADOW' WITH KATE HUDSON & JOSH GAD, 'MR. PEABODY AND SHERMAN' FROM DREAMWORKS

ERNEST & CELESTINE

OF MICE AND BEARS

It's animated Sunday at HOLLYWOOD SPY today, people, and Dezzy will spotlight some of the animated movies coming to cinemas in February and March! ERNEST & CELESTINE is a delightful French animated film coming to cinemas February 27th from the creators of the Oscar nominated 'Triplets of Belleville' and 'The Secret of Kells' who bring us a visually stunning, enormously entertaining new film with generation spanning appeal. Deep below snowy, cobblestone streets, tucked away in networks of winding subterranean tunnels, lives a civilization of hardworking mice, terrified of the bears who live above ground. Unlike her fellow mice, Celestine is an artist and a dreamer – and when she nearly ends up as breakfast for ursine troubadour Ernest, the two form an unlikely bond. But it isn’t long before their friendship is put on trial by their respective bear-fearing and mice-eating communities. Lambert Wilson, Lauren Bacall and Forest Whitaker lend their voices in the film!

ME AND MY SHADOW

THEY LEAD, WE FOLLOW!
Another interesting animated movie was supposed to come to cinemas in March produced by Dreamworks but currently its release date is unknown: ME AND MY SHADOW still doesn't have a trailer nor any images, but it has a voice cast which includes Kate Hudson and Josh Gad! This delightful flick tells the story of Shadow Stan, an extremely frustrated shadow who yearns for a dynamic life but happens to be stuck with Stanley Grubb, the world's most boring human. Finally pushed to the brink, Shadow Stan breaks the singular rule of the Shadow World – They lead, we follow – and takes control of Stanley!

MR. PEABODY AND SHERMAN

 DOING SOME TIME TRAVELLING

Also coming from Dreamworks this March is MR. PEABODY AND SHERMAN with Leslie Mann and Stanley Tucci in the voice cast! Mr. Peabody, the most accomplished dog in the world, and his mischievous boy Sherman, use their time machine - The Wabac - to go on the most outrageous adventures known to man or dog. But when Sherman takes The Wabac out for a joyride to impress his friend Penny, they accidently rip a hole in the universe, wreaking havoc on the most important events in world history. Before they forever alter the past, present and future, Mr. Peabody must come to their rescue, ultimately facing the most daunting challenge of any era: figuring out how to be a parent. Together, the time travelling trio will make their mark on history.

AMY ADAMS, GARRETT HEDLUND, JESSICA BROWN FINDLAY, JENNIFER HUDSON IN HEARTWARMING 'LULLABY' DRAMA! FIRST EPIC TRAILER FOR MEDIEVAL ACTION 'IRONCLAD 2 BATTLE FOR BLOOD' WITH TOM AUSTEN & MICHELLE FAIRLEY

HEARTWARMING LULLABY

AMY ADAMS & GARRETT HEDLUND

Now, here's a genre we love most: a heartwarming and deeply inspiring movie - LULLABY with Amy Adams and Garrett Hedlund in the lead roles. Written and directed by Andrew Levitas, the film, to be released sometime this year, is filled with considerable comedic beats and it explores the power of life, its transformative moments and reconnections between loved ones. Estranged from his family, Jonathan (Garrett Hedlund) receives word that his father, Robert (Richard Jenkins), who has been fighting illness for over a decade has chosen to take himself off life support in less than forty-eight hours. What follows is an unexpected journey of love, laughter, and forgiveness! The cast also includes Terrence Howard, Jessica Brown Findlay and Jennifer Hudson!

MEDIEVAL ACTION SEQUEL

 IRONCLAD II BATTLE FOR BLOOD

Your main treat this Saturday is the first trailer for epic sequel IRONCLAD II: BATTLE FOR BLOOD which will axe its way into cinemas this March! Shot last year in medieval fortresses of Serbia, the sequel to the Jonathan English directed epic movie from 2011 which starred James Purefoy, Brian Cox, Derek Jacobi and Paul Giamatti, will now follow a survivor of the Great Siege of Rochester Castle who has to fight to save his clan from Celtic raiders back in  the year 1216. Tom Austen leads the cast this time alongside GAME OF THRONES Michelle Fairley and HARRY POTTER'S Predrag Bjelac who plays the vengeful Celtic leader!

DEZZY'S HISTORY LESSON
Rochester Castle is most famous as the fortress which took part in famous Barons' War in the 13th century England when the barons were

opposing King John's rule. Just one garrison of soldiers managed to keep of the siege of the immeasurably stronger royal forces for seven weeks!

 

EWAN MCGREGOR TO SPEND 'LAST DAYS IN THE DESERT'! KATE WINSLET, AARON PAUL, CHRISTOPH WALTZ IN 'TRIPLE NINE'! MARK FORSTER TO HELM MOVIE ADAPTATION OF 'RED RISING' SF NOVEL BY PIERCE BROWN

EWAN MCGREGOR TO

SPEND 'LAST DAYS IN THE DESERT'

And we continue what we started yesterday - updates on our fave actors: our dearest Ewan McGregor has joined LAST DAYS IN THE DESERT a new movie from the director of ALBERT NOBBS Rodrigo Garcia! Ewan will play the dual roles of a holy man and a demon who must confront his own fate after an encounter with a family struggling to survive in the harsh desert environment. Tye Sheridan, Ciarán Hinds and Ayelet Zurer are also in the cast and the crew itself has a huge number of Oscar nominees and winners! Ewan has recently finished shooting MORTDECAI with Johnny Depp who plays a man traversing the globe armed only with his good looks and special charm in a race to recover a stolen painting rumoured to contain the code to a lost bank account filled with Nazi gold!

MARK FORSTER TO DIRECT

'RED RISING' ON PLANET MARS
If you like books turned into movies here's a piece of news for you: Mark Forster (WORLD WAR Z) will helm the movie adaptation of dashing Pierce Brown's novel RED RISING which was released a month ago! The sf tale takes place on desolate Mars, where the protagonist is caught in a class system that thrives on oppression and secrecy. He is a Red, the lowest member of society, born to toil in the bowels of the planet in service to the sovereign Golds. When he suffers a devastating loss and betrayal he becomes a revolutionary, out to bring about social justice. Questions of fate, duality, and loyalty, evolve in a cruel test of war between the sons and daughters of the ruling elite.

'TRIPLE NINE' STELLAR CAST

KATE WINSLET, AARON PAUL, CHRISTOPH WALTZ, CHIWETEL EJIOFOR

Here's an unusual new role for Oscar winner Kate Winslet: according to 'Deadline' she and Aaron Paul will star in TRIPLE NINE (a code for 'officer down') together with Chiwetel Ejiofor, Christoph Waltz, Casey Affleck,Theresa Palmer, Michael B. Jordan and Gal Gadot.  The story revolves around a pack of corrupt cops who are blackmailed by the Russian mafia to commit an impossible heist. The only way to pull it off is to kill a rookie cop, but their plan backfires when the unsuspecting rookie they set up to die foils the attack, triggering a breakneck, action-packed finale filled with double-crosses, greed and revenge.

TOM HIDDLESTON IN 'HIGH RISE' MOVIE ADAPTATION! MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY & KEN WATANABE IN 'SEA OF TREES'! KIT HARINGTON & ALICIA VIKANDER IN WW1 EPIC 'TESTAMENT OF YOUTH'!

TOM HIDDLESTON TO

TOPLINE 'HIGH RISE'!

The Independent has revealed that world's favourite actor Tom Hiddleston will star in the movie adaptation of JG Ballard's book HIGH RISE to be directed by British filmmaker and DR WHO director Ben Wheatley! The story of the book revolves around the lives of an affluent community cut off from society in a luxury block of flats. Closed off from their surroundings they slowly descend into violence and start to turn one against another. The 1975 satire centres on debauchery and the primal urges of the humanity. This is not the first of Ballard's books to get a movie adaptation since back in the 80s Steven Spielberg gained numerous Oscar nominations for his adaptation of Ballard's EMPIRE OF THE SUN!

TESTAMENT OF YOUTH

KIT HARINGTON AND ALICIA VIKANDER IN WWI DRAMA
According to 'The Hollywood Reporter', Kit Harington and Alicia Vikander will work again after SEVENTH SON. They will take the lead roles in TESTAMENT OF YOUTH too! The big screen adaptation of Vera Brittain's autobiography from 1933 describes her World War I experiences  when she had to leave Oxford in order to become a nurse in the war in which she will lose both her fiance and brother. After the war ended, she tried to get her life back on track, but found herself  as part of a lost generation. She later returned to Oxford to become a feminist and a writer. Alicia Vikander will play Vera Brittain while Kit Harington will be her fiance.

MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY

 TO TRAVEL THE 'SEA OF TREES'

Only last week I presented you the first trailer for LONG WAY DOWN about four different people who meet at a top of a skyscraper while trying to commit suicides, and we already have another similar project brewing in Tinseltown: 'The Wrap' reports that Oscar nominee Matthew McConaughey will star in Gus Van Sant's SEA OF TREES together with Ken Watanabe! Last year's Black List script is set in the "Suicide Forest" near Mount Fuji in Japan revolving around an American (Matthew McConaughey) who goes there in order to take his own life, but is interrupted by a Japanese man (Ken Watanabe) who is trying to make his way out of the forest after having second thoughts about his own suicide. They then go on a journey of reflection and survival.

NEW BOOK 'ICE DOGS'

FROM TERRY LYNN JOHNSON!
Our dear friend and Canada's bestselling author Terry Lynn Johnson has a new book out so don't forget to check out her website! ICE DOGS: Lost. That's how 14-year-old dogsledder Victoria Secord has felt ever since her father died. A champion musher, Victoria is independent, self-reliant, and thanks to her father, an expert in surviving the unforgiving Alaskan bush. When an injured "city boy" and a freak snow storm both catch Victoria and her dog team by surprise, however, a routine trip becomes a life or death trek through the frozen wilderness. As temperatures drop and food stores run out, Victoria must find a way to save them all in this high stakes, high adventure middle grade novel of endurance, hope and finding your way back home.

RYAN PHILLIPPE TO LEAD ABC SHOW 'SECRETS & LIES'! ZACHARY QUINTO JOINS RUPERT FRIEND IN 'AGENT 47'! FIRST IMAGE FROM EPIC ADVENTURE 'NORTHMEN A VIKING SAGA' WITH RYAN KWANTEN, TOM HOPPER, ED SKREIN!

RYAN PHILLIPPE TO LEAD

'SECRETS & LIES' SHOW AT ABC

Here's another Hollywood star to cross over to the small screens: Ryan Phillippe has taken the lead role in the pilot for ABC new show SECRETS AND LIES. Based on an Australian series, the new show will see Ryan playing a family man who accidentally discovers the body of a young boy, but quickly after that he becomes the main suspect for the boy's murder, and is left with no option but to find the real killer, before his marriage, family, sanity and reputation are torn apart. Ryan has actually starred on the small screens before playing in DAMAGES series two years ago.

ZACHARY QUINTO JOINS

'AGENT 47' HITMAN ACTION MOVIE REBOOT
A month ago I informed you that British actor Rupert Friend (YOUNG VICTORIA, HOMELAND) has taken the lead role in the reboot of HITMAN action movie and now the news is that Zachary Quinto has taken a supporting one! Titled AGENT 47, the movie will be  a big screen adaptation of the Square Enix video game franchise, which follows a mysterious assassin known only as Agent 47, who has a barcode tattooed to the back of his head and works for a shadowy organization.The original movie had Timothy Olyphant in the lead role and it earned around $100 million worldwide!

NORTHMEN VIKING SAGA

FIRST IMAGES WITH RYAN KWANTEN & TOM HOPPER

Today you can also check out the first cast picture from upcoming historical adventure NORTHMEN A VIKING SAGA which should hit cinemas sometime later this year. The cast is filled with young hunks from Europe and USA, lead by Ryan Kwanten, Tom Hopper (MERLIN, BLACK SAILS), Ed Skrein (GAME OF THRONES), Leo Gregory, Ken Duken, James Norton... They play a band of Vikings stranded behind enemy lines on the coast of Alba as their longboat goes down in a dreadful storm. Their only chance of survival is to find a path to the Viking settlement, Danelag, traversing an unfamiliar and hostile land they have never known. The journey becomes a race for their lives when the King of Alba sends his most feared mercenaries after them. But when the Vikings meet a kind Christian Monk who preaches with his sword, the hunters become the hunted as the Vikings set deadly traps, mercilessly decimating their pursuers one by one, culminating in a final and deadly encounter.

RACHEL WEISZ, COLIN FARRELL IN 'THE LOBSTER' DYSTOPIAN DRAMA! AMY ADAMS, JAKE GYLLENHAAL IN 'EZEKIEL MOSS' PERIOD DRAMA! TIMOTHY OMUNDSON IS KING RICHARD IN 'GALAVANT' SHOW! DAVID SCHWIMMER IN 'IRREVERSIBLE' SITCOM

THE LOBSTER DYSTOPIAN

DRAMA GETS RACHEL WEISZ AND COLIN FARRELL

Earlier last year I informed you that Greek director  and Oscar winner Yorgos Lanthimos is preparing dystopian drama THE LOBSTER and now they have new cast members: Rachel Weisz and Colin Farrell have joined Ben Whishaw, Lea Seydoux and Olivia Colman. It will be a romantic science fiction drama in which the story centres around a group of people who are told to find respective partners, or they will be turned into animals. Set in a dystopian future, the single men and women are brought to a dark hotel before being handed the task. Rachel Weisz hasn't been active too much on the big screen after she married Daniel Craig two years ago following her divorce from director Darren Aranofsky. In that time she only had roles in OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL and in THE BOURNE LEGACY! She met Daniel Craig while shooting DREAM HOUSE directed by Sam Mendes, who was once in a fling with Rachel. Sam was actually left by Kate Winslet who hated his closeness with old flame Weisz.

TELEVISION UPDATES

TIMOTHY OMUNDSON IS KING RICHARD IN 'GALAVANT' SHOW
In today's TV news, according to 'Deadline' Timothy Omundson has joined the cast of GALAVANT historical musical comedy show at ABC which centres on handsome Prince Galavant (Joshua Sasse), a classic once-upon-a-time hero, complete with sword, horse, great hair, courage, mad skills (like dragon-slaying and helping the poor) — and his quest for revenge over the evil King Richard (Omundson) who stole his one true love, the beautiful Madalena (Mallory Jansen). To Galavant’s shock, Madalena decided she prefers the King and his wealth and power to the love of penniless Galavant.
DAVID SCHWIMMER IN IRREVERSIBLE SITCOM
ABC is also preparing sitcom IRREVERSIBLE in which FRIENDS' star David Schwimmer  will play a part of a somewhat eccentric, self-absorbed love couple, and the story will follow their trials and tribulations — most of which they bring upon themselves. David and Jennifer Aniston are the only members of the old sitcom who haven't head a new show of their own later on.

EZEKIEL MOSS PERIOD DRAMA

AMY ADAMS, JAKE GYLLENHAAL

Our favourite American actress, the sweetest Amy Adams, who is nominated for an Oscar this year again, will head the cast of period set drama EZEKIEL MOSS! She will be joined by Jake Gyllenhaal in this prohibition era movie which was supposed to be directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman who died earlier this weekend. Amy Adams will play Iris, an emotionally distraught woman living in the wake of her husband's death. While running a small town boarding school where religion rules and sin is forbidden, she gets into an affair with a mysterious stranger (Jake Gyllenhaal) who wanders into town, only to discover that he has the ability to channel and physically inhabit the dead.

SPOTLIGHT ON WGN'S FIRST SCRIPTED HISTORICAL SERIES 'SALEM' ON 17TH CENTURY WITCHES WITH JANET MONTGOMERY, SHANE WEST, SETH GABEL, XANDER BERKELEY

WGN'S FIRST SCRIPTED SHOW

WITCHES OF SALEM

As you've noticed recently tones of channels, from History and Discovery to E!, which never had scripted series before are turning to shooting their own shows and you know that WGN is among them ready to launch their first such show SALEM April 20th! Today you can check out the first trailer and pictures from the drama which, written by Brannon Braga (STAR TREK VOYAGER, 24), will follow the tragic and dangerous destinies and lives of the 17th century witches in Massachusetts! The show, which centres on an epic romance, is said to deliver a new vision of witches who are real though they are not who or what they seem. This is not the only scripted show to come to WGN: 10 COMMANDMENTS historical show is also in preparation with different famous directors (Gus Van Sant, Wes Craven) helming one episode each!

THE STORY OF SALEM

POWERFUL ENCHANTRESSES 
Set in the volatile world of 17th century Massachusetts, SALEM explores what really fuelled the town’s infamous witch trials and dares to uncover the dark, supernatural truth hiding behind the veil of this  infamous period in American history. In SALEM, witches arereal, but they are not who or what they seem. The show, which centres on an epic romance wrapped around this explosive revelation, delivers a bold new vision of Salem — and an even bolder new vision of witches.

THE FACES OF SALEM

SHANE WEST AND SETH GABEL

Mary Sibley is the main character played by Janet Montgomery. She is the beautiful, ruthless but vulnerable wife of an ancient, ailing but very wealthy Salem town Selectman. She is also the most powerful witch in Salem. Shane West will play a man, who after 10 years of war and captivity at the hands of the Indians, returns to his native Salem to find it consumed in Witch Hunt frenzy, led by Cotton Mather (Seth Gabel). He also has a history with Mary Sibley. Seth Gabel will be playing  Cotton Mather, a local aristocrat who makes it his business to oversee the witch hunts in Salem. Xander Berkeley is Magistrate Hale, one of Salem's Selectman. Ashley Madekwe, Tamzin Merchant and Elise Eberle also star in the 13 episode show.

LIAM NEESON, KEN WATANABE, ANDREW GARFIELD IN MARTIN SCORSESE'S 17TH CENTURY JAPAN EPIC 'SILENCE'! FIRST IMAGES FROM SYFY'S SHOW 'DOMINION' WITH CHRIS EGAN, TOM WISDOM! 2ND 'WINTER'S TALE' TRAILER WITH COLIN FARRELL, RUSSELL CROWE

MARTIN SCORSESE'S SILENCE

TAKES LIAM NEESON & ANDREW GARFIELD TO 17TH CENTURY JAPAN

In today's news from the historical genre, Deadline reports that Martin Scorsese has found his lead actors for upcoming epic drama SILENCE! Liam Neeson will join Andrew Garfield and Ken Watanabe in the movie which will be a big screen adaptation of Shusaku Endo's novel in which the story revolves around Father Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield), a Portuguese Jesuit priest from the 17th century who travels to Japan upon hearing that his mentor has abandoned the church. Liam Neeson will play the mentor, while Ken Watanabe will portray Rodrigues' Japanese interpreter! Scorsese is both helming and writing the script.

FIRST IMAGES FROM SYFY'S

'DOMINION' SF EPIC SHOW
SyFy has released first images from their new sf show DOMINION which, based on Paul Bettany's LEGION film, is an epic supernatural drama set in the year 25 A.E. when an army of lower angels, assembled by the archangel Gabriel, has waged a war of possession against mankind. The archangel Michael, turning against his own kind, has chosen to side with humanity against Gabriel. Rising out of the  ashes of the 25-year long battle are newly fortified cities which protect human survivors. Chris Egan, Tom Wisdom, Anthony Stewart Head and Alan Dale lead the cast of the show which will air this June!

2ND WINTER'S TALE TRAILER

 COLIN FARRELL, RUSSELL CROWE

And your trailer for today is the second, deeply magical and enchanting one, for WINTER'S TALE which hits theatres this Valentines Day. You can read more in our spotlight on the film in which Jessica Brown  Findlay and Colin Farrell bring us the mythic tale of the love between a dying woman and a thief, in a time-jumping story that spans more than a century. Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, Eva Marie Saint and Russell Crowe are also in the cast!

'THE FAULT IN OUR STARS' TRAILER WITH SHAILENE WOODLEY! IS DAMIAN LEWIS KING HENRY VIII IN 'WOLF HALL' BBC HISTORICAL SERIES? CHADWICK BOSEMAN JOINS GERARD BUTLER, GEOFFREY RUSH IN 'GODS OF EGYPT' EPIC MOVIE

WOLF HALL EPIC SERIES

GETS DAMIAN LEWIS AS KING HENRY VIII?

Well, this is certainly a great piece of news: according to 'The Daily Mail' HOMELAND star Damian Lewis could take a role in BBC's new historical series WOLF HALL if the negotiations go well! The small screen adaptation of Hilary Mantel's bestselling novel could see him playing King Henry VIII next to Mark Rylance who was cast last year for the role of Thomas Cromwell! The six part series will be set in the 1520s, when England was facing civil war if Henry VIII was to die without a male heir. Thomas Cromwell stepped into the gap left by the King and was prepared to break the rules, wanting to reshape England to his own and Henry VIII's desires.You've seen Damian Lewis recently in ROMEO AND JULIET and he is currently shooting QUEEN OF THE DESERT with Nicole Kidman!

'GODS OF EGYPT' GETS

 CHADWICK BOSEMAN NEXT TO GERARD BUTLER AND GEOFFREY RUSH
One of our most anticipated movies to arrive in cinemas in 2016 fantasy epic GODS OF EGYPT has a new cast member! 'Deadline' reports that Chadwick Boseman will play Thoth, God of wisdom! In the film Gerard Butler plays the Egyptian god of the desert Set, who murders his brother Osiris in cold blood. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau plays Osiris' son Horus, who tries to avenge his father's death by seeking the help of a human thief named Bek (Brenton Thwaites), who is in love with a slave girl (Courtney Eaton), to get his revenge on Set. Geoffrey Rush plays Ra, father of Set and Osiris!

FAULT IN OUR STARS TRAILER

LIFE DOESN'T HAVE 2B PERFECT

Your second trailer is a deeply touching one for the movie adaptation of THE FAULT IN OUR STARS bestseller by John Green. Coming to cinemas this June and starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort together with Laura Dern, this moving and inspiring story will see Woodley portraying a teenage girl, stricken with fatal cancer, who falls for a boy in her support group and the two form a bond as they deal with their illnesses. Exploreing the funny, thrilling and tragic business of being alive and in love the movie is directed by Josh Boone who helmed STUCK IN LOVE before this one.