JENNA COLEMAN TO PLAY QUEEN 'VICTORIA' IN NEW EPIC TV SERIES! MAX IRONS AND SAM NEILL LEAD ITV'S 'TUTANKHAMUN' EPIC SERIES! BRYAN SINGER TO DIRECT '20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA' MOVIE!

JENNA COLEMAN TO LEAD

QUEEN 'VICTORIA' EPIC SERIES

Earlier this year I've announced that British ITV will prepare a new TV series on queen Victoria titled simply VICTORIA and now it has been confirmed that Jenna Coleman is to take the crown and play the lead role of the infamous enslaver and invader. The actress will leave DR WHO for this gig. The eight part historical series will revolve around the early life of the British monarch, from her ascension to the throne to her marriage to Prince Albert. The first episode, directed by Tom Vaughan, will be 90 minutes long! Since the filming starts next month in Northern England, expect new cast names announced here as we get the info! The series comes from POLDARK team.

BRYAN SINGER TO HELM

20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA
Here's something for all of you fans of adventure movies: X-MEN's Bryan Singer, who has, believe it or not, just turned 50 yesterday, has announced that his next movie project will be the big screen adaptation of Jules Verne's 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA! He has already finished the script saying he has wanted to retell jt since childhood and promising that it will be an epic and emotional adventure for all ages! As you know, famous classic follows brave Captain Nemo and his mighty submarine Nautilus on their underwater adventures. Singer's X MEN: APOCALYPSE is ready to hit cinemas in May next year.

'TUTANKHAMUN' EPIC TV SERIES

 MAX IRONS & SAM NEILL CAST

Speaking of ITV's historical series, another one I've recently announced, epic adventure TUTAN- KHAMUN has cast Max Irons and Sam Neill under Peter Webber's helm! Max Irons will play Howard Carter who became an iconic figure and an unlikely hero. The story unfolds from 1905 when Carter, an eminent British archaeologist, is leading an expedition only to have his license to dig revoked by Cairo’s Antiquities Service. Carter spends years living rough and resorting to selling previously discovered archaeological relics. A chance meeting with British aristocrat eccentric Lord Carnarvon (Sam Neill), brings a change of fortunes as the enthusiastic amateur needs an experienced archaeologist to help him with a series of random excavations. Carter and Carnarvon begin the most unlikely friendship, in spite of their differences of background and character. After years of searching for the tomb, Carter and Carnarvon successfully discover the last resting place of the boy-king TUTANKHMAUN in 1921 against all odds and at great personal expense.

NEW 'THE HEART OF THE SEA' TRAILER WITH CHRIS HEMSWORTH, CILLIAN MURPHY, BEN WHISHAW! STEPHEN KING'S 'MIST' TO BECOME TV SERIES! 'THE YOUNG MESSIAH' TRAILER WITH SEAN BEAN

STEPHEN KING'S 'THE MIST'  

TO BECOME A TV SERIES

Fight against natural elements today, beginning with the announcement coming from The Weinstein Company who will turn Stephen King's famous novel THE MIST into TV series! The story, which was already turned into a rather scary movie back in 2007, is set in a seemingly innocuous mist that seeps into a small town but contains limitless havoc. From psychological terrors to otherworldly creatures, the mist causes the town residents’ darkest demons to appear forcing them to battle the supernatural event and, more importantly, each other.

'THE YOUNG MESSIAH' TRAILER  

STARRING SEAN BEAN

First trailer is here for new historical drama which is arriving into the theatres next Easter THE YOUNG MESSIAH starring Sean Bean, Jonathan Bailey and Adam Greaves Neal. The movie tells the story of Jesus Christ at age seven as he and his family depart Egypt to return home to Nazareth. Told from his childhood perspective, it follows young Jesus as he grows into his religious identity.

'IN THE HEART OF THE SEA'  

NEW TRAILER WITH CHRIS HEMSWORTH, BEN WHISHAW, CILLIAN MURPHY, BRENDAN GLEESON, TOM HOLLAND

A new trailer and a new poster have been released for December 11th sea adventure IN THE HEART OF THE SEA starring Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Benjamin Walker, Ben Whishaw, Brendan Gleeson, Tom Holland! In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The movie reveals the encounter’s harrowing aftermath, as the ship’s surviving crew is pushed to their limits and forced to do the unthinkable to stay alive. Braving storms, starvation, panic and despair, the men will call into question their deepest beliefs, from the value of their lives to the morality of their trade, as their captain searches for direction on the open sea and his first mate still seeks to bring the great whale down.

TOM HOLLANDER, IAN MCSHANE LEAD ITV'S NEW HISTORICAL DRAMA 'DOCTOR THORNE' FROM 'DOWNTON ABBEY'S' JULIAN FELLOWES! LI BINGBING TO LEAD 'NEST' SF MOVIE

LI BINGBING  

TAKES THE LEAD ROLE IN 'NEST' SF MOVIE

As 'Deadline' reports super gorgeous Chinese star Li Bingbing (you remember her from sf movies TRANSFORMERS and RESIDENT EVIL, fantasy epic SNOW GIRL AND THE DARK CRYSTAL, and historical drama SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN) has signed on to play the lead role in NEST,  which is being planned as the largest ever budgeted Chinese Australian coproduction. To be filmed in 3D, NEST tells the tale of a team of scientists who discover a swarm of deadly, intelligent and carnivorous funnel web spiders. Battling through an ancient labyrinth, the team must learn the secret behind the spiders’ heightened abilities before its too late. 

'DOCTOR THORNE' SERIES FROM 

 'DOWNTON ABBEY' CREATOR

Looks like we're again getting bored aristocrats from Julian Fellowes whose new series has just got its cast! Tom Hollander and Ian McShane will lead the cast of ITV's new period set three part drama DOCTOR THORNE based on Anthony Throllope novel which Weinstein Co. will distribute worldwide!

TOM HOLLANDER AND IAN MCSHANE LEAD THE CAST  
It will follow Dr Thomas Thorne (Tom Hollander), who lives with his penniless niece Mary (Stefanie Martini). When Lady Arabella Gresham (Rebecca Front) finds out that her son Frank (Harry Richardson) is in love with Mary, she is horrified and believes it is his duty to make a rich marriage to save their family estate - after her husband Francis Gresham Senior (Richard McCabe) has frittered away their fortune. Scheming with her sister-in-law (Phoebe Nicholls) and niece (Kate O'Flynn), Arabella targets wealthy American heiress Martha Dunstable (Alison Brie). Ian McShane is alcoholic railway millionaire Sir Roger Scatcherd, while Cressida Bonas is Mary's friend and confidante Patience Oriel.

DISNEY'S 'THE JUNGLE BOOK' MOVIE TRAILER IS HERE WITH BEN KINGSLEY, SCARLETT JOHANSSON, IDRIS ELBA! JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, ANNA KENDRICK LEAD DREAMWORKS 'TROLLS' ADAPTATION!

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE JOINS 

DREAMWORKS' 'TROLLS' MOVIE

Kids friendly movie news today, starting with the news on those ugly TROLLS dolls with whom some of you maybe played as kids? Dreamworks is turning it into a movie with Justin Timberlake revealed today as the lead star of the musical comedy coming from SHREK'S team of producers and directors. Justin Timberlake will lend voice to Branch, a hilariously hardcore survivalist who hides his surprising true colours. For the first time, the movie tells the story behind the beloved TROLLS and their gravity defying and colourful manes! Singer actress Anna Kendrick will lend her voice to Princess Poppy. She and Branch venture far beyond the only world they have ever known, with their quest testing their strength and revealing their true colours – with no shortage of musical mash-ups along the way! 

'THE JUNGLE BOOK' TRAILER 

FOR DISNEY'S NEW ADVENTURE

As announced last weekend, Disney (who has also announced their remake of MARY POPPINS today) has released today the first trailer for their new big screen version of THE JUNGLE BOOK which will roar into theatres next April! Directed by John Favreau it will have CGI animals and one live actor, with the story which follows an orphan boy who is raised in the Jungle with the help of a pack of wolves, a bear and a black panther. Little Neel Sethi plays Mowgli, Ben Kingsley voices black panther Bagheera, Lupita Nyong'o is mother wolf Raksha, Scarlett Johansson is snake Kaa, Bill Mooray is bear Baloo, Idris Elba is Shere Khan, Christopher Walken is King Louie!

It is interesting that a year later, in April 2017, rival THE JUNGLE BOOK: ORIGINS will hit cinemas too, but in live action version with Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, Benedict Cucumberpatch and Tom Hollander. 

JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS TO VISIT 'SHAMBHALA'! SHIRLEY MACLAINE, AMANDA SEYFRIED TO HAVE 'THE LAST WORD'! 'BIG STONE GAP' TRAILER WITH ASHLEY JUDD, PATRICK WILSON, WHOOPI GOLDBERG!

JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS 

TO CRASH IN 'SHAMBHALA'

Casting news to start the week, people, beginning with our dear Jonathan Rhys Meyers who always chooses deeply spiritual roles and this new one isn't different: according to 'Deadline' he will lead the cast in SHAMBHALA in which the story follows the sole survivor of a plane crash in the mountains of Pakistan who must deal with that trauma against the backdrop of an alien culture and language. The story will be told non chronologically, emphasizing themes of enlightenment and redemption. Australian/ Indian actress Pallavi Sharda and HOMELAND's Akshay Kumar will also star! You will next watch Meyers in Roland Emmerich's STONEWALL!

'THE LAST WORD' DRAMA

STARRING SHIRLEY MACLAINE AND AMANDA SEYFRIED
Meanwhile, Mark Pellington will helm comedy drama THE LAST WORD starring Shirley MacLaine and Amanda Seyfried. The story will follow a retired businesswoman named Harriett (Shirley MacLaine) who wants to control everything around her until the bitter end and decides to write her own obituary to make sure her life is told the way she wants it to be. But when Anne (Amanda Seyfried), a young writer at the local newspaper, is assigned to the task, she refuses to follow the script and instead insists on finding out the true facts about Harriett’s life. The pair then set out to uncover the ups and downs of Harriett’s life, initially as reluctant partners, and what begins as an attempt to shape her own legacy turns out to be a reawakening of passions for Harriett — and a life altering friendship for Anne.

STAR STUDDED 'BIG STONE GAP'

ASHLEY JUDD, PATRICK WILSON, WHOOPI GOLDBERG, JENNA ELFMAN, JANE KRAKOWSKI

A lovely and exquisitely star studded trailer has been released for BIG STONE GAP drama which is out October 9th! Big Stone Gap is home to some of the most charming eccentrics in the state. Ave Maria Mulligan (Ashley Judd) is the town's self proclaimed spinster, a thirty-five year old pharmacist with a "mountain girl's body and a flat behind." She lives an amiable life with good friends and lots of hobbies until the fateful day in 1978 when she suddenly discovers that she's not who she always thought she was. Before she can blink, Ave's fielding marriage proposals, fighting off greedy family members, organizing a celebration for visiting celebrities, and planning the trip of a lifetime, a trip that could change her view of the world and her own place in it forever. Jane Krakowski, Patrick Wilson, Whoopi Goldberg, Jenna Elfman, Anthony LaPaglia all star!

FIRST LAVISH 'MAGNIFICENT CENTURY: KOSEM SULTANA' EPIC TV SERIES TEASER WITH HULYA AVSAR, EKIN KOC, SARAH HYLAND AND BEREN SAAT.

'KOSEM SULTANA' 

EPIC TV SERIES GETS 1ST TEASER

Now, here's something lavish for you this Sunday! Tims Productions and Turkish Star TV have released the first, rather artsy, epic and intriguing first teaser trailer for their historical saga MAGNI- FICENT CENTURY: KOSEM SULTANA  (Muhteşem Yüzyıl Kösem) with Beren Saat in the lead role. Now, you can't actually see her in the teaser (I'm guessing they're probably saving her for the real trailer) but you can see gorgeous Hülya Avşar as her grandmother in law Safiye Sultana and Ekin Koç as Sultan Ahmet! The series should start airing October 1st in Turkey and a bit later on around The Balkans, Russia, Asia and Africa! The previous series which followed Sultan Suleyman was one of the most watched series worldwide.

BEREN SAAT, HULYA AVSAR, EKIN KOC LEAD THE CAST
The series will follow KOSEM SULTANA, played by Beren Saat and Sarah Hyland (in the younger version), who was born at the end of the 16th century as Anastasia and ended up in Topkapi Palace where, thanks to her intelligence and skill she became Sultan Ahmet's favourite concubine and mother of his children. She will quickly become one the most influential women in the history of the Ottoman Empire. Ekin Koç will play Sultan Ahmet who died when he was only 27. Hülya Avşar plays Safiye Sultana who was the wife of Sultan Murad, the son of Sultan Selim and Nurbanu Sultana who were characters in the MAGNIFICENT CENTURY previous series. After Ahmet's death two of his sons with KOSEM SULTANA will ascend to the throne thanks to the power of their mother. Alma Terzic will be Ahmet's mother Handan Sultana. Stay tuned for more official pics!

CHRISTINA HENDRICKS, EMILY WATSON IN WW1 'ANGEL MAKERS' MOVIE! 'ANIMORPHS', 'ROADSIDE PICNIC' SF BOOKS GET ADAPTATIONS! CHESTER SEE LEADS 'OVER THE TOP' SERIES AT ABC FAMILY

'ANGEL MAKERS' WW1 MOVIE

CASTS CHRISTINA HENDRICKS, EMILY WATSON AND MAX RIEMELT

A new historical movie for you and it already has a cast, a stellar one! As 'Deadline' reports Christina Hendricks, Emily Watson, Max Riemelt and Abbie Cornish have all joined WW1 drama THE ANGEL MAKERS! Jon Amiel is to direct the story, set in the Yorkshire Moors in 1917. Survival is key when the men leave to join the allied fight in France, leaving their wives to maintain the farms. At their disposal, an internment camp of German POWs, all too happy to offer up their services, ignite an air of dangerous romance. Affairs begin and lust blossoms into love as the women of Yorkshire Moors discover something far more powerful: independence. When the husbands return, everyone turns to Sarah Rigg (Christina Hendricks), the midwife and witch doctor at the heart of the village, to mix the potions that can save a life… or take it away.

NEW BOOK ADAPTATIONS

'ANIMORPHS' GETS A MOVIE  
Now, here's an interesting movie adaptation: Universal is planning on turning K.A. Applegate's bestselling series of novels ANIMORPHS into a movie! More than 50 novels in the series revolve around young people who come across a crashed alien spaceship. The dying alien gives them powers to transform into any animal they want. Using those powers the teenagers then fight against other aliens who have secretly invaded the planet disguised as humans. These books were previously adapted into a two season series over at Nickelodeon.
'ROADSIDE PICNIC' TV SERIES
Another adaptation, but this time a small screen one will be for beloved Russian sf novel ROADSIDE PICNIC from Arkady and Boris Strugatsky which is to be turned into TV series at WGN America! GAME OF THRONES director Alan Taylor is helming the story about an alien visitation to planet Earth, whose aftermath has led to the creation of “Zones” in the areas where the aliens had possibly landed. Such zones exhibit strange and dangerous phenomena not understood by humans, and contain artefacts with inexplicable, seemingly supernatural properties!

YOUTUBE STAR CHESTER SEE

IS 'OVER THE TOP' AT ABC FAMILY

You Tube star Chester See will produce and star in his own dramedy series at ABC Family titled OVER THE TOP! 'Deadline' reports that it will be based on his real-life experiences following a struggling artist trying to make a name for himself in the L.A. music scene. After a record deal fizzles and his hopes of stardom fall apart, he takes to YouTube and starts building a massive audience. The series documents the trials, tribulations and triumphs of becoming a digital star. At the end of every episode, See or one of his co-stars, including other YouTubers with their own followings, will record a song which can immediately be found on Facebook or YouTube. 

AIDAN TURNER STARTS FILMING BBC'S 'POLDARK' EPIC SERIES SECOND SEASON! 1ST HAWKMAN & HAWKGIRL PHOTO FROM 'LEGENDS OF TOMORROW' SERIES! EMMETT SCANLAN JOINS KIERAN BEW'S 'BEOWULF' EPIC SERIES

'POLDARK' SEASON 2 STARTS

 FILMING WITH AIDAN TURNER

British epic series updates today for you, people, beginning with news coming from BBC who have announced the start of the production of the second season of this year's mega successful POLDARK series. Ten new episodes have started shooting over in Cornwall to be aired next spring. Aidan Turner returns in the lead role, Eleanor Tomlinson is back as his wife Demelza Poldark, while John Nettles has joined the cast as one of the county's wealthy landowners. The series which follows Ross Poldark who returns from the war in America only to find his property in poverty and ruin and has to rebuild it again, will have the second season set in 1790 against the backdrop of riot and revolution in the air! 

EMMETT SCANLAN JOINS

'BEOWULF' EPIC TV SERIES
Meanwhile, the latest star to join ITV's historical series BEOWULF, in which Kieran Bew plays the mythical warrior who fights in Shield Lands, a dangerous place populated by both humans and fantastical creatures, is GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY star Emmett Scanlan. He will be Skellan, the Warfather of the Wulfing Raiders, an imposing and formidable leader, who will do whatever it takes to secure victory in battle. William Hurt, Joanne Whalley, Ed Speleers, Joe Sims all star as well.

'LEGENDS OF TOMORROW'

 FIRST PHOTO OF HAWKMAN AND HAWKGIRL REVEALED

And jumping over to USA, check out the first picture of Hawkman and Hawkgirl from CW's new superhero series LEGENDS OF TOMORROW. Played by Falk Hentschel and Ciara Renee the two immortal lovers get their powers from the Egyptian god Horus.  They join time traveller Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill), White Canary (Caity Lotz), Firestorm (Victor Garber), Atom (Brandon Routh), Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller) and Heat Wave (Dominic Purcell) in the battle agains evil warlord Vandal Savage (Casper Crump).

PATRICK DEMPSEY JOINS COLIN FIRTH, RENEE ZELLWEGER IN 'BRIDGET JONES' BABY'! BRADLEY JAMES, TOBIAS MENZIES JOIN KATE BECKINSALE, THEO JAMES IN 'UNDERWORLD 5'! OCTAVIA SPENCER JOINS CHRIS EVANS IN 'GIFTED'

PATRICK DEMPSEY JOINS

'BRIDGET JONES' BABY'

A piece of delightful movie news my ladies will like: McDreamy is joining the third Bridget Jones movie! Patrick Dempsey will star in BRIDGET JONES' BABY although it isn't known whom he will play alongside Renee Zellweger and Colin Firth who return to their original roles together with director Sharon Maguire who helmed the first movie. The movie will be based on the newspaper columns that Helen Fielding wrote and not on her BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY bestselling book and will follow the mishap-prone British publishing executive as she enters her 40s and finds herself unexpectedly expecting! Hugh Grant is not returning to the franchise.

'UNDERWORLD 5' CASTS

BRADLEY JAMES AND TOBIAS MENZIES AS VILLAINS 
Meanwhile, besides landing, earlier this summer, OUTLANDER and ROME star Tobias Menzies UNDER- WORLD 5 has now cast MERLIN's dearest hunk Bradley James and gorgeous Clementine Nicholson too. Joining Kate Beckinsale, who is returning as vampire warrior Selena, and Theo James, Nicholson will play Lena, the Nordic Coven’s greatest warrior and daughter of Vidar! Bradley James will be the male villain. The movie, which starts shooting next month in Prague, will see Tobias Menzies playing werewolf Marius, a mysterious new Lycan leader!

OCTAVIA SPENCER JOINS

CHRIS EVANS IN 'GIFTED'

A few weeks ago I've announced that our dearly beloved Chris Evans will lead the cast in GIFTED and now he is joined in it by Oscar winner Octavia Spencer with whom he already starred in outstanding sf thriller SNOWPIERCER. The film follows Frank Adler (Chris Evans), a deliberate underachiever who is raising his niece Mary (McKenna Grace) in rural Florida. When he enrols her in school for the first time, she is labeled as GIFTED. All Frank wants is for Mary to have a normal life, but standing in his way is her grandmother Evelyn and the dilemma that he doesn’t have custody of the child. He decides to take legal action. Octavia Spencer plays Frank's outspoken landlord and a good friend to both him and Mary. Lindsay Duncan plays Evelyn, Frank’s mother who is aristocratic and proper and who took over the custody of Mary after her daughter committed suicide.

MOVING MOVIES THURSDAY: TOUCHING 'NOBLE' DRAMA WITH DEIRDRE O'KANE, LIAM CUNNINGHAM, INSPIRING 'DEMOLITION' WITH JAKE GYLLENHAAL AND NAOMI WATTS

MOVING 'NOBLE' DRAMA

FEARLESS LIFE RECKLESS LOVE

Two moving trailers for you today, starting with a deeply moving one for inspiring Irish drama NOBLE which played in cinemas last year but is getting iTunes and VOD release in USA September 29th. With the outstanding performances from Deirdre O'Kane, Liam Cunningham and Brendan Coyle, the story is set in Vietnam,1989. Fourteen years after the end of the war. When Irish woman Christina Noble flies into Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) she leaves behind an extraordinary life story. But the best is yet to come. Christina lands in a country "that she wouldn't be able to show you on a map". With a few dollars, a dream and her own hard-won courage, she  is about to change everything. For hundreds of thousands of people. Forever. NOBLE is the inspirational true story of a woman who believes that it only takes one person to make a difference. And of how she is proved right.

'DEMOLITION' TRAILER

JAKE GYLLENHAAL,NAOMI WATTS

The second one is for inspiring new drama from director Jean Marc Vallee DEMOLITION which is out next April with Jake Gyllenhaal playing a young widower who is trying to cope with his loss. Opening this week's Toronto Film Festival, it follows a man who feels lost and alone following the tragic death of his wife – but a complaint to a vending machine company helps re-inspire his passion for living. Naomi Watts and Chris Cooper also star in the movie.