PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT ON LAVISH TV SERIES 'THE GOLDEN HORDE' SET IN 13TH CENTURY RUSSIA! FIRST PHOTOS AND TRAILER

 'THE GOLDEN HORDE'

NEW TV SERIES FROM RUSSIA

Yustina, the bliss of Russian beauty

After airing their lavish television series on Sofia Paleologa last winter, Russian national broadcaster is now producing another massive mediaeval small screen project, this time on the inglorious THE GOLDEN HORDE directed by Timur Alpatov. This sixteen episode 13th century set historical saga should start airing in motherland Russia sometime later this year, I'm guessing Autumn or Winter and as you can see from the first photos from the sets it will be a parade of rich, pearl and jewel encrusted headpieces and

Grand Prince Yaroslav on the throne

and beautiful Russian sarafans costumes! The cast is lead by gorgeous Yulia Peresild, Aleksandr Ustyugov and Sergei Puskepalis! The series, that took two and a half years to be written, is described as a mix of Game of Thrones and Magnificent Century!

YOUR HEART OR YOUR COUNTRY
The story is set at the end of the 13th century. when Ancient Rus' suffers under the yoke of the Mongols and Tatars. Grand Prince Yaroslav dreams of uniting the disparate Russian princedoms and throwing

Yaroslav and his son Vladimir

 off the hated yoke, but along this path he finds enemies in his own brother - the disgraced prince Boris, and the eldest son Vladimir.

Yustina will need all her bravery to survive her destiny

The ambassador of THE GOLDEN HORDE, Tengri Temir, a handsome man and an admirer of female beauty, arrives to the capital

Yustina is the beauty of the Russian court

of Russia. He came to force thousands of Russian soldiers into the Horde, but he would be content with only a part of it if the Grand Prince gives him Princess Yustina, Boris's wife. Yaroslav is not ready to violate the

Princess Yustina arrives to the capital of Horde

laws of Faith and Honour, but Boris himself takes the step instead of him, hoping that this sacrifice will provide him with a princely throne. Yustina is sent to a foreign land with her caravan ...

Mongolian ambassador Tengri Temir

Tengri leaves Prince Yaroslav with a "gift" from the Great Khan -  young Nargiz who awakens new life in the prince and puts him before a

Aizhan is the new wife of the Great Khan

fatal choice. On one side of the scale is love and passion, on the other - the throne and life of Nargiz herself, whom neither the people nor the

Yustina starts her tragic journey

lawful wife of Yaroslav are accepting. In the meantime, the Great Khan of THE GOLDEN HORDE, Berke feels a near approach of the death and

Grand Princess, Yaroslav's wife

desperately dreams of an heir!  In the steppe, he meets a 16 year old Aizhan, the daughter of a rich merchant. The cruel, mentally

Everybody is awaiting princess Yustina

unhealthy old man makes this young beauty his third wife. It would seem that together with the end of the wedding, the life of the beautiful

Grand Prince Yaroslav and Nargiz

Aizhan will end, but the young artist Nikolka, who was sent to the Horde with the emissary of Tengri Temir, is ready to give his life for freedom and the kiss of a beautiful stranger ...

'THE GOSPEL OF KEVIN' NEW ABC TV SERIES TRAILER AND POSTER WITH JASON RITTER AND KIMBERLY HEBERT GREGORY

 'THE GOSPEL OF KEVIN'

NEW JASON RITTER TV SERIES

The new series starts this Autumn at ABC

The only thing I have for you today is the first trailer and posters for ABC's new drama series THE GOSPEL OF KEVIN which will air this Autumn on Tuesdays starring Jason Ritter with Kimberly Hébert Gregory taking, fortunately, the female lead from the not so talented Cristela Alonzo (who is in the pilot trailer below).

THE GOSPEL OF KEVIN centres on Kevin (Ritter), a down on his luck man who is tasked by God with a mission to save the world. Kevin is a cluelessly self serving jerk who’s on a dangerous path to despair. After a failed suicide attempt, he’s going home to stay with his widowed twin

You saw Jason last year in Gilmore Girls revival as well

sister and niece for a time, only to be met with a crisis in the person Yvette (Gregory). Tough-talking but not without compassion, a “source

Jason is the son of late John Ritter whose other son Tyler also acts

of luminescence” and clearly divine, Yvette is a “warrior for God,” who explains to Kevin that he’s been “tasked with a sacred mission.”

CATE BLANCHETT TO GO MISSING IN 'WHERE'D YOU GO, BERNADETTE'! GLENN CLOSE TO COME BACK FROM THE DEAD (LITERALLY) IN 'SEA OAK' AMAZON COMEDY SERIES!

 CATE BLANCHETT TO LEAD

'WHERE'D YOU GO, BERNADETTE?'

Crazy comedies today, people, with ladies whom we haven't watched often in that genre: Cate Blanchett will lead Richard Linklater's new comedy drama WHERE'D YOU GO, BERNADETTE which also stars Judy Greer, Kristen Wiig, and Billy Crudup. And adaptation of a Maria Semple’s novel, the movie follows Bernadette Fox (Cate Blanchett), an architect turned recluse who goes missing prior to a family vacation. This prompts her husband and 15 year old daughter to go on an expedition in hopes of finding the third link to their small family but what they discover is her troubled past. Judy Greer will play Dr. Kurtz, the brutally honest director of a treatment facility that caters to mental illness and drug issues.

WHAT'S CATE DOING?
After spreading some hell in Thor: Ragnarok this year, Blanchett will lend her voice in Jungle Book as evil snake Kaa and for the second time in How To Train Your Dragon 3!

 GLENN CLOSE TO RISE FROM 

THE DEAD IN AMAZON'S 'SEA OAK'

This certainly sounds deadly, heh, fun: as 'The Hollywood Reporter' reveals today, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Glenn Close will play a zombie in Amazon's new half hour comedy series SEA OAK which revolves around Aunt Bernie (Close), a meek, unmarried woman with no children in working class Rust Belt City who dies tragically in a home invasion. Compelled by sheer force of dissatisfaction, she comes back from the dead full of rage and determined to get the life she never had. She proceeds to inflict a range of demands on what's left of her nuclear family, including a quasi stripper nephew and two feckless nieces, who live in a low-end subsidized hellhole of a housing complex called Sea Oak.

ENCHANTING FIRST TRAILER AND POSTER FOR 'GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN' MOVIE ON WINNIE THE POOH'S CREATOR WITH DOMHNALL GLEESON, MARGOT ROBBIE

 'GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN' 

FIRST TRAILER AND POSTER

It's finally here, the first trailer for the movie about the man who invented Winnie the Pooh GOODBYE, CHRISTOPHER ROBIN! Directed by always brilliant Simon Curtis who gave us

The movie arrives this September

lovely Cranford and My Week with Marilyn, it will arrive into cinemas this Autumn, September 29th! It gives us a behind the scenes look at the life of author A.A. Milne and the creation of the Winnie the Pooh stories inspired by his son C.R. Milne. This year also marks the 40 years of the release of Disney's animated classic.

GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN offers a rare glimpse into the relationship between beloved children's author A. A. Milne (Domhnall Gleeson) and his son Christopher Robin, whose toys inspired the magical world of Winnie the Pooh. Along with his mother Daphne (Margot Robbie), and his nanny

This year also marks 40th anniversary of Disney's animated classic

Olive (Kelly MacDonald), Christopher Robin and his family are swept up in the international success of the books; the enchanting tales bringing hope and comfort to England after the First World War. But with the eyes of the world on Christopher Robin, what will the cost be to the family? Nico Mirallegro also stars.

WONDERFULLY FUNNY 'FERDINAND' NEW ANIMATED TRAILER TELLS YOU NOT TO JUDGE A BULL BY HIS COVER!

2ND 'FERDINAND' TRAILER

BIG BULL, BIGGER HEART

Ferdinand is out this December

In case you missed our three day animated movie weekend, here's another animated delight for you: gorgeous second trailer for FERDINAND family adventure has been released. The story of a big bull with an even bigger heart should arrive into cinemas a week before Christmas this December following a little bull which prefers sitting quietly under a cork tree just smelling the flowers instead of jumping around, snorting, and butting heads with other bulls. As FERDINAND grows big and strong, his temperament remains mellow, but one day five men come to choose the

He only wanted to sit under a tree and smell the flowers

"biggest, fastest, roughest bull" for the bullfights in Madrid and Ferdinand is mistakenly chosen. Captured and torn from his home and

Acting like a bull in a glass shop

family and determined to return to his loved ones, he rallies a misfit team for the ultimate adventure. Set in Spain, FERDINAND proves you can't judge a bull by its cover. 

 DON'T JUDGE BULL BY ITS COVER 
This delightful movie, which was already made into a short 1938 animated classic film that marked many of our childhoods, is based on a book by Munro Leaf and is, this time, directed by Carlos Saldanha

Good friends can get you everywhere

whom you remember by his heartwarming hits Rio, Ice Age and Robots. The voice casts includes John  Cena, David Tennant, Kate McKinnon, Gina Rodriguez and  Bobby Cannavale! The soundtrack of the film will include a song Try Everything from Shakira!

JACK LOWDEN IS LORD DARNLEY IN 'MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS' NEXT TO SAOIRSE RONAN & MARGOT ROBBIE! MICHIEL HUISMAN TO LEAD 'HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE' NETFLIX SERIES

JACK LOWDEN TO WED 

'MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS'!

You will watch Lowden in 'Dunkirk' as well

Well. this we certainly like! After he played a Russian count in War and Peace, our dearest Jack Lowden will go royal again in new MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS movie in which Saoirse Ronan plays the tragic queen, while Margot Robbie is her enemy cousin Elizabeth of England. Lowden will be famous Lord Darnley!

MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS will be based on John Guy's The True Life of Mary Stuart which shows her not as a woman who uses her feminine charms to achieve her goals (she was first married to the French king, then to a couple of other aristocrats in Scotland, before being forced to give her throne to her son James after which she was executed by Elizabeth) but as the intellectual and political equal of Elizabeth I. CW's series Reign, which also follows Mary's life, ends with the final ever episode next Friday after four seasons. She married Darnley thinking he will strengthen her claim to the English throne but he got killed in the end.

MICHIEL HUISMAN TO LEAD 

'THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE'

You will watch Michiel in 'Guernsey' as well

In the world of the small screens, The Hollywood Reporter writes today that Netflix has hired Age of Adaline and Game of Thrones star Michiel Huisman as the lead in their new THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE ten episode series. The series will be a modern re-imagining of Shirley Jackson's classic 1959 novel of the same name. The story revolves around four people living in an 80 year old mansion. Michiel Huisman will take on the role of Steven Crane, the oldest Crane sibling and a published writer of supernatural books — including a memoir about his family's time living at Hill House. There was a movie version of this story twenty years ago with Catherine Zeta Jones and Liam Neeson.

PLAYFULLY DELIGHTFUL TRAILER FOR EPIC ADVENTURE 'JOURNEY TO CHINA: MYSTERY OF DRAGON SEAL' WITH ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER AND JACKIE CHAN

FIRST 'JOURNEY TO CHINA'

TRAILER WITH JACKIE CHAN AND ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER

The movie should be out this winter

Earlier this spring I showed you the first photos from epic action fantasy adventure movie with two big action film legends Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger JOURNEY TO CHINA: THE MYSTERY OF DRAGON SEAL which will also star Charles Dance, Rutger Hauer and Jason Flemyng in a co production between China, Russia and USA set to be released sometime this year, in Russia next winter, and now we also have the first, playfully delightful and very fun trailer! The movie is a sort of a follow up to Russian fantasy epic horror VIY from 2014!

Jason Flemyng is explorer Jonathan Green

FROM RUSSIA TO CHINA  
English traveller Jonathan Green (Jason Flemyng) receives an order from Tzar Peter the Great to map the Russian Far East. Once again he

The original franchise is based on Nikolai Gogol's fantasy stories

sets out for a long journey full of incredible adventures that will eventually lead him to China. The cartographer will unexpectedly face

Schwarzenegger and Chan star together for the first time

a lot of breathtaking discoveries, encounter bizarre creatures, meet with Chinese princesses, and confront deadly martial arts masters and

Rutger Hauer plays the Ambassador in the movie

even the king of all dragons - the Dragon King. What could be more dangerous than meeting eye to eye with Viy, except doing it again?

The budget of the movie was close to $50 million

What would be stronger this time - a staunch scepticism of the scientist or the old black magic that has seized power of Eastern lands?

ANIMATED MOVIE WEEKEND: FIRST PHOTOS FROM 'DUCK DUCK GOOSE', 'ELLIOT THE LITTLEST REINDEER', 'HEIDI: QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAIN' ANIMATED ADVENTURES

'DUCK DUCK GOOSE' 

 FAMILY CAN BE A WILD RIDE

We're ending our animated movie weekend with three of the biggest projects among the presented batch, starting with DUCK

It's a Chinese American co production

DUCK GOOSE a delightful animated comedy which should fly into cinemas next April directed by Christopher Jenkins, who previously worked on films such as Hercules, Pocahontas, Aladdin, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast etc.

DUCK DUCK GOOSE follows Peng, a freewheeling bachelor goose who'd rather do anything than practice for the upcoming migration. He thinks he's better than everyone else and spends his time attempting crazy stunts at even crazier speeds. In one such stunt, Peng flies too near the ground, hits a flock of

Stephen Fry lends his voice in the movie

ducklings and separates brother and sister, Chao and Chi, from the rest. In this unlikely meeting, Peng will begin a journey that will break his

Jennifer Grey and Craig Ferguson are also in the voice cast

wing and nearly break his heart as he grows to understand the power of unconditional love in the form of two ducklings, who likewise grow to see him as the best father they could ever have.

 ELLIOT THE LITTLEST REINDEER 

NORTH POLE REINDEER TRYOUTS

It's a movie of Canadian production

Another enchanting and at the same time hilarious story will be seen in ELLIOT THE LITTLEST REINDEER which will feature the voices from  Josh Hutcher- son, Morena Baccarin, John Cleese and Martin Short!

ELLIOT THE LITTLEST REINDEER will make you fall in love with the miniature horse with a humongous heart! When one of Santa’s reindeer suddenly announces his retirement, he needs to find a replacement and fast! Against all odds, Elliot and his best friend Hazel

Josh Hutcherson has also lent his voice in 'Epic' animated movie

set out to prove that he is the horse for the job. As Elliot and Hazel take on the North Pole reindeer try-outs, Hazel learns that Christmas as we know it may be headed for disaster. Meanwhile, back at the farm a

Jennifer Westcott and Paul Griffin are directing

sinister lady threatens the lives of their friends. Elliot is faced with the biggest decision of his life: save his friends, or follow his dreams and save Christmas. Maybe he doesn’t have to choose; after all, big dreamers dream big.

'HEIDI QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAIN'

 THE BELOVED STORY IS BACK

Featuring the voices of our beloved Olivia Grant, Dan Feuerriegel and Bill Nighy, is HEIDI: QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAIN  about clever 15 year old girl who lives with her Grandpa in a wood cabin in the mountains in the sleepy village of Dorfli. She doesn’t have many

The movie is of Indian and UK co production

possessions but what she does have are her pet goat Snowflake, her best friend Peter, and her love of nature. When it’s discovered that Heidi has been skipping school, she is forced to leave her beloved world behind. She is sent to the city where she will live in the home of a wealthy professor in order to “make something” of herself. A stranger to her new surroundings, Heidi finds it difficult to adjust until she befriends Clara, the wheelchair bound daughter of the Professor. But things aren’t what they seem as Heidi suspects Miss Rottenmeier, the governess of the house, is hiding a dark and dangerous secret. It is up to Heidi to save the day so she can be reunited with the people and animals that she loves so dearly.

ANIMATED MOVIE WEEKEND: 1ST PHOTOS FOR SONY'S 'THE STAR' STORY OF 1ST CHRISTMAS, 'HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS' ANIMATED VERSION, 'DRAGON RIDER' AND 'TROL: THE TALE OF A TAIL'

1ST 'THE STAR' PHOTOS

THE STORY OF FIRST CHRISTMAS

We're launching the second day of our animated movies weekend with the first photos arriving from Sony's THE STAR the story of first

Zachary Levi lends his voice to Joseph

Christmas which should arrive into cinemas this November, although I have a feeling they might push the date given there's been virtually no marketing for the movie so far!

THE STAR follows a small but brave donkey named Bo who yearns for a life beyond his daily grind at the village mill. One day he finds the courage to break free, and finally goes on the adventure of his dreams. On his journey, he teams up with Ruth, a lovable sheep who has lost her flock, and Dave, a dove with lofty aspirations. Along with three wisecracking camels and

Christopher Plummer voices King Herod in the movie

some eccentric stable animals, Bo and his new friends follow THE STAR and become unlikely heroes in the greatest story ever told – the first Christmas.

HOW GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS 

NEW ANIMATED MOVIE VERSION

Speaking of Christmas, it might get stolen in November 2018 animated movie HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS which will feature the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch. You can check out

Cumberbatch already lent his voice in Penguins of Madagascar

the first photos from the film about  a green grumpy Grinch who plots to ruin Christmas for the village of Whoville.

'DRAGON RIDER' 

FIRST PHOTO RELEASED
There is also the first photo from mediaeval animated adventure DRAGON RIDER  a family movie about an unlikely trio of heroes, a dragon, a thief and a mountain brownie, and their epic journey to find

The movie is based on Cornelia Funke fantasy novel

the Rim of Heaven, a safe haven for dragons. Their quest leads them from the wilds of Scotland, halfway round the world, to the Himalayas.

'TROLL: THE TALE OF A TAIL' 

 BASED ON AN ASIAN LEGEND

Also hitting cinemas November, but this year, is Chinese English language animated movie TROLL: THE TALE OF A TAIL produced

Troll will have Chinese language version too

over in Canada! Based on the ancient Chinese text The Book of Mountains and Seas, it follows Chui Mu, a young troll prince​ of the ​Zhou Rao Kingdom. When Chui Mu's father, King Zhou Mo's tail is snatched by a human Troll Hunter, he turns to stone. With King Zhou Mo gone, the once idyllic troll valley falls under the tyrannical rule of his cousin Chuan. Chui Mu and Freia, a feisty troll girl, with their two headed eccentric friend Jutul, must risk their lives in an epic journey into the human world to retrieve Chui Mu’s father's tail, conquer Chuan and his army, and bring King Zhou Mo back to life and to his throne.

ANIMATED MOVIE WEEKEND: NEW TRAILERS FOR 'THE SON OF BIGFOOT' AND PIXAR'S 'COCO'! FIRST 'PLOEY' ANIMATED ADVENTURE POSTER & TEASER

'THE SON OF BIGFOOT' 

NEW TRAILER AND POSTER

Rejoice, kids, we're having a three day animated movie weekend! First, new trailers for two of this year's animated adventures: THE SON OF BIGFOOT should step into European cinemas this August following teenage outsider Adam who sets out on a daring quest to uncover the mystery behind his long lost dad, only to find out that he is none other than the legendary Bigfoot! He has been hiding deep in the forest for years to protect himself and his family from HairCo., a giant corporation eager to run scientific experiments with his special DNA. As father and son start making up for lost time after the boy's initial disbelief, Adam soon discovers that he too is gifted with superpowers beyond his imagination. But little do they know, HairCo. is on their tail as Adam's traces have led them to Bigfoot!

1ST 'PLOEY' POSTER & TEASER

YOU NEVER FLY ALONE
Also ready to be released some time this year is English language animated adventure coming from the small island of Iceland PLOEY! The story of this enchanting little movie follows a plover chick that has not learned to fly when his family migrates in the fall. He must survive the Arctic winter, vicious enemies and himself in order to be reunited with his beloved one next spring. You can also check out a wonderfully charming teaser trailer below filled with adorable feathery and hairy characters and tons of laughter:

NEW 'COCO' TRAILER

IN THE LAND OF THE DEAD

Meanwhile, Pixar has released a second trailer for their weirdest animated movie so far COCO which brings the dead to the cinemas this November!  Despite his family’s baffling generations old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt). Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colourful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector (Gael García Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history. Stay tuned for more animated fun tomorrow and Sunday!