IN US WE TRUST IS THE SLOGAN OF THE REPUBLIC OF SARAH NEW TV SERIES STARTING TOMORROW AT CW ABOUT A CITY THAT DECLARES ITS INDEPENDENCE FROM USA!

 THE REPUBLIC OF SARAH

STARTS TOMORROW AT CW

Unlike last summer when, despite Covid, we had an abundance of new series, this one will be as dry as a witch's tit, my darlings. One of the few new ones will be THE REPUBLIC OF SARAH which starts at CW as soon as

New series starts tomorrow at CW

tomorrow! The show circled around pilot seasons for a few years before ending up at CW this year.

IN US WE TRUST

The bucolic tranquility of Greylock, New Hampshire is upended when a massive vein of coltan - an incredibly valuable mineral used in tech - is discovered under the town. State backed mining company Lydon Industries swoops in with plans to extract the mineral, which will wipe Greylock off the map. With her friends and family in danger of losing their homes, rebellious high school teacher Sarah Cooper (Stella Baker) vows to stop Lydon's bulldozers. Leading Lydon's efforts is Sarah's estranged brother, Danny Cooper (Luke

Stella Baker and Luke Mitchell lead the cast of the series

Mitchell). After enduring a difficult childhood at the hands of his mother, former New Hampshire state senator Ellen Cooper (Megan Follows), Danny is eager to exact his revenge on a community he feels abandoned him. Sarah enlists her friends - fellow teacher Corinne Dearborn (Hope Lauren), police officer Amy "AJ" Johnson (Nia Holloway), and diner manager Grover

The show, originally offered to CBS, will have 13 episodes

Simms (Ian Duff) - in the fight against Danny. There seems to be no way to stop the town's impending demise, until Sarah proposes an oddly intriguing solution: Greylock could declare independence, since the town's land was never properly claimed by the United States. With the help of a group of

 

supporters that includes Sarah's friends and three of her teenage students - LA transplant Maya Jiménez (Izabella Alvarez), introspective outsider Tyler Easterbrook (Forrest Goodluck), and preppy "popular girl" Bella Whitmore (Landry Bender) - they win the vote. Now, Sarah and her allies must confront an even more daunting task: building a country from scratch.

BEN LAWSON, LOGAN SHROYER TO LEAD CW'S PERIOD SET TV MOVIE REMAKE WALTONS: HOMECOMING! WILL POULTER, HUGH LAURIE TO LEAD AGATHA CHRISTIE SERIES WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK EVANS AT BRITBOX

  THE WALTONS: HOMECOMING  

CASTS BEN LAWSON AS LEAD

I am guessing that the TV film CW is preparing will air during holidays marking the 50th anniversary of the original classic: Ben Lawson

Ben Lawson will be the father of the family

will play the patriarch of the family John Walton! THE WALTONS: HOME COMING is set in the 1933 Depression Era and told through the eyes of John Boy (Logan Shroyer), the 17 year old eldest child of John and Olivia Walton (Bellamy Young). His mother expects John Boy to help her raise his sisters and brothers, and his father expects him to follow in his footsteps to help support the family, but secretly, John Boy wants to be a writer. Times are hard enough in 1933, but to make matters worse, it looked to be the Waltons’ first Christmas without John Sr. When Olivia receives a letter that John Sr. is planning to make it home for Christmas after all, the family is thrilled and races to prepare for his homecoming. But when a storm threatens his arrival on Christmas Eve, and John Sr. is nowhere to be found, Olivia sends John Boy out into the night

Logan Shroyer will lead the new movie at CW as John Boy

to find his daddy – a journey that will change John Boy’s life forever. Richard Thomas, who originally played John Boy Walton in The Waltons series, will be “The Narrator.”

  WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK EVANS?  

AGATHA CHRISTIE ADAPTATION SETS MAIN CAST AT BRITBOX

Speaking of the 30s, Britbox has set cast for their three part adaptation of Agatha Christie's murder mystery WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK EVANS? Directed by Hugh Laurie, it will see Will Poulter playing

Alistair Petrie will play Bobby's father

Vicar’s son, Bobby Jones, who, together with his whip smart friend, socialite Lady Frances “Frankie” Derwent (Lucy Boynton) goes on a crime solving adventure after they discover the crumpled body of a dying man who, with his last breath, gasps the cryptic question of the title. Armed only with a photograph of a beautiful young woman found in the dead man’s pocket, these amateur detectives pursue, and are pursued by, the answer to the mystery. The cast also includes Maeve Dermody as Moira, the troubled wife of psychiatrist Dr. James Nicholson (Hugh Laurie) and Conleth Hill as Bobby’s genial mentor, Dr. Alwyn Thomas, who is at Bobby’s side when he discovers the body. Daniel Ings will star as Roger Bassington, the beguiling early target of the crime solving duo and Jonathan Jules as Ralph “Knocker” Beadon, a trusted shipmate of Bobby’s who finds himself conscripted into the

Will Poulter and Lucy Boulton will lead the cast

duo’s caper. Miles Jupp is Roger’s brother Henry, a wealthy Englishman with a secret burden; Amy Nuttall is Sylvia, his wife and castaway chatelaine of the family seat, Merroway Court; Alistair Petrie is Bobby’s father, Rev.

Hugh Laurie will also star in the series he is directing

Richard Jones, constantly fretting over the path his son has chosen. Paul Whitehouse is the landlord of a country inn; Morwenna Banks is Mrs. Cayman, the deceased man’s sister; and Joshua James is Frankie’s long-suffering ally, Dr. George Arbuthnot.

WATCH GORGEOUS 19TH CENTURY SET EIFFEL MOVIE TRAILER WITH ROMAIN DURIS, EMMA MACKEY, PIERRE DELADONCHAMPS!

   EIFFEL MOVIE TRAILER   

IS HERE WITH ROMAIN DURIS!

Eiffel will arrive to cinemas this August

We've followed the production on this one for years (it was originally pitched in 1997!) and now it is finally arriving to cinemas later this August, so Pathe has released first, rather gorgeous, trailer for their EIFFEL movie starring Romain Duris, Emma Mackey and our dear Pierre Deladon champs. Scheduled for August 25th release and directed by Martin Bourboulon, the film's storyline takes its cue from Eiffel's search for inspiration as he comes under pressure to design something spectacular for the 1889 Paris

The love story in the film is based on reality

World Fair. 

  THE STORY OF EIFFEL

Having just finished his collaboration on the Statue of Liberty, celebrated engineer Gustave Eiffel is on top of the world. Now, the French government is pressuring him to design something spectacular for the 1889 Paris World Fair, but Eiffel simply wants to design the subway. Suddenly, everything changes when Eiffel crosses paths with a mysterious woman from his past. Their long lost, forbidden passion inspires him to change the Paris skyline forever. You will never look at the Eiffel Tower the same way again!

DOMINIC COOPER, DOUGLAS BOOTH, TRAVIS FIMMEL,CHRISTIAN COOKE, AIDAN GILLEN, ROSE WILLIAMS TO LEAD THAT DIRTY BLACK BAG WILD WEST TV SERIES! INVASION SF SERIES TEASER WITH SAM NEILL IS HERE!

 THAT DIRTY BLACK BAG SERIES

SENDS DOMINIC COOPER AND DOUGLAS BOOTH TO WILD WEST

It seems that beside Django, we will be getting another new Wild West TV series as THAT DIRTY BLACK BAG has cast Dominic Cooper and Douglas Booth as leads in the Bron Studios and Palomar's eight part series currently shooting in Italy, Spain and Morocco. It depicts the 8-day clash between Arthur McCoy (Cooper), an incorruptible sheriff with a troubled past,

Dominic Cooper and Douglas Booth will lead the show

and Red Bill (Booth), an infamous, solitary bounty hunter known for decapitating his victims and stuffing their heads into a dirty black bag, because, as he puts it, “Heads weigh less than bodies.” The drama echoes and pays homage to the classic spaghetti western, capturing the genre’s legendary irony while revolutionizing it in a modern way and appealing to younger audiences. The series tells of bounty hunters, bandits and bloody vendettas,

Travis Fimmel, Christian Cooke, Aidan Gillen will also star

lonely souls driven by such great passions as faith, love and revenge. In the world of That Dirty Black Bag, there are no heroes, nobody is invincible, and predators become the prey. Rather stellar cast also includes Travis Fimmel, Aidan Gillen, Rose Williams, Ivan Shaw and our dear Christian Cooke!

APPLE'S INVASION TV SERIES

Invasion starts this October!

UNVEILS EXCITING FIRST TEASER TRAILER

Apple TV + has unveiled first teaser for their new science fiction series which will start next Autumn October 22nd on their streaming platform! The sweeping character-driven Apple Original series, produced by Boat Rocker Studios, will make its global debut with the first three episodes on October 22, 2021, followed by new episodes weekly, every Friday. Set across multiple continents, INVASION series follows an alien invasion through different perspectives around the world. The series stars Shamier

Sam Neill is the only known name in the international cast

Anderson, Golshifteh Farahani, Sam Neill, Firas Nassar  and Shioli Kutsuna. Check out the trailer below and tell us what you think:

RALPH FIENNES, ANYA TAYLOR JOY TO LEAD THE MENU DARK COMEDY MOVIE! NATASCHA MCELHONE, LORENZO RICHELMY, DANIELE PECCI, MARK UMBERS TO LEAD HOTEL PORTOFINO 1920S ITALIAN RIVIERA SET MINI TV SERIES

  THE MENU DARK COMEDY 

CASTS RALPH FIENNES AND ANYA TAYLOR JOY AS LEADS

 As Deadline reports, Mark Mylod will direct a new dark comedy movie for Searchlight titled THE MENU and he has already found his leads in Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor Joy. The film is a psychological thriller set in the

Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor Joy will lead the cast

world of eccentric culinary culture, centering on a young couple who visit an exclusive restaurant on a remote island where an acclaimed chef has prepared a lavish tasting menu. Taylor Joy will play one half of the couple. Fiennes is the chef.

 

  HOTEL PORTOFINO SERIES 

COMING TO ITV AND BRITBOX

Good news, period drama lovers! ITV and Britbox have hired our dear Beta Film and Eagle Eye Drama (owned by super lovely Walter Iuzzolino)

Daniele Pecci will be Count Carlo Albani

to produce 1920s Italian riviera set mini series HOTEL PORTOFINO which will also air on Sky Italia and Foxtel in Australia, and possibly on PBS in USA.  Created and written by Matt Baker, it already has Natascha McElhone cast in the lead role of the daughter of a wealthy industrialist who moves to Italy to set up a quintessentially British hotel in the beautiful town of Portofino. Shooting this summer in Portofino and on the Croatian coast, the series will also star Mark Umbers (as her charming but dangerous husband, Cecil), Anna Chancellor (as Lady Latchmere, the hotel’s most influential but hard to please guest), Daniele Pecci (as charismatic Count

First look on Natascha McElhone in the series!

Carlo Albani), Marco Polo's star Lorenzo Richelmy (as his son Roberto Albani) and Rocco Fasano (as anti fascist activist Gianluca Vitali). This whodunit mystery and also a family drama captures the long established

Mark Umbers and Lorenzo Richelmy will also star!

literary tradition of comic and idiosyncratic British ‘innocents abroad,’ but also reveals darker, more serious storylines, set against the historical backdrop of the rise of Fascism in Mussolini’s Italy.

ANNE HATHAWAY, TAHAR RAHIM, MARISA TOMEI, MATTHEW BRODERICK IN SHE CAME TO ME ROMCOM! MIKE MYERS TO PLAY SEVEN CHARACTERS IN PENTAVERATE SITCOM WITH JENNIFER SAUNDERS, DEBI MAZAR, KEEGAN MICHAEL KEY

   ANNE HATHAWAY TO LEAD  

SHE CAME TO ME ROMANTIC COMEDY WITH TAHAR RAHIM

Cannes Market is coming at the end of the month, so you will be hearing about projects sold there. One in the offer there will be SHE CAME TO ME romantic movie from Rebecca Miller, set to star Anne Hathaway, Tahar Rahim, Marisa Tomei, Joanna Kulig and Matthew Broderick in a multi-generational story set against the backdrop of New York: a composer suffering

Anne Hathaway and Tahar Rahim will star in the romcom

from writer’s block rediscovers his passion after an adventurous one-night stand, a couple of gifted teenagers fight to prove to the parents that their young love is something that can last forever, and for the woman who seemingly has it all, love arrives in the most unexpected places.

NETFLIX' PENTAVERATE COMEDY

GIVES MIKE MYERS COMPANY

Netflix has set a new half hour limited comedy series in which Mike Myers will play seven different characters. The six part THE PENTAVERATE will also star Keegan-Michael Key, Debi Mazar, Richard McCabe and Jennifer Saunders! Asking the question “What if a

Debi Mazar, Mike Myers, Jennifer Saunders will star

secret society of five men has been working to influence world events for the greater good since the Black Plague of 1347?” the series follows one unlikely Canadian journalist who finds himself embroiled in a mission to uncover the truth and just possibly save the world himself. Remember, the Pentaverate must never be exposed!

BLAKE LIVELY TO LEAD WE USED TO LIVE HERE THRILLER AT NETFLIX! SKY ORDERS AMAZING MR BLUNDEN FOR CHRISTMAS SETS TAMSIN GREIG, MARK GATISS, SIMON CALLOW AS LEADS

  BLAKE LIVELY TO LEAD  

WE USED TO LIVE HERE

Blake Lively will lead the cast

It will be a movie adaptation of psychological thriller novella by Marcus Kliewer that got a six figure price from Netflix. Blake Lively has been set as the lead. It is a story about returning to your old childhood home only to realize it is not quite what you remember. A homeowner gets a knock at her door while her partner is at work. It’s a husband, wife and kids. They are peculiar, and the man says he once lived in the house and wanted to take a look around. The homeowner is just getting used to the old house herself, and things get progressively weirder as a snowstorm strands the visitors as they just won’t leave. The homeowner can’t get rid of them, and winds up sorry she ever opened the door as events progress.

 

  THE AMAZING MR BLUNDEN 

ORDERED BY SKY FOR CHRISTMAS

After last year's success with Roald and Beatrix, Sky has ordered THE AMAZING MR BLUNDEN for this year's Christmas schedule. It will be a

The book was published in 1972.

TV movie adaptation of the 1972 novel The Ghosts. Simon Callow, Tamsin Greig and Mark Gatiss have been set as leads! Christmas adventure arrives for London teenagers Jamie and Lucy Allen in the form of a mysterious old man, Mr Blunden, who offers their mum the opportunity to become the caretaker of a ruined country house – one that’s said to be haunted. Within its neglected, overgrown grounds, Jamie and Lucy have an encounter with what appears to be a pair of ghost children. But these spooky kids, Sara and Georgie, aren’t actually ghosts. They’ve travelled forwards in time to seek help, believing they’re going to be murdered by the wicked Mr and Mrs Wickens. And Lucy and Jamie’s strange visitor seems to

Mark Gattis, Tamsin Greig, Simon Callow will star

be the key to it all. With his help, they must travel back to 1821 to save Sara and Georgie and redeem their remorseful new friend – The Amazing Mr Blunden.

NEW BOOK ADAPTATIONS: LOST APOTHECARY TO BECOME PERIOD SET TV SERIES, STEVEN ROWLEY'S GUNCLE AND THE BROKEN EARTH SF SAGA TO BECOME MOVIES

  NEW BOOK ADAPTATIONS  

STEVEN ROWLEY'S GUNCLE

A number of books have sold rights for adaptation last week, so I'm updating you with that today, beginning with sinfully gorgeous best selling

Steven Rowley will write the adaptation

author Steven Rowley whose latest novel THE GUNCLE will be adapted into a feature film by Lionsgate to be produced by Cruella's Kristin Burr. This delightful heart warming book was published only last week by Putnam, and revolves around a reclusive, once famous gay TV star who takes his young niece and nephew into his Palm Springs home after their mother dies suddenly, introducing them to his outsized life and unique wisdom and bringing about healing for all three. Rowley's other two books Lily and the Octopus and The Editor are also getting movie treatments over at Amazon and 20th Century Studios! 

  THE LOST APOTHECARY

Meanwhile, Fox will create a period set TV series out of Sarah Penner's THE LOST APOTHECARY! Set in the 18th century London, it is set in a secret apothecary shop that caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells

Fox will turn the book into hourlong series

well disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve year old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries. Meanwhile in present day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary’s in a stunning twist of fate and not everyone will survive. Imagine the uproar if the book was about men killing their obnoxious and toxic wives with poison?

THE BROKEN EARTH SAGA

By N. K. Jemisin was already announced for adaptation before, but now Sony Tristar has given a 7 figure price for the rights on all three books The

Jemisin will write the scripts herself

Fifth Season, The Obelisk Gate and The Stone Sky, which all won Hugo Awards. THE BROKEN EARTH is set in a harsh futuristic Earth on a continent called the Stillness, which endures seasonal apocalyptic events that shake the world and its inhabitants during these “seasons.” They hole up in communities and then rebuild. Key to that effort are “orogenes,” individuals who can draw incredible magical power from reservoirs of the Earth. They are trained for the task from childhood in brutal fashion, by a societal order called the Guardians. The orogenes kind of hold the world together and stave off eruptions, but they are treated badly.

IT'S A TRAGIC VOYAGE TO AUSCHWITZ FOR JAKOB OFTEBRO IN POWERFUL NORWEGIAN HISTORICAL DRAMA BETRAYED!

   BETRAYED TRAILER FOR  

NORWEGIAN HISTORICAL DRAMA

Today I'm presenting you with a new war drama coming from Norway, which has been released this month. BETRAYED was directed by Eirik

The film premiered at Christmas in Norway

Svensson and stars our favourite of their stars Jakob Oftebro. During World War II, millions of Jews from all over Europe are deported and killed in German concentration camps. When the German troops invade Norway, the Norwegian Jews feel safe and protected. But anti Semitism knows no borders and as the war escalates in Europe, the situation changes drastically. Suddenly, their radios are taken away; their passports are stamped with a big J and one day, all the men men over the age of 15 are arrested and taken to prisons camps. Many of the women left behind are too frightened to escape and are desperately waiting for their husbands and sons to come back home.

The film is available in USA, UK and other countries

On November 26, 1942, hundreds of Jews are picked up by the police in the middle of the night and are transported to the dock in Oslo. Unknowing and frightened men, women, children, sick and old are forced on board the awaiting German cargo ship "SS DONAU". The ship leaves with 532 Norwegian Jews onboard; 302 men, 188 women and 42 children. The end station is Auschwitz. BETRAYED is based on the true story about the Braude family. An ordinary Norwegian family whose fate is sealed by the fact that they are Jews.

BEHOLD ISABELLE ADJANI AS THE ROYAL COURTESAN DIANE DE POITIERS IN THE PERIOD SET FRENCH MINI SERIES! BEAUTIFUL DELICIEUX 18TH CENTURY MOVIE TRAILER ABOUT FIRST EVER FRENCH RESTAURANT

  DIANE DE POITIERS SERIES  

FIRST ISABELLE ADJANI PHOTO

Behold the first photo of French diva Isabelle Adjani as the lead character in new French two part mini series DIANE DE POITIERS. This is just a costume rehearsal photo, as the production was pushed to September,

Isabelle Adjani takes the titular role

but it gives you a good impression. In the two 90 minute episodes from France 3, she will play the titular royal courtesan, who, endowed with insolent beauty and daring manager intermingling with politics, shared with King Henry II (Nicolas Duvauch- elle) twenty years her junior, the most burning passion in the history of France. In so doing, she defeated two dangerous rivals: the queen Catherine de Medici herself, whose name is associated with the bloody Saint Bartholomew's Night, and a royal favorite educated in the art of poisons. Jean Reno, Jeanne

The production will start this September in France

Balibar and Mathieu Amalric will also star in this 16th century historical saga. It is interesting that almost 20 years after playing queen Margot, the daughter in law of Catherine de Medici, Adjani will now play the lover of Catherine's husband.

 1ST DELICIEUX TRAILER FOR 

NEW FRENCH PERIOD SET FILM

Speaking of the French, check out the first poster and a really lovely and beautiful trailer for their period set movie DELICIEUX set in the world

Delicieux arrives to French cinemas September

of cooking and who is better in that trade than the French people? The movie already premiered at French Film Festival over in Melbourne (go figure) but it will arrive to cinemas next September. Directed and written by Eric Besnard, the film has the story set in France, 1789, just before the Revolution. With the help of a surprising young woman (Isabelle Carre), a chef (Gregory Gadebois) who has been sacked by his master finds the strength to free himself from his position as a servant and opens the first restaurant.