News

Cate Blanchett’s Dirty Films has set in motion a feature-film take on Kip Williams’s multimedia staging of “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” the company having quietly acquired screen rights to the hit play in April 2024. The plan resurfaced this week after Williams’ star, Sarah Snook, won the Tony Award for Best Actress for her 26-character performance and confirmed conversations about translating the production to film.

Williams, who is drafting the screenplay, aims to preserve the play’s live-camera choreography while expanding Oscar Wilde’s story for cinema; Dirty Films partners Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton are producing alongside Curio Pictures. Snook told reporters she has “no idea how you’d translate something this intricate to film but would love to help,” leaving her casting open while praising Blanchett’s support for experimental theatre.

The stage adaptation debuted at Sydney Theatre Company in 2020, reached London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket...

After one of the greatest cinematic acting careers in history, Michael Caine has retired from show business. And now his final performance, in the 2023 British film The Great Escaper, is set to make its U.S. TV debut. PBS' long-running anthology series Masterpiece will air the film this fall. Masterpiece has also acquired the 2024 miniseries adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo, which stars Sam Claflin in the title role; it will premiere in 2026.

The Great Escaper stars Caine as real-life World War II veteran Bernard Jordan. Living in a nursing home in 2014, he hopes to attend the 70th anniversary ceremony for the D-Day landings in Normandy, but can't get a place on a group tour. Undeterred, he makes a daring escape from the home. The Great Escaper also features the final performance from Oscar-winning actor Glenda Jackson, who died shortly after completing it; she plays Irene, Jordan's wife of sixty years.

Legendary actors Michael Caine and Tom Cruise have known each other for a long time, but did you know the duo met before the latter was even famous? In new details of their first encounter, Caine reveals that the then-budding young actor asked him for advice and what, exactly, the elder British icon thought of the young lad at the time.

The new quotes come from Don't Look Back, You'll Trip Over: My Guide to Life, Caine's new memoir, as excerpted by UK newspaper, The Sunday Times (via Deadline). The actor was "doing a big event for Educating Rita," hhis 1983 film, when he turned around to find a "young actor, very polite, asking questions about how not to be just a flash in the pan."

That young actor was, of course, a pre-fame Tom Cruise. "Probably around the time of Risky Business."

Related Michael Caine Announces Acting Retirement: "You Dont...

BBC Studios’ natural history series “Asia,” narrated by David Attenborough, will premiere in China on Nov. 5 across multiple platforms, BBC Studios president of global markets Nick Percy revealed at the Shanghai-London Screen Industry Forum held at BAFTA in London on Friday.

The seven-part series will launch on Dragon TV and streaming platforms iQIYI, Tencent Video, Youku and Bilibili through partnerships with Shanghai Media Group and Phoenix TV. Filmed over nearly four years, the series explores locations from the Himalayas to the Western Pacific, featuring wildlife stories including elephants that have learned to stop buses to steal food in Sri Lanka and sea snakes hunting in partnership with fish.

Percy also highlighted BBC Studios’ expanding partnership with Shanghai Media Group, including the upcoming Chinese adaptation of BBC’s long-running crime series “Silent Witness,” titled “Forensic,” announced at Mipcom earlier this week.

The forum, in its second edition, drew over 230 industry professionals.

Japan’s Nippon TV and UK indie Anyway Content are taking a comedy series about a young British woman following her dream of becoming a manga artist to MIPCOM Cannes.

The pair have struck a scripted co-development partnership for How to be a Sensei, which is being penned by Itaru Mizuno, the multiple Asian Academy Creative Award-winning director behind 2023’s breakout hit Rebooting, alongside award-wining British comedy writer Zoë Tomalin, who writes for the likes of Have I Got News For You and Hypothetical.

In How to be a Sensei, the protagonist takes her manga quest to Tokyo, where she heads to several iconic and underground locations. The series of hour-long episodes are in advanced development following a writing room that was recently held in the Japanese capital.

Nippon has worked with Mizuno on and off for more than a decade and the pair most recently combined on Japanese hit Rebooting.

Funny Woman, the comedy drama based on a character created by Nick Hornby, is back for a second series. Here are the details...

Production is underway on the second series of Funny Woman, the Sky comedy drama based on the 2014 novel by Nick Hornby.

Gemma Arterton stars as a budding comedian inspired by Lucille Ball, who attempts to make a name for herself in the oppressive, male dominated culture of 1960s London. Production is now underway on the second series, which will comprise four hour-long episodes.

The synopsis for the new series reads as follows:

Series 2 finds Sophie on a high. She is the nation’s favourite TV comedy star; she’s got a group of good friends and her romance with Dennis is full of promise. But trouble is just round the corner: Dennis’s divorce will take three years; Sophie’s new sitcom flops and she uncovers a devastating family secret.

McCracken will still be involved with his long-gestating Alexander McQueen project.

After 23 years producing films in the UK, French mini-major Pathe will close its UK theatrical film distribution business by the end of 2023 to focus on the development and production of scripted TV series under managing director Faith Penhale.

Cameron McCracken, head of film at Pathe UK, is retiring but will remain involved with several ongoing projects at Pathe including a film about Alexander McQueen to be directed by Oliver Hermanus.

The roles of three key people are being made redundant: Lee Bye, long-time head of theatrical distribution and technical,...

Horror is one of the most expansive and diversely populated genres of film, ranging from the unexplainable paranormal to the exploration of humanity's more deviant aspects. Horror taps into the innate human experience of fear to explore via visual media. This becomes the most celebrated around Halloween, when horror movies become more widely consumed.

Certain horror movies get overlooked by some film critics as certain franchises tend to absorb all the attention, while true gems can go underappreciated. By introducing some of these hidden gems into a horror movie watch queue alongside the well-deserved classics, a viewer can get a truly well-rounded movie binge for Halloween.

Dorian Gray

Dorian Gray

When a naïve young Dorian arrives in Victorian London, he is swept into a social whirlwind by the charismatic Lord Wotton, who introduces Dorian to the pleasures of the city. Henry's friend Basil Hallward paints a portrait of Dorian...

After an impressive career spanning over seven decades, renowned British actor Michael Caine is ready to retire following his starring role in The Great Escaper. Caine, who is 90 years old, revealed his retirement plans during an appearance on BBC Radio 4's Best of Today podcast. Despite retiring from acting, Caine plans to continue writing and mentioned the possibility of writing another book in the future.

After an impressive career spanning over seven decades, renowned British actor Michael Caine is ready to retire. The Academy Award-winning actor is closing the curtain on his acting career following a starring role in Oliver Parker's The Great Escaper. Caine, who is 90, revealed the news during an appearance on BBC Radio 4's Best of Today podcast this Saturday.

"I keep saying I'm going to retire," said Caine "Well, I am now. I've played the lead and it's got incredible reviews. The only parts...

Sir Michael Caine has confirmed his official retirement from acting at age 90.

The veteran British actor announced the news in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today show on Saturday.

“I keep saying I’m going to retire. Well, I am now,” Caine said. He had previously suggested his retirement was imminent in an interview with The Telegraph last month, saying he was “sort of” retired.

His final turn on screen is in Oliver Parker’s “The Great Escaper,” a biographical film about World War II veteran Bernard Jordan breaking out of a care home to attend the 70th anniversary commemoration of D-Day in 2014. The film was released on Oct. 6.

Caine reflected on the success of his career and the parts that are likely to be offered to him at his age.

“I’ve figured, I’ve had a picture where I’ve played the lead and it’s got incredible reviews,...

Sir Michael Caine has confirmed he is officially retiring from acting.

The Oscar-winning actor made an appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Today talk show to discuss his upcoming and now-final film, The Great Escaper. The Warner Bros. movie is based on the true story of World War II veteran Bernard (Bernie) Johnson, who, in the summer of 2014, snuck out of his nursing home to attend the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France.

“Funny enough, I’d retired when I was sent the script, and I turned it down three times, but I kept falling in love with him every time I read it, and so I did it,” Caine said on the radio show of William Ivory’s script. The film is directed by Oliver Parker and co-stars the late Glenda Jackson.

“I kept saying I’m gonna retire. Well, I am now because I figured,...

Michael Caine has announced his retirement, declaring his newest feature, The Great Escaper, to be his swan song.

Previously, Caine had floated the idea of retirement, and in a new interview with BBC Radio 4's Today, the accomplished actor said that he's now officially retired. He attributes part of this decision to the lack of leading roles that will be coming his way now that he's in his 90s. Caine also explained how the high acclaim that The Great Escaper has received has him feeling like it's a good time to step away, as this will let him wrap up his career on a high note.

Related: 10 Greatest DC Superhero Movie Performances By Oscar Winners

"I keep saying I'm going to retire. Well, I am now," Caine said. “I’ve played the lead [in The Great Escaper] and it’s got incredible reviews. The only parts I’m going to get now are old men.

With The Great Escaper in UK theaters and earning rave reviews, Michael Caine has decided to call it a day on his long, storied career, confirming that he’s now officially retired. He confirmed the news on BBC Radio (excerpted by Deadline) saying,

“I keep saying I’m going to retire. Well I am now,” adding, “I’ve figured, I’ve had a picture where I’ve played the lead and had incredible reviews … What am I going to do that will beat this?”

Previously, Caine had hinted that The Great Escaper, in which he co-stars with the late Glenda Jackson, would be his final bow. He said as much to The Telegraph.

“I am bloody 90 now, and I can’t walk properly and all that,” Caine said about getting up in years and his body no longer cooperating. Caine says he used a walking stick on the set of Oliver Parker’s new film,...

‘Oppenheimer’ tops ‘Barbie’ this weekend alone.

RankFilm (distributor)Three-day gross (Oct 6-8)Total gross to date Week 1. The Exorcist: Believer (Universal) £1.7m £1.92m 1 2. The Creator (Disney) £1m £4.2m 2 3. Saw X (Lionsgate) £953,798 £3.8m 2 4. The Great Escaper (Warner Bros) £590,265 £593,149 1 5. A Haunting In Venice (Disney) £558,724 £7.9m 4

Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.22

Universal’s franchise horror The Exorcist: Believer has topped the UK-Ireland box office on its opening weekend, with a £1.7m start.

Playing in 545 sites, the film took a £3,029 average. Believer’s £1.7m opening is the biggest opening figure for an Exorcist film to date, topping the £1.2m total of 2004’s Exorcist: The Beginning.

National Amusements fires up ‘BlackBerry’; MetFilm has ‘Golda’ starring Helen Mirren and ‘The Burial’.

Universal’s franchise horror The Exorcist: Believer and Warner Bros’ UK drama The Great Escaper will be targeting different audiences at this weekend’s UK-Ireland box office, with both films opening wide.

Starting in 616 cinemas, The Great Escaper stars Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson, in her final film role before her death in June aged 87. Shot along the south coast of the UK including at Dover, Camber Sands and Hastings, the film follows a pensioner who escapes from his care home to attend the 70th anniversary...

Michael Caine is sharing his thoughts on the need for intimacy coordinators during amorous scenes in film and television projects.

The 90-year-old actor, who is currently promoting the film The Great Escaper, told The Daily Mail in an interview published online Saturday that he was unfamiliar with the concept of a project hiring someone to help ensure performers’ safety and well-being during the filming of intimate scenes.

“Really?” Caine responded when asked for his thoughts on the role. “Seriously? What are they? We never had that in my day. Thank God I’m 90 and don’t play lovers anymore, is all I can say.”

The two-time Oscar winner continued, “In my day, you just did the love scene and got on with it without anyone interfering. It’s all changed.”

Caine also said he tries to comport himself in ways deemed politically correct before adding, “But it’s dull. Not...

Michael Caine, the iconic actor, believes his retirement is near at the age of 90, saying he has practically stopped acting due to his physical limitations. Caine reflects on his life and is grateful for the best possible wife and family, acknowledging that everyone will eventually face death. Caine's next film, "The Great Escaper," could be his last, following his suggestion that retirement is imminent.

Acting icon Michael Caine could be near the end of his successful career. After becoming one of the most recognized and celebrated actors within the entire film industry, Caine is ready to rest and enjoy his achievements. The British artist has managed to become an absolute icon of cinema, working in more than 160 titles across film and television since he took his first steps in acting in 1950.

Turning 90 earlier this year, the multi-award-winning actor believes that his retirement is very close. In an article published by The Telegraph,...

Michael Caine says he’s done with film work. Really.

The British icon and two-time Oscar-winner said his upcoming The Great Escaper will mark his final film before retirement. He’s said similar things before, which were quickly walked back. But at age 90, it seems that this time is truly the moment.

“I am bloody 90 now, and I can’t walk properly and all that,” he told The Telegraph in a new profile. “I sort of am retired now.”

If that’s true, Caine’s final film will tell the story of Bernard “Bernie” Jordan, a Royal Navy veteran who vanished from his retirement facility at age 89. From there, he journeyed to partake in the 70th anniversary commemoration of D-Day.

“I was so happy to do it. I just loved the character of Bernie. I thought he was incredible, and it’s so beautifully written. With Covid and all that,...

Actor Michael Caine considers himself retired from his work — in a way.

In an interview with The Telegraph about his upcoming film “The Great Escaper,” in which Caine will portray Bernard Jordan, Caine remarked on his age and future in acting.

“I am bloody 90 now, and I can’t walk properly and all that,” he told The Telegraph. “I sort of am retired now.”

“[Death] could be just around the corner at 90, but I’m quite happy. I’m sitting here writing, doing my thing. I like it. I have two children, three grandchildren and a wife… Everyone’s going to join me eventually. No one’s going to say, ‘I’m so sorry you’re going to die — I wish you were like me and not going to die.’ Everybody’s going to die. At least I’ve lived to fucking 90,” Caine added later on in the profile. “I didn...

Michael Caine got candid about the reality of being a working actor at 90 as he explained his potential retirement.

After over 70 years in show business, Caine said he is now “sort of” retired from acting before explaining how he came to the decision in an interview with The Telegraph. “I am bloody 90 now, and I can’t walk properly and all that,” he said. “I’ve had the best possible life I could have thought of. The best possible wife, and the best possible family. They may not be a family that other people would say is the best possible family — but the best possible family for me.”

Related: Michael Caine Had a Serious Request Before Joining The Muppet Christmas Carol

When asked what he wants to be remembered for, Caine conbtinued, “The fact that I remained an actor all my life, and I never went into anything else. I never left,...

Michael Caine, at 90 years old, is tentatively claiming that he will "sort of" retire after his next role in The Great Escaper. The actor has had a prolific career, appearing in over 100 titles ranging from blockbusters to high-level drama. Caine reflects on his life and career, expressing gratitude for his family and emphasizing his dedication to acting, stating that he never wanted or needed to pursue anything else.

Michael Caine tentatively claims that he will retire after his next role. Beginning his career in made-for-tv movies, he is one of the most prolific actors of his generation. Now 90 years old, Caine has appeared in over 100 movies and TV shows including everything from blockbusters like The Dark Knight to high-level drama such as The Cider House Rules. Caine’s next project will be in the Oliver Parker-directed The Great Escaper.

According to THR, Caine is “sort of” in retirement, and...

Michael Caine caused a stir in 2021 when he said that his role in director Lina Roessler’s comedy “Best Sellers” might be the last of his career. Reps for the two-time Oscar winner were swift to clarify that Caine’s announcement was premature and that he was already considering two new films to star in at the time. Flash forward two years later, and it seems Caine is more or less retired now.

“I am bloody 90 now, and I can’t walk properly and all that,” he told The Telegraph in a new profile. “I sort of am retired now.”

If Caine actually is retired, then his final film will be the upcoming “The Great Escaper.” The film, co-starring Glenda Jackson, is based on the true story of Bernard “Bernie” Jordan, a Royal Navy veteran who disappeared from his old age home at 89 to travel to France so he could...

At 90 years old, Michael Caine is reflecting on his extraordinary life and career ahead of the release of what he has implied might be his last film.

During a recent interview with The Telegraph, the Oscar-winning English actor opens up about his role in The Great Escaper, in which he stars opposite Glenda Jackson, who died at 87 in June, just months after filming ended.

The Oliver Parker-directed film is based on the true story of a British World War II veteran, Bernard Jordan (Caine), who escapes from his care home to attend the 70th anniversary of the D-Day celebrations in France.

“I was so happy to do it,” Caine told the outlet. “I just loved the character of Bernie. I thought he was incredible, and it’s so beautifully written.”

Caine said he thought he was finished with acting since he hadn’t done a film in three years...

It was a very welcome return for the red carpet to London this evening, with the World Premiere of The Great Escaper taking place at the BFI Southbank. The film stars Michael Caine, Glenda Jackson, John Standing, Will Fletcher, Laura Marcus, Danielle Vitalis and Victor Oshi. It was directed by Oliver Parker from a script by William Ivory.

The Great Escaper will be released in cinemas nationwide from October the 6th, 2023. Colin Hart and Ethan Hart were on the red carpet, here are their interviews.

The Great Escaper Premiere Interviews

Plot:

Inspired by true events, the film tells the story of octogenarian Bernard Jordan’s escape from his care home to attend the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings in France.

In the summer of 2014, Bernard Jordan (Michael Caine) made global headlines. He had staged a “great escape” from his care home to join fellow war veterans on a beach in Normandy,...

Pathé has launched the brand-new trailer for ‘The Great Escaper’ which is set to open in cinemas across the UK and Ireland from 6 October 2023.

Inspired by true events, the film tells the story of octogenarian Bernard Jordan’s escape from his care home to attend the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings in France.

In the summer of 2014, Bernard Jordan (Michael Caine) made global headlines. He had staged a “great escape” from his care home to join fellow war veterans on a beach in Normandy, commemorating their fallen comrades at the D-Day Landings 70th anniversary.

It was a story that captured the imagination of the world as Bernie embodied the defiant, “can-do” spirit of a generation that was fast disappearing. But of course, it wasn’t the whole story. It was an inspirational but sanitised retelling of one man’s need to come to terms with the lasting trauma of war.

Actress Maryam d’Abo is set to make her return to British horror, having joined the cast of the upcoming gothic horror feature film The Baby in the Basket.

In 1940s, the nuns of a remote Scottish island convent ready for an impending storm, but when a baby is left on their doorstep, Sister Agnes becomes convinced he is the Devil and wants to kill the child. After Agnes is locked away a grim series of events ensue as the storm rages, and as her Sisters begin to question faith and reality, Sister Eleanor must try to repent and survive the dark events at St Augustine’s.

Best known internationally for her role alongside Timothy Dalton as Bond girl Kara Milovy in 1987’s The Living Daylights, d’Abo began her acting career with a role in the cult 1982 British horror Xtro; her other horror credits include director Oliver Parker’s fantasy...

Glenda Jackson, a two-time Academy Award-winning performer who had a second career in politics as a British lawmaker before an acclaimed late-life return to stage and screen, has died at age 87.

Jackson’s agent Lionel Larner said she died Thursday at her home in London after a short illness. He said she had recently completed filming “’The Great Escaper”, in which she co-starred with 90-year-old Michael Caine.

Caine said Jackson was “one of our greatest movie actresses. I shall miss her.”

Born into a working-class family in Birkhenhead, northwest England, in 1936 Jackson trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. She performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company — where she starred in the cutting-edge drama “Marat/Sade” directed by Peter Brook — and became one of the biggest British stars of the 1960s and 70s, winning two Academy Awards, for the brooding D.H. Lawrence adaptation “Women in Love” in 1971 and the...

Oscar winner Glenda Jackson has passed away. Per Deadline, Jackson's agent, Lionel Larner, confirmed in a statement that the Women in Love star died at her home in London following a brief illness. She was 87 years old.

“Glenda Jackson, two-time Academy Award-winning actress, and politician, died peacefully at her home in Blackheath, London this morning after a brief illness with her family at her side," the statement reads. "She recently completed filming The Great Escaper in which she co-starred with Michael Caine.”

Born in North West England in 1936, Jackson studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before performing on stage, garnering five Laurence Olivier Award nominations for various productions. She also won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for the 2018 production of Three Tall Women.

With her on-screen work, Jackson was able to win two Oscars. She first picked up the Best Actress award at the...

Glenda Jackson, the double Oscar-winning British actress and former Labour MP, has died. She was 87.

In a statement, her agent Lionel Larner said she died at her home in Blackheath, south-east London, following a “brief illness.”

Larner’s statement read: “Glenda Jackson, two-time Academy Award-winning actress, and politician, died peacefully at her home in Blackheath, London this morning after a brief illness with her family at her side.”

Statement continued: “She recently completed filming The Great Escaper in which she co-starred with Michael Caine.”

Jackson was perhaps best known for her two Oscar-winning performances in Ken Russell’s 1970’s pic Women in Love, a D. H. Lawrence adaptation, where she starred alongside Alan Bates and Oliver Reed and 1973’s A Touch of Class. Jackson also won a BAFTA Best Actress gong for Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971).

Jackson was born in 1936 in North West England. She studied at London’s prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art...

Jackson won Academy Awards for ’Women In Love’ and ’A Touch Of Class’.

UK actress Glenda Jackson, known for her Oscar-winning performances in Women In Love and A Touch Of Class, has died aged 87.

Jackson, who was also a former Labour MP, ”died peacefully at her home in Blackheath, London this morning after a brief illness with her family at her side,” according to her agent Lionel Larner.

Born in Birkenhead, UK, Jackson’s acting career began in theatre in the late 1950’s before she made her big screen debut with an uncredited role in Lindsay Anderson’s This Sporting Life...

Lille, France — Headed by a commanding performance from Navid Mohammadzadeh, superbly shot and packing arguably the best opening scene of any series in Series Mania main competition, Navid Javidi’s “The Actor” won the Grand Prize at Series Mania on Friday night.

The top Series Mania award for the “The Actor” also proves vindication for the Festival which this year has broadened its geographical reach in an effort to discover new narrative modes and styles. Consistently subordinating narrative to mood, “The Actor” certainly wins on that score.

Main scribe John Kåre Raake (“The Quake”) and co-scribe Linn-Jeanethe Kyed (“Bø”) scooped best writing for “The Fortress,” a banner upcoming Viaplay title produced by Norway’s Maipo Film and sold by TrustNordisk, which delivers a telling political cautionary tale for our times, a chic isolationist parable thriller set in an alternative Norway which has built a wall to keep foreigners out. When a virus strikes,...

Series Mania has always been about discovery: Of drama series as an art form, in its early days from launch in 2009; then of key players on a burgeoning international premium TV scene.

Series Mania’s International Panorama now catches a new wave of creatives transitioning from film to scripted TV – Israel’s Yaron Shani with “Innermost,” Spain’s Isaki Lacuesta and Isa Campo with episodes of “Apagón”; and highlights notable emerging auteurs: Denmark’s Kasper Møller Rask, Canada’s Alexis Durand-Brault, Spain’s Fran Araujo, Pakistan’s Assim Abassi and Germany’s Jakob and Jonas Weydemann.

But for having already bowed at national festivals, some of the 12 titles below could well have been in the running for a Competition berth.

Below, the Series Mania’s rich 2023 International Panorama:

“Apagón,” (“Offworld,” Spain)

One of Variety’s Best International TV Shows of 2022, a realistic, sophisticated disaster thriller from Movistar+ and Buendía Estudios...

Julia Roberts and George Clooney are embarking on a new adventure with their Ticket to Paradise. The Ocean’s Eleven alums are back and fabulously so in the all-new tropical rom-com, playing a divorced couple at odds. Ticket to Paradise is directed by Oliver Parker, who is known for previously writing and directing Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Parker is also the writer of the movie, along with Daniel Pipski. Roberts and Clooney also serve as producers on the movie, along with Tim Bevans, Eric Fellner, and others.

BBC Film today announced an updated editorial team under the continued leadership of Director, Eva Yates.

New hires include Kristin Irving, who joins BBC Film as Commissioning Executive from the BFI, where she is currently Senior Production and Development Executive at the BFI’s Film Fund. Anu Henriques joins as Development Executive after previously working as a Development Associate at the production company Fable Pictures. Claudia Yusef has been named as Commissioning Executive expanding her responsibilities across development and production.

“Since taking the reins at BBC Film my priority has been building an outstanding creative team to ensure our filmmakers enjoy the most thoughtful, rigorous and dynamic support available,” Yates said. “I couldn’t be happier to announce Claudia’s expanded role and the appointments today of Kristin and Anu, all of whom bring exactly this energy. They are joining a passionate multi-disciplinary team dedicated to supporting and uplifting world-class...

If filmmaking is a puzzle, casting is a corner piece that, when chosen correctly, helps hold everything together. I recently told you about Coil’s Hellraiser soundtrack that almost was, but what about the cast? Clive Barker captured lightning in a bottle with his 1987 directorial debut, but here are some casting choices that could have impacted Hellraiser significantly.

Doug Bradley as Mover

Barker has known Doug Bradley since high school, so he allowed him his choice between two roles in Hellraiser: the Lead Cenobite or one of the mattress movers. As this was his first film, Bradley nearly chose to play the mover, because he thought it was important for the audience to see his face.

Thankfully, Bradley decided on the Lead Cenobite, and the rest is history. He became a horror icon, reprising the role in the next seven sequels, while Dave Atkins and Oliver Parker (who went on...

Universal Pictures is all geared up for a well-lit and grand Dussehra as today it announced the release date of its romantic comedy ‘Ticket To Paradise’. Set to take the audiences on a vacation, the Oliver Parker directorial, will hit Indian theatres on October 6. The movie apart from boasting of a captivating storyline is also a visual treat to the audiences as it captures the breath-taking beaches and several other landscapes.

‘Ticket To Paradise’ features two of the most popular and critically acclaimed artists worldwide, George Clooney and Julia Roberts in lead along with Kaitlyn Dever, Maxime Bouttier, Lucas Bravo, Billie Lourd in pivotal roles.

Commenting on doing a film together after many years, lead actors of the movie, George Clooney and Julia Roberts said, “Julia and I weren’t actively looking for a project to do together, but, of course, it was easy to say yes to a chance...

India’s Kajol To Star Disney+ Hotstar Remake Of ‘The Good Wife’

As Disney+ Day continues ahead of the D23 Expo in Anaheim, India’s Disney+ Hotstar has revealed Hindi cinema star Kajol’s debut streaming series: a local remake of CBS drama The Good Wife, titled The Good Wife — Pyaar, Kanoon, Dhoka. Due to debut soon on the streamer, the Banijay Asia-produced show will see Kajol in the lawyer role Juliana Margulies made famous during the U.S. show’s seven-year run between 2009 and 2016. Suparn Verma is directing. “The beauty of Ott platforms is that they give creators and actors an opportunity to reinvent and experiment with different formats, and with Disney+ Hotstar’s The Good Wife, that’s exactly what I got,” said Kajol. News of the show first emerged over the summer. Rights to the Good Wife format are shopped by Paramount Global Content Distribution and have previously been licensed in China,...

If you're already having Bates Motel withdrawals and you're going to miss Olivia Cooke's performance as Emma, Rlj Entertainment might have just the cure for what ails you, as they've just acquired the Us rights to The Limehouse Golem, a new serial killer thriller set in London and starring Cooke alongside Bill Nighy.

Keep an eye out for The Limehouse Golem in theaters and on VOD beginning September 8th, and check out the official press release with full details on the film:

Press Release: Los Angeles, June 1, 2017 – Rlj Entertainment (Nasdaq: Rlje) has acquired U.S. rights to the thriller The Limehouse Golem. Based on the novel “Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem” by Peter Ackroyd, the film was written by the acclaimed writer Jane Goldman (Kingsmen, The Woman in Black), directed by Juan Carlos Medina (Painless) and produced by Stephen Woolley (Their Finest, Interview with a Vampire), Joanna Laurie...

Exclusive: Oliver Parker is directing the synchronised swimming comedy.

Screen can reveal the first look at Dad’s Army director Oliver Parker’s comedy Swimming With Men, produced by Stewart le Maréchal and Anna Mohr-Pietsch (The Infidel) of Met Film and Maggie Monteith of Dignity Film Finance (Brotherhood), in association with Amp Film.

Aschlin Ditta wrote the screenplay.

Exec producers include Paul Webster (Atonement) and Guy Heeley (Locke) of Shoebox Films and Al Morrow (Sour Grapes) and Jonny Persey (Little Ashes) of Met Film. Umedia are also on board as co-producers and financiers

The picture depicts (from left) Thomas Turgoose (This is England), Jim Carter (Downton Abbey), Daniel Mays (Rogue One), Adeel Akhtar (The Night Manager), Rob Brydon (The Trip) and Rupert Graves (Sherlock).

Also starring are Charlotte Riley (Edge Of Tomorrow) and Jane Horrocks (Little Voice).

HanWay handles sales on the movie, currently in production, about a man (Brydon) who finds new meaning in his life...

Exclusive: Vesna Cudic to head up new outfit; company’s debut sales slate revealed.

UK outfit Met Film has launched a new boutique international sales arm, Met Film Sales, which will offer a slate of high-end documentaries and TV series.

The company is being headed up by Vesna Cudic [pictured], previously head of acquisitions and sales at Dogwoof.

“I am really excited about this move to Met Film,” Vesna told Screen. “I was attracted by the prospect of being involved in the projects from the start, helping with the finance and then selling them worldwide.

“We already have a slate of Met Film documentaries and series in varying stages of development and finance, and I’m also currently developing relationships with producers who can create content for us to sell, including fiction titles.”

Vesna will be in Cannes this month launching the company’s initial slate.

In further news, the company has also launched Met Studio, a new content...

Author: Zehra Phelan

Rob Brydon has squeezed into those budgie smugglers he has tucked at the back of his drawers to start filming on the upcoming British comedy Swimming with Men alongside a pretty decent cast which includes Charlotte Riley ad Daniel Mays.

The production which is underway today in pools across London, Hertfordshire and Essex, is said to be a heart-warming comedy about a man in the throes of a mid-life crisis who finds meaning in the most unlikely of places: an all-male, middle-aged, amateur synchronised swimming team.

At the heart of the story is Eric, a 40-something stuck in a rut. With his marriage in tatters and his life generally going to pieces, Eric finds unexpected refuge in the company of a motley crew of middle-aged, slightly saggy men, who meet up once a week at the local municipal pool literally and figuratively to tread water together.

Eric...

Film is inspired by male synchronised swimming doc Men Who Swim; Icon takes UK rights.

HanWay Films has acquired world sales rights for Swimming With Men, which stars Rob Brydon as a man who joins a synchronised swimming team in a bid to win back his estranged wife.

The comedy is based on a screenplay by Aschlin Ditta inspired by the acclaimed documentary Men Who Swim. Oliver Parker (Johnny English Reborn) is directing.

Icon Film Distribution has already snapped up UK and Ireland distribution rights.

“Oliver Parker’s ability to combine laughs and touching performances seamlessly with incredibly funny physical comedy, should mean anyone who enjoyed Johnny English Reborn will love Swimming With Men,” said HanWay managing director Gabrielle Stewart referring to the director’s 2011 picture.

The production is due to start shooting in London in Spring 2017.

Stewart le Maréchal and Anna Mohr-Pietsch of Met Film are lead producing alongside Maggie Monteith of Dignity Film Finance.

“Oliver...

Rob Brydon has boarded new comedy Swimming With Men, which HanWay Films will be shopping to buyers at the American Film Market this week. The film, based on the acclaimed documentary Men Who Swim, is directed by Johnny English Reborn helmer Oliver Parker from a screenplay by Aschlin Ditta. Story sees Brydon's character, Eric, search for a way to win back wife Heather by diving into a world of male synchronized swimming. Icon Film Distribution will be handling UK and Irish…...

Marc Buxton Jan 12, 2017

It seems that Nightbreed has always captured the imagination of horror movie fans. And with good reason...

When the push began for Nightbreed, Clive Barker’s follow up to the cult hit Hellraiser in 1990, the marketing made the film feel like just another slasher film. The confusing advertisements couldn’t seem to decide whether the film’s killer was a button-eyed, masked killer, or the film’s lead character Boone - played by Craig Sheffer - leaving fans scratching their collective heads over what this coming horror joint was even about.

See related Deadpool: Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick interview Deadpool: Ryan Reynolds on channeling the character

The theatrical posters for Nightbreed read “Lori thought she knew everything about her boyfriend….Lori was wrong!” and the tagline couldn't have missed the point of Nightbreed more if it tried. The film was a meditation on monsters and fringe dwellers,...

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The new take on Dad's Army gives a standout role to Toby Jones. Here's our review of the new comedy.

Don't panic! Oliver Parker's big screen version of classic British sitcom Dad's Army (48 years old this year) is remarkably faithful to Jimmy Perry and David Croft's much-loved original and by no means the travesty that some had feared. It benefits chiefly from a note-perfect cast and a warm glow of reverential nostalgia that pervades the entire project, but it's slightly let down by a meandering script and the playing-it-safe comedy moments tend to generate amused smiles rather than out-and-out laughter.

Set in 1944, in the fictional seaside town of Walmington-on-Sea, the film stars Toby Jones as Captain Mainwaring, the leader of an elderly platoon of the Home Guard that comprises Oxford-educated Sergeant Wilson (Bill Nighy), doddery Private Godfrey (Michael Gambon), excitable Lance Corporal Jones (Tom Courtenay...

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Cheer on local talent with these potentially great UK films from 2016, including drama, comedy, action, horror, fantasy & more…

While Batman Vs Superman, Captain America: Civil War, X-Men Apocalypse and other mega franchises are expected to dominate cinemas in 2016, let’s hear it for the films below. None are sequels, few have titanic budgets, all of them are British and each of them has the potential to be great.

2016 looks to be a particularly strong year for UK crime drama, with Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire, Adam Smith’s Trespass Against Us and Michael Apted’s Unlocked on their way. Military thrillers are also well represented this year, with Gavin Hood’s Eye In The Sky, Fernando Coimbra’s Sand Castle, and Simon West’s Stratton incoming. There’s also comedy, fantasy, drama, horror and even a musical waiting for you below.

A Street Cat Named Bob (dir.

"This is it, men - our chance to play a real part in this war." Universal has debuted the second, full-length trailer for an upcoming comedy called Dad's Army, based on a classic 1960's BBC television series of the same name. The big, goofy WWII comedy is about a ragtag group of Home Guard local defense volunteers at Walmington-on-Sea who get into some mischievous trouble when word is there is a spy on the lose. The cast includes Bill Nighy, Toby Jones, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Tom Courtenay, Michael Gambon, Blake Harrison, Daniel Mays and Bill Paterson. This kind of humor won't exactly play well with everyone, but surprisingly it looks quite funny, so give it a chance why don'tcha. Maybe you'll find yourself laughing. Here's the two official UK trailers for Oliver Parker's Dad's Army, from Uni UK's YouTube (via Tmb): It is 1944 and World War II is reaching its climax.

Classic UK sitcom Dad's Army is headed to the big screen with a new feature film adaptation directed by Oliver Parker. Blessed with an amazing cast of UK talents - Catherine Zeta Jones, Bill Nighy, Michael Gambon, and Toby Jones are the most immediately recognizable but there are lots more in there - the new feature is very much in the spirit of the original series and the just released trailer promises great fun in a very stiff-upper-lip, let's impress this lady while catching Hitler sort of way.Take a look at the trailer below!...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

How deep you roll with classic British television comedies will likely weigh on how much interest you have in "Dad's Army." It's the big screen, semi-star studded take on the series which ran in the late '60s and '70s, and there's no doubt that the humor is in a very particularly English strain. But if you vibe with it, then it looks like the movie will deliver. Bill Nighy, Catherine Zeta Jones, Toby Jones, Daniel Mays, Michael Gambon, Bill Paterson and Tom Courtenay suit up for the Oliver Parker ("Johnny English Reborn") directed movie which finds laughs as World War II is closing out, and a bumbling contingent of the home guard have to find a spy in their midst. Here's the official synopsis: It is 1944 and World War II is reaching its climax. The Allies are poised to invade France and finally defeat the German army. But...

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Pre-booking is open for the Dad's Army movie - and here's a new trailer and character posters...

In the same week that ticket pre-booking for Star Wars: The Force Awakens opened, Universal has confirmed that you can now buy your tickets in advance for the Dad's Army movie. The film arrives in UK cinemas on February 5th 2016, and such is the studio's confidence in the movie, that tickets are on sale for it three and half months before the film opens. See www.dadsarmytickets.co.uk for more on them.

To help persuade you to part with your cash, a brand new trailer for Dad's Army has been released. And you can see that right here...

Furthermore, we have a synopsis here...

It is 1944 and World War II is reaching its climax. The Allies are poised to invade France and finally defeat the German army. But...