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It may be summer, but TV never slows down.

Despite the broadcast networks going all-in on unscripted summer offerings, the streaming services are picking up the slack as far as scripted content is concerned.

Hulu has The Kollective, which, despite the name, is not a new entry in the Kardashians franchise.

(Netflix)

Then there’s Netflix, which has the sophomore season of the Arnold Schwarzenegger dramedy Fubar.

Check out the complete list of TV shows we think should be on your radar this week.

Tuesday, June 10 The Kollective (Hulu)

It feels like journalism and the pursuit of truth are constantly under attack, and at a time like now, when journalists are attacked live on TV every day, it is all the more critical.

In Hulu’s new thriller, The Kollective, a group of young citizen journalists undertakes the challenging task of seeking the truth.

Resident Alien Season 4 Premiere Review: “Prison...

“The Kollective” is a new France-produced, six-episode ‘thriller’ TV series, filmed in various international locations, directed by Assaf Bernstein and Randa Chahoud, starring Natascha McElhone, Celine Buckens, Felix Mayr, Gregg Sulkin, Grégory Montel, Karel Roden, Cassiopée Mayance, Martha Canga Antonio, and Ralph Amoussou, streaming June 10, 2025 on Hulu:

“…a group of intrepid young ‘citizen journalists’, after a sudden tragedy, find themselves sucked into a globe-spanning web of government lies and corruption.

“Through a dangerous international investigation, the group exposes nefarious activities of rogue governments…

“…and discovers the human price of keeping truth alive…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Hulu has unveiled the trailer and key art for The Kollective, the upcoming six-episode series. The A+E Media Group series debuts on June 10, 2025, with all episodes available at launch.

Taking audiences around the world from Budapest to St. Petersburg to London, The Kollective is a gripping thriller about a group of intrepid young citizen journalists who, after a sudden tragedy, find themselves sucked into a globe-spanning web of government lies and corruption.

Through a dangerous international investigation, the group exposes nefarious activities of rogue governments and discovers the human price of keeping truth alive.

The series boasts a star-studded international cast including Natascha McElhone, Celine Buckens, Felix Mayr, Gregg Sulkin, Grégory Montel, Karel Roden, Cassiopée Mayance, Martha Canga Antonio, and Ralph Amoussou.

Lead director and EP Assaf Bernstein and Randa Chahoud direct The Kollective. Leonardo Fasoli and Maddalena Ravagli write the series.

Furthermore, in the creative team are writer and co-ep Ed Hemming,...

The comic adventures of "Hellboy" have yet to stop. Even after the world itself ended in the story "B.P.R.D. The Devil You Know," creator Mike Mignola and co. have kept revisiting Hellboy's world with various prequel stories.

In contrast, the original silver screen Hellboy, played by Ron Perlman and directed by Guillermo del Toro, remains in limbo. "Hellboy III" has remained a dream for almost two decades, one that's unlikely to ever become reality. Perlman has maintained he'd come back if del Toro would, but Mignola has moved the franchise into two successive (and disappointing) reboots.

What would "Hellboy III" have been like? The magical second film "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," originally included a post-credits scene to directly tease the trilogy's finale. This stinger, never filmed, would've resurrected the first films villains: Grigori Rasputin (Karel Roden), the Russian Mad Monk himself, and his cyborg assassin...

The After Dark Horrorfest was a game-changer back when it premiered in 2006. Not only was this film festival devoted to the horror genre, it was accessible. Founder Courtney Solomon (An American Haunting) chose the best possible venue for this “ultimate celebration of horror”: the big screen. So from November 17 to 21, these hand-picked titles were shown at select theaters across the U.S.

There have been four “sequels” to the After Dark Horrorfest since then, but for many horror hounds like myself, the original one is a bit more meaningful. It was an exciting time for discovery, developing one’s own taste, and for learning what the genre had to offer in the non-mainstream sector.

So in honor of this momentous film fest, we look back at the first “8 Films to Die For”.

The Abandoned (Nacho Cerdà)

Pictured: Anastasia Hille in The Abandoned.

That February following the first After Dark Horrorfest,...

Georgian filmmaker Rusudan Glurjidze, whose anti-Putin drama “The Antique” (pictured) was nearly blocked from world premiering at the Venice Film Festival, is set to make her English-language debut with “Operation K.”

Unfolding in 1949 and 1950, the film is based on the true story of the Communist crackdown of Catholic monasteries in Czechoslovakia, resulting in mass incarcerations of thousands of monks.

Named Operation K after the Czech word for monastery (Klaster), the film charts the journey of Czech priest Josef Toufar who was tortured for defying his country’s Soviet-backed regime. Karel Roden, a veteran Czech actor whose international credits include “Orphan” and “RocknRolla,” is attached to star as Toufar.

Written by Gregory W. Jordan (“The Royal”), “Operation K” is set during the early Cold War era, as Communists were staging show trials, violently shuttering churches, and executing and imprisoning priests and nuns in then-Czechoslovakia.

Aside from “The Antique,” which is Georgia’s Oscar entry,...

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While most of the superhero fans are already privy to Marvel and DC movies and TV shows, there is another comic publisher that has tons of great comics that have been adapted into iconic movies and TV shows. If you still don’t know which comic book publisher we are talking about then let us tell you it is the Dark Horse Comics publications which published several comic books on which great movies and TV shows like The Mask and The Umbrella Academy are based. So, we thought of compiling a list of the 10 best movies and TV shows based on the Dark Horse Comics.

The Mask (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – New Line Cinema

The Mask is a superhero action comedy film directed by Chuck Russell from a screenplay by Mike Werb. Based on the Dark Horse...

When it comes to Guy Ritchie movies, there are many films that fans of varying tastes can choose from. He has the Sherlock Holmes films for those who love mysteries, as well as war films like The Covenant. He also has a medieval fantasy movie in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and a Disney remake with Aladdin.

Despite tapping into many genres, Ritchie's go-to properties are crime comedies, especially those that deal with British gangsters. His most popular ones are Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and Snatch. However, as good as all these are, they don't hold a candle to his most underrated movie, RocknRolla. Coincidentally, with Netflix fans soaking in The Gentlemen TV series, some fans have been wondering why the RocknRolla sequel hasn't been made.

Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on September 9, 2024: Guy Ritchie remains one of the most unique and well-loved filmmakers working in Hollywood today.

There is no place better for a horror fan than the ever-growing film library of Shudder. It was already one of the most niche streaming services in the market, it is also perfect for giving the fans what they want by giving them new and exciting horror films every month. So, if you love Shudder and are wondering what are best movies coming to the Scream Queen of streaming services in June 2024, here are our best picks for you.

A Lonely Place to Die (June 3)

A Lonely Place to Die is a British action thriller film directed by Julian Gilbey from a screenplay co-written by Julian and Will Gilbey. The 2011 film follows the story of five hikers as they hear cries of pain in the wilderness and to their horror it’s a little girl buried in the ground. When they decide to get her to safety they are chased by the kidnappers.

Hellboy (2019) enters Netflix's Global Top 10, despite its critical failure, with 7.5 million hours viewed. Despite being a box office flop, Hellboy reached the sixth spot on Netflix's weekly chart. Hellboy: The Crooked Man will bring the demonic lead back to screens, with a story set in the 1950s Appalachia.

David Harbour's poorly-reviewed Hellboy enters Netflix's Global Top 10 chart. The 2019 movie saw Harbour take on the role of the titular demonic paranormal investigator, as an ancient and powerful queen brings about the end of days. Hoping to revive the franchise over eleven years after Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy: The Golden Army, the 2019 reboot paled in comparison to its predecessor, with critics panning it as unimaginative and unable to keep audiences invested.

Despite the 2019 Hellboy being deemed a failure, the movie has found a second life through its streaming release. Netflix reports that the Harbour-led comic book movie entered...

European giant Beta Film, known for ambitious titles such as “Babylon Berlin” and “The Swarm,” has shared with Variety in exclusivity a first-look picture of 1o-part series “Rise of the Raven,” which it hails as “one of the most epic European TV productions of all time.”

“Rise of the Raven” weighs in as a passion project of Hungarian-born and Canada-based producer Robert Lantos, behind “Sunshine,” “The Sweet Hereafter,” “Barney’s Version,” “Eastern Promises” and “Crimes of the Future.”

A highlight at Beta Film’s showcase this Tuesday at the London TV Screenings, “Rise of the Raven” turns on the extraordinary feat of Hungarian army commander Janos Hunyadi, played by discovery Gellért L. Kádár, who in 1456 won a bloody, brutal Battle of Belgrade against a vast Ottoman force twice the size of his troops who were often farm labourers armed with just slings and patriotic fervor.

Hunyadi largely halted a full Ottoman...

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

Peeping Tom 4K Uhd from Criterion

Peeping Tom will join The Criterion Collection on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on May 14. The 1960 British horror-thriller has been newly restored in 4K with Dolby Vision Hdr and uncompressed monaural sound.

A progenitor of the contemporary slasher, Michael Powell (The Red Shoes) produces and directs from a script by Leo Marks. Carl Boehm, Moira Shearer, Anna Massey, and Maxine Audley star.

Special features include: a new introduction by Martin Scorsese; a new interview with Thelma Schoonmaker; a new featurette with Scorsese, Schoonmaker, and Boehm; audio commentaries by film scholar Laura Mulvey and film historian Ian Christie; featurettes Marks and on the restoration; and more.

Chucky Talking Board from...

Exclusive: Filming is underway on long-gestating European thriller series The Kollective (6 x 60′), which we can reveal will star Natascha McElhone (Californication), Celine Buckens (Showtrial), Felix Mayr (Unorthodox), Gregg Sulkin (Marvel’s Runaways), Grégory Montel (Call My Agent), Karel Roden (A Spy Amongst Friends), Cassiopée Mayance (The Clearstream Affair), Martha Canga Antonio (Lupin) and Ralph Amoussou (Transatlantic).

Produced by Submarine (Apollo 10 ½) and created by Leonardo Fasoli (Gomorrah), Maddalena Ravagli (Gomorrah) and Submarine’s Femke Wolting, the series was commissioned by The European Alliance and will be distributed worldwide by A+E Media Group, with Hulu coming aboard for U.S. distribution.

Inspired by the investigative journalist group Bellingcat, the series will span Europe from Budapest and St. Petersburg in the East to London in the West. It will follow a group of intrepid young citizen journalists who, after a sudden tragedy, find themselves sucked into a web of government lies and corruption.

For decades, the idea of the "chosen one" has been a popular trope in fiction, telling the story of characters who are unwitting subjects of prophecies. These films focus on ideas of fate and destiny, building towards long-awaited realizations of the characters' full potential, both for better and worse. While some characters embrace their supernatural roles, others have their stories defined through trying to avoid them at all costs.

The idea of the chosen one continues to be popular in fiction, especially thanks to how it can elevate seemingly ordinary characters into great heroes, sending them on fantastical adventures. These stories often take the shape of tales of responsibility, and have been a classic vehicle for the hero's journey. The chosen one trope continues to entertain fans across mediums and genres and, despite often being supernatural in nature, can lead to relatable character development.

Scooby-Doo

Release Date

June 14, 2002

Director

Raja Gosnell

Cast

Freddie Prinze Jr.,...

Ron Perlman expresses his desire to return as Hellboy and complete the trilogy. The original Hellboy films, directed by Guillermo del Toro, were well-received and have left a mark on Perlman's career. A new adaptation of the Hellboy comic, titled "Hellboy: The Crooked Man," is currently in the works, with a different actor portraying the title character.

It's been almost 20 years since Ron Perlman transformed into Hellboy for the first time in the first outing from Guillermo del Toro and his adaptation of the acclaimed comic book series created by Mike Mignola. However, Hellboy is one of the characters that have left a mark in the actor's career, and he has now stated that he would love to revisit it.

Hellboy appeared for the first time in 1993, on a special edition of San Diego Comic-Con Comics. It was so well received by fans that, since then, the character has appeared in different collections,...

Get ready to meet Gump! 4Digital Media has revealed an official trailer for Gump, a Czech dog movie that originally opened in 2021 in Europe. It's now set for release on VOD in the US later this August. A feel-good story that highlights the need for friendship, family, and – of course – dogs in our lives. Even though this trailer is dubbed in English (ugh), it'll be released with subtitles and the original Czech voices - as it should be. It's a story told through the eyes of a stray dog called Gump. On a journey to find his way back home, Gump encounters many challenges, meets a few new people, and makes many canine friends along the way. A story about the devotion of a dog – who without hesitation will give his own life for the life of its beloved owner. Starring Karel Roden, Ivana Chýlková, Eva Holubová, Bolek Polívka, Jana Plodková,...

As one of Britain's most respected actors, John Hurt made an impression in even the smallest of roles. With his magnificent voice and distinctive appearance, he shone in every film in which he appeared, whether he was the lead or just making a cameo appearance. Even when he was the star, he invariably seemed more like part of the ensemble than a star in his own right like Sean Connery or Michael Caine. Perhaps this was due to his consummate professionalism and his ability to disappear into his roles. You never got the sense that he had much of an ego or, at the very least, cared less about personal vanity than making his characters feel authentic.

Below are just a handful of his finest film performances, ranked, although he had such a varied career that we could easily have made this a list of 20 best films and included his...

Orphan

Stars: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabella Fuhrman, Cch Pounder, Jimmy Bennett, Margo Martindale, Karel Roden, Aryana Engineer, Rosemary Dunsmore, Genelle Williams | Written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick | Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

Devastated by the loss of their unborn baby, Kate (Vera Farmiga) and John (Peter Sarsgaard) decide to adopt a child. At the orphanage, both feel drawn to a little girl (Isabelle Fuhrman) named Esther, and soon the couple take their new daughter home. But when a dangerous series of events unfolds, Kate begins to suspect that there is something evil lurking behind the child’s angelic exterior.

Although the horror genre is by far my favorite film genre nowadays, the same thing cannot be said for when I was young. As a matter of fact, I was scared to death of practically every horror movie. I remember still to this day, seeing some sort of Chucky parody on some...

The costliest Czech film of all time features epic battles, royal conspiracies, hungry lions –and Michael Caine in a neckruff

If you had to put money on who would be cast for a film about 15th-century Czech warrior hero Jan Žižka, then Ben Foster, Matthew Goode, Til Schweiger and Sir Michael of Caine would probably not be top of the list. But that is the impressive ensemble kitted out in ermines and armour by director Petr Jákl for this brutal, byzantine but strangely uninvolving historical actioner set in medieval Bohemia – apparently the most expensive Czech production ever.

Foster plays Žižka, a seasoned mercenary who with his merry band of bruisers is first seen protecting Lord Boresh (Caine) from a riverside ambush. Boresh is neckruff-deep in court intrigues that make the Tory party look like pussycats: Wenceslas IV (Karel Roden) is due in Rome to be crowned Holy Emperor, but his...

Plot: The story of fifteenth-century Czech icon and warlord Jan Zizka, who defeated armies of the Teutonic Order and the Holy Roman Empire.

Review: In today’s day and age of high fantasy, it’s rare that a film set in grounded medieval times can still bring the same level of excitement. The pacing is often very slow, and the action scenes are few and far between. Thankfully, Medieval decides it will go completely against that and provide a heavy-hitting action film. But is that enough to make up for its faults?

There are a lot of things that I really enjoyed about Medieval. Ben Foster is always great to see as he’s one of the better actors out there and so often overlooked. His character of Jan Zizka isn’t someone I was aware of before, but now am intrigued to seek out. The story is simple enough,...

Roland Møller (left) and Ben Foster square off while Sophie Lowe looks on in Petr Jákl’s Medieval. Photo: The Avenue A title as generic as Medieval is strangely appropriate for writer-director Petr Jákl’s historical epic. It’s the most expensive Czech film ever made, with a reported price...

Czech folk hero Jan Zizka’s story has been dramatized — and mythologized — in various forms many times, including a mid-1950s celluloid trilogy by Otakar Vavra that was arguably the local industry’s most ambitious production in those somewhat stodgy, pre-New Wave days. Purportedly the Czech Republic’s most expensive feature to date, Petr Jakl’s new “Medieval” portrays the same legendary figure in what’s anything but an old-school costume epic. Instead, this robust, assured enterprise offers a distant past in the brutally combat-driven action mode of “Gladiator” and “Braveheart,” its patriotic sentiments steeped in mud and blood.

The economic realities for such a costly spectacular require a degree of formulaic creative decisions in line with current international audience tastes, while the casting of American and British actors in primary roles further waters down a distinctive regional character. Nevertheless, “Medieval” succeeds as a lively, handsome chunk of history (however...

Medieval Red Band Trailer — Petr Jákl‘s Medieval (2022) red band movie trailer has been released by The Avenue Entertainment. Crew Medieval stars Ben Foster, Sophie Lowe, Michael Caine, Til Schweiger, Roland Møller, Matthew Goode, William Moseley, Karel Roden, and Werner Daehn. Petr Jákl wrote the screenplay for Medieval, “from a story by Petr Jakl Sr. and Kevin Bernhardt.” Plot [...]

Continue reading: Medieval (2022) Red Band Movie Trailer: Ben Foster is Czech Warrior Jan Zizka...

"Death brings life." The Altitude has debuted one final violent red band trailer for Medieval, an action epic about a Czech warlord, based on a true story from history. We've already featured a few other trailers for this film before, about an iconic Czech fighter who's mission is to keep a woman safe. It's all in English and features an international cast of non-Czech actors. The film tells the story of fifteenth century Czech icon & warlord Jan Zizka, who defeated armies of the Teutonic Order and the Holy Roman Empire. Jan realizes that the fate of the Empire will be decided by his love for Lady Katherine and his fate doesn't lie in the hands of Kings, but in the hands of his own people. Ben Foster stars as Jan Zizka, with a massive ensemble: Sophie Lowe, Michael Caine, Til Schweiger, Roland Møller, Matthew Goode, William Moseley, Karel Roden, and Werner Daehn.

Austria’s Orf Joins Big Budget Central Europe Drama Series ‘Rise Of The Raven’

The shoot for big-budget Central European drama Rise of the Raven (working title) is underway near Budapest in Hungary, with Austrian pubcaster Orf the latest to join the series as a co-producer. Produced by Robert Lantos, the multi-million dollar series is being billed as “the most epic Central European television production of all time.” It stars Hungary’s Gellért L. Kádár as Janos Hunyadi, the army commander who defeated the vast Ottoman troops in the Battle of Belgrade in 1456. Vivien Rujder plays his life partner Elizabeth Szilagyi in a widely international cast. Also featuring are Austria’s Laurence Rupp (Babarians), Cornelius Obonya (Maria Theresa), Murathan Muslu (Breaking Point), Czech actor Karel Roden, Serbia’s Rade Serbedzija and Italian actors Italy’s Francesco Acquaroli, Thomas Trabacchi (Studio Battaglia) and Elena Rusconi (6 Underground). Balázs Lengyel (HBO’s Golden Life) is showrunner and writer along with George Mihalka, Balázs Lovas, Zsófia Ruttkay, Attila Veres, and Bán Mór, whose best-selling series of novels the series is based on. Serendipity Point Films, Twin Media, Hg Media, Mr Film and Beta, which distributes the show, are the co-producers. TV2 will air it in Hungary and Slovenia, with Orf broadcasting it in neighboring Austria.

Germany’s Sat.1 Remakes Italian Format ‘Back To School’

German broadcaster Sat.1 has remade Mediaset Distribution’s Italian format Back to School. Local producer Cheerio Entertainment has produced the German show, titled Zurück in die Schule, ahead of a debut on August 24. German presenter Jörg Pilawa will host the primetime entertainment show. Back to School sees four celebrities face real elementary school exams, one they have prepared for during a summer camp with students taking on the role of no-nonsense teachers and another ‘surprise’ subject. Mediaset Group’s distribution arm launched the format at MipTV after it debuted in Italy on Italia 1 and secured an above average share. “Everyone likes the idea of mini-teachers having to do with celebrities in an entertaining reversion of roles. After lockdown and sad things continuing to happen, a show that reunites family and target groups of all ages for a good moment of relax and fun. I guess we really need it,” said Claudia Marra, who handles the format rights for Mediaset Distribution.

Principal photography is underway near Budapest on “Rise of the Raven,” an epic drama series produced by veteran Canadian producer Robert Lantos’ Serendipity Point Films (“Crimes of the Future”) and Beta Film (“Gomorrah”) that marks the most lavish TV production in Hungary’s history.

Adapted from author Bán Mór’s bestselling novels, the 10-episode series tells the story of the Hungarian warrior Janos Hunyadi, who defeated the Ottoman army in 1456 at the Battle of Belgrade, halting its march across Europe.

Lantos, whose producing credits include “The Sweet Hereafter,” “Johnny Mnemonic” and “Eastern Promises,” spoke exclusively with Variety about a passion project more than a decade in the making. He was joined by Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning director Robert Dornhelm and Hungarian directors Attila Szász and Orsi Nagypal, who joined the conversation fresh off shooting an epic battle sequence outside Budapest.

The Hungarian-born Lantos, who was in Cannes this year with David Cronenberg...

Medieval Trailer 2 — The Avenue Entertainment has released the second movie trailer for Medieval (2022). Crew Medieval stars Ben Foster, Sophie Lowe, Michael Caine, Til Schweiger, Roland Møller, Matthew Goode, William Moseley, Karel Roden, and Werner Daehn. Petr Jákl wrote the screenplay for Medieval, “from a story by Petr Jakl Sr. and Kevin Bernhardt.” Plot Synopsis Medieval‘s plot synopsis: “Inspired [...]

Continue reading: Medieval (2022) Movie Trailer 2: Czech Mercenary Leader Ben Foster Kidnaps Sophie Lowe To Prevent Corruption After Rome Falls...

"You must protect" The Altitude has revealed a new full-length official trailer for Medieval, a medieval epic about a Czech warlord, based on a true story from history. This massive Czech production is directed by a Czech filmmaker named Petr Jákl, and it's about an iconic Czech fighter who's mission is to keep a woman safe - though it's all in English and features an international cast. The film tells the story of fifteenth century Czech icon and warlord Jan Zizka, who defeated armies of the Teutonic Order and the Holy Roman Empire. Jan realizes that the fate of the Empire will be decided by his love for Lady Katherine and his fate doesn't lie in the hands of Kings, but in the hands of his own people. Ben Foster stars as Jan Zizka, with a massive ensemble: Sophie Lowe, Michael Caine, Til Schweiger, Roland Møller, Matthew Goode, William Moseley,...

Czech crime series “Nineties” by Slovak director Peter Bebjak drew 2.23 million viewers over six nights on Czech Television – the best result for a Czech series in the past 18 years, according to Film New Europe.

The fifth episode, “Barrels,” broke the rating record with 2.41 million viewers (one in four Czechs watched it), becoming the most watched TV show in primetime since the start of the electronic measurement of broadcasting rating in 1997.

“Nineties” is based on real criminal cases that occurred in the 90s, after the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia. The series has six episodes and the main characters are played by Martin Finger, Kryštof Bartoš, Ondřej Sokol, Vasil Fridrich and Robert Mikluš.

The series is directed by Bebjak and Dan Wlodarczyk, and was produced by Czech Television, and creative producer Michal Reitler.

‘You Resemble Me’ Wins Prague Iff – Febiofest

The debut feature by Dina Amer, “You Resemble Me,” a coproduction between France,...

"Only the coronation of a new emperor can restore the rule of law." IGN has revealed the first teaser trailer for a medieval epic movie called, uh, yes Medieval. This massive Czech production is directed by a Czech filmmaker named Petr Jákl, and it's about an iconic Czech warlord from history - though it's all in English and features an international cast. The film tells the story of fifteenth century Czech icon and warlord Jan Zizka, who defeated armies of the Teutonic Order and the Holy Roman Empire. Jan realizes that the fate of the Empire will be decided by his love for Lady Katherine and that his fate doesn't lie in the hands of Kings, but in the hands of his own people. Ben Foster stars as Jan Zizka, with an ensemble cast including Sophie Lowe, Michael Caine (!!!), Til Schweiger, Roland Møller, Matthew Goode, William Moseley, Karel Roden, and Werner Daehn.

Nejc Gazvoda, whose previous films include “A Trip” and “Dual,” has started shooting “Father Figure” in his home town, Novo Mesto, Slovenia. The film will be shot in 25 days and is expected to be completed in the spring of 2023, online news service Film New Europe reports.

“Father Figure” is an absurdist tale, written by Gazvoda, which follows a mother and her son who move from Ljubljana to a small town after the mother’s divorce. Jan is in his final year of elementary school, and Maja is a psychologist at the same school. The film begins with the reopening of schools after the end of the pandemic, but things do not seem to be the way they were before.

“ ‘Father Figure’ is a film about a particular period (the middle of 2021), set in an elementary school, and all the issues it deals with are concrete: peer violence, loneliness, dignity. At the same time,...

Karel Roden leads the cast of the Czech director’s latest outing, which currently finds itself in pandemic-related theatrical limbo. The pandemic year of 2020 rewrote many production plans: among them was that for the Czech crime-thriller Statute of Limitations. The film’s production was put on hold seven days before the first clapperboard was due to slam, as the Czech government declared a state of emergency and adopted measures to halt the spread of the coronavirus in early 2020. The film crew regrouped for a September shoot and then wrapped principal photography in early October 2020. Director Robert Sedláček and his cast experienced déjà vu when the local premiere, originally set for early February 2021, had to be put on hold for the very same reasons that caused the original shoot to be postponed. Czech television and film director Sedláček was attached to direct the crime-based morality tale revolving around the...

In 1928, Fritz Tugendhat and his new wife Grete — both German-born Jews — commissioned architects Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich to build them a glass house on a hilltop in the city of Brno, Czechoslovakia. The Villa Tugendhat was to be a new home for a new Europe: sleek, spare, and open to the light of the outside world. Its functionalist principles expressed the hope for a future without secrets or self-denial, and its long glass walls reflected the freedoms that Grete expected to define the rest of the 20th century. Less than 10 years later, the Tugendhats were forced to flee in the looming shadow of a Fascist occupation. Czechoslovakia became the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, and the Villa Tugendhat was turned into the local offices of the Messerschmitt corporation, which engineered much of Hitler’s air force.

Adapted from Simon Mawer’s bestselling 2009 novel “The Glass Room...

Simon Mawer’s 2009 historical novel “The Glass Room” was well-regarded on both sides of the Atlantic, shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and seemingly destined to be filmed sooner rather than later. It was, after all, a decades-spanning saga of illicit desire, betrayal and riches-to-rags survival against the shifting backdrop of the Holocaust and the rise of Communism in the former Czechoslovakia. You wouldn’t guess its lofty origins from watching its eventual adaptation as “The Affair,” and not just because Mawer’s tale is now hidden behind the most generic title imaginable — as if placed in witness protection, to prevent any parties interested in its former identity from finding it. Despite a fine Continental cast and gleaming production values, Czech helmer Julius Ševčík has made a muddled, maudlin hash of what ought to have been a sure thing; limping to a U.S. release two years after its European premiere,...

Stars: Louis Talpe, Iain Glen, Matteo Simoni, Tara Lee, Karel Roden, Timo Wagner | Written by Kieron J.Walsh, Ciaran Cassidy | Directed by Kieron J.Walsh

It’s been a funny old few years for the Tour De France, with some shocking truths being revealed about racers having taken illegal enhancements. At first it seemed like there was only one or two of the top level guys but then documentary after documentary started bringing the whole era of doping to the forefront and it was revealed that… Well everybody was into it, top to bottom! This is something that the sport is going to have to endure and dare I say it “own it”. It’s done now let’s clean house and move on.

Of course this does pose a little bit of a quandary. How can you “just move on” when there are so many interesting stories that can be told here.

It looks like Esther is up to her old tricks again in the upcoming horror prequel Orphan: First Kill. Played once again by Isabelle Fuhrman, the movie was only revealed very recently, but the actress has now taken to social media to tease the bloody antics to come, as well as confirming that she is on her last week filming the movie.

Orphan: First Kill will follow Isabelle Fuhrman as Esther, who is now living under the name Leena Klammer, as she "orchestrates a brilliant escape from an Estonian psychiatric facility and travels to America by impersonating the missing daughter of a wealthy family. But Leena's new life as 'Esther' comes with an unexpected wrinkle and pits her against a mother who will protect her family at any cost."

Fuhrman has aged 11 years since first playing the role of the supposedly 9-year-old Esther, with the actress now 23-years old. Reports have stated that,...

Sales also made to Latin America, France, Australia-New Zealand.

Vertigo Releasing has acquired UK and Ireland distribution rights from Independent to Kieron J. Walsh’s cycling drama The Racer.

It is scheduled for a theatrical and streaming release in the UK on December 18; Vertigo is partnering with Wildcard Distribution on the Irish release, for which a date is not yet set. Cinemas are presently closed in Ireland.

Independent has also closed deals for Australia and New Zealand (Madman Entertainment); German-speaking territories (Ascot Elite); Latin America and Africa (Turner International); Portugal (Nos Lusomundo); Scandinavia (Selmer Media); France (Epicentre and Mondex et...

"Why risk your life like that?" Gravitas has unveiled an official US trailer for indie cycling drama titled The Racer, made by filmmaker Kieron J. Walsh, and supported by Screen Ireland and Blinder Films. It was supposed to be premiere at this year's SXSW Film Festival, now it'll be on VOD this month. The film tells the true story of a professional cyclist named Dom Chabol, a Belgian support rider. After being dropped from the team on his last race in 1998, he is reinstated following a doping error. He's always been one of the best support riders ("domestiques") on the Tour de France, but had dreams to win it himself. The film stars Louis Talpe as Dom, along with Matteo Simoni, Tara Lee, Iain Glen, and Karel Roden. We featured a sales trailer for this earlier in the summer already. It looks like a solid film, if not a bit depressing,...

"Why risk your life like that?" Screen has revealed the first promo trailer for an indie cycling drama titled The Racer, made by filmmaker Kieron J. Walsh, and supported by Screen Ireland and Blinder Films. This trailer is to help promote the film as it is being sold at the Cannes Market coming up this month, although it has a Us distributor already, but no release date set yet. The film tells the true story of a professional cyclist named Dom Chabol, a Belgian support rider. After being dropped from the team on his last race in 1998, he is reinstated following a doping error. He's always been one of the best support riders ("domestiques") on the Tour de France, but had dreams to win it himself one day. Starring Louis Talpe as Dom, along with Matteo Simoni, Tara Lee, Iain Glen, and Karel Roden. This seems to be distancing itself...

Independent will market premiere the film at the Cannes online Marché.

Independent has signed a North American deal with Gravitas Ventures for Kieron J. Walsh’s Irish cycling drama The Racer.

The London-based sales outfit is showcasing the film at next week’s Cannes online Marché. Screen exclusively reveal the first trailer for the film, above.

Set in summer 1998, The Racer follows late-career cyclist Dom Chabol, who has been one of the best support riders on the Tour de France for 20 years, but secretly harbours a desire to wear the yellow jersey once before his career is over. Walsh wrote the script with Ciaran Cassidy.

With the 2019 edition of the Tour de France having drawn to a close, the first image of “The Racer,” a film set during the notorious 1998 edition of the iconic bike race, has been released.

The real-life Tour de France was tainted by doping scandals in 1998, subsequently earning the nickname the Tour de Dopage. The opening stages of the world’s biggest bike race took place in Ireland in that year, before moving to France.

Kieron J. Walsh’s “The Racer” follows fictional Belgian rider Dom Chabol. He has been a domestique, a support rider in cycling parlance, for years. With the Tour about to start he is dropped from his team. After a doping issue disqualifies a teammate, he finds himself back in the saddle and with a shot at achieving his secret desire to wear the yellow jersey, which is sported by the race leader.

Louis Talpe, who starred...

Louis Talpe, Tara Lee, Matteo Simoni, Iain Glen board film’s cast.

London-based sales and production outfit Independent has boarded cycling drama The Racer and will be introducing the project to buyers in Cannes.

Louis Talpe (Of Kings And Prophets), Tara Lee (A Date For Mad Mary), Matteo Simoni (Gangsta), Iain Glen (Game Of Thrones) and Karel Roden (The Bourne Supremacy) lead the cast of the feature, which is being produced by Katie Holly (Love & Friendship) and Yvonne Donohoe of Irish outfit Blinder Films.

Jesus Gonzalez-Elvira of Calach Films is co-producing with Caviar Films’ Robin Kerremans and Dimitri Verbeeck.

Next month Game of Thrones and Hannibal director Niel Marshall will unleash his new version of Mike Mignola's classic character Hellboy onto the masses in a theater near you and on your local IMAX screens. This new version of the Big Red One with the Right Hand of Doom is played by David Harbour - or as he's better known around these parts, Sheriff Jim Hopper from Netflix and The Duffer Brothers' hit series Stranger Things - and Milla Jovovich will join him as the film's villain, Nimue, the Blood Queen. This new big-budget, R-rated film hasn't even opened in a theater near you yet, and already it seems that the powers that be behind the scenes are planning for potential sequels. At least in a very "vague sense." To be a bit more specific, producer Lloyd Levin says:

"Not in a No. 2 will be this and No. 3 will be that,...

Madrid — Strengthening its activities in Eastern Europe as the region makes ever more ambitiously financed shows, Munich’s Beta Film has boarded crime thriller “The Pleasure Principle,” the first ever international TV production between three Eastern Europe countries.

Written by Maciej Maciejewski, a scribe on Tvp’s Polish crime TV series “The Cop,” “The Pleasure Principle” is produced by Apple Film Production – the company behind “”The Passing Bells,” made for BBC, Tvp, BBC America – and Arte, in co-production with Canal+ Poland, Czech TV and Star Media and in association with Beta Film.

Currently in post-production, the crime thriller will the subject of a panel discussion at the Series Mania Forum on Tuesday.

The ten-hour series is helmed and showrun by multi-awarded director Dariusz Jablonski (“Photographer”), a Polish documentary filmmaker and producer. It stars Malgorzata Buczkowska (“I Am You”) in the main role, alongside Karel Roden (“The Bourne Supremacy”), Stipe Erceg...

As U.S. viewers discover among their VOD options HBO Europe’s original production series “Wasteland,” the thriller set in the bleak coal fields of north Bohemia and filmed in 2016 in the Czech Republic, the company says more shows are on their way.

The eight-part thriller, directed by Ivan Zacharias and Alice Nellis and scripted by Stepan Hulik, screened at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival before becoming one of the first European series produced by the premium cable company to reach U.S. audiences. It was followed more recently by Hungarian and Czech versions of the romantic comedy “When Shall We Kiss,” the latter starring Anna Geislerova.

“If we own the property, why would we not make it available to people?” posits Antony Root, HBO Europe’s head of original production.

While he confesses about the programming’s potential success across the Atlantic “I don’t know how it’s going to do,...

The final film from Krzysztof Krauze and new project from Giorgi Ovashvili to play in main competition.Scroll Down For Competition Line-ups

The 52nd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (June 30 - July 8) has unveiled the competition titles in its Official Selection, East of the West and Documentary sections.

Main competition

The 12-strong main competition will comprise eight world premieres and four international premieres, including Birds Are Singing In Kigali (pictured), the final film from Polish director Krzysztof Krauze, who died in 2014.

The project, which depicts the consequences of the Rwandan genocide, was completed by his co-director and wife Joanna Kos-Krauze.

Other films in competition include Boris Khlebnikov’s new drama Arrhythmia, Václav Kadrnka’s Little Crusader, Peter Bebjak’s criminal thriller The Line and Giorgi Ovashvili’s Georgian historical drama Khibula. Ovashvili returns after winning the Kviff Crystal Globe for Corn Island in 2014.

East of the West

The East of the West strand will open with Ilgar Najaf...

The final film from Krzysztof Krauze and new project from Giorgi Ovashvili to play in main competition.Scroll Down For Competition Line-ups

The 52nd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (June 30 - July 8) has unveiled the competition titles in its Official Selection, East of the West and Documentary sections.

Main competition

The 12-strong main competition will comprise eight world premieres and four international premieres, including Birds Are Singing In Kigali (pictured), the final film from Polish director Krzysztof Krauze, who died in 2014.

The project, which depicts the consequences of the Rwandan genocide, was completed by his co-director and wife Joanna Kos-Krauze.

Other films in competition include Boris Khlebnikov’s new drama Arrhythmia, Václav Kadrnka’s Little Crusader, Peter Bebjak’s criminal thriller The Line and Giorgi Ovashvili’s Georgian historical drama Khibula. Ovashvili returns after winning the Kviff Crystal Globe for Corn Island in 2014.

East of the West

The East of the West strand will open with Ilgar Najaf...

X-Men spinoff and Trainspotting sequel to play Out of Competition.

A further 13 films have been invited to screen in the Competition and Berlinale Special section at the 67th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival.

The festival has added commercial clout to its Out Of Competition lineup in the shape of Danny Boyle’s T2 Trainspotting and X-Men spinoff Logan.

There are also competition berths for new films by Hong Sangsoo, Thomas Arslan, Volker Schlöndorff, Sabu, Álex de la Iglesia and Josef Hader.

Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha’s latest, Viceroy’s House, will have its world premiere out of competition at the festival. Starring Hugh Bonneville alongside Gillian Anderson, the period drama set in 1947 India depicts Lord Mountbatten, the man charged with handing India back to its people.

Also having its world premiered out of competition will be Álex de la Iglesia’s The Bar, a comedy-thriller about a group of strangers who get...

After an initial line-up that included Aki Kaurismäki‘s The Other Side of Hope, Oren Moverman‘s Richard Gere-led The Dinner, Sally Potter‘s The Party, and Agnieszka Holland‘s Spoor, the Berlin International Film Festival have added more anticipated premieres. Highlights include one of two (maybe three) new Hong Sang-soo films this year, On the Beach at Night Alone, along with Volker Schlöndorff‘s Return to Montauk with Stellan Skarsgård and Nina Hoss, as well as the high-profile world premiere of James Mangold‘s Logan and the international premiere of Danny Boyle‘s T2: Trainspotting.

With Paul Verhoeven serving as jury president for the 67th edition of the festival, check out the new additions below.

Competition

Bamui haebyun-eoseo honja (On the Beach at Night Alone)

South Korea

By Hong Sangsoo (Nobody’s Daughter Haewon, Right Now, Wrong Then)

With Kim Minhee, Seo Younghwa, Jung Jaeyoung, Moon Sungkeun,...

Fans of Quentin Dupieux should rejoice because I haven’t seen a film this absurdly hilarious since Wrong. Petr Václav‘s We Are Never Alone is definitely bleaker, darker, and strangely realist, but it has that same sense of subtle humor to give you pause about the meaning of what’s thus far been viewed. The story concerns two families with certifiably insane patriarchs, a local pimp searching for escape, and the whore he deludes himself into thinking loves him despite her pining over the father of her daughter in jail. They each have their own personal problems that should be uniquely particular to their individual psychological imperfections and yet when they converge they’re insanely revealed to be kindred spirits spinning around atop this cesspool we call Earth.

Václav includes political commentary about the current state of affairs in Czech Republic (don’t tell Miroslav Hanus‘ prison guard he’s a communist,...