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The Librarians: The Next Chapter season one is coming to an end soon!

Ahead of the TNT series’ season finale on Monday (August 4), the star-studded guest lineup for season two has already been revealed.

The show “centers on Vikram Chamberlain (Callum McGowan), a Librarian from the past who time traveled from 1847 and now finds himself stuck in the present. When Vikram returns to his castle in Belgrade, Serbia and discovers that it is now a museum, he inadvertently releases magic across the continent. With the help of a new team of eclectic heroes, including a savant in world history, a scientific genius, and a highly skilled Guardian, Vikram has only six months to clean up the mess he made. Throughout season one, the team embarks on fantastical adventures, including a surprise reroute to a manor where Agatha Christie-styled murders take place, a time-travel back to the days of King Arthur...

When TNT canceled The Librarians after four seasons and countless movies, there were many unhappy fans.

When The Librarians: The Next Chapter was announced, there were questions about which franchise alums would be stopping by.

Now that we’re approaching the season finale, details are trickling out about the second season of the sequel series, including which guest stars are on board.

(Aleksandar Letic/TNT)

The cabler has confirmed that Christian Kane, who plays Jacob Stone, has booked a return visit to the series.

However, an episode could not have been determined for his role, but since Jacob is a crucial element of why the Library is currently functional in Belgrade, I doubt he’ll ever be too far from the drama.

(TBS/Screenshot)

Jacob is a part of The Librarians’ DNA, too, so that bodes well for him to continue making sporadic appearances.

Dexter: Resurrection Season 1 Episode 5 Review: Murder...

In advance of the Season One finale of the fantasy adventure TV series “The Librarians: The Next Chapter," airing August 4, 2025, TNT revealed guest stars in Season Two including Dominic Monaghan, Jeremy Swift, Josh Gates, Stephan Kapičić, Oliver Dench, Ty Tennant, Flula Borg, Alan Emrys, Malcolm Sinclair, Reece Ritchie, Cat White, Gledisa Arthur, Jack Cunningham-Nuttall, Danny Rea, Luka Divac and Alex Henry, with Jessica Green, Olivia Morris, Bluey Robinson, Lindy Booth returning as ‘Cassandra Cillian’ and Christian Kane as ‘Jacob Stone’:

"…’Vikram Chamberlain’ (Callum McGowan), is a ‘Librarian’ from the past who time traveled from 1847 and now finds himself stuck in the present.

“When Vikram returns to his castle in Belgrade, Serbia and discovers that it is now a museum, he inadvertently releases magic across the continent.

“With the help of a new team of eclectic heroes, including a savant in world history, a scientific genius and a highly skilled...

The Librarians: The Next Chapterscored an early Season 2 renewal that has since begun production in May and with a premiere date expected soon. In the meantime, as the magical series nears its Season 1 finale, to be broadcast on Monday, August 4, TNT has revealed the guest cast list of the sophomore season, featuring several familiar faces. Developed by Dean Devlin and John Rogers, The Next Chapter is a direct follow-up to the Noah Wyle-starring Librarian film series that began in 2004. It premiered on Sunday, May 25, and will conclude its debut season after twelve episodes.

TVLine has learned that in the next season of the spin-off series, Christian Kane will reappear as Jacob Stone, after featuring in the series premiere. Fellow Librarians alum Lindy Booth will also reprise her role as telepathic mathematician Cassandra Cillian, whom she played across all four seasons of the original series that ran from 2014 to 2018. Other...

In advance of the season one finale of The Librarians: The Next Chapter, TNT has revealed the guest stars set to appear in the second season of the fantastical adventure series. Hailed for its blend of myth, mystery and magic, the sophomore season, airing in 2026, will feature appearances from a wide range of celebrated talent.

The guest lineup includes Screen Actors Guild Award nominees Dominic Monaghan and Jeremy Swift, as well as Josh Gates (host of Discovery Channel’s Expedition Unknown), Stefan Kapičić (Deadpool), Oliver Dench, and Ty Tennant.

Also on board are Flula Borg, Alan Emrys, Malcolm Sinclair, Reece Ritchie, Cat White (Ten Percent), Gledisa Arthur (Everyone Is Going to Die), Jack Cunningham-Nuttall, Danny Rea (Kingdom), Luka Divac (Boys and Girls), and Alex Henry.

From the original series, Lindy Booth (Dawn of the Dead) will return as “Cassandra Cillian,” and Christian Kane (Leverage) will continue to reprise his role...

It's going to be a star-studded affair in Season 2 of The Librarians: The Next Chapter. TNT has unveiled the guest lineup for the next season of the hit fantasy adventure series, and it includes alumni from The Lord of the Rings, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ted Lasso, and The Rookie, among others.

The first teaser for The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 2 reveals the four major guest stars set to appear in the TNT series: Lord of the Rings' Dominic Monaghan, Ted Lasso's Jeremy Swift, Expedition Unknown host Josh Gates, and comedian Flula Borg. TVLine unveiled the rest of the Season 2 guest star lineup, which includes Stefan Kapičić (Deadpool & Wolverine), Oliver Dench (Pandora), Ty Tennant (House of the Dragon), Alan Emrys (Young Wallender), Malcolm Sinclair (Andor), Reece Ritchie (The Outpost), Cat White (Threesome), Gledisa Arthur (EastEnders), and Jack Cunningham-Nuttall (Loki).

Additionally, The Next Chapter Season 2 will bring back two main cast members from its predecessor,...

The next chapter of TNT’s The Librarians: The Next Chapter will welcome a flurry of familiar faces — including a visit from another star of the original series.

Ahead of the spinoff’s Season 1 finale (airing Monday, Aug. 4 at 9/8), TVLine can exclusively share the Season 2 promo above, which reveals that Lindy Booth will reprise her role as telepathic mathematician Cassandra Cillian, who she played across all four seasons of the original 2014-18 series.

More from TVLineBrilliant Minds Season 2: Laura Vandervoort, Porsha Williams and Others to Guest-StarEli Roth's Hostel TV Series Starring Paul Giamatti In the Works at PeacockCasting...

2006's "Casino Royale" opens with a black and white sequence that depicts on-screen, for the very first time, a pre–double-o James Bond. Daniel Craig's spy has yet to earn his license to kill, but in the film's opening sequence, he manages to rack up the requisite kill count to finally earn the distinction.

In Prague, Bond breaks into the office of traitorous MI6 agent Dryden (Malcolm Sinclair), who immediately taunts Craig's spy, revealing that he's aware Bond is yet to gain his license to kill. "Your file shows no kills," he says, "and it takes..." before Bond interrupts with, "Two." We're then shown a brief flashback in which Bond kills Dryden's contact after a bathroom brawl, revealing that he's already dispatched one of the two people he needs in order to become a double-o agent. Dryden then begins to say how easy the second kill is compared to the first,...

In Gareth Edwards' 2016 film "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," a group of scrappy Rebels defy orders from their superiors to infiltrate an Imperial stronghold and steal the blueprints for the Empire's newest superweapon, a planet-killing, moon-sized laser called the Death Star. It's no surprise that they will be successful, as the plans they steal are put to good use in the 1977 film "Star Wars." Indeed, the events of "Rogue One" end at the exact moment "Star Wars" picks up, leaving nothing to the imagination. Sadly, the characters of "Rogue One" all die in their mission, a fact that all "Star Wars" fans kind of knew going in.

The villain of "Rogue One" is an Imperial weapons developer named Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) who has overseen the design and construction of the Death Star. Like most of the Imperial characters throughout the "Star Wars" franchise, Krennic is stressed, angry, and unhappy.

BAFTA-nominated Irish actor Robert Sheehan (The Umbrella Academy) has signed on to lead a stage adaptation of Bruce Robinson’s 1987 cult tragi-comedy Withnail and I at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre alongside actors Adonis Siddique and Malcolm Sinclair.

Directed by the double Olivier Award-winning Sean Foley, Artistic Director of Birmingham Rep, and designed by Alice Power, the show will premiere at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, with performances from 3 May until 25 May 2024.

The adaption was written by Robinson. The original film was based on an unpublished novel by Robinson and was produced by Handmade Films, with Richard E Grant, Paul McGann, and Richard Griffiths leading. On stage, Sheehan will star as Withnail while Siddique is Marwood, and Malcolm Sinclair is Uncle Monty.

Sheehan made his acting debut in Aisling Walsh’s acclaimed feature Song For A Raggy Boy. Since then, his screen credits include Season of the Witch, Cherrybomb, Killing Bono, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones,...

Looking back at Andor, star Diego Luna recently reflected on why that Star Wars show was a resounding success. Set five years before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, Luna stars as Cassian Andor, the battle-hardened smuggler-turned-Rebel intelligence officer who led the Alliance to their first major victory in the civil war against the Galactic Empire in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Although the series initially did not have much traction among Disney+ subscribers, near universal critical reception and positive word-of-mouth resulted in audience demand matching that of The Mandalorian.

While speaking with IndieWire on the red carpet at the 2023 Critics Choice Awards, Luna reflected on why Andor was such a success.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by IndieWire (@indiewire)

The actor acknowledged the impact of the Star Wars franchise, and its legacy that permeates throughout pop culture, but pointed out that Andor succeeds...

Andor director, Toby Hanes, recently broke down episode 9's Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope reference. During the episode, Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona) is interrogated by Imperial Security Supervisor Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) about any information regarding Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) and Cassian Andor (Diego Luna). Bix initially resists the line of questioning. In response, Dedra gives Dr. Gorst permission to use a torture device to extract the necessary information. Soon after he activates the device, the door to the room slams shut followed by Imperial boots marching down the corridor. This is a direct reference to a scene in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope where Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) resists questioning by Darth Vader on the Death Star. As the torture droid approaches a fearful Leia, the cell door slams shut followed by an Imperial guard's boots stamping away.

While speaking with The Ringer,...

Spoilers for Andor season 1 episode 9, "Nobody's Listening!" below!

Andor actor Denise Gough says fans will not cheer for her character anymore. The latest entry in the long-running Star Wars franchise stars Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, the smuggler-turned-Rebel spy who led the Alliance to their first major victory against the tyrannical Galactic Empire in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Set five years before the events of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, the new Disney+ series will chronicle how he became the battle-hardened resistance captain as the Rebellion finds its footing and grows into the organized military force that will eventually overthrow the Empire.

Andor sees the return of several familiar Star Wars characters, such as Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly), and Colonel Wulff Yularen (Malcolm Sinclair). The show also introduces Dedra Meero (Gough), a motivated officer within the prestigious Imperial Security Bureau...

Spoilers for Andor season 1, episode 9, "Nobody's Listening!"

Andor star, Faye Marsay, recently broke down her new Star Wars character's mysterious role and Rebel connections. The popular science-fiction fantasy franchise's latest Disney+ series stars Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, the feared Rebel spy who led the team to steal the Death Star plans from the Galactic Empire in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Set five years earlier, Andor centers on the titular character's journey from a lone smuggler to the dedicated soldier who is dead-set on destroying the Empire.

Although the series features several familiar Star Wars characters, including Imperial Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly), resistance leader Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), and Colonel Wulff Yularen (Malcolm Sinclair), the majority of the faces in Andor are new to the franchise. One such character is Vel Sartha (Marsay), a tough Rebel fighter who leads the mission to infiltrate the Imperial garrison on...

This Star Wars: Andor article contains spoilers.

Off the back of an action-packed heist on Aldhani, Andor has delivered its finest hour with “Announcement,” which explores the repercussions of the Rebel heist across the galaxy. The Empire is tightening its grip, senators are being watched, and even rebel operatives can’t trust one another as the hammer comes down on Coruscant and elsewhere.

It’s also during one of these scenes on the Imperial capital that Andor drops its biggest callback to the Original Trilogy yet. Despite showrunner Tony Gilroy’s reassurances that Andor wouldn’t just be another Disney+ easter egg show, the more serious, space-set drama has still found ways to reintroduce elements of classic Star Wars but without making them feel like shallow winks at the audience. In Andor, familiarity is part of the worldbuilding and often in service of the story itself. And in general, the...

There will be spoilers for "Andor" Episode VII - "Announcement"

"Announcement," the seventh episode of "Andor," shows us that everyone in a fascist galaxy is living in a prison of some kind. As news of the heist on Aldhani reaches Coruscant, the Emperor — by way of the Imperial Security Bureau — cracks down on rebel activity across the galaxy, tightening his grip. Life is made more difficult for every character as the walls close in.

Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) flounders for more allies. Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) struggles to tie up loose ends and keep himself from being exposed. Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) struggles to find a place in a system that discarded him. For his part, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) foolishly goes back home to Ferrix to find out the boot of Imperial oppression is standing on the throats of all of his loved ones. With little recourse and his...

When you think of the Imperial Army, you might think of a fascist and ultra-serious army, and you wouldn't be wrong in assuming so. However, if "Andor" is anything to go by, the Imperial Army is also full of petty losers. We have already witnessed Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) and the pathetic smugness he carries, but this latest episode has seemingly proven that everyone in a high-ranking Imperial position just seems miserable. Guess you have to be if you're wanting to conquer and colonize entire planets, no matter the cost.

And there is nothing more miserable in this latest episode than how Imperial members act towards each other in everyday conversation. Sure, we've already talked about that one time Karn interrupted a subordinate's lunch break so he could fuel his obsession with our titular character. However, that was just the tip of the iceberg. We got our first real glimpse...

To mark the release of A Belfast Story on 20th January, we’ve been given 2 copies to give away on DVD.

After 30 years of street warfare, A Belfast Story, starring Colm Meaney (Layer Cake, Con Air, Law Abiding Citizen) and Malcolm Sinclair (Casino Royale, V for Vendetta), is a smart, vicious romp through a city with character like no other focusing on the struggle to discover what’s worth fighting for.

Combining a unique authentic story, stellar Irish cast, and a top notch Hollywood production team (24 Oscar® nominations amongst them), the film tells a tale of innocence lost, and violently regained. Gripping characters, fiercely intelligent action, and a deadly twist, A Belfast Story, is about the passing of a way of life and the danger that brings.

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The Selfish Giant | Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa | Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs | Ender's Game | Wolf Children | One Chance | Closed Circuit | Le Skylab | Muscle Shoals

The Selfish Giant (15)

(Clio Barnard, 2013, UK) Conner Chapman, Shaun Thomas, Sean Gilder. 91 mins

In the tradition of Kes, or Fish Tank, this offers a child's-eye view of poverty that's too strong for real-life kids of the same age. Despite the fairytale origins, miracles are in short supply in this Bradford suburb, where two drop-out mates scavenge for opportunities. But the balance between harsh realism and mythical lyricism is beautifully struck, and the two leads really are miraculous.

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (15)

(Jeff Tremaine, 2013, Us) Johnny Knoxville, Jackson Nicoll. 92 mins

Old-suited Knoxville and his "grandson" take to the road for Borat-style pranks.

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2 (U)

(Cody Cameron, Kris Pearn, 2013, Us) Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Will Forte. 95 mins

Food/fauna surrealism part...

Metro Manila | Diana | The Call | Ripd | Kelly + Victor | Hawking | Cold Comes The Night | A Belfast Story | Harrigan | InRealLife | 9.79* | Mademoiselle C | Phata Poster Nikla Hero

Metro Manila (15)

(Sean Ellis, 2013, UK/Phi) Jake Macapagal, Althea Vega, John Arcilla. 115 mins

Street-level social drama slyly develops into gripping crime thriller in this resourceful Anglo-Asian movie, a distinctive spin on the familiar theme of innocent country folk in the corrupting city. The squalor of modern-day Manila is vividly evoked, as our goodly, hard-up couple struggle to gain a foothold, but the opportunities they get only lead them into the moral shadows.

Diana (12A)

(Oliver Hirschbiegel, 2013, UK/Fra/Bel/Swe/Moz) Naomi Watts, Naveen Andrews. 113 mins

History repeats itself as farce in this unintentionally laughable rendition of Diana's final years and her "secret" affair. It's no deeper or better informed than your average celebrity mag.

The Call (15)

(Brad Anderson, 2013, Us) Halle Berry, Abigail Breslin, Michael Eklund.

Carnival Films and BBC Two are set to produce two further TV movies in David Hare’s "The Worricker Trilogy" following 2011's "Page Eight".

Bill Nighy and Ralph Fiennes will reprise their roles as British intelligence officer Johnny Worricker and Prime Minister Alec Beasley respectively for both projects.

Joining them on the second film in the series, "Turks and Caicos," are Christopher Walken, Winona Ryder, Helena Bonham Carter, James Naughton, Dylan Baker and Zach Grenier.

Ewen Bremner is also reprising his role in both, while Judy Davis, Saskia Reeves and Kate Burdette will reprise their roles in the final film entitled "Salting The Battlefield". Bonham Carter and Malcolm Sinclair also star.

In the first film, Worricker (Nighy) uncovered a plot to turn control of MI5 directly over to the prime minister after the head of the organization’s death.

'Turks' picks up after Worricker leaves his MI5 post and heads...

Downton Abbey producer Carnival Films and BBC Two are partnering on the final two TV movies in writer/director David Hare’s The Worricker Trilogy. The first installment, Page Eight, aired in 2011 on BBC Two and PBS and starred Bill Nighy, Rachel Weisz, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon and Judy Davis. Nighy will reprise his role as British intelligence officer Johnny Worricker for parts two and three, respectively titled Turks & Caicos and Salting The Battlefield. Fiennes also returns for both. Turks & Caicos is adding Christopher Walken, Winona Ryder, Helena Bonham Carter, Ewen Bremner, James Naughton, Dylan Baker and Zach Grenier. Davis, who was nominated for a supporting actress Emmy for Page Eight, will return for Salting The Battlefield as will Bonham Carter and Bremner along with Saskia Reeves, Kate Burdette and Malcolm Sinclair. Page Eight, which closed the Toronto Film Festival in 2011, saw Worricker uncover a plot to turn control of...

I love the superhero films that are being made these days! And of course I love the superhero films of the past such as Superman, Batman among many others. These films actually served as our inspiration for starting GeekTyrant, in fact we launched the website at the same time as Jon Favreau's Iron Man.

There was a time when these comic book adaptations went through some disappointing phase with movies like Daredevil, Electra, Fantastic Four, X-Men: The Last Stand and a few others we like to tear apart. But for the most part, comic book movies are constantly evolving and getting better and better as time goes on. There's a place for these films in our lives, and they aren't going away anytime soon.

Marvel has gloriously cornered the market for these movies, and are epically adapting comics that at one point I honestly didn't think we would see so awesomely made.

From Superman to Batman, superhero films have much to teach us about faith and humanity – as well as being terrrific visual spectacle, writes Avengers Assemble star Tom Hiddleston

Earlier this year, beneath the wind-whipped tarpaulin of a catering tent in Gloucester, I was working on a film with the actor Malcolm Sinclair. Over scrambled eggs at an ungodly hour, he told me something I had not previously known: when Christopher Reeve was young, barely out of Juilliard, he was roundly mocked by his peers on Broadway for accepting the role of Superman. It was considered an ignoble thing for a classical actor to do.

I grew up watching Superman. As a child, when I first learned to dive into a swimming pool, I wasn't diving, I was flying, like Superman. I used to dream of rescuing a girl I had a crush on (my Lois Lane) from a playground bully (General Zod). Reeve,...

From Superman to Batman, superhero films have much to teach us about faith and humanity – as well as being terrrific visual spectacle, writes Avengers Assemble star Tom Hiddleston

Earlier this year, beneath the wind-whipped tarpaulin of a catering tent in Gloucester, I was working on a film with the actor Malcolm Sinclair. Over scrambled eggs at an ungodly hour, he told me something I had not previously known: when Christopher Reeve was young, barely out of Juilliard, he was roundly mocked by his peers on Broadway for accepting the role of Superman. It was considered an ignoble thing for a classical actor to do.

I grew up watching Superman. As a child, when I first learned to dive into a swimming pool, I wasn't diving, I was flying, like Superman. I used to dream of rescuing a girl I had a crush on (my Lois Lane) from a playground bully (General Zod). Reeve,...

Actors' union Equity enlists famous names, including Antony Sher, to support gay actors who choose to be open

When Antony Sher started acting with the pioneering Gay Sweatshop theatre company in the 70s, he managed to stay in the closet. "I look back and blush," he said. "We all agreed to do it on the basis that it was stated that not all the performers were gay so you didn't know who was and who wasn't.

"Then, in the mid-80s, when I did the British premiere of Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy, I still wasn't out. I was doing press interviews about this great gay play that I felt so strongly about for a specific reason and I wasn't saying it – it was an astonishing waste of energy. But that's the kind of tangle you get into if you're not out."

Sher finally came out in 1990, inspired by...

The U.K. government has apologized to British Equity actor Michael Sheldon, who was told that he could not provide a reference on a passport application because "acting is not a proper job," The Stage reported on Wednesday.Alan Brown, deputy director of policy for the Home Office's Identity and Passport Service, has written to Equity President Malcolm Sinclair to apologize after Sinclair complained on behalf of Sheldon, a West End actor who had provided a reference on a passport application for his daughter’s boyfriend. The application was rejected at interview by the passport office, because it said it did not regard an actor as an acceptable reference."I share fully concern about the remark made on the status of acting as a suitable occupation for passport purposes," Brown wrote in his letter to Sinclair. "That is both inappropriate and inaccurate. Please accept my apologies for the offence this has caused.

An actor has been left outraged after passport office staff told him that he did not have "a proper job". Michael Sheldon countersigned a passport application for his daughter's boyfriend, but the request was rejected due to him being deemed an unsuitable referee. An investigation was launched when Malcolm Sinclair, president of the actor's union Equity, wrote to Home Secretary Theresa May about the incident. In The Stage magazine, he described the snub as "staggering and something I felt I had to challenge", adding that it had caused "dismay, even outrage" amongst Equity members.

"Unless we are told otherwise, we must take it that the views of a clerk in the passport office represent those (more)...

...but Equity study says homophobia continues to cause problems.

"I have never felt that being gay has worked against me but the finding in Equity's own survey that just under half of all gay performers are not out to their agent in the UK is worrying," said Equity president Malcolm Sinclair today, commenting on a study commissioned by the actors' union. "But then work is scarce and, whether sexuality is a barrier or not, people may just err on the side of caution."

Broadly positive, the results of the study suggest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender actors have come a...

Legendary Indian actor Dev Anand, who passed away last month in London, has been conferred with an unprecedented honour by the British Actors Union, Equity as a gesture of sympathy and international solidarity. The British Actors Union has issued a press statement expressing the union's sadness at the passing away of a non-union member, Dev Anand. The statement was presented in the form of a letter of condolence to the late actor's son Suneil Anand and was signed by the President of Equity, Christine Payne, its General Secretary, Malcolm Sinclair, and the Chairman of the Minority Ethnic Members Committee, Shiv Pande. The letter is of tremendous significance as it demonstrates the international standing of the late Bollywood movie icon and pays tribute to Dev Anand's lifelong contributions to the Indian film industry as a dedicated actor, director and producer. This is the first time that an actor with no...

For those who are big fans of any crime-related shows on American television whose names consist exclusively of, or include, acronyms, it's probably safe to suggest that you give Pie in the Sky a miss.

Things get trickier after that though, because the mid-90s BBC show is hard to compare to anything, much less any other criminal investigation series. Fans of British television surely want to give it a chance, especially anything that falls in the general category of episodic drama, but you don't want to look here for your fix of detective programming.

Much as you might like to try to explain the show in simple terms, it's actually just a show about Henry Crabbe (Richard Griffiths), and though he is a police detective, and it is hard to argue against the idea that "crimes" "happen," and he "investigates" them, but there the similarity to any police or detective drama ends.

Dame Helen Mirren, Kenneth Branagh and Jeremy Irons among actors voicing dismay at potential impact of cuts

Read the letter in full

Read more about cuts to arts funding on our Culture Cuts blog

A cast of stars from the first rank of British acting talent has sounded the alarm about the future of theatres in which many of them made their names.

Funding cuts to regional and subsidised venues will halt the flow of skilled performers and damage one of the most admired, commercially successful sides of cultural life, says a distinguished cast of household names at the forefront of a campaign being launched this weekend by Equity, the actors' union.

"The cuts are a kind of idiocy," said television and stage star Tim Pigott-Smith. "These people are buffoons and philistines. We cannot rely on an endless supply of good actors and directors with no investment. Funding is already...

DVD Playhouse December 2010

By

Allen Gardner

America Lost And Found: The Bbs Story (Criterion) Perhaps the best DVD box set released this year, this ultimate cinefile stocking stuffer offered up by Criterion, the Rolls-Royce of home video labels, features seven seminal works from the late ‘60s-early ‘70s that were brought to life by cutting edge producers Bert Schneider, Steve Blauner and director/producer Bob Rafelson, the principals of Bbs Productions. In chronological order: Head (1968) star the Monkees, the manufactured (by Rafelson, et al), American answer to the Beatles who, like it or not, did make an impact on popular culture, particularly in this utterly surreal piece of cinematic anarchy (co-written by Jack Nicholson, who has a cameo), which was largely dismissed upon its initial release, but is now regarded as a counterculture classic. Easy Rider (1969) is arguably regarded as the seminal ‘60s picture, about two hippie drug dealers (director Dennis Hopper...