News

Prime Video is adding another fantasy television series to its upcoming lineup. A female-led series based on the Rise of the Empress book series is in the works.

Deadline broke the news that Prime Video had greenlit an adaptation of Julie C. Dao's book series, which will join the streamer's other fantasy shows including The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Wheel of Time. Crystal Liu and James Wong (American Horror Story) are set to be writers, executive producers and co-showrunners. Gemma Chan (The Creator) will executive produce the series. Two companies will produce Rise of the Empress: Viola Davis and Julius Tennon's JuVee Productions (The Woman King) and Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi's Significant Productions.

Related Yellowjackets Continues the Fight for Survival in Season 3 Trailer

The wait for Season 3 is almost over.

The eight-episode series is set to film in Malaysia and...

Exclusive: Avalon-backed The Agency, which represents the likes of Russell T Davies and Sally Wainwright, has promoted Katie Haines and Judy Edmonds to run the company.

The pair become Joint MDs and will be joined by senior agents Ian Benson and Emily Hickman on the board. Agents Simon Blakey, Hannah Boulton, Jonathan Kinnersley and Katie Williams will step up to management roles, on a track to join the board in the future.

Haines and Edmonds will effectively run the company. No one is exiting and leadership duties were previously being shared by founders Stephen Durbridge, Julia Kreitman and Bethan Evans, who will continue to work alongside the team.

The Agency was founded in 1995 and was bought by Last Week Tonight with John Oliver outfit Avalon just over four years ago. The shop reps big names including Davies, Wainwright, Andrew Haigh, Zadie Smith and Ian McEwan.

Haines reps the likes...

Five new actors have been announced for The Wheel of Time's Season 3 cast. The new season is set to premiere on Prime Video this March.

Deadline reports that Isabella Bucceri, Nukâka Coster-Waldau, Salóme Gunnarsdóttir, Björn Landberg, and Synnøve Macody Lund have all joined the cast of The Wheel of Time's third season. The series is led by Rosamund Pike, Daniel Henney and Josha Stradowski. Character descriptions from Deadline also reveal which characters the actors will play, with the series being based on the books of the same name by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson.

Related Daredevil: Born Again Trailer Reveals New Villain, Kingpin's Return

Marvel Television finally debuts the first trailer for its next Disney+ series, Daredevil: Born Again, starring Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio.

Bucceri plays Faile Bashere, a Saldaen noblewoman who travels to Illian to pledge herself as a Hunter of the Horn. The character first...

Known for his commanding presence and impressive skill with prose, Sir Ian McKellen is among the best actors of a generation who can bring depth to any role he’s given, create great chemistry with other actors and capture the audience’s attention whenever on screen. Appearing in several films over decades, the actor has performed in all sorts of genres and has consistently chosen projects that engage with the viewer, while also highlighting great filmmaking on display.

At the same time, some dedicated fans may assume that Ian McKellen’s work extends to only franchise-heavy material, however, the actor’s expansive filmography ranges in size of spectacle, drama and narrative scale, where no matter the film, Ian McKellen commits himself to the performance and helps make each project that much better. Moreover, with each Ian McKellen film offering something different to say to viewers, it re-establishes how truly versatile...

Exclusive: CAA has signed Indhu Rubasingham, the newly appointed artistic director of London’s National Theatre.

At the National, Rubasingham has directed The Father and the Assassin and Kerry Jackson.

Prior to her appointment as artistic director of the National, she served as the artistic director of the Kiln Theatre in Kilburn, London, where she also directed The Wife of Willesden (transferred to the American Repertory Theater and Brooklyn Academy of Music), Handbagged, The Invisible Hand, Pass Over, When Crows Visit, and Wife, among others.

Rubasingham’s production of Red Velvet by Lolita Chakrabarti won the Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre at the Laurence Olivier Awards in 2014. The production later transferred to The Garrick Theatre on the West End and St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn, NY.

Rubasingham was awarded an MBE in 2017 and as of 2023 chairs The Women’s Prize for Playwriting, where she previously served on the judging panel.

The Wheel of Time, Prime Video’s fantasy series, is adapted from Robert Jordan’s 15-book series of the same name.

The Season 2 finale aired in October, and we probably have a long wait.

We don’t know when it will air, but we’ve gathered hints about potential storylines, filming and production, and everything else we know.

Has The Wheel of Time Been Renewed?

Yes, Prime Video announced The Wheel of Time’s Season 3 renewal at the San Diego Comic-Con.

This was before The Wheel of Time Season 2 premiered because Season 1 had been such a success.

How Did The Wheel of Time Season 2 End?

The Wheel of Time Season 2 Episode 8 ended on many cliffhangers and set up many plotlines and story arcs for Season 3. It makes us anxious for the series’ return.

A significant plotline revolved around how the Two Towers crew worked together to defeat Ishamael, and Rand...

All of Us Strangers actor will play William Shakespeare alongside Buckley as his wife in film adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel

Paul Mescal will star as the young William Shakespeare in a big-screen version of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel Hamnet, directed by Chloé Zhao.

The film is not related to Lolita Chakrabarti’s stage play, which has played to sold-out runs in Stratford-upon-Avon and the West End; rather it will be scripted by Zhao and O’Farrell.

Indhu Rubasingham, an acclaimed theater practitioner, has broken the decades-long white male hold on the reins of power at the National Theatre by being appointed its artistic director, it was being revealed Wednesday in London.

She succeeds current director and chief executive Rufus Norris, who, by the time he departs in 2025, would have held the job for a decade over two terms.

Long tipped for the job, Rubasingham will assume Norris’s director title but will share chief executive duties jointly with present Nt executive director Kate Varah.

In a statement released via the Nt, Rubasingham said that her appointment was ”a huge honor — for me, this is the best job in the world.“ She added that the opportunity to play a role in the Nt’s history “is an incredible privilege and responsibility.”

She said she has witnessed firsthand “the commitment, collaboration, brilliance and pride of those who bring the magic to the building.

Prepare for a tense and thought-provoking evening as “Vigil” returns with Season 2 Episode 5, airing this Monday at 9:00 Pm on BBC One. The aftermath of a brutal rescue mission leaves protagonist Amy questioning the very foundations of her beliefs. In the gripping narrative, she grapples with a profound sense of doubt, convinced that what she once held as truth has been a carefully constructed lie.

As the drama unfolds, viewers are taken on a riveting journey through the complexities of Amy’s internal struggle. Despite her convictions, the evidence seems to lead in a direction contrary to her beliefs, adding layers of suspense and mystery to the storyline. With its intense narrative and stellar performances, “Vigil” promises another episode filled with twists, turns, and the emotional turmoil of its characters.

For those captivated by thrilling dramas that keep them on the edge of their seats, make sure to catch Season 2 Episode 5 of “Vigil” on Monday,...

Get ready for a gripping night of suspense as BBC One presents Season 2 Episode 3 of “Vigil” airing at 9:00 Pm this Tuesday, December 12, 2023. In this intense episode, the Trident nuclear submarine Hms Vigil becomes the center of a chilling investigation when a crew member is discovered dead onboard.

As the Scottish Police step in to unravel the mystery, the plot thickens, creating a tense atmosphere onboard the submarine. The stakes are high as the UK’s nuclear deterrent must remain unbroken, compelling the submarine to stay on patrol even amidst the investigation. Viewers can expect a thrilling blend of crime, intrigue, and the complex world of nuclear submarines in this latest installment.

Tune in for a rollercoaster of emotions and nail-biting moments as “Vigil” continues to deliver its trademark suspense. Whether you’re a fan of crime dramas or drawn to the intricacies of military mysteries, this Tuesday night promises...

The Wheel of Time series on Amazon Prime Video is bringing back a key character from season one, but with a new face. Season two of The Wheel of Time saw major narrative developments and introduced new characters for the upcoming season. Rina Mahoney is taking over the role of Marin al'Vere from Lolita Chakrabarti due to scheduling conflicts, and hints suggest an expanded role for her character in season three.

The world of television series adaptations can often bring about unforeseen changes, and the much-loved The Wheel of Time series on Amazon Prime Video is no stranger to this reality. As the series concludes its impactful second season and gears up for the third, fans have been eagerly absorbing every detail they can get their hands on. And now, there's fresh news in the wind: a key character from season one is set to return, but with a new face.

Life of Pi, the Tony-winning play based on Yann Martel’s best-selling novel, will close this July.

The show will play its last performance on July 23 at Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, with Olivier Award-winner Hiran Abeysekera portraying lead character Pi Patel through July 9. Cast member Uma Paranjpe will then take over the role, beginning July 11 until the show closes, in a gender-reversed version of Lolita Chakrabarti’s original script. The show’s closing comes less than fourth months after its official opening.

Life of Pi, which was also adapted into an Academy Award-winning movie, is set to launch a North American tour beginning in fall 2024, with locations and dates to be announced at a later date.

Written by Chakrabarti and directed by Max Webster, the play opened on March 30, 2023 following previews, which began on March 9. The story follows a 16-year-old Indian boy, Pi Patel, who survives more than 200 days...

Life of Pi, Lolita Chakrabarti’s stage adaptation of Yann Martel’s best-selling novel, will play its final Broadway performance on Sunday, July 23.

The closing date was announced by producers today. Hiran Abeysekera, who won an Olivier Award for his role as the title character Pi Patel, will play his final Broadway performance on Sunday, July 9, with cast member Uma Paranjpe taking over the role on Tuesday, July 11.

Paranjpe’s Pi will be portrayed as female in a gender-flipped version of Chakrabarti’s original script.

A North American tour of Life of Pi is scheduled to launch in fall of 2024, with locations and dates to be announced.

The play opened at Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on March 30. It recently won three Tony Awards for its scenic design, lighting and costumes, a more modest showing than the nine Olivier Awards – including Best New Play and Best Featured Actor (Abeysekera) – for its West End staging.

Lolita Chakrabarti’s dazzling stage adaptation of Yann Martel’s best-selling novel Life Of Pi on Jun 11th! Life Of Pi, which won Best Lighting Design of a Play, Best Scenic Design of a Play, and Best Sound Design of a Play, is the first Broadway play with a majority South Asian cast/creative team to win 3 Tony Awards.

Life Of Pi is an epic tale of adventure that is “giving new life to Broadway” (The Today Show). After a shipwreck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi survives on a lifeboat with four companions— a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a Royal Bengal tiger. This remarkable story of hope, faith, and perseverance speaks to every generation. Told through incomparable puppetry and exquisite stagecraft, Life Of Pi creates a visually breathtaking journey that will leave you filled with awe and joy.

By Matthew Murphy...

The Drama League today announced the nominations for the 2023 Drama League Awards. Honoring achievements on and Off-Broadway, the nominations were announced this morning by Roger Bart (“Back to the Future: The Musical”) and Justin Guarini (“Once Upon A One More Time”) at the New York Library for the Performing Arts. Winners will be revealed at the 89th Annual Drama League Awards ceremony at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on Friday, May 19, 2023.

“I don’t think I’ve experienced a theater season in New York ever like this one,” noted Artistic Director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks. “There’s been a range, a breadth, an expansion of possibility that has been truly astonishing to witness. Theater makers have inspired not only with their creativity, but also with their drive and determination to serve audiences with vision and talent. These nominees reflect the promise and greatness inherent in the work of theater folk, and I can’t help but be deeply proud.

When a character promises a life story so inspirational it’ll make a believer of an atheist, the tale better come through on some big-time convincing. Life of Pi, Lolita Chakrabarti’s stage adaption of Yann Martel’s heart-tugging 2001 novel opening tonight at Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, won’t likely be churning out any religious converts, but renewed faith in the art of puppetry is all but guaranteed.

Starring the winning young actor Hiran Abeysekera, reprising his Olivier Award-winning London turn as the title character, Life of Pi, directed by Max Webster, sticks closer to the novel than to Ang Lee’s 2012 film adaptation, building the plot around a maritime investigation rather than the writing of a book – and, of course, replacing CGI beasties with enough fully articulated life-size puppets to populate a zoo, or at least a lifeboat. All aboard, at one time or another, are a hyena,...

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s stage adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s best-selling novel Hamnet, a tale of love and heartbreak concerning Agnes Hathaway and her beloved one William Shakespeare, has taken the unheralded step of announcing its West End transfer before it has has even opened in the famous playwright’s place of birth.

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The play, adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti — whose version of Life of Pi is on Broadway — directed by Erica Whyman and starring Madeleine Mantock begins performances at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 1 through June 17.

Madeleine Mantock

But following a “tsunami” of interest from eager ticket buyers, the show will transfer after its run in Stratford to London’s Garrick Theatre for 14 weeks from September 30 through January 6.

If the phenomenal level of interest is maintained, then expect seats at the Garrick to be hard to come by after they go on priority sale from March 28, with public booking from April 6.

The plain fact is that O’Farrell’s engrossing novel has sold more than 1.5 million copies and has fans on every continent.

Her story of the plain-speaking, free-spirited Agnes Hathaway; her relationship with Shakespeare; the heartbreaking death of Hamnet, their 11-year-old son; and how that tragedy inspired the Bard to write Hamlet; touched a nerve coming out as it did during the pandemic. “It’s totally a love story, it’s very romantic,” Chakrabarti told us.

‘Hamnet’ director Erica Whyman

Also, Chakrabarti continued: “Shakespeare is endlessly fascinating because we are trying to work out who was the man behind these amazing pieces of work, but Maggie O’Farrell’s book asks: Who was the family behind him? Anne, or Agnes, Hathaway has had a pretty bad press, and this redresses some of those injustices.”

Whyman had a “hunch”the RSC ought to put it on stage the minute she’d finished reading it because it dealt “so beautifully with bereavement and love.”

That love, Whyman observed, “carried Shakespeare to some of the most remarkable achievements of his life, notably writing Hamlet.”

Liza Marshall’s Hera Pictures already had acquired an option, and the movie’s in development with Neal Street Productions, founded by Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris and Caro Newling, and Amblin Partners. Chiara Atik is writing the screenplay.

Lolita Chakrabarti. Courtesy RSC.

However, O’Farrell and Neal Street had a keenness for it to be staged in Stratford, so agreements were struck with the RSC for Neal Street, in association with Hera Pictures, to allow a theater version that would be separate from the movie. Amblin has been supporting the stage adaptation enthusiastically.

O’Farrell has been giving “hands-on” attention to both the screenplay and the stage play, Newling said.

Newling admitted that “it’s unusual” to “shout about” transferring before you’ve opened, but “there was this tsunami of interest, and we were never going to satisfy the extraordinary level of interest during the run at the Swan alone. There is such demand for this title,” she added.

Maggie O’Farrell. Courtesy RSC.

The play’s a terrific opportunity for Mantock, who made her debut in a recent revival of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit directed by Richard Eyre.

Whyman, Chakrabarti and Newling all spoke of their excitement in finding Mantock, heaping casting director Amy Ball with praise.

“It’s simple,” said Whyman “She has got really old-fashioned star quality but at the same time has got her feet firmly on the ground. Agnes is a hard-working, fearless woman who knows her own mind, and so does Madeleine.”

For the Nottinghamshire-born Mantock, Agnes is a “giant role” for her. “It does feel like the role of a lifetime. I don’t know if I’ll get this opportunity again, so I’m very grateful.”

The cast got to meet O’Farrell during rehearsals, and Mantock remembers the novelist telling the company “that ‘not every person in history is remembered kindly and sometimes they are misremembered,’ and I think we all felt lucky to have a responsibility to look at how we might choose to see Anne Hathaway this time.”

Mantock said that “there’s a lot of pain and loss and grief, but there’s also the love, the joy and the hope. And you have to feel all of those things … that’s what life is.”

She noted the advantages of having Chakrabarti at rehearsals, plus, if needs be, “if we get a bit stumped and we don’t know which way to go with something, we can go to the book. We’ve got this amazing resource.”

So first the Swan Theatre, followed by a season at the Garrick in the West End. The phenomenon of Hamnet is unlikely to end there.

There’s Broadway and beyond.

Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon

The cast also includes Tom Vary as William and Sarah Belcher, Will Brown, Haydn Burke, Ajani Cabey, Faye Campbell, Frankie Hastings, Karl Haynes, Alex Jarrett, Hannah McPake, Elizabeth Rider, Rose Riley, Harmony Rose-Bremner, Obioma Ugoala and Peter Wight.

Creatives includes Tom Piper design and Prema Mehta lighting.

Lolita Chakrabarti’s dazzling stage adaption of Yann Martel’s best-selling novel Life Of Pi will premiere at Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (236 West 45th Street) in March! The five-time Olivier Award-winning, Life Of Pi, begins performances Thursday, March 9, 2023, and opens Thursday, March 30, 2023.

Based on one of the best-loved works of fiction – winner of the Man Booker Prize, selling over fifteen million copies worldwide – Life Of Pi is a breath-taking new theatrical adaptation of an epic journey of endurance and hope.

After a cargo ship sinks in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi is stranded on a lifeboat with four other survivors – a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger. Time is against them; nature is harsh. Who will survive?

The cast for the Broadway production has been announced and it includes some of the cast from the original London West End production.

Hiran Abeysekera, who won the 2022 Best Actor Olivier Award for his performance of the title character in the London stage production of Lolita Chakrabarti’s Life of Pi, will lead the Broadway cast when the play arrives at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre next month.

Joining him will be Fred Davis and Scarlet Wilderink, who shared the Olivier for Best Supporting Actor as the puppeteers behind “Richard Parker” the tiger.

Life of Pi begins performances Thursday, March 9, at the Schoenfeld, with an opening night of Thursday, March 30.

Based on Yann Martel’s best-selling novel, Chakrabarti’s stage adaptation won a total of five Oliviers including Best New Play. In addition to Abeysekera, Davis and Wilderink, the Broadway cast will feature Brian Thomas Abraham as Cook/Voice of “Richard Parker,” Rajesh Bose as Father and Avery Glymph, Mahira Kakkar, Kirstin Louie, Salma Qarnain, Sathya Sridharan, Daisuke Tsuji, and Sonya Venugopal.

Also in the cast: Nikki Calonge,...

We’re now about halfway through the 2022-23 Broadway season, and there are currently nine productions of plays set to open this spring. Could we be seeing any of them contend at this year’s Tony Awards? Below is a plot overview of each play as well as the awards history of its author, cast, and creative teams, plus the opening and (where applicable) closing dates.

“Pictures From Home” (opens February 9; closes April 30)

This stage adaptation of Larry Sultan’s 1992 photo memoir is a comic and dramatic portrait of a mother and father, and the son who photographed their lives. As Larry tries to capture his parents, their reality explodes from the frame in an exploration of the power of art and how much it reveals.

Adapted for the stage by WGA nominee Sharr White, the production stars Tony winner Danny Burstein, three-time Tony winner Nathan Lane, and four-time Tony nominee Zoë Wanamaker.

The stage version of Yann Martel’s brilliant novel Life of Pi is getting ready to hit the stage lights of Broadway! The 2022 Olivier Award-winning Best Play, will move from London to Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in March 2023. Performance of this dazzling theatre experience begins March 9th, with opening night on March 30th.

Life Of Pi is currently playing at Wyndham’s Theatre in London’s West End where it won five Olivier Awards including Best New Play, Best Scenic Design and Best Lighting Design. In an historic first for the Olivier Awards, the seven performers who play Royal Bengal tiger ‘Richard Parker’ were collectively awarded Best Actor in a Supporting Role. The London production with its cutting-edge visual effects has garnered great critical acclaim, with one review calling it breathtaking and another saying it is not to be missed!

Based on one of the best-loved works of fiction...

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The stage version of Yann Martel’s best-selling novel Life of Pi , which was also adapted into an Academy Award-winning movie, will arrive on Broadway in March, producers said Monday.

Written by Lolita Chakrabarti and directed by Max Webster, the Olivier Award-winning play will open at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on March 30, 2023. Previews for the show, which will announce its cast at a later date, will begin on March 9.

The story follows a 16-year-old Indian boy, Piscine Molitor “Pi” Patel, who survives over 200 days stranded on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger, a hyena, a zebra and an orangutan after a cargo ship wrecks and sinks in the Pacific Ocean. Themes center on spirituality and metaphysics and explore not only the nature of reality but both how it is told and perceived.

In a statement, Chakrabarti describes her adaptation process as “daunting,...

Lolita Chakrabarti’s stage adaptation of Yann Martel’s best-selling novel Life of Pi will premiere at Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre with performances beginning Thursday, March 9, 2023, ahead of an official opening on Thursday, March 30, 2023.

The Broadway staging is produced by Simon Friend, Daryl Roth, Hal Luftig, Mark Gordon and Playing Field. Prior to Broadway, Life of Pi will make its North American Premiere at the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University, co-led by Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director Diane Paulus and Executive Director Kelvin Dinkins, Jr. from December 4, 2022, through January 29, 2023.

Life of Pi is directed by Max Webster, with Set and Costume Design by Tim Hatley, Puppet and Movement Direction by Finn Caldwell, Puppet Design by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, Video Design by Andrzej Goulding, Lighting Design by Tim Lutkin, Sound Design by Carolyn Downing, and Original Music by Andrew T Mackay.

“Having started work seven years...

Want to win tickets to see Life of Pi? Enter our giveaway!

Yann Martel’s best-selling 2001 novel, Life of Pi, was first adapted by director Ang Lee and writer David Magee into an award-winning film in 2012. Ten years later, writer Lolita Chakrabarti and director Max Webster have adapted it into a stage play that’s won five Olivier awards, including Best New Play and Best Set Design.

Life of Pi tells the marvellous story of Pi Patel, a boy from Pondicherry, India named after a French swimming pool who was raised in a zoo. He boards a Japanese cargo ship headed to Canada with his family and all of their animals, only to end up stranded at sea for 227 days on a lifeboat with an adult Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.

The stage adaptation takes audiences from Mexico to India, to Manila, and through a carnivorous island somewhere in the...

A revival of Kander and Ebb musical Cabaret was the big winner at Sunday’s Olivier Awards in London. Cabaret At The Kit Kat Club scooped seven of the prestigious trophies, including Best Musical Revival and Best Actor and Actress in a Musical for Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley, respectively. Redmayne plays the Emcee while Buckley is Sally Bowles. (Scroll down for the full list of winners).

Held at the Royal Albert Hall, the Oliviers ceremony was the first time the event took place in person since the start of Covid. It was also an opportunity for host Jason Manford to get in some references to the recent Oscars ceremony scandal. According to the BBC, Manford appeared on stage before the proceedings began and quipped, “There will be moments where I’ve got to fill a bit of time when they’re changing the set, so I’ll come out...

For Variety‘s Writers on Writers, Lolita Chakrabarti pens a tribute to “Belfast” (screenplay by Kenneth Branagh).

“Belfast” is about a relationship that is loving, difficult and full of yearning. It is a love letter to a city and its disintegrating peace.

Based on the childhood memories of writer-director Kenneth Branagh, this moving film provides a window into an Irish boy’s coming of age before he finally has to leave the city that defines him. Sparingly written on the page, elegantly captured in black and white, the joy and confusion of growing up in a loving but fractured community is palpable. We witness the painful divisions in Northern Ireland in the ‘60’s through the lived experience of a sweet and hopeful protagonist. It is personal, uplifting and heart-breaking.

Buddy, lightly played on screen by Jude Hill, lives in the midst of his family, in the centre of the street,...

“The Two Popes” actor Jonathan Pryce, “The Great British Bake Off” judge Prue Leith and “Strictly Come Dancing” judge Arlene Phillips are among those in the arts named to Britain’s Queen’s Birthday honors list.

Pryce, an Oscar and BAFTA nominee for “The Two Popes” (2019) and Cannes best actor winner for “Carrington” (1995), has been knighted for services to drama and charity. He was previously a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Cbe). Pryce played the “High Sparrow” in HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and will next portray Prince Philip in the upcoming two seasons of Netflix’s “The Crown.”

Leith, who is also a restaurateur, was named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to food, broadcasting and charity.

Phillips has choreographed West End and Broadway productions including “Flashdance,” “Grease” and “We Will Rock You,” and was also a judge...

Amazon is doubling down on The Wheel of Time.

The streamer has renewed the fantasy series for a second season ahead of the launch of the show. It comes as production has wrapped on season one in the Czech Republic.

It is the latest market in a long road for the adaptation of Robert Jordan’s books, which has been in development in one form or another for 20 years and that Amazon ordered to series in October 2018. Like many series, production of the drama was also hit by the pandemic.

The Wheel of Time, set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists, but only women can use it, is co-produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television and comes from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Chuck writer Rafe Judkins, who is showrunner and exec producer.

It stars Rosamund Pike as Moiraine, a member of the shadowy and influential all-female organization...

“Quantico” star Tracy Ifeachor, “Star Trek: Discovery’s” James Frain (left) and “Rocks” actor Sharon D. Clarke are set to star in BBC drama “Showtrial” from “Bodyguard” producer World Productions.

The five-part series, which will air on flagship channel BBC One, is now in production. Ben Richards (“The Tunnel”) writes, while Zara Hayes (“Poms”) directs.

Ifeachor, Frain and Clarke have been cast alongside Sinéad Keenan (“Little Boy Blue”), Celine Buckens (“Bridgerton”), Kerr Logan (“Strike”) and Lolita Chakrabarti (“Vigil”).

Filmed and set around Bristol, “Showtrial” explores how prejudice, politics and the media distort the legal process. The show centers on Talitha Campbell, the estranged daughter of a wealthy property developer, who is charged with conspiring to murder fellow university student Hannah Ellis.

The trial that follows places victim and accused — and their families — in the eye of a media storm. Into that storm enters Cleo Roberts, the duty solicitor on the night of Talitha’s arrest.

Bodyguard and Line Of Duty producer World Productions has resumed filming on its BBC One submarine thriller Vigil, starring Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie.

Produced in Glasgow, Scotland, the show was forced to shut down earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but filming is now back underway with safety protocols.

The BBC released a first-look image of the six-part series, which was taken before the shoot was postponed. It shows Jones and Shaun Evans as Dci Amy Silver and Chief Petty Officer Elliot Glover.

Vigil’s cast has been rounded out with the addition of Stephen Dillane (Game Of Thrones), Lolita Chakrabarti (Riviera), Daniel Portman (Game Of Thrones), Lorne MacFadyen (Grantchester), Stephen McCole (Save Me), Tom Gill (Peterloo), Lois Chimimba (Top Boy), Anita Vettesse (The Loch), Bobby Rainsbury (Call The Midwife), Cristian Ortega (Beats) and Lauren Lyle (Outlander).

Previously announced cast include Anjli Mohindra, Martin Compston, Paterson Joseph,...

Stars: Katherine Kelly, Lee Ingleby, Mark Stanley, David Tennant, Rochenda Sandall, Nicholas Pinnock, Shubham Saraf, Lolita Chakrabarti, Kevin Eldon, Hayley Atwell | Created by Jim Field Smith, George Kay

Criminal is Netflix original drama series that follows the police force interrogating suspects on very serious crime trials. Unlike other series, Criminal displays the mental battle that takes place between criminals and the police force which makes for a much more authentic and real viewing experience.

Due to its nature Criminal is a very dark and gritty show and the use of costumes and setting reflect this. Each episode takes place in three locations in the police precinct – all of which are dimly lit and murky which a lot of metal being used as decoration which helps add to the serious nature of the show. Instead of having a dramatised and glamourised setting they decided to use a more serious and real...

Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Lolita Chakrabarti, Jack Colgrave Hirst, Doug Colling, Eleanor de Rohan, Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Phil Dunster, Kathryn Wilder | Written by Ben Elton | Directed by Kenneth Branagh

Kenneth Branagh reigns supreme as the Shakespeare indulgent provocateur, directing and starring in his latest feature All is True. A witty and wonderful poignant love letter to his beloved icon revealing the hidden identity of the troubled and conflicted man underneath the glory and fame, educating the audience on the life of a disturbed artist similar to that of Julian Schnabel’s Vincent Van Gogh biopic At Eternity’s Gate.

All is True follows the latter winding down retiree stages in the enigmatic and vibrant life of William Shakespeare, wonderfully embodied by the fabulous lead performance from Kenneth Branagh. A visual and physical realisation that sizzles away underneath the flesh in a stoic intensity only to explode in a fiery vibrancy of emotion.

"Your talent has a greater scope than all the other poets combined. And yet you've lived the smallest life." Sony UK has released their own official UK trailer for the indie film All Is True, directed by Kenneth Branagh, starring Branagh as the legendary playwright William Shakespeare. We already featured the first official Us trailer for this earlier in the week, and this UK trailer is basically a condensed version of that initial trailer. The film is about the final days in Shakespeare's life, after he retires from writing. Branagh has long wanted to explore this forgotten and critical period of Shakespeare's life. In addition to Branagh, the ensemble cast includes Judi Dench is his wife Anne, Ian McKellen as the Earl of Southampton, along with Kathryn Wilder, Lolita Chakrabarti, Michael Rouse, Jack Colgrave Hirst, and Matt Jessup. Even though this trailer doesn't have much new footage, I'm delighted but...

"I've lived so long in imaginary worlds, I've lost sight of what is real." Sony Pictures Classics has surprised us with the official trailer for an indie film titled All Is True, directed by Kenneth Branagh (who is also finishing directing Disney's Artemis Fowl as well), starring Kenneth Branagh as the legendary playwright William Shakespeare. The film is about the final days in his life, after he retires. Branagh has long wanted to explore this forgotten and critical period of Shakespeare's life, and "it is a natural and exciting evolution in his career-long passion for" the playwright's work. In addition to Branagh, the ensemble cast includes Judi Dench is his wife Anne, Ian McKellen as the Earl of Southampton, along with Kathryn Wilder, Lolita Chakrabarti, Michael Rouse, Jack Colgrave Hirst, and Matt Jessup. This seems to have some very funky, dry humor in the midst of some serious family drama,...

Shakespeare amp Company has announced its lineup for the 2015 summer season, which includes three Shakespeare plays, Henry V, The Comedy of Errors and Hamlet, plus the Regional Premiere of Red Velvet by Lolita Chakrabarti, and the World Premiere of Jane Anderson's Mother of the Maid, starring Tina Packer. In addition, the summer season includes The Unexpected Man by Yasmina Reza, and opens with the provocative new play by Sarah Treem, The How and the Why.

The second episode of HBO's new miniseries, "The Casual Vacancy," begins with a funeral. As the people of Pagford, a bucolic English village set amid burbling streams and emerald meadows, pour into the old stone chapel at the center of town, the set piece emerges as a microcosm of their fractured community. Conservative parish council chairman Howard Mollison (Michael Gambon) sports an ornate necklace; doctor Parminder Jawanda (Lolita Chakrabarti) wears a lavender sari; angry, abusive working man Simon Price (Richard Glover) hides behind dark Aviators; simpering school reformer Colin Wall (Simon McBurney) puffs on his inhaler. Though sketched in broad terms, the sequence is nevertheless a provocative clash of race and class as seen through the veneer of propriety, and no one is quite innocent except for the man in the coffin. A potent, tragicomic parable of austerity Britain, "The Casual Vacancy," adapted by Sarah Phelps from J.K. Rowling's novel and directed by.

Shakespeare amp Company has announced its lineup for the 2015 summer season, which includes three Shakespeare plays, Henry V, The Comedy of Errors and Hamlet, plus the Regional Premiere of Red Velvet by Lolita Chakrabarti, and the World Premiere of Jane Anderson's Mother of the Maid, starring Tina Packer. In addition, the summer season includes The Unexpected Man by Yasmina Reza, and opens with the provocative new play by Sarah Treem, The How and the Why.

Tom Bateman and Richard E Grant have been cast in ITV's Jekyll & Hyde.

The ten-part adventure drama - based on Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella - will also star Coronation Street's Natalie Gumede.

Bateman will take the role of Robert Jekyll, Grant will play Sir Roger Bulstrode, and Gumede will star as Bella.

The cast of the series also includes Stephanie Hyam (Murdered By My Boyfriend), Donald Sumpter (Game of Thrones), Amit Shah (Hustle), Phil McKee (Ripper Street) and Christian McKay (Rush).

Ruby Bentall (The Paradise), Enzo Cilenti (Game of Thrones), Lolita Chakrabarti (The Smoke), Michael Karim (Inspector Lewis) and Ace Bhatti (Silk) will feature in supporting roles.

The series will be set in 1930s London, and will focus on the grandson of the doctor featured in Stevenson's story.

Colin Teague will direct the series, which begins filming in Sri Lanka later this month. Production will take place in London from February until July.

Filming is underway in Stroud, Gloucestershire and surrounding villages, on The Casual Vacancy, the BBC One/HBO adaptation of Jk Rowling’s global bestseller.

The confirmed ensemble cast includes Michael Gambon, Keeley Hawes, Rory Kinnear, Monica Dolan, Rufus Jones, Michele Austin, Julia McKenzie, Keeley Forsyth, Lolita Chakrabarti, and Richard Glover, alongside whom casting director Lucy Bevan has assembled a cast of newcomers for the younger stars.

Abigail Lawrie (represented by Gordon & French) stars as Krystal Weedon. 18 year old Abigail, was a pupil at Harrodian School, the same school as Ee BAFTA Rising Star nominee George Mackay.

Simona Brown (represented by Iag) plays Gaia Bawden. Simona appeared as Kim in acclaimed BBC Three docudrama Murdered By My Boyfriend, played Jazz in Cbbc series Wizards vs Aliens, and earlier this year filmed on Big Talk feature film Man Up.

15 year old Welsh actor Joe Hurst (represented by On It Artists) plays Andrew 'Arf' Price.

Director and team behind Olympic opening ceremony scoop prize, Nick Payne becomes youngest ever playwright to take the award for best play, and Hattie Morahan triumphs over Cate Blanchett

The team behind the Olympic opening ceremony, led by director Danny Boyle, was honoured at the Evening Standard theatre awards on Sunday night, winning the second Beyond Theatre award, which "celebrates theatricality outside the confines of the auditorium".

Boyle was presented the award by cyclist Victoria Pendleton at the ceremony, which took place at the Savoy Hotel in London, for an event that the Evening Standard's editor, Sarah Sands, said "managed to find a way of showing us who we are" as a nation.

Elsewhere, it was Nicholas Hytner's night, as the National theatre's artistic director, who recently teamed up with Boyle to spearhead a campaign against arts-funding cuts outside of London, scooped both the Lebedev special award and best...

Cate Blanchett has been nominated for the 'Natasha Richardson Award' at the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards. The actress has received a nod in the 'Best Actress' category for her role in Big and Small and is up against Eileen Atkins (All That Fall), Laurie Metcalf (Long Day's Journey Into Night) and Hattie Morahan (A Doll's House). [L: Cate Blanchett, R: Nick Payne's Constellations] Other nominations include husband and wife team Adrian Lester and Lolita Chakrabarti for 'Best Actor' and 'Most Promising Playwright' respectively for Red Velvet. Up for 'Best Play' are Constellations by Nick Payne, Love and Information by Caryl Churchill and This House by James Graham. Editor of the Evening Standard Sarah (more)...

Young writers James Graham and Nick Payne vie with Caryl Churchill, while actor Hattie Morahan goes up against Cate Blanchett as Young Vic gains five nominations

Young playwrights James Graham and Nick Payne will compete with the legendary Caryl Churchill for best new play at this year's Evening Standard theatre awards.

Churchill, who won her first Evening Standard award 25 years ago for Serious Money, is shortlisted for Love and Information at the Royal Court, London, while Graham, 30, is up for political thriller This House, and Payne, 28, Constellations, currently previewing in the West End.

By a strange quirk of fate, Graham and Payne are younger than two of the nominees for the Charles Wintour most promising playwright award: actor Lolita Chakrabarti, 43, and screenwriter John Hodge, 47, both of whom saw their first plays staged this year in Red Velvet and Collaborators respectively. That category is completed by Tom Wells, author of The Kitchen Sink.

Today must be what's-going-on-on-the-London-stage day on S & A. With my news earlier that Chiwetel Ejiofor will be playing Patrice Lumumba next year at the Young Vic, comes word that Adrian Lester is currently playing the legendary and ground breaking black actor Ira Aldridge in the new play Red Velvet. The play, which opened on Oct 11, and is currently running though Sat. Nov 24 at the Tricycle Thetare in London, was written by Lolita Chakrabarti. It's fair to say that Ms. Charkrabarti wrote the play with Lester in mind, since she also happens to be his wife. The play revolves around an actual incident invloving Aldridge in 1833 when Edmund Kean, who was the considred...

We have two exclusive featurettes from the upcoming Millennium Entertainment home video release Intruders, debuting on Blu-ray and DVD July 17. Clive Owen stars as John Farrow, a father trying to protect his 13-year-old daughter (Ella Purnell) from the evil entity known as Hollow Face. Take a look at a behind-the-scenes video from the production, and another featurette about the villainous Hollow Face.

Intruders - Exclusive: Making of Featurette

Intruders - Exclusive: Hollow Face Featurette

Though no one can see him, Hollow Face lurks in the corners, desperately desiring love but only knowing how to spread fear and hate. He creeps into the life of John Farrow (Clive Owen) after Farrow's beloved 13-year-old daughter Mia (Ella Purnell) is assaulted in their home. The line between the real and the imaginary blurs as fissures start to open within the family unit. It seems that no security measure can keep Hollow Face out.

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's ('28 Weeks Later') new twist on the home invasion thriller, 'Intruders', arrived on Blu-ray and DVD here in the UK on Monday. And to celebrate we have a special interview with its star Carice van Houten. Houten stars along with Clive Owen ('Shoot 'Em Up') and are joined by Daniel Bruhl, Kerry Fox ('Shallow Grave'), Ella Purnell, Lolita Chakrabarti, Pilar Lopez de Ayala and Mark Wingett. Check out the interview below....

Intruders Trailer 2. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo‘s Intruders (2011) movie trailer 2 stars Clive Owen, Carice van Houten, Ella Purnell, Daniel Bruhl, and Kerry Fox. Intruders‘ plot synopsis: “The film tells the story of two children separated by thousands of miles, who feel fear when the night comes as ‘something’ stalks them. On one side is John, who is visited each night of a monster that sneaks through the window. On the other side, is Mia who is unable to sleep because she knows that someone is hiding in the darkness of your closet. Both of their concerns will become greater if their parents also witness the apparition.”

We previously posted the Intruder (2011) Movie Trailer and Intruder (2011) Teaser Trailer.

More on the Intruder‘s plot (spoilers):

Though no one can see him, Hollow Face lurks in the corners, desperately desiring love but only knowing how to spread fear and hate. He creeps...

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's ('28 Weeks Later') new home invasion thriller 'Intruders' starring Clive Owen ('Shoot 'Em Up') will finally arrive stateside this March by invading the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas and then seeing a full general release at the end of the same month. Millennium Entertainment have revealed a new trailer from the creepy looking production which stars Carice van Houten ('Black Death'), Daniel Bruhl, Kerry Fox ('Shallow Grave'), Ella Purnell, Lolita Chakrabarti, Pilar Lopez de Ayala and Mark Wingett. 'Intruders' will be invading the SXSW Film Festival this March in Austin, Texas and will see a general release at the end of the same month. Check out the new trailer below....

Trailer for Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's Intruders, starring Clive Owen, Carice van Houten and Daniel Brühl. Catch the trailer for the Nicolás Casariego and Jaime Marques-scritped thriller horror which screens at this year's SXSW Film Festival. Also in the cast are Kerry Fox, Ella Purnell, Pilar López de Ayala, Lolita Chakrabarti and Mark Wingett. Millennium Entertainment sends this one to limited U.S. theaters on March 30th. Though no one can see him, Hollow Face lurks in the corners, desperately desiring love but only knowing how to spread fear and hate. He creeps into the life of John Farrow (Clive Owen) after Farrow’s beloved 13-year-old daughter Mia (Ella Purnell) is assaulted in their home. The line between the real and the imaginary blurs as fissures start to open within the family unit. It seems that no security measure can keep Hollow Face out.

Trailer for Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's Intruders, starring Clive Owen, Carice van Houten and Daniel Brühl. Catch the trailer for the Nicolás Casariego and Jaime Marques-scritped thriller horror which screens at this year's SXSW Film Festival. Also in the cast are Kerry Fox, Ella Purnell, Pilar López de Ayala, Lolita Chakrabarti and Mark Wingett. Millennium Entertainment sends this one to limited U.S. theaters on March 30th. Though no one can see him, Hollow Face lurks in the corners, desperately desiring love but only knowing how to spread fear and hate. He creeps into the life of John Farrow (Clive Owen) after Farrow’s beloved 13-year-old daughter Mia (Ella Purnell) is assaulted in their home. The line between the real and the imaginary blurs as fissures start to open within the family unit. It seems that no security measure can keep Hollow Face out.

Trailer for Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's Intruders, starring Clive Owen, Carice van Houten and Daniel Brühl. Catch the trailer for the Nicolás Casariego and Jaime Marques-scritped thriller horror which screens at this year's SXSW Film Festival. Also in the cast are Kerry Fox, Ella Purnell, Pilar López de Ayala, Lolita Chakrabarti and Mark Wingett. Millennium Entertainment sends this one to limited U.S. theaters on March 30th. Though no one can see him, Hollow Face lurks in the corners, desperately desiring love but only knowing how to spread fear and hate. He creeps into the life of John Farrow (Clive Owen) after Farrow’s beloved 13-year-old daughter Mia (Ella Purnell) is assaulted in their home. The line between the real and the imaginary blurs as fissures start to open within the family unit. It seems that no security measure can keep Hollow Face out.