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Janine Duvitski

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Janine Duvitski

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Max Streaming Date
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New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation’s The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will make its global streaming debut on Friday, February 28 exclusively on Max. The film will debut on HBO linear on Saturday, March 1 at 8:00 p.m. Et.

Rated PG-13 for strong violence, the film opened in theaters on December 13, 2024. It grossed $20.5 million worldwide, with $9.2 million coming from North American theaters and $11.3 million from international markets.

Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan.

A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg— a mighty fortress that...
See full article at Vital Thrills
  • 2/21/2025
  • by Mirko Parlevliet
  • Vital Thrills
‘Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim’ Sets Max Release Date
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The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim is set to begin streaming on Max on Friday, February 28. The New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation film will premiere on HBO linear on Saturday, March1 at 8 pm Et.

Based on characters created by J.R.R. Tolkien, War of the Rohirrim is set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of Lord of the Rings films. Pic tells the saga of the legendary House of Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan. When a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord attacks seeking vengeance for the death of his father, Helm’s daughter Héra must summon the will to lead the resistance or face total destruction. Kenji Kamiyama directs (Blade Runner: Black Lotus and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex TV series).

Voice cast is led by Brian Cox as Helm Hammerhand, the mighty King of Rohan; Gaia Wise...
See full article at Deadline Film + TV
  • 2/21/2025
  • by Denise Petski
  • Deadline Film + TV
Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, and Luca Pasqualino in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
Warner Bros. Developed The Lord Of The Ring’s Latest Anime Film For A Reason Beyond Box Office Success
Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, and Luca Pasqualino in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim has debuted to $4.6 million at the box office, according to a recent report by Variety. However, it was revealed that the film’s performance in the box office was not Warner Bros.’ primary focus.

The anime film, which was produced on a $30 million budget, was developed and rushed into production primarily to safeguard New Line Cinema’s rights to adapt J. R. R. Tolkien’s works.

The studio has held these rights through a licensing agreement with Zaentz Co. since the late 1990s. Though the specific terms of the contract are not public, it is believed that Warner Bros. is required to maintain active development and production of Tolkien-related projects to retain the rights.

In early 2022, Zaentz Co., which controls a portfolio of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit rights, reportedly began exploring a sale of its Tolkien holdings.
See full article at AnimeHunch
  • 12/16/2024
  • by A.R. Madillo
  • AnimeHunch
[Exclusive] Kenji Kamiyama Discusses Challenges In Directing The Lord of the Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim Anime Film
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With The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim set to hit theaters soon, Animehunch had the opportunity to interview Kenji Kamiyama, the legendary director behind the anime adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic world.

Kamiyama, known for his work on Eden of the East, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Napping Princess, shared insights into the challenges and unique aspects of directing this ambitious project.

Director Kenji Kamiyama speaking to Animehunch The Challenges of Portraying Large-Scale Battles:

When asked about the most significant difference between directing The War of the Rohirrim and his previous works, Kamiyama highlighted the challenges of portraying large-scale battle scenes featuring horses and soldiers.

While the director acknowledged that animation was a medium that was suitable for portraying fantasy stories, the sheer scale of battles in the movie, with an added sense of realism, was not something that animation was good at portraying.
See full article at AnimeHunch
  • 12/9/2024
  • by Animehunch Team
  • AnimeHunch
Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, and Luca Pasqualino in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim World Premiere Interviews: Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, Dominic Monaghan & Billy Boyd & more
Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, and Luca Pasqualino in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
Middle-Earth returned to the capital this evening for the world premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Under the direction of award-winning filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama (the Blade Runner: Black Lotus and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex TV series), the talented voice cast is led by Brian Cox as Helm Hammerhand, the mighty King of Rohan; Gaia Wise as his daughter Héra; and Luke Pasqualino as Wulf. Miranda Otto, who delivered an unforgettable, award-winning performance in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Trilogy, reprises her role as Éowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan, who serves as the tale’s narrator. The voice ensemble also includes Lorraine Ashbourne, Yazdan Qafouri, Benjamin Wainwright, Laurence Ubong Williams, Shaun Dooley, Michael Wildman, Jude Akuwudike, Bilal Hasna and Janine Duvitski.

The movie hits cinemas on December 13th. Colin Hart and Ethan Hart were on the red carpet, here are their interviews.
See full article at HeyUGuys.co.uk
  • 12/3/2024
  • by Jon Lyus
  • HeyUGuys.co.uk
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Extended Preview
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The tales of Helm Hammerhand are true. Before you return to Middle-earth, Warner Bros. Pictures has brought online an extended preview of New Line Cinema’s The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.

The New Line Cinema anime feature returns audiences to the epic world brought to life in The Lord of the Rings trilogy based on the revered books by J.R.R. Tolkien. Rated PG-13 for strong violence, the film will open in theaters on December 13.

Under the direction of award-winning filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama (the Blade Runner: Black Lotus and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex TV series), the voice cast is led by Brian Cox (Succession) as Helm Hammerhand, the mighty King of Rohan; Gaia Wise (A Walk in the Woods) as his daughter Héra; and Luke Pasqualino (Snowpiercer) as Wulf.

Miranda Otto, who delivered an unforgettable, award-winning performance in The Lord of the Rings trilogy,...
See full article at Vital Thrills
  • 12/3/2024
  • by Mirko Parlevliet
  • Vital Thrills
The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim Combats Kraven The Hunter By Releasing First 8 Minutes
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Yesterday, Sony Pictures was mocked by many for releasing the opening 8 minutes of Kraven the Hunter. It was deemed a "desperate" move to increase interest in the studio's latest Marvel movie which shares a release date - December 13 - with The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.

Warner Bros. Discovery has today responded by releasing the first 8 minutes of its animated prequel (via SFFGazette.com), offering fans a better idea of what to expect from this adventure.

In The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, an original anime feature being released in theaters by New Line Cinema, we'll return to Middle-earth, the iconic world previously brought to life in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, based on the revered books by J.R.R. Tolkien.

The impressive voice cast is led by Brian Cox (Succession) as Helm Hammerhand, the mighty King of Rohan; Gaia Wise (A Walk in the Woods...
See full article at ComicBookMovie.com
  • 12/3/2024
  • ComicBookMovie.com
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Fandango lights the pyres for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim as advanced tickets go on sale
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The holiday season is a magical time for moviegoers as studios rush to bring their most prominent titles to cinemas, vying for those after-meal entertainment dollars. This year, there’s some stiff competition as films like Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Kraven the Hunter, and Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu enter the battle. Still, one film is ready to present fans with a new story for a time-honored franchise, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Today, tickets are available on Fandango for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, premiering in theaters on Friday, December 13.

According to Fandango’s 2024 Most Anticipated Movies Survey, The War of the Rohirrim was voted the #5 Most Anticipated Holiday Movie and the #2 Most Anticipated Movie of December. Legendary anime director Kenji Kamiyama directs The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, an animated dark fantasy epic set in the...
See full article at JoBlo.com
  • 12/3/2024
  • by Steve Seigh
  • JoBlo.com
The Lord Of The Rings: Hera Challenges Wulf To Battle In First Clip From The War Of The Rohirrim
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Warner Bros. Animation has released the first official clip from next month's The Lord of the Rings prequel film, The War of the Rohirrim, and it teases what looks like it might be the one of the movie's climactic battles.

In the clip, we see the king's daughter, Hera, challenge the villainous Wulf to single combat. Despite being urged to take caution, Wulf accepts, and Hera charges to meet her foe.

We also have a first look at the film's tie-in popcorn bucket, which takes the form of a war-hammer. Let's hope audiences don't get too excited while watching the movie and start re-enacting scenes in the theater.

Check out the clip below, along with the popcorn holder and a recently-released teaser.

First clip from The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim ⚔️#WaroftheRohirrim pic.twitter.com/xRbpeIFmhh

— The Mellon Heads - Lotr Podcast (@mellon_heads) November 28, 2024

War...
See full article at ComicBookMovie.com
  • 11/29/2024
  • ComicBookMovie.com
Philippa Boyens at an event for King Kong (2005)
The Lord Of the Rings: The War Of Rohirrim Team Talks About Transformation Of Tolkien’s Middle Earth Epic Into Anime In New BTS Featurette
Philippa Boyens at an event for King Kong (2005)
Warner Bros. unveiled a new featurette on the upcoming The Lord Of the Rings: The War Of Rohirrim anime on Nov 26, 2024.

The behind-the-scenes featurette features director Kenji Kamiyama, producers Philippa Boyens, Jason DeMarco, and Joseph Chou, along with cast members Gaia Wise (voice of Héra) and Laurence Ubong Williams (voice of Fréaláf), where they talk about the transformation of Tolkien’s Middle-earth epic into an anime.

Checkout the video below:

The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim is slated to release in U.S. on Dec 13, 2024, and internationally on Dec 11, 2024.

Kenji Kamiyama, known for his work on Blade Runner: Black Lotus and Eden Of The East, will direct the film, with Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, Sam Register, Carolyn Blackwood and Toby Emmerich serving as executive producers.

It is produced by produced by Oscar winner Philippa Boyens, known for her work on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies,...
See full article at AnimeHunch
  • 11/27/2024
  • by Ami Nazru
  • AnimeHunch
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The Lord Of the Rings: The War Of Rohirrim Unveils Its Theme Song Details & Music Video
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WaterTower Music, Warner Bros.’ in-house music label, has unveiled the official theme song for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.

The track, titled “The Rider,” is performed by English breakout artist Paris Paloma. The song was written and produced by Phoebe Gittins and David Long.

The music video for The Rider and its album cover art can be viewed below:

Producer Philippa Boyens praised the new addition to the franchise’s music legacy, stating, “Paris Paloma’s incredible performance of The Rider follows in the great tradition of powerful, heartfelt songs within The Lord of the Rings cinema universe. Her voice perfectly imbues the emotion, courage, and indefinable magic that is Middle-earth.”

A lifelong fan of Tolkien’s works, Paloma also expressed her excitement about being part of the franchise.

“I became completely immersed in Middle-earth, both in the books and the movies, and I have...
See full article at AnimeHunch
  • 11/17/2024
  • by Ami Nazru
  • AnimeHunch
The Lord Of the Rings: The War Of Rohirrim Unveils Tapestry Artwork & Its BTS Making Video At Nycc
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The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of Rohirrim unveiled a new tapestry artwork and a behind-the-scene video of its creation at this year’s New York Comic Con on Oct 18, 2025.

Tapestry artwork

The BTS video begins with rough pencil sketches of the film’s main characters and mythical settings. As the video progresses, fans can see how digital technology was used to add details and refine the sketches.

The final phase of the process involved animating the drawings, bringing movement and depth to the visual designs. The video culminated with the unveiling of the finished tapestry.

Checkout the video below:

The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim is slated to release in U.S. on Dec 13, 2024, and internationally on Dec 11, 2024.

Kenji Kamiyama, known for his work on Blade Runner: Black Lotus and Eden Of The East, will direct the film, with Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, Sam Register,...
See full article at AnimeHunch
  • 10/24/2024
  • by Ami Nazru
  • AnimeHunch
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The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim charges into Nycc with a BTS video showing the intricate artistry of the anticipated anime
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New Line Cinema is marching into New York City Comic-Con with a special presentation for the upcoming original anime feature The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. The panel places Lotr fans at the heart of the world, which J. R. R. Tolkien created, giving them a front-row seat for an animated event film arranged by the award-winning filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama (Blade Runner: Black Lotus and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex TV series). Today’s BTS video for The War of the Rohirrim brings us behind the magic of Kamiyama’s film, highlighting the painstaking process of creating a high-concept fantasy adventure from scribbles and scratches.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim BTS video begins with rough pencil sketches of characters and mythical locales before showcasing charcoal drawings and the storyboarding process. After completing the look of the world and its characters,...
See full article at JoBlo.com
  • 10/18/2024
  • by Steve Seigh
  • JoBlo.com
The Lord Of The Rings: History Becomes Legend On First Poster For The War Of The Rohirrim
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The first official poster for Warner Bros.' animated The Lord of the Rings prequel film, The War of the Rohirrim, has been released.

The artwork features the king's daughter, Hera, standing ready to defend her home from ruthless invaders, with her father, King Helm Hammerhand, and the villainous Wulf in the background.

The Middle Earth adventure, which is set almost 200 years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic trilogy, follows the mighty first King of Rohan as he mounts a defence of the fortress of Hornburg (which came to be known as Helm's Deep) from a relentless siege.

“This is the story of the most powerful king in Rohan's history, someone who defeated his enemies with his bare fists,” director Kenji Kamiyama said in a recent interview. “Why did his lineage have to end with him? I think there is a lesson in hubris there and also for...
See full article at ComicBookMovie.com
  • 9/23/2024
  • ComicBookMovie.com
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The Lord Of the Rings: The War Of Rohirrim Reveals Official Poster
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Warner Bros. unveiled the official poster for the upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim anime film on Sep 22, 2024.

The poster features Helm Hammerhand – the King of Rohan, Héra, and Wulf – the Dunlending lord.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim is slated to release in U.S. on Dec 13, 2024, and internationally on Dec 11, 2024.

It was previously revealed that the anime film will have a presence at New York Comic Con (Nycc), which is set to take place from Oct 17-20, 2024.

Kenji Kamiyama, known for his work on Blade Runner: Black Lotus and Eden Of The East, will direct the film, with Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, Sam Register, Carolyn Blackwood and Toby Emmerich serving as executive producers.

It is produced by produced by Oscar winner Philippa Boyens, known for her work on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, alongside Jason DeMarco and Joseph Chou.
See full article at AnimeHunch
  • 9/23/2024
  • by Ami Nazru
  • AnimeHunch
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Trailer Debuts
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New Line Cinema has revealed the official trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, an anime feature that returns audiences to the epic world brought to life in The Lord of the Rings trilogy based on the revered books by J.R.R. Tolkien.

The studio has also announced that The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will be presented at the New York Comic Con in October. Warner Bros. Pictures will release the film in domestic theaters on December 13, 2024, and internationally beginning December 11.

Under the direction of award-winning filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama (the Blade Runner: Black Lotus and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex TV series), the talented voice cast is led by Brian Cox (Succession) as Helm Hammerhand, the mighty King of Rohan; Gaia Wise (A Walk in the Woods) as his daughter Héra; and Luke Pasqualino (Snowpiercer) as Wulf.

Miranda Otto,...
See full article at Vital Thrills
  • 8/23/2024
  • by Mirko Parlevliet
  • Vital Thrills
Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, and Luca Pasqualino in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
Trailer drops for ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’
Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, and Luca Pasqualino in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
Warner Bros. has debuted the trailer for the upcoming animated film The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.

Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, the story tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for his father’s death, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg. This mighty fortress will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their destruction.

Under the direction of award-winning filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama (the Blade Runner: Black Lotus and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex TV series), the...
See full article at HeyUGuys.co.uk
  • 8/23/2024
  • by Zehra Phelan
  • HeyUGuys.co.uk
Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, and Luca Pasqualino in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim Unveils Its First Trailer & Nycc Plans
Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, and Luca Pasqualino in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
Warner Bros. unveiled the trailer for the first-ever anime film adaptation of the Lord Of The Ring franchise, titled The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim, on Aug 22, 2024.

The trailer gives fans their first glimpse into the epic battle between the kingdom of Rohan, led by Héra, and the army of Dunlendings, led by Wulf.

In addition to the trailer, it has been confirmed that the anime will have a presence at New York Comic Con (Nycc), which is set to take place from Oct 17-20, 2024.

“We are also excited to share that The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will be at New York Comic Con,” the announcement read. Further details regarding this are yet to be revealed.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim is slated to release in U.S. on Dec 13, 2024, and internationally on Dec 11, 2024,

Kenji Kamiyama, known for...
See full article at AnimeHunch
  • 8/23/2024
  • by Ami Nazru
  • AnimeHunch
Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, and Luca Pasqualino in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim | First trailer for new film
Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, and Luca Pasqualino in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim is heading to cinemas this Christmas – and here’s the first trailer for the film.

We’ve known for several years now that an animated feature film set within The Lord Of The Rings was on the way. There’s lots to get excited about with this project too: an anime filmmaker, the award-winning director Kenji Kamiyama (who directed the excellent Blade Runner: Black Lotus) being given a Hollywood franchise and working with a Hollywood studio, something we don’t see as often as we should.

There’s Brian Cox voicing a legendary King of Rohan. Also, the film is an official extension of Peter Jackson’s revered Lord Of The Rings films. Oh, and the setting is Helm’s Deep, one of the story’s most iconic settings, a highly-defensible fort which means lots of action and daring exploits.
See full article at Film Stories
  • 8/23/2024
  • by Dan Cooper
  • Film Stories
The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim Trailer Unleashes The King Of Rohan; Full Cast Revealed
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This Christmas, The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson presents a groundbreaking journey back to Middle-earth through the eyes of award-winning filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama.

In The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, an original anime feature being released in theaters by New Line Cinema, we'll return to Middle-earth, the iconic world previously brought to life in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, based on the revered books by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Under the direction of Kamiyama (Blade Runner: Black Lotus), it's been confirmed today that the impressive voice cast is led by Brian Cox (Succession) as Helm Hammerhand, the mighty King of Rohan; Gaia Wise (A Walk in the Woods) as his daughter Héra; and Luke Pasqualino (Snowpiercer) as Wulf.

Miranda Otto, who delivered an unforgettable, award-winning performance in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, reprises her role as Éowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan, who serves as the tale’s narrator.
See full article at ComicBookMovie.com
  • 8/22/2024
  • ComicBookMovie.com
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A war rages in Middle-earth as hopes for an alliance shatter in the stunning Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim trailer
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One of Japanese animation’s premiere filmmakers, Kenji Kamiyama, is about to march into Middle-earth for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, an animated fantasy epic set 183 years before the War of the Ring. With unforgettable animated projects like Napping Princess, Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, East of Eden, and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex under his belt, today’s The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim trailer demonstrates Kenji Kamiyama’s eye for adventure, emotion, and jaw-dropping fantasy action.

Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for his father’s death, forces Helm and his people to make...
See full article at JoBlo.com
  • 8/22/2024
  • by Steve Seigh
  • JoBlo.com
Lotr: The War of the Rohirrim's First Trailer Reveals a Studio Ghibli Epic Set in Middle-Earth
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Warner Bros. Discovery and New Line Cinema are kicking off their return to Middle-Earth with the upcoming animated theatrical release of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim on Dec. 13, 2024. The brand-new trailer reveals how the fantasy world, shaped by author J. R. R. Tolkien and filmmaker Peter Jackson, is being transformed into an anime epic worthy of Studio Ghibli.

Per a press release, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is an animated prequel set 183 years before the original film trilogy. It expands upon the tale of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan, from what was briefly written by Tolkien in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings. The film follows Helm and his people as they fight back against the forces of Wulf, a "clever and ruthless Dunlending lord" obsessed with making Helm pay for killing his father. Hra, the tomboy-ish daughter of Helm,...
See full article at CBR
  • 8/22/2024
  • by Leo Reyna
  • CBR
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Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim takes Middle-earth 200 years into the past
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Everybody wants their piece of the Lord Of The Rings pie. We've discussed the complicated rights to J.R.R. Tolkien's work in the past; Amazon Prime Video has access to a very particular era of Middle-earth for its series The Rings Of Power, while Warner Bros. Pictures has its own Middle-earth empire,...
See full article at avclub.com
  • 8/22/2024
  • by Mary Kate Carr
  • avclub.com
The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim Anime Gets A New Image
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Set 183 years before the events of the original trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim transports audiences back to the epic world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendary saga. The film chronicles the tale of Helm Hammerhand, the storied King of Rohan. When Wulf, a cunning and vengeful Dunlending lord, launches a surprise attack to avenge his father’s death, Helm and his people must mount a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg—later known as Helm’s Deep. Amidst these dire circumstances, Héra, Helm’s daughter, must summon the courage to lead the resistance against an enemy intent on their annihilation.

Although Warner Bros. has not yet dropped a trailer for The War of the Rohirrim, they did treat lucky attendees at the Annecy Animation Festival in January to an exclusive 20-minute preview. In the meantime, Warner Bros. has shared various promotional materials,...
See full article at ComicBookMovie.com
  • 7/8/2024
  • ComicBookMovie.com
The Lord of the Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim Unveils New Visual At Anime Expo 2024
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Warner Bros. Animation unveiled a brand new visual for The Lord of the Rings: The War The Of Rohirrim at Anime Expo 2024 on July 3, 2024.

It features the film’s heroine, Héra, the daughter of Helm Hammerhand, showcasing the strong female lead that director Kenji Kamiyama is excited to bring to the screen.

The visual can be viewed below:

In an interview with Anime Expo, director Kenji Kamiyama spoke about the female representation in the film.

“In Japanese animation, it’s not uncommon for a female protagonist to be the main character, but it’s more rare in the live-action films made from The Lord of the Rings. Our film has a strong female lead in Héra, and our story is narrated by the noble Tolkien figure Éowyn, so women are very well represented. I think there are a lot of fans who really like Tolkien’s original work, so I...
See full article at AnimeHunch
  • 7/4/2024
  • by Ami Nazru
  • AnimeHunch
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim to Debut in December
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New Line Cinema’s original anime feature The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim returns audiences to the epic world brought to life in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, based on the revered books by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Under the direction of award-winning filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama (the Blade Runner: Black Lotus and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex TV series), the talented voice cast is led by Brian Cox (Succession) as Helm Hammerhand, the mighty King of Rohan; Gaia Wise (A Walk in the Woods) as his daughter Héra; and Luke Pasqualino (Snowpiercer) as Wulf.

Miranda Otto, who delivered an unforgettable, award-winning performance in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, reprises her role as Éowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan, who serves as the tale’s narrator.

The voice ensemble also includes Lorraine Ashbourne (Bridgerton), Yazdan Qafouri (I Came By), Benjamin Wainwright (World on Fire), Laurence Ubong Williams...
See full article at Vital Thrills
  • 7/3/2024
  • by Mirko Parlevliet
  • Vital Thrills
‘Bridgerton’ Star Charithra Chandran Joins Voice Cast of New BBC Animated Sitcom ‘Nikhil & Jay’ (Exclusive)
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“Bridgerton” star Charithra Chandran is lending her voice to upcoming BBC animated sitcom “Nikhil & Jay.”

Based on the books by Chitra Soundar, the series follows the adventures of two young Indian/British dual heritage brothers and their adorable family.

“With both Indian and English grandparents, their life is a rich blend of customs, traditions, festivals, foods and music,” reads the logline. “‘Nikhil & Jay’ celebrates the similarities and differences with funny and relatable stories that authentically represent dual heritage British Asian children and are full of warmth, heart and humour.”

The adaptation is set to launch on BBC kids service CBeebies later this year.

Chandran, who is of British Tamil heritage, will play the boys’ mother Amma. As well as playing debutante Edwina Sharma in “Bridgerton,” she has appeared in “Alex Rider” and “How to Date Billy Walsh” and is set to appear in the series “Dune Prophecy.”

“It’s really...
See full article at Variety Film + TV
  • 7/2/2024
  • by K.J. Yossman
  • Variety Film + TV
The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim First Look Reveals Main Characters Of Animated Prequel Film
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"The Horn of Helm Hammerhand will sound in the deep, one last time!"

King Theoden channelled his mighty ancestor before leading the Rohirrim into battle in The Two Towers, and New Line and Warner Bros.' upcoming animated prequel film will explain how the first king of Rohan became such a revered - and feared - warrior.

20 minutes of footage from The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim was screened during the Annecy Animation Festival on Tuesday, and while that preview has not been released online, the response on social media was very postive indeed.

A trailer will likely be released fairly soon, but for now, we have a first official look at the anime-style feature film thanks to some promo images.

The stills come via EW and People, and reveal the character designs for Helm Hammerhand, Héra, Haleth, Hama, and the villainous Wulf.

The Middle Earth adventure,...
See full article at ComicBookMovie.com
  • 6/12/2024
  • ComicBookMovie.com
New Lord Of The Rings Anime Film Highlights Franchise’s First Female Lead: First Look, Release Date, & Other Details Revealed
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The Lord of the Rings franchise is set to return to its animated roots with the highly anticipated anime film, The War of the Rohirrim. The film is slated to release on Dec 13, 2024.

Kenji Kamiyama, known for his work on Blade Runner: Black Lotus, will direct the film, with Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh serving as executive producers.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim will feature the first ever female lead in the franchise’s history, Hèra.

Hèra, voiced by Gaia Wise, is the daughter of Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox), the legendary King of Rohan.

The film will have a runtime of 2 hours and 30 minutes.

The still from the film can be viewed below:

Producer Philippa Boyens, who had co-written the screenplays for Peter Jackson’s live-action Lord of the Rings films, explained how Hèra came to be in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

Intrigued by an...
See full article at AnimeHunch
  • 6/12/2024
  • by Ami Nazru
  • AnimeHunch
The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim Will Reveal The First Footage Next Month At Annecy
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While everyone is talking about the next live-action Lord of the Rings film, the Hunt for Gollum, which will include Peter Jackson making a comeback to the franchise, WB Animation has been quietly working on its previously announced Lord of the Rings animated picture.

First revealed in June 2021 during 20th anniversary celebrations of the film franchise, WB shared the first details on The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.

Described as an anime movie, the project was subsequently confirmed to be a collaboration between WB Animation and Tokyo-based Solo Entertainment.

Earlier this week, WB Animation confirmed that The War of the Rohirrim would be showcased at next month's Annecy Film Festival and also released three hi-res versions of previously released conceptual images from the film. Specifically, the first footage from the film will be showcased (and hopefully) uploaded near the time of the panel.

The film is...
See full article at ComicBookMovie.com
  • 5/15/2024
  • ComicBookMovie.com
The Lord Of The Rings Animated Film Is Delayed, So The War Of The Rohirrim Will Have To Wait
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Everyone knows that it's an awfully self-destructive idea to let the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes drag on in perpetuity, harming countless below-the-line crew members, theater owners, and more who rely on the film and television industries to make a living -- everyone, that is, except for the AMPTP themselves, apparently. We recently wrote about one of the latest dominoes to fall as the highly-anticipated "Dune: Part 2" was pushed back to next year, becoming the latest casualty of the studios' abject refusal to present reasonable counterproposals in good faith as the sides struggle to work out a fair contract. Now, fantasy nerds are the latest fans to be victimized by the producers' unwillingness to, frankly, get their s*** together.

Deadline reports that the upcoming "The Lord of the Rings" anime film, "The War of the Rohirrim" (which /Film's Rafael Motamayor was lucky enough to preview footage from earlier this year...
See full article at Slash Film
  • 8/25/2023
  • by Jeremy Mathai
  • Slash Film
Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, and Luca Pasqualino in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
‘Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim’ Release Delayed Until December 2024
Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, and Luca Pasqualino in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
New Line’s new animated movie, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, is moving from its April 12, 2024 release date to Dec. 13 next year.

The move stems from a chain-reaction of Warner Bros re-dating today, spurred by Legendary Entertainment’s Dune: Part Two going from Nov. 3 this year to March 15, 2024, which then pushed that financier and producer’s other title, Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire from that date to April 12, 2024. Dune: Part Two had to move had to shift on account of the unavailability of its cast to promote during the actors strike.

War of the Rohirrim will now face off on its new December date against Sony’s reboot of The Karate Kid.

The anime feature, directed by Kenji Kamiyama, is set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original New Line Lord of the Rings trilogy. Those Peter Jackson movies, in addition to his Hobbit trilogy,...
See full article at Deadline Film + TV
  • 8/24/2023
  • by Anthony D'Alessandro
  • Deadline Film + TV
Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Charges to France's Annecy Film Festival for Debut
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It’s gearing up to become a new era of Middle Earth. Jason DeMarco, producer of the upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, has confirmed on his Twitter account that the long-awaited film will debut at France’s Annecy Film Festival in June 2023. Afterward, the film will be released in cinemas on April 12, 2024.

This is correct! If you’ll be attending Annecy, come to our panel and see how we are making this story come to life! https://t.co/lxm1HHQfiu — Spiral Curse Demarco (@Clarknova1) April 28, 2023

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is directed by Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex). The film will star Brian Cox (Braveheart) as Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan; Gaia Wise as Helm’s daughter, Hera; Luke Pasqualino (Snowpiercer) as Wulf, a Dunending lord; and Miranda Otto, who will be reprising...
See full article at MovieWeb
  • 5/3/2023
  • by Caroline Miller
  • MovieWeb
Peter Greenaway
Review: Peter Greenaway’s Drowning by Numbers Swims Onto Severin 4K Uhd Blu-ray
Peter Greenaway
From its opening moments, of a girl jumping rope while counting and naming the stars in the nighttime sky, Peter Greenaway’s Drowning by Numbers is perhaps the most direct illustration of the filmmaker’s key thematic and aesthetic interest in ascribing structure to a chaotic universe. Throughout, the film slowly counts from one to 100 via a combination of character dialogue and visual markers sprinkled in frames like an elaborate game of I Spy. In deadpan voiceovers, a young boy also elaborates the byzantine rules of made-up games whose goals seem altogether too banal to be worth their complexity.

The plot that strings together these playful games involves three women, each named Cissie Colpitts, who drown their husbands and enlist the help of a coroner, Madgett (Bernard Hill), to cover up the crimes. In a relatively light preamble to the darker feminist revenge drama of Greenaway’s subsequent The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover...
See full article at Slant Magazine
  • 5/1/2023
  • by Jake Cole
  • Slant Magazine
How to Watch ‘Tom Jones’ Premiere Live on Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku & Mobile
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Henry Fielding’s “Tom Jones” is coming to the small screen! The 1749 novel has been reimagined into a new PBS Masterpiece mini-series, retold in a total of four episodes. It stars Solly McLeod as Tom Jones, Sophie Wilde as Sophia Western, and Hannah Waddingham as Lady Bellaston. The first episode airs on Sunday, April 30 at 9 p.m. Et on PBS with new episodes premiering weekly. You can watch Tom Jones and PBS with a subscription to YouTube TV.

How to Watch ‘Tom Jones’ Premiere When: Sunday, April 30, 2023 at 9:00 Pm Edt TV: PBS Stream: Watch with a subscription to YouTube TV. Sign Up$72.99 / month tv.youtube.com About ‘Tom Jones’ Premiere

Set in mid-18th-century England, this reimagined version of “Tom Jones” is a fresh romantic comedy based on the classic tale. It follows the titular character as he falls in love with an heiress named Sophia. There’s a class difference between the two,...
See full article at The Streamable
  • 4/30/2023
  • by Aubrey Chorpenning
  • The Streamable
‘The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim’: Anime Voice Cast Counts Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, Miranda Otto & More
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Exclusive: Brian Cox, Gaia Wise and Miranda Otto are just some of the names in the voice cast for New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation’s upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.

The movie centers around the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the mighty King of Rohan, a character from the J.R.R. Tolkien book’s appendix. Succession actor Cox will provide the voice of that protagonist.

The anime feature, directed by Kenji Kamiyama, is set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg – a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation,...
See full article at Deadline Film + TV
  • 6/15/2022
  • by Anthony D'Alessandro
  • Deadline Film + TV
‘Ted Lasso’ Star Hannah Waddingham Joins Cast of Masterpiece and ITV’s ‘Tom Jones’
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Hannah Waddingham, Emmy winner for Apple TV Plus series “Ted Lasso,” is joining leads Solly McLeod and Sophie Wilde in the cast of Masterpiece and U.K. broadcaster ITV’s literary classic adaptation, “Tom Jones.”

Waddingham has been cast as the seductive and vengeful Lady Bellaston in the miniseries, which is currently filming in Northern Ireland.

Based on Henry Fielding’s classic 1749 novel “The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling,” the series follows the romantic and chivalrous adventures of adopted Tom Jones in 18th-century England.

McLeod (“The Rising”) plays the hero Tom, alongside Wilde (“You Don’t Know Me”) as the heroine Sophia Western. The cast also includes Pearl Mackie (“Doctor Who”) James Fleet (“Bridgerton”), Alun Armstrong (“Breeders”), Olivier winner Shirley Henderson (“Happy Valley”), Tamzin Merchant (“Carnival Row”), Julian Rhind-Tutt (“Britannia”), Susannah Fielding (“This Time With Alan Partridge”), BAFTA-winner Daniel Rigby (“Black Mirror”), James Wilbraham (“In My Skin”), Felicity Montagu (“The Durrells...
See full article at Variety Film + TV
  • 11/3/2021
  • by Naman Ramachandran
  • Variety Film + TV
‘Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham Joins ‘Tom Jones’ Reimagining For Masterpiece
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Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) has joined Solly McLeod and Sophie Wilde in the cast of Tom Jones, a miniseries reimagining of Henry Fielding’s classic novel The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling, for PBS’ Masterpiece, Mammoth Screen (Poldark) and ITV.

First published in 1749, Tom Jones is the scandalous tale of a young man’s attempt to find a place in the world. It is widely regarded as a British classic and has been adapted previously, most notably in the 1963 feature film version starring Albert Finney as the titular character.

Waddingham will play the seductive and vengeful Lady Bellaston.

She joins McLeod as the hero Tom, Wilde as the heroine Sophia Western and Pearl Mackie as Sophia’s trusted maid, Honour.

Cast also includes James Fleet, Alun Armstrong, Shirley Henderson, Tamzin Merchant, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Susannah Fielding, Daniel Rigby, James Wilbraham, Felicity Montagu, Janine Duvitski Dean Lennox Kelly and Lucy Fallon.
See full article at Deadline Film + TV
  • 9/30/2021
  • by Denise Petski
  • Deadline Film + TV
Tom Hollander, Ian McShane and Alison Brie will star in ITV drama Doctor Thorne
Tom Hollander, Ian McShane and Alison Brie have been announced for Julian Fellowes's newest ITV drama.

Rebecca Front, Cressida Bonas, Richard McCabe and Phoebe Nicholls also form part of the cast of Doctor Thorne.

The three-part series centres on the titular Dr Thomas Thorne (Hollander), who lives with his penniless niece Mary (Stefanie Martini).

When Lady Arabella Gresham (Front) finds out that her son Frank (Harry Richardson) is in love with Mary, she is horrified and believes it is his duty to make a rich marriage to save their family estate - after her husband Francis Gresham Senior (McCabe) has frittered away their fortune.

Scheming with her sister-in-law (Nicholls) and niece (Kate O'Flynn), Arabella targets wealthy American heiress Martha Dunstable (Brie).

McShane is playing alcoholic railway millionaire Sir Roger Scatcherd, while Bonas will portray Mary's friend and confidante Patience Oriel.

Gwyneth Keyworth, Danny Kirane, Janine Duvitski and Tom Bell will also feature,...
See full article at Digital Spy
  • 9/16/2015
  • Digital Spy
BBC Two's transgender sitcom Boy Meets Girl begins filming
BBC Two's new sitcom Boy Meets Girl, touted as the first British comedy to prominently feature transgender characters, has begun filming.

The comedy follows Leo, who has a terrible day when he is fired from his job, given a hard time by his mother and forced to play gooseberry to his brother on a night out. However, his luck changes when he meets older woman Judy.

Leo finds himself deeply attracted to Judy and arranges to meet her again. Although his mother is unhappy about the age gap between the pair, Leo doesn't care what she thinks because he knows he has met somebody very special.

Harry Hepple (Misfits, Hustle) will play Leo, Rebecca Root (Normal) will play Judy and Denise Welch (Waterloo Road, Benidorm) is Leo's mother Pam.

The cast also includes Janine Duvitski (Benidorm), Nigel Betts (Emmerdale), Lizzie Roper (Hollyoaks) and Jonny Dixon (Coronation Street).

Boy Meets Girl...
See full article at Digital Spy
  • 2/2/2015
  • Digital Spy
Stephen Fry, Ben Miller in This Is Jinsy - pictures
New pictures of Ben Miller and Stephen Fry in the second series of This Is Jinsy have been revealed.

Miller stars in the second episode of the show as the Chief Accountant of Jinsy, along with his sister - a drunk, hefty, buck-toothed accountant called Berpetta.

Fry appears in the first episode of the run as Dr Bevelspepp, a character who uses his encyclopaedic knowledge of Jinsy to help save the island from an invasion of rampaging hair.

The Sky Atlantic show returns on Wednesday, January 8 with a double bill at 10pm.

This Is Jinsy was created by Chris Bran and Justin Chubb and directed by Matt Lipsey. It follows Arbiter Maven (Chubb) and Sporall (Bran), the residents of an extraordinary island.

The first pictures of Greg Davies as "sinister figure" Jennitta Bishard were unveiled yesterday.

Other guest stars confirmed for the eight-episode second series include Katy Brand, Eilieen Atkins,...
See full article at Digital Spy
  • 12/12/2013
  • Digital Spy
Greg Davies in This Is Jinsy - first look, more guest stars confirmed
The first images of Greg Davies as Jennitta Bishard in This Is Jinsy have been released.

The comedian will appear across several episodes of the second series of the Sky Atlantic show, which returns on Wednesday, January 8 with a double bill at 10pm.

Bishard is described as "a delightfully sinister figure who delivers punishments to residents across the island from the safety of her TV studio".

This Is Jinsy was created by Chris Bran and Justin Chubb and directed by Matt Lipsey. It follows Arbiter Maven (Chubb) and Sporall (Bran), the residents of an extraordinary island.

Other guest stars confirmed for the eight-episode second series include Stephen Fry, Ben Miller, Katy Brand, Eilieen Atkins, Rob Brydon, Stephen Mangan, Derek Jacobi, Phil Davis and Olivia Colman, who join series regulars Alice Lowe as Soosan Noop, Janine Duvitski as Mrs Goadion and Geoff McGivern as Trince.

The details of the guest appearances...
See full article at Digital Spy
  • 12/10/2013
  • Digital Spy
Stephen Fry, Rob Brydon, Olivia Colman for new 'This Is Jinsy' series
Stephen Fry and Rob Brydon are among the stars who will feature in the second series of This Is Jinsy.

The comedy series from Chris Bran and Justin Chubb will return to Sky Atlantic in January 2014.

Olivia Colman, Sir Derek Jacobi and Stephen Mangan will also make guest appearances in the show.

This Is Jinsy centres around Arbiter Maven (Chubb) and Sporall (Bran) as they attempt to handle the residents of a unique island, based on the writers' experiences of living in Guernsey.

Consisting of eight episodes, the new series will see Stephen Fry portray Dr Bevelspepp, who uses his encyclopaedic knowledge of Jinsy to help save the island from an attack.

Katy Brand, Dame Eileen Atkins, Phil Davis, KT Tunstall and Greg Davies will also guest star throughout the series.

Among the returning stars are Alice Lowe as Soosan Noop, Janine Duvitski as Mrs Goadion and Geoff McGivern as Trince.
See full article at Digital Spy
  • 11/14/2013
  • Digital Spy
This is Jinsy: Costume Insanity
Recently underway on Sky Atlantic, This is Jinsy is one of those comedy shows set in a surreal world of madness that you either get or you don’t. Frequently hilarious and always interesting, from a costume point of view this is retro fancy dress, deliberately mismatched and performance orientated. Yet everything in Jinsy makes sense within its own world.

The island of Jinsy is populated (791 residents) by all manner of weird and wonderful people. The locale has been likened to The Wicker Man’s Summerisle but is spiritually closer to the Village from Patrick McGoohan’s sixties TV series, The Prisoner. Everyone in Jinsy seems trapped there but somehow content. Episode one entitled ‘The Wedding Lottery’ introduces a lot of faces very quickly. All the inhabitants are broadly drawn, however, so relatively easy to fathom.

Justin Chubb as Maven, David Tennant as Mr Slightlyman and Chris Bran as Sporall.
See full article at Clothes on Film
  • 9/23/2011
  • by Chris Laverty
  • Clothes on Film
Like mother, like daughter for Mike Leigh's new production
TV favourite Ruby Bentall takes stage role with director who cast her mother 30 years ago in the classic comedy Abigail's Party

The distinctive plays and films of Mike Leigh have introduced many strong female characters to audiences down the years. In fact, the director has often returned to work with a small group of actresses whom he can trust to create memorable roles – Alison Steadman, Sheila Kelley, Lesley Manville and Imelda Staunton.

But this year, as he works on a new play for the National Theatre, Leigh has found a new star – the daughter of one of his funniest muses.

Ruby Bentall, whose mother is actress Janine Duvitski, will have a lead role at the National in the new play, which so far has no name or an announced subject, but will be written and directed by Leigh. Bentall is already known to viewers for playing Minnie in BBC1's...
See full article at The Guardian - Film News
  • 1/30/2011
  • by Vanessa Thorpe
  • The Guardian - Film News
Exclusive Angel Trailer
ComingSoon.net has your exclusive first look at the trailer for IFC Films' Angel , written and directed by François Ozon. The romantic drama, opening in theaters on March 18th, stars Romola Garai, Sam Neill, Lucy Russell, Michael Fassbender, Charlotte Rampling, Jacqueline Tong, Janine Duvitski, Christopher Benjamin, Simon Woods and Jemma Powell. In the film, set in Edwardian England, a precocious girl from a poor background with aspirations to being a novelist finds herself swept to fame and fortune when her tasteless romances hit the best seller lists. Her life changes in unexpected ways when she encounters an aristocratic brother and sister, both of whom have cultural ambitions, and both of whom fall in love with her.
See full article at Comingsoon.net
  • 2/19/2009
  • Comingsoon.net
AFI film reviews for June 29 The AFI International Film Festival runs through July 2 at Laemmle's Monica Theatre, 1332 2nd St., Santa Monica. Additional shows will be on the AFI Campus, 2021 N. Western Ave., Hollywood. Today's reviewed films are at the Monica unless noted.
ON EARTH AS IN HEAVEN

1:15 p.m., 6:30 p.m.

Spanish actress Carmen Maura takes a serious turn in Belgian filmmaker Marion Hansel's tale of a population crisis in the near future. The crisis, in a turnabout, isn't of overpopulation but of human extinction -- threatened when all across Europe every pregnancy becomes overdue and, when labor is medically induced, every baby is stillborn.

Maura plays a TV newswoman impregnated during an impulsive coupling in a stalled elevator. When she finally announces her condition at work, she is given an assignment on overdue pregnancies as a lead-up to her own pregnancy leave.

However, just as she realizes how widespread and cataclysmic the condition is -- both for the mothers and the population at large -- she begins to carry on telepathic communications with her own child who announces that he and all the other unborn children are refusing to live in a world without hope.

The film has several effective moments, particularly involving mothers frantic over their condition, but the larger points are watered down by Hansel's lack of specifics over the precise nature of the unborn's depression and her confusion of "universal'' with "European.'' -- Henry Sheehan

BROTHER'S KEEPER

1:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m.

The system works. When viewing the absorbing documentary "Brother's Keeper, '' that's the feeling you get about a simple farmer arrested for taking the life of his older brother. Viewers will likely be divided pro and con about the guilt or innocence of one Delbert Ward, an illiterate dairyman farmer who was charged with snuffing out the life of his Brother William, and brought to trial for what many considered an act of mercy.

Kindly put, The Ward Brothers were a dim lot: The four of them farmed in Upstate New York for their entire lives and were considered, basically, the village lunatics by their agricultural brethren. They were slovenly and kept pretty much to themselves, living together in a decrepit shack with no plumbing.

On the morning of June 6, 1990, one of the "boys'' was found dead in his bed. The coroner's report said the cause was suffocation.

Filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky trace this strange human drama in its public unfoldings. We see a real-life trial told in its essential terms as Delbert Ward is brought to justice for what community leaders deemed, at worst, a mercy killing.

Skillfully juxtaposing private revelations with public documents, co-directors Berlinger and Sinofsky have created a mesmerizing portrait of the American justice system and revealed an insight into this country's nature -- throughout, there is the feeling that people take care of one another, and neither laws nor outsiders can quell inherent qualities of decency. -- Duane Byrge

GROWN-UPS

1:45 p.m., 7 p.m.

The social and the personal get all bound up -- make that messed up -- in this 1980 telefilm by Mike Leigh ("Life Is Sweet'') which builds from scenes of routine day-to-day interactions to a climax of calamitously unwelcome class interaction.

A young working-class couple (Phillip Davis and Lesley Manville) have moved into their own home, a comfortable, if cramped, semi-detached row house. Their hoped-for privacy is interrupted more or less continuously by the wife's sister (Janine Duvitski), an unmarried woman well on her way to spinsterhood, who is forever dropping over for endless cups of tea.

As it turns out, the young couple have the last state-subsidized "council house'' on the street; not only do the next-door couple own their own, but the husband turns out to have been the high school teacher of his new neighbors. This leads to cautious, reluctant hellos, which burst into convulsive, invasive intimacy when Duvitski, told she's not wanted as a guest anymore, has an attack of hysteria and pulls the neighbors into the family squabbles.

The film manages to be understanding towards some, though far from all, of the characters without ever being sympathetic for the moment. Leigh -- as he was doing in all of his films of this period -- ruthlessly exposes what he apparently believes is the inherent nastiness and philistinism of most of the English. -- Henry Sheehan

LABYRINTH

4 p.m., 9:15 p.m.

A notebook film built around the musings of a film director -- played by Maximilian Schell -- planning to make a biographical feature about Franz Kafka. As Schell's fictional filmmaker ponders various books and papers, or gazes out his Prague hotel window at a Jewish cemetary, actual co-writer/director Jaromil Jires cuts to dramatized portions of the life of Kafka (Christopher Chaplin), particularly his largely unrealized romantic life and an encounter with the police, re-created scenes of Prague's Jewish history, and even a pair of film versions of the Golem legend, which was set in Prague.

As the action progresses, it focuses increasingly on Kafka's Jewishness, the rise of Nazism and the death of his family in concentration camps after his own untimely passing. Jires does a good job of emphasizing Kafka's role as a social prophet, rather than as a purely personal and hallucinatory writer -- without disserving the latter. But like his fictional creation, he never does quite come up with a format that comfortably encloses all the points he wants to make while actually bringing us close to Kafka the man. -- Henry Sheehan

THE STRANGER

4:15 p.m., 9:30 p.m.

Sadly, "The Stranger'' lacks much of the charm and substance of Satyajit Ray's previous films. There are glimpses of his former mastery, and a snippet or two of biting humor, but for the most part this film is a tedious diatribe with almost no movement at all. It's literally a sleeper.

Not based on Camus' novel, this film centers around a pending visit from an uncle not heard from for 35 years. His niece, Anila Bose (Mamata Shankar), is excited at seeing the uncle she barely remembers. Her naturally suspicious husband, Sudhindra (Deepankar De), however, distrusts the man even before meeting him. He tells his wife he needs proof before he'll accept the man's claim to be her uncle.

Finally, this relative "stranger, '' Manomohan Mitra (Utpal Dutt), arrives and immediately charms Anila and her son, Satyaki (Bikram Bhattacharya). But even after producing his passport, Mitra assures Sudhindra that it could be a fake and that Sudhindra shouldn't believe him so easily. Mitra plays on Sudhindra's cynical nature, causing his host to doubt his own doubts.

It's a cute setup, but then things quickly deteriorate as Mitra is forced to enter into a L-O-N-G debate about religion, science, technology and cannibalism.

The film comes to an almost complete standstill, and it becomes a struggle to make it to the finish.

One should be kind to strangers, but chances are history will be kinder to Ray's other, and more approachable, films (HR 5/22). -- Jeff Menell

(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
  • 6/29/1992
  • The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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