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Quick Links Rome Was A Ground-Breaking Show Rome Was Canceled Too Soon Game of Thrones Built on Rome's Legacy

Game of Thrones was a world-shattering show that helped to launch a massive franchise. HBO saw massive success from Game of Thrones, which was an adaptation of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. Save for the first scene, it initially presented itself as a grounded political show, only seeding in fantastical elements slowly as the series developed. The political element was so successful that it eventually sparked the House of the Dragon spin-off and an entire universe of shows that are currently in development.

It would be easy to describe that level of success as completely unprecedented, but that would overlook the actual truth. Long before Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen made their debuts on the small screen in 2011, HBO had a historical epic...

There's no doubt that HBO's Rome, a well-received historical epic that was praised by experts, was canceled way too soon. Set in Ancient Rome during the 1st century BC, Rome centers on Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson) and Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd). Against all odds, the Roman soldiers are pulled into crucial historical events as their beloved civilization transforms from a Republic into an Empire under Julius Caesar's (Ciarn Hinds) ambitious rule. Rome's characters also include Caesar's ruthless-yet-memorable niece, Atia of the Julii (Polly Walker), who aims to put her son, Octavian (Max Pirkis), on the throne.

A ratings success for both HBO and the BBC, Rome was lauded by critics, historians, and audiences alike. However, despite all the praise, Emmy nominations, and surges in viewership that Rome garnered for the network, HBO canceled the series after just two seasons. Initially, Rome's creators had planned for at least five seasons,...

House of the Dragon finally redeemed Game of Thrones for its terrible ending and it seems that the fans of the high fantasy series are getting back up on the Got train. Based on George R.R. Martin‘s book Fire & Blood, the Game of Thrones prequel series takes place 200 years before the events of the original series and it revolves around the internal conflicts of the House of Targaryen. House of the Dragon stars Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, Rhys Ifans as Otta Hightower, Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon, Eve Best as Rhaenys Velaryon, Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, and Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole. So, if you loved the high fantasy, political drama, brutal violence, and medieval setting in House of the Dragon here are some similar shows you could watch next.

Game of Thrones (Max & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – HBO

Game of Thrones is an epic fantasy and...

Those About to Die is an epic sword-and-sandal historical drama series created by Robert Rodat. Based on the 1958 novel of the same name by author Daniel P. Mannix, the Peacock series revolves around the lives of the gladiators and citizens of the Roman Empire in Ancient Rome, where violence, greed, and lust run rampant. Those About to Die stars Anthony Hopkins, Iwan Rheon, Sara Martins-Court, Tom Hughes, Jojo Macari, Moe Hashim, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Rupert Penry-Jones, Gabriella Pession, Dimitri Leonidas, and Emilio Sakraya. So, if you loved the epic fights, brutal violence, and historical drama in Those About to Die here are some similar shows you could watch next.

Rome (Max & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – HBO

Rome is a historical drama series created by John Milius, William J. MacDonald, and Bruno Heller. The HBO series is set in the 1st century BC during Ancient Rome’s transition from Republic to Empire,...

Daisy-May Hudson’s fiction debut Lollipop, a documentary about a man’s relationship with a life-sized AI-animated doll and Nina Conti’s Cannes Great 8 title Sunlight are among 18 world premieres at the new-look Edinburgh International Film Festival.

A total of 37 feature films form the line-up of Eiff’s 77th edition, which is the first under the leadership of Paul Ridd as festival director and Andrew Macdonald as chair. The line-up includes 10 world premieres in the running for the £50,000 Sean Connery prize for feature filmmaking excellence, plus four retrospective screenings, a Midnight Madness strand and five short film programmes.

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Exclusive: UK company Architect was recently founded by sales executives Calum Gray and Max Pirkis, together with Patrick Fischer and Richard Kondal of financier Creativity Capital.

Gray and Pirkis previously worked together for five years at sales firm Embankment, including on Oscar winner The Father, Oscar nominee The Wife, Netflix’s hit Purple Hearts, and BAFTA nominated documentary McQueen.

Creativity Capital have invested in 28 independent films and TV shows, including the aforementioned McQueen and BAFTA winner Under The Shadow. Combining sales and Creativity’s financing, Architect is looking to become a go-to partner for indie producers.

Initial projects on the slate include survival thriller The Bayou, which is being produced by Fall and 47 Meters Down outfit Tea Shop, Mckenna Grace and Asher Angel teen romance 99 Days, Jenny Slate horror Mindful, BFI and BBC Film-financed Lollipop, and Sundance world premiere The Starling Girl.

We spoke to the partners about the company,...

Exclusive: Everything Everywhere All At Once and Venom star Jenny Slate will lead cast in and executive-produce horror movie Mindful, about a possessed meditation app that begins to kill its followers.

Actress, author and stand-up Slate is in the limelight having recently co-created, co-written, co-produced and voiced the titular character of Marcel in A24’s Oscar-nominated film Marcel The Shell With Shoes On, and for having co-starred in Oscar and box office breakout Everything Everywhere All At Once. The SNL alum is also well known for voicing animated series such as Big Mouth and Bob’s Burgers.

In Mindful, when her husband shockingly dies while meditating on the Mindful app, Angela (Slate), deeply suspicious of the new wellness craze, uncovers supernatural forces that have fused with the technology. As the app’s popularity spreads like wildfire, she is forced to confront her own demons and dive into a terrifying ‘out of...

New sales agent and financier Architect has come on board to represent international sales on writer-director Laurel Parmet’s Sundance-premiering “The Starling Girl.”

The film was acquired for North America by Bleecker Street in a deal negotiated by UTA and WME, and will release in cinemas later this year. Architect will launch international sales at this week’s European Film Market, which runs alongside the Berlin Film Festival.

“The Starling Girl” premiered at Sundance to strong reviews, and will screen in the Festival Favourites section at SXSW next month. It stars Eliza Scanlen (“Sharp Objects”), Lewis Pullman (“Top Gun: Maverick”), Jimmi Simpson (“Westworld”), Wrenn Schmidt (“Nope)” and Austin Abrams (“Paper Towns|). The film is produced by Kevin Rowe and Kara Durrett.

The drama follows 17-year-old Jem Starling (Scanlen), who struggles to find her place in the fundamentalist Christian community that raised her. According to the film’s official synopsis, “even...

The producers of Focus Features’ “Polite Society” have launched their next project with “Lollipop,” the fiction debut feature of Daisy-May Hudson, which stars Posy Sterling, TerriAnn Oudjar and newcomer Idil Ahmed.

The film, which has wrapped after a five-week shoot in London, is the first major title for new sales agent and financier Architect, set up by former Embankment Films executives Calum Gray and Max Pirkis. The company will launch the title at this month’s European Film Market, which runs alongside the Berlin Film Festival.

A BAFTA Breakthrough, Grierson and BIFA-nominated documentary director, Daisy-May Hudson’s previous film was the acclaimed documentary feature “Half Way.”

“Lollipop” follows Molly (Sterling), a young woman who having just been released from prison struggles to regain custody of her children from the state. When she bumps into her childhood friend Amina (Ahmed) the two women soon realize their only chance is to join...

An acquisitions, production and distribution manager has joined the fold.

UK sales and production outfit Embankment Films has expanded its team with the appointment of Gabriella Kramer-Khan as acquisitions, production and distribution manager, the first role of its kind for the company.

Kramer-Khan will report in to Toby Hill, head of acquisitions and production, and producer Kevin Loader.

She joins from Sky, where she was Sky TV’s group acquisitions executive for the UK, Italy, and Germany.

Kramer-Khan previously worked in acquisitions and content strategy at Universal Pictures and in legal and business affairs at Warner Bros, having specialised in...

UK production and sales company Embankment Films has hired former WestEnd Films executive Toby Hill as Head of Production & Acquisitions.

At Embankment, Hill will manage company IP with the goal of converting IP to production and global distribution. He will work closely with Embankment CEO Tim Haslam, co-founding partner Hugo Grumbar, and producer Kevin Loader — who teamed with Embankment earlier this year to create a new label, Free Range Entertainment.

Hill succeeds Max Pirkis, who leaves Embankment after nine years.

Hill was previously Head of Acquisitions & Development at WestEnd Films, where he worked on titles like Mr. Malcolm’s List, The Last Rifleman, and the forthcoming Freud’s Last Session, starring Anthony Hopkins.

Prior to that, he was Head of Global Acquisitions at the UK-based financing company AI Film. During his time at AI, Hill was responsible for greenlighting titles like I, Tonya, American Animals, Mr. Holmes, and Lee Daniels’ The Butler.

Hill joins as head of production and acquisitions.

UK production and sales outfit Embankment Films has hired former WestEnd Films and AI Film executive Toby Hill as head of production and acquisitions.

Hill will lead all of Embankment’s management of intellectual property, converting IP into production and global distribution. He will collaborate closely with producer Kevin Loader – whose London-based production outfit Free Range Films joined forces in May of this year with Embankment to form new umbrella company, Free Range Entertainment – plus Embankment CEO Tim Haslam and co-founding partner Hugo Grumbar.

Hill takes over from Max Pirkis, head of acquisitions and distribution,...

London-based film sales and financing house Embankment Films has closed a major international deal for “Joyride,” starring Olivia Colman, who is Oscar nominated for Florian Zeller’s “The Father,” another of Embankment’s titles. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions has bought “Joyride” for the world, excluding North America and U.K.

The deal comes as Embankment – led by Tim Haslam and Hugo Grumbar – amps up its pre-sales slate, with the recent addition of Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern to the cast of Zeller’s “The Son,” which sees Zeller reuniting with “The Father” co-writer Christopher Hampton, and news that Helen Mirren will play Israel’s legendary Prime Minister Golda Meir in “Golda,” directed by Oscar winner Guy Nattiv, and produced by BAFTA winner Michael Kuhn (“Florence Foster Jenkins”).

“Joyride” is a feel-good, foul-mouthed fairy-tale centering on two lovable rogues. Joy, played by Colman, is pissed off. She’s got a baby...

Tim Haslam and Hugo Grumbar’s Embankment has upped Max Pirkis to its head of acquisitions and distribution. The move comes after what the company claims has been a successful Berlin with a slate including the Alicia Vikander-James McAvoy love story Submergence and Kit Harington-Dakota Fanning project Brimstone. Pirkis will now manage Embankment's acquisitions slate while also coordinating international delivery and distribution of current Embankment titles. Greg Martin…...

Sales outfit has been at Efm with Submergence.

Embankment Films has appointed Max Pirkis as head of acquisitions and distribution with immediate effect.

Pirkis, who joined the London-based sales firm in 2013, now heads up and manages Embankment’s acquisitions slate while also co-ordinating international delivery and distribution of current Embankment titles.

Greg Martin, who previously worked for Working Title, reports to Pirkis as acquisitions and distribution executive. Pirkis replaces Sara May, who moves on from her consultancy role with Embankment and will shortly be announcing her own new venture.

Embankment co-founder Tim Haslam said: “In Max, we have nabbed and nurtured one of the brightest – and we are convinced that he is an industry star of the future. His expanded role and responsibility is an exciting opportunity for the company and our team.

“[Embankment co-founder Hugo Grumbar] and I vividly recall first meeting him and thinking we’ve seen that guy before somewhere. Turns out he was amongst the lead actors...

Stars: Jared Harris, Sam Claflin, Olivia Cooke, Erin Richards, Rory Fleck-Byrne, Laurie Calvert, Richard Cunningham, Aldo Maland, Max Pirkis | Written by John Pogue, Craig Rosenberg, Oren Moverman | Directed by John Pogue

I have to admit, I get a kick out of seeing the word “Hammer” on the posters and DVD cases of modern horror releases. A studio associated with classic British horror of the past, Hammer are a mark of quality when it comes to atmospheric, gothic and haunting films, so I was interested in what we would be greeted with when The Quiet Ones was announced.

John Pogue, writer of films such as U.S Marshals and Ghost Ship, and director of Quarantine 2: The Terminal, stands behind the big camera once again for a creepy and tense horror film that follows other recent Hammer output like The Woman in Black and Wake Wood.

Oxford University professor Joseph (Jared Harris...

Inspired by actual events, the thriller The Quiet Ones is coming to Blu-ray (plus Digital HD), DVD (plus Digital), Video on Demand and Pay-Per-View on August 19 from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. The eerie supernatural story will be available two weeks earlier on Digital HD August 5. The film stars Jared Harris (TV's Mad Men), Sam Claflin (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire), Erin Richards (Open Grave), Rory Fleck-Byrne (Vampire Academy) and Olivia Cooke (TV's Bates Motel).

When a crazed university professor (Harris) and his team of students set out to cure a disturbed patient, the unthinkable happens. Trusting in their leader and his motives, Brian (Claflin) and his fellow students find themselves far from help...and all too close to a sinister force they never suspected.

The Quiet Ones Blu-ray exclusive material includes the "Welcome to the Experiment: Making The Quiet Ones" featurette that takes viewers behind-the-scenes of the unforgettable thriller as well...

.The Quiet Ones,. bearing the mark of Hammer Films, is a scary flick that features the age-old debate between science and the supernatural. Jared Harris stars as Professor Coupland, a professor who thinks he can exorcise demons using science. His subject for his experiment is Jane Harper (Olivia Cooke), a possessed young girl with deep, dark secrets. Capturing the entire experiment is Brian McNeil played by Sam Claflin (.The Hunger Games: Catching Fire).

Is .The Quiet Ones. worth your time and money? Check out my review.

Official Synopsis:

From the producer who brought you The Woman In Black and Let Me In comes the unnerving tale of The Quiet Ones. Tucked away in an estate outside of London, Professor Coupland along with a team of university students conduct an "experiment" on Jane Harper, a young girl who harbors unspeakable secrets. What dark forces they uncover are more terrifying than any of them expected.

I enjoyed meeting the three stars from the upcoming film .The Quiet Ones. namely Sam Claflin (.The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.), Olivia Cooke (.Bates Motel.), and Jared Harris (.Sherlock Holmes: The Game of Shadows,. .Pompeii,. .Lincoln.).

The film, bearing the mark of Hammer Films, talks about extracting demonic energy or negative energy according to Professor Joseph Coupland (Harris) and he wants to do exactly just that to Jane Harper (Cooke) who has been talking about a supernatural entity named Evey. Coupland hires videographer, Brian McNeil (Claflin) to document the experiment.

I sat down with the cast to talk about their interest in making the movie, working on the set, and the age-old argument between science and the supernatural.

.The Quiet Ones. from director John Pogue arrives in theaters on Friday, April 25.

Official Synopsis:

From the producer who brought you The Woman In Black and Let Me In comes the unnerving tale of The Quiet Ones.

A creepy nursery rhyme and terrifying paranormal activities are featured in the latest trailer for Lionsgate's The Quiet Ones. While it still isn't ultimately clear who these quiet ones really are, they make their presence known when a university professor (Jared Harris) conducts an experiment where he tries to create a poltergeist through the negative human energy of a tormented young woman (Olivia Cooke). Sam Claflin, Erin Richards and Rory Fleck-Byrne co-star in this supernatural thriller directed by John Pogue, arriving in theaters April 25.

The Quiet Ones comes to theaters April 25th, 2014 and stars Jared Harris, Sam Claflin, Erin Richards, Rory Fleck-Byrne, Olivia Cooke, Laurie Calvert, Aldo Maland, Max Pirkis. The film is directed by John Pogue.

Next weekend, Lionsgate is releasing their new thriller The Quiet Ones in theaters nationwide, bringing this terrifying true story to life on the silver screen. Jared Harris stars as a university professor, who conducts a bizarre experiment where he tries to create a poltergeist from the negative human energy of a troubled young woman (Olivia Cooke). To celebrate this new release, we have a giveaway lined up where our readers can win a $25 Amazon gift card, t-shirt, matches, the official poster, and a three-pack of Hammer Films DVDs, The Woman in Black, Let Me In and Horror of Dracula. These prizes will be gone before you know it, so take a look at how you can win below.

Winners Receive:

The Quiet Ones T-shirt

The Quiet Ones Matches

The Quiet Ones Poster

Three Hammer Films (The Woman in Black, Let Me In, Horror of Dracula)

$25 Amazon Gift Card

Here's How To Win!

Lionsgate has released a new clip and TV spot for The Quiet Ones, director John Pogue's upcoming thriller that hits theaters nationwide on April 25. Jared Harris stars as Professor Coupland, who assembles a group of students for an experiment where they try to conjure a poltergeist by using the negative human energy from their test subject, a troubled young woman named Jane Harper (Olivia Cooke). This hair-raising new footage features Coupland and Jane trying to draw this poltergeist out into the open with the help of an unorthodox test.

The Quiet Ones comes to theaters April 25th, 2014 and stars Jared Harris, Sam Claflin, Olivia Cooke, Erin Richards, Rory Fleck-Byrne, Laurie Calvert, Max Pirkis, Richard Cunningham. The film is directed by John Pogue.

Go behind the scenes in this latest sneak peek of Lionsgate's horror film, The Quiet Ones. In the brand new featurette, the stars of the film discuss how the supernatural and scientific blend together to create the unnerving story they brought to the big screen. Find out why Sam Claflin believes this film will terrify people of every age, and what Jared Harris finds intriguing about doing a horror film through a scientific lens. Inspired by true events, The Quiet Ones focuses on a tortured young girl, Jane Harper, who seems to be full of dark secrets. Get ready to take an intense journey this April 25, and see forces more powerful than you ever thought possible!

The Quiet Ones comes to theaters April 25th, 2014 and stars Jared Harris, Sam Claflin, Olivia Cooke, Erin Richards, Rory Fleck-Byrne, Laurie Calvert, Max Pirkis, Richard Cunningham. The film is directed by John Pogue.

The Quiet Ones Trailer. John Pogue‘s The Quiet Ones (2014) movie trailer 2 stars Olivia Cooke, Erin Richards, Laurie Calvert, Max Pirkis, and Sam Claflin. The Quiet Ones‘ plot synopsis: “A university student (Sam Claflin of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) and some classmates are recruited to carry out [...]

Continue reading: The Quiet Ones (2014) Movie Trailer 2: Scientists Explore Dark Energy...

A group of graduate students engage in an experiment they won't soon forget in the third trailer for Lionsgate's The Quiet Ones. John Pogue (Quarantine 2: Terminal) directs this upcoming thriller which follows a university professor (Jared Harris) who is trying to study the dark mind of a troubled student (Olivia Cooke), in an attempt to create a poltergeist from her negative energy. Sam Claflin and Erin Richards co-star in this intense ride from Hammer Films, in theaters April 25.

A university student (Sam Claflin of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) and some classmates are recruited to carry out a private experiment -- to create a poltergeist. Their subject: an alluring, but dangerously disturbed young woman (Olivia Cooke of Bates Motel). Their quest: to explore the dark energy that her damaged psyche might manifest. As the experiment unravels along with their sanity, the rogue PhD students are soon confronted with a...

Lionsgate has released a series of three motion posters for The Quiet Ones, featuring Jared Harris as Professor Coupland, Sam Claflin as Brian O'Neil and Olivia Cooke as Jane Harper. The story, inspired by true events, centers on a university professor (Jared Harris) who tries to create a poltergeist by using negative human energy, with the help of his students Brian and Jane. John Pogue directs this haunting thriller, co-starring Erin Richards, Laurie Calvert and Max Pirkis, arriving in theaters April 25.

The Quiet Ones comes to theaters April 25th, 2014 and stars Jared Harris, Sam Claflin, Olivia Cooke, Erin Richards, Rory Fleck-Byrne, Laurie Calvert, Max Pirkis, Richard Cunningham. The film is directed by John Pogue.

A group of university students set out with an unorthodox college professor to see if they can create a poltergeist using negative human energy. Their test subject comes in a young disturbed woman tormented by supernatural forces that can't be explained. As this group prepares to explore the darkness that has damaged her psyche, they are soon confronted by something more terrifying than they can possibly imagine, and risk losing their own sanity in the process. Check out the new poster for The Quiet Ones, which holds the scary promise that something unspeakable is happening to Jane Harper in a story inspired by true events.

The Quiet Ones comes to theaters April 25th, 2014 and stars Jared Harris, Sam Claflin, Olivia Cooke, Erin Richards, Rory Fleck-Byrne, Laurie Calvert, Max Pirkis, Richard Cunningham. The film is directed by John Pogue.

After two domestic trailers, Hammer Films has released an international trailer for their upcoming thriller The Quiet Ones, which is inspired by true events. Watch as an unorthodox, yet charismatic college professor cons his students into a very dangerous experiment, where he attempts to create a poltergeist using negative human energy. What transpires may prove to be one of the scariest movie going experiences of 2014.

The Quiet Ones comes to theaters April 25th, 2014 and stars Jared Harris, Sam Claflin, Olivia Cooke, Erin Richards, Rory Fleck-Byrne, Laurie Calvert, Max Pirkis, Richard Cunningham. The film is directed by John Pogue.

The Quiet Ones Trailer. John Pogue‘s The Quiet Ones (2013) movie trailer stars Max Pirkis, Sam Claflin, Olivia Cooke, Erin Richards, and Laurie Calvert. The Quiet Ones‘ plot synopsis: “A university student (Sam Claflin of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) and some classmates are recruited to carry out a private [...]

Continue reading: The Quiet Ones (2013) Movie Trailer: Poltergeist infests Olivia Cooke...

Following the first trailer that debuted on Halloween, Lionsgate has released the second trailer for The Quiet Ones. Jared Harris stars in this adaptation of a true story, portraying a university professor who conducts an unusual experiment with some of his PhD students, as they try to create a poltergeist from negative human energy. Sam Claflin, Olivia Cooke and Erin Richards co-star in this thriller from director John Pogue, arriving in theaters April 25. In addition, we also have a new photo featuring Sam Claflin, which you can check out below the trailer.

A university student (Sam Claflin of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) and some classmates are recruited to carry out a private experiment -- to create a poltergeist. Their subject: an alluring, but dangerously disturbed young woman (Olivia Cooke of Bates Motel). Their quest: to explore the dark energy that her damaged psyche might manifest. As the experiment unravels along with their sanity,...

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U.K. horror studio Hammer has unveiled the teaser for John Pogue‘s poltergeist flick “The Quiet Ones.” The purportedly inspired by a true story horror pic stars Olivia Cooke, Sam Claflin, Erin Richards, Laurie Calvert, Max Pirkis, Rory Fleck-Byrne and “Mad Men” star Jared Harris. Set in 1974, “The Quiet Ones” follows a professor (Harris) and [...]

The post Watch: Olivia Cooke and Sam Claflin Summon a Poltergeist in “The Quiet Ones” Teaser Trailer appeared first on Up and Comers.

The first trailer for supernatural thriller The Quiet Ones has arrived just in time for you to enjoy on this nice, quiet Halloween evening. The story follows an unorthodox college professor who cons his students into participating in an experiment that will potentially create a poltergeist from negative human energy. Watch the scary footage now, featuring stars Jared Harris, Sam Claflin, Olivia Cooke and Erin Richards.

The Quiet Ones comes to theaters April 25th, 2014 and stars Jared Harris, Sam Claflin, Olivia Cooke, Erin Richards, Rory Fleck-Byrne, Laurie Calvert, Max Pirkis, Richard Cunningham. The film is directed by John Pogue.

New sales exec was most recently at French broadcaster TF1.

Sara May has joined Embankment Films to steer activities in European sales, co-productions and acquisitions.

She was most recently evp of acquisitions and co-productions at TF1, where she spent nearly 10 years and acquired distribution rights for France as well as sourcing, developing and packaging for the international sales division.

Prior to TF1, Sara held positions at Europacorp as head of acquisitions and M6 as program supervisor for English-language TV series.

Founding partner Tim Haslam said: “Based in Paris and Los Angeles, Sara is a focal point for Embankment.

“Sara extends our reach throughout the business primarily in the Us and Europe, further developing producer, agent and talent relationships, working closely with London-based acquisition and marketing executive Max Pirkis.

“Sara’s appointment completes a dynamic international and multi-lingual acquisitions and sales team including Barcelona-born Maite Villarino (Hispanic territories) and Hong-Kong born Sharon Lee (Asian territories).

“Like my partner...

Lionsgate announced today that it has acquired from Exclusive Media the North American distribution rights to the Hammer production of The Quiet Ones, a supernatural thriller starring Jared Harris and Sam Claflin and will bring the film to theaters next year on April 25, 2014. John Pogue directed the film from a script he wrote as well. The project was produced by Tobin Armbrust, Exclusive Media's President of Worldwide Production and Acquisitions, and Simon Oakes, President and CEO of Hammer and Vice-Chairman of Exclusive Media, along with James Gay-Rees, Steven Chester Prince and Ben Holden in association with The Travelling Picture Show Company (Tpsc). Lionsgate previously picked up the UK distribution rights to the film with plans to release theatrically in that territory. The announcement was made today by Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-Chairmen Robert Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger.

Jason Constantine, Lionsgate's President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions, released the following statement about this thriller.

The executives and filmmakers behind the movie adaptation of The Hunger Games are currently busy devouring bucketfuls of beluga caviar, wiping their mouths with $100 bills, and exercising by swimming through bins filled with all the currency that flowed in from movie theaters last weekend. One would imagine that — between swims — they’re also in the midst of a heated debate regarding the Hunger Games sequels. “Should Catching Fire be split into a trilogy?” asks producer Nina Jacobson. “I got a better idea,” replies director Gary Ross. “Why don’t we do a trilogy, but then make it a five-part trilogy,...

A Rome feature film is becoming less of a "maybe some day" and more of a "definitely soon." At the end of 2008 it was reported here that series co-creator Bruno Heller wanted to see Rome rise again. There doesn't seem to be much holding it back now, with the script having been completed and the stars having a desire to film it.

HBO may be realizing that they prematurely cancelled Rome, a co-production with the BBC. The program shows the violent transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. Heller had a multi-year plan for the series but, when he learned the it was ending after the second season, he hurried his story along. The series stars Kevin McKidd and Ray Stevenson, and also features Indira Varma, David Bamber, Chiara Mastalli, Manfredi Aliquo, Suzanne Bertish, Max Pirkis, Lee Boardman, Esther Hall, and Ciaran Hinds.

Despite being one of HBO's most popular TV shows, Rome was cancelled after two short seasons. Devoted viewers were outraged that the historical drama could be cut so short. Now, if the series' co-creator Bruno Heller has his way, Rome will rise again.

A co-production mainly between HBO and the BBC, Rome showcases the often violent transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. While past dramatizations of this period have focused almost exclusively on the political leaders of the day, much of Rome's screen time is devoted to two common soldiers, Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson). The large cast also includes Indira Varma, David Bamber, Chiara Mastalli, Manfredi Aliquo, Suzanne Bertish, Max Pirkis, Lee Boardman, Esther Hall, and Ciaran Hinds.

Rome ran for two seasons and 22 episodes on HBO, debuting on August 28, 2005. The premiere attracted 3.8 million viewers and lots of positive reviews. A few weeks later,...