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One of Hollywood's most beloved action movie stars is set to throw down in the upcoming film, Ballerina Overdrive.

According to Deadline, Uma Thurman has joined the cast for Ballerina Overdrive, an upcoming independent action film directed by Vicky Jewson. Kate Freund penned the script for Ballerina Overdrive, which reportedly will center around "a troupe of ballerinas who find themselves fighting for survival as they attempt to escape from a remote inn after their bus breaks down on the way to a dance competition." Thurman will star alongside Lana Condor (Jubilee in X-Men: Apocalypse), Iris Apatow (Funny People), Millicent Simmonds (A Quiet Place), Maddie Ziegler (The Fallout) and Avantika (Senior Year).

Related Quentin Tarantino's Most Iconic Film Finds a New Streaming Home in August

Quentin Tarantino's most iconic film of them all is coming to Paramount+ in August.

The film is currently in production, and no official release date has been announced yet.

Are ballerina dancers Hollywood’s new hotness? With the John Wick spinoff Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas, pirouetting into theaters next year and the latest indie action film Ballerina Overdrive coming from 87North and Gulfstream Pictures, it could be time for me to slip into a tutu and show my sweet moves to some studios heads. While I will likely keep stretching along a long bar, Uma Thurman is joining the cast of Ballerina Overdrive, an upcoming survivalist action film.

Uma Thurman joins Lana Condor, Iris Apatow, Millicent Simmonds, Maddie Ziegler, and Avantika. Previously, Lena Headey, Yara Shahidi, and Isabela Merced were supposed to star in Ballerina Overdrive but have since stepped away.

Vicky Jewson directs Ballerina Overdrive from a script by Kate Freund. The plot revolves around a troupe of ballerinas who find themselves fighting for survival as they attempt to escape from a remote inn after their bus...

Exclusive: Uma Thurman has joined the cast of the indie action feature Ballerina Overdrive from 87North and Gulfstream Pictures.

She joins previously announced stars Lana Condor, Iris Apatow, Millicent Simmonds, Maddie Ziegler and Avantika. Previously attached stars Lena Headey, Yara Shahidi and Isabela Merced have since departed the project. Jenny Jue cast the film, which is currently in production in Budapest.

From Vicky Jewson, who is directing from a script by Kate Freund, Ballerina Overdrive follows a troupe of ballerinas who find themselves fighting for survival as they attempt to escape from a remote inn after their bus breaks down on the way to a dance competition.

Kelly McCormick and David Leitch produce through their 87North banner with Bill Bindley and Mike Karz for Gulfstream Pictures alongside Piers Tempest. Gulfstream Pictures fully financed the project. Max Jacoby is supervising for 87North.

Exclusive: Maddie Ziegler and Avantika (Mean Girls) have joined the cast of the indie action feature Ballerina Overdrive from 87North and Gulfstream Pictures.

From Vicky Jewson, who is directing from a script by Kate Freund, Ballerina Overdrive follows a troupe of ballerinas who find themselves fighting for survival as they attempt to escape from a remote inn after their bus breaks down on the way to a dance competition.

As Deadline revealed exclusively last year, Lana Condor, Iris Apatow and Millicent Simmonds also star. Previously attached stars Lena Headey, Yara Shahidi and Isabela Merced have since departed the project. Jenny Jue cast the film, which is currently in production in Budapest.

Kelly McCormick and David Leitch produce through their 87North banner with Bill Bindley and Mike Karz for Gulfstream Pictures alongside Piers Tempest. Gulfstream Pictures is fully financing.

Mimi Keene is one of the most talented and popular up-and-coming actresses working in the film industry. The English actress began her career in 2010 with the role of Janey in Kin at The Royal Court Theatre. Since then, she has appeared in multiple movies and TV shows including the long-running soap opera EastEnders and BBC One’s Our Girl. Her most famous role to date is of Ruby Matthews in Netflix’s popular teen series Sex Education. So, if you love Keene’s performances here are the 5 best movies and TV shows starring Mimi Keene that should be on your watchlist.

5. Close (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Synopsis: To protect an heiress from highly trained kidnappers, a lone security expert (Noomi Rapace) must unravel a sinister plot — while striving to stay alive in this thrilling, female-driven action drama written & directed by Vicky Jewson.

4. After Everything (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Voltage Pictures...

The European Film Market kicks off Feb. 16 with a wide assortment of films from sellers around the world. Below is a healthy selection of what’s on offer for buyers.

The Adults

Director: Alex Winter

Key cast: Evan Rachel Wood, Josh Gad, Anthony Carrigan

Synopsis: A sister and brother, Megan and Nathan are barely hanging on and their lives are completely upended when they discover a dead body, long buried in their parent’s basement, sending them down a rabbit hole of crime and murder.

Producers: Alex Winter, Scott Kroopf, Russell Hollander

Sales: Rocket Science (international); CAA Media Finance (domestic)

The Astronaut

Director: Jess Varley

Key cast: Emma Roberts, Laurence Fishburne

Producers: Brad Fuller, Eric B. Fleischman, Cameron Fuller

Synopsis: When astronaut Sam Walker (Roberts) returns from her first space mission, she’s found miraculously alive in a punctured capsule floating deep off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. General...

The independent film business is again showing signs of rude health as the global film industry struggles to recover post-pandemic. Sundance is often taken as the pace-setter, and distribution deals were plentiful this year, with seven- and eight-figure sales for the likes of Theater Camp (to Searchlight for an estimated 8 million), Flora and Son (Apple TV+, 20 million) and Fair Play (Netflix, 20 million), just the biggest of around a dozen 2023 Park City pickups. But Berlin’s European Film Market will be the industry’s true acid test.

“Sundance is more U.S.-focused in general,” says Alice Laffillé, vp sales at FilmNation, which did the Apple TV+ deal for Flora and Son. “There are always some big, splashy deals with streamers and U.S. buyers like Neon, A24 or Magnolia. Berlin is the first real international market, where we see where things stand.”

Berlin deals, which often involve the entire world,...

Ballet has captivated audiences for centuries — there's something effortlessly elegant about it. In a surprise to no one, stories revolving around ballet make for intriguing movies. It's a world we know so little about — where there's always a mile to go, a bigger goal to accomplish.

In recent times, most films centered on ballerinas tend to include themes about achieving greatness while navigating jealousy in a cutthroat industry where attaining perfection isn't a need; it is a necessity. There's already an exciting take coming out in the form of the "John Wick" spin-off starring Ana de Armas, in which the actress plays a dancer-assassin who sets out to exact revenge for her family — and there's another, totally-unrelated, action-thriller flick also centered on ballerinas being helmed by Vicky Jewson (The Witcher: Blood Origin) from a script by Kate Freund.

It's called "Ballerina Overdrive" and it features one hell of a cast.

Lena Headey (Game of Thrones), Yara Shahidi (Peter Pan & Wendy), Isabela Merced (Dora and the Lost City of Gold), Lana Condor (X-Men: Apocalypse), Millicent Simmonds (A Quiet Place) and Iris Apatow (The Bubble) are set to star in Ballerina Overdrive, the latest action thriller from 87North, the production company behind such films as Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Nobody, Bullet Train, Violent Night, and John Wick.

Directed by Vicky Jewson (The Witcher: Blood Origin) from a screenplay by Kate Freund (Afterlife), Ballerina Overdrive will tell the story of a troupe of ballerinas who find themselves fighting for survival as they attempt to escape from a remote inn after their bus breaks down on the way to a dance competition. That synopsis leaves me interested to find out who the villains of the story are going to be, because ending up at a remote inn after...

Exclusive: Lena Headey (Game of Thrones), Yara Shahidi (Grown-ish), Isabela Merced (Father of the Bride), Lana Condor (Moonshot), Millicent Simmonds (A Quiet Place) and Iris Apatow (The Bubble) are set to lead buzzy action-thriller Ballerina Overdrive, which will be produced by Deadpool, Bullet Train, John Wick and Fast and the Furious director David Leitch.

The Witcher: Blood Origin director Vicky Jewson will direct the feature about a troupe of ballerinas who find themselves fighting for survival as they attempt to escape from a remote inn after their bus breaks down on the way to a dance competition. Filming is set to commence in Serbia in the second quarter of 2023.

The fun project is being launched ahead of the EFM by Vincent Maraval and Kim Fox’s The Veterans for international and CAA Media Finance for domestic. It’s set to be one of the market’s hottest packages.

Based...

Ahead of “The Witcher” Season 3 next summer, spinoff series “The Witcher: Blood Origin” is coming to Netflix December 25, 2022, and the full official trailer has arrived this week.

Watch the brand new trailer below, which previews this four-part Netflix event series.

“The Witcher: Blood Origin” is set in an elven world 1200 years before the world of “The Witcher” and will tell a story lost to time – the creation of the first prototype Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal “conjunction of the spheres,” when the worlds of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one.

The cast includes Minnie Driver (Seanchaí), Laurence O’Fuarain (Fjall), Sophia Brown (Éile), Michelle Yeoh (Scían), Mirren Mack (Merwyn), Lenny Henry (Balor), Jacob Collins Levy (Eredin), Lizzie Annis (Zacaré), Huw Novelli (Callan “Brother Death”), Francesca Mills (Meldof), Amy Murray (Fenrik), Nathaniel Curtis (Brían), Zach Wyatt (Syndril), and Dylan Moran (Uthrok One-Nut). Joey Batey (“The Witcher...

Netflix has launched the trailer ‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’ where it was revealed that fan favourite Joey Batey will star as Jaskier in the 4 part event series.

Overseen by showrunner and writer Declan de Barra. It is directed by Sarah O’Gorman and Vicky Jewson and executive produced by Lauren Hissrich, Matt O’Toole, Platige Films (Tomek Baginski & Jarek Sawko), Hivemind (Jason Brown & Sean Daniel).

Set in an elven world 1200 years before the world of The Witcher, Blood Origin will tell a story lost to time – the creation of the first prototype Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal conjunction of the spheres, when the world of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one.

Adding a sensational cast to the Witcher Universe, Sophia Brown and Laurence O’Fuarain play Éile and Fjall, two warriors estranged from their opposing clans, Michelle Yeoh takes the role of Scían, a sword master, the last of her tribe,...

Netflix has released its trailer and key art for ‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’ and has also revealed that Joey Batey will star as Jaskier in the four-part series. It will bow on Sunday, December 25, reports ‘Deadline’.

Set in an elven world 1,200 years before the one of ‘The Witcher’, ‘Blood Origin’ will narrate the tale of the creation of the first prototype Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal conjunction of the spheres, when the world of monsters, men and elves merged to become one.

Sophia Brown and Laurence O’Fuarain, according to ‘Deadline’, play Éile and Fjall, two warriors estranged from their opposing clans; Michelle Yeoh takes the role of Scian, a sword master, the last of her tribe; Mirren Mack is Princess Merwyn; Lenny Henry plays Chief Sage Balor; and Minnie Driver stars as a Seanchai.

Francesca Mills is Meldof, Zach Wyatt and Lizzie Annis are celestial twin...

Netflix has released its trailer and key art for The Witcher: Blood Origin at the Ccxp event in Brazil, also revealing that Joey Batey will star as Jaskier in the four-part series. It will bow on Sunday, December 25.

Set in an elven world 1200 years before the world of The Witcher, Blood Origin will tell the tale of the creation of the first prototype Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal conjunction of the spheres, when the world of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one.

Sophia Brown and Laurence O’Fuarain play Éile and Fjall, two warriors estranged from their opposing clans, Michelle Yeoh takes the role of Scían, a sword master, the last of her tribe, Mirren Mack is Princess Merwyn, Lenny Henry plays Chief Sage Balor, and Minnie Driver stars as a Seanchaí. Francesca Mills is Meldof, Zach Wyatt and Lizzie Annis are celestial twin sages Syndril and Zacaré.

Netflix has debuted a teaser trailer for the Netflix series ‘The Witcher: Blood Origin.’

Set in an elven world 1200 years before the world of The Witcher, Blood Origin will tell a story lost to time – the creation of the first prototype Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal conjunction of the spheres, when the world of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one.

Sophia Brown and Laurence O’Fuarain play Éile and Fjall, two warriors estranged from their opposing clans, Michelle Yeoh takes the role of Scían, a sword master, the last of her tribe, Mirren Mack is Princess Merwyn, Lenny Henry plays Chief Sage Balor and Minnie Driver plays Seanchaí. Francesca Mills is Meldof, Zach Wyatt and Lizzie Annis are celestial twins Syndril and Zacaré. Huw Novelli is Brother Death.

The four-part series, overseen by showrunner and writer Declan de Barra, is directed by Sarah O’Gorman and...

The one-minute teaser trailer for Netflix’s The Witcher: Blood Origin reveals the world of elves before the events of The Witcher. The teaser for the four-part prequel was accompanied by new posters featuring the characters Scían (Michelle Yeoh), Fjall (Laurence O’Fuarain), and Éile (Sophia Brown).

The event series’ cast also includes Minnie Driver as Seanchaí, Mirren Mack as Merwyn, Lenny Henry as Balor, Jacob Collins Levy as Eredin, and Lizzie Annis as Zacaré. Huw Novelli plays Callan “Brother Death”, Francesca Mills is Meldof, Amy Murray is Fenrik, Nathaniel Curtis stars as Brían, Zach Wyatt is Syndril, Dylan Moran is Uthrok One-Nut, and Joey Batey is Jaskier.

Declan de Barra created the series and serves as showrunner and executive producer. Additional executive producers include Lauren Hissrich, Matt O’Toole, Tomek Baginski and Jarek Sawko (Platige Films), and Jason Brown & Sean Daniel (Hivemind Content). Sarah O’Gorman and Vicky Jewson directed the prequel.

Ahead of “The Witcher” Season 3 next summer, spinoff series “The Witcher: Blood Origin” is coming to Netflix December 25, 2022, and the official teaser trailer has arrived today.

Watch the teaser trailer below, which previews this four-part Netflix event series.

“The Witcher: Blood Origin” is set in an elven world 1200 years before the world of “The Witcher” and will tell a story lost to time – the creation of the first prototype Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal “conjunction of the spheres,” when the worlds of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one.

The cast includes Minnie Driver (Seanchaí), Laurence O’Fuarain (Fjall), Sophia Brown (Éile), Michelle Yeoh (Scían), Mirren Mack (Merwyn), Lenny Henry (Balor), Jacob Collins Levy (Eredin), Lizzie Annis (Zacaré), Huw Novelli (Callan “Brother Death”), Francesca Mills (Meldof), Amy Murray (Fenrik), Nathaniel Curtis (Brían), Zach Wyatt (Syndril), Dylan Moran (Uthrok One-Nut), and Joey Batey (Jaskier). Directors are Sarah O’Gorman and Vicky Jewson.

Netflix had announced that the prequel series The Witcher: Blood Origin, which is set in “an elven world” 1200 years before the events we saw in The Witcher, would have a six episode run. But now the Witcher fan site Redanian Intelligance reports that they’ve heard the show is being condensed from six episodes down to four.

Here’s the Redanian Intelligence report:

Keep in mind that the footage was already shot as six episodes, which likely means heavier editing and potentially lots of footage on the cutting room floor. To support that, we learned the writing credits for all of the Blood Origin episodes and they go like this:

Episode 1: Declan de Barra

Episode 2: Alex Meenehan/Aaron Stewart-Ahn

Episode 3: Tania Lotia/Kiersten Van Horne

Episode 4: Declan de Barra/Tasha Huo

We can’t claim to know all the ins and outs of how crediting works...

Like other explorations into the world of The Witcher, the upcoming spin-off prequel The Witcher: Blood Origin both expands upon and provides context for the main series. With Netflix announcing the limited series’ cast, most of whom are playing elven characters, a few questions arise. How are the elves involved in the creation of the witcher race, and why is the so-called “conjunction of the spheres” at the center of not only this origin story but also the beginning of the fall of the elves?

UK fans may recognize a few faces among the cast, including comedian and children’s television cult star Lenny Henry who will play Balor, Dylan Moran (Black Books) who will play the humorously named Uthrok One-Nut, and Huw Novelli (The Capture), playing Callan “Brother Death.” But there are also several stage actors such as Zach Wyatt who will play the role of Syndril and Amy Murray who will portray Fenrik,...

“The Witcher: Blood Origin,” Netflix’s live-action prequel series to the fantasy show starring Henry Cavill, is growing its cast even more with 10 new cast members.

Mirren Mack will play Merwyn; Lenny Henry will play Balor; Jacob Collins will play Eredin; Lizzie Annis will play Zacaré; Huw Novelli will play Callan “Brother Death;” Francesca Mills will play Meldof; Amy Murray will play Fenrik; Nathaniel Curtis will play Brían; Zach Wyatt will play Syndril; and Dylan Moran will play Uthrok One-Nut.

Sarah O’Gorman and Vicky Jewson will each direct three episodes of the six-episode limited series.

Set in an elven world 1,200 years before the world of “The Witcher,” the prequel series “Blood Origin” will tell a story lost to time, including the creation of the first prototype Witcher and the events that lead to the pivotal Conjunction of the Spheres, when the worlds of monsters, men and elves merged to become one.

Exclusive: Lenny Henry (Lord Of the Rings Series), Mirren Mack (The Nest), Nathaniel Curtis (It’s A Sin) and Dylan Moran (Black Books) are among cast to join Netflix fantasy series The Witcher: Blood Origin, which is now filming in the UK.

Set in an elven world 1200 years before the world of The Witcher, Blood Origin will tell chart the creation of the first prototype Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal ‘Conjunction of the Spheres’, when the worlds of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one.

Laurence O’Fuarain (Vikings), Sophia Brown (Marcella) and Michelle Yeoh (Crazy Rich Asians) lead the six-part prequel series.

Also newly joining are Jacob Collins Levy (Young Wallander) in the role of Eredin, Lizzie Annis in the role of Zacaré, Huw Novelli (The Capture) in the role of Callan “Brother Death”, Francesca Mills (Harlots) in the role of Meldof, Amy Murray in the...

With a title like Gangs Of London, you might imagine the new British television thriller would contain a fair amount of violence. And with it being the brainchild of The Raid director Gareth Evans, you might think that violence would be manifested in a series of big, bold, deftly handled action set-pieces.

Well, you’d be right on both counts. Evans and co-creator Matt Flannery – together with guest directors Corin Hardy and Xavier Gens – have crafted an epic, nine-part organized crime saga featuring some top-tier throwdowns.

From brutal one-on-one combat to spectacular shoot-outs to intense mind games, here are some of our favorite skirmishes from the show. This list covers the entire series and, suffice to say, there are spoilers ahead, so you might want to come back if you haven’t binged the whole thing yet.

Elliot vs the Albanians (Episode 1)

Gangs Of London’s first proper fight does...

Noomi Rapace will star as Mossad’s most famous female agent in “Sylvia,” an action movie from Vicky Jewson, who developed the project with WestEnd Films under the company’s female-skewed WeLove banner. London-based WestEnd will handle sales and will be talking to buyers at Cannes.

The project reunites “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” star Rapace, Jewson and WestEnd after their successful collaboration on action picture “Close.” Netflix took global rights to that picture and launched it in January.

In “Sylvia,” Rapace will play Sylvia Rafael, a South African-born agent who rose to prominence in Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. She was noted for her intelligence work in locating Ali Hassan Salameh, the leader of Palestine’s Black September organization and the figure behind the murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. But the mission led to her involvement in the infamous Lillehammer affair, in which an innocent Moroccan...

Noomi Rapace became an international sensation playing Lisbeth Salander in the original, Swedish version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and its sequels. Hollywood beckoned, and leading roles in such films as Ridley Scott’s Prometheus and Brian DePalma’s Passion followed. Now she stars in Vicky Jewson’s Netflix nail-biter Close, in a role based on real-life female bodyguard Jacquie Davis. In this half hour, Rapace talks about the intense training she went through to prepare for the part, and how that awareness expands to all aspects of her life. Plus she explains how “kicking ass” is more a mental exercise […]...

Noomi Rapace became an international sensation playing Lisbeth Salander in the original, Swedish version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and its sequels. Hollywood beckoned, and leading roles in such films as Ridley Scott’s Prometheus and Brian DePalma’s Passion followed. Now she stars in Vicky Jewson’s Netflix nail-biter Close, in a role based on real-life female bodyguard Jacquie Davis. In this half hour, Rapace talks about the intense training she went through to prepare for the part, and how that awareness expands to all aspects of her life. Plus she explains how “kicking ass” is more a mental exercise […]...

Stars: Noomi Rapace, Sophie Nélisse, Olivia Jewson, Abdellatif Chaouqi, Huw Parmenter, Cherise Silvestri, Indira Varma, Sargon Yelda, Robin Kermode, Charley Palmer Rothwell, Eoin Macken, Akin Gazi, Jonathan Jude | Written by Vicky Jewson, Rupert Whitaker| Directed by Vicky Jewson

Close, directed by Vicky Jewson, is one of latest slug action thrillers from Netflix. Jewson’s film stars Noomi Rapace as counter-terrorism expert Sam who, after a brutal job, decides to scale back and begin working as a bodyguard for young naive heiress Zoe played by Sophie Nélisse. Things go sideways after an attempted kidnapping and the two go on the run in a foreign country with no allies, trying to survive.

Close is about as generic and predictable as any direct-to-video that you’ll come across in your local supermarket bargain bin. Echoing that of extravagant low-budget and low-brow ’90s action films, the narrative on offer is still somehow saturated to...

The adrenaline-pumping Netflix original film “Close” puts the stress of the bodyguard world center stage. Helmed by writer/director Vicky Jewson and starring Noomi Rapace the film is inspired by real-life events involving the world leading female bodyguard Jackie Davis.

Read More: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2019

Sam Carlson (Noomi Rapace) is a counterterrorism expert at the top of her field.

Continue reading Noomi Rapace & Director Vicky Jewson Talk Netflix’s Action Thriller ‘Close’ & An Exciting Wave In Cinema For Female Filmmakers [Interview] at The Playlist.

Noomi Rapace becomes a bonafide action star in the Netflix thriller, Close. She shoots, stabs, and pummels bad guys like an estrogen version of Jason Bourne. Rapace plays a veteran bodyguard protecting a wealthy teen. Close moves at a brisk pace with no shortage of bullets and beatdowns. The script attempts minor intrigue, but the details of the plot are lost in the fracas. It's a sweet, just not particularly memorable fix for action junkies.

Close security operative Sam Carlson (Noomi Rapace) is a bit worse for the wear after a tight scrape in the Middle East. She's offered quick money to guard a wealthy teenager for a week in Morocco. Zoe (Sophie N&#233lisse) is the daughter of a recently deceased mining magnate. She's constantly feuding with her stepmother (Indira Varma), who's furious the belligerent girl has inherited her father's shares in their company.

Sam is initially disrespected by the spoiled Zoe.

In the high-octane thriller Close, Noomi Rapace plays Sam, a counter-terrorism expert whose latest job is a seemingly easy one: looking after wealthy heiress Zoe. But a shocking kidnapping attempt forces Sam and Zoe to go on the run while simultaneously trying to figure out who is after them and why. With Close ready to hit Netflix (January 18th), I was afforded the opportunity to sit down with Rapace and the film's writer-director Vicky Jewson to talk about how Close came to be, the real-life…...

Close Netflix Reviewed for Shockya.com & BigAppleReviews.net by: Harvey Karten Director: Vicky Jewson Screenwriter: Vicky Jewson, Rupert Whitaker Cast: Noomi Rapace, Indira Varma, Sophie Nélisse, Eoin Macken, Mimi Keene Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, 1/15/19 Opens: January 18, 2019 The Netflix action movie “Close” is so jumbled, so poorly organized with people going hither and […]

The post Close Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

But No Cigar: Jewson’s Bodyguard Thriller Nary Skirts the Surface of Female Agency

Director Vicky Jewson continues to mine the role of women working in clandestine, espionage prone occupations with her third feature, Close, reuniting her with producer and screenwriter Rupert Whitaker of her 2014 sophomore revenge thriller Body of War. The British-American co-production will likely become Jewson’s calling card thanks to the presence of its leading lady Noomi Rapace, an actress again showcased for her significant mixture of steely reserve, noted physical prowess and impressive ability to emote in even the most dizzy-headed exchanges. Unfortunately, the end-product ends up being a superficial mixture of barefaced mother-daughter issues and wan politically minded economic shenanigans despite the best efforts of the two women thrown together in exotically inclined cat-and-mouse parameters.…...

Vicky Jewson’s “Close” transparently aspires to be something of a female riff on Jason Bourne. However, shot in only 29 days — and with a fraction of the budget for an average Hollywood blockbuster — it feels more like a proof-of-concept for an idea that the film industry has already proven, and a dull reminder that studios need to invest more of their resources into it. Whatever inherent value there might be in gender-flipping such a generic template is mitigated by the movie’s reluctance to seize on the unique energy that its women bring to the table.

The film doesn’t have to justify casting a lead who isn’t named Chris or Matt, but Jewson and co-writer Rupert Whitaker (whose previous collaborations include 2014’s similarly violent “Born of War”) may have been too rushed to take advantage of it. If nothing else, this cut-rate thriller should be enough to silence...

We already knew Noomi Rapace was badass from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Prometheus and her Netflix films Bright and What Happened to Monday. Now she has to measure up to real life bodyguard Jacquie Davis, the inspiration for her fictional character in Close from writer/director Vicky Jewson. Sam (Rapace) is a prominent bodyguard […]

The post ‘Close’ Writer/Director Vicky Jewson Found Real-Life Badasses For Her New Netflix Action Movie [Interview] appeared first on /Film.

Close is the latest action-thriller from Netflix and is written and directed by Vicky Jewson (Born of War). Noomi Rapace plays an anti-terror specialist that is hired to be the bodyguard of a young and highly wealthily heiress. And when a group of bad guys try to kidnap her client, things get Real violent! Close is the latest in a string of action movie originals that have been pumped out by Netflix. But does Close stand above the others?

Close premiere's on Netflix on January 18.

Watch the 60-second review from One Minute Critic:

You can check out more 1-minute reviews on One Minute Critic's Instagram or Youtube page.

Netflix has launched a new trailer for their female lead, action-thriller ‘Close’ starring Noomi Rapace.

Directed by Vicky Jewson, the film is inspired by Jacquie Davis, the world’s leading female bodyguard.

Rapace plays lone security expert hired to protect an heiress from highly trained kidnappers but unravels’s a sinister plot, just to make her job just that little more difficult.

Also in trailers – Are you ready for a killer comeback? New trailer arrives for ‘Happy Death Day 2U’

The film premieres on the streaming channel on January 18th.

Close Synopsis

When attackers target the heiress she’s protecting, battle-hardened bodyguard Sam scrambles to save her client — and teach her how to fight back.

The post Noomi Rapace takes up bodyguard duties in trailer for ‘Close’ appeared first on HeyUGuys.

Netflix has released the first trailer for a new action thriller starring Noomi Rapace (Prometheus) called Close. In the film she plays a badass bodyguard named Sam who is hired to protect an heiress from highly trained kidnappers. In the process she “must unravel a sinister plot — while striving to stay alive.”

The movie looks great and the character Sam is actually loosely based on a real-life bodyguard named Jacquie Davis, who has worked for J.K. Rowling, Nicole Kidman, and members of the British royal family. In an interview with EW, Rapace talked about how she’s always been fascinated with female bodyguards:

“I was obsessed with their world and how good they are at leading people and blending in and basically not taking up any space. They’re behind you or in front of you, but they walk with you. It’s almost like a dance. It’s just a very intriguing,...

Sneak Peek footage, plus images from the new action thriller "Close", written and directed by Vicky Jewson, starring Noomi Rapace, Indira Varma and Sophie Nélisse, streaming January 18, 2019 on Netflix:

"...bodyguard, counter-terrorism expert 'Sam' (Rapace) takes a job protecting 'Zoe' (Nélisse), a rich young heiress. Neither party is keen with the arrangement until a violent kidnapping forces them both to go on the run..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Close"...

2019 is going to be the biggest year yet when it comes to Netflix original movies and TV shows, and they are kicking the new year off with a bang quite literally. Today, we have the first trailer and poster for the action thriller Close starring Naomi Rapace, which will launch exclusively on the premium streaming service this month.

Close isn't wasting anytime from showing off its first trailer to its debut, with the hard-hitting drama arriving on Netflix in just the next two weeks, debuting Friday, January 18. The window between when they show off their next big release and when it actually arrives is shrinking by the minute, to appease the 'gotta have it now' culture they've helped create.

Close is an adrenaline-pumping action thriller written and directed by Vicky Jewson (Born of War). The drama is inspired by the life of the world's leading female bodyguard, Jacquie Davis. The...

Netflix seems to be getting into the bodyguard business, with the BBC series Bodyguard becoming a small phenomenon and international star Noomi Rapace starring in the upcoming feature film about a female bodyguard, Close. Watch the Close trailer below. Close Trailer Directed by Vicky Jewson, Close follows Rapace’s Sam, a female bodyguard hired to protect a spoiled heiress named Zoe (Sophie Nélisse) […]

The post ‘Close’ Trailer: Noomi Rapace is a Female Bodyguard in Netflix’s Newest Thriller appeared first on /Film.

"Let's get one thing straight - I no longer work for you. From now on, you do as I say." Netflix has debuted the first official trailer for a gritty action film titled Close, which will be premiering on Netflix in just a few weeks. Described as an "adrenaline-pumping action thriller", written and directed by Vicky Jewson, the film is about a bodyguard assigned to protect a young woman who is handed the keys to her father's business. When things go wrong and they end up kidnapped, they both must learn to fight back and escape in order to make it home alive. Noomi Rapace stars as Sam, with a cast including Sophie Nélisse, Indira Varma, Eoin Macken, Charley Palmer Rothwell, Akin Gazi, Huw Parmenter, and George Georgiou. This looks like an intense action flick, but also looks cliche with all the usual tropes. Still might be worth a watch.

I'm always down for a little Noomi Rapace and the actresses next project will see her stepping into the role of a bad-ass counter-terrorist expert/bodyguard for Close, an upcoming Netflix action-thriller written and directed by Vicky Jewson (Born Of War). Inspired by the real-life of the world's leading female bodyguard, Jacquie Davis, Close follows Sam (Rapace) as she's…...

Since breaking through to U.S. audiences after her electric turn in the original Swedish versions of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” and its sequels, Noomi Rapace has forged a fruitful career playing no-nonsense, ass-kicking women in mostly genre fare. She earned positive reviews as the lead in Ridley Scott’s “Prometheus,” though the film was not so fortunate. She struck out again with another critical flop, the Will Smith vehicle “Bright,” a poorly-received stab at Netflix Originals programming. Undeterred, Rapace is returning to Netflix, this time working with director Vicky Jewson on an almost entirely woman-led thriller, titled simply “Close.”

The official synopsis reads: “Inspired by the life of the world’s leading female bodyguard, Jacquie Davis. The film stars Rapace as Sam, a counter-terrorism expert used to war zones, who takes on the job of protecting Zoe (Sophie Nélisse), a young and rich heiress — a babysitting job for her.

Thailand has announced the first foreign movies to have successfully accessed the country’s new filming financial incentive scheme: comedic drama “Changeland,” directed by and starring Seth Green, and multinational action film “Triple Threat,” directed by Jesse Johnson. The two productions tapped into the new scheme and received payment after shooting in locations and studios in Thailand.

The incentive system was announced in Cannes in 2016 after years of lobbying at different levels of the Thai and international industry. The incentive for qualifying productions starts at 15% of Thai production spend and can rise to 20% under certain conditions.

The first two successful films were announced at an event in Cannes by Thailand’s deputy prime minister Wissanu Kreangam.

“Coordinating with other government departments and ministries before launching the incentive measures, we took a great deal of time to ensure that our incentives are rock-solid. We are delighted that the process went smoothly for the first two productions,...

Green joins from WestEnd Films.

UK sales outfit Bankside Films has appointed Sophie Green as its head of acquisitions and development.

Green joins from WestEnd Films where she held the same position since 2016. Before then, she had roles at Studiocanal, literary agency David Higham Associates, and TV companies Tiger Aspect and Company Pictures.

During her time at WestEnd she worked on Sophie Fiennes’ Grace Jones: Bloodlight And Bami, Vicky Jewson’s Close starring Noami Rapace which was recently picked up by Netflix, and Agnieszka Holland’s Gareth Jones starring James Norton and Vanessa Kirby.

Green joined Bankside this week and...

Sophie Nélisse, Eoin Macken and Game Of Thrones‘ Indira Varma have been added to the cast of Close, the action thriller that stars Noomi Rapace. Vicky Jewson co-wrote and is directing the pic, which kicked off principal photography today and will shoot in the UK and Morocco. Loosely based on the experiences of Jacqui Davis, one of the world's leading female bodyguards, the pic centers on Sam (Rapace) a close protection officer used to battlefield conditions who is hired…...

Vicky Jewson’s action film Close to benefit from new programme.

Thailand Film Office has announced that the first project to benefit from Thailand’s new incentives programme will be UK director Vicky Jewson’s [pictured] action drama Close.

Scheduled to start shooting in June, the film revolves around elite female bodyguards who offer ‘close’ protection to the rich and famous.

The film will be produced by London and Oxford-based Jewson Film/Whitaker Media, founded by Jewson and Rupert Whitaker to produce films featuring female protagonists. The company’s credits include Born Of War (2014), which Arclight Films handled internationally.

Launched by Thailand Film Office in January 2017, the new incentives offer a 15% to 20% rebate for qualifying productions with a local spend of over $1.4m (baht50m). Several countries were considered for the location of Close, but Charles Salmon of Thai Occidental Productions convinced Jewson to shoot in Thailand.

Jewson said: “Obviously I was aware of a number of productions...

Noomi Rapace is set to take the lead in upcoming action-thriller Close.

The film — which has been sent out to buyers ahead of Cannes, with London-based banner WestEnd handling worldwide sales — is based on the life of the world's leading female bodyguard and will see the Prometheus star play a counter-terrorism expert who takes on what should be a babysitting job protecting a rich teenage heiress. But a violent attempted kidnapping forces the two to go on the run, and then they've got to take some lives — or lose theirs.

Close is being directed by British helmer Vicky Jewson (Born of War), who co-wrote...

★★☆☆☆ Quote: "You can stand up for a principle and you can die, or you can walk away and live." This somewhat awkward line from a new low-budget British thriller, Born of War (2013), illustrates the tension at the heart of Vicky Jewson's sophomore feature. On one hand, it's an attempt to explore the murky ambiguities of conflict in Afghanistan over the past thirty years. There's undoubtedly potential in the set-up, and a young female director helming a hard-hitting female-led actioner is a positive sight to see. That same line of dialogue, though, is reflective of the clumsy delivery that plagues Jewson's follow up to 2008's Lady Godiva. Right from its opening salvo, the execution leaves a great deal to be desired.

Vicky Jewson’s action thriller Born of War is being released by Nikkatsu in Japan this weekend under the title Mia.

The film stars Sofia Black D’Elia and James Frain. The story is about a young girl avenging the death of her parents who is thrown into the world of international espionage.

Arclight Films’ Darclight label handles international sales and closed the deal with Nikkatsu.

The film was shot on location in the UK in Oxford, London and Scotland; Cyprus; and Jordan.

“From the start I wanted the film and the central heroine to have a blend of gritty reality that an audience could really get behind,” said Director Vicky Jewson. “She is an everyday girl facing extraordinary circumstances forcing the question when your life is in danger could you sand up and fight for it? I feel Born of War has achieved this as well as an edge of your seat pace. It is very...