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Exclusive: Veteran Broadway actor Emily Skinner will join Bridgerton star Luke Newton in the upcoming Off Broadway production House of McQueen, a new play about the late, famed fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen.

Skinner will play McQueen’s mother Joyce to Newton’s McQueen.

As Deadline reported exclusively yesterday, Darrah Cloud’s House of McQueen will begin previews August 19 at the new Off Broadway Manhattan venue The Mansion at Hudson Yards, with an official opening set for September 9. The limited engagement runs through November.

Skinner is one of Broadway’s most prominent musical stars having made her debut in 1997 in Jekyll & Hyde. Subsequent Broadway credits include Side Show, James Joyce’s The Dead, The Full Monty, Dinner at Eight, Billy Elliot, Prince of Broadway, The Cher Show, New York, New York and, most recently, last year’s Suffs.

Directed by Sam Helfrich,...

Luke Newton is set to make his New York stage debut in the upcoming play House of McQueen.

The 32-year-old actor will play the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen in the new Off-Broadway play, which will begin performances next month.

Luke is best known for playing Colin Bridgerton on the Netflix series Bridgerton, but he’s also an accomplished stage actor who has appeared in The Book of Mormon and The Shape of Things in London.

“It is our absolute pleasure to announce Luke’s involvement with House of McQueen,” said executive producer Rick Lazes in a statement (via Deadline). “We can’t think of anyone better suited to bring Lee’s story to life than this incredibly impressive multi-hyphenate.”

The play will begin preview performances on August 19 ahead of an official opening night on September 9 at The Mansion at Hudson Yards.

Here is the official synopsis of the play:...

Luke Newton is stepping into the world of fashion with some major shoes to fill. The actor, who broke through on the Regency-era Netflix series Bridgerton, has joined the cast of Darrah Cloud’s House of McQueen as the titular Lee Alexander McQueen. The off-Broadway production following the life and career of the famed designer will open at the Mansion at Hudson Yards later this summer.

“It is our absolute pleasure to announce Luke’s involvement with House of McQueen,” executive producer Rick Lazes said, per Deadline. “We can’t...

Exclusive: Bridgerton star Luke Newton will play the late fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen in a new Off Broadway play starting next month.

Darrah Cloud’s House of McQueen will begin previews August 19 at The Mansion at Hudson Yards, with an official opening set for September 9. Directing will be Sam Helfrich.

Newton’s London stage credits include The Book of Mormon and, most recently, Neil Labute’s The Shape of Things.

“It is our absolute pleasure to announce Luke’s involvement with House of McQueen,” said executive producer Rick Lazes. “We can’t think of anyone better suited to bring Lee’s story to life than this incredibly impressive multi-hyphenate.”

The official synopsis: “The play will take guests through Lee’s layered individual experience, from his early days as an emerging designer, to later building one of the most important fashion houses in the world, and ultimately his tragic passing in 2010. Within the performance,...

Kevin Spacey Crime Pic ‘Peter Five Eight’ Added To Jinga AFM Lineup

Exclusive: UK genre specialist Jinga Films has added crime caper Peter Five Eight, starring Kevin Spacey, Jet Jandreau and Rebecca De Mornay, to its AFM line up. Written and directed by Michael Zaiko Hall and produced by Mad Honey Productions, Forever Safe Productions, Ascent Films and Ltd Films, the film sees a glamorous real estate agent in a small mountain community revealed to be an unhinged alcoholic with a dark secret. Invincible has theatrically released the movie in the U.S. and Phoenicia Pictures has acquired all rights for Middle East and Turkey. Invincible acquired the movie from Vmi, which previously handled sales on it.

Doc On Transgender Boxing Promoter Kellie Maloney Weighs In At Verdi

Exclusive: Verdi Productions has acquired domestic distribution rights to Knockout Blonde, the doc detailing the life of transgender boxing promoter Kellie Maloney.

Exclusive: Bleed For This producer Chad A. Verdi is lining up movie biopics of Muhammad Ali Jr. and Lennox Lewis’s former manager Kellie Maloney.

Verdi is already in production on two documentaries about the subjects and next year is planning to make the two feature dramas.

Verdi, an executive-producer on Martin Scorsese movies The Irishman and Silence, is making his directorial debut on documentary My Father Muhammad Ali: The Untold Story alongside co-director Tom DeNucci (Vault).

The doc, which is said to have full buy-in from its subject, will chart Ali Jr.’s struggle growing up as the son of “the greatest”. The film will tell the story of the champion boxer through the eyes of his only biological son and explore themes of bullying, abandonment, addiction, family, and finding peace.

The narrative feature, which Verdi is aiming to make next fall, will touch on similar themes to the...

Exclusive: Screen Media Ventures has acquired all North American rights to the boxing doc Lennox Lewis: The Untold Story and plans a Q4 launch.

The documentary, originally titled Tough Love: The Lennox Lewis Documentary, was set to premiere at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival before the fest was cancelled due to the pandemic.

The film chronicles the childhood, rise and domination of Lewis, the last boxer to hold the undisputed heavyweight title. Narrated by Dr. Dre, it features interviews with the fighter’s toughest opponents, including Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield.

We spoke to Lewis about the film earlier this year and debuted the film’s first trailer.

Directed by Rick Lazes and Seth Koch, the feature was written by Josh Dubin and Koch. Producers are The Irishman executive producer Chad A. Verdi, Rick Lazes, Nick Koskoff and Tom DeNucci. Emma Tillinger Koskoff (Joker) and Michelle Verdi (Wander) are executive producers.