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A new crop of tributes are entering the arena. Laura Marcus, Percy Daggs IV, Rada Rae and Jhaleil Swaby have joined the cast of Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on The Reaping.”

They join previously announced ensemble members Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, Ralph Fiennes, McKenna Grace, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Maya Hawke, Whitney Peak, Jesse Plemons, Billy Porter, Lili Taylor, Ben Wang and Joseph Zada.

Laura Marcus stars as Silka, the career tribute from District 1. Later in 2025, Marcus will star in Netflix’s “Death By Lighting” as former U.S. president James Garfield’s daughter Mollie Garfield. She can currently be seen in the Hulu/Disney+ series “Andor” as Beela. Marcus previously starred as Elisabeth in “The Serpent Queen” for Starz, Jinx in BBC’s “Bad Education”, BBC’s “The Jetty” as Caitlin, Amazon Studios “The Devil’s Hour”, and her film starring roles include “The Great Escaper.”

Daggs...

The Hunger Games and Peaky Blinders star Sam Claflin's new period drama has received a season order from PBS Masterpiece. Claflin leads a new adaptation of author Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo.

The public broadcaster has ordered The Count of Monte Cristo along with picking Michael Caine's final acting role in The Great Escaper. Claflin leads The Count of Monte Cristo as the doomed sailor Edmond Dantes, a sailor who is wrongfully imprisoned for treason and locked away in a grime island prison known as the Château d’If.

Sam Claflin Will Play the Classical Literary Hero Edmond Dantes

The official synopsis for The Count of Monte Cristo reads: "After many years of captivity, Dantes finally escapes and discovers treasure, making him one of the richest men in the world. Under the identity of the Count of Monte Cristo, he plans to take revenge on those who wrongly accused him.

PBS Masterpiece has officially acquired rights to The Count of Monte Cristo, a high-profile new TV series adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ legendary revenge tale. A collaborative production between Italy's Palomar and France's Demd Productions, the internationally ambitious project was shot entirely in English. It stars British actor Sam Claflin (Daisy Jones and the Six) in the lead role of Edmond Dantès, along with Egot winner Jeremy Irons (The Borgias) as Abbé Faria, Edmond's friend and confidante. The series originally premiered at the 19th Rome Film Festival in October 2024 and aired in Switzerland, Sweden, and Italy. Now, PBS Masterpiece is set to bring this fresh take on the iconic tale to American audiences.

Masterpieces Head of Scripted Content and Executive Producer Susanne Simpson announced at the PBS Annual Meeting that The Count of Monte Cristo was acquired alongside the British film The Great Escaper, saying in a statement, “I couldn...

After one of the greatest cinematic acting careers in history, Michael Caine has retired from show business. And now his final performance, in the 2023 British film The Great Escaper, is set to make its U.S. TV debut. PBS' long-running anthology series Masterpiece will air the film this fall. Masterpiece has also acquired the 2024 miniseries adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo, which stars Sam Claflin in the title role; it will premiere in 2026.

The Great Escaper stars Caine as real-life World War II veteran Bernard Jordan. Living in a nursing home in 2014, he hopes to attend the 70th anniversary ceremony for the D-Day landings in Normandy, but can't get a place on a group tour. Undeterred, he makes a daring escape from the home. The Great Escaper also features the final performance from Oscar-winning actor Glenda Jackson, who died shortly after completing it; she plays Irene, Jordan's wife of sixty years.

Which PBS TV shows have been cancelled? How many episodes are there this season? Has a series already been renewed for next season? Below, you'll find a list of PBS' recent/current/upcoming scripted TV shows and their current status.

TV shows like All Creatures Great and Small, Call the Midwife, The Count of Monte Cristo, Endeavour, D.I. Ray, The Forsyte Saga, Grantchester, The Great Escaper, Marble Hall Murders, Marie Antoinette, Miss Scarlet, Moonflower Murders, Mr. Bates vs The Post Office, Patience, Ridley, Tom Jones, Unforgotten, Vienna Blood, Wolf Hall, World on Fire, ...

Masterpiece has picked up The Great Escaper and The Count of Monte Cristo, and they will air on for US audiences. The Great Escaper will arrive later this year, and The Count of Monte Cristo is set for a 2026 release.

Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson, in their final roles, star in The Great Escaper. The series tells the true story of Bernard Jordan (Caine), who escaped his care home to join fellow war veterans on a beach in Normandy to celebrate the 70th anniversary of D-Day.

As for The Count of Monte Cristo, Masterpiece shared the following about the series:

“The Count of Monte Cristo is a lushly lensed adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ iconic masterpiece. In the epic series directed by two-time Palme d’Or and Oscar®-winner Bille August, Sam Claflin (Daisy Jones and the Six) stars as Edmond...

Mariska Hargitay will shine the spotlight on her mother, actress Jayne Mansfield, in the documentary My Mom Jayne, premiering Friday, June 27 at 8/7c on HBO.

“Mariska Hargitay was three years old when her mother, Jayne Mansfield, tragically died in a car accident at the age of 34,” reads the official description. “The film follows Mariska as she seeks to know, understand, and embrace her mother for the first time. Through intimate interviews and a collection of never-before-seen photos and home movies, she grapples with her mother’s public and private legacy and discovers the layers and depth of who Jayne was,...

Masterpiece has nabbed two programs for the 2025 and 2026 season — The Great Escaper featuring Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson in their final acting roles, and The Count of Monte Cristo starring Sam Claflin and Jeremy Irons.

The Great Escaper, which will premiere this fall in the U.S., tells the true story of Bernard Jordan (Caine) who made global headlines in the summer of 2014 after staging a “great escape” from his care home to join fellow war veterans on a beach in Normandy to commemorate D-Day’s 70th anniversary.

Bernie’s adventure that spanned a mere 48 hours also marked the culmination of his 60-year marriage to Rene (Jackson). The Great Escaper celebrates their enduring love but always with an eye to the lessons we might learn from the Greatest Generation.

From Pathé and BBC Films, The Great Escaper is an Ecosse Film production made in co-production with Film I Väst and Filmgate Films.

PBS Masterpiece has acquired The Great Escaper, starring Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson in their final acting roles, and The Count of Monte Cristo, starring Sam Claflin and Jeremy Irons, for its 2025 and 2026 seasons. The network announced the acquisition on Wednesday, May 21. The Great Escaper is a British film that first debuted in October 2023 in the U.K. It will air on PBS Masterpiece this fall in its U.S. television debut. Two-time Palme d’Or and Oscar-winner Bille August is at the helm of this latest adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo, which already aired in Italy to much success. The adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ iconic masterpiece will premiere on PBS in 2026. An exact premiere date will be announced at a later time for the eight-episode limited series. Masterpiece Head of Scripted Content and Executive Producer Susanne Simpson announced the acquisitions at the PBS Annual Meeting today (May...

Exclusive: French mini-major Pathé sent shockwaves through the UK cinema industry in 2023 when it emerged it was pulling out of film distribution and production in the country to focus uniquely on scripted TV series in the territory.

The move coincided with the retirement of longtime Pathé UK cinema-focused head Cameron McCracken and left Faith Penhale in charge as managing director of the refocused TV development and production subsidiary.

The development of English-language projects was shifted over to the Pathé HQ in Paris.

The French studio’s retreat from UK cinema was regarded as the end of an era. Pathé UK had left its mark on the local and international cinema landscape, having supported titles such as Slumdog Mllionaire, The Queen, The Iron Lady, Philomena and The Great Escaper, to name a few.

Two years later, Pathé President Ardavan Safaee has revealed that the company is mulling a return to film...

On May 2nd, Saban Films and Blue Fox will be giving the shark thriller Fear Below a digital, On Demand, and limited theatrical release – and with that release date right around the corner, a trailer for the film has dropped online! You can check it out in the embed above.

Directed by Matthew Holmes, who also wrote the screenplay with Gregory Moss, Fear Below has the following synopsis: When a gang of ruthless criminals loses their stolen gold in a river, they turn to a team of desperate, down-on-their-luck divers to retrieve it. What begins as a high-stakes recovery mission quickly spirals when the divers soon find themselves in the company of a vicious bull shark, but the dangers in the water are only a fraction of the dangers that wait for them above. What helps make this movie stand out among the many shark thrillers we get every year...

Netflix has just turned the Bat-signal on to attract all subscribers and it's not a hoax. In order to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Batman Begins, the streamer decided to bring the whole trilogy helmed by Cristopher Nolan (Oppenheimer) into the catalog. With entries still ranked among the best superhero movies ever made, the trilogy still serves as reference for tone and how to create the perfect villain. You can stream all movies as early as today.

It's baffling to realize, but it's been almost 20 years since Nolan decided to bring a different approach to the superhero genre. The British director decided to set Batman Begins in a more grounded version of Gotham City, and made the bold move of only showing the title character one hour into the movie. Before that, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has a whole arc in which he loses his parents, flees Gotham, spends a...

Jonathan Swift's classic tale, Gulliver's Travels, has been adapted for the big screen many, many times since movies were invented (like the 1939 animated film seen in the image above). But it looks like ol' Lemuel Gulliver is about to set sail on the small screen, in a new adaptation from the Oscar-nominated Uberto Pasolini. The Italian writer/director/producer is perhaps most well-known for bringing The Full Monty to cinemas, having conceived of the idea that Simon Beaufoy went on to write and Peter Cattaneo then directed. But unlike other, older iterations of the tale, this one is said to lean heavily into the original story's satirical elements.

According to a new report from Variety, British screenwriter William Ivory is slated to pen all six episodes of the project, but that Pasolini will serve as showrunner. The series is being billed as a "high-end show," with an international pedigree...

Jonathan Swift’s classic satirical novel Gulliver’s Travels is getting a fresh, ambitious retelling for the small screen, with Italian filmmakerUberto Pasoliniattached as the showrunner. The series aims to provide a fun, feel-good vibe to the 18th-century tale, whilst keeping its sharp social commentary. Pasolini, a former investment banker cum director best known for his work on the 2013 drama Still Life and the 1997 hit The Full Monty (as producer), appears to be a fitting choice to steer the revival of Gulliver’s Travels.

Published in 1726, Gulliver’s Travels follows the adventures of Lemuel Gulliver, an intrepid voyager who encounters various societies, including the diminutive Lilliputians, the giant Brobdingnagians, the scientifically-obsessed Laputans, and the noble yet detached Houyhnhnms. A classic part of English literature, the four-part book combines adventure with savage satire, mocking English customs and the politics of the day.

British writer William Ivory has been tapped to pen the screenplay for the six-episode project.

Gulliver's Travels is set to get a 'fun' television series adaptation helmed by The Full Monty producer Uberto Pasolini. More information on the show is expected to be revealed during the 2025 Series Mania festival in Lille.

Per Variety, the Gulliver's Travels TV series will be a six-episode project. Along with Pasolini as showrunner, We Want Sex and The Great Escaper writer William Ivory is confirmed to be on board to pen the show's screenplay. The show is currently in the early stages of development, with no specific casting details available at this time. The next step for the project will be to find broadcasting partners, with production hopefully getting underway at the end of 2025.

While no casting announcements were ready at this time, Pasolini said that they were looking for a "British actor for the main role". He also hinted at a diverse cast for the project, saying the adaptation...

Oscar-nominated multi-hyphenate Uberto Pasolini – who produced “The Full Monty” and most recently directed “The Return,” starring Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus – has embarked on a TV series adaptation of Jonathan Swift’s classic satirical adventure “Gulliver’s Travels.”

Prominent British writer William Ivory is writing the screenplay for the six-episode project on which Pasolini will serve as showrunner. The high-end show, now in early stages, is being produced by Italy’s Roberto Sessa (“The Sea Beyond”) and Germany’s Jan Wünschmann. It will be unveiled to prospective broadcasters during the Series Mania festival in Lille.

World sales will be jointly handled by Germany’s Beta Film and Zdf Studios.

“What Gulliver allows us to do today is to make something really, really fun,” Pasolini told Variety. But at the same time – very much like Swift did in his time – to talk about the world around us; to talk about politics; to talk...

Sean Connery and Michael Caine co-starred in A Bridge Too Far, a massively underrated war epic that received mixed reviews from critics on its initial release, but deserves a lot more love. Connery is best known for playing James Bond in six official movies (and one unofficial one), but he was a screen legend outside his connection to the role of 007. He starred in a wide range of movies, from the psychological thriller Marnie to the Agatha Christie whodunit Murder on the Orient Express. He worked with such legendary directors as Alfred Hitchcock, Sidney Lumet, and John Huston.

These days, Caine is perhaps best known for his collaborations with Christopher Nolan, having played Alfred Pennyworth in The Dark Knight trilogy and Professor John Brand in Interstellar. Caine played his own iconic spy character, Harry Palmer, across five movies, and starred in such classics as Get Carter, The Italian Job, and Hannah and Her Sisters,...

Legendary actors Michael Caine and Tom Cruise have known each other for a long time, but did you know the duo met before the latter was even famous? In new details of their first encounter, Caine reveals that the then-budding young actor asked him for advice and what, exactly, the elder British icon thought of the young lad at the time.

The new quotes come from Don't Look Back, You'll Trip Over: My Guide to Life, Caine's new memoir, as excerpted by UK newspaper, The Sunday Times (via Deadline). The actor was "doing a big event for Educating Rita," hhis 1983 film, when he turned around to find a "young actor, very polite, asking questions about how not to be just a flash in the pan."

That young actor was, of course, a pre-fame Tom Cruise. "Probably around the time of Risky Business."

Related Michael Caine Announces Acting Retirement: "You Dont...

At 91 and with more than 70 years(!) in the industry, Michael Caine has obviously come across some of the most powerful talents to ever hit the screen. But one that stood out even at the start of his career was Tom Cruise, who Michael Caine remembers as a dynamic, eager up-and-comer who wanted to make a name in Hollywood.

Speaking with The Sunday Times, Michael Caine recalled the first time he met Tom Cruise. “I’ve known Tom for more than 40 years. We were doing a big event for Educating Rita (1983) and I turned around and there was this young actor, very polite, asking questions about how not to be just a flash in the pan. That was Tom, probably around the time of Risky Business.” Keep in mind that Cruise was just now trying to get his movie stardom going, with 1983 being his real breakout year after supporting roles in...

Two-time Academy Award Winning Actor Sir Michael Caine, who is releasing a new memoir this spring, is opening up about the first time he met Tom Cruise. Per The Times, which released an excerpt of his new book, Dont Look Back, Youll Trip Over My Guide to Life, Caine talked about meeting Cruise in 1983.

For my 90th birthday, Shakira - my wife of 51 years - arranged for Tom Cruise to come to my dinner at the River Caf as a surprise. I was very touched, Caine, now 91, wrote. Ive known Tom for more than 40 years. We were doing a big event for Educating Rita (1983) and I turned around and there was this young actor, very polite, asking questions about how not to be just a flash in the pan.

That was Tom, probably around the time of Risky Business, Caine wrote, referring to one of Cruises breakout roles. I cant remember what I said,...

BBC Studios’ natural history series “Asia,” narrated by David Attenborough, will premiere in China on Nov. 5 across multiple platforms, BBC Studios president of global markets Nick Percy revealed at the Shanghai-London Screen Industry Forum held at BAFTA in London on Friday.

The seven-part series will launch on Dragon TV and streaming platforms iQIYI, Tencent Video, Youku and Bilibili through partnerships with Shanghai Media Group and Phoenix TV. Filmed over nearly four years, the series explores locations from the Himalayas to the Western Pacific, featuring wildlife stories including elephants that have learned to stop buses to steal food in Sri Lanka and sea snakes hunting in partnership with fish.

Percy also highlighted BBC Studios’ expanding partnership with Shanghai Media Group, including the upcoming Chinese adaptation of BBC’s long-running crime series “Silent Witness,” titled “Forensic,” announced at Mipcom earlier this week.

The forum, in its second edition, drew over 230 industry professionals.

"That's the thing about folks like us, Artie. We're all living with ghosts." Samuel Goldwyn Films in the US has revealed a new US trailer for the drama titled The Last Rifleman, made by filmmaker Terry Loane. This already opened in the UK last year - we posted the first trailer almost a year ago but it's only opening in the US now. Another patriotic "never forget!" story about old WWII veterans – this film tells the exact same story as The Great Escaper with Michael Caine. The same exact characters and everything. A WWII veteran escapes his care home in Northern Ireland and embarks on an arduous but inspirational journey to France to attend the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, finding the courage to face the ghosts of his past. The film stars Pierce Brosnan (in prosthetics) as 92 & 3/4-years-old Artie Crawford, Clemence Poesy, John Amos, Jürgen Prochnow, Claire Rafferty,...

Update: Reports indicate that John Amos died of congestive heart failure, according to the actor’s death certificate. Sadly, Amos’s daughter, Shannon, did not learn about her father’s death until news outlets posted the story on social media. In an Instagram post, Shannon Amos said she is “without words” after learning about her father’s passing in such an impersonal way.

“I am without words…Our family has received the heartbreaking news that my Dad, John Allen Amos, Jr., transitioned on August 21st,” she wrote. “We are devastated and left with many questions about how this happened 45 days ago, learning about it through the media like so many of you.”

Original Article: The hits keep coming this week as word reaches the masses that John Amos, the beloved actor who played James Evans Sr. on Good Times, Cleo McDowell from Eddie Murphy’s 1988 comedy Coming to America, and much more,...

Hollywood star Michael Caine, who retired after starring in The Great Escaper, has experienced a wealth of adventures over his decades-long acting career. Yet, his most remarkable journey might be the one he embarked on for love.

Michael Caine’s The Great Escaper | Credit: Pathé

The actor has an intriguing and remarkable love story as a single glimpse of his wife, Shakira Caine, in a TV commercial convinced him that she was the one he wanted to spend his life with.

How a TV Commercial Sparked Michael Caine’s Lifetime Romance

Rising to fame and stardom in the film industry, actor Michael Caine also had his share of romantic linkups. However, the actor decided to move past the quick flings once he laid his eyes on his wife, Shakira Caine.

Shakira Caine | Credit: Allan Warren/Cca-by-sa-3.0/Wikimedia Commons

The couple has been married for 50 years and the actor continues to...

Michael Caine took a trip down memory lane, reminiscing about his iconic role in The Dark Knight Trilogy. The 91-year-old actor shared some nostalgic moments on X, posting throwback images of himself as Alfred in Christopher Nolan's critically acclaimed Batman films.

Along with a screen capture from one of the movies, Caine captioned, "Alfred was alright, wasn't he?" Fans quickly responded with praise for his performance, overwhelmingly agreeing with his sentiment. Central to the trilogy's emotional and narrative depth is Caine's portrayal of Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's loyal butler and confidant. Caine's performance infused the series with warmth; his paternal wisdom and unwavering support for Bruce were pivotal. His role humanied the Dark Knight, offering moments of vulnerability and moral clarity amidst the chaos.

Alfred was alright wasn't he? pic.twitter.com/RzJAmsx9I8 Michael Caine (@themichaelcaine) August 1, 2024

Related The Dark Knight Trilogy Co-Writer 'Absolutely' Wants a Fourth Installment...

Jenna Coleman is Detective Ember Manning in the BBC’s newly released trailer for The Jetty.

The series, launching on BBC iPlayer and BBC One on July 15, sees the Doctor Who alum investigating a case that threatens to unravel threads of her past. After a fire tears through a property in a lakeside Lancashire town in England, Manning must work out how it connects to a podcast journalist investigating a missing persons cold case and an illicit relationship between a man in his twenties and two underage girls.

Created and written by Cat Jones and produced by Firebird Pictures for the BBC, the four-part mystery examines sexual morality, age of consent, grooming, identity and memory.

Alongside Coleman stars Archie Renaux (Shadow and Bone, The Greatest Beer Run) as Ember’s sidekick Hitch, with Laura Marcus (Bad Education, The Great Escaper), Bo Bragason (The Radleys, Three Girls), Amelia Bullmore (Gentleman Jack,...

The heroism of D-Day veterans is immortalized in various films, from thrillers to rom-coms, offering something for every movie lover. Over the years, Hollywood has produced iconic D-Day movies, highlighting the multi-pronged assault of the Normandy invasion from different angles. From documentaries to romantic comedies, each film provides a unique perspective on the historic event, capturing the emotions of soldiers involved.

The best D-Day movies chronicle the world-changing moment of World War II in various ways. It has been 80 years since the D-Day invasions changed the course of World War II and the events of that day changed the world forever. Such an iconic moment in history meant that Hollywood would get inspired to produce several films that reference D-Day to pay homage to it. It's fascinating to see just how many films about the subject were made, and how effective they were. Whether they're for history experts or complete novices,...

The UK-Ireland box office showed positive signs across the first quarter (Q1) of 2024, with UK drama performing particularly well, while the second quarter (Q2) is off to a sluggish start.

Total box office from January to mid-April grossed £217m, a 17% increase from 2023, according to figures from the British Film Institute (BFI).*

This figure relates to 242 films, including Ireland-only releases but excluding event cinema releases and five Netflix films that did not report their box office.

Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Two was the highest-grossing release in Q1, with £38m at the UK and Ireland box office. Warner Bros also released One Life,...

Renowned for his visionary filmmaking, Christopher Nolan has established a strong working relationship with a select group of actors, including Christian Bale, Cillian Murphy, and Michael Caine, who has starred in every Nolan film since Batman Begins, including The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception, The Prestige, Interstellar, and Tanet, along with an uncredited cameo in Dunkirk.

Christian Bale, Michael Caine, and Christopher Nolan on the set of The Dark Knight | Credit: IMDb

His seamless presence in these movies has been so remarkable that when Caine declined to star in Oppenheimer, the filmmaker turned to an ensemble of Hollywood heavyweights to fill the void left by his most frequent collaborator.

Michael Caine Declined Christopher Nolan’s Offer to Star in Oppenheimer

Michael Caine has been the most frequent collaborator of Christopher Nolan, having worked together on seven films since their first movie together Batman Begins. However, their long-standing partnership was interrupted by the 2023 Oscar-winning film,...

Margot Robbie and Rosamund Pike are among the nominees for the National Film Awards.The stars of 'Barbie' and 'Saltburn' respectively will compete against talent including Patricia Hodge ('Arthur's Whiskey'), Jo Hartley ('Swede Caroline'), Eiza Gonzalez ('The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare') and Emma Stone ('Poor Things)' in a star-studded Best Actress category.This year's ceremony is set to take place on July 3 at the Porchester Hall in London and marks the 10th anniversary of the prestigious awards. It will feature a lineup of nominees from around the globe consisting of seasoned acting veterans and emerging young talents.The Best Actor category is equally competitive with stars including Barry Keoghan ('Saltburn), Kevin Hart ('Lift') and Ewan McGregor ('Bleeding Love') competing for the prize with Kane Robinson ('The Kitchen') and Lakeith Stanfield ('Book of Clarence').Meanwhile,...

The second slate for the upcoming Red Lorry Film Festival has been unveiled, and it features many award-winning films and TV series across a wide spectrum of languages and genres. The inaugural edition of the film festival will feature over 100 films.

These titles include iconic films like ‘A Few Good Men’, ‘Jerry Maguire’, ‘Love Actually’, ‘The Great Escaper’ and ‘Escape To Victory’.

The Emma Stone-starrer ‘Poor Things’, which is based on the 1992 novel by Alasdair Gray, will also be screened at the festival along with other titles like ‘Last Swim’, ‘The Good Teacher’, ‘Yolo’, ‘100 Yen Love’, ‘Amal’ and ‘Reawakening’.

Sriram Raghavan, Ambassador of Red Lorry Film Festival, said, “It is an exciting and rewarding experience to be a part of Red Lorry Film Festival. I am ecstatic to be a part of the movie selection process and bring to you an array of diverse films through this festival. The...

Casting

Cold War thriller “Whispers of Freedom” has set its principal cast, Variety has learned. “Masters of the Air” alum Cameron Ashplant will play the film’s lead, young East German Chris Gueffroy, while Darragh Cowley (who also appeared in “Masters of the Air”) co-stars as his close friend Christian Gaudian.

Set in 1980s East Germany, the film is written and directed by Brandon Ashplant. It follows Chris and Christian as they try to escape the isolated Eastern bloc state. Wendy Makkena (“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”) joins as Chris’s mother Karin and Paul Freeman (“Raiders of the Lost Ark”) as East German leader Erich Honecker. Wolf Kahler (“The Great Escaper”) joins in a supporting role as Bruno Kabát.

“Whispers of Freedom” goes into production next month. It is produced by Jonathan Tammuz and Golden Goat Films.

Documentary

BBC Storyville has acquired documentary “We Will Dance Again” (working...

Pathé has defended its 2022 film “The Lost King” — starring Steve Coogan and produced by his company Baby Cow Productions — after legal action was launched by the one of the real-life characters it depicts.

Richard Taylor, a former deputy registrar at the U.K.’s University of Leicester, is suing Coogan, alongside his BBC Studios-owned Baby Cow, and Pathé Productions over his depiction in the feature, which chronicles the story of how the remains of British monarch King Richard III were eventually discovered in Leicester in 2012.

On Thursday, Taylor’s lawyer told London’s High Court that the character based on him (played by Lee Ingleby) was “dismissive, patronising and misogynistic” toward the historian Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins), according to the BBC.

“Ms Langley is portrayed as the gutsy underdog heroine struggling against opposition and the claimant as the arrogant villain,” wrote Taylor’s lawyer. “He not only takes steps to...

Steve Coogan and the makers of The Lost King are being sued over the portrayal of a university official in their Richard III film.

Richard Taylor, a former University of Leicester deputy registrar is suing the actor-writer, his BBC Studios-owned production company Baby Cow Productions and Pathé Productions, claiming the performance presents him as “dismissive, patronising and misogynistic.”

Lee Ingleby played Taylor in the film, which was about the real-life discovery of Richard III’s remains under a council car park in Leicester in 2012.

The Stephen Frears-directed film focuses on the role played by historian Philippa Langley (played by Sally Hawkins) in the discovery, and debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022.

Coogan starred as Langley’s husband, and produced and co-wrote the film with Jeff Pope, who also co-wrote Coogan’s multi-Oscar-nominated 2013 film Philomena. Coogan did not attend the High Court hearing.

Taylor’s barrister claimed...

Jenna Coleman had “avoided” playing a detective – until she was approached about playing rookie cop Ember Manning in a scenic lake town in Lancashire in North West England in BBC Studios’ The Jetty from creator and writer Cat Jones and Firebird Pictures.

“What appealed to me was that the character of Ember was completely there on page one,” she tells The Hollywood Reporter. “Also, it’s a crime thriller, but it’s wrapped up in such a human, emotive, and poetic piece. It is crafted so it has all of the great things of a crime thriller – turning the page and having all of the beats. But it’s also such a feminine piece that really explores relationships and provokes. It has all sorts of blurred boundaries and is asking a lot of uncomfortable questions without fully answering them.”

The four-part series, a Firebird Pictures production for the BBC, is...

“Oppenheimer” was notably marketed in the press as the sixth collaboration between director Christopher Nolan and star Cillian Murphy, who was finally getting his chance to lead a Nolan movie after five supporting turns in films such as “Batman Begins” and “Dunkirk.” Nolan has another longtime collaborator in Michael Caine, who got a special shoutout when the filmmaker accepted the BFI Fellowship this week at the British Film Institute chairman’s dinner (via The Independent).

Nolan, who many awards pundits agree is the BAFTA and Oscar frontrunner for best director and best picture thanks to “Oppenheimer,” remembered Caine joking to him about not being able to star in the atomic bomb epic.

”Okay, enough is enough,” Caine told his frequent collaborator.

“I had to go off on my own,” Nolan said about his reaction to Caine sitting “Oppenheimer” out. “So, okay, I haven’t got Michael Caine, I’d better get Matt Damon,...

Although total UK-Ireland box office revenue increased by 4% in 2023 compared to 2022, revenue for UK-qualifying independent films fell by 49% in the same period, according to statistics from the British Film Institute (BFI) released today (February 1).

The total box office revenue for UK qualifying independent films in 2023 was £37.8m, down from the £74.7m total revenue in 2022. The box office market share of UK-qualifying independent films was 3.8%. This is less than half of the share achieved for the same period in 2022 and is the second-lowest share of the past 20 years.

The Great Escaper was the highest-grossing UK independent release with a total box office of £5.3m.

Although total UK-Ireland box office revenue increased by 4% in 2023 compared to 2022, revenue for UK-qualifying independent films fell by 49% in the same period, according to statistics from the British Film Insitute (BFI) released today (February 1).

The total box office revenue for UK qualifying independent films in 2023 was £37.8m, down from the £74.7m total revenue in 2022. The box office market share of UK-qualifying independent films was 3.8%. This is less than half of the share achieved for the same period in 2022 and is the second-lowest share of the past 20 years.

The Great Escaper was the highest-grossing UK independent release with a total box office of £5.3m.

The film and TV production boom in the U.K. came to a grinding halt in 2023 amid the Hollywood writers and actors strikes.

According to the British Film Institute, the total spend on film and high-end TV production last year reached £4.23 billion ($5.37 billion) from 394 productions, down 35 percent from £6.27 billion ($7.72 billion) in 2022 as previously reported.

U.K. production spend is counted in the statistics for the year in which principal photography starts, which means shoots started in 2023 but then paused because of the strikes are fully attributed to 2023.

Or as the BFI noted: “If a production starts but then pauses, the total spend for the production is incorporated into the period’s spend data at that point, even if production restarts and concludes much later.”

Despite the drop in spend in 2023 following two years of records, the BFI highlighted that “this is the fourth-highest combined film and high-end TV spend reported...

Spend on UK film and high-end TV slid sharply to £4.23B ($5.3B) in the strike-hit 2023, according to the BFI’s latest annual stats.

The figure was 35% down on a record 2022, the BFI said, while floating the silver lining of £4.3B being nearly level with 2019’s pre-Covid spend. There were other green shoots such as a small rise in cinema admissions.

It will come as little surprise that the figures fell so starkly given that the latter half of the year saw film and high-end TV production severely dented due to the writers and actors strikes across the pond.

Film production in the UK fell to £1.36B in 2023 spend, a 31% drop on 2022’s figure, while high-end TV was down by the larger 38% to £2.9B. As with the past few years, high-end TV made up the brunt of overall production spend at around two-thirds.

Of the total £1.36B spent on 207 film productions,...

The U.K.’s film and TV industry took a massive hit following last year’s writers and actors strikes, latest figures show.

While the U.K.’s production industry continues to generate billions, inward investment spend on film and high-end TV dropped to £3.31 billion ($4.22 billion) in 2023, a drop of 39 percent on 2022’s £5.37 billion. According to a new report by the British Film Institute, overall spend for 2023 was £4.23 billion ($5.3 billion), down 32 percent on 2022’s £6.27 billion.

The previous two years had seen record figures thanks to the U.K.’s robust Covid response as well as a concurrent production bottle-neck.

The latest total, published by the BFI’s Research and Statistics Unit, is on par with pre-pandemic numbers.

Worryingly — but in line with predictions – the majority of that spend (£2.9 billion) came from just 168 high-end TV shows, including fare such as “Slow Horses,” “Doctor Who” and “The Crown.” Last year a total...

Total box office crosses £1bn for first time since pandemic.

Total box office for 2023 in the UK and Ireland increased 8% compared with 2022; with the year-end takings crossing £1bn for the first time since the pandemic.

The final 2023 box office came in at £1,062,047,498, according to figures released by Comscore. That is up from £980,516,136 in 2022 – an increase of 8.3%.

It is the first time annual box office has crossed £1bn since 2019, when it was £1.35bn; with £1.38bn in both 2018 and 2017.

Republic of Ireland showed the strongest year-on-year growth in 2023, up 13%; with Wales up 10%, Northern Ireland up 9% and England and Scotland both up 8%.

The number of new releases increased,...

Battle of the titans: Oppenheimer, Barbie, Poor Things and Killers Of The Flower Moon

Barbie, Oppenheimer and Killers Of The Flower Moon and leading the BAFTA race this year, with 15 nods apiece on the longlists announced today. With Poor Things on 14, the stage is set for a clash between titans, but there are plenty of other, smaller films which could still deliver surprise results.

The longlists, which were developed to clarify voter options and as part of an effort to improve diversity, will give way to shorter lists of formal nominations on 18 January. The winners will then be announced on 18 February, in a ceremony to be hosted by David Tennant.

Those lists in full:-

Best Film All Of Us Strangers Anatomy Of A Fall Barbie The Holdovers Killers Of The Flower Moon Maestro Oppenheimer Past Lives Poor Things The Zone Of Interest

Outstanding British Film All Of Us Strangers Chicken Run...

The U.K. and Ireland box office revenue improved 8.3% from £980.5 million ($1.25 billion) in 2022 to £1.06 billion ($1.35 billion) in 2023, according to numbers released by Comscore. However, the number was 23.5% below the 2019 pre-pandemic total of £1.35 billion ($1.72 billion).

2023, the first full year since 2019 without any Covid-19 restrictions, marked the first post-pandemic year to achieve over £1 billion. Prior to the pandemic, annual box office had exceeded £1.3 billion in each of the five years through 2019.

Of the five nations and regions making up the U.K. and Ireland territory, the Republic of Ireland had the strongest year-on-year growth, with box office 13% higher than 2022. Box office in Wales rose by 10%, with Northern Ireland up 9% and England and Scotland both rising by 8%.

The number of new releases in 2023 soared to 1,013 up from 929 in 2022 and 938 in 2019.

2023 saw an improvement in the number of blockbuster releases, as Covid-driven production delays receded. The number of saturation releases (films playing in more...

The British Academy has unveiled the results of the first round of voting across all 24 categories for the 2024 BAFTA Film Awards, with a perhaps unsurprising trio of films at the top.

The cultural phenomenon that was “Barbenheimer” has continued to smash its way into awards season, with both “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” named in 15 categories, including best film and director. But joining the two with 15 slots, making it a three-way tie going into the final nominations, is “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Last year, only “All Quiet on the Western Front” earned 15 longlist places, with the film going on to dominate the awards ceremony (and winning best film).

Further down, “Poor Things” was named in 14 categories, “Maestro” in 12 and “Saltburn” in 11, with “Saltburn” missing out on a best film slot. Other U.K. films fared well, with “The Zone of Interest” and “All of Us Strangers” named in 10 categories (including best film), “Wonka” in eight,...

“Barbenheimer” keeps making a splash. The British Academy on Friday unveiled the longlists for its 2024 BAFTA Film Awards in all 24 categories, and Greta Gerwig’s pink juggernaut Barbie, Christopher Nolan’s biographical epic Oppenheimer and Martin Scorsese’s Western crime drama Killers of the Flower Moon are leading the pack with 15 mentions each. They are followed by Yorgos Lanthimos’ black-comedy science fantasy Poor Things with 14.

Meanwhile, Maestro earned 12 longlists mentions, Saltburn 11, while The Zone of Interest and All of Us Strangers got 10 each.

Among the leading actors and actresses featuring on the longlists are such names as Margot Robbie, Emma Stone, Sandra Hüller, Lily Gladstone, Annette Bening, Carey Mulligan, Bradley Cooper, Andrew Scott, Jeffrey Wright, Cillian Murphy, Paul Giamatti, Colman Domingo and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Hüller, who has drawn serious awards buzz for two movies, proved why on Friday. She features on the BAFTA longlists for leading actress for her work in Anatomy of a Fall,...

‘Barbie’, ‘Oppenheimer’, ‘Killers Of The Flower Moon’ tie for most spots with 15 each.

Bafta has unveiled the round two voting longlists for its 2024 film awards, with Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Martin Scorsese’s Killers Of The Flower Moon leading with 15 longlist spots each.

Longlists have been released for all 24 categories, including best film, outstanding British film, and outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer, ahead of the nominations on January 18 and final awards ceremony on February 18.

Scroll down for the full longlists

Some 69 films have been selected across the 24 categories. An adjustment to...

The BAFTA Film Awards have unveiled this year’s longlists for 24 categories, and in the lead are Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, and Martin Scorsese’s Killers Of The Flower Moon. Scroll down for the lists in full.

The heavyweight trio is tied with 15 longlist nods apiece. All three films pop up in best film, director, and the respective screenplay categories: Killers and Oppenheimer in adapted screenplay, while Barbie sits in original screenplay. The haul of 15 longlist mentions equals last year’s record showing from Edward Berger’s war feature All Quiet on the Western Front.

Chasing the leading pack are Yorgos Lanthimos’s Golden Lion winner Poor Things with 14 and Bradley Cooper’s musical biopic Maestro with 12. Both films netted longlist mentions in best film, cinematography, director, and respective screenplay categories.

Other strong showings on the list are Emerald Fennell’s contentious high society drama Saltburn,...

Who’s ready for a cinematic evolution? Years after the recent Planet Of The Apes trilogy came to an end – closing out the story of Caesar and the global simian uprising – a new story is about to start. :a[Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/kingdom-planet-apes-new-trilogy-300-years-after-caesar-exclusive/' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'} is coming in 2024, bringing a whole new take on the world, a fresh generation of characters, and an adventure tone set to take the sci-fi saga into brand new territory. And you can read all about it in Empire’s world-exclusive cover feature, in the February 2024 issue. Order a copy online here.

It’s not hitting newsstands until Thursday 21 December – but you can take a sneak peek inside below.

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes

New apes, new team, new kingdom. Empire gets the inside story on...

To celebrate the release of The Great Escaper on Premium Video on Demand from 6th November via digital retailers in the UK, and on Blu-ray & DVD from 11th December, we’re giving away Blu-Rays to 2 lucky winners!

Inspired by true events, the film tells the story of octogenarian Bernard Jordan’s escape from his care home to attend the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings in France:

In the summer of 2014, Bernard Jordan (Michael Caine) made global headlines. He had staged a “great escape” from his care home to join fellow war veterans on a beach in Normandy, commemorating their fallen comrades at the D-Day Landings 70th anniversary.

It was a story that captured the imagination of the world as Bernie embodied the defiant, “can-do” spirit of a generation that was fast disappearing. But of course, it wasn’t the whole story. It was an inspirational but sanitised retelling of...