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The new Netflix crime drama series Adolescence has been a rare phenomenon, receiving critical acclaim for its performances and execution, as well as being met with praise for tackling hard-hitting, topical issues including incels, the “manosphere,” and the dangers of social media. Now, the creator behind the series, Jack Thorne, wants the series to play a part in tackling these issues in real-life, urging the UK government to show the drama in Parliament and in schools.

The four-part series, which details the tragic story of the Miller family, who are thrown into turmoil after 13-year-old Jamie Miller is accused of killing a female classmate. Adolescence has seen huge success since being released last week, becoming the most-streamed series in both the UK and the US within the first week. Thorne is hoping that the series “causes discussion and makes change.” Which is often something that great drama can do. He...

Quick LinksRylan Clark-Neal Shot To Fame On Reality TelevisionRylan Clark-Neal Has Since Found Considerable Success As A TV PresenterEurovision Is Synonymous With Rylan Clark-Neal

Doctor Who'ssecond season of Russell T Davies's new era looks set to be one of its grandest yet. The show's next run of episodes begins April 12 and will introduce Andor star Varada Sethu as the nurse Belinda Chandra. After meeting his new friend Belinda, the Fifteenth Doctor will also be reuniting with previous companions Ruby Sunday and Melanie Bush, and uncovering the truth behind the mysterious Mrs Flood. BBC Studios and Disney have recently released a full trailer for the second season, which suggests its upcoming run will feature some of the most wild and inventive stories. The Doctor and Belinda's adventures will see them face many crazy scenarios, like cartoons coming to life, and an animated dinosaur skeleton roaming the streets of London.

This story contains discussion about sexual assault.

Neil Gaiman has been accused of sexual assault by multiple women in a detailed report, following earlier allegations by five different women in 2024. Gaiman is a fantasy author best known for his novels and comics, in particular many that have been adapted into TV shows. This includes Starz's American Gods, Netflix's The Sandman, and Prime Video's Good Omens. His work has also netted him various awards in writing, and, in 2023, placed him on Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world list.

However, in 2024, Gaiman was accused of sexual assault and abuse by five women, who alleged he engaged in unwanted sex with them across various instances. While these allegations have been denied by the author, they've still resulted in fallout in his career. This includes Disney cancelling an adaptation of The Graveyard Book, and him stepping away from Good Omens...

Disney has paused production on “The Graveyard Book” following allegations of sexual assault against Neil Gaiman, author of the 2008 book by the same name.

Indiewire first reported the news.

Representatives for Disney didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from TheWrap. But according to Deadline, the accusations are only part of the reason the project is on hold.

“The Graveyard Book” was only in development and has not been tossed out entirely. Marc Forrester is signed on to direct but no cast have been hired.

In a four-part podcast series by Tortoise published in July, two women accused Gaiman of assaulting them while they were in consensual relationships with the author.

Scarlett, who is 23, claimed Gaiman sexually assaulted her in 2022 soon after he hired her as a nanny for his child. She accused Gaiman of having engaged in “rough and degrading penetrative sexual acts with her” and supplied Tortoise with “contemporaneous messages,...

Global, the Media & Entertainment Group, has acquired the exclusive production and ad sales rights to The Trawl, a high-profile podcast hosted by political commentator Marina Purkiss, and broadcaster and writer Jemma Forte.

Every week, Marina and Jemma scroll through social media to unearth the most entertaining, and often damning political discussions. They explore the biggest political stories of the week and have interviewed high-profile guests including Carol Vorderman, comedian Jen Brister, and Green Peer Jenny Jones.

The podcast is now produced by Global’s award-winning in-house production team and it will be available to Global’s advertising partners for host read and spot ad opportunities. It will also be added to Dax, Global’s digital ad exchange with pioneering audience targeting and measurement tools.

Marina & Jemma said: “We're very proud of what we've achieved so far with The Trawl but it's definitely time to take it out of our...

Fans of popular cartoons such as Dexter’s Laboratory and Johnny Bravo have been crossing their fingers for a live-action adaptation for years, and such dreams might become a reality in the future, given the current high output by movie studios and streaming services. Thankfully, numerous other cartoons have made their way to the big screen.

For some movies, the main characters first appeared in toy lines, video games, and comic strips but only became globally famous after appearing in animated shows. The films – which mostly rely on the characterizations established in the cartoons – are thus recommendable for those seeking to see familiar faces in high-stakes adventures with bigger production values.

Related: 10 Best Anime Based On Real History

Inspector Gadget (1999) Stream On Disney+

The Inspector Gadget ‘80s cartoon is nearly perfect hence replicating the same magic on the big screen was always going to be a challenge. Thankfully, director David Kellogg...

Netflix was one of the key sponsors of UK magazine The Spectator‘s summer party last week.

The well-timed and buzzy London event — which came amid the stormy unseating of Boris Johnson as Pm — was attended by a number of leading figures in the UK political and media landscape.

Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos was at the event, which formed part of a UK charm offensive. That offensive included an event at BAFTA to celebrate the charity’s Bafta Breakthrough program, also sponsored by the streamer. The studio is celebrating 10 years in the UK.

Among politicians to have attended The Spectator‘s bash were former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, the frontrunner to replace Johnson as UK leader, current Chancellor and another Pm hopeful Nadhim Zahawi, former Cabinet minister Michael Gove, Tory MP Tom Tugendhat (yet another contender to be the next Pm) and former Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

Also among attendees were...

Stars: Michael Daniel, Rachel Johnson, Aurora Lowe, Gabe Nicholson, June Peterson, Wendy Taylor | Written and Directed by Jordan Graham

In very basic terms, Sator could be described as either a ‘cabin in the woods’-style horror movie or even a ghost story but both of these short sub genre descriptions would be pretty far off the mark and give you no idea about what the movie actually is. Even blending those two styles together doesn’t detail what Sator is. So what exactly is it then?

It does involve an individual that has isolated himself from the world and yes he lives in a cabin in the woods. This man, Adam, has a grandmother who for her whole life has listened to a spirit named Sator. This spirit is now entering Adam’s life in different ways and seems to be becoming malevolent and very much upsetting his life.

There...

We have another installment of Horror Highlights, showing you the trailers for Sator and Climate of the Hunter, catching up with the composer of Hunter Hunter, and giving you a heads up on Cryptids joining forces with Dark Matter TV!

Watch the trailer for Sator: "Secluded in a desolate forest home to little more than the decaying remnants of the past, a broken family is further torn apart by a mysterious death. Adam, guided by a pervasive sense of dread, hunts for answers only to learn that they are not alone; an insidious presence by the name of Sator has been observing his family, subtly influencing all of them for years in an attempt to claim them.

The uniquely spectral horror-thriller Sator teases the line between fact and fiction as it’s core story, of a demon making contact with an intimate family, is inspired by director Jordan Graham’s own life.

"All upon the face of the forest should tremble for Sator's eyes are his everything." 1091 Pics has unveiled an official trailer for Sator, a bone-chilling demonic horror thriller from filmmaker Jordan Graham. This premiered at a bunch of horror film festivals last year, including Fantasia, Telluride, and Brooklyn. Secluded in a desolate forest, a broken family is observed by Sator, a supernatural entity who is attempting to claim them. The uniquely spectral horror-thriller Sator teases the line between fact and fiction as it's core story, of a demon making contact with an intimate family, is inspired by the director's own life. "It delves into my family's dark history with mental illness surrounding a supernatural entity, and uses home video footage to create an interwoven piece between documentary and fiction." Freaky. The indie horror film stars Michael Daniel, Rachel Johnson, Aurora Lowe, Gabriel Nicholson, June Peterson, and Wendy Taylor. This is...

We have received word that Sator has been acquired by 1091 Pictures, with plans to release the film in North America this winter. The demonic film premiered last year at Fantasia, and is written, directed, edited, and produced by Jordan Graham:

From the Press Release: "Jordan Graham’s haunting feature Sator has been acquired by 1091 Pictures for North American release. The film, hailed as “strikingly atmospheric” by Variety, premiered at the 2019 Fantasia International Film Festival and went on to have celebrated screenings at Telluride Horror Show and the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival before being brought to the Marche Du Film Online by arthouse genre film sales outfit Yellow Veil Pictures.

Nearly a one-person operation, Jordan Graham is the director, writer, editor and producer of Sator, in addition to lensing and scoring the feature. “Sator is quite personal to me. It delves into my family’s dark history with mental illness surrounding a supernatural entity,...

Jordan Graham’s “Sator,” the story of a recluse in Northern California who is menaced by a demon, has been acquired by 1091 Pictures for North American release.

The film is virtually a one-man show. Graham not only served as the director, he also wrote the screenplay, edited and produced it, as well as lensed and scored the film.

“‘Sator’ is quite personal to me,” Graham said in a statement. “It delves into my family’s dark history with mental illness surrounding a supernatural entity, and uses home video footage to create an interwoven piece between documentary and fiction. After working on this project for seven years, I am so grateful that 1091 has picked up the film, allowing it to finally find an audience.”

“Sator” premiered at the 2019 Fantasia International Film Festival and went on to have celebrated screenings at Telluride Horror Show and the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival before being...

On-screen credits aside, nothing about “Sator” suggests it’s a practically one-man movie. Which makes it all the more impressive that writer-director Jordan Graham performed nearly every nonacting task on this first feature, including building the rustic cabin that his protagonist lives in. Stripped-down in an aesthetically refined way, this cryptic occult drama may be more impressive in its striking atmospherics than in its somewhat murky storytelling. Nonetheless, that arresting presentation makes for an impressive debut one hopes is followed up sooner rather than later — as the virtually solo process meant “Sator” has been in post-production for nearly six years. Well, at least the labor paid off.

This is the classic instance of a horror film that will please discerning viewers largely for what it doesn’t do, while more mainstream genre fans will chafe at the relative lack of gore, action and explication, complaining that “nothing happens.” But anyone...

Jordan Graham’s grandmother used to hear voices and write the words being spoken down as though they were messages she needed to both understand and follow. She called the orator Sator, “his” name scrawled upon the pieces of paper that ultimately gave these trances permanence through physical form. I can’t imagine how it must have felt for writer/director Graham (who also takes on pretty much every other behind the scenes position a feature-length film demands) to experience the phenomenon—especially considering June Peterson wasn’t the only one in his family to have her dementia take that form. Her mother was afflicted as well as her mother, the voices becoming a mainstay for generations. And when June finally lost her memories of everyone she loves, Graham admits she never forgot Sator’s name.

It’s a fascinating bit of reality perfectly suited for the supernatural horror treatment...

Stars: Michael Daniel, Rachel Johnson, Aurora Lowe, Gabe Nicholson, June Peterson, Wendy Taylor | Written and Directed by Jordan Graham

In very basic terms, Sator could be described as either a ‘cabin in the woods’-style horror movie or even a ghost story but both of these short sub genre descriptions would be pretty far off the mark and give you no idea about what the movie actually is. Even blending those two styles together doesn’t detail what Sator is. So what exactly is it then?

It does involve an individual that has isolated himself from the world and yes he lives in a cabin in the woods. This man, Adam, has a grandmother who for her whole life has listened to a spirit named Sator. This spirit is now entering Adam’s life in different ways and seems to be becoming malevolent and very much upsetting his life.

There...

The 35th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will run from Jan. 15 to Jan. 25, 2020 — a radical shift in dates that will affect Oscar strategies as well as other festivals.

Next year, Academy Award nominations will be announced Jan. 13, two days before the start of the Santa Barbara Festival. The Oscar ceremony will be Feb. 9, which is two weeks earlier than this year’s event. Those changes will continue to have a ripple effect on the dates of other festivals as well as awards planning.

The Santa Barbara Fest has enjoyed a long (but unofficial) Oscar connection. This year, Variety presented its annual Artisan Awards earlier this week to nine behind-the-camera creatives who are all Oscar nominees; other contenders saluted at Sbiff this year include Glenn Close, Viggo Mortensen, Rami Malek, Melissa McCarthy, and Richard E. Grant.

Santa Barbara next year will overlap with Sundance, which will run from Jan. 23 to Feb.

The winners for the 34th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival were announced Saturday, with Sam Friedlander’s Babysplitters and Kasper Torsting’s In Love and War picking up awards.

The winners were revealed during a breakfast held in their honor at Belmond El Encanto in Santa Barbara. The jury that selected the winners included Anthony and Arnette Zerbe, David and Sandy Wasco, Joe Medjuck, Katharine O’Brien, Leslie Zemeckis, Margaret Lazarus, Olivia Hamilton, Paul Brickman, Roger Avary, and Tamara Asseyev.

“We’re so grateful to all of our honorees, filmmakers, attendees, sponsors, press and volunteers for making the 34th edition our best yet, Sbiff Executive Director Roger Durling said in a press release.

Next year’s festival will shift earlier in the year to accommodate the Academy Awards, with the 35th edition of Sbiff running from January 15 – 25, 2020.

Below is the list of 2019 winners.

Audience Choice Award sponsored by The...

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The First Purge

Lex Scott Davis costars in this sci-fi horror about an experiment in making murder legal. Costarring Marisa Tomei. (male writer and director)

my review | find cinemas

limited

Mary Shelley [pictured]

Haifaa Al-Mansour cowrites (with Emma Jensen) and directs this biopic of the mother of science fiction, Frankenstein author Mary Shelley (Elle Fanning).

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In Darkness

Natalie Dormer cowrites and stars in this thriller about a blind woman who aurally witnesses the murder of her neighbor. (male director)

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The More You Ignore Me

Jo Brand writes this dramedy about a family coping with mental illness. Costarring Brand, Sheridan Smith, Sheila Hancock, Ella Hunt, and Sally Phillips. (male director)

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Whitney

This documentary biography explores the life, work, and death of 1980s and 90s pop-music queen Whitney Houston. (male director)

my review | find cinemas

Postcards from the 48%

This documentary about Brexit — the UK’s exit...