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Exclusive: Josh Lucas (Yellowstone) has signed on to star in Slay the Dreamer, a new film based on the life of Rev. James Lawson, the civil rights activist who was friend and advisor to Martin Luther King Jr., from director Joshua Michael Stern (Jobs).

Lucas stars as a washed-up lawyer who in 1976, at Lawson’s request, takes on the case of Grace Walden, the only eyewitness to the man who shot King who had been involuntarily held in a mental institution outside Memphis since the assassination eight years earlier. As the lawyer and his paralegal investigate Walden’s case, they uncover a conspiracy surrounding King’s assassination and risk their careers and lives to bring the truth to light.

Script is by by Donald Freed and Mark Lane, with a rewrite by Stern. Elizabeth Fowler and actor Harold Perrineau (MGM+’s From) are producing, with Joe Berlinger exec producing, and Foresight Media Services financing. Fowler and Perrineau are currently in negotiations with additional cast and are targeting a spring kickoff to production.

In a statement to Deadline, producer Fowler said, “”Slay The Dreamer” is a powerful true political thriller that will remind the world of Martin Luther King’s movement that was deliberately derailed by his assassination. We are hopeful that our film and the release of the classified files will finally reveal the true story behind the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.”

Recently starring in the series Palm Royale, Yellowstone and Long Slow Exhale, Lucas is also known for turns in films like Ford v Ferrari, The Lincoln Lawyer, A Beautiful Mind, American Psycho, J. Edgar, Glory Road, and Sweet Home Alabama, among many others. He is repped by WME, Liebman Entertainment, and Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum.

Stern is best known as the creator, executive producer and director of Epix’s Nick Nolte comedy Graves, and for directing the films Jobs, starring Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs, and Swing Vote, starring Kevin Costner. He is repped by Innovative Artists and attorney Darren Trattner.

Emilia Clarke (“Game of Thrones”), Edgar Ramirez (“Emilia Perez”) and Jack Farthing (“Spencer”) will star in “Next Life” from writer-director Drake Doremus (“Like Crazy”), L.A. and London-based production and management company 42, Mutressa and Fetisoff Illusion have announced.

“Next Life” tells the love story of Ivy (Emilia Clarke), who finds herself confronted with parallel universes in which her life unspools in very different ways set against the modern London jazz scene.

Mutressa’s Elika Portnoy, Gleb Fetisov of Fetisoff Illusion and 42’s Ben Pugh and Kate Buckley are producing alongside Doremus. John Palfery Smith will also produce. Production is currently underway in London and set to wrap in late December. CAA Media Finance is representing worldwide rights.

Clarke is best known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO award winning series “Game of Thrones,” for which she received four Emmy nominations and three Critics Choice Award nominations.

South African filmmaker Gavin Hood has written a letter of protest against plans to sell the UK’sThe Observer newspaper to Tortoise Media, joining several other actors and filmmakers who have come out against the sale.

Hood made the 2019 featureOfficial Secrets starring Keira Knightley, based on the story of a Gchq whistleblower charged for leaking a top-secret memo about the impending 2003 invasion of Iraq. The story was first investigated by three reporters fromThe Observer.

He joins several other cultural figures to have expressed their opposition to the sale, including actors Mark Rylance, Ralph Fiennes, Hugh Grant, Sienna Miller, Bill Nighy,...

Ben Whishaw and Keira Knightley in ‘Black Doves’ (Photo Credit: Netflix/Ludovic Robert)

Netflix is showing off the first batch of photos from Black Doves. The streamer also confirmed the six-episode holiday-themed spy thriller will premiere on December 5, 2024, and has already been renewed for a second season.

Keira Knightley (Official Secrets), Ben Whishaw (Fargo), and Sarah Lancashire (Happy Valley) lead a cast that includes Andrew Buchan (Carnival Row), Adeel Akhtar (Fool Me Once), Tracey Ullman (The Mandalorian), and Finn Bennett (True Detective: Night Country). Luther Ford (The Crown), Andrew Koji (Warrior), Kathryn Hunter (Andor), Sam Troughton (Chernobyl), Ella Lily Hyland (Fifteen Love), Adam Silver (Masters of The Air), Ken Nwosu (Look the Other Way and Run), Gabrielle Creevy (Three Women), and Omari Douglas (Rye Lane) also star.

“Set against the backdrop of London at Christmas, Black Doves is a sharp, action-filled, and heartfelt story of friendship and sacrifice. It follows Helen Webb (Knightley), a quick-witted,...

10 Best Matt Smith Shows And Films, Ranked. (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Matt Smith, with his unique talent and charm, has made a big name for himself in the television and film industry. From his iconic role as the Eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who, to personifying Prince Philip in The Crown, each of his performances has been equally impressive.

The actor’s ability to bring complex characters to life with nuance and intensity has earned him critical acclaim and a dedicated fan base. As Matt Smith continues to rise in his acting career, let’s take a look at 10 of his best shows and films so far.

10. Charlie Says (2018)

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Matt stepped into the shoes of the infamous cult leader Charles Manson in the 2018 film, Charlie Says, playing the complicated role to perfection. Directed by Mary Harron, the movie explores...

Emilia Jones in Winner.Heather McIntosh: 'We're exploring her obsessive nature and it does cover a pretty big range, the Ocd that Reality’s navigating, her time in prison. It does sort of ride this wave, very anxietal stuff but also up' Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute Reality Winner might sound like a description of the latest Big Brother finale but it’s the genuine name of a US whistleblower who, while working as a National Security Agency leaked a document showing Russian interference in the 2016 elections. She is played by Emilia Jones, who is reteaming with director Susanna Fogel after last year’s Cat Person. Rather than the usual shadowy dramas, along the lines of Official Secrets, Fogel, working from a script from Kerry Howley, instead presents the action through a brightly coloured lens. The scoring, too, from Heather McIntosh - who is also reteaming with Fogel after Cat Person...

The U.S. government decided to make an example of Reality Winner, giving the former Nsa translator a five-year prison sentence. So it’s only fair that director Susanna Fogel should be able to make an example of her too — only this time, to very different ends. “Winner” is well acted, well told and … well, a tough sell to people tired of politics. It’s not a typical whistleblower movie, like “The Insider” or “Official Secrets” (both excellent), but more of a prickly character portrait, imbued with humor and a headstrong sense of defiance.

Let’s get this out of the way up front: Reality Winner has an unusual name, one that has proven ironic (as well as fodder for countless talk-show comics) since her act of defiance was made public. Last year, Tina Satter’s superb experimental indie “Reality” stuck to the facts of her crime, relying on the official...

Sundance turns 40 this year and AMC Networks is celebrating the film festival’s big 4-0 with the release of a curated lineup of dozens of movies that previously debuted at the event, including “Birth/Rebirth,” “Sleeping with Other People,” “Savage Grace” and “Heathers,” for streamer AMC+.

A long-time sponsor of the Sundance Film Festival with roots in indie films through IFC Films and now horror-focused streamer Shudder, whcih is debuting Chris Nash’s “In A Violent Nature” at the fest this year, AMC Networks will be offering the compilation of Sundance movies all through January, in connection with the 2024 edition of the film festival running Jan. 18-28.

“This collection is such a great way to honor the history of the legacy of Sundance bring AMC+ subscribers, who are not going to be in Park City, virtually to the event through this portfolio of such unforgettable films,” chief commercial officer for AMC Networks Kim Kelleher told Variety.

Samantha Morton takes on a haunting role as reverend Jack Brooks in Paramount+'s new horror thriller, The Burning Girls. The series follows a reverend and her daughter as they move to Chapel Croft in search of a fresh start, only to uncover dark secrets that turn their lives into a nightmare. Morton's extensive career in film and television includes acclaimed films and memorable roles, establishing her as a British actress with a powerful legacy.

Samantha Morton plays reverend Jack Brooks in the first look trailer for The Burning Girls, the new horror thriller from Paramount+, which premieres on October 19.

As she prepares to return as Catherine de' Medici in the second season of The Serpent Queen, Morton puts royalty aside to become a haunted vicar in the new series from Hans Rosenfeldt and Camilla Ahlgren. Based on the novel by C.J. Tudor, the story follows a reverend and her daughter,...

eOne is shutting down its U.K. theatrical distribution business, owner Hasbro has confirmed to Variety.

Hasbro acquired eOne in 2019 for $3.8 billion. The theatrical business in the U.K. was robust at that point with titles like “The Aeronauts,” “Sorry We Missed You” and “Official Secrets” displaying decent legs at the box office.

In early 2020, eOne scored a mighty box office success with Sam Mendes’ awards season darling “1917,” which grossed more than $57 million in the U.K. There was a steady flow of releases in the months following.

From 2021, a series of cost-cutting measures began, with eOne announcing that it would be laying off 10% of its film and television staff. This was followed by eOne selling its music division to The Blackstone Group for $385 million.

By August 2022, Hasbro was looking to sell off its media assets. In November 2022, Hasbro put eOne on the block less than three years after acquiring it.

Multi-award-winning British actress Samantha Morton, and Ruby Stokes appear in the first set of spine-chilling images for Paramount+’s upcoming horror-thriller series “The Burning Girls”.

Morton will star as Reverend Jack Brooks — a single parent haunted by a tragedy from her previous church, who bears the onus of her husband’s death — while Stokes stars as Jack’s 15-year-old daughter Flo — a teenager who marches to the beat of her own drum.

“Set in Chapel Croft, a village haunted by a dark and turbulent history, ‘The Burning Girls’ sees Reverend Jack Brooks and her daughter Flo arrive in the hope of a fresh start. They soon find a village rife with conspiracies and secrets where uncovering the truth can be deadly in a community with a bloody past,” as per the logline.

Read More: ‘The Crowded Room’ Trailer: Tom Holland’s Past Unravels In Psychological Thriller Series

Jack Brooks, played by Samantha Morton,...

Free Turn Entertainment and Screen Yorkshire announce the launch of Loop; the UK’s first audio drama fund offering paid development for writing talent who live, work or are from the North of England. The initiative is aimed at published writers in film, TV, theatre, games, radio, or literature, who have not yet been exposed to the incredible new creative opportunities presented by the rapidly growing immersive audio drama space.

The initiative, which will be delivered through a series of online and in-person sessions in Leeds will run for five months from August 2023. Loop will offer writers from the North of England a best-in-class programme of paid development and mentoring to develop, pitch and create genre-spanning audio, for global audiences.

Applications open today via Screen Yorkshire’s website www.screenyorkshire.co.uk/loop/, with ten writers being selected to work with a panel of UK audio drama experts, including commissioners,...

It’s somewhat odd that Keira Knightley got her breakout roles in action-adventure projects like King Arthur and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, because ever since then she’s become closely associated with the type of prestige period pieces that appeal to the Downton Abbey fanbase. While it's easy for stuffy costume dramas to feel dull and pretentious, Knightley has consistently done her best to inject a sense of life and realism into both the biopics and prestige novel adaptations she has starred in. However, that doesn’t mean that Knightley has been afraid to tackle anything more kinetic, as she’s been a low-key thriller queen for a while now; Boston Strangler is simply the latest in this trend. Her performance in the criminally underseen 2019 thriller Official Secrets sadly flew under the radar, but it showed Knightley’s ability to tackle timely material.

In the early 1960s, 13 women were murdered around the Boston area. Most were strangled with their own nylon stockings, leading the press to dub the murderer the “Boston Strangler.” That title also lends itself to Matt Ruskin’s newest feature on the killings, which foregrounds the reporting of Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley) and Jean Cole (Carrie Coon) for the Record American. They not only coined the name but also wrote a four-part series highlighting the investigative gridlock that kept police from discovering the killer and kept the city on edge.

It’s a fascinating story that has been told before, to much less successful results, in 1968’s The Boston Strangler. Here, however, writer-director Matt Ruskin wisely hones in on McLaughlin, Cole, and the media circus that erupted during the killings. Despite dependable performances from Knightley and Coon, who honestly couldn’t be bad in anything, Boston Strangler is workmanlike above all,...

When the 2003 Christmas classic Love Actually entered the world, it was like a stuffed stocking, filled to the brim with some of Britain’s greatest actors.

From Hugh Grant and Emma Thompson to Alan Rickman, it attracted some of the best performers of the era.

The film also launched the careers of Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Olivia Olson, who were children when they starred in the romcom.

It’s been almost 20 years since Richard Curtis’s film was released, and they’ve all been very busy since then.

Some of the stars of the movie have gone on to work with Curtis again, while others have had huge franchise roles or become synonymous with certain characters, like Martin Freeman’s Dr John Watson in Sherlock.

Here’s a rundown on the Love Actually cast’s varied careers, from 2003 to now…

Bill Nighy

After playing rock and roll legend Billy Mack in Love Actually,...

Since rising to fame as Elizabeth Swann in the blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Keira Knightley has established herself as a premiere actor in Hollywood. Although she is most known for appearing in period pieces, her filmography is more versatile than most people might think.

Looking at her films to have the highest average rating on Letterboxd, you can find a unique blend of intriguing projects. From billion-dollar hits to intense dramas to iconic adaptations, Knightley has found a way to shine in all kinds of movies. Even ones that didn't receive the best reviews often include praise for her performance.

Colette (2018) - 3.44 Stream On Netflix

While there are some popular biopics that made a lot of money commercially, some of the best ones have flown under the radar. One of those is Colette, which tells the story of the life of French novelist Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, known simply as Colette.

Minka Kelly, Maggie Grace and Dermot Mulroney are set to star in the psychological thriller “Blackwater Lane.”

Based on the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling book “The Breakdown” by British author B.A. Paris, the film tells the story of a woman (Kelly) who drives by a stranded motorist later who is later revealed to have been murdered.

After a series of terrifying events, the woman becomes convinced she is the killer’s next victim while her husband (Mulroney) and her best friend (Grace) worry about her sanity.

Paris has an international fan base, and “Blackwater Lane” is the first film produced from her books. Filming has now begun in Suffolk, U.K., with Jeff Celentano (“The Hill”) directing.

Producers include Elizabeth Fowler (“Official Secrets”), Warren Ostergard (“The Hill”) and Lucinda Thakrar (“Confession”). 13 Films is handling worldwide sales with Greg Schenz and Tannaz Anisi executive producing. Oleg Shardin is also executive producing.

Click here to read the full article.

Minka Kelly (Euphoria, Titans), Maggie Grace (Fear The Walking Dead, Taken) and Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend’s Wedding, The Family Stone, Shooting Stars) are set to star in the psychological thriller Blackwater Lane, based on the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling book The Breakdown by British author B.A. Paris.

The film marks the first adaptation of one of Paris’ books and has now started shooting in the U.K.

Jeff Celentano (The Hill, Glass Jaw) directs the psychological thriller with supernatural elements that tells the story of a woman, played by Kelly, who drives by a stranded motorist later revealed to have been murdered. After a series of terrifying events, the woman becomes convinced she is the killer’s next victim while her husband, played by Mulroney, and her best friend, played by Grace, worry about her sanity.

Elizabeth Fowler (Official Secrets,...

Exclusive: Inbar Lavi (Lucifer), Jake McLaughlin (Black Bird), Ray Panthaki (The Serpent Queen) and Shaun Sipos (Outer Range) have signed on to star in the indie thriller Black Diamond, from writer-director Judd Bloch.

The film centers on a young woman who would appear to be living an idyllic life with her hedge funder boyfriend atop a ski mountain in Telluride. But a late afternoon misstep with a local cowboy handyman shatters that life and turns it into a deadly triangle of lust, obsession and murder.

Warner Davis and Todd Friedman are producing for Hemlock Circle Productions, alongside Dominic Rustam of Three Six Zero Group, and Brian Levy.

Lavi has previously appeared in films including Sorry for Your Loss, The Last Witch Hunter and For the Love of Money, along with such series as Lucifer, Stumptown, Imposters, The Last Ship, Castle and Sons of Anarchy. She’ll next be seen in...

Exclusive: Rhys Ifans (Spider-Man: No Way Home) has signed on to star alongside Annette Bening and Jodie Foster in the Netflix film Nyad, which marks the narrative directorial debut of Oscar, BAFTA and Emmy winners Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin.

Pic is based on Diana Nyad’s bestselling autobiography Find A Way. It follows the remarkable true story of the marathon swimmer, who, at the age of 64, became the first person to complete the “Everest of swims”—executing a 53-hour, 110-mile swim from Cuba to Florida, through dangerous open ocean, without a shark cage.

Ifans is playing John Bartlett, the Florida-based boat designer and captain of the catamaran that accompanied Diana as she swam. Bartlett strategically and meticulously planned and navigated Nyad’s swim though the Florida Straits, keenly aware of the impact of weather and ocean currents on her journey.

Emmy winner Ann Biderman...

Exclusive: Jonathan Rhys Meyers and MyAnna Buring have signed on to star alongside Alec Baldwin in the hijacked airplane action-thriller 97 Minutes, from director Timo Vuorensola (Iron Sky), which has entered production at Black Hangar Studios in the UK.

97 Minutes centers on a hijacked 767 that will crash in that amount of time when its fuel runs out. Against the strong will of Nsa Deputy Toyin, Nsa Director Hawkins (Baldwin) prepares to have the plane shot down before it does any catastrophic damage on the ground, leaving the fate of the innocent passengers in the hands of Tyler, one of the alleged hijackers on board who is an undercover Interpol agent – or is he?

Meyers and Buring are playing passengers on the transatlantic flight, with Jo Martin (Doctor Who), Michael Sirow (Infamous), Pavan Grover,...

“The Crown” producers Left Bank Pictures are making “Palomino – a new female-led series – for Netflix.

The eight-part series revolves around Erin Collantes, a British teacher in Spain who gets caught up in a “brutal” supermarket robbery. But when one of the robbers purports to recognize her, she finds her life slowly unraveling.

“In Palomino, a town of secrets, Erin Collantes fights to clear her name and protect her family… But is she really who she claims to be?” reads the logline.

The series is set to start shooting later this year in Spain.

Casting has yet to be announced.

“Palomino” is written by Jack Lothian (“Strike Back”) who will also showrun and exec produce the series.

Iram Haq (“What Will People Say”) is lead director while series producer is Nuala O’Leary (“Official Secrets”).

Rob Bullock and Andy Harries exec produce alongside Lothian.

Left Bank Pictures, which is owned Sony Pictures Television,...

New Regency is expanding in Asia-Pacific with the hire of Ben Bishop as VP of international sales for the region, based out of Sydney.

Prior to joining New Regency, Bishop served as president of international distribution at Vortex International, and international VP of TV sales for Asia-Pacific at “Narcos” producer Gaumont. Before Gaumont, he worked with eOne Television International for 13 years in various roles within the film and TV divisions, culminating in sales director for Australia, New Zealand and Asia. At eOne, Bishop sold projects including “La La Land,” the “Divergent” film series and “The Walking Dead.”

In January 2019, New Regency re-formed its international sales team to take back control of its international television licensing activities. With a long-standing partnership with 20th Century Fox for its global theatrical distribution, the Walt Disney Company also handles the company’s home entertainment and first pay rights. Meanwhile, New Regency’s London-based sales team,...

“Spectacular… Practically as close to perfection as possible.” – Discussing Film

Distribution Solutions, a division of Alliance Entertainment, along with Neon and Decal, announce the release of Spencer, coming to DVD and Blu-Ray January 11, 2022. The marriage of Princess Diana and Prince Charles has long since grown cold. Though rumors of affairs and a divorce abound, peace is ordained for the Christmas festivities at the Queen’s Sandringham Estate. There’s eating and drinking, shooting and hunting. Diana knows the game. But this year, things will be profoundly different. Spencer is an imagining of what might have happened during those few fateful days.

The critically acclaimed drama stars Kristen Stewart, Timothy Spall, Jack Farthing, Sean Harris, and is directed by Pablo Larrain (Jackie)

Releasing January 11, 2022, the DVD and Blu-Ray discs include the bonus feature The Making of Spencer, and are now available for preorder.

The post Spencer Starring Kristen Stewart Coming to...

Exclusive: Former IFC Films Distribution Boss Justin Dipietro is heading to Cohen Media Group as their new Head of Marketing and Distribution.

Dipietro arrives to Cohen Media Group from Netflix where he served as their Director of Sales and Distribution. Dipietro managed theatrical sales for half of the U.S., including the Los Angeles market, and helped develop theatrical release plans and strategies for award-nominated titles, including two 2020 Best Picture Oscar nominees, Mank and The Trial of the Chicago 7.

As the Cohen Media Group gears up for an active 4th quarter and 2022 release schedule, Dipietro will oversee the motion picture releases of critically acclaimed films such as Emmanuel Carrère’s Between Two Worlds starring Juliette Binoche; Memories of My Father directed by Academy Award winning Fernando Trueba; Uberto Pasolini’s Nowhere Special starring James Norton and Daniel Lamont; and the Greek Oscar submission, Apples, among many more.

Dipietro said, “Cohen...

Starz has cast Ray Panthaki in its upcoming Catherine De Medici drama series The Serpent Queen. He will act alongside Samantha Morton, who stars as the monarch.

Based on the book Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France by Leonie Frieda, the eight-episode series hails from writer and executive producer Justin Haythe (Revolutionary Road).

Considered an immigrant, common and plain, Morton’s Catherine de Medici is married into the 16th century French court as an orphaned teenager expected to bring a fortune in dowry and produce many heirs, only to discover that her husband is in love with an older woman, her dowry is unpaid and she’s unable to conceive. Yet, only with her intelligence and determination, she manages to keep her marriage alive and masters the bloodsport that is the monarchy better than anyone else, ruling France for 50 years.

Stacie Passon will direct multiple episodes, including the premiere episode.

Exclusive: Betty Gabriel (Get Out) has been tapped for a major new series regular role in the upcoming third season of Prime Video’s Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, starring John Krasinski.

Gabriel, who will play Elizabeth Wright, the Chief of Station, replaces Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who was originally tapped for the part last fall. Jean-Baptiste has exited the series over creative differences. Jack Ryan is currently in production on Season 3, and the few scenes Jean-Baptiste had filmed will be reshot with Gabriel.

Also cast as series regulars in Season 3 are James Cosmo (His Dark Materials), Peter Guinness (Cursed), Nina Hoss (Little Sister) and Alexej Manvelov (Before We Die) in the series, a co-production of Amazon Studios, Paramount Television Studios and Skydance Television.

Season 3 of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan finds Jack Ryan (Krasinski) on the run and in a race against time. Jack is wrongly implicated in a larger conspiracy...

With production on Pablo Larraín’s ‘Spencer’ moving to the UK for the final stretch of filming, another image of Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana has been released.

The film focuses on one weekend in the life of Princess Diana, as she spends the Christmas holiday with the royal family at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, and decides to leave her marriage to Prince Charles.

The official synopsis reads;

December 1991: The Prince and Princess of Wales’ marriage has long since grown cold. Though rumours of affairs and a divorce abound, peace is ordained for the Christmas festivities at Sandringham Estate. There’s eating and drinking, shooting and hunting. Diana knows the game. This year, things will be a whole lot different.

Also in news – Pierce Brosnan joins Dwayne Johnson on cast of ‘Black Adam’

Further cast includes BAFTA Award nominee Timothy Spall, Academy Award nominee Sally Hawkins and Sean Harris.

Pablo Larrain directs the feature that stars Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana.

Pablo Larrain’s Spencer has cast Poldark star Jack Farthing as Prince Charles, as the shoot moves to the UK for the final stretch of filming.

The film, which stars Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana, has been shooting in Germany since January 28 at the Schloss Marquardt in Potsdam, a castle which is doubling as Sandringham Estate. But the production has now moved to the UK for the remainder of filming and is shooting on location in Norfolk.

Farthing is a London-born actor who played George Warleggan in all...

As Keira Knightley says she won’t shoot one with a male director, the use of intimacy coordinators means that actors can be more comfortable with what they are asked to do

Once ubiquitous, the screen sex scene is in deep trouble. Keira Knightley, star of Misbehaviour, Official Secrets and Colette, appears to have driven the final nail in the coffin of the traditional sex scene with recent comments that she will no longer participate in “those horrible sex scenes where you’re all greased up and everybody is grunting”, and that she is not prepared to shoot sex scenes with male directors so as not to “portray the male gaze”.

Knightley’s stance reflects an increasing dissatisfaction with the way film-makers have handled such scenes in films and TV shows. Philippa Lowthorpe, who directed Knightley in Misbehaviour, the 2020 film about feminist protesters who disrupted the Miss World competition in...

Ravishing World War II period piece alert: The new film from director Simon Stone, “The Dig,” is coming to Netflix and some theaters next month. Oscar nominees Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes play archaeologists who dig up a surprising discovery that has ramifications for the past, and fate, of Britain.

Here’s Netflix’s official synopsis: “As WWII looms, a wealthy widow (Carey Mulligan) hires an amateur archaeologist (Ralph Fiennes) to excavate the burial mounds on her estate. When they make a historic discovery, the echoes of Britain’s past resonate in the face of its uncertain future‎.”

Along with Mulligan and Fiennes, the cast includes Lily James (star of Netflix period piece “Rebecca”), Johnny Flynn, Ben Chaplin, Ken Stott, Archie Barnes, and Monica Dolan. “The Dig” is based on a book by John Preston, published in 2007 and set in the context of the 1939 Anglo-Saxon ship burial excavation at Sutton Hoo,...

August will be a quiet month on Prime Video UK leading up to the arrival of The Boys season 2 in the first week of September, but there are still a few things to look forward to before Billy Butcher and co. get back to ridding the world of megalomaniacal superheroes and their enablers.

Towards the end of August on Prime, Stargirl will be streaming for UK viewers. The DC Universe show has received strong reviews and will be back for a second season eventually. If you’re already a fan of DC’s Doom Patrol, it will make for a sweeter and more teen-friendly companion show.

Elsewhere, Keira Knightley’s Official Secrets is worth a watch, and there are some classic bangers being added to the Prime library too, including Gravity, The Wedding Singer, Valerian, Magic Mike Xxl and The Notebook – but it wouldn’t be Den of Geek if...

It’s finally the weekend and that means it’s time to begin binge-watching tons of great content on your streaming service of choice. Thankfully, there’s lots of fresh movies and TV shows coming to all the major streaming platforms both today and over the next few days as well.

Be it Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon, Hulu, HBO, Showtime or Starz, there’s much to choose from and while perhaps not as meaty a selection as previous weekends, almost everyone should be able to find at least one or two titles that interest them here.

So, without further ado, let’s dive right in, beginning with the biggest streaming site of them all…

Netflix

June 5

13 Reasons Why: Season 4 — Netflix Original

Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai — Netflix Film

Hannibal: Season 1-3

The Last Days of American Crime — Netflix Film

Queer Eye: Season 5 — Netflix Original

June 6

Queen of the South...

MGM International TV has snapped up worldwide distribution rights (excluding Svod in Latin America) to culture clash comedic series “Herederos Por Accidente,” a big hit on the Mexican streaming service Claro Video, a subsidiary of billionaire Carlos Slim’s telco, America Movil.

As part of the deal, the studio also secured worldwide format rights and is developing an adaptation of the series for the U.S. market.

“We’re incredibly proud to announce our first partnership with Claro Video, Mexico’s family entertainment powerhouse,” said MGM International TV’s Svp of International Development, Diego Piasek. “‘Herederos’ has all the right ingredients to travel the world as both tape and format, and we’re excited for all of the possibilities to come,” he added.

Created by writer and executive producer Frank Ariza,, “Herederos Por Accidente” (“Heirs by Accident”) revolves around two families, one Mexican, the other Spanish, who are forced to...

More than 5,000 people watched Curzon’s first in a new series of live-streamed Q&As.

Curzon has revealed that Portrait Of A Lady On Fire is now it’s most successful title to date on its streaming platform as UK audiences flock online in the wake of cinema closures.

Celine Sciamma’s romantic drama had been performing strongly in theatres for Curzon, grossing £557,000 at the UK box office, before theatres closed their doors amid the coronavirus crisis.

It has now become the most purchased title on Curzon Home Cinema (Chc), which overall recorded a 27% increase on premium VOD week-on-week from...

‘The Truth’ was the most-viewed title on Curzon Home Cinema from March 20-22.

Hirokazu Kore-Eda’s English and French-language drama The Truth was the most-streamed title on Curzon Home Cinema (Chc) last weekend (March 20-22) according to a top 10 of the most-viewed titles revealed by by the UK platform.

The Truth was set for theatrical release on March 20 via Curzon’s distribution arm but pivoted to an early digital release in the wake of cinema closures. Its release beat the previous best three-day figure on the platform by 66%. No further details of the numbers involved were given.

Celine Sciamma’s...

Actor Stephen Graham’s first project under his newly launched production banner, “Boiling Point,” has rounded out its cast with “Military Wives” actor Jason Flemyng and a host of others.

The actor, whose credits include film “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and Sky Atlantic series “Save Me,” will be joined by Taz Skylar, Ray Panthaki and Malachi Kirby.

They joined previously announced cast members, including Graham and Vinette Robinson.

As revealed by Variety, “Boiling Point” will see Graham playing a head chef navigating the relentless pressure of his kitchen. Production began on the film this week.

The “Irishman” actor formed Matriarch with his partner, actor Hannah Walters, with a remit of providing a platform to underrepresented voices and stories out of the U.K.

“Boiling Point” is a feature-length version of the eponymous short film starring Graham, which was nominated for Best British Short at the 2019 British Independent Film Awards.

The company is run by Ged Doherty and Colin Firth.

Colin Firth’s Raindog Films is moving into high-end TV drama and documentaries after securing investment from the UK Creative Content Eis Fund, launched last year in association with the BFI.

Firth co-founded Raindog with former Sony Music CEO Ged Doherty in 2012 and has produced projects including Gavin Hood’s Official Secrets, starring Keira Knightley, Jeff Nichols’ Loving, which earned Ruth Negga an Oscar nomination, and Eye in the Sky, directed by Hood and starring Helen Mirren and Aaron Paul.

The undisclosed investment will see the indie move into TV drama,...

Raindog Films, the U.K. production company co-founded by actor Colin Firth and music industry veteran Ged Doherty, is to expand into TV drama, music content and documentaries after winning investment from the U.K. Creative Content Eis Fund.

The U.K. Creative Content Eis Fund is run by private equity house Calculus Capital, with film and TV finance specialists Stargrove Pictures. It was launched last year in association with the British Film Institute (BFI).

Writer-producer and researcher Trish D. Chetty is joining Raindog to help identify new writing, directing and production talent.

As part of the deal, Stargrove Pictures CEO Stephen Fuss will join the board of Raindog Films.

Stephen Fuss, CEO of Stargrove Pictures, said: “What’s exciting about this deal for us is the expansion into TV and the plans to leverage Ged’s music industry experience and Trish’s ability to seek out and tell strong factual stories.

Raindog Films, the UK-based production company co-founded by Colin Firth and music industry veteran Ged Doherty, is moving into TV, hiring writer and producer Trish D Chetty.

“I have always admired the films that Raindog make, each one of their films is bold and ambitious and the diversity of their work speaks for itself. I am excited to be joining Colin and Ged at this key stage of the company’s development,” said Trish D Chetty, who will oversee the expansion into high-end series, music content and documentaries.

The company has received backing from the UK Creative Content Eis Fund, which launched last summer to raise capital to back UK indie companies. Eis, or ‘Enterprise Investment Scheme’, is a government-backed program that allows emerging companies to raise capital from investors whose financial commitment is offset by tax relief. The scheme was created to encourage the economy of startup ventures but...

Do you remember Keira Knightley being in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace? That’s right, the young actress played Queen Amidala’s (Natalie Portman) handmaiden as well as her decoy, Sabe. While it wasn’t technically her first role in a movie, it was certainly her biggest at the time.

When asked by Total Film magazine about her experience on the blockbuster, Knightley remembers being very uncomfortable, explaining that:

“I mean, I was 12. I literally don’t remember,” she shared. “I remember the headdress being so heavy, it gave me a headache. I really remember the headache from one of the headdresses. And I remember being in the background for such a long time that I’d actually fallen asleep. I was just sitting in a chair, and I was in the background, but I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I really remember that. But apart from that,...

In today’s film news roundup, Oscar Isaac boards “The Great Machine,” Keira Knightley joins “Silent Night” and “The Dog Doc” finds a home. Castings

Legendary has closed a deal for Oscar Isaac to star in and produce superhero saga “The Great Machine.”

The project is based on Brian K. Vaughan’s comic book series “Ex Machina” with artist Tony Harris. Anna Waterhouse and Joe Shrapnel are set to adapt the story. Isaac will produce alongside his longtime manager Jason Spire. Vaughan will also produce.

“Ex Machina” charts the exploits of civil engineer Mitchell Hundred, who after a mysterious accident gains powers making him the world’s first and only superhero. In the wake of his actions during 9/11 he is elected mayor of New York City, turning his back on life as a masked vigilante. But his political career is threatened when the source of his powers returns to claim its debt.

Exclusive: Matthew Goode (Downton Abbey) and Annabelle Wallis (Peaky Blinders) are joining Keira Knightley and JoJo Rabbit star Roman Griffin Davis in the Christmas-themed movie Silent Night. Production gets underway February 17.

Elements of the project were first revealed earlier today. This is the whole story.

Marv Films’ Matthew Vaughn (Rocketman) will finance and produce the project alongside Trudie Styler (American Honey) and Celine Rattray (The Kids Are All Right) of Maven Pictures.

Camille Griffin will make her directorial feature film debut from her own original screenplay. Griffin, the mother of Golden Globe-nominated JoJo Rabbit breakout Griffin Davis, has written and directed five shorts before this. She started her career working in the camera department alongside cinematographers including Darius Khondji and Ben Davis.

While Silent Night’s plot details are being kept largely under wraps, the festive comedy will focus on an extended family having a Christmas dinner in a country setting.

Even with stiff competition from Disney — a studio that ruled multiplexes in 2019 with “Avengers: Endgame,” “The Lion King,” “Toy Story 4,” “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” and more — a healthy number of small and medium-budgeted movies released this year still managed to find the audiences they were supposed to.

“Hustlers” and “Knives Out” both grossed more than $100 million at the domestic box office, a rare occurrence for movies not based on existing IP. “Parasite,” a parable about wealth among two South Korean families from director Bong Joon Ho, earned more than $20 million as the highest-performing foreign-language film of the year. “Harriet,” the biopic about the conductor of the Underground Railroad, made $43 million. “Queen & Slim,” about a black couple’s fatal encounter with a racist cop, was another winner, with more than $40 million in ticket sales. And after sold-out showings last week, “Little Women” and “Uncut Gems” are off to a strong start.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that 344 feature films are eligible for the 2019 Academy Awards.

To be eligible for the consideration, the films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by Dec. 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days. Academy rules also state that a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.

Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. The ceremony takes place on Sunday, Feb. 9, airing live from Hollywood on ABC.

“Abominable”

“Ad Astra”

“Adam”

“The Addams Family”

“The Aeronauts”

“After the Wedding”

“The Aftermath”

“Aga”

“Aladdin”

“Alita: Battle Angel”

“Always Be My Maybe”

“The Amazing Johnathan”

“American Factory”

“American Woman”

“Angel Has Fallen”

“The Angry Birds Movie 2”

“Anna”

“Annabelle Comes Home...

Producers of Official Secrets proposed a special screening near Cheltenham spy centre, only to be told it wouldn’t go down well

The producers of Official Secrets, the film that tells the story of Gchq whistleblower Katharine Gun, had to be dissuaded by Whitehall insiders from holding a special screening in Cheltenham, where the spy agency is based, the Observer has learned. Security agency sources say the film’s producer, Ged Doherty, asked them if they thought staff at the vast eavesdropping centre would welcome the chance to see the film starring Keira Knightley near where they work.

But the producer was advised this would not be a good idea. “Katharine Gun is not a popular figure at Gchq; people still think her decision was a breach of national security. I think the producers were being a bit naive.”...

New cast joining Colin Firth and Kelly Macdonald also includes Tom Wilkinson.

Matthew Macfadyen, Penelope Wilton, Johnny Flynn and Tom Wilkinson are joining Colin Firth and Kelly Macdonald in John Madden’s Second World War drama Operation Mincemeat.

The film, produced by See-Saw Films and Cohen Media Group with Archery Pictures, has also newly cast Hattie Morahan (Official Secrets), Simon Russell Beale (Mary Queen Of Scots), Paul Ritter (Chernobyl) and Mark Gatiss (Sherlock).

Macfadyen has most recently garnered attention for his role in HBO’s Succession while both Wilton and Wilkinson appeared in Madden’s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

Matthew Macfadyen (Succession), Penelope Wilton (Downton Abbey), Johnny Flynn (Beast) and Tom Wilkinson (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) are joining Colin Firth and Kelly Macdonald in John Madden’s WWII drama Operation Mincemeat, which reunites Firth with The King’s Speech producer See-Saw Films.

Also joining the cast are Hattie Morahan (Official Secrets), Simon Russell Beale (Mary Queen Of Scots), Paul Ritter (Chernobyl) and Mark Gatiss (Sherlock). Filming is set to start later this month in London and Spain.

Michelle Ashford (Masters of Sex) has adapted the screenplay based on the best-selling Ben McIntyre book of the same name.

Set in 1943, the film follows two brilliant intelligence officers, Ewen Montagu (Firth) and Charles Cholmondeley (Macfadyen) who conceived a plan that was dubbed Operation Mincemeat. They would trick the Nazis into thinking that Allied forces were planning to attack southern Europe by way of Greece rather than Sicily. Their plan was to get a corpse,...

‘Knives Out.’

Disney’s Frozen 2 dominated the cinema business last weekend without matching its stellar Us results while Studiocanal’s crime caper Knives Out proved to be effective counter-programming.

Meanwhile Rialto launched Adrian Noble’s Mrs Lowry & Son on 43 screens, ringing up $48,000 and a decent $184,000 including revenues from festivals. The English comedy stars Timothy Spall as the artist L.S. Lowry and Vanessa Redgrave as his overbearing mother.

Selina Miles’ feature documentary Martha: A Picture Story, an alternate content release which profiles intrepid American photojournalist Martha Cooper, clocked $15,000 from limited sessions plus $29,000 from festivals for Umbrella Entertainment.

The winner of the Sydney Film Festival Documentary Audience Award, the film follows Cooper as she roams around Berlin, New York and Baltimore and her adventures come to life with archival footage and tales from subjects and peers.

The Aacta Awards to be announced on Wednesday are unlikely to give any box office momentum to the victors,...

Vue and Showcase removed ‘Blue Story’ from their UK venues this weekend.

RankFilm (Distributor)Three-day gross (Nov 22-24)Total gross to date Week 1 Frozen II (Disney) £15.1m £15.1m 1 2 Last Christmas (Universal) £2.2m £6.7m 2 3 Blue Story (Paramount) £1.3m £1.3m 1 4 Le Mans ’66 (Disney) £1.2m £4.2m 2 5 21 Bridges (Stx) £655,000 £655,000 1

Today’s Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.29

Disney

Disney’s animated sequel Frozen II grossed a huge £15.1m for top spot, breaking the company’s own record for biggest opening for an animated film, set by Toy Story 4 with £13.3m earlier this year.

Frozen II scored a £22,504 location average from 671 sites, also surpassing the...