News

Exclusive: After garnering rave reviews for his South London-set Netflix superhero series Supacell and securing a second season order, Andrew “Rapman” Onwubolu has inked a deal to reteam with the streamer as the director of crime biopic The Council.

Written by filmmaker Peter Landesman, with revisions by Rapman, The Council tells the never-before told story of a crime syndicate consisting of seven African-American men who ruled Harlem in the 1970s and early ’80s, focusing on Nicky Barnes, the crime boss dubbed “Mr. Untouchable” by The New York Times.

Matt Jackson will produce for Jackson Pictures, alongside Jason Essex for Anonymous Nobodies, and James Lassiter. Joanne Lee of Jackson Pictures and Landesman will serve as executive producers.

Onwubolu created, wrote, and directed Supacell, a six-episode series that follows five ordinary Black individuals who unexpectedly develop superpowers linked to their family history of sickle cell disease.

Variety and the Golden Globes continue their tradition of festival celebrations with an exclusive invite-only party celebrating talent attending the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. The party will take place on May 17 and will be hosted by Golden Globes president Helen Hoehne and Variety co-editor in chief Ramin Setoodeh.

At the event, the Variety and Golden Globes Vanguard Award will be presented to Charlotte Gainsbourg — eight-time César nominee, two-time César winner, three-time European Film Award nominee, and Cannes Film Festival Best Actress winner — in recognition of her boundary-breaking artistry and her innovative voice in global cinema, television and music. Gainsbourg can currently be seen as the co-lead of Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino’s newest series “Étoile” for Prime Video, starring opposite Luke Kirby. Golden Globes President Helen Hoehne will present her with the award.

Additionally, the Variety and Golden Globes Creative Impact Icon Film Award will be presented to actor and playwright Jeremy O. Harris.

Exclusive: There’s been a lot of buzz in the UK surrounding rising producer Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor.

With intriguing credits like Blue Story and Boxing Day, Gharoro-Akpojotor has demonstrated a unique ability to get projects that are subversive in both content and creation — everything she’s produced so far has boasted a majority non-white cast — over the line and onto our screens at a time when commissioners are more risk-averse, and budgets are much tighter.

The Nigerian-raised Londoner is at the Berlinale this year with a new project, her directorial debut. Titled Dreamers, Gharoro-Akpojotor directed the film from a screenplay she wrote. The film follows Nigerian-born Isio, who, after living undocumented in the UK for two years, is caught and sent to the Hatchworth Removal Centre. She hopes for a fair asylum hearing and is convinced that, as long as she strictly follows the rules, she will be released – even if her charismatic new roommate,...

Bafta-winning UK star of Empire Of Light and Blue Story Michael Ward is to lead Joe Marcantonio’s revenge thriller Uncle.

Atlanta-based FilmHedge has boarded the project to co-finance, with principal photography set to begin on April 22 in the UK, and the UK’s WestEnd Films handling world sales.

After the brutal murder of their family, a teenager and her uncle embark on a brutal mission of revenge and retribution.

Uncle is produced out of the UK by Auroral Pictures’ Rebecca Knapp and Matthew Wakeham with Delta Pictures’ Adam Partridge. Marcantonio co-writes with Owynne Dawkins. It is supported by Ffilm Cymru Wales...

Veteran actor and musician Ashley Walters (Top Boy) has started production on Animol, his debut feature as a director.

Written by Nick Love the project is described as a “poignant coming-of-age story” based on life within the confines of a Young Offenders’ institution.

Animol was developed by Film4 in collaboration with Joi Productions. Sky is collaborating with Film4 for the first time as co-financiers on the project, with the BFI also financing. Bankside Films is handling international sales for the film.

Starring in the flick are Tut Nyuot and Vladyslav Baliuk, who feature as the two central teenagers in the Young Offenders’ institution. Veteran actor Stephen Graham joins the supporting cast as a Welfare Officer tasked with supporting the young offenders during their incarceration. Sharon Duncan-Brewster rounds off the ensemble.

The film is...

Ashley Walters — the trailblazing British actor and star of “Top Boy” and “Missing You” — has started production on his directorial feature debut and unveiled his main cast.

“Animol” — written by Nick Love — draws on Walters’ own experiences and is described by the filmmakers as a “searing portrayal of life within the confines of a Young Offenders’ institution” and a “raw and poignant coming-of-age story highlights the power of humanity in the midst of adversity.”

Leading the feature are a pair of young rising stars in Tut Nyuot and Vladyslav Baliuk, who will play two teenagers embroiled in the prison’s harsh environment. BAFTA winner Stephen Graham joins the cast as a welfare officer tasked with supporting the young offenders during their incarceration, while Sharon Duncan-Brewster rounds out the lineup.

“Animol” was developed by Film4 in collaboration with Joi Productions. Sky is collaborating with Film4 for the first time as co-financiers on the project,...

In the last six years, Rapman has gone from making breakout YouTube project Shiro’s Story, to helming his first feature, Blue Story, and then creating one of Netflix’s most successful UK series this year with superhero sci-fi drama Supacell.

With each milestone, Rapman has continued to flip the entertainment industry’s script on its head.

“I didn’t go to film school. I didn’t even go to university, but I lived a lot of life before I was in this film world, so I use that as my storytelling style,” Rapman told Deadline.

Rapman appeared on a panel with rapper LL Cool J as part of Paramount’s “Content For Change” program, running alongside the MTV Europe Music Awards in Manchester.

“There are always going to be budget restraints, but the industry still wants people with good ideas and people who are willing to work, so you...

Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor’s Dreamers and Brian Durnin’s Spilt Milk are among the nine feature films and documentaries taking part in the fourth edition of the BFI London Film Festival works-in-progress showcase.

Dreamers is the directorial debut of Gharoro-Akpojoto, producer of Blue Story and Boxing Day and is in post-production. Ronkę Adékoluęjo stars in the love story set in a detention centre, produced by Emily Morgan’s Quiddity Films, with backing from BBC Film and the BFI. The Yellow Affair by Newen Connect represents sales.

Spilt Milk is Dublin filmmaker Brian Durnin’s first film. It follows an 11 year-old boy...

Supacell is a 2024 British superhero television series, created and written by Rapman for Netflix. It was directed by Rapman and Sebastian Thiel, and premiered with six episodes on 27th June 2024.

Set in modern-day South London, the series is about a group of five ordinary black people, unified by family history of sickle cell disease. They unexpectedly develop superpowers and are pursued by a secret organisation who intends to control them.

Supacell features an ensemble cast including; Tosin Cole, Adelayo Adedayo, Josh Tedeku, Nadine Mills, Eric Kofi-Abrefa, Calvin Demba, Ghetts, Digga D, and Eddie Marsan. The series was a difficult sell to US broadcasters such as HBO, ABC, and FX. Netflix took it on in late 2019, ahead of the release of Rapman’s feature-length film debut Blue Story.

[This story contains spoilers from season one of Supacell.]

Supacell is, in many ways, a love letter to drama, sci-fi, Black talent and south London — but it is not a superhero story.

That’s what its showrunner, Rapman, wants fans to know. The six-part series has stormed into Netflix‘s most-watched programs this month and currently sits in the top spot on its global television list, having accrued nearly 12 million views.

Rapman — or “Raps” as he says he’s known among friends and colleagues — is a quadruple threat. The Briton, whose real name is Andrew Onwubolu, is a rapper, record producer, screenwriter and director. Finding fame on YouTube through the medium of rap, the 35-year-old made his writing and directorial debut with the 2019 feature Blue Story, a musical crime drama that earned international distribution through Paramount. Around that same time, Rapman began concocting a piece of television that asked the question: “What if there was a sci-fi where...

British original series, Supacell, has been a hit on Netflix, urging fans to check out other acclaimed shows. Directed by Rapman, Supacell showcases South Londoners with sudden superpowers, a unique twist. Viewers of Supacell may enjoy Misfits, a similar British superhero show with a diverse cast and deep themes.

British original sci-fi series Supacell has proven popular on Netflix since its release, reminding viewers to watch another acclaimed show following its success. The cast and characters in Supacell are a group of South Londoners who suddenly develop superpowers. It was directed by rapper and screenwriter Rapman, known for his work on 2019's Blue Story and his three-part short series, Shiro's Story, which gave him widespread recognition across the UK.

While his previous projects didn't feature characters with superpowers, Rapman's work has focused on the lives of black Londoners and the contemporary issues they face in the city. With Netflix producing...

Netflix's new superhero drama, Supacell, has taken the streaming world by storm, topping charts just days after its release. The series has secured the number one spot on the most-watched TV shows list in multiple countries and is currently ranked second in the UK and the US.

Created by Rapman, known for Blue Story, Supacell follows the lives of five ordinary South Londoners who discover their supernatural abilities. The series has received rave reviews, maintaining a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Since its debut on June 27, Supacell has surged to the number two position on Netflix's global Top 10 chart for English-language television shows, amassing 33.5 million views and 6.4 million hours viewed between June 24 and June 30.

Related Charlie Hunnam's Acclaimed Adventure Flick is Leaving Netflix This Month

Charlie Hunnam's star-studded adventure film is leaving the streaming service.

According to ScreenRant, the British series has outperformed popular titles such as Bridgerton, Sweet Tooth,...

Apple TV+ has given the green light to a second season of The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, the comedy-adventure series starring Noel Fielding as a legendary British highwayman. The series debuted globally on Friday, March 1, 2024.

In the six-episode series, Dick Turpin (Fielding) sets out on a journey of wildly absurd escapades when he’s made the reluctant leader of a band of outlaws — and tasked with outwitting corrupt lawman and self-appointed thief-taker Jonathan Wilde (Hugh Bonneville).

In this irreverent retelling set in the 18th century, Turpin is the most famous but least likely of highway robbers, whose success is defined mainly by his charm, showmanship, and great hair.

Together with his gang of lovable rogues, Turpin experiences the highs and lows of his new endeavors, including a brush with celebrity, while trying to escape the clutches of the thief-taker.

Ellie White (The Windsors), Marc Wootton (High & Dry), Duayne Boachie...

The reports of the superhero genre's death have been greatly exaggerated. Make no mistake, the Marvel Cinematic Universe almost certainly won't be returning to the levels of popularity it reached with the Infinity Saga, and who knows what will come out of James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Universe reboot. Still, it's silly to act like superhero culture is dead and waiting to be buried, not least of all when "Deadpool & Wolverine" is tracking for a huge box office opening near the end of this month. 

Hell, we're half-way into 2024 and we're still talking about the Snyder Cut, for goodness' sake.

Superhero media loosening its grip on the public's consciousness should also be cause for celebration among those who appreciate these types of stories. Anytime a genre or brand is suffering commercially, it's an opportunity for innovation. New voices, especially those who've been excluded from the conversation in the past,...

Exclusive: Rapman utilized a superpower of his own — one that didn’t require him to don figure-hugging spandex tights and a cape — to survive the setbacks he encountered making the earthshaking new Netflix drama Supacell that began streaming Thursday.

“My superpower is discipline,” he declares.

Having an indomitable will comes in handy, too.

Rapman required his superpower to be at full throttle to help him wind his way through a thicket of obstacles.

For starters, he began the process in 2020, the year the pandemic hit everything. There were often heated and frank discussions over writers, special effects (the usual), and two composers came and went before he persuaded Netflix to let him chime with a third, Sillkey, the songwriter, producer and musician.

Having persuaded commissioners at Netflix to develop his idea of a drama about a group of regular people in south London who become mysteriously afflicted — because it’s like an illness — with superpowers,...

Tosin Cole has already been part of two of the best-known sci-fi franchises around.

Sure, the American-born British actor admits his turn as starfighter pilot Lieutenant Bastian in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” was perhaps a little “blink-and-you’ll miss it” (although it could have been a lot more — he got down to the final few auditioning for John Boyega’s role of Finn but “it just didn’t work out” and J.J. Abrams offered him this part instead). But in BBC cult series “Doctor Who,” however, across seasons 11 and 12, he played the main character of Ryan Sinclair, companion to Jodie Whittaker’s Time Lord. It all gives him some solid bragging rights.

“You know, I can tell my grandkids, ‘Your granddaddy was in this show!,’” he exclaims.

But now there’s another sci-fi that he hopes could also become something to tell the grandchildren about in years to come.

Back in early 2020, the British musician turned filmmaker Andrew Onwubolu — better known by his stage name Rapman — was readying for the release of his feature directorial debut “Blue Story” in the U.S. Based on his own experience living in South London, the musical crime drama tells the story of two friends from different neighborhoods who become embroiled in deadly gang wars. The film had already been a hit on home soil, making £4.7 million ($6 million) from a budget of £1.4 million ($1.8 million) the previous November, becoming the most successful British urban film of all time.

Sadly, like so many films due out in 2020, “Blue Story” was an early casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic. Paramount pulled its planned U.S. theatrical release and set it for digital months later. Another film Rapman was developing — “American Son,” Paramount’s remake of French hit “A Prophet” due to star Russell Crowe — also fell apart.

Streaming on: Netflix

Episodes viewed: 6 of 6

Supacell scenes occur, as perhaps all scenes should, outside Bargain Booze and Wimpy. You can practically smell the knickerbocker glories. Set and shot in South London, with a predominantly Black cast, the action – the gang violence, the marriage proposals, the drug deals, the super-powered throwdowns – takes place on the estates, on the streets and in the clubs, in Peckham, Lewisham, Brixton, Camberwell. It’s genuinely homegrown, a tribute to creator and writer Rapman’s roots and life experience, and that pays off in practically every shot. It’s almost shocking to see something like this today, a drama that dwells in such a sandbox and doesn’t feel like it’s been made by committee — it’s an unfiltered vision, a defibrillator of a show helping to bring an increasingly spluttering genre back to life.

When he named himself Rapman years ago, it’s...

Netflix has released the official trailer for Rapman’s ‘Supacell’ and have revealed that the Mobo award-winning British rapper and songwriter Ghetts will play the role of Krazy.

The series is about a group of five ordinary people who unexpectedly develop superpowers. They have little in common except for one thing: they are all Black South Londoners. One man, Michael Lasaki, must bring them all together to save the woman he loves.

Created, Directed and show ran by Rapman with Sebastian Thiel also directing, the cast includes Tosin Cole (61st, Street, Till, Ear for Eye) as Michael, Nadine Mills (Sliced and The Weekend) as Sabrina, Eric Kofi Abrefa (Blue Story, Bmf) as Andre, Calvin Demba (The Rig, Life, Micky and the Bear) as Rodney, Josh Tedeku (Moonhaven, A Town Called Malice) as Tazer, Adelayo Adedayo (The Responder, Timewasters) as Dionne, Rayxia Ojo (Harry Potter and The Cursed Child – West End Production,...

Heading into Cannes, where it has four films in official selection and three projects participating in the Great 8 showcase, BBC Film has unveiled further details about its upcoming slate.

Among new projects in advanced development is Remi Weekes’ follow-up to His House, which is being produced by Tanya Segatchian and John Woodward’s Bright Star. Details for the untitled feature are being kept under wraps but BBC Film director Eva Yates told Screen: “It’s not a horror.”

Also in advanced development is Raine Allen-Miller’s second feature after Rye Lane, a south London-set heist comedy that she has also written.

For his follow-up to Blue Story, Rapman is going big. The multi-talented creator announced himself as a filmmaker to watch with his hit debut feature film – earning sizeable box office and a raft of positive reviews, despite controversial cinema bans on his tale of childhood friends driven apart by gang violence. His latest project, Supacell, isn’t a film but a Netflix series – an original show about a group of South Londoners who develop superpowers, exploring how their lives are forever changed.

While the idea of ordinary people receiving extraordinary abilities is a familiar format, Rapman is bringing his own personal perspective to it – while drawing from what came before in beloved shows like Heroes and Misfits. “I loved Heroes,” he tells Empire. “It was the closest to my image of what I thought a show about superpowers should be like. It was a massive inspiration.” And while he’s bringing in genre elements,...

Amazon UK MD Chris Bird was among the latest group of industry execs to appear in front of the UK’s British Film & High-End TV Inquiry this afternoon, during which he revealed how much cash the streamer has invested in content from UK broadcasters for the first time.

“We have spent more than $400 million licensing, co-producing, and co-commissioning content from the UK Public Service Broadcasters,” Bird said. “Not only to make bigger and better shows but we’ve also helped produce everything from Steve McQueen’s Small Axe and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag to the recently announced second and third seasons of The Night Manager with the BBC.”

Deadline was first to break news of The Night Manager returning with Tom Hiddleston signed on to star.

Prime Video doesn’t only help produce these hits but also distributes them to territories across the globe, Bird added. “Outside of America, British...

The MCU is about to mutate. The arrival of Deadpool & Wolverine is set to bring an all-new flavour to the Marvel universe – teaming up Ryan Reynolds’ Merc With A Mouth and Hugh Jackman’s adamantium-clawed Logan for a mad, meta buddy movie. The new issue of Empire takes a world-exclusive deep-dive into the film speaking to its stars and filmmakers – and you’ll find it on newsstands from Thursday 9 May.

For now, take an early peek at what’s inside the magazine. Hold onto your chimichangas!

Deadpool & Wolverine

What happens when you team up two volatile agents of chaos, take them out of their respective worlds, and plunge them into the MCU? You get Wolverine & Deadpool, a no-holds-barred Marvel movie set to change the game. Empire speaks to Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, director Shawn Levy, Marvel boss Kevin Feige and more about unleashing mutant mayhem in the Marvel universe.

Micheal Ward is a rising young British actor who has rapidly gained recognition for his acclaimed performances on screen. Though only in his mid-20s, Ward has already landed starring roles in high-profile TV shows and films, establishing himself as one of the most promising talents of his generation.

Ward first drew major attention for his role as Jamie in Top Boy, the Netflix revival of the hit crime drama series. His emotional performance as a conflicted teenager navigating London’s underground drug trade earned widespread praise. This breakthrough has led to other prominent parts, including co-starring in Steve McQueen’s award-winning anthology film series Small Axe. With his raw talent and versatility, Ward represents the future of Black British acting.

Micheal Ward in Top Boy (2011) Early Life and Education

Micheal Ward was born on June 18, 1997 in Homerton, London to parents of Jamaican descent. He grew up in Hackney with his mother,...

"You can save her..." "How?" "You need all four. One dies, she dies." Netflix has unveiled a first look teaser trailer for a thriller series titled Supacell, arriving for streaming this summer. It's the next creation by the Blue Story director who goes under the moniker "Rapman", an urban London story about people with super powers who have to join together. "Find them, before it's too late." When a regular group of ordinary people from South London are gifted with superpowers, they find their new abilities have made them targets for a powerful entity. The series stars Tosin Cole as Michael, Nadine Mills as Sabrina, Eric Kofi Abrefa as Andre, Calvin Demba as Rodney, Josh Tedeku as Tazer, Adelayo Adedayo as Dionne, Rayxia Ojo as Sharleen, and Giacomo Mancini as Spud. There's only a little bit of footage in this first teaser, but enough to make me intrigued. Looks pretty cool.

The BFI and BAFTA have unveiled the 2024 intake for its 10th BFI Flare x BAFTA professional development program, supporting six emerging Lgbtqia+ creatives working on their debuts in film and TV.

They comprise writer and performer Travis Alabanza, creative producer Isabella Bassett, actor and writer Zak Ghazi-Torbati, filmmaker Cherish Oteka, writer and actor Miles Sloman and screenwriter and director Charlie Tidmas. (see full bios below)

The participants benefit from industry mentorship, bespoke events and workshops at BAFTA and BFI as well as wellbeing and career coaching and access to BAFTA Connect, the academy’s membership programme for emerging and mid-level talent.

They will also be given networking opportunities during the BFI Flare: London Lgbtqia+ Film Festival, running from March 13 to 24 March.

BFI and BAFTA noted that the festival’s opening night film, Layla, was created by two alumni of the scheme.

“The BFI Flare x BAFTA mentorship had a profound impact on my career and,...

The historical comedy series The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is set to premiere with its first two episodes this Friday, March 1st, with the rest of the show’s six episodes being released on a weekly basis through Friday, March 29th – all of this exclusively on Apple TV+. In anticipation the show’s premiere, we’re proud to share an Exclusive clip from the first episode, and you can check it out in the embed above!

The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin stars Noel Fielding of The Mighty Boosh and The Great British Bake Off in the titular role as the legendary British highwayman. Also in the cast are Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Ellie White (The Windsors), Marc Wootton (High & Dry), Duayne Boachie (Blue Story), Tamsin Greig (Episodes), Asim Chaudhry (People Just Do Nothing), Dolly Wells (Doll & Em), Joe Wilkinson (The Cockfields), Mark Heap (Stardust), Geoffrey McGivern...

The BBC Writers section of its website now contains a selection of scripts from Doctor Who and beyond.

BBC Writers is a wonderful resource for anybody interested in the mechanics of making scripted television. You can find hundreds of scripts in its archive. From classic drama like Accused and children’s shows like The Story Of Tracy Beaker to feature films like Blue Story, In The Loop and Rye Lane, it provides a fascinating insight into British film and television production.

The BBC has now revealed a new Whoniverse section, which contains not only a selection of Doctor Who scripts from Rose right up to date with The Church On Ruby Road, you can also find scripts for Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Tales Of The Tardis, Class, animated adventures The Infinite Quest and Dreamland, and VR game The Runaway. One of the most intriguing new additions is the Fifteenth...

Apple TV+ has launched the trailer for Noel Fielding-led comedy ‘The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin,’ which premieres globally on March 1st.

The six-episode Apple Original centres on Dick Turpin (Fielding), who sets out on a journey of wildly absurd escapades when he’s made the reluctant leader of a band of outlaws — and tasked with outwitting corrupt lawman and self-appointed thief-taker Jonathan Wilde (Hugh Bonneville).

In this irreverent retelling set in the 18th century, Turpin is the most famous but least likely of highway robbers, whose success is defined mostly by his charm, showmanship and great hair. Together with his gang of lovable rogues, Turpin rides the highs and lows of his new endeavours, including a brush with celebrity, all whilst trying to escape the clutches of the thief-taker.

Starring alongside Fielding in the ensemble cast are Ellie White (“The Windsors”), Marc Wootton (“High & Dry”), Duayne Boachie...

UK director George Amponsah’s thriller Gassed Up has won the London Film Festival (Lff) Audience Award for Best Feature in the 67th edition running from October 4 to 15, as the event also posts record participation.

Further Audiences Award winners, which were announced on Monday, went to The Taste of Mango for Best Documentary, Festival of Slaps for Best British Film/Work and Murals for Best Immersive Work/Xr.

Amponsah’s London-set thriller stars Stephen Odubola as a member of a moped street crime gang, who gets on the wrong side of an Albanian crime family.

Archie Maddocks co-wrote the screenplay with One Piece breakout Taz Skylar, who also appears in the film, with other cast including including Steve Toussaint (House Of The Dragon) and Tobias Jowett, soon to be seen in Nick Hamm’s upcoming epic William Tell.

The thriller marks Amponsah’s first fiction feature...

Good afternoon Insiders and welcome to this week’s newsletter, Max Goldbart here with my hand on the tiller. Netflix was in London this week and there was plenty else going on for you to digest over lunch. Read on. And sign up and subscribe here.

Netflix Goes Big

London calling: Netflix has been on a major European charm offensive this year and Wednesday night was the UK’s turn to host a no-expense-spared event. Held at the Battersea Power Station – once a giant south London coal-power generator and now a futuristic mall, residential complex and cinema – the Netflix See What’s Next shindig saw presenter Anita Rani host the likes of Blue Story creator Rapman, actor and filmmaker Daniel Kaluuya and Sam McAlister of Prince Andrew interview fame. Sex Education star Alistair Petrie helmed a panel comprising Heartstopper’s Yasmin Finney, The Witcher’s Joey Batey and The Crown’s Claudia Harrison,...

Eddie Marsan has joined the cast of Supacell, Blue Story director Rapman’s Netflix drama series about a group of South Londoners who develop superpowers.

Marsan will play a character named Ray in the show, which has now wrapped shooting in London. No launch date has been set.

The series will follow five ordinary Black South Londoners with little in common who unexpectedly develop superpowers. One man Michael Lasaki (Tosin Cole) has to bring them all together in order to save the woman he loves.

“Eddie has just got such a good energy,” said Rapman at a Netflix See What’s Next Event in London last night. “He is a legend, such a nice human. He was making me feel like Scorsese on set.” Watch him talk about the series in a behind-the-scenes promo tape below.

Marsan joins a cast that includes Cole, Nadine Mills as Sabrina, Eric Kofi Abrefa as Andre, Calvin Demba as Rodney, Josh Tedeku as Tazer, Adelayo Adedayo as Dionne, Rayxia Ojo as Sharleen and Giacomo Mancini as Spud.

Rapman (aka Andrew Onwubolu) serves as showrunner, creator and lead director on the six part series with Sebastian Thiel directing half the episodes.

Joanna Crow is series producer, with Sheila Nortley block 2 producer and associate producer. Geraldine Hawkins serves as Co-Producer. Rapman is executive producer alongside Anna Ferguson and Steve Searle for Netflix and Mouktar Mohammed of New Wave. Henrietta Lee is associate producer for New Wave.

“Do not forget the name Supacell.”

Writer/director @RealRapman takes us behind the scenes of his upcoming Netflix series following five ordinary people who unexpectedly develop superpowers. pic.twitter.com/oizn8WKyv2

— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) April 27, 2023...

Exclusive: The BFI and BAFTA have set the 2023 cohort of the BFI Flare x BAFTA mentoring scheme, which provides support to six Lgbtqia+ filmmakers working towards their debuts in film and television.

The programme runs in partnership with BFI Network and is in its ninth year. Alums include Aleem Khan (After Love), Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor, Georgi Banks-Davies (I Hate Suzie), Kayleigh Llewellyn, and Georgia Oakley (Blue Jean).

This year’s programme will support writer Dylan Brady, writer/director Phoebe Brooks, writer Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini, writer/director Sarah Grant, writer Bethan Marlow, and writer/director/producer Shiva Raichandani.

As part of the initiative, the participants are matched with industry mentors and invited to attend a two-day lab of events during BFI Flare, the BFI’s Lgbtqia+ film festival. The festival runs this month from March 15-26. They will also receive access to wellbeing...

It feels like we’re all sleeping on Supacell a bit. This new Netflix superhero series was first announced back in November 2021, has a super-strong cast, and has been filming since summer 2022, but there’s very little news about it. It doesn’t even have its own Wikipedia page yet.

Let’s put that right and get better acquainted with this fresh upcoming British superhero drama that could rival the likes of Misfits and Extraordinary:

Supacell Was Created By Pioneering Rapper-Turned-Filmmaker Rapman

Impressively, Rapman – real name Andrew Onwubolu – is only 33 but already has an MBE for services to drama and music. He’s known for dealing with socially conscious themes like suicide, blood donors, and domestic abuse.

You’ll most likely know Rapman for Blue Story, his critically-acclaimed 2019 film, told through the medium of rap, which starred Karla Simone-Spence (The Confessions of Frannie Langton) and Top Boy’s Michael Ward,...

Sumotherhood, the upcoming British urban action-comedy that marks the much-anticipated return to filmmaking for BAFTA winner Adam Deacon, is set to hit cinemas later this year following a major worldwide deal with Paramount, The Hollywood Reporter can reveal.

Paramount Global Content Distribution and Paramount Pictures U.K. have acquired the feature, now in postproduction and coming from Piece of Pie Productions, Deaconstructed and Belstone Pictures. Paramount Pictures U.K. is planning a theatrical release in the U.K. and Ireland later in 2023.

Sumotherhood features an ensemble cast, including Deacon (Kidulthood, Rogue), Jazzie Zonzolo (Anuvahood), Jennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous), Danny Sapani (Black Panther), Ed Sheeran (Game Of Thrones), Leomie Anderson (Glow Up), Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Mary Poppins Returns, Paddington 2), London Hughes (London Hughes: To Catch a D*ck), Peter Serafinowicz (The Tick), Richie Campbell (Top Boy, Blue Story), Ella VaDay (Ru Paul’s Drag Race) and Jaime Winstone (Kidulthood), alongside several cameos

Written by Deacon,...

The first group of confirmed judges also includes actor/producer Ray Panthaki and execs from BFI and Vue.

The first group of judges for The Big Screen Awards 2022, the relaunched version of the Screen Awards, has been announced ahead of the extended entry deadline on September 23.

Click here to enter

Now in their 11th year, the industry awards celebrate the ingenuity, skills and achievements of the people, teams and companies that connect films with the UK’s cinemagoing audiences.

Among the first group of judges confirmed for this year’s awards are Film4 chairman Daniel Battsek, Boiling Point actor/producer Ray Panthaki,...

In the era when content is king, Sam Mendes still believes in moving pictures. “Empire of Light” is the proof. While the world was in lockdown these past couple years, Mendes let his imagination run to his happy place: a grand old English movie palace he dubbed the Empire Cinema. Thousands pass through its art deco doors seeking escapism, but Mendes is more interested in the employees — the projectionist, the ticket takers, the box office attendant and so forth — whose stories, he senses, are every bit as interesting as the ones they show. And so he put them up on-screen where they belong.

But “Empire of Light” is more than just Mendes’ homage to an endangered art form — in fact, it spends a lot less time valorizing the medium than you might imagine. The movies bind this ersatz family, but it’s the people that matter. To that end, Mendes assembled a terrific team,...

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Eric Kofi-Abrefa, currently starring in Starz’s Bmf, has signed with APA. The actor stars as antagonist Lamar Silas on the series, produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.

The London native is also known for roles in the crime drama Blue Story (2019), from director Andrew “Rapman” Onwubolu. Kofi-Abrefa reteams with Onwubolu for the upcoming Netflix sci-fi superhero series Supacell, which focuses on a group of ordinary citizens from South London who develop super powers despite having no clear connection between them, other than they are all Black.

The actor has also appeared in high profile features such as Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018), the Brad Pitt World War II tank drama Fury (2014) and Oliver stone’s Snowden (2016).

Kofi-Abrefa is a graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and is also known for theater work, appearing opposite Vanessa Kirby in the National...

Searchlight Pictures has released the teaser trailer for the upcoming Sam Mendes film Empire of Light. The film will be in theaters on December 9, 2022.

Set in an English seaside town in the early 1980s, Empire of Light is a powerful and poignant story about human connection and the magic of cinema, from Academy Award®-winning director Sam Mendes.

Olivia Colman and Micheal Ward in “Empire of Light.” Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.

Empire of Light features a stellar cast led by Academy Award® winner Olivia Colman (The Favourite and The Lost Daughter), BAFTA winner Michael Ward (Blue Story and Top Boy) and Academy Award® winner Colin Firth (The King’s Speech and A Single Man). The film also reunites Mendes with Academy Award®-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins (1917 and Skyfall).

About The Film

Genre: Drama, Romance Cast: Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Tom Brooke, Tanya Moodie, Hannah Onslow, Crystal Clarke, Toby Jones, Colin Firth...

Photo by Parisa Taghizadeh. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.

Searchlight Pictures has released the first trailer for Empire Of Light.

Set in an English seaside town in the early 1980s, Empire Of Light is a powerful and poignant story about human connection and the magic of cinema, from Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes.

Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF, announced that Mendes will receive the TIFF Ebert Director Award. The TIFF Tribute Awards presented by Bvlgari will return to an in-person gala fundraiser during the 47th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, September 11 at Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

TIFF will be presenting the Canadian Premiere of Mendes’ most recent work, which he wrote, directed, and produced. Mendes made his feature film debut at the Festival in 1999 with the World Premiere of American Beauty, a TIFF People’s Choice Award winner, for which he...

The teaser trailer for the esteemed director Sam Mendes’ new movie, Empire of Light, has been released. The director also serves as screenwriter and producer for this TIFF-bound awards contender. This period piece features an ensemble composed of Academy Award winner Olivia Colman, BAFTA winner Micheal Ward, Toby Jones, and Academy Award winner Colin Firth. The movie comes courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures.

The film is about the events that take place in an English seaside town in the early 1980s. The trailer features interlinked stories of the ensemble cast that culminates in the screening of a film. The movie explores the relationship between human connection and human interaction and how it all relates to the power of cinema. This is Sam Mendes’ poignant and powerful love letter to the medium he clearly loves so much.

A film of this theme is interestingly relevant in the wake of events in recent years.

Exclusive: Netflix’s Rapman-created Supacell series, about a group of regular people who gain superpowers, is up, up and away with Tosin Cole (61st Street) signed on to play lead character Michael Lasaki. Filming begins in South London on Monday.

Speaking exclusively to Deadline, Blue Story creator Rapman Aka Andrew Onwabolu said Cole’s Michael is a “van driver, an everyday working man, who’s deep in love” with Dionne, played by Adelayo Adedayo (The Responder).

The cast also includes Nadine Mills (The Weekend), Eric Kofi Abrefa, Calvin Demba (The Rig), Josh Tedeku (Moonhaven), Rayxia Ojo (Call The Midwife) and Giacomo Mancini (Top Boy).

Commissioned in 2021, the six-part superhero show sees a certain number of Black people in South London develop superpowers. Rapman is showrunner and lead director and Sebastian Thiel (Dreaming Whilst Black) will direct three of the episodes.

Cole’s casting...

Exclusive: Amazon Studios has greenlit historical comedy series My Lady Jane for Prime Video with Emily Bader (Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin), Edward Bluemel (Killing Eve), and Jordan Peters (Blue Story) set to star.

Rising American actress Bader will take on the titular role of Lady Jane. Based on the 2016 YA historical fiction novels, the series will follow an irreverent young Tudor woman who dreads her arranged marriage, only to be surprised when it results in a steamy romance, her being crowned Queen, and a heroic mission to save the magical people persecuted by her political rivals. Taking short-lived British monarch Lady Jane Grey as its inspiration, the popular novel was penned by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows.

Bluemel will play Grey’s husband Lord Guildford Dudley and Peters will be King Edward. Parkes+ MacDonald, the production company run by Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald, is producing the show.

The UK independent film sector is in a fight for its survival amid the streamer-fuelled production boom and a long-term decline in traditional revenues, according to a one-off economic review commissioned by the British Film Institute (BFI).

The study, conducted by Alma Economics on behalf of the BFI, found “high levels of fragility” across the sector, from the production stage through to distribution and exhibition, and suggested its “viability is inhibited to the point of market failure”.

“This review gives us important economic evidence and pinpoints measures as preliminary recommendations which can be unpacked and modelled with the industry in order to enable it to prosper and continue,” said BFI Chief Executive Ben Roberts.

The report found that while the UK production sector has ballooned in size over the last five years to reach record spending levels of 6.7b (£5.64b) in 2021, the benefits of this increased activity had not trickled...

Exclusive: Chris Sussman, Netflix’s Director of UK Scripted Series, is leaving the streamer, Deadline has learned.

The former BBC exec has resigned from Anne Mensah’s lean UK commissioning team to spend more time with his family, we understand. His final day is July 8.

During his two-and-a-half year spell, the well liked exec was behind the likes of Harlan Coben’s Stay Close, from It’s A Sin producer Red Production Company, and Man Vs Bee, the slapstick comedy launching next week in which Rowan Atkinson plays a man who destroys a luxury home while housesitting due to a troublesome bee.

As Deadline revealed in October 2019, he had joined Netflix from BBC Studios, where he had run the comedy division for three years. Prior to that, he was a commissioner at the BBC, most notably playing a key role in the commission and launch of influential BBC Three comedy-drama Fleabag.

Key screen figures receive honours for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Actor Damian Lewis, actor-director Andrew Onwubolu, aka Rapman and Creative UK CEO Caroline Norbury are among the film and TV figures to receive honorary titles as part of the Queen’s birthday honours to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee.

Lewis, whose credits include Homeland, received a Cbe for his services to film and charity. He is also co-founder of the Feed NHS campaign, created in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rapman created the YouTube series Shiro’s Story before directing his feature debut Blue Story in 2019. He has received an...

“Billions” actor Damian Lewis, actor-director Rapman (“Blue Story”), writer Salman Rushdie (“Midnight’s Children”) and All3Media CEO Jane Turton are among those in the arts and entertainment field recognized in the annual Queen’s birthday honors.

Lewis has been recognized as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (Cbe) for services to drama and charity. Also accorded a Cbe is filmmaker Isaac Julien, Berlin winner for “Derek.”

Rushdie has been accorded the Member of the Order of the Companions of Honor accolade for services to literature alongside illustrator and writer Quentin Blake (“Jackanory”), for services to illustration.

Director Andrew Onwubolu, also known as Rapman, has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to drama and music. Veteran “Coronation Street” actor Helen Worth Dawson has also been accorded an MBE for services to drama.

Ian Rankin, whose crime novels, including the...

Move Mountains Productions have released the official trailer for new film The Sun Also Rises, due for release in Summer. The Sun Also Rises is the directorial debut of a full-length film by Roland Manookian and is produced by Shane McCormick, Tom Gordon (Good Shout film collective founder), Josh Witcher and Franky Lankester (Ron Hopper’s Misfortune).

The film focuses on Raye (Gina Jones), a woman trapped in an abusive relationship. The film charts her struggle to survive, her journey to escape, and how the cycle of violence affects everyone who comes into contact with it.

The Sun Also Rises is a beautiful film with an ultimately positive message of redemption; it pays homage to the strength of the human spirit. The film draws inspiration from the Ernest Hemmingway book Fiesta: The Sun Also Rises, portraying Raye’s journey through the lens of a metaphorical bull run. Producer Shane McCormick...

Eva Yates has been appointed Director of BBC Film.

The assumed front-runner for the job, Yates will be responsible for the development and production of films backed by the broadcaster.

Yates, who replaces Rose Garnett who is leaving to join A24, will also oversee Storyville, the BBC’s documentary films strand led by Philippa Kowarsky.

Yates is currently Acting Director of BBC Film and joined the broadcaster in 2017. As a BBC commissioner and executive producer, she has commissioned more than 30 features, most recently Aleem Khan’s BAFTA winner After Love; Blue Story by Andrew Rapman Onwubolu; Remi Weekes’s BAFTA winner His House; and Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun which will premiere in Cannes Critics Week 2022.

Prior to joining the BBC, she worked for eight years as an executive at Film4, where she executive-produced movies including Rungano Nyoni’s BAFTA winner I Am Not A Witch, which premiered in Directors’ Fortnight and...

Major role in UK film ecosystem is responsible for £11m yearly budget.

Eva Yates has been confirmed as the new director of BBC Film, taking on one of the major roles in the independent UK film ecosystem.

Yates has been acting director at the development and production body since the departure of Rose Garnett to join US firm A24, announced in early March this year. She will start immediately as director, and will be in Cannes.

Yates will oversee BBC Film’s £11m annual budget for development and production, which goes towards 12 to 15 films a year. Also under her remit is the Storyville documentary strand,...