News

Actor James McAvoy will return to his hometown next month to accept the Cinema City Honorary Award at the Glasgow Film Festival (Gff), celebrating his remarkable career in film and television.

The award ceremony will take place on March 2nd at the Glasgow Film Theatre, featuring an exclusive In Conversation event that highlights McAvoy’s journey from local talent to international cinema star. Festival organizers expressed their excitement about welcoming the hometown hero, noting they are “delighted and honored” to recognize his achievements.

During the event, McAvoy will discuss his artistic evolution and participate in a special screening of “The Last King of Scotland,” the 2006 film that marked a significant breakthrough in his career. The actor will share insights into his diverse roles across independent and major studio productions.

McAvoy’s cinematic portfolio includes memorable performances in popular franchises like “X-Men” and critically acclaimed films such as “Split” and “Starter for 10...

Glasgow-born actor James McAvoy is to be feted with the Cinema City Honorary Award 2025 at the Glasgow Film Festival (Gff) in March.

He will be taking part in an ‘in conversation’ event at the festival, and there will be a retrospective screening of his film The Last King Of Scotland.

McAvoy’s acting credits include the X-Men franchise, Starter For 10 and Speak No Evil. His directorial debut California Schemin’ is in post, and will be released by Studiocanal in UK-Ireland.

The award was launched in 2024, to recognise figures who have made an outstanding contribution to cinema. Last year, Viggo Mortensen received the inaugural award.

On what US TV quiz show, in which contestants are given answers and respond in the form of questions, did Rosie Perez’s character Gloria appear on in Spike Lee movie White Men Can’t Jump?JeopardyWho Wants to be a Millionaire?Cash CabFamily FeudWhich two future Marvel movie stars played Brian and Patrick in 2006 British comedy film Starter For Ten, themed around TV quiz show University Challenge?James McAvoy and Benedict CumberbatchTom Hiddleston and Idris ElbaAnthony Hopkins and Dominic CooperPaul Bettany and Martin FreemanWhich 1980s US movie family win fictional game show “Pig in a Poke” to go on a European vacation that takes them through London, Paris, Bavaria and Rome?The GriswoldsThe SimpsonsThe AddamsThe McAllistersWhich British actor went from drunkenly hosting a pub quiz in UK sitcom Gavin & Stacey to becoming a host of The Late Late Show in the US?James CordenCraig FergusonJohn OliverGraham NortonWhich The Big Bang Theory...

Esteemed British writer David Nicholls is not precious when it comes to adaptations of his novels and cites Netflix’s recent adaptation of his 2009 novel One Day as being a perfect example of how being open-minded to fresh ideas on established material can result in good work.

Speaking at Dublin’s first ever screenwriting festival Storyhouse, Nicholls sat down for a lengthy discussion with Room and Normal People director Lenny Abrahamson to discuss his process of writing and adapting material. Nicholls credited the writers and directors of series One Day – writer-creator Nicole Taylor, writer Bijan Sheibani and director Molly Manners, among others – of their ability to adapt One Day for a modern television audience.

“The joy of that was that they were both being very faithful and trying to replicate the feeling of reading the novel while at the same time embellishing and drawing things out,” said Nicholls. “And I...

Netflix's "One Day" was a major hit series, and should prompt viewers to watch the 2006 film "Starter for 10," based on a David Nicholls novel. Nicholls adapted a few of his books into screenplays, with the film "Starter for 10" receiving critical acclaim (and the movie version of "One Day" failing critically). "Starter for 10" and Netflix's "One Day" received similar Rotten Tomatoes scores, yet the series was more successful globally.

Netflix's One Day was one of the most streamed series upon its debut on the streaming platform, and its success should prompt those who enjoyed it to watch a film that premiered 18 years before the show's release. The 2024 romantic drama television series is an adaptation of David Nicholls' 2009 book of the same name, which chronicles the complicated and devastating love story between Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley. The show received widespread critical acclaim, with One Day's reviews explaining...

‘Is it autobiographical?’ is usually a question that female novelists can’t escape, but when David Nicholls published One Day in 2009, it also plagued him. Perhaps writing in the romantic genre encouraged interviewers to grant Nicholls honorary-woman status? Lucky him.

One Day is the story of Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew, whose lives we dip into on the same date each year for a couple of decades. They first meet as students at their Edinburgh University graduation ball in 1988, after which their lives weave in and out of each other’s all the way into their mid-30s. The book was a word-of-mouth hit that was made into a very middling film in 2011, and has since been adapted into a terrific 14-part Netflix series starring This is Going to Hurt’s Ambika Mod and The White Lotus’ Leo Woodall.

Because Emma and Dexter become mildly public figures in the story...

David Nicholls’ romance One Day has been adapted for the screen for a second time, this time on Netflix: here’s the trailer.

Novelist David Nicholls has had considerable success as a screenwriter, from penning episodes of Cold Feet and BBC dramas The 7:39 and Aftersun to adapting his own novels Starter For Ten and Us.

His most well known novel, One Day, was previously adapted into a 2011 film by Nicholls himself. Directed by Lobe Scherfig, it saw Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess take on the central roles of Emma and Dexter, alongside Patricia Clarkson, Ken Stott and Romola Garai. It received middling reviews which particularly criticized Hathaway’s Yorkshire accent.

A new adaptation is heading to Netflix, this time as a limited series. The synopsis reads as follows:

Netflix’s adaptation of One Day tells the story of Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew who, on July 15th 1988, the night of their graduation,...

Mel Giedroyc in a musical version of one of the best British rom coms of the 2000s, Starter For Ten? Sign us up!

We here at Film Stories love a bit of theatre. Theatre based on films, even better. Give us some theatre based on films starring national treasure Mel Giedroyc and we might just explode.

Our many limbs were scattered to the winds, then, when this little tidbit entered our inbox. The Bristol Old Vic are putting on the world premiere of a new musical based on David Nicholls’ noughties classic, Starter For Ten.

Check out the synopsis, and a music video for the first song from the musical, below:

“What is eighteen-year-old Brian Jackson’s proudest achievement to date? His A-level results. His idol? Kate Bush. His lifelong dream? To compete on legendary TV quiz show University Challenge. It’s 1985 and, leaving Southend to start his first year at Bristol University,...

Exclusive: The 2006 film Starter for 10, which helped launch the big-screen careers of James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rebecca Hall, Dominic Cooper and James Corden, is being developed into a stage musical.

The show, based on David Nicholls 2003 novel and director Tom Vaughan’s HBO/Playtone movie, will have its world premiere at the Bristol Old Vic in February.

“The film launched the careers of so many young actors, and we hope the musical will do the same,” producer Emma Hall told us.

London-based Hall revealed that Rebecca Hall “is my big sister, so she is just totally thrilled about this. This film, this book has a very special place in her heart.”

The story set in 1985 follows working-class freshman Brian Jackson, the part played by McAvoy in the film, as he begins his student days at Bristol University.

Brian’s dream is to win a place on his college University...

Benedict Cumberbatch has proven himself one of the most versatile actors working, but how do his films rank from worst to best? This Academy Award-nominated actor may have hit some snags in his career, but overall, he boasts a filmography as varied and versatile as his talents. Benedict began his career on the British stage before transitioning into television, breaking out in a big way with 2010's Sherlock, a show for which he's been nominated for four Emmy Awards, finally winning one in 2014. That show's popularity gave rise to a Cumberbatch fandom, and soon the actor found himself a fixture in multiple franchises, eventually donning the cloak of Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Cumberbatch seems to have had little trouble transitioning from franchise fare to serial television to prestige cinema. Whether playing Star Trek's wrathful Khan or The Hobbit's dragon Smaug, he's an actor who radiates both intelligence and warmth,...

Bamber Gascoigne, who was the original presenter of popular TV quiz show “University Challenge,” has died after a brief illness. He was 87.

Gascoigne presented the show, which aired on U.K. broadcaster ITV, from 1962-1987. The show was later revived on the BBC in 1994 and continues being aired.

2006 film “Starter for 10” revolved around “University Challenge.” It starred James McAvoy, Rebecca Hall and Benedict Cumberbatch and featured Mark Gatiss, who would go on to write BBC series “Sherlock,” as Gascoigne.

David Nicholls, who wrote the book “Starter for 10,” on which the film was based, said: “Bamber was a big part of my TV childhood and was very gracious about his fictional cameo in ‘Starter For 10.’ He came to the book launch and left me quite starstruck.”

Gascoigne was also known for presenting ITV documentary series “The Christians” (1977) and Channel 4 series “The Great Moghuls” (1990).

Stephen Fry, who participated...

Bamber Gascoigne, the first University Challenge host who became one of the UK’s most beloved TV quiz presenters, has died aged 87, his representatives confirmed to the BBC. Gascoigne died at his home in Richmond, London after a short illness and is survived by his wife Christina, who he was married to for more than 50 years.

Born in London, Gascoigne won scholarships to both Eton and Cambridge where he read English literature and wrote a musical, Share My Lettuce, that went on to star Maggie Smith and Kenneth Williams.

His big break came in 1962 when he was selected as the first host for ITV quiz University Challenge, which was based on U.S. series College Bowl and is still airing today.

Gascoigne became a household name, presenting the show for 25 years and making phrases such as “Your starter for ten” and “I’ll have to hurry you” part of the everyday British lexicon.

Harris takes over from Greg Dyke.

Bafta has named Neal Street Productions co-founder Pippa Harris as its vice president for television, taking over from former director general of the BBC Greg Dyke, who served from 2016-21.

Harris has been closely involved with Bafta for over 10 years. She joined the board of trustees as deputy chair of the film committee in 2011 and was made chair of the film committee in 2015, and chair of the academy in 2018.

She has supported Bafta’s programme of learning and new talent initiatives including the Bafta Scholarships programme, Bafta Breakthrough and Bafta Elevate. Harris also chaired...

Pippa Harris, the veteran British film and TV executive and co-founder of Neal Street Productions, has been named BAFTA’s vice president for television, an ambassadorial role that will see her promote the British Academy’s charitable work globally.

Harris, who produced shows such as Penny Dreadful and Call the Midwife, and whose film credits include 1917, Jarhead and Starter for 10, joins Barbara Broccoli, who currently serves as BAFTA’s vice president for film, and David Gardner as BAFTA’s vice president for games.

“I am hugely honoured to have been asked to take on this role as one of BAFTA’s vice presidents,...

Pippa Harris, the veteran British film and TV executive and co-founder of Neal Street Productions, has been named BAFTA’s vice president for television, an ambassadorial role that will see her promote the British Academy’s charitable work globally.

Harris, who produced shows such as Penny Dreadful and Call the Midwife, and whose film credits include 1917, Jarhead and Starter for 10, joins Barbara Broccoli, who currently serves as BAFTA’s vice president for film, and David Gardner as BAFTA’s vice president for games.

“I am hugely honoured to have been asked to take on this role as one of BAFTA’s vice presidents,...

One of the most unexpected developments that has emerged from Lockdown 2020 is the widespread proliferation of the Zoom Quiz. Did anyone else think it was possible to take part in this many general knowledge quizzes? I don’t know about you I somehow managed to get involved in three different quizzes one Friday night – and didn’t manage to win any of them! That didn’t even include the devilish weekly HeyUGuys movie quiz that Scott J Davis has been skillfully compèring of late.

On the surface of it, these Zoom quizzes are a welcome means of keeping in contact with our friends and loved ones, but in the absence of live sport, they have also helped to slake the nation’s thirst for heated competition.

Our obsession with general knowledge has reached something of a fever pitch this year. The recent final of University Challenge created a kind of...

The actor on bringing Jesus back, the Oxford University rowing team and why she wants to say sorry to her teachers

Born in London, Alice Eve, 38, studied at the Beverly Hills Playhouse before reading English at Oxford University. In 2006 she starred in Tom Stoppard’s Rock ’N’ Roll at the Royal Court in London and was nominated for a WhatsOnStage award. Her films include Starter For 10, She’s Out Of My League, Star Trek Into Darkness and Bombshell. On television she appeared in Sex And The City 2, Black Mirror and Marvel’s Iron Fist on Netflix, and is in the ITV series Belgravia. She lives in London and La.

What is your greatest fear?

Not being true to myself.

Three episodes were provided prior to broadcast.

Four years removed from his award-worthy turn as Alan Turing in Morten Tyldum’s The Imitation Game, and finally, Benedict Cumberbatch has made the laborious journey back to meaningful acting. With three McU appearances during the interim, Cumberbatch, who has said that his only two bucket list roles are Hamlet and Patrick Melrose, having fulfilled the former in 2015, gives perhaps his strongest performance to date as the titular drug addict.

Written by David Nicholls (Starter for 10), with Edward Berger (The Terror) at the helm, Showtime and Sky Atlantic’s five-part miniseries, Patrick Melrose, adapted from the semi-autobiographical novels penned by Edward St. Aubyn, is a harrowing, if not familiar diamorphine-driven drama elevated through distressingly believable thespianism.

Each chapter of Patrick Melrose is formed around a single entry in Aubyn’s roman à clef anthology, comprised of Never Mind, Bad News, Some Hope,...

It may be tasteless, but National Lampoon captured the campus experience in a way no UK film has ever managed

I once saw National Lampoon’s Animal House at a back-to-school midnight show at the University of California at Santa Barbara in September 1984. I hadn’t counted on the entire two rows of frat-boys behind me who recited every single line of dialogue, in unison, just seconds before the characters onscreen did. It was the first time I realised the term “cult movie” really meant something. Here were a group of people who were modelling their lives – for good or ill, mostly ill – on a movie that spoke directly to their own college experience. One that, as a few epic, real frat-house parties soon showed me, was infinitely more colourful than my own, albeit infused with a sinister sense of everyone growing up way too fast.

Compared to my monochrome,...

The director of Spectre and American Beauty will preside over the jury of the 73rd Venice Film Festival.

Sam Mendes is to head a nine-strong competition jury at the Venice Film Festival (Aug 31-Sept 10), it has been announced.

The British filmmaker took his second feature, Road To Perdition, to the Lido in 2002 where it competed for the coveted Golden Lion.

“I’m very honoured to have been asked by Alberto to lead the International Jury for Venezia 73,” said Mendes of the festival’s artistic director, Alberto Barbera.

“I’ve always had a strong personal connection with Venice; as a student I worked for three months at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection way back in 1984, and my happiest film festival memory is launching Road To Perdition at Venice in 2002.

“I am thoroughly delighted to be coming back to the Lido this year and welcoming a wealth of international filmmaking talent.”

Barbera said: “Sam Mendes’ work is a particularly effective...

The director of Spectre and American Beauty will discuss his career to date.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced that director Sam Mendes will discuss his craft and career at an event in London on Nov 30.

As part of the ‘BAFTA: A Life in Pictures’ series, Mendes will discuss a career that includes new James Bond film Spectre.

A renowned theatre director, Mendes made his cinematic directorial debut with American Beauty in 1999, which won six BAFTAs, including Best Film. The film also won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Mendes.

In 2002, Mendes’ second film Road to Perdition won two BAFTAs and received six Oscar nominations.

The director followed that up with war film Jarhead (2005) and relationship drama Revolutionary Road (2008).

In 2010, Mendes took over as director of the James Bond franchise, starring Daniel Craig, and Skyfall (2012) grossed more than $1bn worldwide and won the BAFTA for Outstanding British Film. It...

Recognise these new luxury flats? Royal Connaught Park in Hertfordshire - used during the filming of the Harry Potter films - has now been converted into lavish real estate.

The location has featured in the Harry Potter series and over 390 other films and TV shows, but has now been adapted into new flats and homes.

The dining hall in the Victorian Gothic building was used as Hogwarts' Great Hall in the first three films of the Harry Potter series, while the tower was used to create Dumbledore's office.

The first 28 homes from the new development have now gone on sale, with prices ranging from £649,000 to £2.8m.

Potter fans can still replicate the experiences of Harry, Ron and Hermione, as the dining hall remains undeveloped and free for use to property owners.

Hot Fuzz, Starter for Ten and Children of Men are among the other movies to have filmed at the park.

Just one day before Season 9 of Doctor Who debuts, BBC confirmed that actress Jenna Coleman is leaving the series. The network isn't revealing exactly when the actress will part ways with the show, only confirming that it will happen at some point during Season 9. Here's what Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi had to say about his departing companion in a statement.

"Jenna has been absolutely brilliant. I think she's wonderful in the show, and she's my favorite companion."

Jenna Coleman made her Doctor Who debut on September 1, 2012 as Oswin Oswald in Asylum of the Daleks. She returned on Christmas Day of that year, playing Clara and remained with the Eleventh Doctor from the following episode, The Bells of Saint John, onwards. She stayed on board the Tardis for all of Peter Capaldi's episodes to date. BBC hasn't announced who will replace Jenna Coleman yet, but it is believed that...

Narrowing down the talents and charms of one Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch to just five is no easy task. Though it may seem like the 38-year-old Brit actor has only recently come on the scene, thanks to his sit-up-and-take-notice, pitch-perfect performance as Sherlock Holmes, dedicated fans know better. Though he's undoubtedly experiencing the kind of golden moment most actors would gladly give their right arm (and possibly a leg) for, the London-born, recently engaged thesp has been a jobbing actor for more than a decade and a critically-acclaimed one for almost as long.

From his BAFTA-nominated performances in "Hawking" (2004) and "Small Island" (2009), to charismatic but smaller turns in Starter For 10 (2006) and Atonement (2007), Cumberbatch was already making a name for himself before he was approached to audition for the titular role in Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss's modern BBC look at Conan Doyle's famous detective. The role marked...

Cambridge student Kamil Shah diced with the wrath of Twitter on Monday (September 7) by appearing on University Challenge in... a rather snazzy vest.

The quizzer's radical appearance sparked a tidal wave of scorn and praise, plus some pretty hilarious pictures of Kamil as entertainment's finest vest-wearers - and vice versa.

1. Starter For Ten could have been so much better if Benedict Cumberbatch had worn a vest

2. The Caped Crusader takes on Bane, The Vested... um, Bane

3. Challenged, certainly: Rab C Nesbitt

4. Die Hard's John McClane. Yippee-ki-yay, M... Mr. Paxman

5. Going 'Commando'

6. From Open University to University Challenge... it's Onslow from Keeping Up Appearances!

It’s Mad Max meets Dawn of the Dead as the apocalypse goes down under in the year’s darkest, most hilarious zombie splatter-fest! It’s a zombie movie with a twist, as Barry (Jay Gallagher) tools up for a mission to save his sister from a mad scientist – and battle hordes of the undead in the Australian bush!

Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead is available to own on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Download from 11th May. Courtesy of StudioCanal we have a DVD copy to give away.

To win a copy of Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead on DVD, just answer the following question:

Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead star Bianca Bradey appears in which of the following TV series? Is it:

a) Starter for Ten

b) Starting From… Now

c) Starting Out

Email your answer to NerdlyComps@gmail.com, making sure to include your name and address.

A new television promo for Far from the Madding Crowd has been unveiled.

This latest adaptation of Thomas Hardy's classic 1874 novel features Carey Mulligan as the independent farm owner Bathsheba Everdene.

Bathsheba's social status has attracted three suitors from various walks of life, despite the fact that she has no intention of marrying.

Michael Sheen portrays the aristocratic William Boldwood, while Matthias Schoenaerts (Rust and Bone) is humble sheep farmer Gabriel Oak and Tom Sturridge (On the Road) is military sergeant Frank Troy.

Hardy's novel is being adapted for the screen by Starter for 10 writer David Nicholls and The Celebration director Thomas Vinterberg.

Danish director Vinterberg is well known to international audiences as one of the developers of the naturalistic Dogme 95 filmmaking style.

Far from the Madding Crowd opens on May 1 in the Us and the UK.

I have said it before and I will say it again: the novels of Thomas Hardy are perfect for contemporary cinema, as they’re tales of passion and self-destruction with an underlying social criticism and, sometimes, very unhappy endings. Far from the Madding Crowd might be Hardy’s “happiest” (read: least depressing) novel of the bunch, so it’s no wonder that it has been made into several films already. The latest adaptation, however, comes to us courtesy of director Thomas Vinterburg (The Hunt) and stars Casey Mulligan as the passionate and independent heroine, Bathsheba Everdene.

The story tells of how Bathsheba inherits a farm that she proposes to run for herself, defying social convention and gender restrictions. She’s brilliant, but she’s also willful and vain, and attracts three very different suitors for her hand: Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts), an honest but down-on-his-luck sheep farmer; Frank Troy, a...

Sneak Peek revealing images and footage of Brit actress Alice Eve, aka 'Carol Marcus' from "Star Trek Into Darkness", in a classic photo shoot for "Maxim" magazine:

"There is an acting gene that has been passed down to me by my parents," said Eve. "It's nature, not nurture..."

Eve is best known for her roles in the films "Starter for 10" (2006), "Crossing Over" (2009), "She's Out of My League" (2010), "Sex and the City 2" (2010), "The Raven" (2012), "Men in Black 3" (2012) and "Star Trek Into Darkness" (2013).

Eve is also known for a notorious but innocent scene in "Star Trek Into Darkness", when her character, science officer 'Carol Marcus' strips down to her underwear (as an homage to Sigourney Weaver as 'Ripley' in "Alien")...

...while preparing to pull on a 'special torpedo disarming' outfit.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek Alice Eve...

Since she broke on the scene with "An Education" just five years ago, she has delivered in a range of dramatic roles, period and contemporary, from Steve McQueen's "Shame" and Baz Lurhmann's "The Great Gatsby" to her heartbreaking turn in Mark Romanek's underappreciated "Never Let Me Go." (See clips below.) Now she has landed the juiciest --and from the looks of the trailer below, the sexiest--lead role of all, in Danish director Thomas Vinterberg's new movie adaptation of Thomas Hardy's "Far from the Madding Crowd," which was memorably made by John Schlesinger back in 1967. Fond as I am of that romance starring Terence Stamp, Peter Finch and Alan Bates as the three men who woo headstrong "adventuress" Bathsheba Everdeen (Julie Christie)--the movie is far better than the hilarious trailer below--i am hearing good buzz on the new one from writer David Nicholls ("Starter for Ten") and Vinterberg ("The.

Far From the Madding Crowd looks like it falls firmly in Fox Searchlight's wheelhouse (in the period film way, not the quirky indie way), which seems like a good thing in this case. The Thomas Hardy adaptation stars Carey Mulligan, Michael Sheen, Matthias Schoenaerts, (who you can currently see in The Drop) and Tom Sturridge (Effie Gray) and looks like one of those gorgeous high caliber pieces I'll never see on my own, but will be glad I did once someone else drags me to it. Hit the jump to check out the trailer and poster for Far From the Madding Crowd. It was directed by Thomas Vinterberg (The Hunt, Dear Wendy) and adapted for the screen by David Nicholls (One Day, Starter for 10). The film will be released by Fox Searchlight on May 1, 2015. It also stars Juno Temple and Jessica Barden. Trailer courtesy of Fox Searchlight: Here's the...

Benedict Cumberbatch is everywhere. He's got no fewer than three films coming out between now and the end of the year, with Oscar-tipped biopic The Imitation Game in cinemas now, and The Penguins of Madagascar and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies imminent.

After months of speculation surrounding the casting of Marvel's next superhero Doctor Strange, fresh reports have emerged linking Cumberbatch to the coveted role, although nothing has yet been confirmed. There's also the small matter of his recent engagement, which was announced in a characteristically classy manner earlier this month.

It would be easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of Cumberexposure. But fear not – Digital Spy's handy A-z guide is here to fill in the gaps in your knowledge.

A is for Alan Turing

In what's being widely heralded as the performance that will earn him his first Oscar nomination come January, Cumberbatch...

Benedict Cumberbatch is everywhere. He's got no fewer than three films coming out between now and the end of the year, with Oscar-tipped biopic The Imitation Game in cinemas now, and The Penguins of Madagascar and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies imminent.

After months of speculation surrounding the casting of Marvel's next superhero Doctor Strange, fresh reports have emerged linking Cumberbatch to the coveted role, although nothing has yet been confirmed. There's also the small matter of his recent engagement, which was announced in a characteristically classy manner earlier this month.

It would be easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of Cumberexposure. But fear not – Digital Spy's handy A-z guide is here to fill in the gaps in your knowledge.

A is for Alan Turing

In what's being widely heralded as the performance that will earn him his first Oscar nomination come January, Cumberbatch...

Fond as I am of the 1967 John Schlesinger adaptation of Thomas Hardy's "Far From the Madding Crowd," which stars Terence Stamp, Peter Finch and Alan Bates as the three men who love headstrong "adventuress" Bathsheba Everdeen (Julie Christie)--the movie is far better than the hilarious trailer below--i am eager to see the new one from writer David Nicholls ("Starter for Ten") and director Thomas Vinterberg ("The Hunt"), starring Carey Mulligan as Bathsheba.  Matthias Schoenaerts takes on the farmer role once played by Bates, Michael Sheen is the more mature gentleman who proposes marriage (Finch), and Tom Sturridge is the rakish sergeant (Stamp).  I figured the movie would play Cannes May 2014, as it should be finished. Fox Searchlight is dating the period romance for May 1, 2015, so it looks like Vinterberg will take more time with this and skip this year's awards corridor. So we'll have to wait for a while.

Alice Eve might be best known for her roles in Star Trek Into Darkness and Starter for 10, but speaking to the Brit actress for the home release of drama Cold Comes the Night one thing stands out: she really knows her movies.

The latest star to volunteer a choice for our ongoing My Favourite Movie series, Eve picked a film from Last Tango in Paris director Bernardo Bertolucci.

"I love everything about Stealing Beauty," she told Digital Spy. "There's a dysfunctional family, a cross-generational relationship, the loss of innocence, and the stamp the loss of innocence puts on you for the rest of your life."

Bertolucci's 1996 film starred Liv Tyler as an American girl who heads to the Tuscan countryside after the death of her mother. Seeking to uncover the identity of her father and lose her virginity to a boy she met four years earlier, Stealing Beauty has...

Odd List Ryan Lambie Simon Brew 23 Jan 2014 - 05:44

Our series of lists devoted to underappreciated films brings us to the year 2006, and a further 25 overlooked gems...

With all the major films that elbow their way into their cinemas every year, there's bound to be some casualties among the big hits. And just like any other year, 2006 was dominated by the likes of Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, The Da Vinci Code and Ice Age: The Meltdown. But in tandem, there were dozens of lesser-seen films which shuffled in and out of cinemas (or occasionally, didn't get a release in cinemas at all) without very many people noticing.

As we're sure you're aware by now, these lists aim to redress the balance a little, and hopefully introduce a few films from any given year that you may have missed. There are also one or two films that, although...

Benedict Cumberbatch is having one of those moments that actors dream of, where they are suddenly not only acclaimed for their work, but given opportunity to play a wide range of roles in material that they genuinely love. "Sherlock" may have been the thing that finally made him wildly in-demand, but he's been building towards this moment for a little while now, and he seems to be cherishing it now that it's arrived. I don't remember him from "Fortysomething" or "Nathan Barley," but I must have seen him in them. Same with "Starter For 10" or "Amazing Grace." It was "Atonement"...

Update: First images have arrived for Thomas Vinterberg's ("The Hunt") adaptation of Thomas Hardy's "Far From the Madding Crowd," starring Carey Mulligan, Matthias Shoenaerts, Juno Temple, Michael Sheen and Tom Sturridge. Take a look, below. Earlier: It was inevitable that someone would remake the 1967 John Schlesinger classic "Far from the Madding Crowd," which memorably starred Julie Christie, Terrence Stamp, Peter Finch and Alan Bates. Fox Searchlight Pictures has started production in the UK on Thomas Vinterberg’s "Far from the Madding Crowd," a Thomas Hardy adaptation starring Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Sheen, Tom Sturridge and Juno Temple. The script was written by David Nicholls, author and screenwriter of “One Day” and “Starter for Ten.” Allon Reich and Andrew Macdonald of DNA Films are producing with Christine Langan of BBC Films executive producing. The film will shoot on location in Dorset, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and...

Feature Mark Harrison 29 Oct 2013 - 06:36

Star Wars? Sherlock? Doctor Who? The Imitation Game? We dig through Benedict Cumberbatch rumours to find out what he's actually up to.

This article contains a spoiler for Star Trek Into Darkness.

What is Benedict Cumberbatch working on at the moment? If you believe every single news story, rumour and bit of scrawled bathroom graffiti that you read, the more apropos question would be “What isn’t Benedict Cumberbatch working on at the moment?”

The actor has had a meteoric rise to fame in the last few years, going from antagonising James McAvoy in both Starter For Ten and Atonement, to pretty much dominating the casting rumour mill every time there’s an opening for an erudite and intelligent character.

Attracting a sizeable fanbase as he's done so, he’s probably done more to make smart look sexy than any of his peers in the industry.

For 10 years, the Neal Street company has combined critical and popular triumphs. This autumn they're conquering the Us

On a side street near Covent Garden in central London, a production company with a startlingly varied portfolio of film, stage and TV hits has something fresh to celebrate. Founded by Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris and Caro Newling in 2003, Neal Street Productions is marking its 10th birthday.

The roll call is impressive. The company is the hidden link behind the BBC's flagship The Hollow Crown Shakespeare films, the stage shows Shrek the Musical, Merrily We Roll Along and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the BBC's popular Sunday evening drama Call the Midwife.

It is a surprising mix, and one that looks more unlikely still when you realise Neal Street also ran the Bridge Project with Kevin Spacey's Old Vic, brought the acclaimed play Enron into the West End, co-produced the film Revolutionary Road,...

With his turn as a Marvel supervillain in “X-Men: Days of Futures Past” in the can, “Game of Thrones” star Peter Dinklage has found a new project. The actor is set to star in an R-rated comedy about a man who tells people he’s a real leprechaun. In the vein of “Bad Santa,” the untitled comedy will be penned by Andrew Dodge, who wrote Jason Bateman’s less than stellar directorial debut “Bad Words.” Based on the premise, the Dinklage comedy looks to be a better bet. [Hollywood Reporter]Salma Hayek has jumped aboard the Pierce Brosnan-starring “How to Make Love Like an Englishman.” The story follows a hedonistic professor (Brosnan) who impregnates a graduate student (Jessica Alba) while falling for the student’s stepsister (Hayek). The tangled web, called a “sexually charged romantic comedy,” is being helmed by Tom Vaughan (“Starter for 10”) with Brosnan as executive producer. [Deadline]Back in April,...

Benedict Cumberbatch wins the Internet.

The "Star Trek" and "Sherlock" actor has already (rightly) claimed the title of Sexiest Male Movie Star. He's got legions of fans who call themselves "Cumberbitches." His name comes up in potential casting for pretty much every movie ever now. So, it's no surprise that his Reddit Ama (to promote his new movie, the Julian Assange pic "The Fifth Estate") left many other celebrity AMAs in the dust.

Here are seven of Cumberbatch's best answers:

1. He's part of a celebrity cheekbone club:

From hcml11: Do you, Matt smith, and Tom Hiddleton have cheek bone polishing parties?

We like nothing better than buffing our Zygoma. And imagining a horny time traveling long overcoat purple scarf wearing super sleuth nordic legend f*ck fantasy. Get to work on that, internet.

2. He's got his Halloween costume planned out:

From quietasashadow: Benedict, do you bother with Halloween? If so,...

• Salma Hayek (Frida) has joined the cast of the indie sex comedy How To Make Love Like An Englishman, about a hedonistic, romantic poetry professor at Cambridge (Pierce Brosnan) who questions his lifestyle after he meets the perfect woman (Hayek, of course). The only complicating factor is that he’s just impregnated her stepsister, a grad student played by Jessica Alba. Tom Vaughan (What Happens in Vegas, Starter for 10) is directing the comedy, which is slated to begin shooting this fall. [Deadline]

• Lake Bell (In a World…) is set to team up with Owen Wilson and Pierce Brosnan in The Coup,...

Fox Searchlight Pictures announced that Thomas Vinterberg's Far from the Madding Crowd has begun principal photography in the UK today, September 16th. The film stars Carey Mulligan (The Great Gatsby, Drive), Matthias Schoenaerts (Rust and Bone, Bullhead), Michael Sheen (Midnight in Paris, Frost/Nixon), Tom Sturridge (On the Road, Pirate Radio) and Juno Temple (The Dark Knight Rises, Killer Joe). The script was written by David Nicholls, author and screenwriter of One Day and Starter for 10. Allon Reich and Andrew Macdonald of DNA Films are producing with Christine Langan of BBC Films executive producing. The film will shoot on location in Dorset, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London.

Here's what director Thomas Vinterberg had to say in a statement.

"I am excited to be working with DNA, Fox Searchlight and this talented cast and crew on Far from the Madding Crowd. It is a great privilege to bring such a...

After starring in Shame and Never Let Me Go for Fox Searchlight, Carey Mulligan is heading back to the studio for an adaptation of Far from the Madding Crowd. The classic novel by Thomas Hardy was made into a feature film by director John Schlesinger with Julie Christie and Terrence Stamp, but this new version comes from Danish director Thomas Vinterberg (The Hunt) and writer David Nicholls (One Day, Starter for 10). The studio announced Matthias Schoenaerts (Rust & Bone), Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon), Tom Sturridge (Pirate Radio) and Juno Temple (The Dark Knight Rises) will also star. As the press release indicates, the story follows "independent, beautiful and headstrong Bathsheba Everdene (Mulligan), who attracts three very different suitors:  Gabriel Oak (Schoenaerts), a sheep farmer, captivated by her fetching willfulness; Frank Troy (Sturridge), a handsome and reckless Sergeant; and William Boldwood (Sheen), a prosperous and mature bachelor. The film is shooting right now in the UK,...

Deadline has told you already about Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts and Tom Sturridge starring in the Thomas Vinterberg-directed Far From The Madding Crowd, and Fox Searchlight has rounded the cast and started production. The announcement: Fox Searchlight Pictures announced that Thomas Vinterberg’s Far From The Madding Crowd has begun principal photography in the UK today, September 16th. The film stars Carey Mulligan (The Great Gatsby, Drive), Matthias Schoenaerts (Rust And Bone, Bullhead), Michael Sheen (Midnight In Paris, Frost/Nixon), Tom Sturridge (On The Road, Pirate Radio) and Juno Temple (The Dark Knight Rises, Killer Joe). The script was written by David Nicholls, author and screenwriter of “One Day” and “Starter for Ten.” Allon Reich and Andrew Macdonald of DNA Films are producing with Christine Langan of BBC Films executive producing. The film will shoot on location in Dorset, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London. “I am excited to be working with DNA,...

Shoot begins today on period drama starring Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts and Michael Sheen.

Fox Searchlight Pictures has announced that Thomas Vinterberg’sFar From the Madding Crowd has begun principal photography in the UK today [Sept 16].

The film stars Carey Mulligan (The Great Gatsby), Matthias Schoenaerts (Rust and Bone), Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon), Tom Sturridge (On the Road) and Juno Temple (Killer Joe).

The script was written by David Nicholls, author and screenwriter of One Day and Starter for Ten. Allon Reich and Andrew Macdonald of DNA Films are producing with Christine Langan of BBC Films executive producing.

The film will shoot on location in Dorset, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London.

Vinterberg said it is “a great privilege to bring such a wonderful piece of very English literature to the screen”.

Langan added that Mulligan is “the perfect Bathsheba”.

Based on the literary classic by Thomas Hardy, Far From the Madding Crowd is the story of independent and headstrong...

Principal photography begins in the UK today (September 16th) on "The Hunt" director Thomas Vinterberg's adaptation of the Thomas Hardy literary classic "Far From the Madding Crowd" at Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Carey Mulligan ("The Great Gatsby"), Matthias Schoenaerts ("Rust and Bone"), Michael Sheen ("Frost/Nixon"), Tom Sturridge ("On the Road") and Juno Temple ("Killer Joe")

The story follows the independent and headstrong Bathsheba Everdene (Mulligan), who attracts three very different suitors: Gabriel Oak (Schoenaerts), a sheep farmer; Frank Troy (Sturridge), a reckless Sergeant; and William Boldwood (Sheen), a prosperous and mature bachelor.

"One Day" and "Starter for Ten" author David Nicholls penned the script. Allon Reich and Andrew Macdonald of DNA Films are producing with Christine Langan of BBC Films executive producing.

Joining Vinterberg on the film are director of photography Charlotte Bruus Christensen ("The Hunt," "Submarino"), production designer Kave Quinn ("The Woman in Black"), costume designer Janet Patterson ("The Piano,...

Fox Searchlight Pictures has announced that Thomas Vinterberg's Far From the Madding Crowd has begun principal photography in the UK today, September 16th. The film stars Carey Mulligan ( The Great Gatsby , Drive ), Matthias Schoenaerts ( Rust and Bone , Bullhead ), Michael Sheen ( Midnight in Paris , Frost/Nixon ), Tom Sturridge ( On the Road , Pirate Radio ) and Juno Temple ( The Dark Knight Rises , Killer Joe ). The script was written by David Nicholls, author and screenwriter of One Day and Starter for Ten . Allon Reich and Andrew Macdonald of DNA Films are producing with Christine Langan of BBC Films executive producing. The film will shoot on location in Dorset, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London. "I am excited to be working with DNA, Fox Searchlight and...

Feature Simon Brew 17 May 2013 - 05:57

Was Alice Eve's Star Trek Into Darkness underwear scene justified, or merely a distraction? The latter, Simon writes...

Slight spoiler: the name of Alice Eve's character is mentioned in this article, in case you weren't already aware of it.

The first three films of summer blockbuster season 2013 had a common thread to them. In Oblivion, it's not long before leading actress Andrea Riseborough had shed clothes, and gone for a swim. In Iron Man 3 meanwhile, off comes Gwyneth Paltrow's top, and she's left standing in her bra. Both of these do, at a push, have some link to the story, whether you agree with them or not. Woman shedding clothes does seem to be a theme, though.

However, those two have nothing on Star Trek Into Darkness. It's been two weeks now since I saw the film, and truthfully, I'm...