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Upcoming feature film “Flavia,” a family adventure about a precocious young detective, has sold across Europe, including to Sky in the U.K.

The film, which features “The Hobbit” star Martin Freeman opposite Molly Belle Wright (“Deep Water”) as the eponymous detective Flavia, has started principal photography, with a first look image showing the duo alongside Toby Jones (“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”) in a dusty library. It is due to wrap in November.

Karan Gill (“The Decameron”), Annette Badland (“Ted Lasso”) and Jonathan Pryce ( “Slow Horses”) also star.

“Flavia” is directed by Bharat Nalluri (“Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day”) and based on Alan Bradley’s book series about 11-year-old amateur detective Flavia de Luce. Susan Coyne (“Daisy Jones and the Six”) adapted the script

“When Flavia finds a dead body at her decaying British manor house and her father is accused of the murder, Flavia dives...

I’m somewhat bewildered over how outraged people have been over the new version of The Crow (don’t call it a remake!). Many are calling it a stain on the legacy of the late, great Brandon Lee, who infamously was killed in an on-set tragedy, but by examining the franchise as a whole, it’s clear that as far as these things go, the franchise has been exploited to death. There have been no less than five Crow movies at this point, and guess what? We’re going to rank them all! That said, as far as our Crow movies ranked list goes, they’re all varying degrees of bad outside the first movie and the new version, which isn’t half bad.

Dishonourable Mention: The Crow: Stairway to Heaven

Yes, ladies and germs, they once made a TV version of The Crow, and it was abysmal. You...

Exclusive: Tom Payne, the British actor who starred in Fox drama series Prodigal Son, has new representation.

Payne has signed with Independent Artist Group in all areas. He was previously repped by UTA and, before that, Paradigm.

He most recently starred in the Blumhouse feature Imaginary and his next role is in Kevin Costner’s western Horizon: An America Saga.

Elsewhere, he played Paul “Jesus” Monroe on The Walking Dead and his breakout role was in Michael Man and David Milch’s HBO series Luck.

Other roles include in Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day, opposite Amy Adams and Frances McDormand, The Physician, BBC drama Best, Miss Marple and Wuthering Heights.

It is the latest actor signing for Independent Artist Group, which was created as part of the merger between APA and Agi last year. Other recent signings include Regina Hall, William H Macy, Nathalie Emmanuel, Terrance Howard, Ken Jeong,...

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

The Guyver 4K Uhd from Unearthed Films

The Guyver will merge onto 4K Uhd + Blu-ray + CD on May 21 via Unearthed Films. Based on the Japanese manga series of the same name, the 1991 sci-fi superhero film has been newly restored in 4K from the original, R-rated 35mm camera negative.

Special effects legends Steve Wang (Predator) and Screaming Mad George (Society) co-direct from a script by Jon Purdy. Mark Hamill, Vivian Wu, Jack Armstrong, Jimmie Walker, Michael Berryman, David Gale, and Jeffrey Combs star. Brian Yuzna produces.

New special features include: a commentary by George and Wang; interviews with George and Yuzna; suit tests, outtakes, and a gag reel with commentary; and a gallery. A soundtrack CD...

Genie is a fantasy Christmas film directed by Sam Boyd, from a screenplay by Richard Curtis. The Peacock fairy-tale film revolves around a workaholic man who comes in possession of a genie who helps him to win his family back before Christmas. Genie stars Melissa McCarthy and Paapa Essiedu in the lead roles with Denée Benton, Jordyn McIntosh, and Marc Maron starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the Peacock film here are some similar movies you could watch next.

The Man Who Invented Christmas (Prime Video) Credit – Bleecker Street

Synopsis: The Man Who Invented Christmas tells the magical journey that led to the creation of Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer), Tiny Tim and other classic characters from A Christmas Carol. Directed by Bharat Nalluri (Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day), the film shows how Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) mixed real life inspirations with his vivid imagination to conjure up...

London, May 19 (Ians) Oscar-nominated actor Jonathan Pryce (‘The Two Popes’), Meera Syal (‘Yesterday’) and Toby Jones (‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’) are joining the cast of ‘Flavia de Luce’, a family adventure drama directed by the Andhra Pradesh-born British director Bharat Nalluri, reports ‘Variety’.

As revealed earlier by ‘Variety’, Isla Gie will star alongside Martin Freeman in the upcoming feature film, which is an adaptation of the New York Times bestselling novel ‘The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery’.

The film will follow the adventures of 11-year-old Flavia de Luce (Gie), who is both an amateur detective and a master poisoner, adds ‘Variety’. When she discovers a dead body in her family’s decaying British manor house and her father is accused of the murder, Flavia launches her own investigation to uncover family secrets and bring the true murderer to justice.

The film’s Emmy...

Isla Gie (“The Sandman”) will star alongside Martin Freeman in the upcoming feature film adaptation of the New York Times bestselling novel “The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery.”

Protagonist Pictures is launching international sales on the family adventure and will introduce to buyers at the upcoming Cannes film market. CAA Media Finance are handling North America.

Adapted by Susan Coyne (“Daisy Jones and the Six”), the film will follow the adventures of 11-year-old Flavia de Luce (Gie), who is both an amateur detective and a master poisoner. When she discovers a dead body in her family’s decaying British manor house and her father is accused of the murder, Flavia launches her own investigation to uncover family secrets and bring the true murderer to justice.

The film will be directed by Emmy and BAFTA-nominated director Bharat Nalluri.

The film is being produced by...

When is a dress not just a dress? When it’s a dream. When it’s a taste of a better life that is likely the only taste you’ll ever have.

Based on a novel that’s more than 60 years old, Mrs Harris Goes to Paris couldn’t feel more fresh in its knowing clashes between the hoi polloi and those who presume to be their betters. Lesley Manville is Ada Harris, a just-about-scraping-by war widow and housekeeper/cleaner in 1957 London, whose chance encounter with a bespoke Christian Dior gown in the bedroom of one of her rich-bitch employers sends her on an odyssey of longing that she is determined to fulfill, no matter how preposterous this is for her financially, and no matter what barriers her supposed superiors will throw up at her.

Manville is an absolute treasure, as always, perhaps never more so here as when she espies,...

It’s blockbuster season and Amazon Prime is celebrating by bringing a major action film to its stream.

That’s right, Amazon Prime’s list of new releases for July 2021 is highlighted by none other than The Tomorrow War on July 2. The year is 2051 and mankind is locked in a vicious war against an alien species. Our only hope is to go back in time and find…Chris Pratt. Ok, perhaps that’s a little reductive of the film’s plot. Future humanity also comes back to bring Sam Richardson to the future.

In terms of originals, there isn’t much else to speak of on Amazon Prime this month. The only other major release is The Pursuit of Love on July 30. This BBC series is directed by Emily Mortimer and takes place during the WWII era and follows two cousins as they navigate their lives. Lily James and Andrew Scott star.

Netflix has announced the cast of The House, its upcoming stop motion dark comedy animation anthology from Nexus Studios. The news was revealed Monday at the Annecy International Film Festival.

Directed by leading stop motion animation directors Emma de Swaef, Marc Roels, Niki Lindroth von Bahr and Paloma Baeza and produced by Nexus Studios, The Dark centers on a house and the three surreal tales of the individuals who made it their home.

“The characters in The House, albeit in different ways, are all trying to make sense of the world and their place within it. It’s about their flawed attempt to conform to an idea of who they think they are or who they think they ought to be,” said Charlotte Basso, Producer. “And whether they manage to break free or not. We couldn’t have dreamt of a better cast: they all embraced the heart of those...

Exclusive: Tom Payne, star of Fox’s drama Prodigal Son, has signed with UTA. The actor will be repped by the agency across all areas.

The move comes as he prepares for the second season of Prodigal Son, the crime drama he stars in alongside Michael Sheen. He plays Malcolm Bright, the son of notorious serial killer The Surgeon, played by Sheen.

Prior to Prodigal Son, Payne starred as Jesus Monroe on The Walking Dead, where he debuted during Season 6 of the AMC zombie drama. He also starred as Leon Micheaux in HBO’s Luck from creators Michael Mann and David Milch, and opposite Tom Hardy in ITV’s Wuthering Heights miniseries.

The British actor got his start on BBC drama Waterloo Road and played iconic soccer player George Best in the BBC’s Best: His Mother’s Son.

On the feature side, he made his debut in Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day...

HBO Max has a major job on its hands to justify its approximately $15 a month subscription fee, especially given the strong competition out there from established names like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Disney Plus faced a similar challenge last year in arriving onto an already-saturated streaming marketplace, but at least had the advantage of major series like The Mandalorian to promote. While HBO Max will eventually be home to the Snyder cut of Justice League, and has some originals for its first week of availability, the big draw right now is its enormous back-catalogue of movies.

Given the various corporate elements that are going into HBO Max, including the Warner Bros. library, owners AT&T will be hoping that the combination of brand recognition for HBO programming, and a deep bench of movies, will convince people to add a new subscription to their list. To this end, HBO Max have added 122 films today,...

Do you like lists? Well, here’s a doozy. Below is everything coming to Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu and Amazon Prime in June 2020.

Though the summer sun is starting to beat down, most of us are still being encouraged to stay indoors for Covid-19 related reasons. It’s not much fun, but at the very least, there’s an absolute ton of stuff landing in June that should distract you from the call of the beach.

Of particular note is the newly launched HBO Max, which is trying to catch the eye of potential subscribers with a red-hot first month. There’s an excellent selection of movies coming on June 1st, with horror titles like An American Werewolf in London (still the best werewolf movie ever made), Final Destinations 1-4, From Dusk til Dawn and Lifeforce.

Later in the month, there are some more recent films showing up, including...

To help you anticipate and navigate all that HBO Max has to offer, TVLine presents this comprehensive list of all the TV series, movies, documentaries and specials making their debut on the new streaming service this month — all as a 100-percent free supplement to our daily and handy What to Watch and weekly TVLine-Up columns, and our monthly New on Netflix roundup.

Among Max Originals coming in June are a new Adventure Time special, Doom Patrol Season 2 and Search Party Season 3. You’ll also be able to stream the most recent episodes of HBO original series, including Insecure, I Know This Much Is True...

Welcome to the HBO Max era! WarnerMedia’s streaming giant arrived on May 27 and is absolutely bursting with Warner movies, TV shows, and other titles. But time waits for no man or streaming service and each new month HBO Max will be expected to bring new content to the table. Things get started in June 2020 with the first batch of HBO Max new releases.

To be clear, the majority of the original series coming to HBO Max actually belongs to HBO. Shows like I May Destroy You (June 7), Perry Mason (June 21), and I’ll Be Gone in the Dark (June 28) all belong to HBO…which now just happens to be a part of HBO Max. Confusing stuff, we know, but rest assured that if you have HBO Max you’ll get these shows…and if you only have HBO, you can go ahead and just get HBO Max for the same price anyway.

HBO Max launches May 27 with a whole lot of content ready to stream immediately. But throughout the nascent streamer’s first month, even more titles will be added, from HBO Max originals like “Adventure Time: Distant Lands Bmo,” to old favorites like “Amelie,” “Black Beauty” and “The Bucket List.”

Other brand-new HBO Max originals include the third season of comedy “Search Party,” and the second seasons of “Doom Patrol,” and “Esme & Roy,” all coming June 25, and on June 18, the second season of “Summer Camp Island” and the series premiere kids competition series “Karma.”

For a list of everything that will be available on launch day, look here.

Below is the full list of everything new coming to HBO Max in June.

Also Read: Chelsea Handler Sets First Standup Comedy Special in 6 Years at HBO Max

June 1

4th & Forever: Muck City, Season One

Adventures In Babysitting, 1987 (HBO)

Amelie, 2001 (HBO)

An American Werewolf in London,...

Before HBO Max even launches — it goes live May 27 — WarnerMedia is trying to lure new subscribers by revealing what’s coming next month to the streamer.

The June lineup highlights on HBO Max include all 23 seasons of “South Park,” snapped up in a multiyear, $500 million-plus deal; James Cameron’s Oscar-winning “Titanic”; and the “Adventure Time: Distant Lands” special featuring lovable robot Bmo.

HBO Max, regularly priced at $14.99 per month (the same as HBO Now), will be available on multiple platforms and distributors through deals including with Apple, Google, Charter, Xbox, PlayStation, and AT&T/DirecTV. As of this writing, however, WarnerMedia has not locked in HBO Max deals with Comcast, Roku or Amazon.

New Max Originals this June include kids’ adventure competition series “Karma,” Season 3 of comedy “Search Party” and the second seasons of “Doom Patrol,” “Esme & Roy” and “Summer Camp Island.”

Movie highlights include “Titanic,” “Veronica Mars,” “Magic Mike” starring Channing Tatum,...

Anna Kendrick will star in the independent crime thriller “Unsound” with Bharat Nalluri directing from a screenplay by Matthew Ross and Christopher Edwards.

Xyz and CAA Media Finance are financing and handling sales at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival. Both companies are representing the U.S. rights.

“Unsound” will center on a New England state trooper struggling with irreversible hearing loss while investigating the prison escape of a gang leader. Her digging into the case leads her to a vast life-threatening conspiracy.

ShowKat Production’s Jonathan Shukat, who originated the material, will produce with Untapped’s Andrew Corkin and Xyz partners Aram Tertzakian and Nate Bolotin.

Kendrick, who starred in “Pitch Perfect” movies and was nominated for an Oscar for “Up in the Air,” starred last year in “A Simple Favor” and will also appear as Santa Claus’ daughter in Disney Plus’ upcoming Christmas comedy “Noelle,” which debuted its first trailer last week.

Exclusive: Anna Kendrick is set to star in Unsound, a new crime thriller movie to be directed by Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and The Man Who Invented Christmas helmer Bharat Nalluri from a screenplay by Matthew Ross and Christopher Edwards.

The Oscar-nominated Kendrick will play a New England state trooper, privately struggling with irreversible hearing loss, who’s tasked with investigating the prison break of a notorious gang leader. As she digs deeper into the most dangerous case of her career, she uncovers a vast conspiracy that, coupled with her deteriorating condition, threatens to end her career — and her life.

ShowKat Production’s Jonathan Shukat, who originated the material, will produce with Untapped’s Andrew Corkin and Xyz partners Aram Tertzakian and Nate Bolotin. Xyz and CAA Media Finance are financing and handling sales at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival, with both repping U.S. rights.

Kendrick recently...

As if you didn't know, casting for Disney's upcoming live-action remake of their classic 1989 animated movie The Little Mermaid is underway with recent addition Halle Bailey as Ariel. Awkwafina as Scuttle, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, and Jacob Tremblay as Flounder have all been discussed but aren't currently confirmed. Today we have word that Terry Crews and Guy Fieri want to throw their hats into the underwater ring as well for the roles of King Triton and Ursula the Sea Witch.

You can go ahead and check out both Terry Crews' and Guy Fieri's Twitter posts below if you don't believe me!

While sadly Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives host Guy Fieri is joking about his casting as Ursula, I genuinely think The Ridiculous 6 and Sorry to Bother You star Terry Crews would make a killer King Triton. If, you know, The Dark Tower and Hobbs & Shaw actor Idris Elba isn't up for the part.

A few days back we learned that Halle Bailey had been cast as Ariel, the titular little mermaid in Disney and Mary Poppins Returns director Rob Marshall's highly anticipated live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. And today we have a killer bit of art courtesy of none other the than BossLogic that shows us just how slick Bailey could look as the red-headed mermaid with a super-crush.

As you may remember, a few weeks back we shared a killer piece of art, also by BossLogic, that reimagined Ariel as played by Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home actress Zendaya. While that was an admittedly gorgeous piece of concept art, I think this is the better poster. And one of the aspects of Boss Logic's new poster that sets it above the others is the fact that he throws a few jokes in there as well. Some of the...

Joseph Baxter Aug 8, 2019

The acclaimed African-inspired fantasy novel, Children of Blood and Bone, is getting a movie adaptation with Rick Famuyiwa set to direct.

Children of Blood and Bone arrived in 2018 as a refreshing Ya fantasy offering that eschews the genre’s obligatory array of sexy monsters and post-apocalypstic scenarios, centering itself in the arena of African mysticism, focused exclusively on African characters. With the novel’s 25-year-old Nigerian-American author, Tomi Adeyemi, already set to release a sequel novel this December [aggressive glances at George R.R. Martin], the inevitable call from Hollywood has been made, and a film adaptation is coming!

Deadline just reported that the project, which had previously been moving forward as a Fox 2000 property, post-merger is now poised to be spearheaded by Lucasfilm. According to the outlets sources, "the project caught the fancy of Lucasfilm and that its chief Kathy Kennedy is in the process of making this the...

Exclusive: Stephen Garrett’s Character 7 has acquired the rights to produce the TV adaptation of Liza Klaussmann’s bestselling psychological thriller, Tigers In Red Weather. Garrett, who executive produced The Night Manager, is collaborating on the project with independent producer Rowena Wallace, under her company Peach Pictures. The event mini will be exec produced by Garrett and Character 7 Head of Development Michele Wolkoff in association with Wallace.

Set on Martha’s Vineyard during the end of World War II, Klaussmann’s riveting, atmospheric tale centers around two female cousins and their families whose lives begin to unravel one summer when a body is discovered in the woods. Rich with emotional duplicity, the multi-faceted thriller explores the complexity of women and the choices they make.

Says Garrett, “I first read the book when it came out, couldn’t put it down and have been chasing the rights ever since. The series...

The 2018 Emmys won’t be handed out until September, but the 2019 Emmy race has already begun with HBO’s chilling eight-part miniseries “Sharp Objects,” based on a novel by “Gone Girl” author Gillian Flynn. Marti Noxon ran the show, and Jean-Marc Vallee directed every episode. They’re both strong Emmy contenders for their work behind the camera, but let’s talk about what lead actress Amy Adams accomplished on screen.

Remember when Adams used to be primarily known for playing lovable naifs? She initially broke through with warmhearted roles in “Catch Me if You Can” (2002) and “Junebug” (2005), the latter of which earned her her first Oscar nomination. And she followed those up with similarly chipper heroines in “Enchanted” (2007), “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day” (2008) and “Julie and Julia” (2009). But then she started to expand her repertoire to include darker, grittier characters in “The Fighter” (2010), “The Master” (2012) and “American Hustle” (2013), which earned her her third,...

Exclusive: Bharat Nalluri is attached to direct We Interrupt This Program, a drama financed by Echo Lake Entertainment that focuses on the internal battles between Orson Welles and producer John Houseman that nearly derailed the shocking radio broadcast of War of the Worlds in 1938. Without identifying they were performing a sci-fi play, the broadcast panicked listeners into believing an alien invasion was taking place.

Sean Sorensen wrote the spec script, and Echo Lake’s Doug Mankoff and Andy Spaulding are producing with the writer.

The script explores two dramas unfolding on the night of October 30, 1938. The most well-known is the infamous radio broadcast, where the specter of invading aliens sent shockwaves of panic rippling across America. But even more chaos was taking place behind the scenes because of the stormy relationship between broadcast producer Houseman and Welles, its petulant director and star, that nearly derailed the most influential radio broadcast in history.

Chicago – The story of Ebenezer Scrooge, as told in Charles Dicken’s classic “A Christmas Carol,” seems to be the one constant that survives the commercialization of the holiday season. The story of Scrooge’s creation is told with expressive sentimentality in “The Man Who Invented Christmas.”

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Dan Stevens portrays the title character, that of Charles Dickens himself, and the film – directed by Bharat Nalluri (“Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day”), and adapted from a book by Les Standiford – is a scattered narrative between Dicken’s chaotic life in mid-19th Century Britain and his creative spirit in producing “A Christmas Carol.” Literature buffs will get a thrill as the characters spring to life as Dickens invents them, and they follow him around for the rest of the process, almost begging to be freed. Less interesting are the particulars of Dicken’s life, with domestic and familial duties that...

Dan Stevens (left) stars as Charles Dickens and Christopher Plummer (right) stars as Ebenezer Scrooge in director Bharat Nalluri’s The Man Who Invented Christmas, a Bleecker Street release. Photo credit: Kerry Brown / Bleecker Street ©

Dan Stevens gives a frenetic performance as Charles Dickens racing to finish writing “A Christmas Carol” in time to publish before the holiday, in The Man Who Invented Christmas. Directed by Bharat Nalluri (Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day), this film has all the Christmas color and Victorian period costumes and sets you could want in a Christmas film. The film is mostly a clever way to retell the famous tale, as characters spring from the author’s imagination while he struggles with his own family issues and races to meet a pre-Christmas release deadline, but it also touches on how his short novel transformed a once-minor holiday into the tradition we know today.

MaryAnn’s quick take… There’s charm and wit in its fanciful depiction of the creative process, but the film downplays the social activism that Dickens fully embraced in his work. I’m “biast” (pro): love Dickens and A Christmas Carol

I’m “biast” (con): haven’t been the biggest fan of Dan Stevens

I have not read the source material

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Did Charles Dickens really invent our modern observance of Christmas? Well… he certainly contributed to it, with his beloved 1843 novella A Christmas Carol bringing to it a spirit of family celebration and togetherness and moving the holiday away from its religious grounding to a more secular one focused on ecumenical kindness and generosity. But we also have Prince Albert to thank, for importing his German Yuletide customs — such as evergreens and Christmas trees — to England when he married...

The Man Who Invented Christmas tells the magical journey that led to the creation of Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer), Tiny Tim and other classic characters from A Christmas Carol. Directed by Bharat Nalluri (Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day), the film shows how Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) mixed real life inspirations with his vivid imagination to conjure up unforgettable characters and a timeless tale, forever changing the holiday season into the celebration we know today.

The Man Who Invented Christmas opens everywhere November 22nd, but We Are Movie Geeks would like to give St. Louis-area a chance to see it early! There’s a screening Wednesday, November 15th at The Plaza Frontenac Theater at 7pm. Just leave your name in the comments section below, and we’ll contact you how to redeem your free passes (each good for two people). Merry Christmas!

The post Win Free Passes to See The Man Who Invented Christmas...

"Why Christmas? Does anybody really celebrate it anymore, apart from our clerk who never misses an opportunity to take a day off -- with pay. More or less an opportunity for picking a man's pocket every 25th of December."

This exclusive clip from The Man Who Invented Christmas makes it clear where author Charles Dickens got his inspiration for the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. In the upcoming holiday film, Beauty and the Beast star Dan Stevens plays the author and, when his penny-pinching publishers claim there isn't a market for Christmas books, Dickens accepts their challenge -- we all know how that story ends.

Photo: Bleecker Street

A Christmas Carol is perhaps one of the most famous books ever, but not many know the tale of exactly how Dickens dreamt up his ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come -- not to mention, how he finished the book in a mere six weeks...

Chicago – Since the time of early hominids, there has been a battle raging with your side being chosen before you’re even born. It all began when men claimed they were superior to women, forcing women to fight for the right at equality. Unfortunately, it remains as alive in the 70’s, when “Battle of the Sexes” takes place, as it is now.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

We all know what a battle of the sexes entails. Most people think that it is men against women, but they would be wrong. In most of the world, especially in the Us, we live in a patriarchy. Essentially, men hold most of the positions of power and therefore make most of the rules, usually to their direct benefit. What that translates into is that in America, a battle of the sexes is actually a one-sided battle with women fighting to prove to men that they are...

Bleecker Street has served up the first official trailer to the upcoming Charles Dickens biopic The Man Who Invented Christmas, with Legion star Dan Stevens as a young Dickens, Christopher Plummer as the cold-spirited Ebenezer Scrooge, and Jonathan Pryce as Dickens’ father. Bharat Nalluri (Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day) directed the pic, from a screenplay by Susan Coyne (Mozart In The Jungle) based on Les Standiford's book that recounts how the famous author created his…...

Exclusive: C International Sales has picked up the project’s international rights.

C International Sales has picked up international rights excluding Australia and New Zealand to Tip Top Taj Mahal, starring The Lunchbox actress Nimrat Kaur.

New Zealand producer John Barnett, whose credits include Oscar-nominated drama Whale Rider (2002), is producing the English-language project with Sally Campbell (Evil Dead). UK-based director Bharat Nalluri (Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day) will direct.

Based on Jacob Rajan’s play Krishnan’s Dairy, the film tells the story of an Indian couple who, following an arranged marriage, emigrate to New Zealand with their young son.

Desperately missing home, the wife escapes into a fantasy world by telling her son the love story behind the building of the Taj Majal. Rajan scripted the adaptation with Justin Lewis and Kate McDermott.

“This is a universal story,” said Barnett. “The story of our characters, Gobi, Zina and Apu, is one that...

Screen International Star Of Tomorrow Morfydd Clark has joined The Man Who Invented Christmas.

The project, based on Les Standiford’s book, imagines how Charles Dickens created his iconic story A Christmas Carol and stars Dan Stevens as the author.

Clark will play his wife and joins Christopher Plummer (as Scrooge) and Jonathan Pryce (as Dickens’ father) in the cast.

Bharat Nalluri (Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day) directs from a script by Susan Coyne (Mozart In The Jungle).

The story begins in October 1843 when Charles Dickens was broke. Despite early success, his last three books had failed. Rejected by his publishers, he sets out to write and self-publish a book which he hopes will keep his family afloat. After six fever-pitched weeks, he created A Christmas Carol.

Clark recently appeared in Love And Friendship and Pride And Prejudice And Zombies. She also played Cordelia opposite Glenda Jackson in the...

(Getty Images)

Jessica Chastain is a two-time Academy Award nominee who has emerged as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actresses of her generation. She has received numerous nominations and accolades for her work from the La Film Critics, British Academy of Film and TV, Broadcast Film Critics, HFPA, National Board of Review, Screen Actors Guild, Film Independent and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, to name a few.

The actresses’ latest film, Miss Sloane, opens in cinemas on December 9, 2016.

In the high-stakes world of political power-brokers, Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain) is the most sought-after and formidable lobbyist in D.C. Known equally for her cunning and her track record of success, she has always done whatever is required to win. But when she takes on the most powerful opponent of her career, she finds that winning may come at too high a price.

Chastain can soon be...

After Sacha Baron Cohen attempted to get it made for many years, it looks like a Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody is finally moving forward with a different star. While Ben Whishaw also circled it briefly, the role of the late Queen frontman is now attached to the Emmy-winning Mr. Robot star Rami Malek. According to Deadline, Bryan Singer is attached to direct the film, which is now being scripted by The Theory of Everything writer Anthony McCarten. With a shoot eyed to begin early next year, as much we’d like to see the director step away from X-Men territory, hopefully this one doesn’t turn out to be as by-the-numbers as McCarten’s previous work.

While Dan Stevens recently got set to lead the latest thriller from The Raid director Gareth Evans, he also has found time to lead a period drama. He’s set to star in The Man Who Invented Christmas,...

A Christmas Carol, the time-honoured story from Charles Dickens, needs no introduction. First published in the mid 1800s, the supernatural Dickens parable is still very much a cornerstone of the festive season, and many can recite Ebenezer Scrooge’s encounters with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come from memory. But what of the story behind the classic?

Coming off a string of literary duds, Charles Dickens was struggling to make ends meet before fleshing out A Christmas Carol in the space of six weeks, a comeback story that serves as the spine for Les Stanford’s 2008 non-fiction novel, The Man Who Invented Christmas.

It’s now being packaged for the silver screen, according to Deadline, who reveal that Dan Stevens has landed the star role of the young Charles Dickens, headlining a cast comprised of Christopher Plummer and Game of Thrones star Jonathan Pryce. They’ll play Scrooge and Dickens Sr.

Bleecker Street has acquired U.S. rights to The Man Who Invented Christmas, a new movie to be directed by Bharat Nalluri (Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day) based on Les Standiford’s book that recounts how Charles Dickens created his iconic A Christmas Carol. Susan Coyne (Mozart in the Jungle) penned the adaptation. The pic is set to begin production in December ahead of a planned 2017 release. Dan Stevens is aboard play the young Dickens, Christopher Plummer is Scrooge, and…...

The Irish Film Board backs production funding for the directoral debut from the Intermission and Boy A writer.

The directional debut from writer Mark O’Rowe (Intermission, Boy A) is among a number of projects backed by the Irish Film Board in its latest round of funding decisions.

O’Rowe will direct his own screenplay for relationship drama The Delinquent Season, which has been granted $707,220 (€650,000) in production funding. Parallel Films will produce.

The Delinquent Season received the largest single commitment from the Ifb in one of several projects backed by the board for production funding.

They include The Man Who Invented Christmas which will be directed by Barhat Nalluri (Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day) and scripted by Susan Coyne, which was given funding of $163,200 (€150,000). Parallel Films is producing.

Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos’s latest film The Killing of a Sacred Deer, which recently wrapped filming in Cincinnati and stars Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman, was awarded...

'Finding Neverland' movie: Johnny Depp as James M. Barrie, with the Llewelyn Davies family: Kate Winslet, Freddie Highmore, Joe Prospero, Nick Roud and Luke Spill. 'Finding Neverland' movie review: Losing reality Back in 2001, German-born director Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace, World War Z) brought a much welcome non-Hollywood touch to the independently made psychological drama Monster's Ball. Besides the daring (if way overlong) sex scenes, that film imparted a refreshingly realistic atmosphere that was much enhanced by Forster's minimalist approach. As the title implies, his follow-up effort, Finding Neverland (2004), has absolutely nothing to do with reality, whether Peter Pan author James M. Barrie's or anyone else's. Even so, Forster's early, no-nonsense directorial touch is sorely missing from what is little more than your usual big-studio holiday movie whose “magical moments” might as well have been created by a computer. 'Finding Neverland' plot: James M. Barrie...

A ridiculous, rote action thriller, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t entertaining, crammed with all sorts of macho emoting and spy nonsense as it is. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Sorry, all you American fans of Game of Thrones’ Kit “Jon Snow” Harington. Spooks: The Greater Good is unlikely to make it onto many U.S. screens (ie, none at all, I suspect). It’s not that the BBC series it’s based on — Spooks, also known as Mi-5 during its niche broadcasts in the U.S. — isn’t well known in the U.S., although there is that to consider. Mostly, it’s that Greater Good posits an American citizen turned jihadi terrorist, Qasim (Elyes Gabel: Interstellar), as one of its villains, and the nefarious influence of the CIA as its ultimate big baddie.

It has been announced that British actor Tom Payne ("Luck," "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day") is set to take on the key role of Paul 'Jesus' Monroe in the upcoming sixth season of AMC's "The Walking Dead".

In the comics he is a skilled adviser and fiercely logical resident at the Alexandria Safe-Zone who moved to the community from another group called the Hilltop Colony.

Payne will join the series in a recurring capacity for season six with an option for season seven.

In the comics 'Jesus' becomes a key member of the group in their fight against The Saviors, a splinter group of violent Hilltop Colony residents led by the dangerous Negan. Negan is rumored to be making a first appearance in the sixth season finale.

Source: The Live Feed...

Saban Films has acquired the North American distribution rights to Mi-5 starring Kit Harington (“Game of Thrones,”, Testament Of Youth), Academy Award nominee Peter Firth (“Spooks”), Jennifer Ehle (Fifty Shades Of Gray, Zero Dark Thirty), Tuppence Middleton (“Sense 8”, Jupiter Ascending), and Elyes Gabel (“Scorpion”, A Most Violent Year). Mi-5 (known outside the Us as Spooks: The Greater Good) is based on the original BAFTA Award® winning BBC television series.

Series director Bharat Nalluri (Tsunami: The Aftermath, Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day) has also directed the screen adaption, which was written by the series writers Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent (“Humans”).

The thriller is currently scheduled to open theatrically at the end of the year.

When a terrorist escapes custody during a routine handover, Will Holloway (Harrington) must team with disgraced MI5 Intelligence Chief Harry Pearce (Firth) to track him down before an imminent terrorist attack on London.

“Mi-5 is...

Today we have the trailer for the upcoming "Spooks: The Greater Good," a big screen version of BBC's popular spy TV series. It stars Kit Harington (Pompeii, "Game of Thrones"), Peter Firth and Elyes Gabel. Check it out below. Plot: When a terrorist (Gabel) escapes custody during a routine handover, Will (Harington) must team with disgraced MI5 Intelligence Chief Harry Pearce (Firth) to track him down before an imminent terrorist attack on London. The new movie is directed by Bharat Nalluri (Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day) and is set to hit UK theaters on May 8th. Trailer:...

Why bother going out to the multiplex when the movies you want to see are on Netflix? Whether it's a classic weepie like "An Affair to Remember," an Audrey Hepburn movie, a Jane Austen favorite or "Clueless" (again), here are some of the best chick flicks streaming on Netflix right now. (Availability subject to change.)

1. "13 Going on 30" (2004)

Who doesn't love a good time-traveling romantic comedy, especially one with a big "Thriller" dance showstopper?

2. "An Affair to Remember" (1957)

The classic romantic weepie (as referenced in "Sleepless in Seattle"), starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr as lovers whom fate cruelly tears apart.

3. "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961)

Audrey Hepburn was never lovelier (or naughtier) than as Holly Golightly, a trendy New Yorker with a complicated love life and a cat called, well, Cat.

4. "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" (2004)

The sequel finds Bridget (Renee Zellweger) in Thailand, where she's tempted to stray with ex...

Us actress best known for her work in Coen Brothers’ movies including Fargo to receive talent award.

Us actress Frances McDormand is to be awarded the Persol Tribute to Visionary Talent Award 2014 at the 71st Venice International Film Festival (Aug 27 - Sep 6).

The prolific actress is best known for her collaborations with the Coen Brothers in films including Fargo, Raising Arizona, Burn After Reading and her first ever film role, Blood Simple.

McDormand will receive the honour on Sept 1 in the Sala Grande (Palazzo del Cinema) and will be followed by the out of competition screening of Olive Kitteridge directed by Lisa Cholodenko.

The four-part HBO miniseries adaptation of the eponymous Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Elizabeth Strout co-stars Richard Jenkins, Bill Murray, John Gallagher Jr. and Zoe Kazan.

The Playtone / As Is production will debut on HBO in the Us in November and is executive produced by McDormand alongide Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks and [link...

Direct from its world-premiere screening at the Cannes Film Festival, Sff and Vivid Ideas are proud to present the Australian Premiere of the highly anticipated futuristic thriller The Rover and host director David Michôd, actors Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson and producer Liz Watts at the State Theatre on Saturday 7 June. The Rover screens as part of Sff’s Official Competition. Michôd, Pearce, Pattinson and Watts will also give a talk as part of Vivid Ideas at Town Hall on Sunday 8 June.

Actor Cate Blanchett will attend the Festival to introduce a special screening of DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon 2 the second chapter of the epic trilogy in which Blanchett is the voice of the character Valka. The screening is held at 2pm on Public Holiday Monday, 9 June, at Event Cinemas George Street.

UK visual artists and film directors Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard introduce Sff’s Opening Night Film,...

What’s new, what’s hot, and what you may have missed, now available to stream.

streaming now, before it’s in theaters

All Cheerleaders Die: twists the high-school revenge story into feminist black magic [my review] [at Amazon Instant Video]

streaming now, while it’s still in theaters

Frequencies: a film to warm the cockles of your geeky heart, an incredibly ambitious and profoundly provocative science fiction drama about ideas that require no FX to sell them [my review] [at Amazon Instant Video]

streaming now, before it’s on dvd

Non-Stop: it’s a locked-plane mystery! the text is coming from inside the plane! well, actually… maybe it isn’t? there’s a delicious cleverness to this very silly but very entertaining flick [my review] [at Amazon Instant Video]

because you missed it

The Punk Singer: fantastic introduction to original riot grrrl Kathleen Hanna and her groundbreaking work in music, feminism, and all-around kickass awesomeness [my review] [at Amazon Instant Video]

new to Prime

The Spectacular Now: stark and gritty, this...

Veteran TV exec Stephen Garrett is leaving the Shine Group later this year. He is currently Chairman of Kudos, one of the UK’s leading indies, which he co-founded two decades ago and which was acquired by Elisabeth Murdoch’s Shine in 2007. The company’s recent credits include Broadchurch, The Hour and Vicious. Garrett is also leaving his post as Executive Chairman of Shine Pictures. Under his stewardship, that feature division has made such titles as Eastern Promises, Salmon Fishing In The Yemen and Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day. Upcoming projects, including the Gregory Burke-penned Blowback, will be led by Shine Pictures’ Head of Film Ollie Madden. Together, Shine Pictures and Kudos are currently co-producing feature Spooks: The Greater Good which Garrett is producing with Madden and Kudos CEO Jane Featherstone. In a statement, Garrett praised his colleagues and noted, “I’m excited by the blurring of boundaries and the fusion of forms.

He's not Keanu Reeves! But he's not exactly Paul Bettany, either. While fans were hoping for a British actor to take the lead in NBC's Constantine Pilot, producers have instead settled on Welsh actor Matt Ryan.

Matt Ryan is best known for his voice work as Edward Kenway in the hugely popular video game Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. He has also starred on the TV series Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior and in the indie movies Armistice and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. He is fairly unknown in the states.

The actor will play John Constantine, a role originated by American actor Keanu Reeves in the 2005 adaptation of the DC Comics series Hellblazer. While many fans scoffed at Keanu Reeves' dark haired, surfer-accented Californian take on the character, NBC is going back to the comic's roots, with a British character who doesn't stray too far from the original storyline.