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Ralph Fiennes, the guest on this episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast — which was recorded last week in front of 2,000 people at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, where Fiennes was honored with the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award in recognition of his Oscar-nominated performance in Conclave — has been widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest screen actors for more than 30 years.

To name just a few of the films in which the Englishman has shined: Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, Robert Redford’s Quiz Show, Kathryn Bigelow‘s Strange Days, Anthony Minghella’s The English Patient, István Szabó’s Sunshine, Neil Jordan’s The End of the Affair, David Cronenberg’s Spider, Fernando Meirelles’ The Constant Gardener, Martin McDonagh’s In Bruges, Stephen Daldry’s The Reader, Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker, Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, Luca Guadagnino’s A Bigger Splash...

Ralph Fiennes began a nearly two-hour conversation at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Thursday by addressing the important thing first: the pronunciation of his first name.

“It’s one of those funky old English things; my parents dealt me this hand with this name,” the actor — whose name is produced “Rafe” — told the crowd inside Santa Barbara’s Arlington Theatre. “I can hear my father — [me] coming back from school, saying, ‘People keep saying it’s Ralph, it’s Ralph.’ And my father said, ‘No, they’re wrong.'”

Fiennes was honored with the festival’s outstanding performer of the year award, and sat down with The Hollywood Reporter‘s Scott Feinberg for a look back at his long career. The conversation began with a discussion of Fiennes’ discovery of his love of acting and his big break in Wuthering Heights, which caught Steven Spielberg’s attention as he was casting 1993’s Schindler’s List.

Why do we like Gerard Butler? As of the publishing of this piece, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is performing as expected, looking to become yet another reliable, mid-budgeted programmer hit for the movie star. It’ll round out nicely in theaters, then do well with VOD and home sales. This kind of success is exceedingly rare these days; even Liam Neeson actioners underperform after years of semi-reliability. So: what is it about Butler?

There is a scene somewhere in the middle of Pantera in which “Big Nick” O’Brien (Butler) and Donnie Wilson (O’Shea Jackson) are sitting outside a bar in the south of France, sipping beers on the come down from a night of hard-partying. Los Angeles cop Big Nick has both “gone gangster” and gone international, turning to a life of crime and following Donnie into a heist-laden world of intrigue. The two frenemies proceed to...

With the upcoming release of 28 Years Later, many eyes will look to the cast to revitalize one of the zombie genre's most beloved movies. Actor Ralph Fiennes is one such notable name attached to the production. Fiennes is best known for his work on films like The Grand Budapest Hotel and Schindler's List, but he has also dipped his toes into the world of directing. One of his projects touched on his love of Shakespeare (Fiennes appeared as recently as 2024 in a stage play of Macbeth), where he acted alongside Gerard Butler in the first significant adaptation of Coriolanus.

Unfortunately, Fiennes's directorial debut received a mixed reception, with a divide between critics and fans, and struggled to make back its money at the box office. Yet, now that Coriolanus is available to stream, it gives reason to look back and see if the underrated adaptation is worthy of your...

The National Theatre production of Coriolanus, starring David Oyelowo, will become available for streaming starting in January.

The production, which played London’s Olivier Theatre in a two-month run this past fall, will stream on National Theatre at Home’s subscription platform starting Jan. 2. This play, and making the production more accessible, especially given its political resonance, holds particular importance for Oyelowo, the Selma and Lawmen: Bass Reeves star who made his return to the stage in the title role.

“Not everyone can get to London, or everyone can afford those prices, and then quite a lot of people are just intimidated by Shakespeare, and so access to it in an environment that is maybe less intimidating, or means less of an effort to get to the theater in order to engage with a play that you’re already intimidated by, those are all things that I really embrace,” Oyelowo said.

Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction), Phoebe Dynevor (Bridgerton) and two-time Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins (The Father) have been set to star in period drama The Housekeeper.

Set in 1930s Cornwall, UK, the film will chart the forbidden romance between a Polish housekeeper and a famous novelist.

Notes On A Scandal and Iris filmmaker Richard Eyre is directing with Julia Taylor-Stanley (Coriolanus) and Kevin Loader (The Death Of Stalin) producing from a script by British novelist Rose Tremain.

The story is inspired by Tremain’s short story in which a young woman is horrified to discover, after a brief sexual encounter with Daphne du Maurier, that she is the model for Mrs Danvers in the writer’s classic work Rebecca.

Dynevor will play Du Maurier, Thurman the housekeeper and Hopkins the wealthy and widowed Lord DeWithers.

Embankment Films is launching sales ahead of the upcoming American Film Market in Las Vegas. Filming...

There is always a shortlist of actors deserving of an Academy Award. Ralph Fiennes is one of them. He earned a Supporting Actor nomination in 1994 for “Schindler’s List,” but lost out to Martin Landeau for “Ed Wood.” He landed a Best Actor nod in 1997 for “The English Patient,” but Geoffrey Rush had that one in the bag for “Shine.” And in the almost three decades since, he’s been overlooked for incredible work in films such as “The End of the Affair,” “The Constant Gardner,” “Coriolanus,” and “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” That may change with his celebrated performance as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence in Edward Berger’s adaptation of Robert Harris‘ novel, “Conclave.”

Read More: For his contemporary “Conclave,” Edward Berger embraces the discourse [Interview]

The fact Fiennes is not synonymous with the Oscars is sort of head-scratching.

Continue reading Ralph Fiennes Isn’t Distracted By Oscar Buzz For ‘Conclave,’ Just Doing “Good Work” at The Playlist.

Denzel Washington is one of our most accomplished actors who has worked alongside other legendary A-listers, but, sadly, we missed out on seeing him reunite with one of them, Morgan Freeman, when he turned down Se7en in the '90s. Denzel Washington has earned his title in Hollywood as one of the best actors of his generation. Over four decades, Washington has shown his incredible range as an actor, and Denzel Washington's upcoming movies will be just as powerful. Still, even he has had some missed opportunities over the years.

A prominent project Washington turned down was David Fincher's 1995 classic thriller Se7en, which followed two detectives hunting a serial killer who commits murders based on the seven deadly sins. Washington ultimately declined because he thought the script was too dark and demonic. Although he later regretted his decision, 1995 was still an eventful year for Washington, with three films released: Crimson Tide,...

It’s common knowledge that Tom Hiddleston has been a big fish in the entertainment pond for years, thanks to his spellbinding take on Loki, the God of Mischief, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This British thespian has also graced the screen with a commanding presence, for example, taking on the title role in Coriolanus.

Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man | Marvel Studios

But have you ever been mesmerized by his flawless dance moves, which were famously displayed on the chat show Alan Carr: Chatty Man? And while we’re at it, let’s not leave Robert Downey Jr. out in the cold. Although he could not compete with Hiddleston’s dance skills, Downey Jr. did light up the screen with his electric dance moves in a OnePlus commercial.

Robert Downey Jr. Danced Like Nobody’s Watching in This OnePlus Ad

In 2019, OnePlus decided to swing for the fences...

Zack Snyder's 2006 film "300," based on the comic book by Frank Miller, tells a hyper-stylized and not-the-least-bit-historically-accurate version of the Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC) wherein 300 Spartan soldiers managed to fend off anywhere from 120,000 to 300,000 soldiers of the Persian Empire for three full days. Both Miller's book and Snyder's film present the Spartans as teeth-gashing, testosterone-spitting, Spam-scented beefcake slabs comprised of nothing but pectoral muscles, testicles, and homophobia. They speak in "Join the Marines" recruiting slogans and disparage anything that's not at least 4000% more masculine than a two-ton bag of Tom Jones' chest hair.

Speaking of chest hair, none of the Spartans have any, happy to parade around their cartoonishly cut physiques as if they all possess a severe shirt allergy. Leading the charge is King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), a man who cannot help but add multiple exclamation marks after every sentence he speaks.

"300" was a massive hit,...

Tom Hiddleston's portrayal of Loki was inspired by Christopher Reeve's Superman, adding depth to the complex character's performance. Hiddleston considered the grandiose nature of Superman's being as similar to Loki, aiming for clarity in his own portrayal. Despite uncertainty about Loki's future in the MCU, Hiddleston remains open to returning as the iconic God of Mischief if Marvel wants him back.

Despite being one of the McU's most-popular and best villains, Tom Hiddleston's performance as Loki, the Asgardian God of Mischief, was surprisingly inspired by an iconic portrayal of DC's flagship superhero. Hiddleston's tenure as Loki has lasted for over a decade, first portraying the character in Kenneth Branagh's 2011 Thor, and most recently in Season 2 of the character's own spin-off series Loki on Disney+. As the character's future hangs in the balance following Season 2's finale, Hiddleston is looking back on his first appearance as Loki and...

For over a decade, Roger Moore had the task of living up to everything that Sean Connery had put in place as 007. And while some will defend Moore forever, we can’t forget the clown costumes, slide whistles, gondola chases, and so much more that pushed James Bond into an uncharted level of ridiculousness. Perhaps all of this could have been prevented had Timothy Dalton not been so green, turning down On Her Majesty’s Secret Service because he was in his mid-20s. That’s all hypothetical, of course, but Timothy Dalton would go on to reinvent James Bond in a way that may not have sat with contemporary audiences but marked a true challenge for what it meant to carry the torch. Dalton played 007 just twice; and with that, we’d challenge you to name just as many worthwhile post-Bond movies from the underappreciated actor (who we’re...

It’s been 10 years since David Oyelowo made his U.S. breakthrough portraying Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in “Selma.” Playing the awe-inspiring civil rights leader was an opportunity for the British-Nigerian actor to live up to his surname, which translates to “a king deserves respect.”

Oyelowo has been reflecting on that time in his life a lot more lately, thanks in part to “Becoming King,” a documentary directed by his wife, Jessica Oyelowo, that captures the seven-year journey to bring “Selma” to the big screen.

“It was a big year,” he says of 2014. “There was no way you could know the sheer amount of things that would happen, because at the beginning of it, nothing was happening. ‘Selma’ felt dead. I was in the middle of shooting ‘A Most Violent Year,’ having a good time with that, but just feeling in a state of limbo and then—”

He stops mid-thought.

Exclusive: London-based Alliance Media Partners (Amp) has hired Anthony Buckner as Head of Sales, Acquisitions and Distribution in the run up to the Cannes market.

Former Icon and Kaleidoscope exec Buckner will be overseeing the company’s Cannes slate of genre titles and will be tasked with expansion. He is taking over from longtime Amp partner and sales vet James Norrie who has exited the company.

Amp, founded in 2017 as a production, financing and sales company, is the media arm of Alliance Capital Partners group, a private asset management and finance company based in Dubai. Current titles include The Morrigan with Toby Stephens and sci fi thriller New Life.

Buckner has sold movies including The Passion of the Christ, Apocalypto, How I Spent My summer Vacation, Coriolanus, Prevenge, Hurricane and Creation Stories.

He spent 15 years at Icon before stints at Magnolia Pictures, Red Bull’s Terra Mater Factual Studios, Kaleidoscope,...

Exclusive: It is exactly 13 years to the day that Ralph Fiennes’ feature directorial debut Coriolanus – in which he also starred alongside Gerard Butler, Vanessa Redgrave and Brian Cox – world premiered to acclaim at the 2011 Berlinale.

The Oscar nominee and Bafta-winning actor has since directed Rudolf Nureyev biopic The White Crow and The Invisible Woman about Charles Dickens’ secret mistress, alongside appearing in another 40 films including The Menu, No Time to Die, The King’s Man and The Grand Budapest Hotel.

The Berlinale will support another first for Fiennes, this time via its European Film Market, as Cornerstone kicks off sales on the actor’s next directorial feature project, based on his first feature film screenplay.

Set against Fiennes’ native English county of Suffolk, the drama revolves around an eco-idealistic family, living on a farm in a beautiful natural landscape by the sea, whose fault lines are revealed when the daughter’s...

Exclusive: Two-time Oscar nominee and BAFTA winner Ralph Fiennes (Schindler’s List) has written and will direct The Beacon, in which he will also have a leading role alongside Olivier Award-winner Indira Varma (Obi Wan Kenobi), Charles Babalola (The Outlaws) and Alison Oliver (Saltburn).

Described as a meditation on family, class, race and identity, the contemporary UK-set drama marks Fiennes’ first feature film screenplay after previously directing The White Crow, The Invisible Woman and Coriolanus.

The official synopsis reads: “Joshua Nyaga travels to the countryside from London to spend a summer’s weekend with his girlfriend Cass’ family for the first time. Transplanted as a young boy from the violence of the Ugandan civil war to the concrete jungle of London, Joshua has never experienced the privilege that Cass’ family enjoys.

“Surrounded by the sea and lush natural landscape, the farm is an oasis, brimming with idealistic notions and lively debate amongst Cass’ father,...

Every school has that certain teacher who is a bully, heartless and at times sadistic. Everyone must take their class, but no one finishes the course unscathed. Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) of Alexander Payne’s acclaimed comedy-drama “The Holdovers” is one such instructor. Set in 1970, “The Holdovers” revolves around the by-the-books classics professor teaching at the same New England boarding school he had attended. Hunham is hated by his students, as well as his fellow teachers. And he’s also in hot water, after he failed one of the school’s largest donor’s son in his class. During the Christmas break, he is forced to supervise the “holdovers — -the students who for various reasons must stay on campus. He ends up sharing the holidays with one troubled student (Dominic Sessa) whose mother recently remarried; and the cafeteria administrator (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) grieving her only son’s death in the Vietnam War.

Back in its heyday, How To Get Away With Murder was one of the hottest shows on television.

Thursday nights on ABC were once the night that Shonda Rhimes built from start to finish, with Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and the aforementioned legal drama setting the interwebs on fire every week.

The series was a bonafide hit from the start and constantly had social media ablaze as viewers were thrust into murderous coverups and shocking twists every season.

It’s been over three years since the series signed off, and while we’re still reliving all the bloody mayhem during our various rewatches, the cast has moved on to other projects. And what projects might those be? Let’s look at what the cast of How To Get Away With Murder is doing now!

Viola Davis - Annalise Keating

Annalise Keating was the heart and soul of the whole ship.

We...

On Sunday, critics and reviewers teased early reactions to “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” many of which are overwhelmingly positive. The prequel debuts in theaters on Nov. 17 — full reviews are set to drop Tuesday.

TheWrap’s own Scott Mendelson joined those who enjoyed the movie. He wrote, “The new #HungerGames is pretty great. Superbly constructed and exquisitely acted, it wrestles with the franchise’s complicated pop culture legacy while thriving as a ‘money’s on the screen’ Imax blockbuster. Zegler gives a full-on movie star turn and Davis is a macabre hoot.”

The new #HungerGames is pretty great. Superbly constructed and exquisitely acted, it wrestles with the franchise’s complicated pop culture legacy while thriving as a "money's on the screen" Imax blockbuster. Zegler gives a full-on movie star turn and Davis is a macabre hoot. pic.twitter.com/9ALOfz5LTV

— Scott Mendelson (@ScottMendelson) November 5, 2023

Russ Milheim of The Direct said,...

The BAFTAs have a soft spot for home-grown talent. Earlier this year, “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande” scored four bids at the British Academy Film Awards, including Best Actor (Daryl McCormack) and Best Actress (Emma Thompson). Before that, in 2022, Adeel Akhtar snuck into the Best Actor lineup for “Ali & Ava” and Joanna Scanlan won Best Actress for “After Love.”

This pattern of Brits recognizing Brits could bode well for Daniel Kaluuya this year, who makes his directorial debut with the new Netflix drama “The Kitchen.” The film depicts a dystopian London in which all social housing has been eliminated. The focus in the story are the residents of The Kitchen, a community that refuses to leave their homes despite their struggles. At the heart of the film is Kane Robinson‘s (also known as Kano) Izi, who takes Jedaiah Bannerman‘s young boy under his wing and tries...

Jared Francis Harris is a famed British actor who is best known for his versatility on stage, working across numerous genres over the years. His most famous work, perhaps, may very well be his inspiring performance as Lance Pryce in the AMC television American drama series Mad Men, a role which earned Harris nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

Jared Harris Biography: Age, Early Life, Family, Education

Jared Harris was born on August 24, 1961 (Jared Harris age: 61) in Hammersmith, London. He was born the second of three sons. His father, Richard Harris, was a famous Irish actor and singer. His mother, Elizabeth Rees-Williams, was a Welsh actress. His older brother is Damian Harris and his younger brother is Jamie Harris.

Harris and his two brothers studied at Ladycross School, which was a former preparatory boarding independent school located in the coastal town of Seaford in East Sussex.

The late Irish actor Ray Stevenson was quite an expert at playing outsize heavies and larger-than-life characters. It's no wonder that he appeared in films like "Punisher: War Zone," the most enjoyably violent movie in the Marvel Comics canon, or "Rrr" a maximalist piece of Telugu cinema that felt like several action films crammed into one. In the latter, Stevenson was particularly theatrical, snarling melodramatically as a colonialist villain. Stevenson stops just short of actually twirling his mustache in that film.

Stevenson passed away on May 22, 2023, at the age of 58 leaving behind a colorful legacy of villains from widely seen franchise films and TV shows.

Stevenson occasionally brushed up against the classics, although it was usually in a comic book milieu. He appeared in a film adaptation of "The Three Musketeers," but it was a literarily inaccurate action bonanza directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. He played one of the Knights of the Round Table,...

Exclusive: Brian Cox (Succession), Kelly Reilly (Yellowstone), Brooklynn Prince (Cocaine Bear) and Che Tafari (Me Time) are set to lead Little Wing, a new Paramount+ coming-of-age film from Awesomeness, which DGA Award nominee Dean Israelite (Are You Afraid of the Dark?) is directing from a script by Oscar nom John Gatins (Flight).

The film now in production in Oregon, which has been a passion project for Israelite over the past decade, is inspired by the New Yorker article of the same name by Susan Orlean. This is the story of Kaitlyn (Prince), a 13-year-old girl who, reeling from her parents’ divorce and the pending loss of her home, is drawn into the world of pigeon racing. She hopes to solve her family’s financial woes by stealing a valuable bird, but instead forms a bond with the owner who cultivates her love of the sport.

Cox plays Jaan, the pigeon racer,...

A more valid criterion will be to see how its influence survives today, or say, how at home we would be if we are somehow sent back to one of these civilisations?

On both these standards, ancient Rome, say in the late Republican period (1st century Bce), could well qualify.

In Rome of this period, you would find yourself in a large sprawling city, where plush neighbourhoods with elegant villas are interspersed with more crowded areas full of multi-storey buildings, streets teem with people from all over the known world, there are markets and various services, common people eagerly follow and gossip over the foibles of the rich and famous, are swayed by sops and entertainment spectacles, stay keenly involved in governance which, however, is largely a preserve of professional politicians with issues over public works, food subsidies, corruption et al predominating.

Unlike most other ancient civilisations across Europe, Asia,...

Commissions

“The Freedom Orchestra” (working title), a documentary film presented by Clive Myrie, will tell the story of Ukraine’s newly formed Freedom Orchestra. In the midst of the ongoing war with Russia, 75 of Ukraine’s noted musicians have come together to bring a message of defiance and hope. Some of their family members are on the frontlines, and many have fled Ukraine since the war began.

Myrie follows the stories of the musicians from rehearsing, often alone, in Ukraine, to coming together for their first rehearsal as an orchestra in Warsaw for their inaugural concert — ahead of a tour of Europe and the U.S., including a performance at the BBC Proms on July 31.

Myrie said: “There has always been a cultural frontline in this war and I wanted to reflect that struggle. This documentary, I hope, shines a light on Ukraine’s artistic achievements as well as creative spirit,...

HBO Max is putting together an all-star cast for the upcoming original film “The Parenting.”

On Wednesday, the streamer announced that Brian Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Edie Falco and Dean Norris had been cast to star in the horror-comedy, which focuses on a young queer couple who rent a countryside cottage to host a weekend getaway with their parents, only to discover that it is inhabited by a 400-year-old poltergeist. The roles that Cox, Kudrow, Falco and Norris will be playing have yet to be announced.

“The Parenting” is directed by Craig Johnson, and written by Kent Sublette. Chris Bender and Jake Weiner produce the film for Good Fear Content. New Line Cinema co-produces the film. A release date has yet to be announced.

Cox is a recent Screen Actors Guild Award and Golden Globe winner for his role as Logan Roy in the HBO hit “Succession,” which aired its third season last year.

Denzel Washington never went to Juilliard. His first exposure to William Shakespeare came a thousand feet down the street, at Fordham University at Lincoln Center, when he played Othello at 21.

“They wouldn’t let me in,” he joked on a recent Zoom call. “I didn’t know anything about theater acting, any of that, until I was introduced in the fall of 1975. I did a musical and found that I couldn’t sing. But I enjoyed being on the stage. The artistic director saw something in me.”

After his fall semester musical debut, the spring semester saw Washington tackle Eugene O’Neill’s “The Emperor Jones.” “I had no idea,” he said. “I did my homework and fell in love with the theater. I was green as a Southern tomato.” And in his senior year he starred in “Othello.” “I had never done any Shakespeare. I did have a couple classes.

Denzel Washington never went to Juilliard. His first exposure to William Shakespeare came a thousand feet down the street, at Fordham University at Lincoln Center, when he played Othello at 21.

“They wouldn’t let me in,” he joked on a recent Zoom call. “I didn’t know anything about theater acting, any of that, until I was introduced in the fall of 1975. I did a musical and found that I couldn’t sing. But I enjoyed being on the stage. The artistic director saw something in me.”

After his fall semester musical debut, the spring semester saw Washington tackle Eugene O’Neill’s “The Emperor Jones.” “I had no idea,” he said. “I did my homework and fell in love with the theater. I was green as a Southern tomato.” And in his senior year he starred in “Othello.” “I had never done any Shakespeare. I did have a couple classes.

Exclusive: Emmy and Golden Globe winner Brian Cox (Succession) has been tapped as the narrator for Sacrilege: The Unholy Radicalization of Europe, a documentary from director Barry Avrich (Oscar Peterson: Black + White) and his Melbar Entertainment Group that recently wrapped production.

Avrich’s latest explores how Europe became a global centre of extremism, offering illuminating perspectives and personal stories of how radical Islam, political errors, and the failure of immigration and integration government policies changed the course of the continent forever. The film was shot on location in Vienna, Paris, Copenhagen, Nice, and Malmo, and features unprecedented access to former Isis radicals, as well as victims of terrorism, radicalization experts, journalists and clerics such as the Chief Rabbi of Denmark and Nice’s top Imam.

Avrich produced Sacrilege alongside Melissa Coghlan and Mark Selby, also serving as the film’s executive producer. Melbar is looking to release the feature in late fall,...

It's 129 days until the Oscars. Please enjoy this interpretation of Shakespeare's "Sonnet 129" by Ralph Fiennes, released back in 2002 six years after Ralph Fiennes second Oscar nomination and seven years before his directorial debut, Coriolanus, which was also Shakespearean.

Remember when Fiennes directed Vanessa Redgrave in an Oscar worthy turn?

Ralph Fiennes hasn't been Oscar nominated for 25 years and that is dumb given his filmography since then.

Grammy-winning musicians Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson have joined the cast of Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” that’s set up at Apple.

William Belleau of “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” and Louis Cancelmi of “The Irishman” have also joined the cast, which includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Jesse Plemons, Lily Gladstone, Tantoo Cardinal, Cara Jade Myers, JaNae Collins and Jillian Dion.

“Killers of the Flower Moon” is based on David Grann’s novel and is set in 1920s Oklahoma depicting the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, a string of brutal crimes that came to be known as the Reign of Terror.

Isbell is making his acting debut in “Flower Moon” and will play Bill Smith, an adversary of DiCaprio’s character named Burkhart, and Simpson will play an infamous rodeo champion and bootlegger named Henry Grammer. Belleau will appear in the role of Henry Roan,...

To celebrate its centenary year in December 2019, the picturesque art deco Aldeburgh Cinema in the English county of Suffolk welcomed local-boy-done-good Ralph Fiennes to present one of his own films.

Fiennes — who was actually born 43 minutes drive away in Ipswich — might have been expected to choose from his Oscar or BAFTA-nominated performances in films such as The English Patient, Schindler’s List, The Constant Gardener or The Grand Budapest Hotel, or perhaps even one of his turns behind the camera, such as Coriolanus or The White Crow. But he brought Coup 53, Taghi Amirani’s debut feature documentary about the covert U.S./U.K. operations ...

To celebrate its centenary year in December 2019, the picturesque art deco Aldeburgh Cinema in the English county of Suffolk welcomed local-boy-done-good Ralph Fiennes to present one of his own films.

Fiennes — who was actually born 43 minutes drive away in Ipswich — might have been expected to choose from his Oscar or BAFTA-nominated performances in films such as The English Patient, Schindler’s List, The Constant Gardener or The Grand Budapest Hotel, or perhaps even one of his turns behind the camera, such as Coriolanus or The White Crow. But he brought Coup 53, Taghi Amirani’s debut feature documentary about the covert U.S./U.K. operations ...

Ilan Eshkeri is something of a musical adventurer. He’s an award-winning composer who has scored a wide variety of films including Layer Cake, Stardust, Kick-Ass, Shaun the Sheep Movie, has composed a modern ballet based on Echo & Narcissus, has conducted an orchestra at the Louvre, and has even worked with the European Space Agency. As an artist, he’s always looking to be challenged and inspired in new ways. And his latest project is unlike anything he’s ever done before.

“I’ve been saying, ‘Let me do a video game’ for like fifteen years,” Eshkeri tells Den of Geek over a Zoom call, explaining why he chose Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima as the next evolution in his career. He’d composed music for just one other game, The Sims 4 back in 2014, and when Sucker Punch approached him to compose music for the studio’s upcoming samurai epic,...

On “The Witcher,” Henry Cavill tries to attempt most of his own stunts as Geralt of Rivia, the hero of the Netflix fantasy series based on author Andrzej Sapkowski’s books.

In a conversation for Variety‘s Actors on Actors issue, Cavill told Patrick Stewart why it was important for him to do that.

“For me, when it comes to stunts, I’ve always enjoyed doing the physical stuff,” Cavill said. “Working with Tom Cruise [on “Mission: Impossible – Fallout”] really helped — or maybe, in the eyes of the producers, made worse my enjoyment for stunts. I really want to do them now, and I think it’s an essential piece to the character. If an audience is watching Geralt on-screen, they must believe that it is me. If it’s not me, I feel like I’ve betrayed the character in some way, and so I try and do as much as a production will let me.

Film, television, and stage actor Jerry Stiller died of natural causes, as according to his son Ben Stiller. He was 92.

“I’m sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes,” Ben announced on Twitter. “He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad.”

Stiller is known for his TV roles as Frank Costanza on Seinfeld and Arthur Spooner on The King of Queens, and multiple films including, The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three, John Waters’ Hairspray, his son’s Zoolander, and Richard Lester’s adaptation of Terrence McNally’s play, The Ritz, which Jerry also acted in on Broadway.

But he might be best remembered for being part of the comedy team Stiller & Meara, which he performed with his wife, Anne Meara. The pair met in 1953 at a New York casting call,...

The Anglo-Irish filmmaker’s fourth feature, starring Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain, began shooting last month in Morocco. Ralph Fiennes, Jessica Chastain and Caleb Landry Jones are set to star in The Forgiven, the fourth feature by acclaimed writer-director John Michael McDonagh. Principal photography commenced in the middle of last month in Morocco, the location in which the eponymous source novel, written by Lawrence Osborne, takes place. Said Taghmaoui rounds off the supporting cast. Marking a more mature project from McDonagh than his last, the irreverent Us cop satire War on Everyone, the film also reunites Chastain and Fiennes, who starred together as husband and wife in the latter’s adaptation of Coriolanus. The story follows the impact of a random accident on the lives of an English couple, who travel to the High Atlas mountains of Morocco for a party hosted by old friends in their lavish villa. The Forgiven is.

Ian Bonhôte, a double BAFTA nominee for the feature documentary “McQueen,” has attached as the director on narrative feature “Faithfull,” about the singer-songwriter Marianne Faithfull. Altitude has acquired worldwide sales rights.

As previously reported, Lucy Boynton, who played Mary Austin in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and appears in Ryan Murphy’s “The Politician” for Netflix, stars as Faithfull.

Casting is underway for the role of Mick Jagger with casting director Sarah Crowe, BAFTA-nominated for “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” on board. Production is set for this fall.

The story is set in London in the mid-1960s and depicts Faithfull’s roller-coaster journey from being discovered as a convent schoolgirl of 17, finding fame as a pop idol, living through hedonistic times and a tumultuous romance with Jagger, to being a homeless drug addict in London.

Through her determination not to be known as just a footnote in rock and roll history,...

Lucy Boynton to play the iconic singer and actress.

Ian Bonhôte, co-director of Bafta-nominated documentary McQueen, has signed to direct Faithfull, a biopic of Marianne Faithfull, which the UK’s Altitude has acquired to sell worldwide.

Set in mid-1960s London, Faithfull is set to star the previously announced Lucy Boynton, best known for Bohemian Rhapsody, as the iconic singer-songwriter. Faithful went from inspiring some of the biggest hits of the Rolling Stones while in a tumultuous relationship with Mick Jagger to becoming a homeless drug addict in London.

Bonhôte, whose documentary about fashion designer Alexander McQueen was nominated for...

The long-gestating biopic of British music icon Marianne Faithfull is gathering steam. 

Ian Bonhôte, who landed two BAFTA nominations for his acclaimed Alexander McQueen documentary McQueen, has now been lined up to direct Faithfull, with Bohemian Rhapsody and The Politician star Lucy Boynton already tapped for the lead role. Production is set to start this fall. 

Altitude has also acquired worldwide sales rights to the film, with Julia Taylor-Stanley (Coriolanus) of Artemis Films and Colin Vaines (Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool) of Synchronistic Pictures producing. Andee Ryder, producer of McQueen, will also produce for Misfits Entertainment, with Boynton ...

The long-gestating biopic of British music icon Marianne Faithfull is gathering steam. 

Ian Bonhôte, who landed two BAFTA nominations for his acclaimed Alexander McQueen documentary McQueen, has now been lined up to direct Faithfull, with Bohemian Rhapsody and The Politician star Lucy Boynton already tapped for the lead role. Production is set to start this fall. 

Altitude has also acquired worldwide sales rights to the film, with Julia Taylor-Stanley (Coriolanus) of Artemis Films and Colin Vaines (Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool) of Synchronistic Pictures producing. Andee Ryder, producer of McQueen, will also produce for Misfits Entertainment, with Boynton ...

‘It Chapter 2’ actress, Jessica Chastain has entered into negotiations to join John Michael McDonagh adaptation of ‘The Forgiven’.

Based on the novel by Lawrence Osborne, Chastain would join the already cast Ralph Fiennes and Caleb Landry Jones. Chastain would be taking on the role of Fiennes’ wife in the film. Saïd Taghmaoui, Rebecca Hall and Mark Strong complete the cast.

The film will focus on the impact of a tragic accident on the lives of an English couple attending a lavish weekend party at a luxurious desert villa in Morocco.

Also in news – Elizabeth Banks to take the helm and star in ‘The Invisible Woman’

Osborne’s 2012 best-selling psychological thriller followed David and Jo Henniger on their way to a party at their old friends’ home, deep in the Moroccan desert. But as a groggy David navigates the dark desert roads, two young men spring from the roadside, the car...

Jessica Chastain is in negotiations to star alongside Ralph Fiennes and Caleb Landry Jones in “The Forgiven,” an adaptation of the novel by Lawrence Osborne, Variety has learned.

John Michael McDonagh will be directing the film, which deals with the impact of a tragic accident on the lives of an English couple attending a lavish weekend party at a luxurious desert villa in Morocco. Saïd Taghmaoui, Rebecca Hall and Mark Strong complete the cast.

Chastain is in talks to star in the film as Fiennes’ wife, sources say. The two previously starred together in “Coriolanus” in 2011.

Production is slated to begin early next year in Morocco. Elizabeth Eves will produce alongside McDonagh through their production company, House of Un-American Activities. CAA, which arranged financing, is representing the U.S. rights, while Imr International is handling foreign rights. Karim Debbagh’s Tangier-based Kasbah Films has been tapped as line producer on “The Forgiven.

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy this new episode of The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we examine movies from established movie stars that have flopped at the box office, been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. Today, in honor (?) of Angel Has Fallen, we discuss Scotland’s own Gerard Butler. Following his star-making turn in Zack Snyder’s 300, Butler headlined a slew of projects, mostly action programmers and romantic comedies.

In 2011 & 2012, he released four unsuccessful movies that ran the gamut of available genres: the misguided awards push Machine Gun Preacher, the Ralph Fiennes-directed Coriolanus, the based-on-a-true-story surfer drama Chasing Mavericks and the soccer rom-com family dramedy (?) Playing For Keeps.

We talk about the modes where Butler’s rugged good looks are best utilized, the controversies that surrounded Machine Gun Preacher upon its release,...

Sophia Forrest, Alex Williams and Travis Jeffery

Sophia Forrest, Alex Williams and Travis Jeffery — all graduates of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts – will be the ambassadors for this year’s CinefestOZ Film Festival.

CinefestOZ Chair Helen Shervington said: “Sophia, Alex and Travis are all incredibly talented professionals and we are proud to once again be welcoming them to the South West for an immersive five-day film experience this year as CinefestOZ ambassadors.

“Having Wa-trained gems like Sophia, Alex and Travis at the forefront of CinefestOZ is a testament to the incredible growth and burgeoning talent within the Australian film industry.”

Sophia graduated from Waapa in 2016 and went on to tour internationally with the theatre productions Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Coriolanus.

Her film credits include Rachel Griffiths’ Ride Like a Girl, which will screen at the festival, Reaching the Distance and Aquaman.

Since graduating from Waapa in 2011, Williams...

Tom Hiddleston is preparing to take Broadway by storm later this summer.

The 38-year-old actor is starring in the revival of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal, which follows the story of the marriage between Robert (Hiddleston) and Emma (Zawe Ashton) as well as Emma’s affair with Robert’s friend Jerry (Charlie Cox).

The play first premiered in London at the National Theatre in 1978 and made its Broadway debut in 1980. A 2013 revival took place with Rafe Spall and Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz, who are married in real life.

Performances for Hiddleston’s revival begin August 14 at the Bernard B. Jacobs...

Tom Hiddleston will make his Broadway debut this summer in a revival of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal. Co-starring, also in their Broadway debuts, will be Charlie Cox (Daredevil) and Zawe Ashton (Velvet Buzzsaw).

Directed and produced by Jamie Lloyd, Betrayal will begin performances Aug. 14 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater, with an official opening set for Sept. 5. The engagement is limited to 17 weeks.

The production is a partnership between The Jamie Lloyd Company and the Ambassador Theatre Group. The Broadway staging follows an earlier extended run in London’s West End.

Joining the three stars in the Broadway production will be Eddie Arnold as the Waiter.

“Watching this remarkable cast bring new life to Harold Pinter’s greatest work has been one of the most gratifying and exciting experiences of my life in the theater,” said Jamie Lloyd in a statement. “I am thrilled that American audiences will have the...

Defector Becomes Him: Fiennes Revisits the Westernization of Rudolf Nureyev

There’s much to admire in the third directorial outing of actor Ralph Fiennes with The White Crow (the least of which is his impressive navigation of speaking in Russian), a coming-of-age biopic of sorts concerning the golden days of famed ballet icon Rudolf Nureyev and his dramatic defection in 1961. Fiennes’ previous outings include his 2011 tackling of Shakespeare’s lesser known Coriolanus (which features a fantastic Vanessa Redgrave performance) and 2013’s expose of Charles Dickens’ affair with a younger woman (an impressive Felicity Jones). His latest is no less ambitious or inspired, modeled after Julie Kavanagh’s Rudolf Nureyev: The Life, and yet seems to be missing some fundamental energy apparent in his previous outings (as well as a signature standout performance which has marked his previous two films).…...

As a director, Ralph Fiennes shows the same alertness for telling details and rich characterization that he does as an actor. And that’s saying something. His talent shines in The White Crow, a look at the early life of ballet great Rudolf Nureyev, up to and including his defection from Russia and the Kirov Ballet at the Paris-Le Bourget airport in 1961. He was 23. The White Crow is not a biopic. It’s an impressionistic glimpse at the forces driving Nureyev — something of a diva even then — to accept no...

‘Shazam!’ down to second; ‘Hellboy’ opens fifth.

Today’s Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.31

Rank Film (Distributor) Three-day gross (Mar 5-7) Total gross to date Week 1 Dumbo (Disney) £2.3m £17.7m 3 2 Shazam! (Warner Bros) £2.1m £8.9m 2 3 Captain Marvel (Disney) £885,000 £36.4m 6 4 Wonder Park (Paramount) £810,000 £1.6m 1 5 Hellboy (Lionsgate) £757,124 £979,328 1 Disney

Fantasy adventure Dumbo rose up the chart to retake top spot on its third weekend, recording a £2.3m Friday to Sunday total.

The film fell just 34% on its previous session, and has now grossed £17.7m in the UK in total.

It has now passed the lifetime of director Tim Burton’s Miss Peregrine’s...