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Harry Potter's uncle and aunt have been cast. HBO's upcoming series adaptation of J.K. Rowling's fan-favorite book series has found its elder Dursleys, and their casting should excite longtime fans of the franchise.

Per Variety, Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby have been added to the ensemble cast of Harry Potter as Petunia and Vernon Dursley, the maternal aunt and uncle of Harry, respectively. An actor for their son, Dudley, has not yet been cast. At ages 33 and 42, Powley and Rigby are far closer in age to the Dursleys in Rowling's novels than their respective movie actor counterparts, Fiona Shaw and Richard Griffiths, who were 43 and 54 at the time the first movie was released. HBO has repeatedly described the upcoming show as a "faithful adaptation" of the source material, and this casting proves that the new Harry Potter will be paying more attention to how young or old certain characters were in the novels.

An unexpected thing happens in the series finale of The Crown, which Netflix released today: Queen Elizabeth is the main character.

This would seem to be the most predictable thing in the world, right? The Crown began with Elizabeth’s unexpected ascension to the British throne at the age of 25, and it concludes a little over 50 years later. First Claire Foy, then Olivia Colman, and most recently Imelda Staunton have been playing the protagonist, haven’t they?

In theory, yes. But The Crown creator Peter Morgan has always had an...

Neon is climbing into the passenger seat of Michael Mann’s Ferrari, a new film from the celebrated director starring Adam Driver and Penélope Cruz. Ferrari looks to premiere at the Venice Film Festival at the end of August, with Neon acquiring the rights in North America in a competitive situation. According to Deadline, Ferrari is racing into theaters on Christmas Day 2023. STX Entertainment, who helped get the film onto the pavement, is actively involved with all the Neon negotiations (which are still being determined as of this posting). STX set up and provided most of the financing to produce the movie. With Robert Simonds, Sam Brown, and Noah Fogelson executive producing, Ferrari will be distributed internationally through STX Entertainment and its partners.

“Michael Mann, one of the most innovative and influential filmmakers in American cinema, was moved by the power of this intensely dramatic story to persist for years...

The Morning Show star on playing the woman who hid Anne Frank, ​revitalising period dramas and working with her teenage heroes Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon

Isobel “Bel” Powley, 31, was born in west London. In 2016 she was Bafta-nominated for The Diary of a Teenage Girl and shortlisted for a British independent film award for playing Princess Margaret in A Royal Night Out. Subsequent film roles include The King of Staten Island and Mary Shelley, where she met her fiance, actor Douglas Booth. On TV, she’s starred in The Morning Show and Dolly Alderton’s Everything I Know About Love. She now plays Hermine “Miep” Gies in miniseries A Small Light, based on the true story of the young woman who hid the Frank family during the second world war and preserved Anne’s diary.

Were you familiar with Miep Gies’s story?

I’d read Anne Frank’s diary as a kid,...

Queen Elizabeth II was the first British monarch to become a film and television character while she was still on the throne. Raucous historical romps about Henry VIII and Elizabeth I were all very well, but showing what a living king or queen got up to behind closed palace doors? That was another, almost treasonous matter. Even as recently as 1991, when Prunella Scales starred in a BBC film of Alan Bennett’s National Theatre play “A Question Of Attribution,” Bennett said “it still feels quite bold to portray her in the flesh.” And the practice was still contentious enough in 2020 for the UK’s then Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, to ask Netflix to put a disclaimer on screen before every episode of “The Crown,” explaining that the show was not actually a documentary.

But like so much else during Elizabeth II’s uniquely long reign, the protocol changed to a...

The Queen is to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe (V.E.) Day next week with a televised address in the U.K.

The monarch’s pre-recorded address will be broadcast on the BBC on May 8 at 9 p.m. BST in what will be her second televised message during the coronavirus outbreak.

The Queen’s rare address last month was seen by 24 million viewers, and ended with the words “we will meet again” — a reference to Dame Vera Lynn’s bolstering war anthem “We’ll Meet Again.”

The speech on May 8 will form part of a program of commemorations to mark the end of the Second World War after the original outdoor plans — such as street parties and parades — were canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak. Celebrations will instead take place in gardens, on doorsteps and in living rooms.

The BBC will broadcast special programs to mark the milestone occasion.

Drama to receive a royal world premiere.

Modern Films has secured UK rights to Julian Jarrold’s drama Sulphur And White from Altitude.

The film, which stars Game Of Thrones’ Mark Stanley and Cannes best actress winner Emily Beecham, will receive a theatrical release on March 6.

Its world premiere will take place in London on February 27 in association with the Nspcc and in the presence of the children’s charity Royal patron, Sophie, countess of Wessex.

The film is based on the true story of City trader and mountaineer David Tait, played by Stanley, whose professional success masks a series of traumatic secrets.

Julian Jarrold showcased Kinky Boots at Sundance way back in 2005 and premiered the likes of Becoming Jane (2007), Brideshead Revisited (2008), and A Royal Night Out (2015) elsewhere. Working in TV and in feature film for the past decade, Sulphur And White was shoot during the summer with the likes of Mark Stanley, Emily Beecham, Anna Friel and Dougray Scott.

Gist: Written by Susie Farrell, this is inspired by the life of city trader and mountaineer David Tait, this is set in the City of London, trading floor, 2008. In a world of cut-throat deals, it takes a unique person to succeed.…...

The untitled morning show drama at Apple is continuing to round out its cast.

Variety has learned that Bel Powley, Karen Pittman, and Desean Terry have all been cast in the upcoming series. Powley will play Claire Conway, described as a driven production assistant. Pittman has been cast as Mia Jordan, a producer. Terry has been cast as Daniel Henderson, a co-anchor.

Powley recently co-starred in the feature “White Boy Rick” opposite Matthew McConaughey. Her other recent roles include the films “Wildling,” “Diary of a Teenage Girl,” and “A Royal Night Out.” Her TV roles include “Informer,” “Benidorm,” and ‘M.I.High.” She is repped by UTA, Authentic, and UK’s Curtis Brown Group.

Pittman appeared as Deputy Chief Priscilla Ridley in the Marvel-Netflix series “Luke Cage,” and also appeared in shows like “The Americans,” “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce,” “Blindspot,” and “Elementary.” She is repped by TalentWorks.

Terry’s TV credits include “Scorpion,...

The film stars Mark Stanley, Emily Beecham, Dougray Scott and Anna Friel.

Altitude Film Sales has taken international rights to Julian Jarrold’s Sulphur And White, starring Mark Stanley, Emily Beecham, Dougray Scott and Anna Friel.

The film is based on the true story of City trader and mountaineer David Tait, a man whose professional success masks a series of traumatic secrets.

Mike Elliott of London and Manchester-based Emu Films has produced the film with Alan Govinden of Amg International Films. It is written by Susie Farrell, whose credits include Sacha Polak’s Dirty God, also for Emu. Sulphur And White...

MaryAnn’s quick take… Save us from male artists who think they are dangerously, uniquely innovative. This stew of toxic masculinity and CGI-cartoon violence is nothing but tediously mundane. I’m “biast” (pro): love the cast, mostly

I’m “biast” (con): hated the first film

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

Here’s a phrase I do not recall from Kingsman: The Secret Service: “independent intelligence agency.” This is uttered in Kingsman: The Golden Circle in connection with the American counterpart to Kingsman: Statesman, to which we are introduced here. But what does that mean, precisely? It means they’re mercenary spies, doesn’t it? I have a vague recollection of Secret Service mentioning something about Kingsman being funded by the crown heads of Europe, which at least offers a veneer of governmental authority and fealty to law and order — though of course there...

Louisa Mellor Sep 17, 2017

Three cheers for grown-up sci-fi anthology series Electric Dreams, which promises to be a real treasure trove. Spoilers...

This review contains spoilers.

See related The Croods 2 has been cancelled

1.1 The Hood Maker

A hunched robot in a Pac a Mac creeps behind a pillar. A quintet of babies with floating umbilical cords dance a ring of roses in mid-air. A neon sign advertises the services of a four-breasted woman. Welcome, say the opening credits, to the world of electric dreamer Philip K. Dick.

Or more properly, a world inspired by Philip K. Dick. Episode one of this ten-part anthology series has taken liberties with Dick’s 1955 short story The Hood Maker, and quite rightly. That was written under the shadow of McCarthyism, when loyalty and betrayal were matters of state. This was written under the shadow of the Snooper’s Charter and corporate data mining. In the fifties,...

MaryAnn’s quick take… Tense, gripping, enraging, but only about things that black Americans already know. This is a primer about racism for white people, and we must pay attention. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

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

Detroit is a movie about racism in America for white people. It mostly does not center black characters except as victims. Its villain — a murderously racist white cop — is also its protagonist. A movie about racism in America for white people isn’t the most terrible idea ever: Detroit wants to show us white people how the systematic weight of endless injustice weighs on black people, psychologically as well as physically, because of entrenched racism, not only of the actively vicious kind but also of the “I’m not getting involved, I’m just minding my own business” kind.

Author: Competitions

To celebrate the release of Detour on DVD 24th July, we would like to give 5 of you the chance win a copy of your very own!

When law student Harper (Tye Sheridan – X-Men: Apocalypse) wakes with an almighty hangover the last thing he expects at his front door is threatening tough guy Johnny Ray (Emory Cohen – Brooklyn, The Place Beyond The Pines) and his girlfriend Cherry (Bel Powley – Diary Of A Teenage Girl, A Royal Night Out), but he soon comes to realise that a drunken bar conversation the previous night is about to turn into a dark and dangerous reality.

Please note: This competition is open to UK residents only

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The Small Print

Open to UK residents only The competition will close 27th July 2017 at 23.59 GMT The winner will be picked at random from entries received No cash alternative is available

The usual T&Cs can be found here.

MaryAnn’s quick take… A 90-minute shootout that never makes us care who lives and who dies. In attempting to send up a cinematic cliché, this only becomes a tedious example of same. I’m “biast” (pro): love the cast

I’m “biast” (con): increasingly not a fan of Ben Wheatley

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

Eight people walk into an abandoned warehouse in Boston in 1978. There’s Chris (Cillian Murphy: Anthropoid, In the Heart of the Sea), whom we can presume is Ira because he has an Irish accent and he’s there to buy enough guns to supply a small army. There’s Justine (Brie Larson: Kong: Skull Island, Room), who has brokered the deal with Ord (Armie Hammer: The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Entourage)… or is it Ord who has brokered the deal with seller Vernon (Sharlto Copley: Chappie,...

Filming of The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society has begun. The big-screen adaptation of Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows' international bestselling epistolary novel stars Lily James as journalist Juliet Ashton who forms a life-changing bond with an eccentric secret society, when she decides to write about the book club they formed during wartime.

The film is being directed by Four Weddings And A Funeral's Mike Newell from a script by Don Roos (Marley & Me), Kevin Hood (A Royal Night Out) and Tom Bezucha (Monte Carlo).

The film co-stars by Michiel Huisman (The Age Of Adaline), Glen Powell (Hidden Figures), Matthew Goode (The Imitation Game), Jessica Brown Findlay (Victor Frankenstein) with Tom Courtenay (45 Years) and Penelope Wilton (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel).

Studiocanal is financing the project and will distribute in its own territories, the UK, France, Germany, Australia and New Zealand.

In the aftermath...

The first official international trailer for “Carrie Pilby” has been released. Following her 2015 big screen breakout, “The Diary of a Teenage Girl,” and the subsequent “A Royal Night Out,” Bel Powley returns with yet one more unconventional young adult role. The indie drama is an adaptation of Caren Lissner’s 2010 coming-of-age novel of the same name.

Read More: First Looks Released for Bel Powley–Starring Drama and Lucky McKee’s Latest

In the film, Powley plays the eponymous Carrie Pilby, an extremely intelligent young woman, who, at age 19, speaks seven languages and has already graduated from Harvard. However, she doesn’t have any friends or a boyfriend, and has “a reputation for being a bit of a hermit.” But all that is about to change, as her therapist makes her create a list of goals that include making a friend and going on a date before the end of the year.

Author: Zehra Phelan

The first look at Elle Fanning as English novelist, Mary Shelley, who is best known for the Gothic novel Frankenstein, has emerged via The Hollywood Reporter. The drama is currently under offer to buyers from Hanway at the Berlin Film Festival, Berlinale.

At the tender age of just 18 (19 come April), Elle Fanning has just been seen in an appearance in the sinister yet beautiful trailer for the upcoming The Beguiled alongside Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell. She eems to have surpassed her elder sister, Dakota Fanning, through numerous projects which have not only gained critical acclaim (read our review of The Neon Demon here) but has many flocking to have her lead their pictures. Most recently we have seen her in Live by Night alongside Ben Affleck and just last week saw the release of 20th Century Women.

In the image Elle Fanning is lost deep in...

Two months after The Crown was released on Netflix, we’re in the thick of the holidays, with plenty of time for binge watching … and nothing to watch since we devoured The Crown. If you, too, have already made it through the addictive series, try one of these royally inclined hits instead.

Downton Abbey

An obvious choice for anyone who loves period pieces, England and big, elaborate houses. While not about royalty exactly, Downton Abbey follows the trials and the tribulations of the aristocratic Crawley family against the backdrop of the early 20th century, World War I and the 1920s.

MaryAnn’s quick take…

Relentlessly dull. A tour of a strange world and “characters” little more than their “peculiar” abilities isn’t enough to whip up fantastical excitement. I’m “biast” (pro): I was a peculiar child, and I remain a peculiar adult; love the cast

I’m “biast” (con): mostly disappointed by Tim Burton lately

I have not read the source material

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

So it’s Harry Potter Lite. Very lite. No, wait: It’s X-Men Babies. In the land of Groundhog Day, or maybe in a Doctor Who-ish timey-wimey chronic hysteresis. Where they’re haunted by Slenderman. Later, there is a Bill & Ted reference. Remember the days when Tim Burton made movies that took your breath away with their originality? Where has that Tim Burton gone?

Okay, so lots of things are derivative. That’s not necessarily a dealbreaker.

It's that time again. If you missed it in theaters or merely want to revisit here are some newish options from the past couple of weeks or just now.

New to DVD & BluRay

• The Choice - In which Broadway's favorite bloody bloody musical star, Benjamin Walker, tries his hand at the Sparksverse and even an annoying catchphrase "bother me"

• Jane Got a Gun - Does all the trouble that production had (director walk out / cast changes / delays) show up on screen? With Natalie Portman

• Joy - Decide for yourself if JLaw deserved a fourth Oscar nomination for this drama about a female entrepeneur

• Krampus - This horror flick got surprisingly good reviews. With Toni Collette & Adam Scott

• A Royal Night Out -If Diary of a Teenage Girl had you intrigued about Bel Powley check out her other introduction. Co-starring ubiquitous Sarah Gadon

• Son of Saul - This drama about a...

Mother's Day is right around the corner (May 8th, in case you've forgotten) and if you're still scratching your head over trying to figure out what to get that special someone, we've got you covered. Grab her a copy of A Royal Night Out, which is on Digital HD now and hits DVD on May 3, 2016. Trust us, it'll put a smile on everyone's face. Why A Royal Night Out, you ask? Because it's an incredibly charming, creative romantic comedy inspired by the night Princess Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) and Princess Margaret (Bel Powley) gave their guards the slip and slunk out into the streets of London to celebrate the Allied victory in Europe during World War II.   If you don't believe us, though, just press play on this exclusive clip from the...

Read More...

As the box office heats up, a slew of winter favorites are finally heading to DVD and Blu-ray, and while we.re a little early to catch stuff like Batman V Superman, there are a ton of critically acclaimed movies and big box office releases that are out this month. Plus, the Merc with the Mouth is finally getting a Blu-ray release, so if you haven.t already splurged on the Digital copy, you can certainly check out all of the excellent bonus features with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.s newest set. There.s a ton of other stuff you can shell out dollars for, though, so check out the full list below.  If you.re looking for the April releases, you can see them all here. May 3 May 3 Blu-ray and DVD Releases Joy The 5th Wave A Royal Night Out The Last Ship: The Complete Second Season...

At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's new on Netflix and TV, we've got you covered.

New on DVD and Blu-ray

"The Revenant"

Leo's ready to come home with you this week. Leonardo DiCaprio had a bear of a time making this historical drama, but he won his first Oscar for it, and Alejandro Inarritu won his second in a row for directing. "The Revenant," which also picked up an Oscar for Cinematography, is finally out on DVD/Blu-ray on April 19. Blu-ray extras include "A World Unseen," a documentary of "The Revenant."

"The Lady in the Van"

Maggie Smith plays Miss Shepherd in this British dramedy based on the true story of an eccentric elderly woman who "temporarily" parks her van in Alan Bennett's driveway and proceeds to live there for 15 years. The critically acclaimed film, based on Bennett's memoir,...

A shamefully miscalculated tale of whimsy and come-to-Jesus inspiration with a bizarrely inappropriate haze of Norman Rockwell-esque nostalgia. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): not a fan of “faith-based” movies

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

In a seaside town “like you see in postcards” in 1940s California, eight-year-old Pepper Flynt Busbee (Jakob Salvati: Escape from Tomorrow) is sad, because his best friend — his father (Michael Rapaport: The Heat, Hitch) — has gone off to fight against the Japs in the Pacific. Mom (Emily Watson: Everest, A Royal Night Out) was always the one to bring the two buddies back down to Earth from their pretend adventures, but she cannot stop Pepper now: he has been convinced by comic-book and movie-serial hero Ben Eagle the Magician (Ben Chaplin: Cinderella, War Book) and local priest Father Oliver (Tom Wilkinson: Unfinished Business,...

The BFI has awarded National Lottery funding to the Yorkshire Screen Industries Hub through its Creative Clusters Challenge Fund which aims to support the growth of emerging screen sector centers outside London and the South-East and enable the UK film, TV and games industry to expand and maintain its competitiveness in a global industry.

The Yorkshire Screen Industries Hub which comprises a consortium of organizations in Yorkshire and the Humber will receive £127,000 through the BFI’s Creative Clusters Fund as seed funding for a plan to expand the region’s creative sector infrastructure and skills base, attract further private investment and enable the region to complement Media City and the North East in expanding its growing and vibrant screen and media industries. The BFI Award is matched by regional partners to create a total investment of £254,000.

Leeds has the greatest digital and creative business growth in the region; the creative industries represent York’s fastest growing sector; Sheffield is an international hub for documentary and digital media; and Hull features as one of the top 16 digital clusters in the Tech Nation 2015 report Powering the Digital Economy.

The Yorkshire Screen Industries Hub consortium partners Screen Yorkshire, Game Republic and Sheffield International Documentary Festival (Sheffield Doc/Fest) have drawn match funding from the cities of Bradford, Hull, Leeds, Sheffield and York; the local authorities for Calderdale, Harrogate and Kirklees and six leading UK universities – Bradford, Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds Beckett, Sheffield Hallam and York. Lead industry bodies including Creative Skillset, Tiga and Ukie are supporting the creative cluster bid alongside industry partners and businesses including Warp Films, True North, Daisybeck Studios, Prime Studios, Fettle Animation, 104 Films and Revolution Software.

Amanda Nevill, Chief Executive of the BFI says, “There’s something exciting happening in Yorkshire’s screen sector and there is huge potential in this dynamic region, so we’re thrilled to support such a range of fantastic partners who have come together with one common goal: to ensure Yorkshire’s burgeoning screen industries continue to grow and flourish. The UK’s screen industries are thriving and if we are to support future growth it is vital that more areas outside London become international hubs - this support for Yorkshire is significant and we look forward to announcing further Creative Clusters in the coming months.”

Sally Joynson, Chief Executive at Screen Yorkshire says, “This is fantastic news for everyone working in the film, TV and gaming sectors in Yorkshire, now and in the future. It’s a huge vote of confidence in our screen industries and will enable us to build a compelling case for further investment in the sector. Over the last three years alone, Screen Yorkshire has invested more than £14 million into 38 feature films and TV programs, including the new feature film 'Dad’s Army,' award-winning TV drama 'Peaky Blinders' and BAFTA™ nominated feature '’71.'

“We’ll be embarking on a program of work from January 2016, in partnership with industry leaders Game Republic and Sheffield Doc/Fest, to shape the region’s screen landscape for years to come; stimulating economic growth, creating new jobs and helping us to nurture a new generation of talent helping to establish Yorkshire as a global center for film, television and gaming.”

Yorkshire has seen a surge in production of major feature films and TV productions establishing a strong reputation for the region’s production facilities, crews, talent and locations. Screen Yorkshire’s own investment in 38 film and TV productions through the Yorkshire Content Fund has generated over £40 million of spend on the region’s businesses, services and talent. Major films which have been made in Yorkshire include "Dad’s Army" currently number one at the UK box office following its release on Friday (5 February) and the upcoming adaptation of "Swallows and Amazons" as well as "Testament of Youth," "A Royal Night Out," and the award-winning "’71." Major TV productions made in the region include the multi award-winning TV series "Peaky Blinders," "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell," "An Inspector Calls," "Jericho," "Victoria," "Happy Valley" and "This is England."

Yorkshire and Humber also has a strong video games ecosystem which includes business network Game Republic, as well as major internationally-recognized games studios including Team17, Sumo Digital and Revolution Software, as well as informal groups such as GaMaYo, and smaller independent start-ups such as Red Kite Games and Boneloaf. Yorkshire and Humber is also home to Games Britannia, an award-winning video games education festival hosted by Sheffield Hallam, and the innovative and exciting Platform Expos in Hull.

The region also has strong international business and cultural links including with emerging markets for the creative sector. Sheffield Doc/Fest, a world leading documentary festival that celebrates the art and business of documentary, welcomes over 30,000 documentary-makers and film lovers each June, including 3,500 industry delegates from more than 60 countries. Bradford is the first city in the world to be a Unesco City of Film; Bradford and York are connected with 69 cities in 32 countries through the Unesco Creative Cities Network; the region’s university and college partners have forged partnerships with Mumbai, Malaysia and China; and York is also a member of the Connecting Cities media arts network which encourages collaboration with cities spanning Berlin to Sao Paulo and Helsinki to Melbourne.

The screen industries are one of the UK’s biggest success stories delivering significant economic and cultural benefits to the UK - the BFI’s statistics for last year showed that over £1.4 billion was spent on film and high-end TV production in the UK alone. London and the South East are central to the UK’s success as it is where the vast majority of screen businesses are based but to sustain growth in this fast-growing sector and maintain the UK’s international competitiveness, developing capacity outside the capital and the South East is essential. Capitalising on the creative, technological and business development opportunities that are generating growth elsewhere in the UK is central to the BFI’s UK-wide ambitions and strategy for the UK’s film and screen sector.

The BFI’s Creative Cluster Challenge Fund was launched in summer 2015 to encourage and support emerging screen industry clusters (film, television, animation and video games) outside London and the South East. The award to the Yorkshire region follows a competitive applications process. The BFI intends to re-open applications to the fund, for a second round of awards, in May 2016.

The North of England is home to 15 million people comparable to 17 million in London and the South East combined.

Exclusive: Parkland will introduce thriller to buyers at the Efm.

London-based Parkland Pictures has taken worldwide sales rights on Martin Stitt’s feature debut Love Me Do and will introduce the film to buyers at the Efm later this week.

Produced by Island Peak Films, Love Me Do stars Rebecca Calder (Youth) and Jack Gordon (A Royal Night Out) as a city-trader and an out-of-work actor who find their romantic relationship distorted as they both battle personal demons.

The film marks the feature debut of director Stitt, who was Bifa-nominated for his 2007 short film What Does Your Daddy Do? Stitt also penned the screenplay, while Ian Prior of Scala Productions produced the project.

Love Me Do premiered at London’s Raindance Film Festival in September 2015. It also played at the 2016 Idyllwild International Film Festival in California, where it was awarded Best Foreign Film.

The film is screening at the Berlin Independent Film Festival (Feb 11-17).

Other nominees include Dakota Johnson, Taron Egerton and Bel Powley.

Bafta has named the five actors in the running for this year’s Ee Rising Star Award: John Boyega, Taron Egerton, Dakota Johnson, Brie Larson and Bel Powley.

London-born Boyega most recently played the lead role of Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens while Larson starred in drama Room, a performance that has positioned her as a frontrunner for the best actress Oscar.

Johnson’s breakthrough role came early in 2015 playing the female lead in Fifty Shades Of Grey while Egerton took on his most high-profile role last year opposite Colin Firth in Kingsman: The Secret Service.

London-born Bel Powley, who started out in TV series Mi High and Benidorm, moved into film last year with critically acclaimed drama The Diary Of A Teenage Girl and A Royal Night Out.

Egerton, Boyega and Powley are all Screen International Stars of Tomorrow, in 2014, 2011 and...

A lively bit of Royal Family fan-fiction that’s better than it has any right to be, A Royal Night Out posits that on the evening of May 8th, 1945 (aka Victory in Europe Day), the young Princesses Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) and Margaret (Bel Powley) convinced their parents, the King and Queen of England (a perfectly dry Rupert Everett and Emily Watson), to let them go out by themselves amongst the people and enjoy the wild party going on in every corner of London. Perhaps that set-up sounds like a stretch, but everything happens so fast that we just go with it. King George wants his daughters by his side, especially since he’s due to speak to the nation later that evening about the end of hostilities. But the girls, eager to flee the confines of Buckingham Palace even if it’s for one night, convince him that they can...

Read More: Watch: First Trailer For 'A Royal Night Out' Starring Sarah Gadon, Emily Watson, Jack Reynor, And More Immortalized by Greta Garbo in 1933's "Queen Christina," the legendary Swedish monarch will once again grace the screen in "The Girl King." Malin Buska plays the young Queen who, after assuming the throne at a young age, leads Sweden into a new age of enlightenment. In "The Girl King," she buts heads with temperamental statesmen and vassals as they oppose her plans to modernize the Nordic kingdom and try to suppress her sexuality.  In the exclusive clip above, Kristina gives a rousing speech to the court before her. Knowing she has inherited a land of scattered villages and uneducated peasants, her highness refuses to back down and promises she will build Sweden up to the glory it deserves. "The Girl King" is currently playing in select theaters and will...

Despite dropping a whopping 64.2% at the box office this weekend, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 still managed to hold on to the top spot for the third week in a row with $18.6 million. The franchise finale opened in the top spot with $101 million, although that tally was the lowest debut of all four movies in the blockbuster franchise, and it took in $51.6 million over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, beating out Pixar's The Good Dinosaur, Warner Bros.' Creed and 20th Century Fox's Victor Frankenstein. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 bested this weekend's only new release, the holiday horror-thriller Krampus, according to http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/|Box Office Mojo}.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 has now earned $227.1 million after opening on November 20. Krampus debuted in second place this weekend with $14.5 million, earning a $5,520 per-screen average from 2,902 theaters. Warner Bros.' Creed stayed put in third place this weekend with $15.54 million,...

By mixing “The King’s Speech” with “Roman Holiday,” “A Royal Night Out” is likely to become your mother and grandmother’s new favorite movie. We promise that we mean no offense to either the matriarchs in your family or this charming movie. This British trifle of a film imagines what happened to Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Windsor on V-e Night in 1945. Historical details are thin on what really happened to the young women the evening their father King George VI delivered his historic address, so “A Royal Night Out” fantasizes their exploits with fun period detail. The film begins with black-and-white newsreel footage of the war’s end, cutting to a similarly toned image of Elizabeth’s observant face. Played by Canadian actress Sarah Gadon (“Enemy,” “Belle”) with an accent that sounds perfectly upper-class British to these American ears, she’s a prim princess of 19. Elizabeth is well aware...

Read More: Watch: New Trailer For 'A Royal Night Out' Starring Sarah Gadon, Bel Powley, Emily Watson, Jack Reynor, And More Set on V.E. Day, "A Royal Night Out" follows Bel Powley as a young Princess Margaret and Sarah Gadon as sister Elizabeth over a night in which they leave Buckingham Palace to celebrate with the British people. Directed by Julian Jarrold, "A Royal Night Out" also stars Rupert Everett and Emily Watson as the King and Queen, as well as Jack Reynor, who plays the man who becomes enchanted with an incognito Elizabeth. In an exclusive clip from the comedy adventure, Elizabeth gives an early glimpse at her future authority, hilariously dressing down a captain sent to protect her. "A Royal Night Out" hits theaters on December 4 (and check out the film's site to see where you can watch the film). Check out the exclusive clip above.

A Royal Night Out Atlas Distribution Company Reviewed by: Tami Smith, Guest Reviewer for Shockya Grade: B Director: Julian Jarrold Screenwriter: Trevor de Silva and Kevin Hood Cast: Sarah Gadon, Bel Powley, Emily Watson, Rupert Evert Release Date: December 4th, 2015 The future Queen Elizabeth II and her Sister Princess Margaret went “out” on May 8th, 1945 to celebrate V.E. Day. Their royal party of sixteen included a nanny, several friends, Captain Peter Towsend and military protection officers. The entire group returned to Buckingham palace at 01:00 hrs on May 9th. Screenwriters Trevor de Silva and Kevin Hood put that evening outing in a comedy-drama cinematic format and added some [ Read More ]

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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 has had no trouble taking down its competitors during its first two weekends at the box office. The franchise finale opened in the top spot with $101 million, although that tally was the lowest debut of all four movies in the blockbuster franchise, and it took in $51.6 million over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, beating out Pixar's The Good Dinosaur, Warner Bros.' Creed and 20th Century Fox's Victor Frankenstein. While it is expected to drop significantly again in its third frame in theaters, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 will end up on top once again, overtaking this weekend's only new release, the holiday horror-thriller Krampus, according to the projections at Pro.BoxOffice.com.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 is expected to take in an estimated $24.7 million over the weekend of December 4, with Pixar's The Good Dinosaur ($20.3 million) and Creed ($17.5 million) expected to remain...

Last weekend's winner, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 dominated during its opening weekend at the box office with $101 million, although that tally was the lowest debut of all four movies in the blockbuster franchise. Several analysts wondered if it will be dethroned already in its second weekend in theaters, facing three new releases over the holiday weekend, Pixar's The Good Dinosaur, Warner Bros.' Creed and 20th Century Fox's Victor Frankenstein, all of which opened on November 25, in lieu of the Thanksgiving holiday. As expected, Box Office Mojo reports that The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 dropped almost exactly 50% in its second weekend, taking in $51.6 million, which was surprisingly enough to overtake The Good Dinosaur.

Pixar's The Good Dinosaur, which opened in 3,749 theaters, was expected to take in $60 million in its opening weekend, but it only earned $39.1 million, debuting in second place behind The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2's $51.6 million.

Just like its predecessors, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 dominated during its opening weekend at the box office. However, it debuted with a franchise-low $101 million, and many are wondering if it will be dethroned already in its second weekend in theaters, going up against three new releases, Pixar's The Good Dinosaur, Warner Bros.' Creed and 20th Century Fox's Victor Frankenstein, all of which open tomorrow, November 25, in lieu of the Thanksgiving holiday. If The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 suffers a decrease of more than 50%, and the projections at Pro.BoxOffice.com are accurate, than The Good Dinosaur will reign supreme this weekend.

Pixar's The Good Dinosaur, which opens in roughly 3,600 theaters, is projected to take in $60 million, which should be more than enough to take down The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, as it will likely drop to second place with an estimated $50.4 million. The Good Dinosaur...

There have been many movies about sneaking out to party, but most don't revolve around a truly once in a lifetime event: V.E. Day. But that's where "A Royal Night Out" comes in. Sarah Gadon, Bel Powley, Emily Watson, Rupert Everett and Jack Reynor star in the movie that takes place just at the close of World War II, and follows the teenage Princess Margaret and the future queen of England Elizabeth II as they are granted one night away from Buckingham Palace to join a celebrating London. And naturally, this leads them into the night of their lives. Here's the official synopsis:  The beautiful Sarah Gadon and Bel Powley, star as our Princess' in 'A Royal Night Out'. It's V-e Day, 1945, people are celebrating the end of the war. London overflows with celebration and excess. Two teenage princesses Margaret (Bel Powley) and the future Queen of England,...

Film4 has received a total of 41 nominations for the films it has backed at this year.s British Independent Film Awards, including six for Justin Kurzel's Macbeth.

Macbeth is in contention for best British independent film, best director, lead actor Michael Fassbender, lead actress Marion Cotillard, support actor Sean Harris and cinematographer Adam Arkapaw.

The film will soon be available on Amazon Prime Video in an exclusive streaming deal negotiated by the Us distributor, the Weinstein Co. According to one report that deal is worth $US4 million.. Macbeth opens in limited theatrical release in the Us on December 4.

Another film co-produced by See-Saw Films, Slow West, scored a nomination for John Maclean as best debut director.

Yorgos Lanthimos.s The Lobster tops the list with seven nominations. Andrew Haigh.s 45 Years and Macbeth each received six while. Alex Garland.s Ex Machina and Asif Kapadia.s Amy garnered five each.

Greek helmer Yorgos Lanthimos’ purest and painful reminder that love reigns is measuring off against Justin Kurzel’s paranoia bliss and Andrew Haigh’s in it for the long term portrait received the most nominations for the upcoming 2015 British Independent Film Awards. Mysteriously, Rachel Weisz failed to nab a nom in the Best Actress category, but The Lobster has a wide-spread reach in all major categories with seven nominations. 45 Years, the favorite in both acting categories and Macbeth are one shy with six noms apiece. Apart from the Best Picture category, we’re keeping tabs for a surprise win in the Best Screenplay and the Best Supporting Actor race should be a hoot as both Gleesons in Brendan and Domhnall will be competing against each other. The award show technically kicks off award season on December 6th.

Best British Independent Film

“Amy”

“Ex Machina”

“45 Years”

“The Lobster”

“Macbeth”

Best Director

Asif Kapadia,...

While we’ll be hearing about the Oscar race ad nauseam for the next many months, there are a few awards ceremony that actually highlight films that might slip under the radar. Like the recently unveiled Gotham award nominations, the British Independent Film Awards do a splendid job of taking a look at some of the year’s overlooked films, and today brings their nominations.

Topping the list is Yorgos Lanthimos‘ The Lobster (which we quite liked at Cannes, and will be released next spring in the U.S.), earning seven nominations, including Best Film and Director. Also in the same major categories, but earning six overall, were 45 Years and Macbeth, which we also praised, and will arrive in the U.S next month. Notably, the documentary Amy snuck into the Best Film category, proving just how much a hit it was in the U.K. as well.

Ahead of the December 6th ceremony,...

Yorgos Lanthimos's The Lobster leads this year's crop of nominations for the Moët British Independent Film Awards.

The comedy-drama picked up seven nominations and will compete for Best British Independent Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Producer of the Year, Best Actor (Colin Farrell), Best Supporting Actor (Ben Whishaw) and Best Supporting Actress (Olivia Colman).

In total, 28 different British films are in contention for awards at this year's ceremony. The nominations were announced by Humans' Gemma Chan and The Maze Runner's Thomas Brodie-Sangster.

The Lobster will be up against 45 Years, Amy, Ex Machina and Macbeth in the hotly-contested Best British Independent Film category.

45 Years and Macbeth picked up six nominations apiece, while Amy, Brooklyn and Ex Machina have five, as High-Rise and Suffragette picked up four.

Alongside Farrell in Best Actor are Tom Courtenay (45 Years), Michael Fassbender (Macbeth), Tom Hardy (Legend) and Tom Hiddleston (High-Rise).

Marion Cotillard (Macbeth...

The Lobster received seven nominations; 45 Years and Macbeth received six each.

Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Lobster topped this year’s Moet British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) nominations, which were presented in London this morning (Nov 3) by Gemma Chan and Thomas Brodie-Sangster.

The film garnered seven nods including Best British Independent Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Producer of the Year.

Andrew Haigh’s 45 Years and Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth both received six nominations each, receiving acting nods for stars Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay for the former, and Marion Cotillard and Michael Fassbender for the latter.

Asif Kapadi’s documentary Amy, which told the story of the late singer Amy Winehouse, received five nominations, as did John Crowley’s period drama Brooklyn.

Ben Wheatley’s High-Rise and Sarah Gavron’s Suffragette each received four nominations.

Alongside The Lobster, the titles also nominated for Best British Indepedent Film were: 45 Years, Amy, Ex Machina and [link...

Every girl deserves a “girls night out” – even the future Queen of England.

A Royal Night Out is a charming, Cinderella in reverse type film that follows one evening in the lives of princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Windsor on V-e Night, May 8th, 1945, respectively played by Sarah Gadon (Maps to the Stars, Dracula Untold, The Amazing Spider-Man 2) and Bel Powley (Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch 2015, The Diary of a Teenage Girl).

Premiering at the 2015 Hamptons International Film Festival, A Royal Night Out will open in New York City and Los Angeles on December 4th, 2015 and additional cities throughout December.

As the whole of London is on the streets to celebrate the official end of World War II in Europe, it is known that the young princesses, aged 19 and 14, slipped out of the palace to join the communal euphoria, returning to Buckingham Palace just after midnight.

Directed by UK director Julian Jarrold (Becoming Jane,...

Read More: Amma Asante's Royal Interracial Romance 'A United Kingdom' Begins Filming In "A Royal Night Out," princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Winsdor go off of the palace grid, celebrating the end of World War II with the British people. The comedy adventure stars Bel Powley as Elizabeth, the future queen, in her first role since breaking out in "The Diary of a Teenage Girl." Sarah Gadon, playing Margaret, and Emily Watson and Rupert Everett, as the monarch parents, costar in the 1945-set film, which was directed by Julian Jarrold.   "A Royal Night Out" debuts in limited release on December 4. Check out the trailer above. Read More: Why 'The Diary of a Teenage Girl' Star Bel Powley Thinks Every Girl Should See Her Film...

As Minnie Goetze, the young cartoonist in the midst of a sexual awakening in Marielle Heller's "The Diary of a Teenage Girl," British breakout Bel Powley wowed audiences at Sundance with her exuberance and intelligence—and it seems she wowed casting directors, too. Powley next stars in "A Royal Night Out," due in New York and Los Angeles Dec. 4. (Check out a making-of featurette below.) The films features Powley and Sarah Gadon ("Maps to the Stars") as princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Windsor, who sneak out of the palace on May 8, 1945 to celebrate the end of World War II in Europe amid the masses thronging in the streets. Directed by Julian Jarrold ("Becoming Jane," "Brideshead Revisted"), the film co-stars Rupert Everett and Emily Watson. Read More: "'The Diary of a Teenage Girl' Doesn't Judge Its Characters, Played by Bel Powley and Alexander Skarsgard (Q&A)" Powley—not to...

In an outspoken interview, Erik Engelen, former director of acquisitions at Benelux distribution outfit A-Film (and still a consultant there), has given his views on what has brought one of the region’s most respected independent companies to its knees.

“The essence of the failure of A-Film lies in its past,” Engelen said. “I don’t want to make it into a mudfight between us (the current management) and the previous management but what people sometimes forget is that when the current shareholders took over the company eight or nine years ago, there was already at that point a serious deficit.”

One point that Engelen made forcefully is that A-Film did not benefit nearly as much from its release of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy as had commonly been presumed.

Commenting on how the deal for the Peter Jackson trilogy was structured, Engelen said: “Lord Of The Rings was an amazing success all over the world...

A-Film, for many years one of the leading independent arthouse distributors in the Netherlands, is teetering close to bankruptcy.

In reports carried in the Dutch press this week, it has emerged that the company’s current releases including Belle and Dark Places are being withdrawn from cinemas forthwith while the release of certain other high-profile titles, among them Julian Jarrold’s A Royal Night Out, is being delayed.

Dutch production outfit Farmhouse has confirmed to ScreenDaily that it is looking for a new distributor for its thriller/horror picture, Sneekweek, which is currently shooting.

The company has requested a moratorium on its debts.

Reasons cited for A-Film’s current woes include the collapse of the DVD market in Benelux, shorter cinema runs, more releases and a still fledgling VOD market.

Several of of A-Film’s competitors have become reliant on theatrical releases to drive profits as they have seen revenues from ancillaries dry up.

The banks are...

A fearless exposition of the truth behind the night Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret joined the Ve day crowds. That and a few bits to make it feel like Titanic

As newsreel footage plainly demonstrates, Ve Day marked not only the end of the second world war in Europe, but the beginning of the UK’s all-time biggest piss-up, as a million revellers poured on to the streets to join together and do the Lambeth Walk as if their lives depended on it. Among the masses were two faces rarely seen outside of listed buildings: Princesses Margaret and Elizabeth, who – in celebration of the Nazi defeat – were allowed to roam incognito through the crowd.

Now on DVD, A Royal Night Out posits a more fanciful version of the story, in which the future queen and her sister elude their royal escorts and embark upon a whistle-stop tour of London’s wildest night spots,...

To mark the release of A Royal Night Out on 7th September, we’ve been given 3 copies to give away on Blu-ray. Ve Day, 1945. Across Europe, people are celebrating the end of the war. London overflows with celebration and after pleading their case to their parents, two young girls are allowed to leave their

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