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Actress Nell Hudson is going to be a mom! The actress, most notably known for portraying the role of Laoghaire MacKenzie on the TV series Outlander, announced she and her partner Maximillian “Max” King are expecting their first baby. “I’m pregnant.”

The “Just For Today” author took to Instagram to share an image of her growing baby bump. In the picture, Nell wore a pair of jeans opened in the front and a cropped white tank top to expose her bump. “hello it’s been a while, very happy to share some big news! I’m pregnant .” The Doll Factory star didn’t share any details about her pregnancy including her baby’s sex or anticipated due date.

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The couple’s pregnancy news comes one year after they announced their engagement on March 6, 2024. Max popped the...

It’s an episode Prince Andrew would no doubt wish to be forgotten, but his car-crash “Newsnight” interview is set to enthral viewers yet again in Prime Video’s upcoming dramatization.

“A Very Royal Scandal,” which stars Michael Sheen as the disgraced prince and Ruth Wilson as arch interviewer Emily Maitlis, has been set for release on the streaming platform on Sept. 19, Variety can confirm.

Ruth Wilson as Emily Maitlis in ‘A Very Royal Scandal’ (Courtesy of Prime Video)

The streamer has also debuted a series of first-look images from the series, showing “Good Omens” star Sheen’s transformation into the British royal, who was widely criticized for his defense of his friendship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his failure to mention Epstein’s victims during the 2019 interview.

Wilson suits up as BBC anchor Maitlis, whose cool performance and professionalism during the interview was highly praised.

“One night. One hour.

Paramount+ may have culled a raft of international originals last month but UK commissioning appears to be continuing apace.

The streamer has given the green light to The Crow Girl from Buccaneer Media, the producer that saw another of its shows, The Doll Factory, ditched by the platform last month.

Starring Eve Myles, Katherine Kelly and Dougray Scott, The Crow Girl is adapted from the Erik Axl Sund novel and begins with the gruesome discovery of a teenage boy’s body discarded in plain sight. Determined to find who is responsible, Dci Jeanette Kilburn joins forces with psychotherapist Sophia Craven to hunt the killer, despite opposition from her superiors including confidant Di Lou Stanley.

The Crow Girl is the first major TV writing gig for Milly Thomas,...

Exclusive: Paramount+ has yanked a raft of international originals from its service along with several big-ticket acquired series.

Numerous English-language originals disappeared overnight last week, as the U.S. conglom’s strategy shift towards more Hollywood-style content and lower costs played out in real time. Other series that had been tipped for second seasons will not return.

Subscribers were left perplexed as shows vanished, and voiced bewilderment and frustration on X and elsewhere online. The removed shows have been taken off the streaming service in all territories.

Samantha Morton-starrer The Burning Girls and One Night, the Australia-set drama with Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker, have disappeared from the streamer. Likewise, Eleventh Hour Films-produced The Killing Kind, based on the book of the same name, and thriller The Serial Killer’s Wife, have been pulled.

The Doll Factory, the adaptation of the bestselling novel from Marcella producer Buccaneer, has also come down.

Take a look at the new live-action, Brit-produced film adaptation of author Elizabeth Macneal’s novel, "The Doll Factory", set in 1950's London, starring Esmé Creed-Miles, Mirren Mack, Eanna Hardwicke and Saorise-Monica Jackson, now streaming on Paramount+:

"...'Iris' (Creed-Miles) paints dolls for a living during the day with her sister 'Rose', while secretly wishing for more from her life.

"But as her relationship with a taxidermist and a painter takes her into a new world, Iris has to decide whether she is willing to sacrifice her twin sister to escape and start a new life.."

Click the images to enlarge...

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It’s here, the newest Netflix thriller adapted from one of Harlan Coben’s ludicrously twist-packed, secret-filled crime mystery novels. This one comes adapted by Danny Brocklehurst with the same UK team that made The Five, Safe, The Stranger and Stay Close, and once again stars Richard Armitage in a central role.

Fool Me Once is the story of military helicopter pilot Maya Stern, a captain who loses her career in a scandal and suffers two bereavements in short succession. It’s fast-paced, kind of ridiculous viewing that takes you down an extremely twisty path before tying everything up in a big not-exactly-watertight-but-it’ll-do-fine knot – which makes it pretty perfect viewing for a brain-fogged New Year’s Day after all of December’s indulgences.

Find out more about the cast of this one below, and happy binge-watching!

Michelle Keegan as Captain Maya Stern

Brassic, Our Girl and former Coronation Street...

We sat own with the cast of Paramount+’s The Doll Factory tio talk about their new show. Leading the cast as Iris is Esmé Creed-Miles (Hanna), Éanna Hardwicke (The Sixth Commandment) is taxidermist Silas, Mirren Mack is Rose, Iris’s twin sister and George Webster is painter Louis.

The series also stars Pippa Haywood (Magpie Murders), Sharlene Whyte (Stephen), newcomer Reece Kenwyne-Mpudzi, Freddy Carter (Shadow and Bone), Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Derry Girls), Laurie Kynaston (The Sandman), Jim Caesar (The Witcher), Akshay Khanna (Chloe), Aysha Kala (The Undeclared War) and Nell Hudson (Outlander).

The Doll Factory is out on Paramount+ right now. Linda Marric asks the questions.

The Doll Factory Cast Interviews

Plot:

London, 1851. Iris paints dolls for a living, alongside her twin sister, Rose, but dreams of becoming an artist. By night, she secretly paints herself naked, honing her craft. Silas is a taxidermist who owns a shop filled with his creations.

We’re once again proud to be a partner in the European Film Promotion’s celebration of the very best of European talent with the announcement of the 2024 Efp European Shooting Stars.

It has been a pleasure to highlight and get to know some of the brightest new stars in the sky. As before, we will look to catch up with the entire cohort to get to know them better at the 74th Berlinale next year, so check back for those interviews.

Until then, here’s a closer look at the ten Shooting Stars for 2024.

© Wil Coban Éanna Hardwicke / Ireland

Éanna Hardwicke’s first professional credit was as a child actor in Conor McPherson’s 2009 horror film The Eclipse. Before graduating from The Lír Academy in 2018 he was cast in Vivarium, which premiered at Cannes Critics’ Week 2019. In 2023, a busy year for Hardwicke, he was named a Screen International Rising...

At least one of the stars of Derry Girls would sign up for a reprise of the hit comedy.

Saoirse-Monica Jackson, who played lead Derry Girl Erin in the award-winning show based on the lives of four Northern Irish teenage girls (and an English male cousin), told The Belfast Telegraph she hopes she hasn’t said goodbye to her character for ever, following the show’s triumphant finale in 2022.

She said: “It felt bizarre when the show ended, because I was done with Erin, but Lisa is continuing her life.

“It would be interesting to revisit Erin down the line and see what she’s up to because your twenties are so chaotic. But that would really be down to Lisa. I’d love to work with her again.”

Derry Girls became one of Channel 4’s biggest ever comedies on its debut in 2018, and then a global hit on the Netflix platform.

Take a look at the new live-action, Brit-produced film adaptation of author Elizabeth Macneal’s novel, "The Doll Factory", set in 1950's London, starring Esmé Creed-Miles, Mirren Mack, Eanna Hardwicke and Saorise-Monica Jackson, now streaming on Paramount+:

"...'Iris' (Creed-Miles) paints dolls for a living during the day with her sister 'Rose', while secretly wishing for more from her life.

"But as her relationship with a taxidermist and a painter takes her into a new world, Iris has to decide whether she is willing to sacrifice her twin sister to escape and start a new life.."

Click the images to enlarge...

.

Yes, the much anticipated Keanu Reeves interview lands this week as the man himself chats F1 along with racing legend Jenson Button. Plus former Doctor Jodie Whitaker joins us, though not for Tardis talk, but rather to chat all about One Night on Paramount+.

Elsewhere, Chris Hewitt drops by to mourn the cancellation of Blue Bloods, we ponder the question of whether adverts in shows add to the experience, and we review The Couple Next Door on Channel 4, The Doll Factory on Paramount+ and the triumphant return of :a[Slow Horses]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/slow-horses-season-3/' } on Apple TV+.

Listen to the episode on :a[your podcast app of choice]{href='https://podfollow.com/pilot-tv-podcast' } or the player above. And if you want to subscribe to Pilot TV+, :a[find all the details here]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/pilottv/' }.

Take a look at the new live-action, Brit-produced film adaptation of author Elizabeth Macneal’s novel, "The Doll Factory", set in 1950's London, starring Esmé Creed-Miles, Mirren Mack, Eanna Hardwicke and Saorise-Monica Jackson, streaming in 2023 on Paramount+:

"...'Iris' (Creed-Miles) paints dolls for a living during the day with her sister 'Rose', while secretly wishing for more from her life.

"But as her relationship with a taxidermist and a painter takes her into a new world, Iris has to decide whether she is willing to sacrifice her twin sister to escape and start a new life.."

Click the images to enlarge...

.

The stars of Netflix's Shadow and Bone have reacted to the show's cancellation with mixed emotions, expressing both sadness and pride. Ben Barnes shared behind-the-scenes photos and videos on Instagram, showing his disappointment in not being able to see the cast take the story forward. Other cast members, including Jessie Mei Li, Archie Renaux, and Kit Young, also paid tribute to the show on social media, expressing gratitude for the support and fond memories of their time working on Shadow and Bone.

The stars of Netflix's Shadow and Bone have shared their reactions to the show's end. The fantasy show, which ran for two seasons, was based on the young adult fantasy novel trilogy of the same name by Leigh Bardugo. Although the show remained on the bubble for quite some time after season 2 premiered in March of this year, following the end of the dual Hollywood strikes, Netflix...

Saoirse-Monica Jackson has proven herself as a versatile actress through her roles in various TV shows and films, ranging from teen sitcoms to big-budget superhero movies. She has showcased her comedic strengths in her role as Roopa in the comedy film Coffee Wars, giving one of the funniest and strongest performances in the whole film. Derry Girls is considered one of the best British shows on Netflix, and Saoirse-Monica Jackson shines in her role as Erin Quinn, proving her top-notch comedic timing and ability to anchor a series.

While she may be best known for her role as Erin Quinn in the teen sitcom Derry Girls, Saoirse-Monica Jackson has appeared in a number of TV shows and films that have consistently proven her talents as an actress. Her first role was in the British crime miniseries The Five, and since then she has appeared in a number of other projects...

Exclusive: Crime star Dougray Scott and Buccaneer Media, the Scottish police drama’s producer, have hired a Creative Director for Buccaneer Scotland, as it seeks to supercharge the scale of its productions in the Celtic country.

The Lighthouse development chief Neil Duncan hired to run Buccaneer Scotland slate as Creative Director, focusing on showcasing Scottish literary, acting and behind the camera talent through its worldwide operations and partnerships.

Scott and Buccaneer teamed to launch Buccaneer Scotland in November 2021, with Mission Impossible 2 star Scott taking an equity stake in the business. He had moved back in Scotland after a long period living in the U.S. to film Crime and will be joint CEO of Buccaneer Scotland alongside Buccaneer Media bosses Richard Tulk-Hart and Tony Wood.

Wood, the veteran drama producer and co-creator of The Only Way is Essex, noted big budget U.S. productions such as Starz’s Outlander had...

Following his BIFA nominated feature films Tucked (2019) and Justine (2021), writer/director Jamie Patterson’s latest continues his look into the untold stories of those on the margins in his hometown of Brighton.

Starring up and coming talent George Webster (Disney+ series Wedding Season and upcoming AppleTV+ series Masters of the Air and Paramount+ series The Doll Factory) and Skye Lourie, and featuring Alice Lowe, Joe Wilkinson, April Pearson, Jordan Stephens, Joss Porter, Benedict Garrett and Patrick Bergin, God‘s Petting You is a darkly twisted comedy charged with erotic thriller energy in its exploration of the depths and depravity of the Brighton underworld.

Synopsis:

At a self-help group, cheeky young Charlie, a down on his luck heroin addict, falls in love with the ravishing ‘Tattoo Girl’, a struggling sex addict. Teaming up they hatch a hair-brained scheme to steal a small fortune from a criminally inclined porn star, a plan that’s guaranteed to fail.

Film reunites writer/director Polak with British actor Vicky Knight.

BFI Distribution has acquired Berlinale Panorama title Silver Haze from New Europe Film Sales for theatrical release in the UK and Ireland.

The film reunites its Dutch writer/director Sacha Polak with British actor Vicky Knight who previously worked together on Dirty God in 2019.

Knight’s performance won the Teddy Jury Award in the Panorama strand at Berlin. Earlier this week the film had its North American premiere in competition at the Tribeca Festival.

The film has also sold to Dark Star for the US, Caramel Films for Spain, Lucky Red for Italy,...

Paramount+ has unveiled the cast of its new original series “The Doll Factory” from “Marcella” producers Buccaneer Media.

An adaptation of the bestselling novel of the same name by Elizabeth Macneal, “The Doll Factory” is set in London in 1850 and tells the story of Iris, who paints dolls for a living alongside her twin sister, Rose, and those in their orbit, such as taxidermist Silas, who dreams of finding an item so unique he will be catapulted to fame, and painter Louis, who is searching for his next muse.

When Iris meets Silas, and then Louis, she is offered an opportunity to escape and start a new life. To do so, she must abandon her sister, sacrifice her reputation and launch herself into the unknown. But as Iris’ world expands, a story of dark obsession begins to unfold.

Leading the cast is Esmé Creed-Miles (“Hanna”) as Iris, Éanna Hardwicke (“Normal People”) as Silas,...