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He played the Screwdriver Zombie in George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, composed the marvelous music for Creepshow and Day of the Dead, directed Tales from the Darkside: The Movie as well as eight episodes of the TV series (including an episode written by Stephen King), helmed 2009's Book of Blood film based on Clive Barker's short stories, and directed the 2000 Dune miniseries before going on to executive produce the latest two films based on Frank Herbert's seminal sci-fi book series. Suffice it to say that John Harrison has had an impressive and eclectic career in the realms of film and television, collaborating with legendary creators while adding his own unique vision to horror and sci-fi projects that have thrilled, chilled, and inspired viewers for decades.

Harrison's prolific creative spark is as active as ever in the 2020s. In addition to staying busy behind the...

Array Releasing, the distribution arm of Ava DuVernay’s Peabody Award-winning narrative change collective, has picked up rights to the feature drama Learn to Swim for the U.S., the UK, Australia and New Zealand, slating it for release on select screens and on Netflix on August 15.

The first feature from director Thyrone Tommy dives into the world of contemporary jazz with a musical meditation on love and loss, following the doggedly private and talented saxophone player Dezi (Thomas Antony Olajide) and a vivacious, but less experienced singer named Selma (Emma Ferreira). When the two meet, sparks fly, but their respective emotional baggage and temperaments make the road to romance bumpy at best.

An official selection of the 2021 Toronto Film Festival, Learn to Swim was written by Tommy and Marni Van Dyk, with Alona Metzer producing.

“With Array Releasing’s summer acquisition of Learn To Swim, we are thrilled to...

[Spoilers for “Game of Thrones” Season 6, Episode 9, “The Battle of Bastards,” below.]

When death is final on screen, one sad consequence is that an actor is out of work. And right now, one of the most talented actors on “Game of Thrones” is on the unemployment line — and he deserves more work, even if you might find it hard to forget the role he made unforgettable.

Read More: Review: The ‘Game of Thrones’ ‘BastardBowl’ Brings About A Whole New World Order

Ever since his introduction in Season 3, Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) has been a malevolent force of evil. While embued with a relatively common backstory for a young man of Westeros (thwarted son of a great lord hoping for greater power), Ramsay has committed crimes ranging from murder to castration to rape to flaying to patricide to baby murder and beyond, escalating to a point where he represents the worst impulses that might dwell in the human heart. (Presuming, of course, that...

Exclusive: Former Catalyst and Matador exec joins as company secures Us deal.

Former Catalyst Global Media and Matador Pictures executive Mat Wakeham has joined Sadie Frost and Emma Comley’s production outfit Blonde To Black Pictures as a producer.

Wakeham’s credits as a development executive include recent Netflix series Residue and Cannes 2014 thriller Snow In Paradise.

Wakeham wrote 2008 BAFTA Scotland-winning TV special Phoo Action and produced 2012 feature The Facility starring Aneurin Barnard.

He will work across Blonde To Black’s film and TV slate and will bring a number of his own projects to the company.

On the appointment,...

Warner Music artists include Prince and Led Zeppelin.

Warner Music Group has secured a deal with London-based startup Catalyst Global Media to develop a slate of feature biopics and documentaries based on Wmg artists.

The multi-year, multi-picture arrangement will explore Warner Music’s extensive catalogue - which includes Prince and Led Zeppelin - and is expected to result in a number of new accounts of some of the most iconic artists of all time.

Catalyst will develop and finance the projects and oversee worldwide distribution.

Al Hardiman, co-founder of Catalyst and president of the company’s music division will oversee the slate alongside Catalyst CEO Charlotte Walls.

Hardiman and Walls will work closely with Warner Music executives Rich Robinson, svp, synchronisation, Europe and Jen Moss, senior synchronisation manager to explore the Warner library for material to tell the real-life stories of artists and performers in big-screen adaptations and documentary features.

The relationship...

Exclusive: Tiger Aspect teams on on cannibal horror from Ripper Street writer.

Newly minted UK production outfit Catalyst, run by former Matador producer Charlotte Walls (The Numbers Station), is teaming with Ripper Street producers Tiger Aspect and Sadie Frost’s Blonde to Black Pictures (Set the Thames on Fire) on horror Eaten.

BAFTA-nominated director Caradog James (The Machine) will direct the film from Rob Green’s (Ripper Street) script about a notorious celebrity chef who belongs to an exclusive and upscale New York cannibal ring.

Eaten, which is aiming to shoot in the next 12 months, will be produced by Walls and Mat Wakeham for Catalyst; Frost and Emma Comley for Blonde to Black Pictures; and executive produced by Tigest Aspect head of drama Will Gould for the Endemol-owned company’s feature label Tiger Aspect Pictures, and Matthew Read.

Walls said: “Our lead character Giles Bonham-Hess is a terrific character, charismatic and repulsive in equal measure and the...

UK company to produce two bestselling novels Pomegranate Soup and Genus as first feature projects

Former Matador Pictures producer Charlotte Walls has launched a new independent film and TV development, finance, production and sales outfit, Catalyst Global Media.

The London-based firm will make high-end, mainstream films and TV series for the global marketplace. Walls, who most recently produced and financed Netflix acquisition Residue, is co-founder of Catalyst and will run the company as its CEO.

Al Hardiman and Gideon Lyons are co-founders and serve as principal partners. Hardiman, a musician who provided arrangements for Notes On A Scandal, will be president of Catalyst’s music division.

A statement from the company said it aims to produce “commercially viable projects for the studios, networks, digital platforms and major independent distributors worldwide”.

Backed by private equity sources out of London, Cgm will develop, finance and produce four to six projects a year across feature films and digital/TV series...

Read More: 7 New Netflix Shows to Binge Watch in April 2015 (And the Best Episodes of Each) While the spring of 2015 has been dominated by Netflix releasing high profile series after high profile series, "House of Cards," "Bloodline" and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" aren't the only new shows available now for streaming. "Residue," created by John Harrison, premiered yesterday on Netflix with three 45 minute-long episodes. The genre series, starring "Game of Thrones" notables Natalie Tena and Iwan Rheon, tracks the aftermath of a devastating explosion on the city of London and the government conspiracy that might be concealing the truth. (Netflix users might expect to see it as a recommended pick if they've watched a lot of "The X-Files" or other genre programming.) Via both phone and email, Indiewire got a step-by-step breakdown of how "Residue's" first season landed on the streaming giant, and what...

Back in July last year a nationwide casting call was launched to find some new talent for Legacy, a new film from Unstoppable Entertainment and Think Big Productions.

Exec Produced by Noel Clarke (4.3.2.1, The Anomaly) and Jason Maza (The Knot, The Hooligan Factory) Legacy tells the story of five teenagers and the ultimate party of the year.

After auditioning hundreds of girls with no previous professional experience, Amy Tyger from Manchester won the lead female role of Dani. 21 year old Amy is now represented by Cole Kitchenn.

Dani is strong willed, fierce, aggressive yet still lovable, she is protective and more than a match for the groups’ machismo. She’s an attractive tomboy with deep-rooted femininity issues exacerbated by her elder sister Yasmin.

21 year old Franz Drameh (represented by Hamilton Hodell) plays Sean, the unspoken leader of the group.

Franz starred in Attack The Block, and he also plays Brandon...

Exclusive: ‘71, Death Comes to Pemberley backer aims to invest £1m+ into more productions.

Screen Yorkshire has secured a further £7.5m ($12.3m) from the European Regional Development Fund (Erdf) to invest in film, TV, games and digital production.

The finance boost will be matched by private sector investors on a project-by-project basis.

The backers of ’71, Death Comes to Pemberley and The Great Train Robbery will also look to increase the number of projects in which it invests more than £1m, something it has done once to date.

The agency, which secured the same amount from the Erdf in early 2012, is also in talks with a number of games and digital companies regarding investments.

Since the launch of its Yorkshire Content Fund nearly two years ago, Screen Yorkshire has invested in 18 projects, including TV productions Peaky Blinders, The Great Train Robbery, Death Comes to Pemberley, Jamaica Inn, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and Hank Zipzer.

Film investments...

Game of Thrones stars Natalia Tena and Iwan Rheon are to star in a futuristic paranormal thriller, Residue which is currently shooting on location across Leeds and at Green Screen Studios.

Residue is a paranormal thriller following the lives of eight characters caught up in the aftermath of a freak explosion at the heart of a sprawling, futuristic city.

It marks the feature debut of director Alex Garcia, best known for directing episodes of urban superhero series Misfits and conspiracy thriller Utopia, and is written and executive produced by John Harrison for Matador Pictures.

The ensemble cast includes Natalia Tena (represented by Curtis Brown), best known for her role as Tonks in four of the Harry Potter series and currently starring in HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, as Jennifer. She is joined by Iwan Rheon (also Curtis Brown) as Jonas, another Game of Thrones star, who came to prominence...

Production has kicked off on new supernatural British horror 'Residue'. The Alex Garcia Lopez ('Utopia', 'Misfits') helmed horror from Matador Pictures is directed from a script by writer John Harrison ('Book of Blood') and stars 'Game of Thrones' actress Natalia Tena (below) who will play photojournalist Jennifer Preston who uncovers a supernatural cause behind an explosion that left her city in chaos. Tena, who plays Osha in the hit HBO fantasy series, is also better known for her role as Nymphadora Tonks in the 'Harry Potter' series....

Horror films dealing with the paranormal are all the rage at the moment, and they're showing no signs of slowing down. This time, however, the paranormal activity is set in the future!

As reported by Screen Daily, principal photography has begun today on a paranormal thriller called Residue, which will be the feature debut of Alex Garcia. The film follows the lives of eight characters caught up in the aftermath of a freak explosion at the heart of a sprawling, futuristic city.

The cast includes Natalia Tena (pictured; Harry Potter, "Game of Thrones"), Iwan Rheon ("Game of Thrones"), Jamie Draven (Badland), Danny Webb (Alien 3), Brian Ferguson (Taggart), Eleanor Matsuura ("Utopia"), Franz Drameh (Attack the Block) and Adrian Schiller (Brighton Rock).

Creator and writer John Harrison (Tales from the Dark Side) will executive produce with Matador’s Nigel Thomas.

Synopsis

Renowned photojournalist Jennifer Preston is investigating the aftermath of a...

Futuristic paranormal thriller to star Harry Potter’s Natalia Tena and Misfits/Game of Thrones actor Iwan Rheon.

Principal photography has begun today on paranormal thriller Residue, which will be be shot on location across Leeds and at Green Screen Studios.

The announcement was made by Content Media Corporation and Matador Pictures, which will produce the film in association with Gloucester Place Films, Green Screen Productions and Screen Yorkshire. Lead producer is Matador Pictures’ Charlotte Walls.

Residue is a paranormal thriller following the lives of eight characters caught up in the aftermath of a freak explosion at the heart of a sprawling, futuristic city.

It marks the feature debut of director Alex Garcia, best known for directing episodes of urban superhero series Misfits and conspiracy thriller Utopia.

Creator and writer John Harrison (Tales from the Dark Side) will also executive produce with Matador’s Nigel Thomas.

The ensemble cast includes Natalia Tena, best known for...