News

The White Lotus‘ Aimee Lou Wood is sparking romance rumors!

The 31-year-old Sex Education actress was seen looking cozy with Happy Valley star Adam Long, 34, in a new photos.

Keep reading to find out more…

In the images, they can be seen embracing and kissing while out together in London, England. You can see the pics on Daily Mail.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about Adam and Aimee Lou. He was cast in her new series Film Club late last year, and they spent a few months filming from 2024-2025. Aimee Lou wrote it, and Adam is one of the show’s stars. It’s expected to debut on BBC iPlayer and BBC Three later this year.

These new photos come just a few days after Aimee Lou shut down some major feud rumors with her White Lotus co-star.

Studiocanal has shuttered Red Production Company, the U.K. production outfit behind “It’s a Sin” and “Happy Valley,” Variety has confirmed.

Acquired in 2013 by Studiocanal as part of its big move into the television landscape, Red Production was founded Nicola Shindler and Andrew Critchley. Since 2023, the company was led by Patrick Schweitzer who stepped down last week. Red Production’s 12-people staff across London and Manchester have been trimmed, according to Broadcast which first reported the news.

Red Production’s popular IP’s include “Happy Valley,” “It’s a Sin,” as well as “Queer as Folk,” “Scott & Bailey” and “Last Tango in Halifax.” Studiocanal’s new executive managing director of TV series, M-k Kennedy, who joined from Netflix last year, has been listed as director of Red Production on Companies House, the U.K.’s exec agency of the business and trade department, which suggests that the ongoing projects will be handled internally by Studiocanal.

“Whenever I work, I’m like, ‘This will be the last time you do that,'” Jake Dunn laughs. “I just can’t believe it.”

His candid disbelief is no surprise when the Nottingham-born star, fresh out of drama school, went straight into filming a Sally Wainwright show. Dunn might be best known to viewers as Thomas in Renegade Nell, Disney+‘s fantasy adventure penned by the Happy Valley creator, which was canceled after one season last year.

“It does give you an understanding,” Dunn continues, “of when something is fizzing and exciting versus when something maybe doesn’t have that same impact on first read.” The 25-year-old would know better than a lot of people — he’s also worked on Jack Rook’s Big Boys, Nick Hamm’s historical epic William Tell and now turns to the BBC Three’s millennial coming-of-age drama based on the memoir by transgender journalist Paris Lees.

Studiocanal is shuttering It’s A Sinand Happy ValleyTV production outfit Red Production Company, as first reported by Screen’s sister site, Broadcast.

Chief executive Patrick Schweitzer has exited the business and it is understood that its other London and Manchester-based staff have been let go at the same time.

Schweitzer, who had been in position since September 2023 left last week and his departure coincided with the UK business effectively halting operations. The company has 12 staff listed on its website, including Schweitzer. It is understood that all staff were informed of the decision simultaneously.

It is thought that the Red...

2025 may be nearly half way through, but in the world of TV the year is still young. As such, even though you may feel like the best TV you'll see this year is already behind us as we've headed down to the severed floor for Severance Season 2, stared at our reflection once again in Charlie Brooker's Netflix series Black Mirror, brought out the billy clubs for Disney+ must-see show Daredevil: Born Again, and had our collective socks knocked off by Philip Barantini's Adolescence, we assure you a veritable streaming smorgasbord still lies ahead of us in the coming months.

Yes, we may have just finished collecting our jaw from the flaw after that Andor Season 2 finale, and yes, the second seasons of both The Last Of Us and Doctor Who may have left our heads spinning, but there's still no shortage of returning favourites, fresh franchise offerings, original programming,...

While many were occupied by the usual suspects, 2024 was a treat for TV lovers who were paying attention. Yeah, we could have kept rewatching that one show for the ‘tenth-teenth’ time, but suffice it to say, it meant missing out on the next one. Comedy? There was plenty of that this year. Thrillers also found their place. Even a vampire mockumentary died down without proper credit.

These 30 underrated shows from 2024 deserve way more love, and frankly, it’s low-key saddening they didn’t get it. This is why FandomWire has collected them in one place, where readers can choose the genre they can relate to or are in the mood to indulge in. But rest assured that all the shows in the list have the capacity to give you a good time; you just have to make the first plunge.

30. Big Mood

Big Mood stars Maggie, a struggling playwright with bipolar disorder,...

House of the Dragon is getting more and more crowded in Season 3.

TVLine has learned that English actor Barry Sloane (Revenge, Six), Welsh actor Tom Cullen (Knightfall, Downton Abbey) and English actor Joplin Sibtain (aka Andor‘s Brasso) have boarded the HBO fantasy saga’s cast.

More from TVLineCasting News: Ayo Edebiri-Will Sharpe Apple Series, The Rookie Promotion and MoreEmily in Paris' Camille Razat Weighs In On Leaving the Series Ahead of Season 5Mountainhead Teaser: Billionaires Party in the Snow While the World Burns in Succession Creator's HBO Movie

Sloane will fill the role of Ser Adrian Redfort,...

Jack Lowden, Emma Corrin and Olivia Colman are set to star in Netflix’s “Pride & Prejudice.”

Based on the Jane Austen novel, the six-part limited series written by Dolly Alderton (“Everything I Know About Love”) and directed by Euros Lyn (“Heartstopper”) will see Lowden as Mr. Darcy, while Corrin will portray Elizabeth Bennet and Colman will play Mrs. Bennet.

Emma Corrin, Jack Lowden, Olivia Colman will star in a new Pride and Prejudice adaptation — a six-part limited series written by Dolly Alderton. pic.twitter.com/rVfqFc5nSM

— Netflix (@netflix) April 10, 2025

“‘Once in a generation, a group of people get to retell this wonderful story and I feel very lucky that I get to be a part of it. Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is the blueprint for romantic comedy – it has been a joy to delve back into its pages to find both familiar and fresh ways of...

House of the Dragon began in 2022 and after two seasons, it has received praise for its production, story, and cast performances. And while not every moment from the series has been universally lauded, HBO can still consider this series a hit.

A spin-off coming from George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones universe, House of the Dragon currently has 18 episodes as of the time of writing, but more are to come in the near future.

Namely, we know that the series has been renewed for a third season, but we can now confirm that production on that third season has started, and that some new cast members have been added.

Related: Leaked Set Photos Reveal Town Construction Set for ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3

The production start has been confirmed on social media with a very interesting video that you can see here:

The fight for the Throne is far from over.

Fresh off the heels of the critically acclaimed Netflix drama Adolescence, writer Jack Thorne has nailed down his next project. The BAFTA-winning writer is set to adapt Suzanne Heywood's international bestseller and incredible true story detailed in "Wavewalker: Breaking Free" (via Deadline). Heywood's 2023 memoir recounts the author's childhood spent on a decade-long, unplanned sailing voyage around the world with her parents and brother. The book details the difficulties of life at sea, including storms, isolation, and limited education, while also exploring the dynamics within her family.

James Norton, a renowned English actor known for roles in television, film, and theater, who has gained acclaim for his performances in Happy Valley, Grantchester, and McMafia, asa well as becoming a favorite for the next James Bond, will lead the series as Heywood's father. While speaking about the "amazing role," Norton discussed the "beautiful picture" that the adaptation will tell:

"What starts...

Gemma Arterton will lead the cast of ITV’s new espionage drama, Secret Service.

Adapted from the novel by ITV News anchor Tom Bradby and produced by Potboiler Productions, Secret Service will be a five-part drama also starring Rafe Spall (The English, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) and Mark Stanley (Adolescence, Happy Valley).

The show follows senior MI6 officer Kate Henderson (Arterton). On the surface, her life appears ordinary— a civil servant married to Stuart (Spall) with two teenage children — however, to those who don’t know her well, Kate’s true role is heading the Russia Desk at the Secret Intelligence Service.

When her undercover operations reveal alarming evidence that a high-ranking U.K. politician may be a Russian asset, Kate finds herself in a desperate race to uncover their identity. “As a brutal murder thrusts her team into the spotlight, Kate must navigate the dangerous world of espionage while...

Still riding the high of the massive success that has come from his latest collaboration with Stephen Graham, Adolescence scribe, Jack Thorne, has revealed his next project. Titled Wavewalker: Breaking Free, the project will see the famed writer pair with Happy Valley alum, James Norton in what will serve as an on-screen adaptation of the bestselling memoir by Suzanne Heywood. The project, which was announced at a Series Mania event hosted by Deadline, will be produced by Norton and Kitty Kaletsky’s Rabbit Track Pictures.

While the specific plot details are being kept under wraps, the tale that unfolds in Heywood’s memoir is a harrowing one that details her experience of sailing around the world with her parents when she was just seven years old. By the time the family ended up back on land, ten years had passed, and the young woman was more than ready to never see a boat again.

After endless hours on film and TV sets, acting in such acclaimed productions as Sally Wainwright’s BAFTA-winning hit Happy Valley or ITV‘s detective drama Grantchester, James Norton decided he wanted more.

“I started as an actor to realize that there’s a disconnect between the way actors are treated [and] their actual contribution, and I really started to hanker after more creative contribution,” said Norton, speaking at a masterclass at TV festival Series Mania on Tuesday. “As an actor, you have a lot of contribution, but a lot of is kind of nonsense: You’re told where to stand, what to wear, the tone of the thing. All of it is decided for you. I really hankered after a bit more of that creative contribution.”

In 2019, together with veteran producer Katie Kaletsky, formerly of Black Bear, Norton founded Rabbit Track, a London-based production outfit, to craft independent film and...

Menopause, according to Sally Wainwright, is the ultimate punk rock.

At a masterclass at the Series Mania TV festival in Lille on Tuesday, the BAFTA-winning British TV showrunner of Happy Valley and Last Tango in Halifax, unveiled her new series, Riot Women, a dramedy about a group of middle-aged women who come together to form a makeshift punk rock band.

“I got the idea about 10 years ago and started mentioning to people at work, the idea of 50-something women forming a punk band,” said Wainwright, speaking on the Series Mania main stage with producing partner Roanna Benn of Drama Republic. “It’s very personal, it’s about my life, about the menopause…but I wanted to talk about it in a different way [make it] propulsive and exciting.”

“It’s properly funny and properly gripping from beginning to end,” added Benn.

Riot Women stars Joanna Scanlan (After Love, The Thick of It...

“Happy Valley,” “Gentleman Jack” and “Last Tango in Halifax” creator Sally Wainwright has lifted the lid on her latest project, a new series about a group of 50-something women who form a punk band.

Speaking at a special Masterclass at Series Mania in Lille, Wainwright discussed “Riot Women,” the upcoming six-part drama which was commissioned by the BBC and BritBox for the U.S. and is being sold internationally by Mediawan Rights

The idea, she said, had come to her around 10 years ago, but she found herself too busy to work on it given the other series she had going on at the time.

“It’s personal,” she said of the story. “It’s about my life. It’s about the menopause, elderly parents that need your help, difficult children … my husband also decided to leave. But nobody wants to talk about the menopause, or it can be an energy drain.

Caroline Hollick, a former drama boss at Channel 4, has described Gwyneth Paltrow’s remarks about intimacy coordinators as “irresponsible.”

The actor spoke recently about her sex scenes with Timothée Chalamet in Josh Safdie’s “Marty Supreme,” and said she felt “very stifled” by the presence of an intimacy coordinator. “We said, ‘I think we’re good. You can step a little bit back,’ ” she told Vanity Fair.

Hollick, who now works for Peter Chernin’s North Road as senior VP international production and development, said at drama festival Series Mania Tuesday that Paltrow’s comments were “quite an irresponsible thing to say.”

Speaking on a panel titled “Let’s Talk About Sex! (And Consent),” Hollick said: “Every now and then an actor makes a comment over whether they like intimacy coordinators or not. Gwyneth Paltrow said she grew up in a time when [actors] ‘took our kit off and got on with it.

With the television industry continuing its painful transition from the peak TV era, it’s perhaps a surprise that Series Mania is expecting more international executives than ever to attend its 2025 edition, running March 21-28.

Laurence Herszberg founded the event in 2010 with some 250 industry attendees. This year, organisers are expecting around 4,500 accredited professionals in Lille, up 5% from last year, and 84 exhibitors at the industry-focused Forum, 25% more than last year.

Despite a global tightening of budgets and Series Mania taking place just weeks after Mip London and the London Screenings, organisers say they have seen no slowdown in the quality or...

With the television industry continuing its painful transition from the peak TV era, it’s perhaps a surprise that Series Mania is expecting more international executives than ever to attend its 2025 edition, running March 21-28.

Laurence Herszberg founded the event in 2010 with some 250 industry attendees. This year, organisers are expecting around 4,500 accredited professionals in Lille, up 5% from last year, and 84 exhibitors at the industry-focused Forum, 25% more than last year.

Despite a global tightening of budgets and Series Mania taking place just weeks after Mip London and the London Screenings, organisers say they have seen no slowdown in the quality or...

Siobhan Finneran plays a tough-as-nails witness protection officer in ITV’s new drama. Here’s our Protection episode 1 review.

The TV landscape is filled to the brim with expensive shows from the likes of HBO, Netflix and Disney+. By now, even the biggest Hollywood stars have also migrated over to the small screen. In that sense, the new ITV drama Protection – which is relatively low budget, and doesn’t contain any A-list actors – feels like a welcome throwback.

The beginning of Protection episode 1 informs us that at any given moment, 3,000 people in the UK are under the witness protection programme. Siobhan Finneran plays Liz Nyles, a no-nonsense witness protection officer tasked with ensuring the safety of a family whose father is about to testify against a UK crime lord.

If everything went well, there would be no Protection, so naturally, the family’s location and identity is breached and a lot of bad things happen.

The MGM+ thriller Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue keeps getting closer to its title. As the miniseries reaches its halfway point, some of the survivors are no longer surviving. But there are still plenty of suspects -- all of whom have their own reasons to be both the potential killer and a potential victim.

In an interview with Cbr, stars Jan Le (who plays Amy Maclean) and Adam Long (who portrays Dan Maclean) talked about how they tackled the murder mystery from Marble Hall Murders author Anthony Horowitz. They explained why they didn't want to know what happened to Dan and Amy, even though they had several scripts in advance. Plus, find out how this show compares to the actors' prior experiences in the crime genre.

Cbr: What element of Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue got you hooked and and made you want to play the characters of Amy and Dan?...

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Long Bright River is a crime drama miniseries created by Liz Moore and Nikki Toscano. Based on Moore’s 2020 book of the same name, the Peacock series is set in Philadelphia, and it follows police officer Mickey as she patrols a high-crime neighborhood and soon begins to investigate the murder of three young women. Long Bright River stars Amanda Seyfried, Ashleigh Cummings, Callum Vinson, John Doman, Nicholas Pinnock, and Dash Mihok. So, if you loved the intense story, thrilling mystery, and compelling characters in Long Bright River, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Mare of Easttown (Max & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – HBO

Mare of Easttown is a crime drama miniseries created by Brad Ingelsby. The HBO series is set in the small Philadelphia suburb of Easttown, and it follows police detective Marianne Sheehan...

“There’s an epidemic of knife crime amongst young, young lads … up and down the country.” That’s how British star Stephen Graham (Bodies, Boiling Point) describes the origins of the idea for his Netflix crime drama Adolescence, which premieres on Thursday, during a recent Next on Netflix event in London. The show, unfolding in real-time, consists of four episodes that are each filmed in one continuous shot.

The story starts with 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) being arrested for the murder of a teenage girl who goes to his school. Co-creator and co-writer Graham stars as his father Eddie. Rounding out the cast are Ashley Walters (Top Boy) as Detective Inspector Luke Bascombe, Erin Doherty (The Crown) as Briony Ariston, the clinical psychologist assigned to Jamie’s case, Christine Tremarco (The Responder) as Jamie’s mother Manda, Faye Marsay (Game of Thrones), Mark Stanley (Happy Valley), Jo Hartley (After Life) and Amélie Pease.

Today, Netflix released the trailer for the new crime drama Adolescence, starring Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters (Top Boy) and Erin Doherty (The Crown). The series will launch on the service on March 13.

The four-part limited series, directed by Philip Barantini, is filmed in one unflinching continuous shot, with each episode holding focus on the main characters and the unparalleled drama as it unfolds in real-time.

Starring in his first major role for television is Owen Cooper, alongside Faye Marsay (Game of Thrones), Christine Tremarco (The Responder), Mark Stanley (Happy Valley), Jo Hartley (After Life) and newcomer Amélie Pease.

The series is produced by Warp Films, Matriarch Productions and Plan B for Netflix.

Adolescence tells the story of how a family’s world is turned upside down when 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) is arrested for the murder of a teenage girl who goes to his school.

Stephen Graham takes on...

Powerful Programming

BBC Studios and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) have renewed their content alliance with a comprehensive multi-year deal spanning drama, comedy, kids programming and entertainment fare. The agreement brings fresh installments of Alan Carr’s autobiographical comedy “Changing Ends” (Seasons 3-4) and standup favorite “Live At the Apollo” to ABC platforms. The pubcaster has also secured first-run rights to children’s series including preschool hit “Hey Duggee,” “Andy’s Global Adventures” with Andy Day, “Supertato,” “Deadly 60” and “Horrible Histories.”

Continuing the partnership’s second-run arrangements, ABC viewers retain access to audience favorites like “Death in Paradise,” its spinoff “Beyond Paradise,” period drama “Call The Midwife,” crime procedural “Silent Witness,” cozy mystery “Father Brown,” factual stalwart “Antiques Roadshow” and dark comedy “The Cleaner.”

The deal also covers premieres of cold case drama “Unforgotten” Season 6, the sophomore run of “Sherwood,” and most notably, BBC’s reimagined “Walking With Dinosaurs.” The...

The London TV Screenings, or London Screenings for short, the global TV industry event running Feb. 23-28, is ready for its close-up. The once low-key affair, where networks and sales outfits screen their latest shows for international buyers, has grown to can’t-miss status over the years. 2025 will be London Screenings’ time to shine, particularly without any competition from the now-defunct Mip TV.

That said, Mip will be holding its own inaugural Mip London event during the week, featuring panel discussions on industry trends, hot new properties from the likes of South Korea and Japan, as well as a session with David Beckham and Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria.

The London Screenings come at an inflection point for the global TV industry. After a sustained boom in high-end drama, networks, and streamers are again cutting costs and betting more on lower-cost non-fiction and reality shows. In the fiction arena,...

With the ink barely dry on a bombshell deal that hands Amazon MGM Studios creative control over James Bond, Jeff Bezos is already canvassing fans about who should play 007.

The Amazon founder posted a screenshot of a BBC News story, headlined ‘James Bond’s long-serving producers give control to Amazon,’ and asked his followers on Instagram: “Who’d you pick as the next Bond?”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jeff Bezos (@jeffbezos)

In doing so, he signaled a dramatic new era for the iconic spy franchise, which has been under the control of Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for decades. Amazon MGM Studios has a new joint venture with the duo, under which they will retain a level of ownership over the franchise, but Jennifer Salke will now ultimately be calling the shots on the next movie.

After Daniel Craig exited James Bond after...

A long-time James Bond favorite demonstrates his affinity for espionage and joins forces with a former Bond girl in an underrated thriller that is now finding success on Netflix. Released in 2022, the mystery thriller Rogue Agent finds Quantum of Solace star Gemma Arterton sharing the screen with Happy Valley star and current 007 frontrunner James Norton in this true story of a conman who masqueraded as an MI5 agent.

Rogue Agent is now holding firm at #5, with the rest of the Netflix top 10 made up of several action movies, including Miss Congeniality, Rambo: Last Blood, and the Die Hard-esque Aftermath, which is now at #1. Directed by Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn in their feature-length debut, and based on a mysteriously unpublished article titled "Chasing Agent Freegard" by Michael Bronner, Norton stars as conman Robert Hendy-Freegard with Gemma Arterton playing the woman who fell in love with him...before discovering the truth and taking him down.

Today, AMC Networks’ Acorn TV and Channel 5 announced additional cast members and the start of production on the new murder mystery drama, Murder Before Evensong.

The six-episode drama starring Matthew Lewis is based on the first novel in the Sunday Times best-selling series by British author Reverend Richard Coles and will air later this year on Acorn TV worldwide and Channel 5 in the UK.

Photo courtesy of Acorn Media Enterprises LLC & AMC Film Holdings LLC

Joining Lewis, who stars as Canon Daniel Clement, are: Amanda Redman (New Tricks) as Audrey, Amit Shah (Happy Valley) as DS Neil Vanloo, Adam James (The Day of the Jackal) as Bernard De Floures and Meghan Treadway (One Day) as Honor De Floures.

Also on board are newcomer Alexander Delamain as Alex De Floures, Marion Bailey (The Crown) as Kath, Amanda Hadingue (Kaos) as Dora, Tamzin Outhwaite (The Wives) as Stella Harper, Francis Magee...

Amanda Seyfried and Happy Valley alums James Norton and Sally Wainwright will be adding a dose of star power to this year’s Series Mania, while Pamela Adlon is to head up the jury.

Seyfried will attend promoting her Peacock series Long Bright River, which is having its French premiere in the international competition. In Long Bright River, which is based on the Liz Moore novel, Seyfried plays a Philadelphian police officer who works in a neighborhood with high drug use where a series of murders take place.

Long Bright River is in the international competition alongside the likes of Cooper Raiff’s Hal & Harper, with Raiff set to attend, Joe Wright’s Mussolini: Son Of The Century and Israel-America’s The German from Yes Studios.

The jury for these shows will be led by Emmy winner and Better Things star Pamela Adlon. The jury will consist of Victor Le Masne...

James Norton, Paddy Considine and Pip Torrens have joined the ensemble cast for Guy Ritchie’s Wife & Dog, which has started production for Black Bear.

Cosmo Jarvis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rosamund Pike and Anthony Hopkins were earlier announced for the movie that sees Ritchie return to the colorful, back-stabbing world of the British aristocracy. Ritchie also wrote the screenplay and he produces alongside long-time partner Ivan Atkinson (The Gentlemen, Wrath of Man) and Black Bear’s John Friedberg.

Norton as a diverse film and TV actor appeared in the BAFTA-nominated role as Tommy Lee Royce in the BBC series Happy Valley. Considine had a breakthrough role in the 1999 film A Room for Romeo Brass, by director Shane Meadows and also has credits like Dead Man’s Shoes, The Bourne Ultimatum and Hot Fuzz. Torrens played Tommy Lascelles in Netflix’s The Crown.

Ritchie is best known as a director for credits like...

HBO series House of the Dragon has a new cast member for the upcoming third season. Happy Valley star James Norton is set to play Ormund Hightower. As Variety reported, Ormund is cousin to Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) and Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox) as well as nephew of their father, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans). As Alicent's cousin, Ormund is also second cousin to her Targaryen sons, the fleeing King Aegon II(Tom Glynn-Carney) and his eye-patched psychopath brother Aemond (Ewan Mitchell). Ormund's title is Lord of Oldtown.

So that sets up the so-called "Green" side of House Targaryen. Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) leads the "Black" side of House Targaryen. The end of House of the Dragon Season 2 saw armies on both sides mustering for war and a handful of new dragon riders entering the fray.

After taking over from his dead father, Lord Hobert Hightower, Ormund's role in the Targaryen...

Filming on the third season of HBO's Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon reportedly begins soon, and we're seeing lots of signs that things are indeed picking up. The latest comes from Variety, which reports that English actor James Norton will play the role of Ormund Hightower.

We've heard Ormund's name on the show before but have yet to see him in the flesh. Ormund is the son of Hobert Hightower, played by Steffan Rhodri in the first season of the show. Early in the first season, Hobert was the head of House Hightower and the ruler of Oldtown, but by the time the Dance of the Dragons civil war begins, that title has passed to his son Ormund.

Ormund is the nephew of Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), who was instrumental in bringing about that civil war. That also makes him the cousin of Alicent (Olivia Cooke...

House of the Dragon has found its Ormund Hightower. Happy Valley star James Norton is joining the third season of the HBO series as Ormund, our sister site Variety reports.

The character was referenced in Season 2 but has not yet appeared on screen. Ormund is Otto’s nephew, Alicent and Gwayne’s cousin, and the Lord of Oldtown. “He is presently leading the Hightower host in a march on King’s Landing to support his house against Rhaenyra,” according to HBO’s official character description.

More from TVLineNathan Fillion's 'Not Nice' Guy Gardner to Appear in HBO's Lanterns SeriesCasting News: Shailene Woodley Finds Paradise,...

James Norton has been tapped to portray Ormund Hightower in Season 3 of HBO’s House of the Dragon, Deadline has learned.

Ormund, who was referenced in Season 2 but never appeared on onscreen, is then nephew of Otto (Rhys Ifans), cousin to Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Gwayne (Freddie Fox) and the Lord of Oldtown. He is presently leading the Hightower forces in a march on King’s Landing to support his house against Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy).

Variety was first to report Norton’s casting.

Based on Martin’s Fire & Blood and set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the story of House Targaryen.

In addition to Ifans, Cooke, Fox and D’Arcy, the cast also includes Matt Smith, Emma, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Matthew Needham, Sonoya Mizuno, Tom Glynn-Carney, Ewan Mitchell, Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Phia Saban and Jefferson Hall. Additional Season 2 cast includes Abubakar Salim,...

The first casting update for the third season of House of the Dragon has arrived!

The Game of Thrones spinoff show starring Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke as best friends turned rivals in a fight for the Iron Throne aired its second season in late 2024.

A third and fourth season have already been announced, with the show expected to conclude after that.

On Friday (January 31), we learned that a new star had joined the cast of the show, and his role was revealed!

Keep reading to find out more…

James Norton

James Norton, who fans will recognize from projects like Happy Valley is the first actor to be cast in House of the Dragon Season 3. Variety exclusively broke the news that he will be playing Ormund Hightower.

Who is Ormund? His official description notes that he is “Otto’s (Rhys Ifans) nephew, Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Gwayne’s (Freddie Fox) cousin,...

Big casting news has been revealed for the upcoming third season of House of the Dragon. Season 3 will serve as the penultimate season for the series, which was previously renewed through a fourth and final season.

Per Variety, actor James Norton has boarded the cast of House of the Dragon Season 3. He will play Ormund Hightower, a character who was referenced in Season 2 but not shown on-screen. A character description for Ormund reads, "Otto’s (Rhys Ifans) nephew, Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Gwayne’s (Freddie Fox) cousin, and the Lord of Oldtown. He is presently leading the Hightower host in a march on King’s Landing to support his house against Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy).”

Image via HBO

RelatedThe Folio Society's Fire and Blood is a Must Read for House of the Dragon Fans Who Want the Real Story

The Folio Society's Fire and Blood is the definitive take on...

“House of the Dragon” has found its Ormund Hightower.

Variety has learned exclusively that James Norton will join the HBO show’s upcoming third season as Ormund.

The official description for the character states that he is “Otto’s (Rhys Ifans) nephew, Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Gwayne’s (Freddie Fox) cousin, and the Lord of Oldtown. He is presently leading the Hightower host in a march on King’s Landing to support his house against Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy).”

The character had previously been reference during Season 2 of “House of the Dragon” but has never been seen onscreen.

Norton is perhaps best known for his roles in the British TV shows “Happy Valley” and “Grantchester,” though he has also starred in series such as “McMafia” and the 2016 miniseries adaptation of “War & Peace.” Norton also previously starred in the HBO series “The Nevers” and he received a BAFTA nomination in 2015 for his role in “Happy Valley.

A long-time James Bond favorite has suspiciously dodged a question about whether he is in fact in line to star as the new 007 following Daniel Craig’s departure from the role in 2021’s No Time to Die. During a recent appearance on Capital Breakfast in the United Kingdom, actor James Norton deftly avoided answering a straight question from a fan about whether we are “going to see you as Bond next?”

Not only did Norton largely avoid the question, adding to the suspicion and intrigue was the response from co-host Sian Welby, who laughed and said, “We’re not even allowed to ask that.” Now, why would they have been told not to ask such a question if there were no truth to it? Let the curious chin-stroking begin. Swerving the question, and revealing whether he was out of his “sad dad era,” Norton replied...

“Bond question! Do you know what,...

James Norton has a solo trip to Japan booked for mid-January, but the actor can’t seem to get the time away from work.

“I keep having to delay the flights,” the British star confesses to The Hollywood Reporter. At the time of writing, he is shooting House of Guinness, a new Netflix series from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight detailing the birth of the Irish stout empire. “It’s Steven firing on all cylinders,” Norton teases about the tightly-under-wraps show. “He’s having the time of his life. You can tell he’s loved writing it because it’s just so fun and powerful. It’s sexy and smoky. Even in the [script], you can taste the soot and the beer and the sweat.”

Norton plays Guinness factory foreman Sean Rafferty, who splits his time between the depths of the brewery and high-society Dublin (“I beat up all the men...

When it comes to great television, the Brits are known for their compelling detective dramas that brilliantly blend complex characters with unexpected twists, especially their willingness to kill off fan-favorites as seen in shows like Happy Valley and Line of Duty. The ITV series Trigger Point, however, puts a unique spin on the genre, centering around Lana Washington (Vicky McClure), an explosive ordinance disposal officer (also known as an "Expo") who works for the London Metropolitan Police. In her line of work, Lana is always prepared for the worst. However, as the series unfolds, her personal and professional lives begin to intersect, putting both Lana and the people she cares about in danger. Series creator Daniel Brierley was mentored by Jed Mercurio, the prolific writer behind shows like the aforementioned Line of Duty and the hit Netflix miniseries Bodyguard.

Sally Wainwright’s new drama series Riot Women has unveiled a first look and the series will debut on BBC and Britbox later in 2025.

Sally Wainwright is perhaps one of the most recognisable voices in the British TV drama landscape after shows like Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack made her into a national treasure. Wainwright also created the all too soon axed Renegade Nell for Disney+, but the unfortunate cancellation of the swashbuckling series clearly hasn’t slowed the writer down.

Riot Women, Wainwright’s take on punk rock and aging, was previously known as Hot Flush as it was greenlit in August 2023. BBC unveiled a first look at the series which follows a group of five women who form a punk rock band to enter a talent show, but discover they have a lot to say.

Joanna Scanlan, Rosalie Craig, Tamsin Greig, Lorraine Ashbourne and Amelia Bullmore star in...

Tamsin Greig and Joanna Scanlan are ready to rock in first look images from their new BBC/BritBox series “Riot Women.”

The six-part drama, from “Happy Valley” creator Sally Wainwright, sees five middle-aged women form a punk-rock band and enter a local talent contest – giving them an outlet to vent about their demanding jobs, pushy parents, demanding kids and irritating partners.

“As the story progresses, it’s more than music that binds them; a deeply potent, long-buried secret begins to surface – one that unexpectedly entangles Kitty and Beth, the two unlikely creative masterminds behind the band, in a complex triangle – and threatens to tear everything apart,” reads the logline.

Rosalie Craig, Lorraine Ashbourne, Amelia Bullmore, Taj Atwal, Chandeep Uppal and Macy Jacob-Seelochan also star. Arxx have written original songs for the show.

Lorraine Ashbourne, Rosalie Craig, Joanna Scanlan, Amelia Bullmore and Tamsin Greig in ‘Riot Women’ (courtesy of BBC/Britbox...

A first look at Sally Wainwright‘s next project, Riot Women, has been unveiled by the BBC and streaming service BritBox.

The BAFTA-winning writer, known for Happy Valley, Last Tango in Halifax and Gentleman Jack, has taken on a new six-part series led by Joanna Scanlan (After Love, The Thick of It), Rosalie Craig (Moonflower Murders, Serpent Queen) Tamsin Greig (Sexy Beast, The Completely Made Up Adventures of Dick Turpin), Lorraine Ashbourne (Sherwood, Alma’s Not Normal) and Amelia Bullmore (The Buccaneers, Vienna Blood).

The newly released images show the five women pulling together as punk rockers, forming a makeshift band for a local talent contest. But in writing their first original song, the group soon discover they have a lot to say. Taj Atwal (Line of Duty), Chandeep Uppal (Holby City), and Macy-Jacob Seelochan (Shadow and Bone) feature as the band’s riotous backing singers.

Sally Wainwright’s ‘Riot Women...

English actor Clive Owen has always been one of the more underappreciated performers, landing notable roles but falling short of being a household name. Yet, fans of Owen's have come to appreciate his intense performances and his adaptability. Never one to want to be typecast, his versatility has led to a unique career, from the acclaim of 2004's Closer, which saw him win a BAFTA and a Golden Globe, to fan-favorite films like Sin City, Children of Men, and Shoot 'Em Up.

While one could say Owen's popularity reached its height in the 2000s, he has remained a consistent force in cinema and TV with a dedicated fandom. Fans' continued admiration for the actor has paid off in spades, with Clive Owen giving his best performance in the limited series Monsieur Spade. A masterfully constructed mystery, we will examine why the underrated series is a must-watch TV.

'Monsieur Spade...

The speculation surrounding who will be chosen to play the next iteration of James Bond continues, with a Golden Globe winner now overtaking Kraven the Hunter star Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the new bookies' favorite. The Crown and Challengers actor Josh O’Connor is now the top choice to carry the mantle of 007 following Daniel Craig’s departure from the role in 2021’s No Time to Die.

According to data from British bookmaker Betfred, Josh O’Connor is now at 1/1 odds to be cast as James Bond in whatever shape the reboot takes, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson finding himself dropping down to third at 2/1, while The Gentlemen star Theo James takes second place at 6/4.

Long-time fan-favorite Henry Cavill is now a serious long shot, dropping all the way down to 16/1, with the likes of Gladiator 2 star Paul Mescal climbing the list at 5/1, while Happy Valley actor James Norton, Dunkirk star Jack Lowden, and...

Since the very beginnings of the genre, Britain has been the source of many a great detective story. In more recent times, we’ve seen the release of some amazing British crime shows, from Luther and Broadchurch to Sherlock, Happy Valley, and more. Appropriately, Netflix is home to a wide selection of British detective shows across a range of genres, from science fiction to noir, true crime to gritty fiction. That includes a number of great Harlan Coben adaptations as well that have brought record viewership numbers to the streamer. Read on to discover our selection of the best British detective shows you can stream on Netflix right now.

As awards season heats up, From Ground Zero, Palestine’s Oscar entry that’s on the shortlist for Best International Feature, debuts this weekend at about 70 AMC locations in top 20 markets and select arthouses including the Quad in New York and Laemmle Royal in Los Angeles.

The documentary from Watermelon Pictures is a series of 22 video diaries by Palestinian filmmakers commissioned and assembled by Gaza native Rashid Masharawi that show what it’s like on the ground in Gaza trying to survive and keep families safe, fed and sheltered amid Israeli bombardments. Mostly shying away from politics, From Ground Zero is a view of life in hellish conditions that also finds hope in small moments of normalcy. Masharawi, who currently lives in France, set up a fund early in the Israel-Hamas war to support filmmaking in Gaza.

Watermelon and parent MPI Media took a risk opening soon after Oscar shortlists were unveiled,...

King Charles III‘s New Year’s honors list has been unveiled, with Stephen Fry set to be knighted, and Carey Mulligan (Maestro), Happy Valley star Sarah Lancashire, Bad Sisters star Anne-Marie Duff and veteran actor Eddie Marsan (Supacell) also among the A-listers receiving honors.

At the end of each year, the reigning British monarch gets to name new members of the U.K.’s orders of chivalry, including knights, dames and commanders of the British Empire (Cbe); officers of the order of the British Empire (OBE); and members of the order of the British Empire (MBE), along with other honors.

The list of honorees for 2025 includes Fry getting a knighthood along with former England soccer national team manager Gareth Southgate and London mayor Sadiq Khan, among others.

Mulligan and Lancashire were among the people named CBEs for their contributions to drama. Meanwhile, Duff, Marsan and Inspector Morse actor Kevin Whately received OBE honors.

Actors Stephen Fry, Carey Mulligan and Sarah Lancashire, author and screenwriter Kazuo Ishiguro and executives Amanda Berry and Tim Richards are among the UK film industry figures recognised in this year’s New Year Honours list.

Among the 1,200 recipients in King Charles III’s list, Fry, whose recent film appearances include The Canterville Ghost, is awarded a Knighthood for his work on mental health awareness.

Mulligan, recently seen in Maestro and Saltburn, and Lancashire, best known from TV series Happy Valley, both receive CBEs for services to drama.

Richards, CEO of Vue Entertainment and until recently chair of the British Film Institute,...

Actors Stephen Fry, Carey Mulligan and Sarah Lancashire, author and screenwriter Kazuo Ishiguro and executives Amanda Berry and Tim Richards are among the UK film industry figures recognised in this year’s New Year Honours list.

Among the 1,200 recipients in King Charles III’s list, Fry, whose recent film appearances include The Canterville Ghost, is awarded a Knighthood for his work on mental health awareness.

Ishiguro, screenwriter on Living and author of the novels adapted in Never Let Me Go and The Remains Of The Day, is named a Companion of Honour, for services to literature.

Mulligan, recently seen in Maestro and Saltburn,...