HOLLYWOOD SPY

'MRS LOWRY & SON' TRAILER

WITH TIMOTHY SPALL'S EXTRAORDINARY PERFORMANCE

The film opens August 30th in UK

I must confess it is utterly magical, a play of two titans as they say in it - the first trailer for MRS LOWRY & SON drama movie, a true story of beloved British artist L.S. Lowry (Timothy Spall) who lived all his life with his over bearing mother Elizabeth (Vanessa Redgrave). Bed ridden and bitter, Elizabeth actively tried to dissuade her bachelor son from pursuing his artistic ambitions, whilst never failing to voice her opinion at what a disappointment he was to her. Spending his days as a rent collector, Lowry took art classes in the evening and painted well into the early hours of the morning. The film follows Lowry in the beginnings of his career as he yearns to transition into having his work appreciated in London and beyond. It becomes

This is Adrian Noble's only third direction in almost two decades after Importance of Being Earnest and A Midsummer Night's Dream

clear his disdainful mother is the ultimate obstacle to his success, not his lack of talent. However, Elizabeth is the very reason Lowry paints anything at all, as he desperately seeks to create something, anything, which will make her happy.

Andrew Lincoln will be the father of the Bloom family

ANDREW LINCOLN

JOINS PENGUIN BLOOM!

I remember that I announced this one some four or five years ago, but it seems PENGUIN BLOOM is finally moving on with production with Andrew Lincoln being cast next to already announced Naomi Watts who is producing the heart warming story based on the bestseller by Bradley Trevor Greive and Cameron Bloom.

PENGUIN BLOOM
is a true story of a unique little bird that saves a family. Cameron and Sam Bloom and their three boys were an everyday family until a shocking, near fatal accident left Sam paralysed. She fell from a balcony while on holiday in Thailand, and was left paralysed from the chest down. As the family struggled to adjust to her new situation, an unlikely ally entered their lives in the form of an injured Magpie chick which the Bloom clan called Penguin. The wild bird became a mascot for the family.

1ST 'THE KING' PHOTO

ARRIVES FROM NETFLIX!

Netflix has released the first photo from their historical movie THE KING which will premiere at Venice Film Festival this year starring Timothee

Timothee Chalamet leads the David Michod directed movie

Chalamet as Hal, a wayward prince, who ascends the English throne upon his father's death, and must navigate the palace snake pit, chaos and inherited

Joel Edgerton will play Sir Falstaff, Ben Mendelsohn is King Henry IV, Robert Pattinson is dauphin of France in the new historical movie.

war against France. The adaptation of a number of Shakespeare's plays also stars Ben Mendelsohn, Robert Pattinson, Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris!

'DANGEROUS LIAISONS'

TO BECOME SERIES AT STARZ

Although their recent Spanish Princess was a deeply embarrassing and equally painful affair, Starz is sticking to costume drama with a TV

The new adaptation will have eight episodes

series adaptation of DANGEROUS LIAISONS based on Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ 18th Century novel! Harriet Warner (The Alienist, Call the Midwife) will write and executive produce!

As 'Deadline' reports, it will follow the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, two narcissistic rivals and ex-lovers who use seduction to control and exploit others. It explores the world of the French aristocracy shortly before the French revolution. The series will tell the origin story of the early years of both characters when they meet as passionate young lovers in the slums of 18th century Paris. It will be told from the perspective of Merteuil! The sweeping, sexy and expensive eight part series will shoot in Czech Republic.

1ST 'ROMULUS' PHOTOS

FROM NEW ITALIAN EPIC SERIES

I don't know what exactly to tell you about recent Italian series, spylings, some were outstandingly brilliant (Medici: Masters of Florence), some

Andrea Arcangeli and Francesco Di Napoli play the lead roles

mediocre and poorly acted (Medici: The Magnificent), and some were a downright unwatchable excruciatingly painful crap (Name of the Rose), but

The series depicts the events that led to the foundation of Rome

maybe the latest historical series to come from Italy will be like the first one mentioned? Sky Italia has released the first photos for their new ten part series ROMULUS about the founder and first king of Rome.

THE LEGEND OF ROMULUS
Created by Matteo Rovere (who recently directed The First King movie of the same topic, but it looked so terribly cheap I opted not to write about it) the

Marianna Fontana takes the lead female role

drama will be shot in Latin starring Andrea Arcangeli, Marianna Fontana and Francesco Di Napoli.The series is set in eighth century B.C.,

The actors in the series don't really emit the B.C. era vibes!

in a primitive and brutal world in which man’s fate is decided by the merciless power of nature and the gods. It is the story of Romulus and his twin brother

ITV will handle international sales of the series

Remus, as seen through the eyes of three people marked by death, loneliness and violence: Iemos, Wiros and the young vestal Ilia.

1ST 'RADIOACTIVE' PHOTO

UNVEILS MARIE CURIE!

Not much to show you this boring Monday, beside the first photo of Rosamund Pike as Marie Kurie in RADIOACTIVE a story of the scientific and romantic passions of Marie and Pierre Curie, and the reverberation of

The film is based on a graphic novel by Lauren Redniss

their discoveries throughout the 20th century. Coming sometime next year, the film also stars Sam Riley as Piere, with Aneurin Barnard (as famous physicist Paul Langevin), Anya Taylor Joy also starring in the Marjane Satrapi directed drama.

STUART MARTIN TO LEAD

MISS SCARLET AND THE DUKE

Sky's beloved epic dramaJamestown has ended, as you know, this summer with a rather shocking finale, but despair not, spylings, some of our

Stuart Martin will take the role of The Duke

favourite stars have already booked themselves new gigs! Our dear Scotsman Stuart Martin (whose rise from Medici series to Jamestown, we've been proudly following for years) will take the lead role in new A&E Network period set series about the first female detective in the 19th century London MISS SCARLET AND THE DUKE as the duke himself next to Kate Phillips as Eliza Scarlet whose father dies and leaves her penniless in a time where marriage is her only option for financial security. But the headstrong Eliza is determined to find another way and takes over his private detective agency. But she needs a partner, so she hires detective Inspector William Wellington of Scotland Yard, who is also known as The

Kate Philips as Miss Scarlet, London's first 19th century lady detective

Duke, a drinker, gambler and womaniser. Eliza and Duke strike up a mismatched, fiery relationship and team up to solve crime in 1880’s London. Andrew Gower, Cathy Belton and Matthew Malone will also star!

MATT STOKOE IS GAWAIN

IN CURSED ARTHURIAN SERIES

Meanwhile, his fellow Jamestownian, the local blacksmith Matt Stokoe will remain in the close proximity to steel, only he won't be working it, but

Matt Stokoe will be Arthur's knight Gawain

wearing it as he is to don the armour of Sir Gawain in Netflix epic seriesCURSED which will follow Nimue, Lady of the Lake (Katherine Langford), who After her mother’s death, finds an unexpected partner in Arthur (Devon Terrell), a young mercenary, in a quest to find Merlin (Gustav Skarsgard) and deliver an ancient sword. Over the course of her journey, Nimue will become a symbol of courage and rebellion against the terrifying Red Paladins, and their complicit King Uther. Based on Tom Wheeler's yet to be released book, CURSED also stars Peter Mullan, Lily Newmark, Shalom Brune Franklin, Daniel Sharman, Sebastian Armesto, Emily Coates, Catherine Walker and Billy Jenkins.

OTHER JAMESTOWN STARS
While our favourite Jamestown doctor Ben Starr does not have any new gigs announced yet (although you've also watched him in Dickensian at BBC

Niamh Walsh and Ben Starr

and Knightfall at History and also in Medici as Donatello), gorgeous inkeeper Niamh Walsh will join another period set dramaTHE ENGLISH GAME on the invention of soccer next to Edward Holcroft, Henry Lloyd Hughes and another Jamestown star Ben Batt!

THE PALE HORSE SETS

RUFUS SEWELL AS THE LEAD

BBC has unveiled the cast for their latest Agatha Christie adaptation, two part series THE PALE HORSE produced by Mammoth Screen! The cast will be led by Rufus Sewell, Kaya Scodelario, Bertie Carvel, Sean Pertwee,

Kaya Scodelario and Rufus Sewell are leading the cast

Henry Lloyd-Hughes and Poppy Gilbert! Completing the cast are Rita Tushingham, Sheila Atim and Kathy Kiera Clarke as the trio of witches.

AGATHA CHRISTIE ADAPTATION
The series, which will also air on Amazon Prime, follows Mark Easterbrook (Rufus Sewell) as he tries to uncover the mystery of a list of names found in the shoe of a dead woman. His investigation leads him to the peculiar village

Henry Lloyd Hughes and Bertie Carvel are starring as well!

of Much Deeping, and The Pale Horse, the home of a trio of rumoured witches. Word has it that the witches can do away with wealthy relatives by means of the dark arts, but as the bodies mount up, Mark is certain there has to be a rational explanation.

FIRST 'SANDITON' TRAILER

FOR JANE AUSTEN ADAPTATION

It won't air soon, sometime later this Autumn or winter, but PBS and ITV have released first trailer for SANDITON series based on Jane Austen's unfinished novel. Rose Williams and Theo James star alongside Leo

Sanditon will air on ITV and on PBS Masterpiece later this year

Suter, Anne Reid and Kris Marshall in the eight part drama which tells the story of the impulsive, spirited and unconventional Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams), and her spiky relationship with the charming Sidney Parker (Theo James). When a chance accident transports her from her rural

Leo Suter joins Rose Williams in the new historical series

hometown of Willingden to a would-be coastal resort Sanditon, it exposes Charlotte to the intrigues and dalliances of a seaside town on the make. The drama takes viewers from the West Indies to the rotting alleys of London and exposes the hidden agendas of each character and sees Charlotte discover herself and ultimately find love.

FIRST '1917' TRAILER SENDS

A STELLAR CAST INTO TRENCHES!

First harrowing trailer has been released today for World War One drama 1917 directed by Sam Mendes and starring George Mackay, Richard Madden, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Daniel Mays, and

The movie was apparently filmed as one long shot!

Dean Charles Chapman, who together with Mackay plays two soldiers who are given an impossibly difficult, yet crucial mission: They must traverse enemy territory in a race against time and deliver a message that will stop an

The film will get a Christmas 2019 release ahead of the awards season

attack on hundreds of soldiers, who have no idea it's coming, and the brother of one of them is amongst them. Shot in England, the film will reach cinemas Christmas in USA, and then January (UK, Germany, Europe) and February (Russia) around the world.

'THE STARLING' COMEDY ADS

KEVIN KLINE NEXT TO MELISSA MCCARTHY AND CHRIS O'DOWD

Melissa McCarthy will lead The Starling

It's comedy all the way today, spylings, to cheer you up ahead of the scorching summer weekend! Kevin Kline and Timothy Olyphant have joined comedy drama movie THE STARLING in which hilarious Melissa McCarthy and equally funny Chris O'Dowd play a married couple trying to rebuild their relationship after suffering a tragedy. While the husband heads off to deal with his grief in recovery, Lily Maynard tries to heal in the real world, one that becomes surreal when she grows a beautiful garden in their backyard, only to find herself repeatedly attacked by a starling that has built a nearby nest. She turns to a psychiatrist turned veterinarian (to be played by Kevin Kline) with baggage all his own, and who tries to help Lily with her bird problem and who ends up making a larger impact on her life.

'SPACE OPERA' IS LIKE

INTERGALACTIC EUROSONG

Have you ever tried to envision legendary Eurovision Song Contest in space? That is what kinda happens in Catherynne M. Valente's sf novel

Space Opera will be adapted over at Universal

SPACE OPERA which will be adapted into a film over at Universal by Joe Epstein. The story centres around a fierce musical contest in outer space known as the Metagalactic Grand Prix. Part gladiatorial contest, part beauty pageant, part concert extravaganza and part continuation of the wars of the past, species far and wide compete in feats of song and dance. Those who place well are revered and those who fail face sudden extermination for their entire species. However, Earth just stumbled upon this new galaxy and, in an effort of diplomacy, decides to compete and sends Decibel Jones and the Absolute Zeroes to rep the planet as they roll the dice on their fate.

SEXTUPLETS TRAILER IN WHICH

MARLON WAYANS PLAYS THEM ALL

Sextuplets hit Netflix in two weeks!

Netflix has, meanwhile, released the trailer for their hilarious comedy movie SEXTUPLETS in which Marlon Wayans plays all six main characters! The story follows Alan, who grew up thinking he was an only child. Ahead of welcoming his first kid, he goes in search of his birth mother and learns the truth: he’s not an only child… not by a long shot. Wayans also plays Alan’s sister and every single one of his four brothers: Russell (who helps Alan learn of their sextuplet status), Ethan (who can smell that “Republican money”), Baby Pete (the name matches his stature), Dawn (an exotic dancer about to be released from prison), and Jaspar (seemingly, the intellectual of the siblings). The comedy is out August 16th!

TOM HUGHES JOINS SEASON 2

OF A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES!

Good news for all of you ladies who enjoyed the first season of A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES series: beside Matthew Goode, whom you already fell in love with, you will now have another popular hunk to swoon

Tom Hughes will be Kit Marlowe in the second season

over in the second season: Victoria's Tom Hughes will play famous playwright Kit Marlowe in the second season of Sky's series about a young scholar at Oxford who is a descendant of the Salem witches. When she accidentally unlocks an enchanted manuscript, she is compelled to embrace the magic in her blood and enters a forbidden romance with charming 1,500-year-old vampire Matthew. When the series continues, Diana and Matthew will be hiding in the treacherous world of Elizabethan London, where they must find a powerful witch teacher to help Diana control her magic and search for the elusive Book of Life. Based on Deborah Harkness books, the series also aired on AMC in USA. Good news is that, after a rather dull and sloppy first season, the second will have new writers!

GAL GADOT TO TOPLINE

HEDY LAMARR MINI TV SERIES

Gal Gadot is also producing the mini series

Over at Showtime, it has been announced yesterday that Gal Gadot will portray famous classic Hollywood diva HEDY LAMARR in a mini television series about her life. As 'Deadline' reports, born in Austria, Lamarr started her career in Czechoslovakia in the early 1930s before leaving her husband, a wealthy Austrian ammunition manufacturer, and moving to Paris. In London, she met Metro Goldwyn-Mayer studio head Louis B. Mayer, who offered her a movie contract in Hollywood where she will star in many films, Samson and Delilah among others. Real name Hedwig Kiesler, she also was an inventor. At the beginning of World War II, she and composer George Antheil developed a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes, which used spread spectrum and frequency. Aspects of their work were incorporated into Bluetooth technology and WiFi.

'THE NEVERS' FANTASY SAGA

CASTS VICTORIAN LADIES AND GENTS WITH SUPER POWERS

James Norton is Lord Hugo Swann

Earlier this week HBO has revealed the main cast for their new period set science fiction series THE NEVERS which will be headlined by two of our favourite British boys War and Peace's James Norton and Davinci's Demons'Tom Riley. Coming from Firefly and Avengers creator Joss Whedon, who will write it, direct it and produce it, it will be an epic science fiction drama about a gang of Victorian women called The Touched, who find themselves with unusual abilities, relentless enemies, and a mission that might change the world. Here's the cast:

Laura Donnelly will be Amalia True, the most reckless, impulsive, emotionally damaged hero of her time. A menace to stuffy Victorian society,

Tom Riley is Lord Augustus Bidlow

she would die for the cause and kill for a drink.

Olivia Williams is Lavinia Bidlow, a wealthy spinster and champion of the “Touched”,who funds the Orphanage (where Amalia and many of the Touched live) through her vast family fortune. She is stern and old fashioned, but as strong willed and clever as anyone she confronts.

James Norton is Hugo Swan, a pansexual posh boy whose charm has about five years left on its lease. He runs a secret club and a side trade in blackmail. He’s devoted to fulfilling everyone’s worst impression of him – and fascinated by the Touched.

Tom Riley is Augustus “Augie” Bidlow, a sweet, disarming nerd and Lavinia’s younger brother. A keen ornithologist, Augie is happy to let his older sister

Eleanor Tomlinson is Mary Brighton

take the reins of the family fortune. He finds the Touched unnerving, but is drawn to them by his increasing infatuation with Miss Adair, and by the schemes of his nefarious best friend, Hugo.

Ann Skelly is Penance Adair, Amalia’s dearest friend, and one of the first women to join her cause, a devout, yet heretically progressive, Irish girl, who has genius for invention. She is delighted by her power, and her default is love and acceptance. But she’s firm in her moral sense, and will be guided by what’s right over what’s expedient every time.

Ben Chaplin is Detective Frank Mundi, gruff, and deeply moral, he trusts no one, least of all himself: his reputation for sudden violence (and excessive drink) is not unwarranted. Frank finds

Laura Donnelly is Amalia True, the main protagonist!

himself caught between the powerful, who ignore the the laws of the land, and newly empowered, who ignore the laws of physics.

Death and Nightingales' Ann Skelley is Penance Adair

Poldark star Pip Torrens is Lord Massen – Staunch, unflappable and merciless in his defense of the British Empire, this former General, now Peer, may be the only man who sees clearly what havoc these few strange people can wreak upon the established order. Which he will protect, one way or another.

Nick Frost is Declan Orrun, aka The Beggar King, charismatic and brutal, he runs – or has a piece of – most of the low level criminal activity in the city. He’s perfectly happy to help Amalia – and equally happy to sell them out. He backs winners, and the Touched are long odds.

Rochelle Neil is Annie Carbey, aka Bonfire, a career criminal who landed the ability to control fire and is happy to hire it out. Came up rough, stayed

Olivia Williams is the funder of the Touched, Lady Lavinia Bidlow

that way, but she’s neither impulsive nor cruel just looking out for herself. No matter who she works with or for, Annie trusts only Annie, and the fire.

Ben Chaplin is gruff detective Frank Mundi!

Eleanor Tomlinson is Mary Brighton, gentle but surprisingly resilient, she pursued her dream of singing on stage. A disappointing career and a broken engagement haven’t diminished her spirit. She’s going to be great. She’s going to be very surprised how.

Rochelle Neil will portray firethrowing Bonfire Annie Carbey

Denis O’Hare is Dr. Edmund Hague, a gifted American surgeon who uses his skills in the coldest, most brutal way possible. But it’s all in the name of progress!

'CURSED' EPIC SAGA ADS

BELLA DAYNE AS VIKING CAPTAIN

Bella Dayne will be the Viking Captain

The latest one to join Netflix ten episode epic TV series based on Arthurian legends CURSED is Bella Dayne whom you remember as Helen in BBC's scandalously atrocious Troy: Fall of a City series. She joins Katherine Langford, Devon Terrell, Gustaf Skarsgard, Peter Mullan and Matt Stokoe in the series that sees Langford playing Nimue, Lady of the Lake, who after her mother’s death, finds an unexpected partner in Arthur (Devon Terrell), a young mercenary, in a quest to find Merlin (Gustav Skarsgard) and deliver an ancient sword!

Bella Dayne will play Red Spear, a regal and ruthless Viking captain, with an eye for treasure. Loyal to no one, the Red Spear and her crew raid villages along the coast of Britain until a Fey stowaway boards her ship and entangles their fates. I've recently shown you first photos from the series which will hit the small screens next year.

'THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS'

KINDLY RELEASES FIRST POSTER

You can also check out the first poster for Lone Scherfig's (she both directs and writes) drama THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS which is out in Europe this December with a number of well known names in the cast: Bill

The film first premiered at Berlin Film Festival to rather poor reviews, which, at least judging from the clips over at You Tube, could be true!

Nighy, Tahar Rahim, Jay Baruchel, Caleb Landry Jones, all star in a story of four people suffering through the worst crises of their lives. The film was shown at Berlin Film Festival this year.

'THE STAND' SF SERIES CAST

AMBER HEARD & JAMES MARSDEN

Two pieces of news today from the sf front that I'm a bit late in reporting! The TV series adaptation of Stephen King's THE STAND which will air over at CBS All Access is rounding up the cast. After James Marsden, the

Amber Heard will lead the cast with Marsden

latest additions are Amber Heard, Odessa Young and Henry Zaga! It has also been revealed that King will write a new ending of his story just for the show!

THE STAND
is set in a world decimated by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil. The fate of mankind rests on the frail shoulders of the 108 year old other Mother Abagail and a handful of survivors.

James Marsden will be Stu Redman, an ordinary working class factory man in an extraordinary situation with a damaged quality to him that belies his exterior. Amber Heard will be Nadine Cross, a deeply conflicted woman who feels the consequences of her actions, but is still compelled by her allegiance to Randall Flagg, the Dark Man who is the main enemy of the survivors. Odessa Young is Frannie Goldsmith, a pregnant young woman navigating a strange new world, who also has the

Henry Zaga has also been cast in The Stand sf series

foresight to recognize that there is evil lurking beyond the Dark Man. Henry Zaga will be Nick Andros, a young deaf and mute man who finds himself in a position of authority when the unthinkable happens. He has a habit of risking his own well-being for the safety of others.

'HALO' EPIC TV ADAPTATION

BOARDS NATASCHA MCELHONE

Natascha McElhone has join Halo

Over at Showtime, they are also continuing with the casting for their epic sf series adaptation of HALO video game. Natascha McElhone has been set as the lead opposite Pablo Schreiber in the series that will depict an epic 26th century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant. McElhone will play both Dr. Catherine Halsey, the brilliant, conflicted and inscrutable creator of the Spartan super soldiers and Cortana, the most advanced AI in human history, and potentially the key to the survival of the human race. Bokeem Woodbine will play Soren-066, a morally complex privateer at the fringes of human civilization. Shabana Azmi will be Admiral Margaret Parangosky, the head of the Office of Naval Intelligence. Bentley Kalu will play Spartan Vannak-134, a cybernetically augmented super soldier conscripted at childhood who serves as the defacto deputy to the Master Chief. Natasha Culzac will be Spartan Riz-028, a focused, professional and deadly, cybernetically enhanced killing machine. Kate Kennedy is Spartan Kai-125, an all-new courageous, curious and deadly Spartan supersoldier.

'HIGH STRUNG FREE DANCE'

DREAM BIG, DANCE FREE

It's August, people, Hollywood is mostly sleeping, so your spy is going to entertain you today with some dance. Not me dancing, god forbid, just two dance movies coming up soon! HIGH STRUNG FREE DANCE is currently

Jane Seymour also stars in the dance movie

playing in Germany and will dance its way into US cinemas this October.

Zander Raines, a dazzling young choreographer (Thomas Doherty) gives the break of a lifetime to two hopeful artists when he casts a stunning contemporary dancer, Barlow and innovative pianist, Charlie (Harry Jarvis) in New York's most anticipated new Broadway show: Free Dance. But the move throws off the show's delicate creative balance when Charlie falls hard for Barlow (Juliet Doherty) while Zander embraces her as his muse. The emotions run hot igniting a roller coaster of impassioned rivalry, romance and determination. The question is, how much are these talented artists willing to risk for love?

'LET'S DANCE'

ALL THE WAY TO PARIS!

There's also a French dance movie that has been playing around Europe throughout this year LET'S DANCE with Rayane Bensetti as Joseph, passionate dancer of hip-hop, who refuses to enter the company of his father

Let's Dance already played in French cinemas this March

in order to try his luck in Paris. With his girlfriend Emma and his best friend Karim, he joins the Paris crew of Yuri, a famous breaker, to try to win an international competition of hip-hop.

CORRIDOR OF IMMORTALITY

BASED ON THE TRUE STORY OF HEROISM OF LENINGRAD

The only thing I have for you today is Russian historical drama THE CORRIDOR OF IMMORTALITY (Коридор бессмертия), directed by Fyodor Popov, which aired in Russian cinemas a few months ago. It follows

The film aired in Russian cinemas earlier this May

Leningrad schoolgirl Masha Yablochkina who, after the fierce winter blockade of 1941-1942 (when her hometown lost one million citizens to starvation, cold and bombardments under the siege of German and Finnish Nazis), trying to survive and gain strength, comes to the Russian railways and is sent to the construction of the Shlisselburg train line, which connects the city with the rest of the land and is in direct sight of German artillery. Under the guidance of machinist Georgy Fedorov, Masha and the rest of the heroes deliver cargo to besieged Leningrad, using all sorts of tricks to prevent the shelling of trains. The film reveals little known facts about the construction (mainly by women, as men were in war, and under constant shelling) and operation of the railway,

Artyom Alekseev and Darya Ekamasova play the lead roles

which took the brunt of the transportation and delivered 75% of military equipment and food to the besieged city for years. A 33 kilometer railway was laid along the left bank of the Neva and the southern coast of Lake Ladoga between the stations of Shlisselburg and Polyany in 17 days and worked until the city was completely liberated in January 1944.

'BARBARIANS' INVITES

TOM CULLEN, WILL KEMP, IWAN RHEON TO DINNER

Well, this will certainly be a hunky cast: as Screendaily reports director Charlie Dorfman has rounded up a cast for his debut thriller movie BARBARIANS for which he already wrote the script himself. Knightfall star

Iwan Rheon and Tom Cullen will dine among the Barbarians!

Tom Cullen, Reign star Will Kemp, Game of Thrones star Iwan Rheon together with Connor Swindells, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Tommy McDonnell will all star in the film which already started shooting in United Kingdom this week.

AN UNSETTLING PARTY
The story of the new British movie is set at a dinner party in a country house that sees four friends come together for a birthday celebration. But as the

Connor Swindells and Will Kemp will also arrive to the dinner!

night progresses secrets emerge and unsettling events begin to unfold around them. Stay tuned for more news on the project this year!

'VIOLET' INDIE DRAMA

OLIVIA MUNN TO HEAR JUSTIN THEROUX'S VOICE IN HER HEAD

Well, we've all heard of people who hear voices in their heads and sometimes even turn to them for the guidance of their inner helpers, but what if that voice isn't giving you good advices but becomes your enemy? Something like that will be the story of VIOLET, a new comedy drama in which Olivia Munn plays a rising film executive who lives according to the Voice (Justin

Olivia Munn and Jason Dohring will star in Violet movie

Theroux) in her head, until unexpectedly realizing the truth – it’s been lying about everything. Veronica Mars star Jason Dohring will play a partner at Phoenix Circle Films who has a strong and productive film making

Justin Theroux and Luke Bracey round up the male part of the cast

relationship with Violet, having funded many of her films, while Zachary Gordon will play a young film executive who’s accustomed to other people doing his work — which means his boss, Violet, picks up his slack. Laura San Giacomo, Bonnie Bedelia, Luke Bracey will also star.

'DETECTIVE ANNA'

FROM 19TH CENTURY MOSCOW!

You can catch Anna over at Amazon Prime

I forgot to mention this one before, but better late than never, especially as you can still catch the first season (a mammoth one with more than 50 episodes) of Russian period set series DETECTIVE ANNA over at Amazon Prime! Shot in 2016 and 2017, it stars young and captivating Aleksandra Nikiforova as a nineteenth century female detective in Imperial Russia! A whole little town was constructed for the purpose of the shooting near Moscow with streets filled with shops, palaces, mansions. A TV movie which would answer everything that was left unanswered after the end of the series was also announced, and

The series aired for a whole consecutive year at Russian television

earlier last winter Russian national television also started airing prequel series THE SECRETS OF MRS KIRSANOVA starring Olga Lerman. I might spotlight that one soon as well! The character of Anna is based on a real

A whole city with palaces, shops and a police station was built for the series

person, Russian noblewoman, religious philosopher, occultist and spiritualist Elena Blavatsky who, in the second half of the 19th century, founded the Theosophical Society. Many contemporaries considered her clairvoyant!

THE STORY OF THE SERIES
Nineteen year old Anna, living at the end of the nineteenth century in the town of Zatonsk, unexpectedly discovers that she possesses supernatural powers.

Aleksandra Nikiforova plays the lead role of clairvoyant Anna

The spirits of the dead literally haunt her, begging to help. Aided by her visions, Anna manages to investigate and solve a number of mysterious crimes

I think that you can also find most of the episodes at YouTube

which have baffled the police. An experienced detective, 37 year old Yakov Shtolman (Dmitriy Frid), who chances to visit the town, teams up with Anna and becomes her partner in hunting down criminals.

BBC'S 'A SUITABLE BOY' SETS

CAST FOR ALL INDIAN DRAMA

Beecham House is finished (and I really don't think it is coming back), but do not despair, spylings, we shall have another India set series to satisfy our needs for exotic places next year. As I've already announced, BBC is preparing

Ishaan Khattar will play the lead male role

A SUITABLE BOY six part series and now they've revealed the all Indian cast! Vikram Seth's novel will be adapted by Andrew Davies and Mira Nair, with the cast led by Bollywood actor Ishaan Khattar, Indian screen star Tabu and rising star Tanya Maniktala in the central role of Lata.

A SUITABLE BOY

tells the story of spirited university student Lata (Tanya Maniktala); coming of age in North India in 1951 at the same time as the country is carving out its own identity as an independent nation and is about to go to the polls for its first democratic general election. It is a vast, panoramic tale charting the fortunes of four large families and exploring India and its rich and varied culture at a crucial point in its history. Lata’s mother is determined to find her a husband - A SUITABLE BOY - but Lata, torn between family duty and the excitement of romance, embarks on her own, epic journey of love and self discovery. Connected to Lata through their siblings’

Tabu and Tanya Maniktala will take on the female leads

marriage, the wayward Maan (Ishaan Khatter) is determined to enjoy life to the full whatever the consequences, much to the concern of his politician father. But could his infatuation with beautiful courtesan Saaeda Bai (Tabu) be one step too far? Their stories play out during a tumultuous period for India and reflect the wider conflict between tradition and modernity at the time, as the election looms and the country decides its destiny.

'CHARLEMAGNE' SERIES

COMING FROM MICHAEL HIRST?

I must admit Quibi, the upcoming new short video platform, confuses me as they keep ordering scripted series, but the news today is that they've just

Michael Hirst will write the series

ordered CHARLE MAGNE epic series from Tudors and Vikings creator Michael Hirst. The story of the new series will be based on the 8th century wild life of Charles the Great, king of the Franks, king of the Lombards and the emperor of the Romans, who united Western Europe in Early Middle Ages amidst navigating a salacious, complicated personal life. He was married at least four times, had three illegitimate sons and has spent more than fifty years ruling as king or emperor. Of course, I'm not sure how much we can trust this would see the light of the day as Hirst has announced so many projects in recent years and none of them has happened in the end, from Vikings spin off, then The Caesars, to new Doctor Zhivago.

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TUDORS AND VIKINGS CREATOR MICHAEL HIRST TO PRODUCE NEW EPIC SERIES ON CHARLEMAGNE!