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Dune: Prophecy is an upcoming sci-fi series based on Frank Herbert’s Dune universe and serves as a loose prequel to Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 film adaptation. It explores the origins of the Bene Gesserit, a society of women with mysterious and supernatural abilities who have a large influence on the world’s politics.

Emily Watson plays Valya Harkonnen in Dune: Prophecy (Credit: HBO).

In the series, actress Emily Watson plays Valya Harkonnen, leader of the Sisterhood. During an interview, Watson opened up about her role in the upcoming series and revealed taking inspiration from an iconic Star Wars actor. As a result, Watson and the late actor have more in common than meets the eye, and here is everything you need to know in that regard.

Dune: Prophecy‘s Emily Watson Talked Taking Inspiration From Alec Guinness’ Star Wars Role

Actress Emily Watson is set to play Valya Harkonnen in the upcoming series Dune: Prophecy.

The Day of the Jackal has hit the target for Sky.

Eddie Redmayne’s glossy assassin series premiered last Thursday in the UK and has tracked down 3M viewers in seven days.

Sky said this figure, which includes repeats and streaming on Now, makes The Day of the Jackal its highest-rated original on record.

The Carnival Films drama, based on the Frederick Forsyth novel of the same name, beat Fortitude (2.5M), Gangs of London (1.75M), and Chernobyl (1.4M).

Co-starring Lashana Lynch, and Úrsula Corberó, the series has also topped the premiere episodes of HBO originals The Last of Us (2.6M) and The House of the Dragon Season 2 (1.75M).

The rating is a big win for Sky Studios CEO Cécile Frot-Coutaz, who has refocused the Comcast-owned unit on fewer and more impactful series since joining in 2021.

Sky made five episodes of The Day of the Jackal available to UK audiences,...

To prepare for her starring role in “Dune Prophecy,” a sci-fi series set thousands of years in the future, Emily Watson turned to the Tudor dynasty. She spent hours at London’s National Portrait Gallery looking at paintings of Queen Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, and Anne Boleyn, women who, at least for a time, learned to successfully navigate a society dominated by men.

“It’s amazing to gaze at these portraits of these quietly powerful, terrifying women,” Watson says, during an interview at HBO’s Hudson Yards offices last month. “They don’t give too much away — they’re sort of ciphers, which gives them this sense of control. And you think about how they were surrounded by intrigue while living in this incredibly brutal, paranoid police state. Everybody in their life either wanted to kill them or or marry them.”

In many cases, both fates awaited them.

Signature Entertainment has released the official UK trailer for Reawakening, the latest British psychological thriller from BAFTA-nominated writer-director Virginia Gilbert. Set to launch on digital platforms on 18th November, the film stars Jared Harris, Juliet Stevenson, and Erin Doherty in a haunting story that explores the devastating effects of grief and the complexities of familial bonds strained by tragedy.

Reawakening follows John (Harris) and Mary (Stevenson), a couple whose lives have been consumed by grief since their daughter, Clare, vanished without a trace a decade earlier. When Clare (Doherty) suddenly reappears, Mary is overcome with relief and joy, eager to reconnect with the daughter she thought she had lost forever. But John remains sceptical, suspecting that the young woman who has returned is not their Clare. As the couple’s opposing emotions clash, the story delves into a dark mystery, testing the limits of love, memory, and trust.

Virginia Gilbert...

The actor on making a ‘cracker’ of a film with Cillian Murphy, the new female-led Dune TV series, and knowing when to give people the shark eyes

The British actor Emily Watson made one of the outstanding film debuts when she starred in Lars Von Trier’s Breaking the Waves in 1996, aged 29. She was Oscar-nominated for that role, then again two years later for playing the cellist Jacqueline du Pré in Hilary and Jackie. She is known for her fierce, fearless performances: she won a Bafta for her part as a social worker in Appropriate Adult, ITV’s 2011 Fred West drama, and received Emmy and Golden Globe nods for the Sky Atlantic miniseries Chernobyl. Watson is 57 and lives in south London with her husband and two children.

When you got an Oscar nomination for your first film, did you find it a lot to take in?

I was very, very...

The desire to blend reality and fiction in film predates the Found Footage genre by literal decades, with classics like The Legend of Boggy Creek and even the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre dipping their toes into documentary-inspired filmmaking long before in-universe-cameras became popular.

Of course, it was only after The Blair Witch Project that creators would realize both the creative and financial potential of making movies like this – and when it comes to lucrative Pov thrills, very few could compete with Oren Peli and his DIY Paranormal Activity franchise. For over a decade, these films dominated the box-office with formulaic yet consistently entertaining scares made on a budget, with their success allowing the programmer-turned-filmmaker to invest in other spooky projects. And while I’ve already covered Peli’s over-hated Area 51 on a previous edition of The Silver Lining, today we’ll be discussing one of his most unique...

Jared Harris is going full circle and returning to the Royal Shakespeare Company for the first time in 34 years to play Claudius, the treacherous uncle in Hamlet. It is a play much-loved by his father Richard Harris, who played Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies and Marcus Aurelius in Ridley Scott’s original 2000 Gladiator.

Harris said that when he and his brothers, thespian Jamie and director Damien, were kids, their stage-struck parents — dad Richard and mum Elizabeth Rees-Williams — would sit around the dinner table and discuss the productions they’d seen and “Dad would actually get up from the table and act them out for us boys.”

His father “adored” Hamlet and many of Shakespeare’s other plays. “I saw his version of [Laurence] Olivier’s death scene in Coriolanus quite a few times,” he chuckles from his hotel room in Iceland, where he’s shooting...

Netflix has revealed the official trailer and key art for the spy thriller Black Doves, which will premiere globally on December 5, 2024. The streaming service previously confirmed that the series will return for a second season.

The trailer features new music from award-winning British singer Raye, who has recorded a cover of Nancy Sinatra’s “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down).” This song will be featured throughout the first season of Black Doves.

Set against the backdrop of London at Christmas, Black Doves is a sharp, action-filled, and heartfelt story of friendship and sacrifice. It follows Helen Webb (Keira Knightley), a quick-witted, down-to-earth, dedicated wife and mother — and professional spy.

For 10 years, she’s been passing on her politician husband’s secrets to the shadowy organization she works for: the Black Doves.

When her secret lover Jason (Andrew Koji) is assassinated, her spymaster, the enigmatic Reed (Sarah Lancashire), calls in...

Keira Knightley is a spy now.

The actress will lead Netflix’s “Black Doves,” created by Joe Barton, opposite Ben Whishaw. It marks the actress’ first live-action TV role since she first rose to fame in “Bend It Like Beckham” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” as a teenager. Whishaw was last seen on TV screens on the BBC/AMC 2022 hit “This Is Going to Hurt.”

“‘Black Doves’ is a very exciting spy thriller set at Christmas in London,” Knightley said at a Netflix event earlier this year. The first season will contain six episodes, and Netflix has already renewed it for a second season (so: It sure feels like a cliffhanger is coming).

Per a press release, “Set against the backdrop of London at Christmas, ‘Black Doves’ is a sharp, action-filled, and heartfelt story of friendship and sacrifice. It follows Helen Webb (Keira Knightley), a quick-witted, down-to-earth, dedicated wife and mother — and professional spy.

Mark Lewis Jones and Nia Roberts have joined the cast of upcoming S4C/Sundance Now anthology series “Still Waters” (“Y Golau:Dŵr” in Welsh).

It is the second instalment of the Welsh psychological thriller, which starred Sian Reese-Williams, following “The Light In The Hall” (“Y Golau”).

Reese-Williams (“Wolf”) returns for the second chapter of the six-episode season, which will be filmed in both English and Welsh. She will also be joined by Robert Glenister (“Spooks”), Tom Rhys Harries (“White Lines”) and Maeve Courtier-Lilley (“The Red King”).

Written and created by Regina Moriarty (“Murdered By My Boyfriend”), the new season picks up two years after the first, with Caryl Huws (Reese-Williams) still living in Llanemlyn. But she’s decided to start a new life, retraining as a journalist.

Her first story is one that immediately leads her into a mystery. Fascinated with the newly announced expansion of the local reservoir, she stumbles across an old case,...

Max (formerly HBO Max) was often called the place for best TV and streaming shows. Well, Colin Farrell’s The Penguin is exactly there, to prove that very point!

Colin Farrell in a still from The Penguin | Credits: DC Studios

Although people know that Farrell’s The Penguin has reached new heights of fame for its awesomeness, they don’t know exactly how much. That’s why we are here. To tell you just how iconic the show is.

Fans Fell In Love With Colin Farrell Back in 2022

Back in 2022, the world was introduced to the grim and dark world of Gotham City in Matt Reeves’ iconic film The Batman. Starring Robert Pattinson in the lead role, the film featured Colin Farrell as The Penguin.

Colin Farrell portrayed the role of the Penguin in The Batman | Credits: DC Films

At that moment, the world knew that Farrell’s Penguin was something different.

Chernobyl was a masterpiece of a project for many reasons. On top of the mastery of its makers and its actors, the series had one thing that made it bone-chillingly horrifying; it was a dramatization of real-life events. True events continue to haunt humanity as a whole. With this, the series was able to focus on every minute detail and hypnotize audiences, despite only consisting of five episodes.

A still from Chernobyl | Credit: Max

With this in mind, it is not surprising that the 2019 series was extremely critically acclaimed. Not only did it have a 95% rating on Rotton Tomatoes, but the show has also been labeled one of the best series of all time. Considering how much acclaim the project has gotten, it has naturally broken several records.

One record, among these, hasn’t even been touched by Steven Spielberg’s Band of Brothers, despite being in the same categories as Craig Mazin’s series.

Netflix has announced the premiere date for the spy thriller Black Doves alongside a first look at the series starring Keira Knightley, Ben Whishaw, and Sarah Lancashire.

Black Doves Season 1 will premiere globally on Netflix on December 5, 2024. The streaming service has already confirmed that the series will return for a second season.

Set against the backdrop of London at Christmas, Black Doves is a sharp, action-filled, and heartfelt story of friendship and sacrifice. It follows Helen Webb (Keira Knightley), a quick-witted, down-to-earth, dedicated wife and mother — and professional spy.

For 10 years, she’s been passing on her politician husband’s secrets to the shadowy organization she works for: the Black Doves.

When her secret lover Jason (Andrew Koji) is assassinated, her spymaster, the enigmatic Reed (Sarah Lancashire), calls in Helen’s old friend Sam (Ben Whishaw) to keep her safe.

Together, Helen and Sam set off on a mission to...

“Black Doves,” a spy thriller starring Keira Knightley, is set to premiere on Netflix on Dec. 5.

Set against the backdrop of London at Christmas, the series follows Knightley as Helen Webb, a a quick-witted, down-to-earth, dedicated wife and mother — and professional spy – who has been passing on her politician husband’s secrets for 10 years to a shadowy organization she works: The Black Doves.

When her secret lover Jason (Andrew Koji) is assassinated, her spymaster, the enigmatic Reed (Sarah Lancashire), calls in Helen’s old friend Sam (Ben Whishaw) to keep her safe. Together, Helen and Sam set off on a mission to investigate who killed Jason and why, leading them to uncover a vast, interconnected conspiracy linking the murky London underworld to a looming geopolitical crisis.

(Netflix/Ludovic Robert)

Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw in “Black Doves”

(Netflix/Ludovic Robert)

Sarah Lancashire in “Black Doves”

(Netflix/Ludovic Robert)

Keira Knightley...

Today, Starz and BritBox launched a complementary bundle that allows new customers the ability to access both digital platforms easily from a single subscription through the Starz site. A first-of-its-kind for the platform, the offering provides customers with a seamless way to access the vast, premium libraries of both networks.

The launch coincides with the debut of new series from Starz and BritBox, offering audiences access to Starz’s extensive lineup of premium action, thriller, and female-driven programming alongside BritBox’s expertly curated selection of classic and contemporary British television.

“Partnerships have always been key for us as a complementary premium service, and we are excited to now offer bundles through our own retail platform,” said Alison Hoffman, President of Starz Networks. “We believe this expanded offering adds value for adult audiences seeking prestige, high-quality premium programming and provides an incredibly seamless and low-friction consumer experience.”

“It’s a transformative time in the industry,...

Angel Studios has added “Brave the Dark,” a true story inspirational drama, to its 2025 release slate. The film will hit theaters on January 24, 2025.

The film is based on the true story of co-writer Nathaniel Deen, who took the last name of the teacher Stan Deen, who changed his life. The film stars “Chernobyl” Emmy nominee Jared Harris as Stan, who sees Nathan (Nicholas Hamilton) arrested outside his classroom.

Determined to help Nathan turn his life around, Stan finds the teenager living alone in his car. Their encounter challenges Stan’s convictions as they embark on a life-changing journey together.

Angel Studios burst onto the theatrical scene with the 2023 indie smash hit “Sound of Freedom,” which grossed $250 million at the global box office. Since then, the studio has rolled out plans to release 4-6 films per year, with most set around major holiday release periods.

Among the films “Brave the Dark...

HBO brings some great dramas that focus on historical events. Chernobyl is a five-part miniseries that told us of the events during and after the real nuclear disaster.

Of course, when the Chernobyl disaster happened, the Soviet Union would try to hide it all. It ended up being one of the biggest disasters at the time, showing the realities of radiation not just to those in the immediate vicinity, but those around the disaster.

The series then focused on the clean-up efforts, while people looked to figure out what really happened that night. Not only was this important to help people in need, but it was essential to prevent it from happening again. Chernobyl offers us a mixture of drama and history. There are many shows just like it, and here are five to watch next.

Band of Brothers

The first to check out is another that was a HBO drama.

Step Into The Walking Dead: Dead City, a gloriously gruesome and gripping new spinoff from one of television’s best-loved franchises. Breathing fresh life into the undead, the brand-new series sees show favourites Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen) and Lauren Cohan (The Boy, The Vampire Diaries) reprise their roles as Negan and Maggie, only this time, their apocalyptic adventures take them into the heart of a zombie-infested Big Apple.

The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 1 is a must-watch for fans old and new and with a second series on the horizon, now is the perfect time to discover this new incarnation as it arrives on Blu-ray, DVD and digital on 7th October 2024 courtesy of Acorn Media International, following its transmission on Sky Max.

Picking up many years after The Walking Dead left off, Maggie (Cohan) is the brave and fearless leader of her own community and spends her days trying to...

When the live-action adaptation of The Last of Us hit the streamer, HBO didn’t just birth a miracle. The dystopian apocalyptic series went above and beyond the expectations of a world deprived of moderately good content after decades of witnessing the likes of Mortal Kombat: Annihilation and Assassin’s Creed.

The Last of Us [Credit: HBO]

From Super Mario Bros. – the very first video game to live-action adaptation released in 1993 to Borderlands – the latest one to hit the big screen, critics and audiences have mercilessly trolled the genre due to the studios’ inability to get it right. There exists an inherent difficulty in juxtaposing the two entirely separate media of film and gaming together in a way that would satisfy the attachment of hardcore gaming fans while also serving the taste of cinephiles.

HBO’s The Last of Us cracked the secret code that balanced the two extremes and Neil Druckmann finally reveals how.

WaterTower Music has today announced the release of the Joker: Folie à Deux score, which features 19 tracks from Todd Phillips’ anticipated sequel, arriving in theaters on October 4. The soundtrack is available now digitally and Vinyl/ CD formats are available for pre-order.

Additionally, up for pre-order on vinyl and CD will be the original Joker score and Live! with Murray Franklin.

The Joker: Folie à Deux score reteams composer Hildur Guðnadóttir with writer/director/producer Todd Phillips following their collaboration on the latter’s 2019 blockbuster Joker, which earned more than $1 billion at the global box office and an Academy Award, Golden Globe, Grammy, and BAFTA award for Guðnadóttir.

For Phillips, the decision to bring her back to compose the music for Joker: Folie à Deux was an easy one. “There was no version of this film where we weren’t calling Hildur to do the score. I think her music is...

Depending on your viewing preferences, the name Jared Harris might either be instantly recognizable or not as familiar. Harris has delivered standout performances in projects like Mad Men, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, The Terror, and Chernobyl, establishing himself as a well-known figure, even if his name doesn’t immediately come to mind.

Harris is primarily known for his serious roles in both film and theatre, and he has often been critical of commercial movies, including comic book adaptations—despite appearing in one himself.

In Morbius, Harris portrayed Dr. Emil Nicholas, a role that stands out as an unusual choice in his career, given his typical work. Since he rarely takes on such roles, he was asked in a recent interview with British magazine iNews to share the reasoning behind his decision to join the Morbius cast.

Dr. Emil Nicholas serves as a supporting character in the series, but...

Depending on what type of content you like, the name Jared Harris might be very familiar, but also not that familiar. Jared Harris played some memorable roles in his career – such as those in Mad Men, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, The Terror, and Chernobyl – and he is definitely a brand name, whether you recognize him immediately or not.

At the same time, Jared Harris is a very serious actor and his career is mostly restricted to serious roles on the screen and in the theatre. He is also quite critical of a lot of commercial movies, including comic book adaptations, despite the fact that he actually appeared in one comic book movie himself.

Harris appeared as Dr. Emil Nicholas in Jared Leto’s Morbius, a role that seemed a one-off for Harris and is definitely the odd one out when we observe his career as a whole. We...

Jared Harris has been on a blunt, funny verbal murder spree of late, as he makes the rounds promoting his new film Reawakening. First, Harris took absolutely zero time shooting down the idea that he might ever take on the role of Albus Dumbledore, originated on screen by his father,...

HBO’s award-winning post-apocalyptic TV series, The Last of Us made waves ever since it premiered in 2023. Based on Naughty Dog’s video game franchise of the same name, the show was created by Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin.

However, what most fans don’t know is that the show wouldn’t exist if not for another HBO miniseries. Druckmann, who was the writer and studio head of Naughty Dog, wasn’t planning to take the game onscreen. It was Mazin’s Chernobyl that had such a powerful impact on the writer that he immediately agreed to collaborate with the director.

Disaster Meets Dystopia: The miniseries which inspired The Last of Us‘ TV debut

The Last of Us video game series was first released in 2013 and followed by several additions. Created by Naughty Dog‘s studio head Neil Druckmann and game director Bruce Straley, it became widely popular among PlayStation users.

Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay shined when the 2023 series The Last of Us was released to the millions of fans of the game. Neil Druckmann, the creator of the original video game, had quite an interesting story to tell.

Neil Druckmann | Credits: Gage Skidmore, licensed under Cc By-sa 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

With comparisons and differences between the video game and the TV show that was produced, fans were quick to notice several changes. However, Druckmann revealed that he put one particular scene in The Last of Us Season 2 that he wasn’t even able to put it in the game!

Neil Druckmann Wasn’t Able To Put This Scene In The Game!

More than a video game, The Last of Us feels like a cinematic journey through the hollowed and post-apocalyptic streets of the United States. Following the emotional journey of Ellie and Joel, the game made gamers cry their eyes out,...

Neil Druckmann, creator of “The Last of Us” and head of the prosperous Naughty Dog game studio, knows well the troubled history of adapting video game content into other mediums.

He’s seen it done badly by filmmakers who don’t understand the game and therefore mangle its essence in the translation to TV or film. At the same time, content creators who try to hold on too tightly to every detail of the game’s storyline will also struggle to make something that delivers as a TV show. At heart, the two are different things, Druckmann emphasized in an interview with Variety for the latest episode of podcast “Strictly Business.”

Another mistake adaptations make, Druckmann observed, is “staying so close to the source material that is built and designed and written for this other medium that has strengths and weaknesses, and trying to translate it as is, with no...

“Leave them alone.” That’s what Jared Harris, the “Mad Men,” “The Crown,” and Chernobyl star thinks about the original Harry Potter films.

The twice Emmy-nominated actor is, of course, the son of the late actor and singer Richard Harris (and brother to director Damian Harris and actor Jamie Harris). Richard played Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films before he died. For the later films, Richard was replaced by Michael Gambon.

With HBO planning a reboot of the J.K. Rowling series for television, teasing a more detailed adaptation of the beloved books, The Independent asked Jared Harris if he had any interest in taking on the role initially played by his father.

Not only did he bat that away with a “no, thank you,” he said something that Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders maybe do not want to hear: “Also, I mean, why do it? I don’t understand.

Jared Harris, son of original Dumbledore actor Richard Harris, has taken his name out of the running to play the legendary “Harry Potter” wizard in HBO and Max’s upcoming television series based on J.K. Rowling’s book series. The “Mad Men” and “Chernobyl” actor was asked about playing Dumbledore during an interview on the The Independent series “Go to Bat,” to which he responded: “No, thank you.”

“Also, I mean, why do it? I don’t understand,” Jared added. “The films were fantastic – leave them alone.”

Jared is not interested in taking on his father’s beloved role, although he admitted to the publication that “a lot of storytelling” was left out of the original “Harry Potter” film franchise and will now be able to be filmed due to the expanded runtime of the HBO series. Each season of the show will cover one of Rowling’s books. Francesca Gardiner,...

Cillian Murphy skyrocketed to fame due to his role as Tommy Shelby in the BBC period drama show, Peaky Blinders. After the TV series he participated in several projects, but it was the 2023 movie that cemented his name in Hollywood.

Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s genius helped establish the actor’s name in the industry and worldwide. Murphy won the Academy Award for Best Actor for this critically acclaimed film. After a year since his Oscar-winning film’s release, the actor is back onscreen with another project. The first appearance of his new movie, Small Things Like These just got released, launching a wave of excitement among fans.

A new look and a new story: Oscar winner’s newest venture Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer | Credit: Universal Pictures.

Cillian Murphy won his first-ever Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Oppenheimer. The Christopher Nolan directorial movie along with his BBC hit show,...

The 71st Primetime Emmys were held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on September 22nd, 2019. While it was a big night for shows like “Game of Thrones,” “Fleabag,” and “Chernobyl” in their respective genre fields, there were a fair amount of surprises that the Gold Derby odds didn’t predict. Perhaps the biggest shock of the night was Jason Bateman winning Best Drama Directing for “Ozark’s” season two premiere, “Reparations.” How was he able to overcome his sixth place odds and win his first Emmy for directing?

When the nominations were announced on July 16th, 2019, “Game of Thrones” led the drama field with 32 bids for its eighth and final season. It was followed by “Better Call Saul,” “Killing Eve,” “Ozark” and “This Is Us,” all earning 9 noms each. “Game of Thrones” was touted to handily win its fourth Drama Series Emmy as well as its third for directing.

Seven years after coming up short on their respective first and second Best TV Movie/Limited Series Directing Emmy bids against Jean-Marc Vallée (“Big Little Lies”), Steven Zaillian and Noah Hawley are involved in a rematch as helmers of the non-continuing programs “Ripley” and “Fargo.” Despite the quality of their new work and their strong Emmys resumes, they are widely expected to once again be bested by a complete first-timer: Weronika Tofilska (“Baby Reindeer”).

Tofilska is joined in this directing lineup’s category newcomer majority by Issa López (“True Detective”), Millicent Shelton (“Lessons in Chemistry”), and Gus Van Sant (“Feud”). Counting Zaillian and Hawley, Shelton is the only one in the bunch who has ever earned TV academy recognition for directing a non-limited series, as her very first bid came for “30 Rock” in 2009.

In order to determine whether this is truly Tofilska’s race to lose, let’s take...

Once known as Dune: The Sisterhood, the TV series Dune: Prophecy, which serves as a prequel to the Dune feature films directed by Denis Villeneuve, started filming in November of 2022, then underwent quite a shake-up in 2023 when the director of the first two episodes, Johan Renck (who executive produced and directed all five episodes of the HBO limited series Chernobyl) decided to leave the project over creative issues, then Shirley Henderson (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) – who had been cast as one of the show’s lead characters – followed him out the door. Everything has been worked out since then, with Dune: Prophecy on track for a November premiere on both HBO and the Max streaming service… and now we’ve learned that the promotions will begin at New York Comic Con, where attendees will get to experience both a panel and a fan experience.

Here’s the info:

Thursday,...

There won’t be more seasons of Rebecca Hall BBC series “The Listeners,” says director Janicza Bravo. But don’t worry – it’s a good thing.

“I think that miniseries or limited series are a great gift. ‘Make more!’: that’s the American model. But there’s something so sexy about saying it’s just this,” she tells Variety.

Over the course of five episodes, – Claire (Hall) keeps hearing a weird humming noise. It drives her insane, but here’s the problem – no one else, including her family, can hear it.

“That’s exactly why I liked it. I’m intrigued and excited by individuals who exist in a reality that’s not real to everyone else,” says Bravo about the show listed among Variety’s Hot Picks back in May.

“It has definitely happened with girlfriends of mine who have certain medical conditions or feel there are things...

Craig Mazin was brought to tears by one scene in The Last of Us where Pedro Pascal brought his best performance as a father. The co-creator of the show was also the director of the first episode When You’re Lost in the Darkness, where Pascal’s Joel Miller loses his daughter. Mazin revealed that he cried over and over while filming it and later cried again when it premiered on the big screen.

Pedro Pascal in a still from The Last of Us | Credits: HBO

Mazin also credited actress Nico Parker for the emotional impact of the scene, who received critical acclaim for her brief appearance. The Last of Us became one of the best video game adaptations, winning several awards including eight Emmys. A second season of the show is set to premiere in 2025.

Pedro Pascal’s The Last Of Us Performance Moved Co-Creator Craig Mazin To Tears...

Borderlands is coming home... less than a month after it was released in theaters.

Lionsgate has announced that the star-studded but critically-panned video game adaptation will be available to purchase on Premium Video on Demand (PVOD) and Premium Electronic Sell-Through (Est) from this Friday, August 30.

We didn't expect the movie to stay in theaters for too much longer after a disastrous stint at the box office (it grossed just over $24 million with an estimated $120 million budget), but its home release is happening quite a bit sooner than analysts had predicted.

There's always a slim chance the movie will find a new lease of life on Digital and Blu-ray, but between the dismal Bo returns and the similarly awful reviews, it's probably safe to assume that this franchise is well and truly dead in the water.

Borderlands stars Cate Blanchett (Thor: Ragnarok) as Lilith, Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween) as Tannis, Kevin Hart...

Today, BritBox International announced that Passenger will premiere on Thursday, October 17. The first two episodes will be available to stream on the platform at 9:00 p.m. Et.

The premiere episode will screen at New York Comic Con, followed by a panel with the cast and creator. BritBox also debuted the trailer and key art for the Original six-part limited series.

Written by debut screenwriter Andrew Buchan, best known for acting in Broadchurch, The Honourable Woman, and Better, Passenger explores a close-knit community unwilling to face its fears of change, outsiders, and the unknown.

Set in the fictional small Northern town of Chadder Vale, Former Met Police Detective Riya Ajunwa (Wunmi Mosaku) investigates a series of strange and inexplicable crimes that have the townsfolk spinning on an axis.

Courtesy of BritBox

Riya arrived in decaying Chadder Vale five years ago and has since been searching for that ‘one big crime,...

His House and “Lovecraft Country” star Wunmi Mosaku investigates a disappearance in upcoming crime mystery series “Passenger” that’s heading to BritBox this October. The streaming service unveiled a new “Passenger” trailer today, emphasizing the atmospheric strangeness of the setting.

“Passenger” will premiere October 17 on BritBox with an advanced special screening and panel at New York Comic Con. The six-episode mystery will roll out with two episodes dropping each Thursday until the October 31 finale.

The upcoming limited series hails from creator Andrew Buchan (“Broadchurch,” “Carnival Row”), marking the actor’s screenwriting debut.

It “explores a close-knit community who are unwilling to face their fears of change, of outsiders and of the unknown. Set in the fictional small Northern town of Chadder Vale, Former Met Police Detective Riya Ajunwa (Wunmi Mosaku) investigates a series of strange and inexplicable crimes that have the townsfolk spinning on an axis. Riya arrived in decaying...

Focus Features has boarded worldwide rights to Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet and announced that Steven Spielberg has joined as producer, while Emily Watson and Joe Alwyn have joined the cast.

Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal star in the adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel, which Amblin Partners, Hera Pictures and Neal Street Productions are producing in association with Book Of Shadows.

Principal photography began in Wales last month on the story, which sees upcoming Gladiator II star Mescal portray William Shakespeare in a fictionalised account surrounding the death of his only son, Hamnet, who inspired the name of arguably his most famous play,...

Anne Mensah, Netflix’s U.K. VP of content, is one of the streamer’s most senior U.K. executives, overseeing scripted, unscripted, film and acquisitions. “Any content that comes out of the U.K. slate I look after in some way,” she explains before adding: “Or, more specifically, somebody who’s better than me looks after it and I cheer in the background.”

It’s a statement typical of Mensah, who throughout our hour-long interview is always quick to give credit to the colleagues and creatives she works with both locally and internationally as well as being unabashedly enthusiastic about the content. Before I’ve even managed to hit “record” on our conversation, we’re chatting about “The Gentlemen,” which has been renewed for a second season, and “Love Is Blind U.K.,” which is just about to launch when we speak. When I tell her I’ve seen the first four episodes under embargo,...

“A line appears, the order wanes, the family falls and chaos reigns...”

A couple of brief teasers aside, Netflix hasn't really been promoting Kaos, but the streamer has finally released a proper trailer for the contemporary Greek mythology drama, which stars Jeff Goldblum as the all-powerful King of the Gods, Zeus.

From the writer of The End of the F*cking World and the producers of Chernobyl, the 8-episode series revolves around three humans and a demigod as they discover their connection to each other and to a long-standing ancient prophecy while being forced to contend with the corrupt and arrogant gods of Greek mythology.

The footage introduces Goldblum's stylish take on Zeus, who lives in the lap of luxury while demanding that mortals worship him. It seems his power is diminished when humans stop fearing the gods, and Zeus sets out to do something about it.

Zeus' plan involves...

"I am one person. What can I do?" "All the best things are human." Netflix has revealed the full trailer for a series titled Kaos, a "modern day contemporary retelling of Greek mythology." The much crazier teaser also debuted recently. From the writer of "The End of the F*cking World" and the producers of Chernobyl. Kaos is a mythological dark-comedy series created by Charlie Covell - available for streaming in a few weeks. The series revolves around six human beings on Earth as they discover their connection to each other and to a long standing ancient prophecy while they deal with corrupt and arrogant gods of the Greek mythology. The cast features Jeff Goldblum as Zeus, Janet McTeer as Hera, Cliff Curtis as Poseidon, David Thewlis as Hades, Killian Scott as Orpheus, Nabhaan Rizwan as Dionysus, Billie Piper as Cassandra, Debi Mazar as Medusa, and Suzy Eddie Izzard as Lachy.

Casting director Robert Sterne has been with Netflix’s hit drama “The Crown” for all six seasons — and even though the show has concluded, he continues to be asked about acting opportunities. “I still get letters saying, ‘Please, can I be Meghan Markle?’” he says. “And I think, ‘Well, the moment’s gone.’”

While the acclaimed program just concluded, the journey began nine years ago for Sterne. “It started with us sitting around a table talking about it, and now here we are,” says the U.K.-based CD who worked closely with series creator Peter Morgan throughout. “We were discussing how it was going to work, the idea of casting it again every two years. I think it was better than using ever-increasing layers of makeup. It was, in many ways, an experiment.”

And it’s one that’s paid off; in its six seasons, “The Crown” has won...

Black Bear’s management arm has signed Austrian filmmaking duo Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, the directing team behind the folk horror film, “The Devil’s Bath.” Their latest production competed at this year’s Berlinale and was nominated for a Golden Bear. The film, which Variety called “beautiful” and “gripping in its austerity,” swept the Austrian Film Awards and was recently selected as Austria’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at next year’s Oscars.

Franz and Fiala first attracted attention by writing and directing the horror hit “Goodnight Mommy,” which was selected as Austria’s official submission to the 2014 Academy Awards, inspiring an English-language remake starring Naomi Watts in 2022. The pair went on to write and direct “The Lodge” starring Riley Keough, which premiered at Sundance and was acquired by Neon in 2019.

Next up, the dynamic duo is set to write and direct the film adaptation of...

Like stadiums full of sports fans carrying brooms to a game where their team has a chance to complete a sweep against an archrival, the Emmys have been home to a string of dominant showings in recent years. But while sweeps can be thrilling to fans of the shows that have run the table on Emmy night, can we just admit that they’re not much fun for most of us?

And with final voting now underway, can we remind voting members of the Television Academy that it might be a good thing to divvy up those golden statuettes?

First, a little background: In 2020, “Schitt’s Creek” became the first comedy series ever to go 7-for-7 at the Primetime Emmy Awards, winning all of the ceremony’s comedy categories: Outstanding Comedy Series, awards for directing and writing, plus the two for lead acting and two for supporting acting.

The next year,...

Lionsgate and director Eli Roth's Borderlands video game adaptation arrives in theaters today on the heels of some of the worst reviews we've seen for a major studio release in quite some time.

As we know, negative reviews don't always have an impact on audience interest, but in this instance, it's probably safe to say that cinemagoers haven't exactly been convinced to give it a shot!

Despite a starry cast and a family-friendly PG-13 rating, the movie took in just $1.3 million from Thursday night previews, and is now tracking to earn between $10M-$18M at the domestic box office over the course of its opening weekend.

International numbers could wind up giving it a bit of a boost, but taking Borderlands' estimated $100M+ budget into account, and we're almost certainly looking at a massive flop here.

It's not all bad news, though, because Borderlands is no longer showing as 0% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Going in, I had my doubts about Borderlands, the latest overblown video game adaptation created to entice PG-13 moviegoers.

First off, it has a near decade-long history of failed attempts to crack its code, including Craig Mazin, who now shares a co-writing credit using “Joe Crombie”.

If this is the case, after wild small-screen success with Chernobyl and The Last of Us, you could understand why he wouldn’t want to be associated with the final product. Then its original director and credited co-writer and story creator Eli Roth shot the film during the pandemic in 2021. But when two weeks of reshoots were required, he had to turn it over to someone else due to his commitment to completing last year’s hoot of a holiday horror movie Thanksgiving. Thus, Tim Miller (2016’s...

Netflix announced on Wednesday that Adam Sandler: Love You, its latest special from actor and comedian Adam Sandler, will premiere on the streamer on August 27.

While a logline for Sandler’s new hour, taped at the Nocturne Theater in Glendale, CA, wasn’t disclosed, you can view a trailer for the special above. First announced back in February, it reunites Sandler with his Uncut Gems director Josh Safdie, who with Love You made his comedy special directorial debut.

Love You comes on the heels of 100% Fresh, Sandler’s 2018 special for Netflix. Prior to that, the SNL alum had only released a number of comedy albums decades prior, including Stan and Judy’s Kid (1999), What the Hell Happened to Me? (1996) and They’re All Gonna Laugh at You! (1993). A Happy Madison production of a Central Picture, the special was produced by Sandler, Safdie, Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, Dan Bulla, Carter Hambley,...

Exclusive: Jeff Daniels (A Man in Full), Jared Harris (Chernobyl) and J.K. Simmons (Being the Ricardos) have signed on to star in Reykjavik, a historical drama from Sk Global (Anyone But You) that chronicles one of the most significant diplomatic achievements of modern times: The Reykjavik Summit.

Reykjavik takes place at the most dangerous point of the Cold War, watching as political enemies Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev meet in Iceland over one long, tense weekend to decide if there will be peace or war in the world.

Daniels plays U.S. President Reagan, with Harris as Soviet leader Gorbachev, and Simmons as United States Secretary of State George Shultz.

Michael Russell Gunn will direct from his own script, in his feature debut, following his work with Sk Global as showrunner of its acclaimed limited series Thai Cave Rescue for Netflix. He also produces alongside John Logan Pierson. Production will commence on location in Reykjavik, Iceland in early October, with extensive filming at Höfði House, the actual site of the 1986 summit.

Sources tell Deadline that Gunn’s project is one that he’s spent years working on and researching. His work began when he drove out to Stanford to interview Secretary of State Shultz before his passing, receiving now-declassified transcripts from the summit. With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the recent revelation that the U.S. will again deploy long-range missiles in Germany, the hope is to reflect on how we, as citizens and as nations, can come together to work past our differences, in pursuit of a better, safer world.

Daniels is coming off of A Man in Full, Netflix’s limited series from David E. Kelley, which adapts the 1998 novel from Tom Wolfe. Recently, he was also seen starring opposite Maura Tierney in the crime drama American Rust, which ran for two seasons.

Most recently boarding Kathryn Bigelow’s new film for Netflix, as we were first to report, Harris also stars in Apple TV+ and Skydance’s sci-fi series Foundation, based on the works of Isaac Asimov, which previewed its forthcoming third season at Comic-Con. Previously garnering Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for Chernobyl, he’s also recently wrapped on the indies Brave the Dark and Reawakening.

Following roles in films like National Champions and Being the Ricardos, Simmons’ upcoming slate includes the Clint Eastwood pic Juror #2, Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night, Amazon’s sequel to The Accountant and holiday event film Red One, and the addiction film The Prince written by David Mamet.

Prior to Thai Cave Rescue, Gunn wrote and produced for the critically acclaimed Showtime series Billions, as well as the political thriller Designated Survivor for ABC and Netflix, having begun his career on Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom. On the film side, he sold his script The Virginian about a young George Washington to Warner Bros, and is currently adapting a novel for Charlize Theron at Universal.

Indie studio Sk Global has produced and financed over 100 features, dating back to its origins as Sidney Kimmel Entertainment. Most recently, the company unveiled the acclaimed rom-com Anyone But You, a star-making project for Glen Powell, who led the cast opposite Sydney Sweeney. The Sony pic emerged as a sleeper hit upon its December 2023 release, proving that rom-coms can continue to work theatrically as it grossed over $220 million worldwide. Also recently unveiling the acclaimed limited series Thai Cave Rescue, as well as inspirational docs like Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa, which just debuted on Netflix, the company is also responsible for such acclaimed titles as Crazy Rich Asians, Hell or High Water and The Place Beyond the Pines, among many others.

Daniels is repped by CAA, Martino Management, and Yorn, Levine, Barnes; Harris by CAA, Gateway Management, Independent Talent Group in the UK, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern; Simmons by Gersh; and Gunn by WME and Artists First.

At long last, we have a first look into “The Last of Us” Season 2, and that first look involves Catherine O’Hara.

“Did you hurt her?” O’Hara asks Joel (Pedro Pascal) in this first teaser. “Then what? What did you do?”

The teaser then flashes between shots of Ellie (Bella Ramsey) screaming and Tommy (Gabriel Luna) shooting into the snow before it offers glimpses of new horrors to come. Isabela Merced, who plays Ellie’s love interest Dina, can be seen on the verge of crying, Jeffrey Wright pulls out a gun as Washington Liberation Front leader Isaac Dixon and Ellie screams once again as a Clicker lunges for her.

The teaser then cuts back to Joel and O’Hara, only this time Joel now has tears in his eyes. “I saved her,” Joel says. Watch the teaser below.

The second season of the HBO original will premiere in 2025. It...

After literally years of waiting, the "Borderlands" movie is finally upon us. Directed by Eli Roth (with an assist from "Deadpool" director Tim Miller), the feature film based on the wildly popular series of video games arrives on the big screen next weekend. Not only have fans of the games long been waiting to see these characters brought to life, but Lionsgate has been actively working on this adaptation for several years. It's been plagued with delays, but it's now, at long last, going to get its day in court. Unfortunately, based on the early indicators, from a business perspective, it's not going to be a bumpy ride.

"Borderlands" is currently eyeing an opening weekend domestically in the $13 to $18 million range, per Box Office Theory. The big question mark right now is the film's budget, which has yet to be reported. It is estimated to be in the $100 million range.