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Today, BritBox announced its 2025 slate of premieres and returning series. The BritBox 2025 lineup includes Original commissions, celebrated co-productions, and highly anticipated acquisitions.

With new series from top UK writers such as Sally Wainwright (Riot Women), Sarah Williams (Outrageous), Rachel Bennette (Agatha Christie’s Towards Zero), Catherine Moulton (Code of Silence), Kelly Jones (A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story), Anna Symon (Joan), and Cat Jones (The Jetty), BritBox’s slate highlights the depth and power of British storytelling.

A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story

In 2025, BritBox will bring beloved characters back to the screen with new seasons of its iconic favorites such as Blue Lights, Vera, Father Brown, Death in Paradise, Beyond Paradise, Silent Witness and Sister Boniface Mysteries plus reimagined looks at treasured literary characters in Lynley and Agatha Christie’s Towards Zero.

From detectives, to Psni recruits, to crime-solving priests and nuns, BritBox audiences will have the...

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This December, Peacock is bringing you a lot of entertainment, from the highly anticipated comedy series Laid to the streaming release of the hit horror film Speak No Evil. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Peacock this month and have an 85% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the five best films that are coming to Peacock in December 2024 with an 85% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Catch Me If You Can (December 1) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96% Credit – Amblin Entertainment

Catch Me If You Can is a biographical crime comedy-drama film directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Jeff Nathanson. Based on the semi-autobiographical book of the same name by Frank Abagnale Jr., the 2002 film follows Frank Abagnale Jr, a young con man who cashes forged cheques while posing as a pilot,...

It’s been a gradual climb for Marianne Jean-Baptiste in Gold Derby’s Oscar odds for Best Actress, but it has paid off. The star of Mike Leigh‘s latest film, “Hard Truths,” now ranks among the top five likely nominees according to the combined predictions of thousands of our users. As of this writing she’s tied with Saoirse Ronan (“The Outrun”) at 11/1 odds.

Two months ago, on September 6, Jean-Baptiste was down in ninth place with 30/1 odds in the Best Actress race. A month later, on October 6, she was up to seventh place with 16/1 odds. Now she has finally cracked the top five with 17 Expert journalists predicting her nomination and one, Tariq Khan (Gold Derby), betting on her to win. This would be her second career nomination, following her Best Supporting Actress bid for Leigh’s lauded “Secrets and Lies” (1996). She would be Leigh’s third leading lady to be recognized by the academy.

by Eurocheese

Mike Leigh is a filmmaker who has always evoked strong opinions, with your typical cinephile having their own takes on which films are strongest among his catalog. Certainly one of the highlights of his career has been Secrets & Lies, with the memorable pairing of Brenda Blethyn and his leading lady from this film, Marianne Jean-Baptiste. Her subtle work in that film, clashing against her brash co-stars, is often cited as one of the best performances from any Leigh film, earning her only Oscar nomination to date. Seeing her back in one of his leading roles, fans of the director and actress will be pleased to hear that their reunion brings us one of the best performances and films of the year.

Jean-Baptiste’s Pansy introduces herself to the audience by waking up screaming, and her intensity doesn’t dial down from there...

It’s been 28 years since Marianne Jean-Baptiste burst onto the international film scene in Mike Leigh’s Secrets and Lies.

The British actress was barely out of drama school when she got cast in the 1996 comedic drama playing Hortense, a Black middle-class professional who was adopted as a baby and, after the death of her parents, decides to track down her birth mother. Hortense discovers Cynthia (Brenda Blethyn) a working-class white woman and barely functional alcoholic with a very dysfunctional family. The contrast between Blethyn’s Cynthia, all twitching nerves, emotionally raw and vulnerable, and the calm, restrained, often bemused performance of Jean-Baptiste as Hortense forms the emotional core of the film.

Secrets and Lies premiered in Cannes, where it won the Palme d’Or en route to an awards season that would end with five Oscar nominations, including a best actress nod for Jean-Baptiste. Her career was officially launched.

Mike Leigh is moving slowly around the Toronto International Film Festival with a cane. His latest film, “Hard Truths” has earned raves and plays the New York Film Festival October 5. The 81-year-old British filmmaker, Oscar-nominated five times for writing and twice for directing has struggled to raise money for his projects since his $18-million period battle epic “Peterloo” (Amazon) flopped at the box office in 2018 ($2 million worldwide).

“Hard Truths” was delayed by the pandemic, but Bleecker Street and a group of European backers cobbled together a modest budget, Leigh’s lowest in some time, for the small-scale film focused on the astonishing character of Pansy (“Secrets & Lies” Oscar nominee Marianne Jean-Baptiste), a woman of Jamaican heritage who is so miserable that her massive pain and anger leak out on anyone unlucky enough to be near her, from her hapless husband (David Webber) and son (Tuwaine Barrett) to people in...

Marianne Jean-Baptiste says that she’s playing “the ultimate Karen” in Mike Leigh’s new film Hard Truths. The character’s name is, actually, Pansy. The horticulturalists at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, just outside of London, describe the Pansy flower as a symbol for “humanism.”

That’s not a description Jean-Baptiste would recognize in the Pansy she plays in the movie.

She smiles as she relates how the character she and Leigh created after intense discussion and rehearsal “as a combination of five different women, all of whom had the milk of human kindness removed from them.”

That’s a perfect summation of Pansy, a fastidious woman, who keeps the North London house she shares with her plumber husband Curtley (David Webber) and Moses (Tuwaine Barrett) as their unmotivated son, spotlessly clean.

She’s particularly fixated on polishing her leather couch.

Her family, including her sister Chantel, played by Michele Austin,...

In the pantheon of unpleasant screen heroines, Pansy Deacon more than holds her own. Played by a ferocious Marianne Jean-Baptiste, the perpetually harried and hostile protagonist of Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths spews her venom on everyone she encounters — from family members to furniture store employees, and all manner of unlucky folks in between.

Stranding us with such a spectacularly disagreeable person for 97 minutes may seem like a cruel trick, and the movie will test the patience of viewers who prefer their main characters closer to the likable end of the spectrum. But fans of the British auteur will discern, in Leigh’s latest, his trademark generosity, alongside his willingness to show people at their wince-inducing worst. With this prickly, piercing new film, the writer-director presents an intriguing challenge, pushing the bounds of our empathy and asking us to look, really look, at someone from whom we’d surely avert...

Secrets and Lies star Marianne Jean-Baptiste plays Pansy, a woman prone to raging tirades against her family, in the trailer for Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths that dropped ahead of a world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.

“Why are you so angry? Why can’t you enjoy life,” Pansy’s sister, played by Michele Austin, asks at one point in the teaser trailer. “I don’t know!” Jean-Baptiste’s character shoots back.

But Leigh’s latest film, a drama about family and the thorny ties that bind us, suggests with the trailer that a lifetime of hurt and hardship has Pansy wracked with fear and emotional afflictions and attempting a halting reconciliation with her long-suffering sister.

Hard Truths

Hard Truths will have its world premiere at TIFF on Friday at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Secrets & Lies, which premiered in Cannes in 1996, winning the Palme d’Or, featured Jean-Baptiste...

Matthew Macfadyen is looking back at his career and regretting not enjoying his experience filming 2005’s Pride and Prejudice.

The Succession alum played Mr. Darcy in Joe Wright’s adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel playing opposite Kiera Knightley.

“I didn’t really [enjoy it],” Macfadyen said on CBS Mornings of his experience filming. “I feel bad saying that. There were moments I had a good time, but I wish I enjoyed it more. I wish I was less worried about it.”

He added, “I felt a bit miscast, like, ‘I’m not dishy enough. But it worked out.”

Despite not feeling like he was fit for the role, the Deadpool & Wolverine actor says, “The most flattering thing that happens to me now is people say, ‘Were you Mr. Darcy?’ It’s a good 20 years later. So I think, ‘I can’t be aging that badly.'”

Pride & Prejudice also starred Brenda Blethyn,...

Vera is coming to an end. ITV has revealed that season 14 will end the long-running mystery series based on the Vera Stanhope novels by Ann Cleeves. The drama series will come to a close with two 120-minute episodes, which are currently being filmed. In the US, the series is available on BritBox and Roku,

Brenda Blethyn has played the titular character since Vera’s premiere in 2011, over more than 50 episodes. The British series revolves around a nearly retired detective chief inspector who is obsessive about her work.

Read More…...

Fan favorite British crime drama Vera will be ending after its upcoming 14th season on ITV.

The show’s star, Brenda Blethyn, who portrays the title character, said in a statement, “Working on Vera has been a joy from beginning to end and I’m sad to be saying Cheerio. But I am so proud of our achievements over the last 14 years. I’ll be forever grateful to the wonderful Ann Cleeves who created Vera, and to Elaine Collins who saw fit to cast me in the role. The producers, dream cast and crew have been fabulous and I’m going to miss them, but I won’t forget their huge talent, the camaraderie, laughter or kindness we shared nor the friendship of the people of the North East and our fans worldwide. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Keep reading to find out more…

The final season will only consist of 2 episodes.

ITV has confirmed that the fourteenth series of Vera will be the last. The details of the show ending are right here.

Brenda Blethyn’s career has been prolific, from playing timid librarian Alison opposite Simon Callow in Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen’s wonderful 1980s sitcom Chance In A Million to her BAFTA winning turn as Cynthia in Mike Leigh’s 1996 film Secrets And Lies.

For over a decade, Blethyn has played the softly spoken yet dogged detective Vera Stanhope, created by author Ann Cleeves.

Stanhope, always kitted out in her trusty trenchcoat and hat, and her team, who include DC Joe Ashworth (David Leon), Kenmy Lockhart (Jon Morrison), DC Mark Edwards (Riley Jones) and DS Aiden Heady (Kenny Doughty) solve crimes in and around Northumberland.

ITV has now confirmed that the 14th series of Vera will be the last, though.

In a statement to the channel, Blethyn said,...

A long-running British staple is coming to an end as ITV’s Vera, which is viewable on Roku and BritBox, will conclude with its upcoming 14th season. The news comes as titular star Brenda Blethyn reveals her exit from the title, announcing that it’s time to “be saying Cheerio.” Based on Ann Cleeves’ bestselling Vera Stanhope novels, Vera originally debuted on ITV in May 2011, and filming on the 14th and final season is slated to take place this summer in Northumberland and North East England, according to Variety. ©ITV / courtesy Everett Collection The last season will reportedly consist of two 120-minute episodes and will mark the end of a 14-year era for Blethyn who is also known for her roles in 2005’s Pride & Prejudice, Little Voice, and Secrets & Lies, the latter two of which earned her Oscar nominations. “Working on Vera has been a joy from beginning...

One of ITV’s longest-running drama series is coming to an end after 14 seasons.

Brenda Blethyn-starring detective show Vera will finish at the end of the next season, its star announced today. The show produced by Silverprint Pictures will return for a 14th and final series in the form of two 120-minute episodes to be filmed this summer.

Double-Oscar nominee Blethyn has been leading Vera for more than a decade. She stars as the retired detective based on the Ann Cleeves novels. Vera plods along in a dishevelled state but has a calculating mind and despite her irascible personality, she cares deeply about her work and colleagues. The show airs on BritBox in the U.S.

Vera has been on TV for more than 50 episodes and tends to air its seasons in short runs that are watched by millions per episode.

Blethyn, who was Oscar nominated for Mark Herman...

Dci Vera Stanhope is about to solve her final mystery.

The British crime drama Vera, which airs across the pond on ITV (and streams Stateside via BritBox and Roku Channel), will come to an end with its upcoming 14th season, ITV announced Monday.

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Season 14 will consist of only two episodes, but they will each span two hours.

“Working on Vera...

Brenda Blethyn has announced that she is departing the long-running detective series “Vera” after its upcoming 14th season, which will also be its last.

Filming on the final season will take place this summer in Northumberland and North East England, and will consist of two 120-minute episodes. “Vera” first aired in May 2011 and was inspired by Ann Cleeves’ bestselling “Vera Stanhope” novels.

“Working on ‘Vera’ has been a joy from beginning to end and I’m sad to be saying Cheerio. But I am so proud of our achievements over the last 14 years,” the 78-year-old Blethyn said in a statement. “I’ll be forever grateful to the wonderful Ann Cleeves who created Vera, and to Elaine Collins who saw fit to cast me in the role. The producers, dream cast and crew have been fabulous and I’m going to miss them, but I won’t forget their huge talent,...

Exclusive: Altitude Media Group has boarded a documentary shot entirely inside the Grand Theft Auto video game world.

Grand Theft Hamlet will follow the story of out-of-work theater actors Sam Crane and Mark Oosterveen, who had the idea to stage a full production of Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ within Grand Theft Auto 5 during the dull days of the third Covid-19 lockdown in the UK three years ago.

Indie studio Altitude has taken worldwide rights after striking a deal for the “hilarious and profoundly moving” film, which Crane and Pinny Grylls wrote and directed. The doc gets its worldwide premiere at SXSW on Sunday (March 10) and will get a European premiere at Cph:dox.

“We are extremely proud and excited to be partnering with Pinny, Sam and the whole team on Grand Theft Hamlet and cannot wait for audiences to experience this singular and masterful piece of machinima filmmaking,” said Altitude Film Sales Managing Director Mike Runagall.

Mike Leigh’s hotly-anticipated, but super-secretive, new film will see the iconoclastic British director reunite with his Secrets & Lies star Marianne Jean-Baptiste.

Hard Truths is Leigh’s first film since 2018’s Peterloo and will co-star frequent Leigh collaborator Michele Austin (Another Year, Secrets & Lies). After Peterloo and 2014’s Mr. Turner, both period dramas, Hard Truths will see Leigh return to the modern day, with a drama described as “a tough but compassionate intimate study of family life.”

Other Leigh regulars returning for Hard Truths include producer Georgina Lowe, cinematographer Dick Pope, costume designer Jacqueline Durran, production designer Suzie Davis, composer Gary Yershon and casting director Nina Gold.

Secrets & Lies, which premiered in Cannes in 1996, winning the Palme d’Or, featured Jean-Baptiste as a well-off Black professional who seeks out her biological mother, a poor white factory worker living in East London, played by Brenda Blethyn. Jean-Baptiste was Oscar-nominated for her performance,...

From the co-creator of Outnumbered comes a historical comedy called Fools, with Karen Gillan leading the cast. More here.

Karen Gillan’s just gone and signed up a new lead screen role, as she’s set to head the ensemble of the upcoming historical comedy, Fools.

The movie has been written and directed by Guy Jenkin, whose credits include Outnumbered and its sort of spin-off film, What We Did On Our Holiday. He’s attracted quite a cast too, on top of Karen Gillan’s headline act.

Alongside her are award-winner Pasty Ferran, the mighty Brenda Blethyn, and the peerless Jim Broadbent.

Karen Gillan – famous of course for Doctor Who, her Marvel work, Jumanji, and appearing on the cover of Film Stories magazine – will be playing Queen Mary I, in a story set just after the death of Henry VIII. Broadbent is Cardinal Pole (begging your pardon), whilst Patsy Ferran...

In a huge deal for a film originating in the independent marketplace, Paramount Pictures sources have confirmed the studio’s acquisition of North American rights to the Robbie Williams biopic Better Man.

Michael Gracey, who directed The Greatest Showman and produced Rocketman, will direct the film about the life of the former Take That band member who went on to become a solo star.

Paramount is eying an end of year theatrical release after negotiating the deal with CAA Media Finance and reportedly paying $25m. Rocket Science has sold out international rights.

The Better Man deal comes as Paramount continues...

Karen Gillan (Avengers Endgame) will play Mary Tudor in Fools, an upcoming period comedy about the monarch’s friendship with her female court jester. Patsy Ferran (Hot Milk) is the jester in the little-known historical tale. BAFTA- and Emmy-winning Guy Jenkin (Outnumbered) will direct from his own script.

Brenda Blethyn (Secrets & Lies) will also star, as will Jim Broadent (Moulin Rouge), who plays a scheming Cardinal.

The film is set in 1553. England’s first Queen, Mary I, takes the throne. The country is on the brink of chaos, and the ambitious Cardinal Pole plots to secure control. He has overlooked, however, a humble court jester. The pious, and apparently humorless queen finds relief in her brilliant slapstick routines and they strike up an unlikely friendship.

Cameras are set to roll later this year. Ryan Bennett of PaperEpic Productions will produce. Altitude Film Sales will handle international sales, starting at the European Film Market.

Karen Gillan, Patsy Ferran, Brenda Blethyn and Jim Broadbent have joined the cast of Fools, a comedy drama that explores the little-known story of Mary Tudor and her friendship with her female court jester.

UK outfit Altitude Film Sales will handle international sales, with UTA co-repping North America.

Guy Jenkin, known for his work on UK sitcoms including Outnumbered and Drop The Dead Donkey, will direct from his own script. “Fools will turn the conventions of a historical film inside-out, and promises to be subversive, striking and very funny,” said the filmmaker.

The feature is set in 1553, as the aftermath...

Karen Gillan, Patsy Ferran, Brenda Blethyn and Jim Broadbent have joined the cast of Fools, a comedy drama that explores the little-known story of Mary Tudor and her friendship with her female court jester.

UK outfit Altitude Film Sales will handle international sales, with UTA co-repping North America.

Guy Jenkin, known for his work on UK sitcoms including Outnumbered and Drop The Dead Donkey, will direct from his own script. “Fools will turn the conventions of a historical film inside-out, and promises to be subversive, striking and very funny,” said the filmmaker.

The feature is set in 1553, as the aftermath...

Karen Gillan is set to lead the cast “Fools,” a historic comedy exploring the little known story of Mary Tudor and the friendship with her female court jester.

Olivier winner Patsy Ferran (“Mickey 17,” “Hot Milk,” Living), Golden Globe and BAFTA winner Brenda Blethyn (“Pride & Prejudice,” “Atonement”) and the multi-award-winning Jim Broadbent (“The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry,” “The Iron Lady”) will also star in the feature, to be written and directed by BAFTA and triple Emmy winner Guy Jenkin.

Altitude Film Sales will handle international sales, with UTA co-repping North America. The film is set to shoot later this year and is being produced by Ryan Bennett of PaperEpic Productions.

Set in the 16th century in the aftermath of Henry VIII’s death, “Fool” follows England’s first queen Mary I (Gillan) as she takes the throne in a divided country on the brink of chaos. While the...

The second episode of the mystery-thriller Vera talks about a murder on the city outskirts, beside the railway tracks. A young woman named Gabi has been murdered, and Vera is on a mission to find out the culprit! The events take several sharp turns, making the story even more intriguing when the motives of many people are slowly revealed. Brenda Blethyn, meanwhile, does complete justice to the character of Vera Stanhope. Streaming on Itvx, the series is a must-watch as it greases our jammed rationalities, unveiling several murder mysteries! Will Vera be able to find Gabi’s real murderer? Was her death an accident? Let’s find out!

Spoilers Ahead

Why Was Gabi Staying With The Rushdens?

Gabi had formed a bond with Helen Rushden within six months of meeting her at one of Helen’s coffee chains. Helen and Gabi grew close to each other real quick when Helen...

The British crime thriller Vera has been adapted from Ann Cleeves’ series of detective novels on Vera Stanhope. Brenda Blethyn plays the major role of Vera, the detective, in the fiction drama. The sharp instincts and presence of mind that Vera had can be compared to the character of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The plot of the first episode of season 13 revolves around the murder of a young lad, Danny, and the alibis that the suspects have. All the major suspects have strong motives to kill Danny, but one motive stands out, the one that got Danny murdered. Will Vera be able to find the real culprit? What alibis did the other suspects have? Will Danny get justice? Let’s find out!

Spoilers Ahead

What Was Ian Headley’s Feud With Danny?

After Danny Meddon’s body was found at the Benthan Bridge, Vera started investigating his case.

“Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” entered its 25th season on NBC, premiering Thursday, January 18, 2024. The hard-hitting and emotional series chronicles the lives of the Special Victims Unit within the New York City Police Department, an elite squad of detectives who investigate crimes of sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence.

As commander of the Svu, Captain Olivia Benson, portrayed by Emmy and Golden Globe winner Mariska Hargitay, is a seasoned veteran of the unit who has seen it all. She leads with empathy and professionalism, all while dealing with her difficult past as a product of rape and her responsibility as a trailblazer in survivor advocacy. Olivia Benson is the longest-running female character in a primetime live-action television series. Hargitay is the only regular cast member to appear on all 25 seasons of the long-running NBC crime drama.

“Svu” is frequently acknowledged for its guest players, with Emmy wins for...

ITV unwraps a special gift for crime drama enthusiasts with “Vera: The Rising Tide – Christmas Special 2023,” airing on Tuesday, December 26, 2023, at 8:00 Pm. In this holiday-themed episode of the gripping series, the indomitable Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope, portrayed by the incomparable Brenda Blethyn, delves into a mysterious case that adds a layer of intrigue to the festive season.

The narrative unfolds with the apparent suicide of a disgraced television personality, propelling Vera to Holy Island to untangle the enigma surrounding the tragic incident. As viewers settle in for a post-Christmas treat, they can anticipate the trademark intensity and astute detective work that have become synonymous with the “Vera” series.

Tune in at 8:00 Pm for a riveting Christmas special that combines the allure of holiday coziness with the suspense of a crime drama. “Vera: The Rising Tide” is poised to deliver a perfect blend of mystery and festive spirit,...

The Chelsea Detective is a British crime drama created by Peter Fincham. The Acorn TV series focuses on the story of Di Max Arnold (Adrian Scarborough) and DS Priya Shamsie (Sonita Henry) as they solve more and more complicated criminal cases as well as lead very complicated personal lives. So, if you loved The Chelsea Detective here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Suspects (Acorn TV & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – Channel 5

Synopsis: Suspects is a fresh, very different, and absolutely cracking drama -Daily Mail (UK). With improvised dialogue and using filming techniques and a directorial approach usually associated with factual programming, this unique procedural crime drama follows D.I. Martha Bellamy and her team as they investigate hard-hitting crimes in contemporary London.

Deadwind (Netflix) Credit Yle TV2

Synopsis: A dogged detective with a complicated personal life throws herself into solving grisly murders that often mask a sinister conspiracy.

Now that Endeavour has ended for good, there are a few obvious places for fans to go in search of more of the crossword-solving, bitter-drinking, classics-quoting Oxford detective. The first are Colin Dexter’s novels, which established the character. The second is the original ITV show Inspector Morse based on those books, which starred John Thaw in the title role for 33 feature-length episodes between 1987 and 2000. Thirdly, there’s sequel Lewis, which continued the story of Morse’s underling Robbie through his own inspector days, and which also ran for 33 episodes, up until 2015. Both are currently streamable on BritBox in the UK and US, as well as Itvx, and PBS Masterpiece.

The likelihood though, is that those three will have already been exhausted by Morse devotees, so here are some recommendations of detective shows with a touch of Endeavour about them, whether it’s a melancholic lead with a brilliant mind,...

Streaming

Blue Ant Media and World of Wonder have launch free, ad-supported streaming TV (Fast) channel Drag Race Universe on Amazon Freevee in the U.S.

Programming launch highlights on the Drag Race Universe channel include: “Canada’s Drag Race” seasons 2 and 3 (19 x 60’), “RuPaul’s Drag Race U.K. vs The World” (6 x 60’), “RuPaul’s Drag Race U.K.” seasons 2 and 3 (20 x 60’). “Drag Race Holland” (8 x 60’), “Drag Race Espana” (10 x 60’), “RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under” seasons 1 and 2 (16 x 60’), the first season of “Drag Race Philippines” (10 x 60’) and “Drag Race Philippines Untucked” (10 x 30’), its companion series that follows the backstage drama.

Additional international series in the franchise that will roll out on the free-streaming channel over the coming months include “Drag Race France” (8 x 60’) and “Drag Race Italia” (8 x 60’).

Jamie Schouela, president, global channels and media, Blue Ant Media, said: “Expanding the reach of Drag Race Universe builds on our partnership with World of Wonder and...

Anne Frank continues to resonate as perhaps the most famous symbol of Jewish suffering and persecution in the face of the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust during World War II. It was her teenage diary, after all, that remains perhaps the most vivid description of what it was like to live under Nazi occupation – specifically in Amsterdam between 1942 and ’44, while her family was in hiding and she wrote her famed remembrance of being sheltered out of view until a betrayal led to their being discovered.

It was a woman named Miep Gies, however, who provided a first-hand aural witness’s account of those hiding out in what came to be known as the Secret Annex. It’s her tale that’s told in “A Small Light,” a powerful eight-part limited series from NatGeo that premieres with a pair of installments on May 1 and streams the next day on Disney+. It...

Vera really likes to keep us waiting. Series 11 of this beloved British detective series began broadcasting back in summer 2021, and after four episodes were released between then and January 2022, there’s been a year-long unexplained wait for the last two feature-length episodes of the series, which finally began airing on ITV1 on Sunday 15th January.

But like buses, you wait for one series of Vera and two arrive at once, as straight after Series 11 finishes we’ll be getting four more weekly episodes making up Series 12 as well, starting on 29th January.

Not only that, there’s another Vera instalment, The Rising Tide, on the way later this year, based on Ann Cleeves’s latest Vera novel of the same name.

So what can we expect from the upcoming episodes of Vera? More gruesome murders, of course, and more stunning Northumberland scenery, but there’s also going to be more...

Also out this weekend is a live brodcast of New York’s Metropolitan Opera ’The Hours’ at 133 venues.

Distributors have steered clear of major new releases this weekend ahead of the UK and Ireland December 16 opening of Avatar: The Way Of Water, however there are some notable arthouse titles debuting at the box office.

Cannes premiere The Silent Twins is this weekend’s widest new release, playing in 160 sites for Universal, following Tamara Lawrance and Letitia Wright’s recent British Independent Film Award (Bifa) win for best joint lead performance. The Lure’s Agnieszka Smoczynska directs this Poland-uk co-production, which is Smoczynska’s English-language debut,...

In the early days of the Academy’s animated feature Oscar, there were questions as to whether enough films would qualify each year for the award to be given. Not anymore! This year sees a record number of contenders across a wide variety of genres, styles and audiences, from serious, adult-targeted films (like “Charlotte” and “Eternal Spring”) to boffo offerings from Hollywood’s top toon studios — and that doesn’t even count such anime franchise sensations as “One Piece Film: Red” and “Jujutsu Kaisen 0,” which didn’t submit but further illustrate the vitality of the form.

Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood

Director: Richard Linklater

Voices: Glen Powell, Zachary Levi, Jack Black

Studios: Minnow Mountain, Submarine, Detour Filmproduction

Distributor: Netflix

A time capsule made possible through a sophisticated blend of 2D, 3D and rotoscope techniques, allows the “Boyhood” director to revive the style of “Waking Life” and his own 1960s Texas boyhood.

Exclusive: The UK Jewish Film Festival (November 10-20) has revealed its lineup of 2022 gala screenings and premieres, including special presentations of the single shot drama Shttl and Three Minutes: A Lengthening, the WWII drama co-produced by Steve McQueen and narrated by Helena Bonham Carter.

Shttl will screen as the festival’s Centerpiece Gala. The film’s director Ady Walter and producer Jean-Charles Lévy will be in attendance. Shot in a village constructed for the production and filmed in one long shot, the film captures the lives of the inhabitants of a Yiddish-speaking village on the eve of the Nazi invasion of Soviet Ukraine.

Three Minutes: A Lengthening, the directorial debut from dutch writer Bianca Stigter, will have its UK premiere during the festival. The film is narrated by Helena Bonham Carter and is composed entirely of a three-minute fragment of 16mm film from 1938. Uncovered and tirelessly restored, the documentary...

Top British drama academy the Guildhall School has apologized to former students Michaela Coel and Paapa Essiedu over the racism they experienced while attending the institution.

In an interview with the Guardian, Essiedu revealed that he and Coel were in an improvisation class together when a teacher, playing a prison officer searching for drugs, addressed him with a racial slur. “Suddenly she shouted: ‘Hey you, N-word, what have you got behind you?’” Essiedu told the newspaper. “That was a real ‘time stops’ moment. It was like, surely this can’t be happening.”

Essiedu said that he and his eventual “I May Destroy You” co-star and writer Coel “were so shocked we just stayed in the improvisation, so we were like: ‘No, we haven’t got anything behind us.’ We were shellshocked by what had happened and shocked that it had come out of the mouth of a teacher.

“It so...

Keira Knightley-voiced animated biopic “Charlotte” has been picked up for distribution in U.K. and Ireland by Parkland Entertainment.

The feature, from Good Deed Entertainment, the studio behind “Loving Vincent,” tells the story of Charlotte Salomon, a young German-Jewish artist who was murdered in Auschwitz at the age of 26. Knightley voices Salomon in the English-language version while Marion Cotillard voices the artist in the French-language version.

“Charlotte” also features one of the last performances from “Peaky Blinders” star Helen McRory, who died of cancer in 2021.

“Charlotte” is directed by Eric Warin and Tahir Rana and includes the voices of Jim Broadbent (“Paddington 2”), Brenda Blethyn (“Pride and Prejudice”), Sam Claflin (“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”), Eddie Marsan (“Ridley Road”), Sophie Okonedo (“Death on the Nile”) and Mark Strong (“1917”).

Erik Rutherford and David Bezmozgis wrote the screenplay.

The film is produced by Julia Rosenberg as well as Jerome Dopffer,...

Charlotte Review — Charlotte (2021) Film Review, a movie directed by Tahir Rana and Eric Warin, written by Erik Rutherford and David Bezmozgis and starring Keira Knightley, Brenda Blethyn, Jim Broadbent, Sam Claflin, Henry Czerny, Eddie Marsan, Helen McCrory, Sophie Okonedo, Mark Strong, Pippa Bennett-Warner, Raoul Bhaneja, Julian Richings, Jean-Michel Le Gal, Scott McCord [...]

Continue reading: Film Review: Charlotte (2021): Animated Film Tells a Harrowing, Deeply Moving Tale...

In a better world, the animated feature “Charlotte,” about a young and prolific Jewish painter who was murdered in the Holocaust, wouldn’t seem so uncomfortably immediate and timely in the 21st century.

But here are, with hateful rhetoric on the rise in political discourse and marginalized groups being once again demonized and legislated against. Tahir Rana and Éric Warin’s sensitive biopic about Charlotte Salomon reminds us of the many disturbing parallels in Germany during the decade before World War II.

While “Charlotte” is hardly the first film to tackle that tragic era, it nevertheless offers a sobering and effective drama.

Charlotte Salomon, voiced by Keira Knightley, is a young girl coming of age between the wars, with a flair for painting that leads her into one of the finest German art schools. Her talent, and her father’s war record, make her an exception to the school’s rule against accepting Jewish students,...

Few victims of the Holocaust left behind such a methodical and memorable record of their life as Charlotte Salomon, a native Berliner who died in Auschwitz at age 26. As if anticipating that premature end, she’d spent much of the preceding two years painting about a thousand gouaches composing the illustrated autobiography “Life? Or Theater?,” which fortunately survived the war. Now permanently exhibited at a museum in Amsterdam, they’ve generated a number of works in other media, including an opera, stage plays, a ballet, a novel, a 1981 Dutch dramatic feature, and several documentaries.

“Charlotte” is likely to introduce Salomon’s story to a larger audience by virtue of its appeal to animation fans, plus the lure of a starry voice cast led by Keira Knightley. (Marion Cotillard performs the title role in a forthcoming French-language version.) Audiences who responded to recent awards magnet “Flee’s” style of hard-hitting, fact-based...

Charlotte producer Julia Rosenberg on executive producer Keira Knightley as the voice of Charlotte Salomon: “The screenplay itself was wonderful and I think that’s why Keira came onboard.” Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Producer Julia Rosenberg has assembled a formidable team and cast for the animation feature film Charlotte, directed by Tahir Rana and Éric Warin, with Keira Knightley as the voice of Charlotte Salomon. Brenda Blethyn and Jim Broadbent voice Charlotte’s grandparents, Eddie Marsan her father, Helen McCrory her stepmother, Sophie Okonedo her patron Ottilie Moore, and Pippa Bennett-Warner her friend Barbara. Mark Strong is Alfred Wolfsohn and Sam Claflin Alexander Nagler. In the French version Julia has Marion Cotillard (also an executive producer) as Charlotte and Romain Duris as Alfred Wolfsohn.

Julia Rosenberg with Anne-Katrin Titze on screenwriter David Bezmozgis: “He has been nominated for the Giller Prize in Canada three times, one of the few novelists who has.

How do you convey a life story? For most, the answer would be an autobiography or biopic. Charlotte Salomon chose a different path by using painting to portray the love, loss, and pain surrounding her. Directors Eric Warin and Tahir Rana’s animated film, “Charlotte,” rely on a cast of respected performers to bring this complex tale to life. Keira Knightley voices the central character, with Jim Broadbent, Brenda Blethyn, Sam Claflin, Eddie Marsan, Helen McCrory, Sophie Okonedo, and Mark Strong rounding out the cast.

Continue reading ‘Charlotte’ Trailer: Keira Knightley Voices The Animated Story Of A German-Jewish Painter During WWII at The Playlist.

The only problem with British TV is that there isn’t more of it. The seasons are often shorter than their American counterparts, ensuring that audiences are always left wanting another episode.

Enter BritBox. The BBC and ITV streaming service boasts some of the more famous British imports in its catalog, alongside a deep library of English greats that might not have gained the same notoriety on this side of the pond. We’ve put together the best of the best shows to watch on BritBox in all genres, from meaty murder mysteries (the most popular category on BritBox) to the perfectly understated British comedies.

1. “Why Didn’t They Ask Evans”

Based on the Agatha Christie novel of the same name, “Why Didn’t They Ask Evans” is a perky and playful 1930s murder mystery packed with twists, turns, and sizzling banter. Will Poulter is Bobby Jones, a wayward naval...

"You have no idea how hard a life in art is." Good Deed Entertainment has revealed an official US trailer for an indie animated film called Charlotte, a Canadian-French-Belgian co-production that was created mainly up in Toronto. This initially premiered at the 2021 Toronto Film Festival last year and it's getting a limited US release this April in limited theaters. The film tells the story of a German-Jewish artist named Charlotte Salomon, who moves to Berlin just before the beginning of WWII. She soon flees to the South of France, and defies incredible odds to create a timeless masterpiece collection of paintings - they were published in a book called "Life? or Theatre?" - one of the original graphic novels. Charlotte has an English-language voice cast featuring Keira Knightley as Charlotte, Brenda Blethyn, Jim Broadbent, Sam Claflin, Eddie Marsan, the late Helen McCrory, Sophie Okonedo, and Mark Strong. This looks like...

Keira Knightley-voiced animated biopic “Charlotte” has an official trailer.

The feature, from Good Deed Entertainment, the studio behind “Loving Vincent,” tells the story of Charlotte Salomon, a young German-Jewish artist who was murdered in Auschwitz at the age of 26.

“Charlotte” is directed by Eric Warin and Tahir Rana and features the voices of Jim Broadbent, Sam Claflin (“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”), Eddie Marsan (“Ridley Road”), Sophie Okonedo (“Death on the Nile”) and Mark Strong (“1917”).

It also features one of the last performances from “Peaky Blinders” star Helen McRory, who died of cancer in 2021.

A French version of the film stars Marion Cotillard (“Inception”) as Charlotte.

“I believe this film is going to connect with young creative women,” producer Julia Rosenberg told Variety. “It’s a war story, it’s a refugee story, but it’s really a biopic of an artist who’s been overlooked. She invented the graphic memoir,...

It was an unusual evening at the Oscars, with several fresh faces, a veteran actress receiving her first nomination and one film dominating the ceremony. Billy Crystal hosted for the fifth time on March 24, 1997, and kept the ceremony lively, along with award winners who offered some rather entertaining acceptance speeches.

Best Picture winner “The English Patient” dominated, winning nine out of 12 nominations. Fellow Best Picture nominee “Fargo” was the only other recipient of multiple awards, winning two out of seven bids. The films that rounded out that category were “Shine,” which won one out of seven nominations, and “Jerry Maguire” and “Secrets and Lies,” each with five bids, with the former winning one and the latter leaving empty-handed.

A WWII-era epic romance detailing the tragic love affair of a burn victim and his married lover, “The English Patient” claimed victory for its score, sound, art direction, cinematography, costume design and editing.

Which Best Actress would you have voted for 25 years ago in the Oscar race?

Brenda Blethyn, Secrets & Lies Diane Keaton, Marvin's Room Frances McDormand, Fargo Kristin Scott Thomas, The English Patient (NBR *supporting) Emily Watson, Breaking The Waves

This is why we do Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals here at Tfe. It's easier that way! Anyway... 1996 was one of those years like 1950, 1974, 1987, 1995, or 2006 that Best Actress fans will be debating forever. Do you think 2021/22 will be like that or will we look back on the current race as a mild 'coulda been better' one? ...

After all the talk of a potential Lady Gaga-Kristen Stewart Oscar night showdown, could it be much ado about nothing?

Both actresses have a very vocal and passionate fanbase. Leading up to the Screen Actors Guild awards nominations, many predicted that the two would ultimately be the final two standing in the race for the Oscar statuette. However, that was until Stewart was snubbed for her turn as Princess Diana in Pablo Larraín’s historical fable. Many Gaga stans were elated by Stewart’s miss, seeing it as a clear opening for the performer to carry her “House of Gucci” momentum from a win at the New York Film Critics Circle and to a potential SAG Award, and then eventually the Academy Award.

While both actresses received nominations at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, including longlist mentions for the BAFTA Awards, whether pundits and fans want to believe it or not,...