News

Gemma Arterton, the British stage and screen star perhaps best known for playing Bond girl Strawberry Fields in “Quantum of Solace,” is set to star in upcoming period adventure thriller “Storm Witch.”

The independent U.K./Ireland co-production, to be directed by David Blair (a BAFTA winner for “Taking Over the Asylum” and “The Street”) from a screenplay by Tristan de Vere Cole, is being launched at the Marche du Film in Cannes later this month, with Myriad Pictures handling pre-sales.

Arterton, who also starred in “The King’s Man” and recently appeared in the Toronto-bowing “The Critic,” will lead a cast that includes Chloe Pirrie (“The Queen’s Gambit”), Stuart Martin (“Army of Thieves”), Kate Dickie (“Prometheus”) Steven Cree (“Outlander”) and Kevin McKidd (“Grey’s Anatomy”). The film is set to be shot later this year, primarily in Ireland.

Set in the 17th century, “Storm Witch” centers on a small coastal community...

A couple months ago, we heard that Blue Harbor Entertainment had acquired the U.S. distribution rights to the horror thriller Trim Season and were planning to give it a theatrical and On Demand release sometime in June. Now we know exactly when this release is going to happen – June 7th – and we’ve gotten our hands on a red band trailer, which can be seen in the embed above.

Starring Alex Essoe of Starry Eyes, Midnight Mass, and The Pope’s Exorcist and Bex Taylor-Klaus of Hell Fest, The Killing, and the Scream TV series, Trim Season was directed by award-winning producer and production designer Ariel Vida, who made her feature directorial debut with the 2022 mystery thriller Vide Noir.

The film has the following synopsis: Emma, jobless and searching for purpose, joins a group of twenty-somethings from Los Angeles and heads up the coast to make quick cash trimming...

Blue Harbor Entertainment has picked up the U.S. distribution rights to the horror thriller Trim Season, Variety reports, and they’re planning to give the film – which stars Alex Essoe of Starry Eyes, Midnight Mass, and The Pope’s Exorcist and Bex Taylor-Klaus of Hell Fest, The Killing, and the Scream TV series – a theatrical and VOD release sometime in June.

Directed by award-winning producer and production designer Ariel Vida, who made her feature directorial debut with the 2022 mystery thriller Vide Noir, Trim Season has the following synopsis: Emma, jobless and searching for purpose, joins a group of twenty-somethings from Los Angeles and heads up the coast to make quick cash trimming marijuana on a secluded farm in Northern California. Cut off from the rest of the world, they soon realize that the estate is harboring darker secrets than any of them could imagine, and it becomes a race...

Cannabis is known to have many medical benefits and can be helpful with conditions like cancer, chronic pain, and Ptsd. There is also evidence of marijuana being connected to spirituality and being used for ritualistic purposes throughout history. Trim Season is a fantastical and thought-provoking commentary on gender and the magical benefits of cannabis.

Trim Season was written by David Blair (The Triangle), Sean E. DeMott (American Satan), and Cullen Poythress, directed by Ariel Vida (Vide Noir), and produced by Paper Street Pictures. Vida was the production designer for Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s mind-bending films Something in the Dirt and The Endless, and if you’re familiar with the universe Benson and Moorhead have created, you will appreciate the imaginative and almost mythical Easter Eggs Vida incorporates into Trim Season.

Trim Season follows the twentysomething Emma (Bethlehem Million), who is struggling to pay her rent when she loses...

Exclusive: Francesca Eastwood (Old) and Milo Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge) have been tapped to star in Clawfoot — a cat-and-mouse thriller from Yale Entertainment, which is currently in production in Los Angeles.

In the film penned by April Wolfe (Black Christmas), an upper-class suburban housewife (Eastwood) is psychologically terrorized by a manipulative contractor (Gibson), leading to a twisted battle of wits with deliciously unexpected results.

The film’s director Michael Day (As They Made Us) is producing alongside Yale’s Jordan Yale Levine and Jordan Beckerman, with Kade Thomas, Scott Levenson, Jason Kringstein, Lee Broda and Colby Cote serving as exec producers. Yale’s recently launched sales banner Great Escape, led by Nick Donnermeyer, will handle worldwide sales.

Most recently appearing in M. Night Shyamalan’s Old for Universal Pictures, Eastwood has also been seen in such films as A Violent Separation, The Vault, M.F.A., Outlaws and Angels and Final Girl, among others.

Exclusive: Kaleidoscope launches movie about Polish fighter pilots during the Battle of Britain.

Game Of Thrones star Iwan Rheon has joined Milo Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge), Stefanie Martini (Crooked House), Marcin Dorocinski (Anthropoid) and Krystoff Hadek (Under The Skin) in World War Two war drama Hurricane.

Kaleidoscope will launch world sales (excluding Poland) in Toronto on the movie, which is due to begin shoot in the UK next month.

Kino Swiat has pre-bought Polish rights and is expected to mount a significant release.

David Blair, whose credits include movies Away and The Messenger and Bafta-winning TV drama The Street, will direct the feature about the Polish pilots who fought alongside the Raf during The Battle of Britain.

Produced by Prospect 3, whose credits include Dead Man’s Cards, I Against I and One Night In Istanbul, delivery is slated for Q2, 2018.

Rheon, best know for his long-running role as the sadistic Ramsay Bolton in HBO’s Game Of Thrones, will...

Author: Linda Marric

The Messenger director David Blair is back with a new gritty British drama staring Timothy Spall and the brilliantly versatile Juno Temple. Written by Roger Hadfield, Away offers its audience a highly ambitious story revolving around themes of loss, guilt and redemption. The film, which is set within the far from glamorous out-of-season surroundings of Blackpool, is a cautionary tale of hope and despair which brings two lost souls together as they try to make sense of the mess in their lives.

Ria (Juno Temple) finds herself in Blackpool after escaping the grips of her abusive pimp boyfriend Dex (Matt Ryan). As luck would have it, she comes across Joseph (Timothy Spall), a man attempting to come to terms with a big tragedy that has brought his world tumbling down. The two strike up an unlikely friendship and must work together to help one another overcome their difficulties.

Author: Competitions

To mark the release of Away, available Digitally now and on DVD from 15th May 2017, we’ve got 5 pairs of tickets to a cinema screening of Away to give away. The screening is taking place on 14th May at a London location.

Directed by BAFTA winner David Blair, Away stars multiple BAFTA nominee Timothy Spall, BAFTA winner Juno Temple and, fresh from her 2017 BAFTA nomination for I, Daniel Blake, Hayley Squires.

Joseph (Timothy Spall) and Ria (Juno Temple) are kindred spirits, both looking for a way out. When circumstances throw them together an unlikely friendship blossoms – one that gives them both a glimpse of something more, but one that is destined to end in the most extreme circumstances if either are to escape the confines of their lives and get away for good.

Please note: This competition is open to UK residents only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Small...

Author: Competitions

101 Films is pleased to announce the UK release of Away, available Digitally on 8th May 2017 and on DVD from 15th May 2017. Pre-order on DVD now from Amazon. To celebrate we’re giving away 3 DVD copies!

Directed by BAFTA winner David Blair, Away stars multiple BAFTA nominee Timothy Spall, BAFTA winner Juno Temple and, fresh from her 2017 BAFTA nomination for I, Daniel Blake, Hayley Squires.

Joseph (Timothy Spall) and Ria (Juno Temple) are kindred spirits, both looking for a way out. When circumstances throw them together an unlikely friendship blossoms – one that gives them both a glimpse of something more, but one that is destined to end in the most extreme circumstances if either are to escape the confines of their lives and get away for good.

This is a story of love, of loss and of hope played out against the magical backdrop of Blackpool.

Please note: This...

Competition films include Alice Lowe’s Prevenge and John Carney’s Sing Street.

The programme and jury for this year’s Dinard British Film Festival (Sept 28 – Oct 2) – the annual celebration of British cinema hosted on the French coast – has been revealed.

Presiding over the 2016 jury will be Oscar-winning French writer and director Claude Lelouch (A Man And A Woman), who will be joined by actor James d’Arcy (Master And Commander), actress and scriptwriter Victoria Bedos (La Famille Bélier), actress Julie Ferrier (Heartbreaker), distributor and producer Eric Lagesse (Beijing Bicycle), actor and director Jalil Lespert (Human Resources), actress Anne Parillaud (La Femme Nikita), producer Colin Vaines (Coriolanus), actor Phil Davis (Notes On A Scandal), and actress Florence Thomassin (Mesrine).

Among the festival’s industry events will be a round table discussion titled Brexit… What next? Following a screening of documentary Versus, The Life And Films Of Ken Loach, proceedings will be led by regular Ken Loach producer...

Highlights include the UK premiere of Finding Dory and the world premiere of the 4K restoration of Highlander [pictured].Scroll down for competition titles

The line-up for the 70th Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff) has been unveiled this morning by artistic director Mark Adams.

This year’s Eiff (June 15-26) will comprise a total 161 features from 46 countries including: 22 world premieres, five international premieres, 17 European premieres and 85 UK premieres.

Highlights include the UK premiere of Disney-Pixar animation Finding Dory, in-person events that include Us indie filmmaker Kevin Smith and Sex & The City actress Kim Cattrall, and the opening and closing gala world premieres of the previously announced Tommy’s Honour and Whisky Galore!.

Old classics will be re-imagined with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra performing the score to E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial live at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre and the world premiere of the newly-restored 4K version of Highlander, celebrating its 30th anniversary with star Clancy Brown in attendance.

The...

Stars: Robert Sheehan, Joely Richardson, Tamzin Merchant, David O’Hara, Lily Cole, Deirdre O’Kane, Andrew Tiernan, Alex Wyndham, Jack Fox, Brian Woodward | Written by Andrew Kirk | Directed by David Blair

The Messenger is the story of Jack’s last melt down: a story of frustration and guilt, love and betrayal, family and blame. When he becomes embroiled in the unfinished business of Mark, a journalist murdered in the local park who is desperate to communicate with his wife Sarah, Jack finds himself getting closer to Sarah, obsessed with passing on Mark’s message. Hidden secrets and lies finally push the fragile Jack over the edge, but hope appears in the person of his estranged sister, Emma. Jack starts to remember the past they shared together and as the memories come flooding back, he confronts the truth about the death of his father.

I’m not sure how I feel about The Messenger.

Featuring more than a little salty language to brighten your day, we’ve got an exclusive clip from director David Blair’s supernatural genre flick The Messenger, which hits UK cinemas September 18. So step on up… just make sure your kids… Continue Reading →

The post Exclusive The Messenger Clip Has Difficulty Dealing with the Dead appeared first on Dread Central.

The “I see dead people” trope has been used so extensively in supernatural thrillers that it’s practically its own sub-genre by now. With The Messenger, David Blair aims to subvert the usual clichés and focus more on the main character’s emotional struggles than his paranormal gift/curse, leaving us with one of this year’s better character pieces […]...

★★☆☆☆ Bogged down by a directionless narrative and pedestrian execution, David Blair's The Messenger (2015) benefits slightly from a committed performance from rising Irish actor Robert Sheehan. But even that isn't enough to hold the audiences attention, meaning scope for this film is limited. Jack (Sheehan) is a troubled soul. Ever since he was a child, he's been haunted by voices of the dead. Unable to escape, no matter how much alcohol he drinks or pills he pops, Jack is stuck in a vicious cycle, targeted by those who died with unfinished business. The latest of which is Mark (Jack Fox), a murdered reporter who never got the chance to say goodbye to his wife (Tamzin Merchant).

Starring Robert Sheehan, Joely Richardson, Lily Cole, Tamzin Merchant, David O’Hara and Jack Fox, The Messenger is set in the ghostly netherworld between life and death. We all want to believe in life after death and imagine loved ones looking over us, feel their presence in a draft of air – knowing they wait for us. But Jack isn’t waiting, in and out of secure units all of his young life, the dead won’t leave him alone.

When Jack (Robert Sheehan) unwillingly becomes embroiled in the unfinished business of a local murder, he discovers hidden secrets which threaten to push him over the edge. His estranged sister, Emma (Lily Cole) re-appears in his life and Jack starts to remember the past they shared together and to confront the truth about the death of his own father.

A haunting thriller directed by David Blair (Best Laid Plans) The Messenger is released in cinemas tomorrow,...

This he-sees-dead-people drama slathers on the moping misery with a trowel, and indulges in a wishy-washy ambiguity that serves no purpose. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Think Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost, doing the bidding of the dead, those few final tasks that will wrap up their earthly existences, but instead of going for comedy, The Messenger slathers on the moping misery with a trowel. Jack (Robert Sheehan: The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones) sees dead people. And hears them. We are meant to understand that this is a trial for him, though this is conveyed mostly via the fact that he never seems to bathe, shave, or change his clothes, which may tie into the attempt by the screenplay — by TV writer Andrew Kirk — to be ambiguous about whether Jack’s ability is real or not.

From the very beginning of David Blair’s latest endeavour The Messenger, a sense of ambiguity lingers over proceedings, as the viewer is thrown into this surrealistic narrative only to the fend for themselves, and to make their own conclusions. What transpires is a somewhat disorientating experience, but one you slowly grow into it, and despite any

The post The Messenger Review appeared first on HeyUGuys.

Director: David Blair; Screenwriter: Andrew Kirk; Starring: Robert Sheehan, Joely Richardson, Lily Cole; Running time: 101 mins; Certificate: 15

It's no surprise to discover that The Messenger's director David Blair also helmed several episodes of the wonderful 1990s BBC One drama The Lakes. He has a wonderful knack for imbuing nature and buildings with an ethereal quality that entrances our eyes and establishes a foreboding atmosphere, as is evident in his latest film.

The unsettling tale follows Robert Sheehan's troubled soul Jack, a young man burdened by all the dead people that talk to him. "I don't want to help people, I want to get rid of them," he bemoans at one stage. But can he use what he learns to figure out the grizzly demise of someone connected to him? Or will the police, concerned by his bizarre behaviour, deal with him first?

A fascinating lead turn from the...

Exclusive: Robert Sheehan, Joely Richardson, Lily Cole star in horror.

Metrodome has picked up UK rights to mystery-horror The Messenger, starring Robert Sheehan (The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones), Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck) and Lily Cole (The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus).

Directed by David Blair (Best Laid Plans), Sheehan stars as a troubled young man haunted by spirits in the Sixth Sense-style UK horror due to be released this summer.

Producers are Terry Stone for Gateway Films, Richard Turner and Richard Hart for Ratio Film, and Michael Knowles. The film was executive produced by Investor Profit Portfolio and The Wealth Advisory.

Cinema Management Group (Cmg) handles international sales.

Stone said: “The Messenger boasts a superb cast, a fantastic director and a story that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. I am delighted that the film will be given the release it deserves by such a fantastic distributor as Metrodome.”...

The Imitation Game star has been nominated for his leading role in BBC drama Sherlock.Scroll down for full list of nominations

Benedict Cumberbatch has been nominated for the third time as leading actor in his BBC role of Sherlock. This marks his sixth nomination for this category in his career.

Cumberbatch received a Best Actor Oscar nomination earlier this year for his role as Alan Turing in Morten Tyldum’s The Imitation Game.

The nominations, announced on Wednesday by actors Freddie Fox and Amanda Abbington, place Cumberbatch in a category alongside three others.

Toby Jones (Harry Potter, Captain America, The Hunger Games) is recognized for his role in Marvellous. The show received two other nominations including Single Drama and Supporting Actress for Gemma Jones.

James Nesbitt (The Hobbit) also received a leading actor nomination for The Missing, in addition to Jason Watkins (The Golden Compass) for his role in The Lost Honour of Christopher Jeffries.

For...

Timothy Spall and Juno Temple have joined the cast of Away.

The pair will play "kindred spirits" who become unlikely friends in the film, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Away is set in Blackpool and tells a story of love, loss and hope.

David Blair (Accused) will direct from a script penned by Roger Hadfield, with Terry Stone, Richard Turner and Mike Knowles on board as producers.

Stone, from Gateway Films, said: "Away is an incredible story that will touch audiences around the world.

"[The cast] are superb and bring together the right mix of intensity, intelligence and gravitas required to tell this story. We can't wait to get started."

Production on the film will begin in the UK next Monday (March 2).

Last month, Spall revealed that he was disappointed to miss out on an Oscar nomination for his performance in Mr Turner.

Exclusive: Mr. Turner actor Timothy Spall is to star in Away, the fifth collaboration between producer Terry Stone and international sales agent Cinema Management Group (Cmg).

Juno Temple will also headline the drama from Stone’s Gateway Films and Ratio Film. Cmg chief Edward Noeltner is introducing Away to buyers in Berlin this week and holds world rights while the producers retain the UK.

David Blair will direct the Blackpool-set story about a widower who saves an orphan on the run from a drug dealer, sparking an unlikely friendship. Production is scheduled for an early March shoot mostly on location.

Spall’s recent best British actor win in London follows solid recognition for his performance in Mr Turner that has delivered a British Independent Film Awards nomination and the best actor prize in Cannes last May, among others.

“I am thrilled that Cinema Management Group will be handling the international sales for Away at this year’s...

Efm Exclusive: Timothy Spall, hot off his London Critics Circle triumph for Mr Turner, will star in Away, the fifth collaboration between producer Terry Stone and international sales agent Cinema Management Group (Cmg).

Juno Temple will also headline the drama from Stone’s Gateway Films and Ratio Film. Cmg chief Edward Noeltner is introducing Away to buyers in Berlin this week and holds world rights while the producers retain the UK.

David Blair will direct the Blackpool-set story about a widower who saves an orphan on the run from a drug dealer, sparking an unlikely friendship. Production is scheduled for an early March shoot mostly on location.

Spall’s recent best British actor win in London follows solid recognition for his performance in Mr Turner that has delivered a British Independent Film Awards nomination and the best actor prize in Cannes last May, among others.

“I am thrilled that Cinema Management Group will be handling the international...

Efm: The Beverly Hills-based sales agency has launched a full-time office in Paris named Cmg Europe Sas.

The new venture will meet with producers at the Efm this week to discuss a number of projects as Cmg chief Edward Noeltner aims to expand his co-production business.

Cmg has been expanding its international portfolio and recently acquired the Argentina-Canada-Italy family film and recent Sundance selection The Games Maker.

The slate includes Venezuelan production Liz In September from Camera d’Or winner Fina Torres, while Bruno Barreto is in pre-production with another Latin American title.

“We were extremely pleased with our collaboration with Bruno on Reaching For The Moon and his new project, written by Bruno and Matthew Chapman has got huge international appeal,” said Noeltner.

Cmg will also present in Berlin The Messenger, its latest UK title after Saving Santa 3D and Plastic.

David Blair directs Robert Sheehan, Lily Cole and Joely Richardson in supernatural tale The Messenger from producer...

UK cinema in 2015 has plenty to recommend it. Here are 36 UK films of all genres to look forward to this year…

Dig past the litterfall of Kray Brothers biopics and tales of nubile teens on camping trips gone wrong, and you’ll unearth plenty for the UK film industry to boast about in 2015. From sci-fi romps and thrillers like Robot Overlords and Ex Machina to dramas like High-Rise, comedies like War On Everyone, spy flicks like Spectre and kids’ films like Bill, there’s no shortage of inventive, highly promising cinema coming from these isles.

We’ve included a few choice co-productions in 2015’s pick of the year’s most interesting-looking pictures, which bolsters our list in both size and breadth (and mostly means we Brits can claim partial credit for ace-sounding dystopian flick The Lobster).

In alphabetical order then, here are the 36 UK (or UK-ish) movies we’re excited about seeing this year…...

Paranormal thriller is directed by David Blair and stars Robert Sheehan [pictured], Joely Richardson and Lily Cole.

Cinema Management Group will launch sales on The Messenger at Afm.

Directed by David Blair, the paranormal thriller was produced by Gateway Films and Ratio Films. It stars Robert Sheehan, Joely Richardson, Jack Fox, Lily Cole, David O’Hara and Tamzin Merchant.

The Messenger follows Jack (Sheehan) who gets obsessed with passing on the final message of a brutally murdered journalist.

Producer Terry Stone commented: “I am thrilled that Cinema Management Group will handle both domestic and international sales for The Messenger at this year’s Afm. It is a competitive market and, given their extensive experience, Cmg are perfectly suited to ensure the best results possible.”...

The Messenger, from Gateway Films, has recently completed shooting. This film was shot in the United Kingdom, by director David Blair. Shot in the summer, several more photos from the films have been released. The stills show the character Jack. Jack is a conduit between the physical and supernatural. And, this supernatural thriller stars Joely Richardson (Event Horizon), Robert Sheehan and Lily Cole. A preview for the film's upcoming release is here. There are a few plot points in The Messenger. Jack (Sheehan), the protagonist, has his own past to deal with. He is still trying to cope with his father's death. But, Jack is also caught in the middle of another complicated relationship. He is trying to pass a message from the other-world and from Mark to his wife, Sarah. A killer is also lurking just out of frame. The latest photos for The Messenger focus on Jack. He is confronted by a psychiatrist,...

Den Of Geek Jul 20, 2016

Want to know what British films are coming out this month? Then look no further than our UK movie release calendar...

Welcome to our regularly updated calendar of all the British movies due for release in UK cinemas over the coming months. So if you're keen to keep up-to-date on the latest in home grown cinema - from documentaries to dramas, and comedy horror to science fiction - this is the ideal post for you. 

So here's what's coming up in the future.

22 July 2016

The Bfg

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast: Rebecca Hall, Mark Rylance, Bill Hader

Details: An adaptation of the Roald Dahl book, this is a Us/UK/Canada co-production, but we're having it anyway.

K-Shop

Director: Dan Pringle

Cast: Ziad Abaza, Scot Williams, Darren Morfitt, Reece Noi

Details: The son of a kebab shop owner seeks revenge.

29 July 2016

The Intent

Director: Femi Oyeniran, Kalvadour Peterson

Cast: Dylan Duffus,...

Back in April we told you about a new supernatural thriller called The Messenger. Production began this summer under the direction of David Blair and, at the time, we didn't know much about the cast, but we can now tell you Robert Sheehan, Lily Cole, Joely Richardson, Jack Fox, Andrew Tiernan and David O'Hara are starring. We also have the first photo for you.

The post Lily Cole, Joely Richardson Added to The Messenger – First Photo appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Joely Richardson is the latest addition to the cast of David Blair's upcoming film The Messenger.

The British actress will play the Psychiatrist in the film, which is currently in production.

The Messenger follows Jack - a man who sees dead people everyday - who finds himself dealing with the unfinished business of murdered journalist Mark, and his hopes to say goodbye to his wife Sarah.

Speaking of Richardson's casting, producer Terry Stone said: "We are absolutely thrilled to have an actress of Joely's talent and integrity attached to our project. She makes a fantastic addition to an already incredible cast."

Robert Sheehan, Jack Fox, Lily Cole, David O'Hara and Tamzin Merchant will also star in the project.

David Blair has previously directed several TV dramas including Accused and Bert & Dickie.

While he waits to see whether the Mortal Instruments series gets back on its feet for City Of Ashes, Robert Sheehan is hopping aboard a film that also features supernatural themes, albeit with a more naturalistic style. He’ll be part of The Messenger alongside Lily Cole, Jack Fox, David O’Hara and Tamzin Merchant.David Blair is set to start cranking the cameras this week in the UK, working from Andrew Kirk’s script. The Messenger is focused on Jack, a troubled young man who has been in and out of secure units for his entire life. See, Jack gets visions of the dead and try as he might, he just can’t block them out - even with vigorous drug regimens.He becomes unwittingly embroiled in the case of Mark, a journalist murdered in the local park who wants to say goodbye to his wife, Sarah. As Jack gets closer to Sarah,...

Demolition

Naomi Watts is in negotiations to join Jake Gyllenhaal in "Dallas Buyers Club" director Jean-Marc Vallee's upcoming dramatic comedy "Demolition" based on a 2007 Black List script by Bryan Sipe.

Gyllenhaal plays a young investment banker struggling to cope after the tragic death of his wife. During his attempt to put his life back together, he becomes obsessed with destruction and develops an unusual relationship with a pot smoking single mother (Naomi Watts). [Source: The Wrap]

Untitled Spielberg Cold War Thriller

Amy Ryan ("Gone Baby Gone"), Alan Alda ("Mash"), Billy Magnussen ("Boardwalk Empire") and Eve Hewson ("The Knick") will star opposite Tom Hanks in Steven Spielberg’s Cold War spy thriller at Fox and Dreamworks. Filming begins in September in Berlin and New York.

Hanks will portray an American attorney enlisted by the CIA during the Cold War to surreptitiously negotiate the 1962 release of Francis Gary Powers, the U2 spy plane pilot who...

Cast of supernatural drama also includes Lily Cole and Jack Fox.

The cast of supernatural chiller The Messenger has been confirmed, as Gateway Films and Ratio Films begins principal photography this week in the UK on locations including the Peak District.

Robert Sheehan, star of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones and TV series Misfits, will be joined in the cast by Jack Fox (Dracula, Fresh Meat), Lily Cole (Snow White and the Huntsman), David O’Hara (The Departed) and Tamzin Merchant (Jane Eyre, The Tudors).

The film is directed by David Blair (Best Laid Plans) and was written by Andrew Kirk.

The Messenger centres on Jack, a young man who has been in and out of secure units all his life, given drugs to try and shut out his visions of the dead. He becomes unwillingly embroiled in the unfinished business of Mark, a journalist brutally murdered in the local park and his television presenter wife, Sarah...

Jimmy McGovern’s new one-off BBC drama, Common, seeks to highlight the controversies of the Joint Enterprise doctrine…

Feature

In 1846, two men named John Swindall and James Osborne engaged in a cart race on a public road that caused the death of a pedestrian. Only one vehicle had killed the victim, but as both had encouraged the other to drive dangerously, Swindall and Osborne were judged to be acting on a common intention and were both charged with manslaughter. The case ushered in the Joint Enterprise doctrine in English law, whereby two or more people who agree to commit a crime together are liable for the criminal actions of other members of their group.

Joint Enterprise. It sounds like a judicious scheme. Why should members of a group who set out with the common goal of murder evade justice only because they didn’t - or it couldn’t be...

Exclusive: Metrodome International to officially launch at Cannes, with former Av staff

UK distributor Metrodome is to launch a new sales arm, which will incorporate the library and some staff from UK sales outfit Av Pictures, which will cease to actively acquire after an 11-year run in the industry.

Metrodome International will officially launch at Cannes next month, with former Av staff

Caroline Couret-Delègue is joining as head of sales and acquisitions and Jane Carolan will join as distribution manager.

Both will report in to Metrodome Distribution managing director Jezz Vernon who will take up the position of MD at the new agency in addition to his current role.

Av MD Chris Hainsworth and director of acquisitions and production Lee Brazier will manage the partnership on behalf of Av and its producer clients, and will focus on the nascent development slate of Cinescope Entertainment, Av’s sister production company.

Av chairman Angad Paul will retain a stake...

Is the ability to channel the spirits of the dead a legit talent, or are those who claim they can simply suffering from a mental illness? That's the question that lies at the heart of the upcoming film The Messenger, and we've got all the details for ya today. Dig in!

Screen Daily reports that David Blair (Best Laid Plans) will direct the film, which is set to begin its UK shoot in the summer of this year. Casting is currently under way on the project, which is a joint venture among Gateway Films, Ratio:Film, and NoW Films.

Written by Andrew Kirk and developed by Michael Knowles, the film centers on Jack, a young man who has been in and out of secure units all his life, given drugs to try and shut out his visions of the dead. He becomes unwillingly embroiled in the unfinished business of Mark, a...

Director David Blair has been attached to the supernatural thriller The Messenger which is expected to begin shooting this summer, says Screen Daily. Andrew Kirk penned the script for Gateway Films, Ratio:Film and NoW Films. Per the outlet... The Messenger centres on Jack, a young man who has been in and out of secure units all his life, given drugs to try and shut out his visions of the dead. He becomes unwillingly embroiled in the unfinished business of Mark, a journalist brutally murdered in the local park and his television presenter wife, Sarah, to whom he’s desperate to say one last goodbye.

The post Production to Begin This Summer on The Messenger appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Exclusive: Chiller about a young man who sees dead people to shoot this summer.

Gateway Films, Ratio:Film and NoW Films have announced that pre-production will commence on feature film The Messenger following casting, which is now taking place. Shooting will begin summer 2014.

Shooting on location in the UK, The Messenger is written by Andrew Kirk and developed by Michael Knowles, with Richard Turner and Richard Hart and has double BAFTA and Emmy award-winning director David Blair attached to the project.

Blair is best known for directing episodes of Jimmy McGovern’s award-winning BBC dramas including The Street and Accused, as well as period TV movie Bert and Dickie, starring Matt Smith, and feature Best Laid Plans.

The Messenger centres on Jack, a young man who has been in and out of secure units all his life, given drugs to try and shut out his visions of the dead. He becomes unwillingly embroiled in the unfinished business of Mark...

Britain’s Sky Atlantic HD is making sure Game Of Thrones fans don’t have to wait to see the first episode of the upcoming fourth season. The pay channel will premiere the season debut simultaneously with HBO’s U.S. East Coast transmission. Catering to the faithful, it will air on Monday April 7 at 2 Am and then be repeated in primetime at 9 Pm UK time. Following the first 2 Am transmission, the premiere episode will also be available on demand. After that, Game Of Thrones will settle into its regular time slot. The move is not unprecedented for Sky which has done similar simulcasts with the series finales of Lost and Fringe. Two new 120-minute episodes of The Suspicions Of Mr Whicher have been ordered by the UK’s ITV. Paddy Considine stars in the psychological drama from Hat Trick Productions. Shooting will take place in April and May in...

Daniel Mays is to lead the cast of new BBC One drama Common.

The one-off crime thriller - from writer Jimmy McGovern (Accused, Cracker) - centres on 'joint enterprise' law and tells the tale of four men who flee a fatal stabbing.

Lead actor Mays most recently starred in ITV's BAFTA-winning drama Mrs Biggs and appears in the movie Welcome to the Punch opposite James McAvoy.

Jodhi May (The Ice Cream Girls), Robert Pugh (Game of Thrones), Nico Mirallegro (My Mad Fat Diary) and Susan Lynch (Monroe) form the rest of the Common cast.

"When it comes to casting you always have a 'wish list' - a list of actors who'd be perfect for the parts you have written," said McGovern.

"You never get them of course. They're often too busy or away on holiday or they hate the script or whatever. But on this occasion, I got them all,...

Olivia Colman pulled off a historic double at the BAFTA TV Awards, taking home two gongs for her performances in 'Twenty Twelve' and 'The Accused'.

The popular actress, who has gone from strength to strength since her breakthrough film role in 'Tyrannosaur' last year, including the hit series 'Broadchurch', took to the stage three times in all, as 'Twenty Twelve also scooped the award for 'Best Comedy'.

Olivia Colman was overjoyed to receive two Baftas at the BAFTA TV Awards

Colman was typically humble in her speeches, saying 'I'm sorry' as she accepted her second award, and noting of her win for Female Comedy Performance, 'I'm not even the funniest one in our programme."

She also used the chance of her second win, for 'Twenty Twelve' to thank somebody she forgot the first time around, the director of 'The Accused' - David Blair.

Columns Festival Roundup The Cannes Film Festival, the Istanbul Film Festival, the Philadelphia Film Festival, and the Human Rights Film Festival covered by Howard Feinstein, Paula Bernstein, Paul Shannon and Bill Dole Production Update by Mary Glucksman Legal Affairs Joseph Martin Carasso on low-cost legal advice for independents Technology Robert Kolker on David Blair’s pioneering electronic cinema Words Summer releases reviewed by Marc Schiller, Holly Willis, and Wes Sewell Home Video Rob Edelman on Star Time‘s journey to tape Short Ends Summer 1993 Table Of Contents Features Under Pressure Scott Macaulay talks with Crush‘s Alison Maclean and Marcia Gay Harden …...

“Mo’s Story”, Dir. David Blair, Written by Jimmy McGovern. BBC1, 9pm-10pm, Tuesday.

Anyone who has ever viewed anything written by Jimmy McGovern (The Street, Bloody Sunday) knows that happy endings just aren’t his style. But this week things were especially bleak as The Accused entered its second episode of series 2. Here, McGovern served up a family sized dollop of misery for his viewers as the story followed two mothers embroiled in gun crime.

McGovern is known for his dark, gritty writing, but he is also not afraid to tackle what some may consider “taboo” issues. In last weeks episode of the anthology series, we saw Hollywood hardman Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones) don a frock and a pair of stilettos as he portrayed a transsexual in “Tracies Story”.

But the Irish born writer gets back to what he knows best here, as he...

By Allen Gardner

The Samurai Trilogy (Criterion) Director Hiroshi Inagaki’s sprawling epic filmed from 1954-56 is an early Japanese Technicolor masterpiece, rivaling the scope of filmmakers like David Lean and Luchino Visconti. Toshiro Mifune, Japan’s greatest actor, stars as real-life swordsman, artist and writer Musashi Miyamoto, following his growth from callow youth to disciplined warrior. The three films: the Oscar winning “Musashi Miyamoto,” “Duel at Ichijoji Temple,” and “Duel at Ganryu Island” are an incredible story of human growth, tender love and sublime, blood-soaked action. Not to be missed. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Interviews with translator and historian William Scott Wilson; Trailers. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.

The 39 Steps (Criterion) Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 story of spies, conspiracies and sexual tension put him on the map on both sides of the Pond. Robert Donat stars as an innocent thrust into a deadly plot alongside a cool blonde (Madeleine Carroll...

Chronicle (12A)

(Josh Trank, 2012, Us) Dane DeHaan, Michael B Jordan, Alex Russell, Michael Kelly. 83 mins

It's one of those forehead-slapping, "why didn't We think of this?" ideas: a low-budget, found-footage teen superhero movie. Think Paranormal Activity meets Misfits, or Kick-Ass meets Jackass, as three ordinary boys acquire powers but not the responsibility that comes with them. They start off with mischievous pranks, then progress to … well, part of the fun is that this is a movie out of nowhere. Pick holes in it later, but first enjoy the surprise!

Carnage (15)

(Roman Polanski, 2011, Fra/Ger/Pol/Spa) Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz, John C Reilly. 80 mins

Four actors, two couples, one apartment, and the stage is set for a face-off that goes from sober, civilised and trivial to the exact opposite in no time. Adapted from a play, it's still pretty theatrical, but as chamber pieces go, sporadically sharp and funny.

An awkward, and not particularly successful film, Luke gets to grips with Best Laid Plans...

David Blair’s Best Laid Plans is a film that suffers from something – a nagging, pervasive ambivalence - that leaves a taste lingering in the mouth, and not necessarily a pleasant one. There’s a tiny chance that could have been that unexpected peanut Revel, sure, but it was almost certainly the film.

One of the things to like, as with most things in which he appears, is the performance of the borderline-ubiquitous Stephen Graham, who seems utterly incapable of being anything less than excellent in anything. Hell, he even came out of Doghouse with pride and career intact, and that was crap.

Graham’s Danny is the small-time chancer – the sort of archetypal yet loveable Scouse rogue that blends indiscernibly into his oeuvre, much as piss disperses evenly into the shallow end of a...

We don't cover many British crime dramas around these parts, but the presence of Stephen "27%-er" Graham brought this one to our attention. In Best Laid Plans, Graham plays a man in hock to gangsters and forced to steer his friend Joseph (The Thing's Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) through a series of unlicensed cage fights in order to pay them back.We'd say "that's what friends are for", except we're pretty sure it isn't. Needless to say, the circumstances in which the two find themselves puts a pretty severe strain on their friendship.Director David Blair is currently putting the finishing touches on Best Laid Plans. The tough-as-tungsten Brit thriller will be out in cinemas on February 3, and on DVD and Blu-ray on February 20. ...

From the beginning in Journey into Mystery, Thor’s arch enemy has been his foster brother Loki, which Stan Lee lifted directly from the Norse myths. Loki, god of mischief, was an infant when Odin slew his father and took the child to raise as his own. Much of the Norse mythology tells stories of Loki’s schemes and trickery among the gods of Asgard, a rivalry with Thor clear. Stan, Larry Leiber, and Jack Kirby didn’t real mine the sibling relationship in those early years; it had to fall to other writers who added sophisticated psychological thinking to the relationships of gods.

One such rumination of that relationship was Robert Rodi’s 2004 Loki miniseries. Released under the Marvel Knights imprint, it echoed the core Marvel Universe’s interpretation of the characters but offered up entirely fresh takes on the characterizations and look of the deities. Painter Esad Ribic...

A little over 18 years ago, when video on demand meant you were driving to Blockbuster and no red envelopes carried DVDs to millions of mailboxes around the country, the first movie arrived on the internet. The honor belonged to a peculiar avant-garde creation called "Wax, or the Discovery of Television by Bees." A dazzlingly erratic, non-linear science fiction narrative by video artist David Blair, the 86-minute work premiered in ...