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Dog Soldiers and The Descent director Neil Marshall has worked with actress/co-writer Charlotte Kirk on his three most recent films, The Reckoning, The Lair, and Duchess, and they’re continuing their collaboration on the upcoming psychological thriller Compulsion. Deadline reports that Saban Films has secured the domestic distribution rights to the film – and while a release date has not yet been announced, a first look image has been unveiled. You can check that out at the bottom of this article.

With a script written by Marshall, Compulsion is said to be inspired by the old school erotic thrillers of the ’80s and ’90s, like Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct, and Single White Female. This one centers on the dynamically twisted relationship between two women, as both become embroiled in a series of horrific murders on the island of Malta. Kirk stars in the film alongside Anna-Maria Sieklucka, who starred in...

The three-part documentary series, Killer Lies: Chasing A True Crime Con Man, concludes with its final episode, The Reckoning, airing on Nat Geo on Wednesday, 28 August 2024, at 8:00 Pm. The episode looks into the past of serial killer expert Stéphane Bourgoin, exploring the mysteries that shaped his dark obsessions. In this final chapter, […]

Killer Lies: Chasing A True Crime Con Man: The Reckoning...

“The Reckoning,” the latest episode of “Killer Lies: Chasing a True Crime Con Man,” is set to air on National Geographic at 9:57 Pm on Wednesday, August 28, 2024. This gripping episode dives deep into the complex past of the notorious Bourgoin, uncovering the roots of his chilling obsessions.

Viewers can expect a compelling exploration of Bourgoin’s life, revealing how his early experiences shaped the man he became. The episode promises to peel back the layers of his psyche, offering insights into the motivations behind his actions. As the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that understanding his past is crucial to grasping the full scope of his dark tendencies.

“The Reckoning” not only seeks to expose the truth behind Bourgoin’s criminal behavior but also aims to shed light on the broader implications of his actions. With expert commentary and a blend of interviews, the episode is sure to keep audiences...

"Real power can never be given, it has to be taken." Saban Films has revealed an official trailer for a British action thriller titled Duchess, the latest movie from genre filmmaker Neil Marshall. For the last few years he has been making movies with his young wife Charlotte Kirk, who now helps produce and co-write the movies in addition to starring in them (also: The Reckoning and The Lair before this one). The film follows a tough, working-class, petty criminal named Scarlett who morphs into an anti-heroine to be reckoned with in a murky underworld, in the treacherous world of diamond smuggling. Duchess, a small-time crook, ends up left for dead when a deal goes wrong. Determined to seek retribution, she launches into an unwavering pursuit for vengeance. But of course. Duchess also stars Philip Winchester, Colm Meaney, Stephanie Beacham, Sean Pertwee and Hoji Fortuna. Alas this one looks like an instantly forgettable action flick.

Stars: Tal Hymans, Alec Snow, Tara Jay, Melissa Brattoni | Written and Directed by Jon Cohen

The Hanged Girl was initially shot, and released in some countries as The Haunting at Saint Joseph’s, something writer/director Jon Cohen should be used to as his 2009 exercise in torture porn, The 7th Hunt was retitled and rereleased in 2021 as The Hunt.

However, this is an entirely different type of film, opening in the 1800s during a smallpox epidemic. A young woman goes to a convent hoping to find help for her village. Instead, she’s hung as a witch, her spirit still said to haunt the area. Although I suspect it’s the sisters who are practising the dark arts as they have nylon rope a hundred or so years before it was invented.

In the present, Dr. Lily Khan is having a rough day. Not only did she have to deal...

A few familiar faces are missing from Call the Midwife Season 12. The latest season of the long-running BBC drama recently landed on Netflix in the U.S., which means that some fans are just discovering that several beloved characters have left the show. The departures include Fenella Woolgar, who played the cheerful nun Sister Hilda.

Sister Hilda isn’t in ‘Call the Midwife’ Season 12

Woolgar joined the Call the Midwife cast in season 8, which aired in 2019. Her character, Sister Hilda, arrived at Nonnatus House in 1964, and she quickly became an integral part of the close-knit group of nuns and midwives.

Before she joined the religious order, Sister Hilda served in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force during World War II. During that period in her life, she lived in London’s East End. When she returned to the neighborhood years later as a midwife, she was shocked by the changes she saw.

Disco Diablo is a new horror comedy podcast series going into pre-production and directed by Greg Tally and Halle Capone. This will be a Collywood Studios and Damn Dirty Drive In Presentation, both based in Denver, Colorado. It is also the first of several podcast plays, film shorts and features Collywood is moving into pre-production.

Tally’s previous directing projects include a satire of ‘War of the Worlds,’ and the Western drama, ‘The Reckoning,’ and Capone directed the art house feature drama, “Misfits of the Profane,” as well as several episodes of the horror series, ‘Tales of the Wildermist.

The series stars Jon A. Ravenholt as the devil, Hades Tarantella, Erik Rangel as his tri-state disco champion challenger, Gino Testosteroni, and Halle Capone as Gino’s former girlfriend, Tina Valentina, and David. A. Quinn as the dancing priest, Father Dante.

It’s a dance off with the devil. In the...

The BBC’s controversial Jimmy Savile drama The Reckoning will be handed its long-awaited premiere in the autumn, while it has unveiled more cast and a first-look image.

Joining Coogan are BAFTA-winner Gemma Jones (Marvellous), Siobhan Finneran (Happy Valley), Mark Lewis Jones (Outlander) and Mark Stanley (Happy Valley).

The BBC has also unveiled a first-look image (top), in which Coogan portraying the posthumously-outed serial sex offender can be seen smoking one of his famous cigars ponderously staring out the window.

Produced by ITV Studios, penned by Neil McKay and EP’d by Jeff Pope, the four-part series will trace Savile’s life through the decades. He was one of the BBC’s most popular presenters when alive but in death was outed as using his involvement in multiple organizations, such as the BBC, hospitals, prisons, and charities, to legitimise himself, forging friendships in showbusiness, politics, journalism, the Catholic Church and...

Once again, we all knew it was coming, but Nightdive and id Software still managed to surprise fans with the new Quake II remaster. Announced today at the start of QuakeCon 2023, Quake II is now available for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 via the PlayStation Store, the Xbox Series and Xbox One via the Microsoft Store, the Nintendo Switch via the Nintendo eShop, and PC via Steam for $9.99 Usd. Those who already own the original Quake II will receive the remaster for free.

So, just what’s in store with the remaster? Tons of stuff. For one, Quake II is now available in 4K with widescreen resolution support, and the models, animations, gore, and AI have all been given enhancements. There are also enhanced cinematics, dynamic and colored lighting, anti-aliasing and depth of field effects. The original soundtrack by Sonic Mayhem is also here.

Both of the original expansion packs, “The Reckoning...

The 44th Annual News and Documentary Emmy nominations were announced on Thursday, July 27, with winners set to be announced at a pair of ceremonies taking place on September 27 and September 28. Scroll down for the complete list of contenders, led by CNN with 45 nominations, Vice News with 30, ABC with 26, and PBS with 26.

“The News & Documentary Emmy Awards honor the work of dedicated professionals working at the highest level of the broadcast journalism and documentary filmmaking professions,” said Adam Sharp, President and CEO of NATAS in a statement. “They pay tribute to the journalists who bring us up-to-the-minute reporting on the critical stories of our time, and the documentary storytellers who explore important social, cultural, and political issues in great depth. NATAS is proud to celebrate the work of this year’s nominees.”

SEE2023 Emmy Predictions: Best Drama Series

Outstanding Live News Program

ABC World News Tonight with David Muir

Anderson Cooper...

A pilot shot down over Afghanistan. Insurgents determined to kill her. A ragtag unit of soldiers desperately holding out against the odds. An underground bunker full of humanoid monsters with slimy skin and nasty sharp pointy teeth. You might well feel that you’ve seen this film – or two films, here spliced together – many times before. There is however a reason why Neil Marshall’s latest offering has been such a hit with genre fans, and that’s that it brings a freshness to the whole enterprise which makes it much more fun than, by any reasonable standard, it ought to be.

The pilot is Kate Sinclair, played by Charlotte Kirk, who previously appeared in Marshall’s silly but enjoyable Cromwell-era revenge tale The Reckoning. Then, as now, Kirk sports immaculate make-up, even when dirt and bruises have been applied over the top of it. She does a lot of her own.

Level 33 Entertainment’s new horror film Don’t Look Away will be playing exclusively in theaters on September 1, and Bloody Disgusting is exclusively sharing the official trailer today.

We’ve also got the film’s poster art, which you’ll find down below.

Don’t Look Away is inspired by the hit video game Stay Close.

In the film, which carries It Follows vibes, “After a gang of criminals unintentionally unleashes a supernatural force onto the world, a young woman named Frankie is convinced she’s being stalked by a killer mannequin. Frankie soon realizes that her friends are in jeopardy too. She must find the man who holds the key to stopping the killings, but Frankie knows that once you see the mannequin, there may be no end in sight, except for your own.”

It doesn’t breathe… it doesn’t move… it just kills…

Kelly Bastard (Tommy and the King), Michael Mitton,...

Director Neil Marshall returns with The Lair, a lean, mean creature feature which, according to the director, is inspired by the ‘classic genre movies like Alien, Predator and The Thing’.

When Lieutenant Kate Sinclair is shot down over Afghanistan, Sergeant Tom Hook is sent in to lead a specialised team of Sas troops to find the missing soldier and bring her home. As Sinclair desperately tries to evade her pursuers, she stumbles across a forsaken military bunker and seeks refuge, but little does she know that this seemingly abandoned base holds a dark secret… a horde of nightmarish creatures known as Ravagers, half-human and half-alien, ravenous for flesh. Narrowly escaping from the bunker, Sinclair finds safety at a nearby army base led by Major Roy Finch. But it’s not long before some unexpected and extremely dangerous visitors arrive, eliciting an adrenaline-fueled mighty battle for survival…

This spine-chilling Shudder Original features terrifying monsters,...

Ava DuVernay’s arts and social collective Array has announced its slate of summer programming, including an actor’s masterclass taught by Emmy winner Niecy Nash-Betts, a cinematic celebration of Jean-Michel Basquiat and the debut of two new commissioned projects from Array’s Law Enforcement Accountability Project (Leap).

The summer lineup is curated by Array’s SVP of public programming, Mercedes Cooper, and in keeping with the Array’s mission of “igniting social change through the cinematic arts,” all events are free to the public.

“Array’s focus on instigating narrative change through our non-profit Array Alliance allows us to gather audiences around issues aligned with our core mission and everyday work,” said Cooper in a statement announcing the lineup.

“With film and art as the doorway, this summer’s programs invite conversations around otherness, authority and privilege, love and loss, as well as Black masculinity,” she continued. “Our ongoing...

The last episode before the two-part series finale for NCIS: Los Angeles featured Callen (Chris O’Donnell) getting a file on his life — and learning just how he and Sam (LL Cool J) ended up as partners. (And thankfully they did! Could you imagine the show without their banter? We can’t either.) In “The Reckoning,” Callen came face-to-face with Pembrook (Jere Burns), who had been part of the spy program he’d unwittingly been entered into as a kid. And in their last meeting of the episode, during which he got that aforementioned file, Callen also heard more about Hetty’s (Linda Hunt) role in his part in (and out of) it. She’d pulled him out of the program because she “was consumed with guilt” for putting him in it, wanting him to fulfill his potential. “That world was all she knew. It’s all she had to offer you,...

[Warning: The below contains Major spoilers for NCIS: LA Season 14 Episode 19, “The Reckoning.”] “Grisha Callen, this is your life.” That is essentially what Pembrook (Jere Burns) says to Chris O’Donnell’s character at the end of the last NCIS: Los Angeles episode before the two-part series finale. Leading up to that, members of Drona (now in various government agencies) were killed by those who were part of the program and used (by Pembrook) in black ops. If you ask CIA Rafael Cortes, “Pembrook made monsters, including Agent Callen.” Pembrook reaches out to Callen, who goes with him but doesn’t want to hear anything he has to say. At the time, Pembrook thought what he was doing to Callen and the others as children were for the greater good, but he knew he was wrong. He reveals that Pembrook also knows everything about Callen because he’s been watching him ...

With its third-to-last episode ever, CBS’ NCIS: Los Angeles this Sunday night made headway in answering Callen’s lingering questions about his childhood as a Drona subject.

This week’s episode saw Callen get invited to a meet-up with Harold Pembrook (played again by Jere Burns), though the elusive and infamous Drona shrink went to great pains to make sure that he and Grisha were alone and not surveilled. To that end, he led Callen into a swimming pool… a change of clothes… and then a van (inside of which Pembrook was crouched with a pistol). Pembrook then directed Callen...

Hey, "NCIS: Los Angeles" fans. We're back in action to let you know that another new episode of NCIS: Los Angeles is coming your way on Sunday night, May 7, 2023. That's right, guys. That particular episode will be the 19th one of NCIS: Los Angeles' current season 14, and we've got some new spoiler scoops for it. We were able to gather up a couple of new, official teaser descriptions for this new episode 19 by way of CBS' official episode 19 press release synopsis. So, we're going to see what it has to say right this second. Let's get to it. For starters, we've got an official title for this new episode 19 of NCIS: Los Angeles season 14. It's called, "The Reckoning." It sounds like episode 19 will feature some very scandalous, intense, dramatic, action-filled and interesting scenes as four people get fatally shot in broad daylight. Callen gets some interesting insight and more.

BBC TV boss Charlotte Moore has said she will not “censor” respected writers who want to make shows about controversial subjects such as Jimmy Savile and the Grenfell disaster. In a wide-ranging briefing with the media press, Moore also addressed the Gary Lineker and Richard Sharp controversies, future of Top Gear, the streamers and the closure of Cbbc and BBC Four on linear.

The BBC’s upcoming TV dramas on serial abuser Jimmy Savile and the Grenfell fire – which killed 72 people in 2017 – have come in for much criticism and the latter has spawned a petition to have it canceled that has so far been signed by nearly 60,000 people.

Responding to a question from Deadline, Moore said the BBC “has a strong track record” in factual drama about controversial subjects and stressed that “it would not be right for me to censor ideas from very respected writers who have written about similar subjects in the past.

It’s no surprise to hear that Charlotte Kirk will be starring in director Neil Marshall‘s psychological thriller Compulsion, as she has starred in his last three films: The Reckoning, The Lair, and Duchess (which hasn’t been released yet). She has even co-written the screenplays for all three of those movies with Marshall. So it was almost a given that she would star in Compulsion as well, but Deadline reports that she’s being joined in the cast by Anna-Maria Sieklucka, who starred in the massive hit 365 Days for the Netflix streaming service.

Scripted by Marshall, Compulsion is said to be inspired by the old school erotic thrillers of the ’80s and ’90s, like Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct, and Single White Female. This one centers on the dynamically twisted relationship between two women, as both become embroiled in a series of horrific murders on the island of Malta.

Exclusive: Anna-Maria Sieklucka (365 Days) has been tapped to star opposite Charlotte Kirk (The Lair) in the psychological thriller Compulsion. The film which is set to start shooting next week in Malta hails from Neil Marshall (The Descent), who will direct from his own script.

Inspired by such notable erotic thrillers of the ’80s and ’90s as Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct and Single White Female, Compulsion centers around the dynamically twisted relationship between two women, as both become embroiled in a series of horrific murders on the island of Malta. Kirk’s character, Diana, is described as a flamboyant and ruthless thief; Sieklucka’s Evie, as a seemingly innocent young woman with a troubled past and a dark secret.

Also starring Zach McGowan (Dracula Untold), Giulia Gorietti (Suburra), Cinzia Monreale (The Beyond) and Harvey Dean (Sea Dragon), Compulsion will be produced by Kristyna Sellnerova for Kristyna Sellnerova Ltd, with executive producer Emily Corcoran,...

A survivor of Jimmy Savile’s abuse has recalled seeing Steve Coogan in character for the first time.

Coogan plays the disgraced TV star in a new four-part BBC drama titled The Reckoning, which will dramatise Savile’s history of pedophila.

As part of the duty of care in place for the drama, which was written by Neil McKay and produced by Jeff Pope, the production invited numerous survivors to the set in an attempt to convince them of the responsibility they felt in ensuring the story was told sensitively.

One survivor, Sam Brown, has now revealed what it was like seeing Coogan in character as Savile. Brown was repeatedly abused by Savile as a child.

She told Deadline she knew she would be approached by Coogan after he had finished filming a scene in Cheshire, but was not prepared for the “powerful” reaction she’d have to seeing him.

A survivor of Jimmy Savile’s abuse has recalled seeing Steve Coogan in character for the first time.

Coogan plays the disgraced TV star in a new four-part BBC drama titled The Reckoning, which will dramatise Savile’s history of pedophila.

As part of the duty of care in place for the drama, which was written by Neil McKay and produced by Jeff Pope, the production invited numerous survivors to the set in an attempt to convince them of the responsibility they felt in ensuring the story was told sensitively.

One survivor, Sam Brown, has now revealed what it was like seeing Coogan in character as Savile. Brown was repeatedly abused by Savile as a child.

She told Deadline she knew she would be approached by Coogan after he had finished filming a scene in Cheshire, but was not prepared for the “powerful” reaction she’d have to seeing him.

A survivor of Jimmy Savile’s abuse has recalled seeing Steve Coogan in character for the first time.

Coogan plays the disgraced TV star in a new four-part BBC drama titled The Reckoning, which will dramatise Savile’s history of pedophila.

As part of the duty of care in place for the drama, which was written by Neil McKay and produced by Jeff Pope, the production invited numerous survivors to the set in an attempt to convince them of the responsibility they felt in ensuring the story was told sensitively.

One survivor, Sam Brown, has now revealed what it was like seeing Coogan in character as Savile. Brown was repeatedly abused by Savile as a child.

She told Deadline she knew she would be approached by Coogan after he had finished filming a scene in Cheshire, but was not prepared for the “powerful” reaction she’d have to seeing him.

Exclusive: Sam Brown vividly recalls her visceral reaction to Steve Coogan. The BAFTA-winning actor was fresh from shooting a scene when he walked across a Cheshire graveyard in her direction.

With lightning-white hair, makeup, and in full costume, Coogan was unmistakably the image of Jimmy Savile, the BBC presenter who repeatedly abused Brown when she was just a child. Brown arrived at the encounter determined to face the specter of her late tormenter, but nothing could prepare her for the “powerful” jolt that shot through her body as Coogan approached.

“As he was walking towards me, in my head I was thinking, ‘No, go away.’ I kept thinking, ‘Go away.’ Seemingly this wasn’t kept in my head. I was saying all of this [out loud] and didn’t realize I was bloody saying it. I was so embarrassed,” she remembers.

Brown was one of a number of Savile survivors welcomed onto the set of The Reckoning,...

The BBC has confirmed that The Reckoning, a high-profile drama about the life and crimes of Jimmy Savile, will air later this year despite reports of delays.

The series stars Steve Coogan as the Top of the Pops presenter and infamous paedophile, whose prolific, decades-long history of child sexual abuse came to light in 2012, roughly a year after his death.

Due to its sensitive subject matter, the series, which is being produced by ITV Studios for the BBC, has provoked some controversy since its initial announcement.

The Reckoning was first announced by the BBC back in 2020, with filming taking place the following year.

It had originally been expected to air late last year, but the BBC is still yet to confirm a transmission date.

In a statement, a BBC spokesperson said: “We are currently in post-production for transmission later this year. An exact date will be announced in due course.

Steve Coogan is taking on one of the U.K.’s most controversial 20th-century figures.

Despite backlash after the announcement of Coogan’s casting in BBC drama series “The Reckoning,” a true crime show about child predator Jimmy Savile, the network has confirmed the show will still be released in 2023. “The Reckoning” was announced in 2020, with filming taking place in 2021.

“We are currently in post-production for transmission later this year,” a spokesperson for the BBC told The Independent. “An exact date will be announced in due course.”

A source previously told The Sun that the network was shelving the series, as there was “fierce backlash” from Savile’s victims. Savile was a presenter of “Top of the Pops.” His decades-long pedophilia practices tied to his work with children and young people were uncovered in 2012, a year after his death at age 84.

The Survivors’ Network organization issued a statement titled “Our...

The BBC has confirmed that The Reckoning, a high-profile drama about the life and crimes of Jimmy Savile, will air later this year despite reports of delays.

The series stars Steve Coogan as the Top of the Pops presenter and infamous paedophile, whose prolific, decades-long history of child sexual abuse came to light in 2012, roughly a year after his death.

Due to its sensitive subject matter, the series, which is being produced by ITV Studios for the BBC, has provoked some controversy since its initial announcement.

The Reckoning was first announced by the BBC back in 2020, with filming taking place the following year.

It had originally been expected to air late last year, but the BBC is still yet to confirm a transmission date.

In a statement, a BBC spokesperson said: “We are currently in post-production for transmission later this year. An exact date will be announced in due course.

Works & Process at the Guggenheim presents the World Premiere of Array’s Leap: The Reckoning by Francesca Harper, music by Nona Hendryx. Tickets available now at www.worksandprocess.org.

Array’s Leap: The Reckoning by Francesca Harper, music by Nona Hendryx

Saturday, March 11, 7:30 pm

Tickets $5-$45, Choose What You Pay

This World Premiere performance of The Reckoning is multidisciplinary choreographer and director Francesca Harper’s response to the 2010 killing of seven-year-old Aiyana Mo’Nay Stanley-Jones at the hands of Detroit law enforcement. In collaboration with composer Nona Hendryx, Harper creates an expressive historical record of injustice as she explores the relationship between erasure and commodification in the media’s coverage of brutality against bodies of color. Dancers from Ailey II and Fhp Collective perform in costumes by Elias Gurrola, with lighting design by Itohan Edoloyi. The Reckoning exists as both an upcoming film and a live performance, premiered...

Exclusive: Peter Kosminsky will not start writing scripts for the BBC’s Grenfell drama until after the findings of the landmark inquiry into the national tragedy have been published, Deadline understands.

The BBC unveiled three-parter Grenfell earlier this week, the result of five years worth of research and interviews, which will continue now that the project is in the public domain.

Viewers are unlikely to see the factual drama on screen anytime soon, however, as we understand Wolf Hall scribe Kosminsky will wait until the huge national inquiry into the failings surrounding the tragic tower fire that killed 72 people in London in 2017 has published findings. Production will therefore not start for at least a year but interviews and research will continue in the meantime, allowing Kosminsky to build up a full picture of events, including the response to the inquiry findings from those closest to the tragedy.

The Grenfell inquiry...

The series finale of a TV show is always full of conflicting emotions. There’s the joy of seeing a story reach a conclusion on its own terms, but it also means saying goodbye to characters and a world you enjoyed experiencing. The Vampire Diaries fans certainly felt that way as the credits rolled on its 171st episode. The series finale, aptly titled “I Was Feeling Epic,” ties together a lot of loose ends but leaves enough unanswered questions for fans to fantasize about the future of certain Mystic Falls residents. Matt Donovan (Zach Roerig) ended The Vampire Diaries on a high note, but he also had eyes on his next goal.

‘The Vampire Diaries’ concluded with Matt finding his purpose ‘The Vampire Diaries’ actor Zach Roerig | Paul Archuleta/Getty Images

The series finale’s climax is the showdown between Stefan and Katherine over the future of Mystic Falls. Stefan...

Exclusive: Steve Coogan is set to star in The Penguin Lessons, with The Full Monty’s Peter Cattaneo to direct the Jeff Pope-scripted adaptation of the Tom Michell nonfiction bestseller.

The management/production company 42 partners Rory Aitken and Ben Pugh will produce alongside Robert Walak. Rocket Science is handling international sales and will introduce the film at the European Film Market, with CAA Media Finance repping U.S. distribution rights.

The Penguin Lessons is the true story of a disillusioned Englishman who went to work in a school in Argentina in 1976. Expecting an easy ride, he discovered instead a complicated and divided nation – and a class of practically unteachable young boys. When he finds a small penguin washed up on an oil-slicked beach, his life is turned upside down – and the penguin becomes not only a valued friend, but also a teacher of life’s most important lessons, for Tom,...

Neil Marshall is firmly in what I consider phase three of his career. Phase one would be defined as being his breakout and period between Dog Soldiers to Centurion, phase two would be his TV career, directing pilots and key episodes of Black Sails, Game of Thrones and Lost in Space, and phase three would be his dive back into feature films, developing smaller scale genre vehicles for (and with) his his partner, actress Charlotte Kirk.

The first two films in this phase have been the witch trials thriller, The Reckoning and the mutant horror actioner, The Lair. Both have their ups and downs, but while many old school Mars...

Back in the early 2000s, it seemed like Steve Coogan might kill off Alan Partridge. He’d spent a decade playing the hubristic Norwich broadcaster in TV and radio projects like On the Hour, The Day Today and Knowing Me Knowing You, culminating in a second series of BBC sitcom I’m Alan Partridge. The series had brought him two Baftas, but Coogan would later admit that there was a time he considered the character to be an “albatross” around his neck. But 20 years later – after numerous TV series, a feature film, a book deal, a podcast, and two live shows – the idea of Partridge simply disappearing in the early Noughties is impossible to imagine. The character has become Coogan’s life’s work. Far from an albatross, he’s become an inseparable part of Coogan’s identity – like Rod Hull and Emu, if Emu was surgically grafted onto Rod Hull’s face.

A couple weeks ago, we learned that a new take on Red Sonja had gone into production – after spending decades in development hell – with Matilda Lutz (Revenge) in the title role. Deadline reports that Lutz is joined in the cast by Oliver Trevena, who has experience wielding a sword thanks to his role in the 2019 film The Rising Hawk. Trevena is taking on the role of Tr’aal, “a gladiator-type warrior who joins Sonja in her fight against an evil emperor”.

M.J. Bassett (Solomon Kane) is directing Red Sonja from a screenplay by Joey Soloway (Transparent) and Tasha Huo (Netflix’s Tomb Raider anime). This version of Red Sonja is derived from the sword and sorcery comic books by Dynamite Entertainment, based on the character created by Robert E. Howard and adapted by Roy Thomas. Details on the plot are being kept under wraps. All we know is that Sonja...

Responsible for arguably two of the best horror films of the 21st century in Dog Soldiers and The Descent, Neil Marshall’s name used to be synonymous with, at the very least, a bloody good time. More recently though – since his brief foray into TV, helming huge episodes of Game of Thrones, Westworld and the like – his features haven’t so much taken a bit of a knock as they’ve fallen off a cliff. The one-two of 2019’s dire Hellboy reboot, and 2020’s even-more-dire witch drama The Reckoning well and truly knocked his name out of favour for many. And whilst his latest – good old fashioned monster mash The Lair – is definitely a swing in the right direction for the director, it’s unlikely it’ll win him any new fans.

Re-teaming with co-writer and lead Charlotte Kirk, Marshall plays to his strengths here, throwing back to his roots...

Judging from the buzz around 2022 dramas like Inventing Anna, The Staircase and The Girl from Plainville, our appetite for true crime series isn’t going anywhere. From grisly murder to exquisite scams, these powerful stories based on real-life events have us hooked.

Most of the year’s biggest true crime dramas have so far focussed on tales from the USA, but if you’re looking for unbelievable criminal cases from the UK, there’s plenty of must-watch series depicting some of the country’s most notorious criminal scandals coming later this year and beyond. Here’s a few to add to your watch list.

The Reckoning (BBC – later in 2022)

Actor, comedian and Alan Partridge creator Steve Coogan is set to portray the life-long sexual predator and disgraced TV presenter Jimmy Savile.

After the disturbing and harrowing Netflix documentary Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story aired earlier this year, many have...

Steve Coogan has spotlighted his and Sarah Solemani’s use of comedy to tackle the #MeToo debate in upcoming Channel 4 show Chivalry and talked openly about playing Jimmy Savile, stating: “Things are better talked about than not talked about.”

The Philomena and Lost King star told Deadline the aim with Chivalry, which comes from his BBC Studios-backed indie Baby Cow, was to make a show about “love and respect” that could make people laugh, while using humor to open up a wider debate.

Coogan and Solemani play the lead roles in Chivalry, having come up with the concept during the filming of Michael Winterbottom’s Greed when they found themselves debating the issues regularly and at length.

Also starring Sienna Miller, Wanda Sykes and Aisling Bea, the show features Coogan as Cameron, a successful film producer and “ladies man,” and Ridley Road creator Solemani as Bobby, a passionate indie-darling filmmaker.

Exclusive: Princess Diana’s brother Charles Spencer’s book To Catch a King is to be adapted by Philomena and The Lost King duo Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope.

Coogan’s BBC Studios-backed indie Baby Cow won the option for the rights to the book and he will co-write with Pope, with the pair having recently penned Stephen Frears-directed The Lost King set for release later this year.

Spencer’s 2017 book, his seventh, tells the story of the 21-year-old King Charles II’s run from Oliver Cromwell’s army, who had overthrown the monarchy and publicly executed Charles’s father. Based on the account given by King Charles II along with letters and diaries, it tells of how the monarch succeeded in evading the Parliamentary troops by means of deception and disguise, including infamously hiding in an oak tree as the troops passed by below.

Coogan described To...

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“Smallville” is one of the most beloved TV shows in history, and now fans can continue binge-watching all 10 seasons with the newly released Blu-ray collection.

The 42-disc set dropped on Oct. 19 in celebration of the CW show’s 20th anniversary, and it’s currently 15% off. The show, which stars Tom Welling, Kristin Kreuk and Michael Rosenbaum, was the first of its kind when it debuted in 2001, following a young Clark Kent as he comes to grips with his emerging powers as Superman. By the end of the show’s run in 2010, Welling’s Clark Kent graduates from a Kansas high school before teaming up with other well-known DC superheroes Green Arrow and Aquaman.

BBC drama director Piers Wenger has stressed the “public interest” in the network’s controversial Jimmy Savile project as he showcased eight upcoming shows that “don’t fit into the convention of genre.”

Featuring Steve Coogan in the lead role, ITV Studios’ four-parter The Reckoning (working title) will air as the decade since Savile’s crimes were exposed shortly after his death approaches and Wenger told a Q&a with journalists on Monday that the show will go further than any documentary has on the subject.

“Our primary intention is to give a voice to the victims and tell stories with the utmost respect,” said Wenger at an event showcasing eight dramas separate from The Reckoning.

“Documentaries [on Savile] take you so far in showing the heinous and appalling nature of his crimes but I’ve yet to see one that shows how he was able to render his victims so powerless or hide in plain sight.

BBC One has announced that Steve Coogan has joined the cast of “The Reckoning,” an upcoming drama miniseries about the dark legacy of Jimmy Savile, the English television personality known for hosting “Top of the Pops.”

Written by Neil McKay, “The Reckoning” will tell the story of Savile’s life from his childhood to after his death in 2011, when he was ultimately found to have abused more than 500 children.

People accused Savile of sexually assaulting children during his career, but Savile denied these allegations and they received little publicity. According to the BBC, the team behind the series is working closely with several of Savile’s victims.

Savile’s working class background, including teen years spent in working in coal mines, made him a galvanizing figure as he rose to fame. He became a DJ after sustaining a major spinal injury in the coal mines, first playing in dance halls,...

Steve Coogan will play Jimmy Savile in the BBC One drama The Reckoning

The series comes from Neil McKay and executive producer Jeff Pope and is produced by ITV Studios. Sandra Goldbacher will direct all episodes and Clare Shepherd will produce.

The Reckoning will follow Savile through his early years in the dance halls of northern England, his career with the BBC, to his twilight years when he sought to dispel the growing rumors about his life. Savile rose from working-class origins to become one of the biggest stars of British television. However after his death in 2011, his legacy plummetted when the ...

Steve Coogan will play Jimmy Savile in the BBC One drama The Reckoning

The series comes from Neil McKay and executive producer Jeff Pope and is produced by ITV Studios. Sandra Goldbacher will direct all episodes and Clare Shepherd will produce.

The Reckoning will follow Savile through his early years in the dance halls of northern England, his career with the BBC, to his twilight years when he sought to dispel the growing rumors about his life. Savile rose from working-class origins to become one of the biggest stars of British television. However after his death in 2011, his legacy plummetted when the ...

During the early weeks of the pandemic lockdown last year, Western fans were surprised to see a relatively little-known indie-produced entry to the genre, writer-director Justin Lee’s “Badland,” trending in the Netflix Top 10 list, where it eventually peaked at No. 3 on the streaming service’s most-viewed lineup. Maybe it was the allure of a strong supporting cast that included Mira Sorvino, Bruce Dern, Trace Adkins and Wes Studi, or maybe lots of underserved stuck-at-home viewers were even hungrier than usual for some old-fashioned Western action. Whatever the reason, there’s a good chance Lee — whose previous credits include the direct-to-video sagebrush sagas “The Reckoning” and “Any Bullet Will Do” — may be starting to establish himself as a brand name. And the chances are even better that his latest offering, “Apache Junction,” will appeal to the same group of oater enthusiasts who embraced “Badland.”

Once again, Lee prefers to canter...

Stars: Joe Anderson, Charlotte Kirk, Sean Pertwee, Steven Waddington | Written by Edward Evers-Swindell, Charlotte Kirk, Neil Marshall | Directed by Neil Marshall

England. 1665. The great plague has caused a frenzy of fear, distrust and death. Desperate and terrified, the population turns to superstition, the Catholic Church taking cruel advantage of the grim witch-hunting opportunities presented. Recently widowed Grace Haverstock is at her wit’s end when her landlord attempts to force her into paying debts with sexual favours. Her refusal means she must face horrific interrogations at the hands of Britain’s most ruthless Witchfinder General. But she is not alone. And her journey won’t end here without a reckoning.

I’m going to be honest, the name Neil Marshall doesn’t seem to carry the same kudos is once had, especially after many fans felt his Hellboy adaptation lacklustre. However I am in the opposite camp… I truly enjoyed...

Production has begun in Hungary on Neil Marshall’s action/horror film The Lair starring Jonathan Howard from Thor: The Dark World, Charlotte Kirk from The Reckoning and Jamie Bamber from Battlestar Galactica.

Here are some photos from Marshall's Insta page and the plot synopsis.

Synopsis:

The Lair follows Sgt. Tom Hook as he is tasked with leading a unit to find Lt. Kate Sinclair after the Royal Air Force fighter pilot was shot down in Afghanistan. Pursued by insurgents, Sinclair has sought shelter in an a...

Update, Tuesday Mary L. Trump has responded to Meghan McCain’s request that the Trump family leave the McCain family “the f*ck alone,” with the niece and critic of Donald Trump tweeting last night: “I have plenty of respect for Meghan’s parents. It’s too bad she can’t take responsibility for her own actions. That’s the problem with entitlement—it’s dangerous. And so is our failure to hold powerful people accountable.”

I have plenty of respect for Meghan’s parents. It’s too bad she can’t take responsibility for her own actions. That’s the problem with entitlement—it’s dangerous. And so is our failure to hold powerful people accountable.https://t.co/CM9kBH18QA https://t.co/l7tQG9pr6f

— Mary L Trump (@MaryLTrump) August 3, 2021

Previous, Monday The View‘s Meghan McCain is exercising her right to a final work week of really unfiltered expression,...

Update, with McCain tweet The View co-host Meghan McCain isn’t off to an easy final week on the ABC daytime talk show: On today’s episode, guest Mary Trump accused the departing McCain of lacking “the courage” to appear in Trump’s segment.

McCain, whose final day on the show is this Friday, was on board for most of today’s episode, but absent later when Trump, the outspoken niece and critic of the former president, appeared for an interview to discuss the Capitol siege and racism.

The author of the new The Reckoning was discussing the January 6 attack on the Capitol and the racism encountered by Capitol police during the siege, taking questions from The View co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sara Haines and Sunny Hostin. McCain, who had appeared on the episode until Trump’s appearance, was suddenly absent from the line-up.

“It’s a shame that...

Neil Marshall has a new movie on the way, and let’s all hope it’s better than his previous effort, The Reckoning. Marshall’s latest is a monster movie called The Lair, and that’s promising, because Marshall has done well with monster movies before – see Dog Soldiers and The Descent. Production on The Lair has begun in Hungary, and that news comes […]

The post Neil Marshall’s Next Creature Feature ‘The Lair’ Has Begun Filming appeared first on /Film.