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Netflix's latest spy thriller Black Doves delivered an explosive debut season in late 2024, but will the Keira Knightley action vehicle score a season 2 renewal? Developed for the small screen by Joe Barton, Black Doves follows Knightley's Helen Webb, a secret agent who has been passing the secrets of her high-ranking government official husband to the titular organization. However, when her secret lover is killed, Helen's boss sends a master assassin in to protect her from becoming the next target. Mixing a story about loyalty and family with global intrigue, Black Doves is a fresh take on spies.

Naturally, the cast of Black Doves shines because of the performances of Knightley and Ben Whishaw, and the Christmastime backdrop fittingly adds to the ambiance. As with any spy series, the story is more than it seems, and Black Doves offered a twisting and turning ride across its six-episode debut season.

The Black Doves season 1 finale, “In the Bleak Midwinter,” ties up all the loose storylines in a neat bow on top of a Christmas present.

After Sam (Ben Whishaw) is kidnapped by the Clarks at the end of episode 5, he wakes up in the same room as Kai-Min Chen (Isabella Wei) and Eleanor (Gabrielle Creevy). The Clarks are holding them hostage. Helen Webb (Keira Knightley) has a plan, though, because she’s seen the tape and knows what really happened!

Who killed the Chinese Ambassador?

On the tape that Jason Davies (Andrew Koji) hid for Helen Webb to find in the jewelry, it reveals that Trent Clark, the son and heir to the Clark family, who are basically shadow-controlling the British government, killed Ambassador Chen (Andy Cheung) on accident. He was at Kai-Ming’s apartment to bring her heroin, but the Chinse ambassador confronted Trent about supplying his daughter. In the scuffle,...

Production is underway on Kenneth Branagh’s next film, The Last Disturbance Of Madeline Hynde. Here are some casting details.

Actor, writer and director Kenneth Branagh’s next film will be The Last Disturbance Of Madeline Hynde. The plot hasn’t been revealed as yet, but if we were to speculate, the title hints at some sort of thriller or mystery (Branagh has been making those Poirot films of late). Jodie Comer was cast in the production earlier this year, and according to Deadline, the rest of the cast has been confirmed.

Comer stars alongside Patricia Arquette, Michael Sheen, Tom Bateman, Vicky McClure, Michael Balogun, Kristina Tonteri-Young, Karla Crome, Aiysha Hart and Gemma Whelan.

Branagh will next be seen starring alongside Ryan Reynolds in Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley’s Mayday for Apple TV.

Kenneth Branagh may be better known as a Shakespearean actor, but he’s built up...

Tommy and the Small Heath Rifles find comfort in singing "In the Bleak Mid-Winter" near death in World War I trenches. The carol is used to symbolize acceptance of imminent death, signifying borrowed time and extra life for the characters. Despite its traditional Christmas origins, the song provides a contrast by foreshadowing and celebrating life's blessings in Peaky Blinders.

The "In the Bleak Mid-Winter" Peaky Blinders reference has become a key element, as the traditional Christmas carol is often quoted when the main characters are near death. "In the Bleak Mid-Winter" was originally a poem until it was popularized as an anthem by composer Harold Darke in 1909. While it may seem strange to be quoting a Christmas carol when facing imminent death, the song was a favorite of British troops who often sang the carol in the trenches during World War I. Tommy Shelby explains the "In the Bleak Mid-Winter...

Kenneth Branagh tells us that he has follow-ups in mind for his Christmas film, In The Bleak Midwinter (also known as A Midwinter’s Tale).

In 1995, Kenneth Branagh wrote and directed a low budget Christmas comedy by the name of In The Bleak Midwinter. An ensemble piece that he tackled between the giant productions of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and his screen take on Hamlet, it’s such a charming movie, and a very, very funny one.

After years of trying, we managed to put on a very special screening of the film in London this month, and afterwards were delighted to be joined by Kenneth Branagh for a Q&a. Not just Branagh: cast members Julia Sawalha, Michael Maloney, Nicholas Farrell, Gerard Horan and Mark Hadfield were surprise guests on the evening.

Towards the end of the conversation, I asked Branagh to give us the exclusive on a possible sequel.

Almost every television series gets in on the holiday spirit and sometimes that Christmas celebration arrives in the form of horror. Luckily, there’s no shortage of stellar horror TV episodes that deliver killer Santas, folkloric monsters of Yule, holiday ghosts, and more.

The 12 Days of Creepmas continues on Bloody Disgusting, this time with 11 holiday horror episodes of television that aren’t afraid to deck the halls with blood.

Keep track of the 12 Days of Creepmas here.

NOS4A2 – “The Shorter Way”

Technically, the entire series qualifies here regarding holiday horror fare, but the premiere episode sets the eerie Christmas tone in this adaptation of Joe Hill’s novel. Ashleigh Cummings (Hounds of Love) stars as Vic McQueen, a high schooler with dreams of attending art school and leaving her town of Haverhill. Her home life is a bit of a mess, compounded by a unique ability to find things through...

See 1995’s In The Bleak Midwinter on the big screen – with Kenneth Branagh on stage afterwards to tell us about it!

In 1995, Kenneth Branagh made – between Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and his big screen adaptation of Hamlet – a charming Christmas film called In The Bleak Midwinter.

A low budget film that Branagh funded himself, it’s a delight of a movie, that’s very rarely seen on the big screen. And for years, I’ve been trying to get a Christmas showing of the movie, with Kenneth Branagh coming along afterwards to talk about it.

Chums: it’s happening.

On Friday 15th December, a very special Film Stories podcast is being recorded in London. There will be a rare screening of In The Bleak Midwinter. And even rarer, Kenneth Branagh will be joining me In Person to chat about the film on stage afterward.

Film Stories readers: you’re getting...

With A Haunting in Venice opening this weekend, we wanted to know what film in Kenneth Branagh’s long and illustrious directing career has been your favorite? Have his Shakespeare tales been your type of movie or were his more mainstream films like Thor and Cinderella more your speed? Click your favorite and let us know in the comments why.

Favorite Kenneth Branagh Directed FilmHenry V (1989)Dead Again (1991)Peter's Friends (1992)Much Ado About Nothing (1993)Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994)In The Bleak Midwinter (1995)Hamlet (1996)Love Labour's Lost (2000)As You Like It (2006)The Magic Flute (2006)Sleuth (2007)Thor (2011)Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)Cinderella (2015)Murder on the Orient Express (2017)All is True (2018)Artemis Fowl (2020)Belfast (2021)Death on the Nile (2022)A Haunting in Venice (2023)Submit Vote HereView Results Here

The post Poll: Favorite Kenneth Branagh Directed Film appeared first on JoBlo.

"In the bleak midwinter..."

Unlike the finality of the phrase that Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) and his fellow Peaky Blinders recite when they believe that they're about to shuffle off this mortal coil, "Peaky Blinders" itself will live on even after its "death." The gangster series, which saw Tommy's rickety crew raise themselves up from the mud of Birmingham horse-racing to the grand steps of Parliament itself, has been given new life, thanks to creator Steven Knight's plans to follow up the final season with the continued adventures of our favorite criminal mastermind. With the prolonged struggle between Shelby and his estranged relative-turned-rival Michael Gray now over and done with, viewers...

The post Here's When the Peaky Blinders Movie Will Start Shooting appeared first on /Film.

The enemies made by Tommy Shelby over more than a decade of criminal ascent could fill St. Andrew’s Stadium, but in season six one looms larger than the rest. “In this series, his enemy is himself,” writer Steven Knight tells Den of Geek. The fabled man that Tommy can’t defeat, as mooted in the season five finale? It’s him. “Tommy Shelby is what scares Tommy Shelby,” says Knight. That’s who the character was facing down when he held a gun to his head in last season’s closing moments, which is exactly where the next episode finds him. And it isn’t the first time Tommy has pulled that move.

“In my mind, before the series began he was going to shoot himself and then thought to himself – and the quote in my mind is the Francis Bacon quote, which is “Since it’s all so meaningless,...

“It was anxiety-inducing, I would say, but the main priority, as it is with all filming, is to make sure that everybody is safe,” explains producer Tamar Thomas about the challenges of shooting “Belfast” amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Writer-director Kenneth Branagh‘s semiautobiographical film was shot in the title city and in England in the fall of 2020, and “the well-being of our cast and crew was the priority.” We talked with Thomas as part of our “Meet the Experts” Film Producers Panel. Watch our exclusive video interview with Thomas above.

SEEHaris Zambarloukos interview: ‘Belfast’ cinematographer

The film is set in Northern Ireland during the 1960s, when young Buddy (Jude Hill), his parents (Caitriona Balfe and Jamie Dornan), and his grandparents (Ciaran Hinds and Judi Dench) must decide whether to stay or go as the conflict between Catholics and Protestants becomes violent during the Troubles. The filmmakers “needed to make sure...

How deep is director Kenneth Branagh’s love for the Bee Gees? I suppose we’re about to find out. The veteran director has been tapped to direct the untitled Bee Gees biopic for Paramount, according to Deadline.

Branagh’s notable directing and acting career is marked by a string of Academy Award-nominated Shakespeare adaptations throughout the ’90s, including “Henry V,” “Hamlet,” and the joyful “Much Ado About Nothing.” Other directorial credits include “A Midwinter’s Tale,” “Sleuth,” “Thor,” the Lily James-led “Cinderella,” and “Murder on the Orient Express.”

Paramount has also tapped screenwriter Ben Elton to draft the film’s screenplay.

Continue reading Kenneth Branagh To Direct A Bee Gees Biopic For Paramount at The Playlist.

Dismantling the patriarchy has never looked so good, with the premiere of the second half of this season serving as a reminder of where priorities lie. 

This agenda that Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is putting out there has to be its brand now, which perfectly fits into the world that gets created. 

The hope though is that the women stuck in these social norms continue to team up together to get out of them because the men are trying their hardest to keep them stuck there.

During Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 1 Episode 12, Sabrina chooses to embrace her witch side fully and with it comes a dark side that she can't always control. Tensions rise between her family because of the way she is pushing back, refusing to abide by anyone's rules and that might not always be a good thing.

Hilda starts to worry about Sabrina missing her mortal life,...

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina season 2 is back and better than before. Here's our spoiler-free review!

This Chilling Adventures of Sabrina review contains no spoilers, except for some information that was presented in the series' trailers. It is based on the first five episodes of season 2 that were made available to critics.

There's a classic They Might Be Giants lyric that states "you can't shake the devil's hand and say you're only kidding." In the new episodes of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina that drop on April 5th, the titular teenage witch discovers this firsthand. Blessed -- or should that be cursed? -- with a newfound willingness to embrace her witchy heritage after signing the Book of the Beast in the season one finale, Sabrina finds herself increasingly pulling away from her mortal life.

But can she truly break the bonds that tie her to her humanity?

That is one of the...

Kayti Burt Apr 2, 2019

Kiernan Shipka is poised to explore Sabrina's dark side in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina season 2 on Netflix.

Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Chilling Adventures of Sabrina season 1.

While the first part of Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina's story was about teen witch protagonist Sabrina Spellman struggling to find a balance between the mortal and magical worlds, Part Two is poised to delve much further into the lesser-explored world of the show's witches—a consequence of Sabrina's choice to sign the Book of the Beast at the end of Part One.

Further reading: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Ending Explained

"I think she's embracing [her dark side], personally," told Shipka Den of Geek and other reporters during a Sabrina set visit last fall. "I think that her duality is strong. I think there's a strong part of her that's mortal, but I do think there's that dark side in...

Greendale in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a lot like Sunnydale in Buffy - full of really pretty people who are bound to get hurt in some terrible ways. For some of them, the hurting is literal and they meet their grisly end (Rip real Miss Wardwell), while others get emotionally devastated. Harvey Kinkle, our sweet, precious coal-miner's son, is a frequent sufferer of the latter. Though much of season one focuses on Sabrina's love for Harvey and her attempts to make his life better in any possible way, it massively backfires and leads to their eventual breakup. It also results in Harvey losing his nearest and dearest, his big brother Tommy, in the most heartbreaking way.

When we meet Tommy Kinkle, it's obvious that Harvey idolizes him, and for good reason. The eldest Kinkle is sweet, thoughtful, and protects his brother from their father's temper - usually directed at...

Just when you thought you’d be in serious Wicca withdrawal all winter long, Netflix has some “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” news that is sure to brighten your Winter Solstice: a two-season renewal.

Less than a week after dropping that surprise holiday special, the streamer has ordered 16 additional episodes of its Kiernan Shipka-led dark take on the Archie Comics teen witch, which will begin production in 2019 and launch in two batches, Parts 3 and 4. No word yet on when the new installments will drop or how the sixteen episodes will be divided among the two parts.

And yes, TheWrap has confirmed Netflix is going with “parts” instead of “seasons” when it comes to “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.” As all you witches know, Part 1 debuted back in October and Part 2 received an April 5, 2019 launch date last month.

Also Read: Here's the Archie Comics Reference You Missed on 'Chilling Adventures...

Christmas has never been so sinister, with Chilling Adventures of Sabrina trying very hard to leave a mark this holiday season.

This successful special relied on the way that not much could be done without later having to fix it because this serves as a bridge between the upcoming second part of the show.

During Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 1 Episode 11, Sabrina holds a seance to check why her mother was in limbo. She tells Madam Satan about this first though, allowing her to interfere in those plans while she waits to hear from the Dark Lord again.

Meanwhile, Susie gets a job at the mall that takes a deadly turn and Roz has to crack the case. And Harvey's relationship with Sabrina is further poked at when she starts to use magic more in their everyday interactions.

This leads to Harvey asking her to never use magic anywhere near him,...

Warning: Spoilers for Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: A Midwinter's Tale ahead!

Whether you're watching Sabrina, the Teenage Witch or Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, one fact about our favorite witch remains true: she's raised by her aunts Hilda and Zelda because her parents are gone. In season one of Chilling Adventures, the death of her parents haunts a majority of the choices Sabrina makes. Whether it's trying to decide whether to join the Church of Night or it's dealing with her relationship with Harvey, the lack of parents in her life is obviously heavy on Sabrina's mind.

It doesn't help that her parents are enigmas to the young Spellman. Her father, Edward, was the younger brother of Hilda and Zelda who rapidly rose through the ranks of the Church of Night and became a High Priest. He was highly respected in their coven before he fell in love with Diana,...

Kayti Burt Dec 12, 2018

Since we're not getting a Doctor Who Christmas special this year, it only seems fair that we get a Sabrina holiday episode.

We're not getting a Doctor Who Christmas special this year and the only thing that's soothing that burn is the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina holiday special.

That's right! It is a bright Solstice indeed, fellow mortals. The Sabrina holiday special, titled "A Midwinter's Tale" drops on December 14th, and we got the scoop from Lachlan Watson (Susie) themself about what to expect from the seasonal delight.

"I don't want to give away too much because you've got to watch it to see it," said Watson, "but I definitely get to run around in a little elf costume the whole time which I am very happy about."

Human after our own hearts, Watson compared the Sabrina holiday special to the Doctor Who Christmas special tradition, saying:

In my opinion,...

Kayti Burt Dec 12, 2018

Den of Geek talked to the Sabrina cast about "A Midwinter's Tale," a very special holiday episode.

Warning: This article contains minor spoilers for the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina holiday special.

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is the gift that keeps on giving. First, it made our Halloween season that much spookier and surprising with Part 1. Now, it's doing the same for the Yuletide season with the Sabrina holiday special that drops December 14th.

Den of Geek was part of a group of reporters who visited the Sabrina set last month. We got the scoop on "A Midwinter's Tale" directly from the Sabrina cast.

"The holiday special is really wonderful," said Kiernan Shipka (Sabrina). "It's a really emotional episode and it's beautiful for the holidays. Obviously, the show wouldn't be our show without some excitement and some demons... literally."

Shipka said that the holiday special strikes a...

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Netflix's most recent hit series, will be back for Season 2 in less than six months, but the nice pagans at the streaming service are giving you a holiday special to tide you over until then. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: A Midwinter's Tale launches Dec. 14, and the

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Other Links From TVGuide.com Chilling Adventures of SabrinaKiernan ShipkaRoss Lynch...

"It's time to light the yule log. Otherwise who knows what might come down our chimney." Before the second season of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina premieres on April 5th, Netflix will give viewers the gift of the holiday special A Midwinter's Tale on December 14th, and the official trailer for the seasonal treat promises plenty of holiday horrors both in and out of the Spellman home.

You can unwrap the trailer for Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: A Midwinter's Tale below, which was released with the following caption:

"In Greendale, the Holidays can be such a witch.

Séances, evil Santas, spellcasting, and of course, Sabrina. Join the Spellmans, Sabrina's mortal besties, and the Church of Night for a solstice celebration in A Midwinter's Tale, premiering December 14 only on Netflix."

As previously reported by multiple outlets, including Entertainment Weekly, Mckenna Grace (The Haunting of Hill House, I, Tonya, Captain Marvel, the third...

Bright Solstice, witchy friends! Just a few days after a teaser for part two of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Satan has blessed us with yet another trailer, this time for the holiday special, which debuts on December 14. The episode is called "A Midwinter's Tale" and finds the Church of Night coven celebrating the Winter Solstice with pagan carols and ghost stories. "But the holidays are also a time for guests and visitors—both welcome and unwelcome—you never know what might come down the chimney..." the official description reads. In the trailer below, it looks like some of those visitors might be a little more spooky than fun and holiday-ish....

If you've created your own advent calendar to count down the days until the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina holiday special (titled A Midwinter's Tale), then we have some recent casting news for both A Midwinter's Tale and season 2 that should help tide you over.

Entertainment Weekly reports that Mckenna Grace (The Haunting of Hill House, I, Tonya, Captain Marvel, the third Annabelle film) will play a young Sabrina Spellman in the holiday special, which premieres December 14th on Netflix. According to EW, Netflix shared the following statement regarding young Sabrina's story:

“During our holiday special, we’ll get to see what Sabrina was like as a precocious tot. And while The Church of Night celebrates the Solstice, that doesn’t stop Li’l Sabrina from asking Santa for something special.”

EW also revealed two new faces that will be joining the cast as recurring guest stars in season 2, which is currently filming.

Netflix is setting its cast for its Chilling Adventures of Sabrina holiday special.

Mckenna Grace will guest-star in the previously announced one-off special, "A Midwinter's Tale," set for Friday, Dec. 14. Additionally, Alexis Denisof and Jedidiah Goodacre have landed recurring roles in the second season of the Netflix drama from Riverdale boss Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa.

The Sabrina holiday special is set during the Church of Night's celebration of the winter solstice. On the longest night of the year, families gather around the Yule fire to sing pagan carols and tell ghost stories. But the holidays are also ...

The Satanic Temple’s $50 million lawsuit against Netflix and Warner Bros. TV over a “misappropriated” use of the statue of Baphomet that appeared in “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” has been “amicably settled,” a representative for the studio told TheWrap on Wednesday.

Warner Bros. — which is handling all correspondence on the lawsuit that was filed earlier this month, for both itself and Netflix — did not have any additional comment on the matter, which the company said is a “confidential settlement.” Warner Bros. did not disclose whether a monetary settlement was reached with the Satanic Temple, a nontheistic religious and political activist group based in Salem, Massachusetts. Netflix declined TheWrap’s request for comment.

“The Satanic Temple is pleased to announce that the lawsuit it recently filed against Warner Bros. and Netflix has been amicably settled,” Tst co-founder Lucien Greaves said in a statement to TheWrap. “The unique elements of the Satanic...

Are you ready to celebrate the solstice this December? Earlier this week, it was announced that Netflix will release a Chilling Adventures of Sabrina holiday special, and as an early gift for fans, new images from the anticipated episode have been revealed.

Shared on multiple sites, including Bloody Disgusting and TVLine, images from Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina holiday special (titled "A Midwinter's Tale") offer a festive (and ominous) look at the next installment of the series, and you can unwrap them in the gallery below.

Recently announced by the show and writer/executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa on their official Twitter pages, the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina holiday special will be released on Friday, December 14th. While a full trailer has yet to be revealed, you can get a glimpse of the special in Netflix's previously released holiday sizzle reel below, and we'll be sure to keep Daily Dead readers updated on further details.

It turns out you won't have to wait much longer for new Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Netflix's delectably spooky series is getting its own holiday special.

Grab your favorite occult objects and settle in for some dark Yuletide cheer because Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: A Midwinter's Tale

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Other Links From TVGuide.com Chilling Adventures of SabrinaKiernan Shipka...

Chris Cummins Dec 5, 2018

Sabrina is back for a holiday celebration! Here's what you need to know about the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina holiday special...

Despite a highly publicized lawsuit from the Satanic Temple, Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina series is moving ahead undaunted. Showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa recently dropped a huge surprise via Twitter: the series will drop a special holiday episode on December 14th.

Check out the trailer:

Video of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: A Midwinter's Tale | Trailer [HD] | Netflix

Titled "A Midwinter's Tale," Netflix just dropped some casting news for the special. Gifted's McKenna Grace has been cast as Young Sabrina for "A Midwinter's Tale." The official description describes her character's role as thus: "During our holiday special, we'll get to see what Sabrina was like as a precocious tot. And while The Church of Night celebrates the Solstice, that doesn't stop Li’l Sabrina from asking Santa for something special.

Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is getting into the holiday spirit with a special episode that's part of the streamer's Christmas blitz.

The special, titled "A Midwinter's Tale," is set to drop Friday, Dec. 14. Netflix included a couple of short clips from the episode in a teaser for its holiday programming.

"A Midwinter's Tale" is set during the Church of Night's celebration of the winter solstice. On the longest night of the year, families gather around the Yule fire to sing pagan carols and tell ghost stories. The holidays are also a ...

Louisa Mellor Nov 22, 2017

Peaky Blinders series 4 introduces yet more threats to a grieving Shelby family in a terrific plot and character-building episode…

This review contains spoilers.

See related The Walking Dead season 8 episode 5 review: The Big Scary U The Walking Dead season 8 episode 4 review: Some Guy The Walking Dead season 8 episode 3 review: Monsters

Fighting in Wwi changed the Shelby men, but true to the age, they rarely talk about it. We see the legacy left by War on Tommy and Arthur, but hardly glimpse the thing itself. We’re shown the bonds between its survivors—Tommy’s protection of Danny Whizz-bang (to whom all this trouble with the Italians goes back) and his implicit trust of the tunnel-digging clay-kickers last series—but war stories? No.

It can’t be a coincidence then, that with the Peaky Blinders waging war between themselves, and with Tommy leading an army against the mafia,...

Kenneth Branagh looks set to follow up Disney's Cinderella with a bit of Agatha Christie and Hercule Poirot...

Trying to guess what film Kenneth Branagh is going to plump for next is no easy task. His last three movies as director have been his three biggest blockbuster projects to date, namely Thor, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and Cinderella. The latter has grossed over $500m for Disney thus far, and arrives on disc in August.

So: is Branagh the man to bring Thor: Ragnarok to the big screen then? It certainly doesn't look like it, as instead he's circling a big screen take on Agatha Christie's Murder On The Orient Express.

20th Century Fox is putting the project together, with Ridley Scott, Simon Kinberg and Mark Gordon set to produce. Michael Green, who has penned the script for Blade Runner 2, is working on the screenplay for this one.

It's early days,...

Kenneth Branagh chats to us about directing Cinderella, Cate Blanchett, Patrick Doyle and his favourite Jason Statham film.

With an opening weekend that topped $70m in the Us, Kenneth Branagh may have the hit of his movie directing career on his hands with his live action Cinderella take. It's a strong film too, that finally makes it to the UK this week. And ahead of its release, he spared us some time for a natter about it...

I think I've worked out what you're up to. I've worked out your ruse. You do Thor, Cinderella and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. Three different juggernauts, aimed at three different segments of the market, opening your work up to an audience that may otherwise not be familiar with it.

This is all about selling DVDs of Peter's Friends, isn't it?

[Laughs] That would be a lovely by-product.

Were you consciously looking for different audience subsets,...

I've always found Kenneth Branagh's directorial career to be one of the most wildly unpredictable and diverse of any filmmaker around. Each project he takes on yields impressive and fascinating results. Who else could successfully pull off the Shakespearean power of Henry V (1989), the heart and terror of Frankenstein (1994), the comedic charm of A Midwinter's Tale (1995) ... and the operatic comic-book action of Thor (2011)?

This week, Branagh adds yet another footnote to an already remarkable directing career with his live-action feature adaptation of the classic fairytale Cinderella (2015), starring Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham Carter. Knowing Branagh's respectful approach to well-known material, not to mention a collection of positive reviews and solid audience interest, Cinderella will no doubt turn into another cinematic victory for the actor/director.

With the release of Cinderella this week, I couldn't resist the opportunity to write about my favorite Branagh film, Dead Again (1991). Made on the...

Kenneth Branagh on making Thor, and why he never directed Thor: The Dark World...

Kenneth Branagh's latest film as director is the incoming live action take on Cinderella, that Disney is releasing later this month. That's likely to become his biggest hit to date, a title that is currently held by his sole contribution to the Marvel cinematic universe, Thor.

His Thor film introduced Chris Hemsworth into the role (as well as Tom Hiddleston as Loki), and was a success for Marvel. However, when it came time to shoot Thor: The Dark World, Branagh's name wasn't on the credits. Instead, Alan Taylor - now finishing up Terminator: Genisys - directed the film.

Chatting to The Hollywood Reporter, Branagh didn't rule out returning to do another Marvel movie. "What I found was that I enjoyed the process of working with those people and I loved the boys and the girl.

Kenneth Branagh's new Cinderella movie lands next month, with Lily James in the title role. Here's one last trailer for it...

We're just over a month out now from the release of Disney's latest live action retelling of a classic fairytale. This time it's Cinderella, which sees Lily James taking on the title role, although early signs suggest that Cate Blanchett's turn as the wicked stepmother looks to be one of the film's highlights.

Also in the cast are Hayley Atwell, Helena Bonham Carter, Holliday Grainger and Derek Jacobi. Richard Madden is taking on the role of Prince Charming.

Kenneth Branagh directs this one, and Disney has double bagged the film's box office chances by pairing it with the new Frozen short film, Frozen Fever.

Cinderella - and Frozen Fever - arrives in cinemas on March 27th. And here's what we suspect is the final trailer for the film.

Disney's live action take on Cinderella - which will come with a new Frozen short - has a fresh international trailer right here...

Disney will have high hopes for its next live action take on a fairy story, not least given the numbers that the likes of Alice In Wonderland and Maleficent have done in recent years. For next year, director Kenneth Branagh is bringing a new take on Cinderella to the screen for the studio.

This one stars Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Hayley Atwell and Helena Bonham Carter, and we've already had a trailer or two for the movie. Still, now we have another. This is an international trailer (that's arrived via Belgium), albeit in English, and it boasts some new footage of the movie that we've not seen before.

Cinderella is set to land in March, and it's been confirmed that it will come with the Frozen Forever short film before it.

Without the help of some brave investors, or the pockets of their makers, the following films would never have existed...

It's now a fairly common mantra that you'd be a fool to put up all of your own personal money into a feature film. By all means invest, but share the risk, or throw a few quid at Kickstarter.

Paying for the bulk of the negative/hard drive yourself, and leaving your own assets exposed? Utter lunacy.

Not that anyone told this lot...

The Passion Of The Christ Paid for by: Mel Gibson

For some time, Mel Gibson had, alongside his acting roles, been heavily invested in his production company, Icon. As such, he had two significant ways to earn money, and he needed both of them when it came to making The Passion Of The Christ.

This is the kind of film that studios run a mile from. All...

Interview Simon Brew 22 Jan 2014 - 05:47

We catch up with Kenneth Branagh to chat Jack Ryan, In The Bleak Midwinter and paying Joan Collins in postal orders.

It's a very quiet, calm, polite and considered Kenneth Branagh we meet in the midst of a posh hotel in London. Outside the door of the allotted room there's a buzz of activity. Behind it? There's Branagh, hours away from the premiere of his latest movie, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, enjoying the simple pleasure of a cup of tea. Which is when we hit him with our bombshell...

I fear somebody didn't give you the handover notes when doing a Jack Ryan movie and playing a Russian character. That you either have to approach it by getting in Sean Connery, and not bother with the accent at all, or you have to get in someone like the late Richard Marner from 'Allo 'Allo.

News Den Of Geek 20 Sep 2013 - 10:37

Our lookbacks at an assortment of 1990s movies, all gathered together in one place!

Here's a page that should take you straight to the lookback of a 1990s movie of your choice. Let us know if index pages like this are helpful, and we'll pop a few more together if they are...

Alien 3. David Fincher's big screen debut... 

Alien Resurrection. Not the franchise's finest hour... 

Beauty And The Beast. Disney's finest animated movie? Simon thinks so... 

Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey. An article we wrote celebrating the film as it hit its 20th birthday. 

The Boondock Saints. The infamous film, and its equally infamous behind the scenes documentary. 

Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Much maligned, but is it actually any good? 

Captain America. Not the recent version. The cheap version. 

Carlito's Way. Featuring one of Sean Penn's best ever roles. 

Contact  The...

Odd List Simon Brew 20 Sep 2013 - 07:14

They don't make funny movies any more, right? Wrong. If you're looking for a laugh, then here are some you may have missed...

For this list, blame The Hangover Part III. It was whilst walking out of that film that I got into a chat with someone, who was bemoaning the lack of genuinely funny movie comedies. Certainly, big budget Hollywood comedies have no end of problems right now - with the occasional exception - but I couldn't help thinking of the many neglected gems that had gone through my DVD player over the past decade or so.

As such, I started to put this list together. It's inevitably subjective, as one person's comedy is another person's snore fest. But I've tried to dig out a mix of comedies from the past three decades that have either flown under the radar completely, or...

News Simon Brew Feb 18, 2013

The wonderful Richard Briers has died, it's been announced.

We've got some really sad news to bring you: the mighty Richard Briers has died, at the age of 79.

Just last year, we saw him in the big screen, stealing any part of Cockneys Vs Zombies he was let near. We also saluted his wonderful work in Kenneth Branagh's unfairly forgotten festive film, In The Bleak Midwinter, a film that arguably gives him his funniest big screen role. We described his turn in that film as a masterclass, but truthfully, there are all manner of things that he did that the word could be applied to his work in.

Such was the diversity of Briers' career that there's no small number of things you may know him for. Ever Decreasing Circles. The Good Life. His Hitler-esque turn in the Doctor Who story, Paradise Towers. Watership Down.

In the bleak midwinter (or whatever you call this part of January; there’s snow on the ground and it’s super-cold here and the heat’s not working, is all I know) we could all use a little cheering up, and a reminder that there’s more to the world than ice and the howling wind.

In fact, there are people! Friendly, cheerful, sociable (and warm!) people, just waiting to be our friends or date us or possibly some combination of the two. But it can be easy to forget there are other people out there when it’s so cold all you want to do is stay inside huddled under a fleece blanket and a barskin cloak (what? That’s just me? Oh.). And when you do eventually venture out from under your space heater that you’ve hung directly above your bed (to accompany the ones on either side of it,...

The veteran actor may be jumping out of his deckchair to kill zombies in his new film – but don't, whatever you do, call him cool

Hello Richard! I like your new film (1).

Ooh yes, it's very good, isn't it? (2)

It's better than I thought it'd be.

That's exactly what I thought! I thought I wasn't going to like it at all, but I went with the grandchildren and we had a really good time.

What attracted you to Cockneys Vs Zombies?

Well, I don't often get the chance to play someone of my age. I'll be 80 in January, so I was playing this silly old fool in an old people's home. I was having a very nice time because the sun came out, and I was in a deckchair doing bugger all. And then people started shouting "There's a zombie! The zombie's after you!" It was lovely for me because zombies are very very slow,...

The best of this week’s DVD releases is Ralph Fiennes’ directorial debut Coriolanus and he translates his fearless embodiment of the battle scarred general shoe-horned into a politician’s role with tremendous effect.

From his lauded stage version to this new cinematic vision he transposes the political discomfort and intense personal tragedy of Shakespeare’s play with ease and the film is definitely one to take the time to catch up with. Vanessa Redgrave and Brian Cox are on terrific form as is Jessica Chastain and Fiennes proves an intelligent director of actors allowing the dialogue to flow freely and with gravitas without ever distancing us from the modern parallels at play.

From the imagined discovery of The Bard’s muse in Shakespeare in Love and the recent history churning revelation of who actually wrote Shakespeare’s play in Roland Emmerich’s Anonymous there is much stock in the...

Right! It’s another caffeine fuelled night ahead of us as we prepare to liveblog the 84th Academy Awards.

The Artist is the favourite to scoop up the awards tonight, which would round off a grand few days for Michel Hazanavicius and his silent film which run rampant through the Cesars and Independent Spirit awards but we may see Martin Scorsese’s Hugo do well with Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Meryl Streep and Viola Davis front runners for the acting awards.

Whether you agree with the relevance and importance of the Oscars it is the one night of the year when a huge amount of people are talking and celebrating movies, and that can only be a good thing. Debate will begin with the first award and continue with every golden envelope opened.

So, join us below, or on Twitter at @HeyUGuys for our take on film’s biggest night.

Our ninth favourite film of the year, Simon argues why Thor proved to be one of the cinematic surprises of 2011...

Over the past few weeks, Den Of Geek writers have been voting for the films of the year. It's a democratic vote, which inevitably means that things end up in a slightly funny order that not one individual writer is likely to fully agree with. But it's still a fine list. Here's the latest entry...

9th place:

Thor

The perils of democracy mean that Thor falls further down our top ten list than it should, in my view, behind other films that don’t deserve to be listed above it.

But then Thor has always been a bit of a movie underdog. Going into 2011, Captain America was the sure-fire hit, whilst Thor was seen as the gamble. And yet, when you examine the worldwide box office figures for 2011, it’s Thor that prevailed,...

Plan B has revealed that he will perform a Christmas carol at the Jack Daniels birthday gig next month. The singer, who tops the bill at the event in Tennessee, told Digital Spy that he plans to sing the festive number, which he performed last year on Radio 1. Plan B said: "We're looking to do 'In The Bleak Midwinter' that I did on the Jo Wiley show. I always said I'd never do a Christmas song. That's when you've gone pop. "I just took the lyrics from the song and put a brand new melody and chord sequence to it. It sounds like a cross between James Brown and Stevie Wonder." (more)...

They win awards and critical acclaim – but are in-depth documentaries under threat? Mark Lawson talks to film-makers about risk-taking, total immersion and the cult of celebrity

Is this a good time for factual film-making? It depends on your definitions of fact and film. There are executives and directors who complain that there are too few documentaries on television these days; and yet programmes from Brian Cox's The Wonders of the Universe to My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding have large and enthusiastic audiences. The problem is that what traditionalists mean by documentary (Adam Curtis's new series) is quite different from the star vehicles and "constructed reality" shows (Made in Chelsea, The Only Way is Essex) that are currently popular.

The past decade has also seen a big increase in the number of documentaries made for cinema. The success of Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine (2002) and Morgan Spurlock's...