Castium Revelio: Fantasies, Festivals, and the Final Frontier
by Aimee Krenz, Brienne Green · January 25, 2019
It may be just over three weeks old, but 2019 is already turning out to be a busy year for actors from all corners of the wizarding world!
Set your phasers on stun for a few trips into outer space, see which stars will help bring the early lives of J.R.R. Tolkien and Errol Flynn to the big screen, and watch Wormtail get wicked in this week’s Casting News. Castium Revelio!
As is often the case for the talented and versatile actor, Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy) quickly became a fan favorite in his role as Captain Gabriel Lorca in the first season of Star Trek: Discovery. While his character unfortunately met a sticky end, Potterheads and Trekkies alike can revel in his reflections on his time aboard the USS Discovery through a bevy of Blu-ray bonus features, such as the "Dress for Success" featurette and "Discovering Discovery: The Concepts and Casting of Star Trek: Discovery," in which Isaacs joins other cast members to discuss the challenges that accompanied his role and connections with his character.
As Star Trek fans are aware, however, dead doesn't always mean dead, and although Isaacs stuck a fork in Captain Lorca in hilarious Monty-Python-esque fashion on Twitter (see his tweet below), many continue to hold out hope he may return at some point to the series.
Yes yes. Me me. I've kicked the bucket, I've shuffled off my mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible. I. Am. An. Ex. Captain.
Captain's costume for sale. Size XS. Fits bloody nobody. https://t.co/CcV3d2BHzZ
— Jason Isaacs (@jasonsfolly) January 29, 2018
Digital Spy posited such a possibility in an article published post–Season 1, pointing out Isaacs' Death Eater–quality penchant for keeping secrets and scattering red herrings. The piece also featured a promising quote from the show's cocreator, Alex Kurtzman.
I'd be down for anything with Jason Isaacs, any time or anywhere.
Isaacs, meanwhile, expressed his love for the role, calling every scene a "banquet" and stating, "If they came up with a great story, I would be all ears." Is it possible to cross your fingers while giving a Vulcan salute?
The upcoming sci-fi-adventure-drama-horror mashup High Life is receiving high praise from critics, and so is Robert Pattinson (Cedric Diggory) for his portrayal of Hufflepuff-hearted Monte, one of a group of inmates participating in a human-reproduction experiment aboard a seemingly doomed space station.
Eerie, a bit morbid, yet somehow managing to intertwine touching moments between Pattinson's character and his young daughter - Pattinson actually secured the role for the girl, the child of a friend - this sneak peek promises plenty of suspense. You can look for High Life to debut in theaters on April 12.
Additionally, the next two years look to be busy ones for Pattinson, who is listed on IMDb as having a series of movies in pre- and post-production.
The Lighthouse, a dark-fantasy-horror tale about lighthouse keepers in an early-20th-century Maine in which seafaring myths tend to be true, will star Willem Dafoe as Old and Pattinson in an as-yet-unnamed costarring role. The film was shot on 35 mm black-and-white film.
Pattinson joins a cast that also includes Timothée Chalamet, Joel Edgerton, Ben Mendelsohn, and Lily-Rose Depp for the drama The King, cast in the role of the Dauphin of France. The movie reportedly combines several of William Shakespeare's historical plays and is expected to be released this year.
Meanwhile, in pre-production are The Devil All the Time and The Souvenir: Part II. The former is a dramatic thriller based on the Donald Ray Pollock novel that follows a strange group of Midwestern characters from the end of World War II to the 1960s and will feature Pattinson in the role of Roy Laferty. The latter explores the complicated relationship between a film student in the early 1980s and an untrustworthy man. Pattinson and Tilda Swinton are among those cast in undisclosed roles.
DiscussingFilm reported Friday on Twitter, and HN Entertainment confirmed, that Jany Temime, the costume designer behind five Harry Potter films, has signed on to dress the cast of Marvel Studios' upcoming Black Widow movie. Among those Temime will be costuming is Scarlett Johansson, who will reprise the title role for the seventh time, this time in the spotlight.
Costume Designer Jany Temime (‘Skyfall’, ‘Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban’) has joined the crew for the ‘BLACK WIDOW’ film. (EXCLUSIVE) pic.twitter.com/z8Bg2z1uid
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) January 18, 2019
John Williams, the legendary composer behind the first three Harry Potter films, is rumored to be preparing for the final installment of one of his other most famous series: Star Wars. Williams announced last year in an interview with radio station KUSC his intention to return to a galaxy far, far away for what he indicated would be the final time, composing the music for Star Wars: Episode IX. Williams has scored every Star Wars movie since 1977, with the exception of The Clone Wars and Rogue One.
It will round out a series of nine and be quite enough for me.
After the composer was hospitalized with an undisclosed illness in October 2018, fans became concerned. A personal friend, however, recently posted to the message board Film Score Monthly that Williams was "doing just fine" and would likely begin working on the music for Episode IX this summer, though the schedule "is still being worked out."
Timothy Spall (Peter Pettigrew) will be graduating from evil henchman to full-on evil boss next month in The Changeover, based on the Carnegie Medal–winning novel by Margeret Mahy. The movie tells the story of 16-year-old Laura Chant (Erana James), a sensitive who finds herself drawn into a battle for her 4-year-old brother Jacko's life when the boy is possessed by an ancient spirit (Spall) who attempts to drain the child's life force.
Spall portrays Carmody Braque, and as you'll see in the preview below, he's not a vampiric Lemur to be trifled with. The Changeover is slated to premiere in theaters February 22.
Dame Julie Walters (Molly Weasley) will have yet another child to worry about in the upcoming British comedy-drama Wild Rose, which we had previously covered under the working title of Country Music way back in 2017.
Walters plays the role of Marion, mother of rebellious Rose-Lynn (Jessie Buckley), who is determined to live her dream of becoming a country singer, just as soon as she's released from a Glasgow prison. The movie's original soundtrack and relatable themes of family relationships and chasing dreams despite the odds are already resonating with critics, as is Walters' performance as a bakery employee struggling to connect with her head-in-the-clouds daughter. Wild Rose will arrive in theaters in the US on May 10 and will close out the Dublin International Film Festival in February.
Speaking of the Dublin International Film Festival (DIFF), a bevy of cast members with wizarding world connections have films competing at the festival in February and March.
Brendan Gleeson's (Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody) film Psychic, is part of the schedule and will be Gleeson's directorial debut. The film, which tells the story of two sons trying to take advantage of their psychic father, was written by his son, Rory Gleeson, and also stars Gleeson's two other sons, Brian and Domhnall Gleeson (Bill Weasley). Psychic will screen on February 23 as part of the Virgin Media DIFF Shorts screening.
Hotel Mumbai, starring Jason Isaacs, White Crow, directed by and starring Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort), Vox Lux, starring Jude Law (Albus Dumbledore, Fantastic Beasts), and The Kid Who Would Be King, starring Noma Dumezweni (Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), are also set to play at the festival. Take a look at some of the trailers for the films mentioned, below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVQpbp54ljA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dolxUIZzb3w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg-h8TwQCgs
As most fans of the actor know, Sir Kenneth Branagh (Gilderoy Lockhart) will be reprising his role as Agatha Christie's famed sleuth Hercule Poirot in Death on the Nile, and Branagh announced this week the addition of Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) to the cast. Death on the Nile is currently in pre-production and scheduled for an October 22, 2020, release.
Netflix's hit The Crown is continuing to gear up for Season 3, and Express featured a pair of on-set images Tuesday that appear to show scenes between Princess Margaret, played by Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), and the man with whom she engaged in an alleged affair, Roddy Llewellyn (Harry Treadaway). Take a look at the images here.
Announced this week was the addition of Fiona Shaw (Petunia Dursley) to the cast of the second season of Fleabag. The series streams on Amazon for American audiences, while it shows on BBC Three in the UK. Shaw's character is not yet known, but come this spring, we will be able to see for ourselves whom she will portray. She is slated to appear in two episodes. Here's a brief description of the show, which you can watch in full on Amazon Video before the second season debuts:
A six-part comedy series adapted from the award-winning play about a young woman trying to cope with life in London whilst coming to terms with a recent tragedy.
Christian Coulson (Tom Riddle) is dating a vampire. Well, at least in his next film project, his character, James, is. The actor posted the trailer for Bite Me on his Instagram this week, and after watching it, we can't wait to see this film! Check out the premise of the film and take a look at Coulson's post to view the trailer for Bite Me!
In New York City Sarah is part of a subculture of people who identify as vampires who believe they need to drink blood to stay healthy. James is an expat IRS agent assigned to audit Sarah's vampire 'church.' Romance sparks between the two, while clashes between their different worlds cause hiccups. Sarah's roommates and community are not accepting of James, while James' conservative Christian friends aren't too fond of the vampire cult. As the impending IRS ruling looms, the two are forced to confront their feelings - will they abide by the norms, or do they have the courage to fall in love with 'outsiders.' 'Bite Me' is a fun and colorful romantic comedy, like no other, and offers the viewer hope, joy and acceptance.
The film is set to debut at the Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival this March in San Jose and Redwood City, California, and will also be debuting around the country via the Joyful Vampire Tour. Here's hoping they stop at one of the many cities that MuggleNet staffers call home because we NEED to see this movie! You can purchase tickets to see Bite Me here.
Callum Turner's (Theseus Scamander) 2018 film Mobile Homes was released in Video on Demand and Digital HD formats Tuesday. The film made its US debut November 16, 2018, and features Turner as Evan, the ne'er-do-well boyfriend of Ali (Imogen Poots) and father-figure to her eight-year-old son. The trio does its best to maintain a sense of family while engaging in a string of illegal money-making schemes until Ali finds what could be her ticket out in a mobile home community.
Turner spoke with Entertainment Tonight late last year about the film, providing his take on his character's journey.
If I [were] to summarize the film, his journey, it would be: Man has dream that his girlfriend doesn’t believe in anymore and he doesn’t know why. That’s his story, and then everything else is filtered through that idea.
As we previously reported, the actor was also set to begin filming the BBC One television miniseries The Capture in November, which is being produced by none other than Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts producer David Heyman. Turner's character in the conspiracy thriller has since been revealed via IMDb as Shaun Emery, a war veteran who escapes a murder conviction due to flawed video evidence, only to find himself under suspicion again when an incident in London is captured on CCTV. The series also stars Holliday Grainger (Robin Ellicott, C.B. Strike) and Ralph Ineson (Amycus Carrow, Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2).
Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalski) fans will want to free up their weekend, as the actor's new picture, In Like Flynn, hits theaters Friday. The movie is based on Errol Flynn's early autobiography, Beam Ends, and focuses on his adventurous life in Australia before he became a Hollywood legend. Fogler will portray Joel Schwartz, the head of a small Hollywood crew who discovers Flynn.
Fogler's next movie project, meanwhile, is currently in pre-production. Spinning Gold will tell the story of Neil Bogart, cofounder of the 1970s disco and rock music label Casablanca Records. Justin Timberlake will take the role of Bogart, while Fogler will be cast as fellow cofounder Larry Harris in the film that also includes Zach Braff and Chris Rock.
Empire magazine has a new Captain Marvel edition fresh on newsstands now, and it includes exclusive images, one of which, teased on Empire's website Monday, features Jude Law (Albus Dumbledore) in his upcoming role as Walter Lawson/Mar-Vell.
Dumbledore was no Slytherin, but we think you'll agree - green is a good color on him!
Law's appearance alongside Brie Larson and Ben Mendelsohn in full Talos regalia on the Captain Marvel edition cover was also leaked this week by Larson herself, who took the opportunity to continue making Mark Ruffalo's life a living hell via Twitter.
Honestly not sure if I’m spoiling this @empiremagazine cover but whatever, someone has to be the @MarkRuffalo of 2019. This hits stands Thursday. pic.twitter.com/NUdqWndAIb
— Brie Larson (@brielarson) January 21, 2019
Express released an exclusive clip Wednesday of Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander) shooting a scene on the London set of his upcoming film The Aeronauts. Redmayne, in the role of scientist James Glaisher, is seen doing little more than stepping out of a shop onto a street in Victorian London before donning a top hat, but we could watch him do it all day. The Aeronauts is scheduled for release November 1, 2019.
Fox Searchlight's much-anticipated biopic of J.R.R. Tolkien finally has a release date, and it will star familiar faces from the wizarding world! MovieWeb reports the film, simply titled Tolkien, will arrive in theaters May 10, with Anthony Boyle (Scorpius Malfoy) in the role of Geoffrey Bache "G.B." Smith and Pam Ferris (Aunt Marge, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) as Mrs. Faulkner.
Smith was a friend and schoolmate of Tolkien's, who will be portrayed by Nicholas Hoult, as well as a member of the Tea Club, Barrovian Society (T.C.B.S.), a literary group formed by the author while attending King Edward's School in Birmingham, England. The film will focus on Tolkien's school years, the T.C.B.S., and World War I experiences, from which he drew heavily while penning his famed novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series.
Holliday Grainger's (Robin Ellicott) Tell It to the Bees is set to compete at the Dublin International Film Festival on March 1. The film joins a number of other wizarding world cast members' projects screening at the festival.
Anna Paquin and Holliday Grainger play Jean and Lydia, two women who find love and tenderness in post-wartime, small-town Britain. Adapted from the acclaimed novel, the drama sees Jean return to her hometown to take over her late father’s GP practice. When she befriends a boy and introduces him to her garden beehives, she and his mother become drawn to each other - a secret they must keep hidden to protect themselves.
Can’t wait to see these films hit screens? Neither can we! There’ll be even more to reveal next week, but in the meantime, let us know which upcoming projects have you seeing Wrackspurts in the comments below.
