Castium Revelio: A to Z and Everything in Between

As if there could be anything more appropriate happening on St. Patrick's Day, the Gleeson men will all feature in a short film airing Sunday on Sky Arts and NOW TV in the UK.

 

Psychic marks the directorial debut of Brendan Gleeson (Mad-Eye Moody), who will also costar with sons Domhnall Gleeson (Bill Weasley) and Brian Gleeson, with writing by Rory Gleeson and music by Fergus Gleeson. The Irish Independent says Psychic tells the story of a charismatic psychic (Brendan Gleeson) who is forced out of retirement by his manipulative sons (Domhnall and Brian Gleeson) and taken on the road with the aim of establishing a cult following. Their only obstacle is a television host determined to bring them down.

The film debuted last year at the Galway Film Fleadh, and Brendan Gleeson spoke to the Independent about the experience of producing the picture with his entire brood.

It was difficult enough because everybody's pretty fiercely professional in their own way, and it was crossing into family lines and talking about family. It was one of the reactions that we got, was that 'God damn, it's so weird, you all look the same' and all this stuff. It was an interesting one. It wasn't as simple as I thought it might be, and at the same time, I thought it was hugely enjoyable. Obviously, it was great.

Brendan and Domhnall, of course, appeared together in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, and the pair joined Brian onstage in 2014 in a production of The Walworth Farce. Brian and Domhnall were also both part of the 2017 picture Mother!

Domhnall Gleeson's new television series Run, meanwhile, which we told you about in February, has officially been picked up by HBO, Deadline Hollywood reports, making it the network's first formal green light since AT&T's reorganization of it, Warner Bros., and Turner into WarnerMedia.

Fans of Killing Eve have been abuzz over the last week after a new teaser trailer was released for Season 2 of the popular BBC America show. The trailer zeroes in on the growing obsession between Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) and Villanelle (Jodie Comer), with Fiona Shaw's (Aunt Petunia) character, Carolyn Martens, asking Eve pointedly: "Why are you and Villanelle so interested in each other?"

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLq2BDkCzyA

 

 

Killing Eve returns April 7.

Shaw also has a trio of films on her IMDb docket. Ammonite, centered around English paleontologist Mary Anning and also starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan, is currently filming and is scheduled for a 2020 release. Shaw will star as Margaret in the 2020 thriller Corvidae, which tells the story of a mother-to-be taken in by her boyfriend's increasingly sinister family after his death.

Finally, a project likely close to the Irish actress's heart, The Rising: 1916, continues to be delayed as the filmmakers struggle to raise needed funding. The movie will tell the story of republican political activist and revolutionary leader Sean McDermott, one of 14 men executed by firing squad following the Easter Rising. Colin Morgan (Merlin) has been cast as McDermott and Shaw as Countess Markievicz, the only woman tried by court-martial for her role in the uprising. In the spirit of St. Paddy's Day, several entities and organizations have recently been attempting to aid in the film's fundraising efforts, and donations are being accepted online if you'd like to contribute.

 

After Netflix announced the cancellation of Jessica Jones following its upcoming third season, fans of David Tennant's (Barty Crouch Jr.) character, Kilgrave, had their spirits briefly buoyed by showrunner Melissa Rosenberg after she indicated on Twitter that Kilgrave wasn't saying his goodbyes "quite yet." Every time we try to trust again...

ScienceFiction.com now says Tennant has confirmed he won't be back for the final season after all, having turned his attention fully to his upcoming series Good Omens. The actor did, however, take the time to bid a glass-half-full farewell to his time on Jessica Jones.

I don't really regard it as a cancellation so much as something having the life that it should have. Three seasons of that story is great. Rather than thinking of it as something that was canceled, I think of it as something that had three seasons that will live in the memory.

As for Good Omens, Tennant, fellow stars Michael Sheen and Jon Hamm, writer Neil Gaiman, and director Douglas Mackinnon were on hand over the weekend at SXSW, hopping into Amazon Prime Video and Entertainment Weekly's "photo booth" for a few fun shots you can see below.

TV Insider also released this week an interview with Tennant, Sheen, Hamm, Gaiman, Mackinnon, and Miranda Richardson (Rita Skeeter) about what viewers can expect from the book-to-screen series, set to premiere May 31 on Prime Video.

Tennant said his character - snarky demon Crowley - and Sheen's - book-obsessed angel Aziraphale - have "gone rather native as supernatural beings" and weren't keen on Armageddon, due primarily to the fact they "like the restaurants and the wine." Richardson also speaks about her character, powerful psychic Madame Tracy, and you can view the video interview here.

We let you know last week about the June 7 release date for Dame Emma Thompson's (Sybill Trelawney) new film, Late Night, and now Amazon Studios has released its first official trailer! Enjoy as Thompson's waspish character, Katherine, host of a late-night talk show, comes around to the fact she needs Molly (Mindy Kaling) to bring her into the 21st century and save her job.

 

 

 

Thompson was also hailed Tuesday for her philanthropic efforts, becoming the new patron of Southern England–based District64 Arts Academy, a performance company dedicated to working with youth ages 9 to 20 in the hope of creating theater for younger people. Thompson says she's gratified to be involved with the academy.

I am delighted to be District64's patron and to support their work and purpose. It's such a joy to see young people using their creativity within the arts in such a powerful and positive way - to elicit change and inspire conversation about the important issues we all face in the world. District 64 is such an exciting, innovative, and talented young company, and I am proud to be District!

The actress has two other films currently in postproduction. How to Build a Girl is slated for release sometime this year, while The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle - which was originally scheduled for an April 12 release - has been pushed back to January 17, 2020, a move Universal said would align with the start of next year's Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend and allow them to capitalize on a less-crowded playing field, particularly overseas.

That star-studded cast includes not only Thompson but also Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort), Jim Broadbent (Horace Slughorn), Frances de la Tour (Madame Maxime), Carmen Ejogo (Seraphina Picquery, Fantastic Beasts), and Ralph Ineson (Amycus Carrow).

 

On the Fiennes front, the cast is set, the name has been released, and now all that's left is for filming to begin on the next installment in the James Bond saga: Shatterhand. Fiennes will once again be portraying M/Gareth Mallory, the unflappable head of MI6, and the Irish Independent reports the actor has indicated production could begin this spring.

Well, I know we are shooting this year. I'm genuinely not being coy. I have not yet got a script, and I don't have a start date. I know that Daniel [Craig] is playing Bond, and I'm looking forward to starting, I think sometime in May or June.

Fiennes also said he had no regrets over his long-ago passing over for the role of 007 himself.

Years ago, I talked to ['Bond' executive] Barbara Broccoli and, indeed, her father, Cubby, briefly. But it didn't work out, and I think actually Pierce Brosnan, who was a fantastic Bond, played it, which was great. And I feel, on reflection, that I am happy playing M. I think Daniel is a brilliant, brilliant Bond.

There's one role, however, Fiennes does covet: that of Alfred Pennyworth. HeyUGuys caught up with him on the red carpet at the London premiere of his new film The White Crow and asked whether the actor - who voiced Alfred in 2017's The LEGO Batman Movie - would consider playing the many-faceted manservant in the flesh. The answer was an enthusiastic yes.

 

 

 

As for The White Crow, the Evening Standard says Fiennes also spoke at the premiere about stepping out of his comfort zone in order to best portray ballet master Alexander Pushkin. The actor took lessons at the Royal Ballet in preparation for the film, which he also directed.

I definitely felt challenged because I don't come from ballet. I admit it was scary. I took ballet lessons, not to be good at ballet but just to know what is being asked of your body. Being instructed by a wonderful dancer at the Royal Ballet was helpful to me. [Pushkin's] posture is very consolidated, aristocratic, if you like.

Fiennes said he felt "unbelievable pressure" to make the biopic centered on Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev (Oleg Ivenko), who defected from the Soviet Union in 1961 to work in Paris, later signing on with the Royal Ballet as a principal. Nureyev died in 1993 of AIDS.

Sometimes I thought, I'm really, really stupid here because he's so well known, so well documented, and there are so many people still alive who knew him and worked with him. But I also thought, well, not many people know about his student life. They don't know about him being taught by this famous teacher, Pushkin, and they don't know much about where he came from.

The White Crow will arrive in theaters April 26.

Ineson, meanwhile, will join fellow Harry Potter alumnus Adrian Rawlins (James Potter) in the upcoming HBO miniseries Chernobyl. ComingSoon.net says the historical drama based on the 1986 nuclear power plant explosion in Chernobyl, Ukraine, "zooms in on the lives of the men and women who acted heroically to mitigate the catastrophic damage that devastated the former Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic."

Ineson's and Rawlins' roles have not been specified, but the show is scheduled to debut May 6, and you can view its new teaser trailer below.

 

 

 

Ineson has one other film - Here Are the Young Men - in postproduction, with no character information or release date as of yet. The plot follows Dublin teenagers Matthew, nihilistic Rez, and deranged Kearney, who leave school to a social vacuum of drinking and drugs, falling into shocking acts of transgression.

Rawlins' next film, Undergods, is scheduled for release sometime this year and will feature the actor in the role of Dominic. The movie is a collection of darkly humorous, surrealist tales about ill-fated characters and their tragic misadventures. Who better to suit that particular theme than a Marauder?

Two more Potter alumni will also be teaming up for a new project, as Sophie Thompson (Mafalda Hopkirk) and Suzie Toase (Alecto Carrow) join Andrew Scott (Sherlock) in a new staging of Noël Coward's classic autobiographical sex-comedy Present Laughter.

The play follows self-obsessed actor Garry Essendine (Scott) as he prepares for a tour in Africa, and you can watch as Scott discusses the finer points with director Matthew Warcus below.

 

 

 

It's unclear who Thompson and Toase will portray, but tickets are on sale now for the production, which will run from June 25 through August 10 at the Old Vic in London.

Thompson's latest film, meanwhile, made its debut over the weekend at SXSW. The actress plays Emma in Tales from the Lodge, a horror-comedy summarized below by ScreenAnarchy.

A group of middle-aged pals gather at a lodge in the woods to celebrate the life of a fallen friend. Not everything is exactly as it seems in this lodge, and some revelations will have dire consequences.

We've been keeping you apprised of Hero Fiennes-Tiffin's (11-year-old Tom Riddle) skyrocketing fan base as the countdown to After begins. The now-21-year-old actor's first starring role will be as troubled rebel Hardin Scott in the coming-of-age romance, scheduled for an April 12 premiere, and Simon & Schuster Audio this week released a clip of Fiennes-Tiffin reading an excerpt from the movie's tie-in audiobook. Anna Todd, author of the After novel series and original fan fiction, approved. We have a feeling you will, too.

It was so surreal hearing Hardin's voice coming from the actor that is portraying him. Hero has done so much to get into his character of Hardin, and it shows in the extra chapter. I can't wait for my readers to hear it.

 

 

Downton Abbey star Jim Carter, who plays butler Charles Carson on the beloved show, was named an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) today at Buckingham Palace for his services to drama. The Prince of Wales bestowed the honor, and Carter's wife, Imelda Staunton (Dolores Umbridge) was proudly at his side, the Daily Mail reports.

Carter was proud to receive the title - as was his mother of her son.

It says 'for services to drama' and I'm not quite sure what services I've given to drama - longevity, probably, as I'm approaching about 49 years in the business. So a long service medal! I'm sure it's in recognition of the popularity of 'Downton' and also, personally, I like to quietly take it as a thank-you for what 'Downton' has allowed me to do in terms of work for charity and fundraising. I'm honored. I'm particularly delighted this honor came in time to share with my mum, Molly, who is 99, and she was thrilled. She lit up at the news, so that was very good.

Staunton was named to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her services to drama in 2016. The pair met in 1982 while rehearsing for Guys and Dolls at the National Theatre and married in 1983. Staunton told the Daily Mail she has much respect for her husband's down-to-earth attitude toward his craft.

He has never been the sort of actor who yearns to play Hamlet. Maybe it's because he came to acting from performing in the circus. He has always done just what he wants to do.

Bill Nighy (Rufus Scrimgeour), whom MuggleNet informed you in January was on tap to receive Cinequest's prestigious Maverick Spirit Award, was presented with the honor last week at the California Theater in San Jose.

The presentation coincided with the debut of Nighy's latest film, Sometimes Always Never.

Nighy, along with Johnny Depp (Gellert Grindelwald, Fantastic Beasts) is also involved in the upcoming film Minamata, and we gave you a first look in early February at Depp in his new role as celebrated war photographer W. Eugene Smith. Film New Europe says the movie has now begun shooting in Montenegro.

Minamata is now on location in Tivat. It began filming in Japan and continued in Serbia in January. The movie is based on Smith and Aileen Mioko Smith's book of the same name.

The Edith Cavell Academy and Nursery in Norwich, England, felt a bit more like Hogwarts recently, thanks to a special visit from Warwick Davis (Griphook/Filius Flitwick). The Norwich Evening News reports Davis charmed students with a Wingardium Leviosa lesson and took time to answer their questions, as you can see in the video below.

 

 

His visit to the school was arranged through Little People UK - a charity cofounded by Davis in 2011 that provides support and information to people with dwarfism and their families - by the parents of Connor Reilly, an 11-year-old Edith Cavell student with dwarfism. As such, Davis also took the opportunity to remind the children not to judge books by their covers.

When you see someone with dwarfism or someone who looks different, you must always consider this: that if somebody looks different, it doesn't mean that they are. Often, you judge someone on how they look, but inside, they are exactly the same. They have the same thoughts, feelings, desires, the same anxieties and the same dreams, the same hopes and fears as you do. So always think about that. Just because someone looks different on the outside doesn't mean that they are, and you should try to relate to them on that level.

Davis is also awaiting the July 26 release of his next film, Horrible Histories: The Movie - Rotten Romans, and the hilarious first trailer was released last week. Davis's character still has yet to be named, but you can catch a glimpse of him near the trailer's end.

 

 

Stephen Fry (narrator of the UK Harry Potter audiobooks) will be serving on the competition jury April 5–10 at Canneseries with the hopes of a few fellow members of the wizarding world in his hands.

Deadline Hollywood reports Dame Emma Thompson, David Thewlis (Remus Lupin), and Jude Law (Albus Dumbledore, Fantastic Beasts) will all have projects involved in the festival, which aims to highlight series from all over the world. Part of the official competition selection will be The Feed, starring Thewlis, while Do Not Disturb, codirected by Law, will be in the short-form competition. Out of competition will be Years & Years, starring Thompson as well as Jessica Hynes (voice of Mafalda Hopkirk).

Hynes, who's typically known for her comedic work, has been racking up rave reviews for her dramatic skills as well after starring in her directorial debut, The Fight.

The film tells the tale of Tina Bell, a mother of three who's stretched thin by work and home life. After discovering the mother of her daughter's school bully was her own childhood nemesis, Tina finds herself at an emotional crossroads and turns to boxing for catharsis. The List calls the movie "an absolute knockout."

Tina isn't striving to have it all; she is simply looking for a happiness that continually eludes her. Her move into boxing comes as much from desperation as determination, a sense that she needs to take control before she is consumed by the rage that constantly bubbles under the surface. ... 'The Fight' is a story specifically – and proudly – about a woman beaten into submission by life experience and social expectations, but determined to push back.

The Fight is scheduled for select release Friday, and you can view its official trailer and a few still images below.

 

 

As MuggleNet let you know in February, Timothy Spall (Peter Pettigrew) has been hard at work on the upcoming neo-noir television series Perpetual Grace, LTD (previously Our Lady, LTD), and an official trailer has now been released by Rotten Tomatoes TV. In it, you can catch a glimpse of Spall in his role as recently released convict Donny.

 

 

 

Perpetual Grace, LTD is set to debut June 2 on Epix.

Zoë Wanamaker (Madam Hooch) was on hand this week to open a new art exhibition at the Bridport Arts Centre in Bridport, England, paying tribute to her late father in the process.

The Bridport News reports Wanamaker cut the ribbon on Philip Sutton's My Shakespeare, a sampling of the 90-year-old artist's Shakespearean paintings. Sutton began depicting the legendary writer and his characters at the behest of Wanamaker's father, Sam Wanamaker, who spearheaded the effort to rebuild the Globe Theatre along the River Thames. Wanamaker, unfortunately, did not live to see his dream realized in 1997, but he inspired Sutton's works, which have been displayed at the Globe and Shakespeare's home in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Zoë Wanamaker described Sutton's work as "joy, energy, and color" during this week's opening, and My Shakespeare will remain on display through May 1.

Kelly Macdonald (the Grey Lady) is set to star in an upcoming BBC One thriller, and TV Wise released a first-look image from the project this week.

The Victim features Macdonald as a suffering mother seeking revenge on her young son's murderer. The four-part drama has no official air date as yet, but we'll keep you posted! You can read a description of the show and view the image below.

'The Victim' is a legal thriller set in Scotland that is told through the eyes of both the plaintiff and the accused. On one side is Craig Myers (James Harkness, 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'), a hardworking family man who is the victim of a vicious attack after being identified online as a notorious child murderer. Is he simply the tragic victim of mistaken identity or the dangerous killer he is suspected of being? On the other side is Anna Dean (Macdonald), whose nine-year-old son was murdered 15 years ago. She is accused of revealing her son's killer's new identity online and conspiring to have him murdered. Has the anger of a grieving mother turned her into a criminal, too?

 

Ciarán Hinds' (Aberforth Dumbledore) 2018 film Elizabeth Harvest is coming to digital download next month, Horror Cult Films reports. The thriller follows Elizabeth (Abbey Lee, Mad Max: Fury Road) as she attempts to adjust to life at the lavish estate of her brilliant scientist husband, Henry (Hinds). When Henry forbids her to enter a mysterious locked room, however, Elizabeth finds she can't resist - and is changed in ways she can't hide.

You can check out the ominous trailer below and download Elizabeth Harvest on most platforms April 1.

 

 

 

Hinds also has The Thin Man in postproduction with a projected release this year. According to Screen Daily, the comedy follows a man journeying through France in a Fiat 500 who finds himself being chased by five angry men in a Citroën Dyane. Sounds like a trip to us!

 

Comic book writer Frank Wheeler and film writer Tom Wheeler are collaborating on a new young adult novel, and Flickering Myth reports Netflix is currently filming an original series based on the upcoming book.

Cursed is a reimagining of the Arthurian legend, described by Netflix as "a coming-of-age story dealing with the obliteration of the natural world, religious terror, senseless war, and finding the courage to lead in the face of the impossible," and it will feature Peter Mullan (Corban Yaxley) in a currently unnamed role.

Mullan also recently appeared in Comic Relief's new short film Wise words, portraying a grandfather passing along the wisdom of unity in the face of division to his grandson. Campaign says the two-minute film celebrates the fact that the British public has always stepped forward to back charitable causes, even during difficult times.

You can view the ad below. It is scheduled to launch on ITV, Channel 4, and Sky on Monday, and it will also run on social media and during Comic Relief's Red Nose Day fundraising event Friday on BBC One.

 

 

 

Ray Fearon (voice of Firenze) is reprising his role as Carlton Scott in the 2019 edition of ITV's Midsomer Murders.

The current season premiered Sunday, and the Daily Express says Episode 2 will feature Fearon as Scott, a character he previously portrayed in a June 1, 2018, episode titled "Death of the Small Coppers."

Fearon also appeared in a March 11 episode of the BBC's Fleabag as a rather interesting character: Hot Misogynist. If you missed your chance to jeer at him in that role this week, however, he'll be handsomely woman-hating again in the April 1 episode of the show.

It's been a busy few weeks for Colin Farrell (Percival Graves) as he prepares for the impending release of Tim Burton's live-action reimagining of beloved Disney classic Dumbo.

Farrell recently appeared on an episode of Ellen, joining host Ellen DeGeneres in a circus-themed contest: The pair had one minute to turn two girls from the audience into clowns, makeup and all.

 

Just Jared reports Sunday found Burton, Farrell, and costars Danny DeVito, Michael Keaton, Eva Green, Nico Parker, and Finley Hobbins participating in a press conference for the film at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. On Monday, Dumbo celebrated its world premiere in Los Angeles, with Farrell speaking to the Hollywood Reporter about the "dream come true" that was working with Burton.

I had wanted to work with Tim for a long time. I had been a fan of his for even longer than I've been an actor. To be in proximity to the power of his imagination and to see it physically manifest itself with grass and tents and horses and all of these circus performers was an extraordinary thing to be a part of, and, of course, with a story that has as much heart as this one has. ... I loved it, every single second.

Farrell had much more to say about Burton, the movie's CGI effects, the script, and his character in an interview with Screen Rant, and you can read the full transcript of that in-depth piece here. You can also view photos from the set, Farrell's Ellen appearance, and the Beverly Hilton press conference below, along with a new behind-the-scenes video released by Walt Disney Studios: "Soaring to New Heights."

 

 

 

Carmen Ejogo (Seraphina Picquery) has one film project that will come out this year: the Netflix production Rattlesnake.

FastNewsMedia says Ejogo will be featured in the film's starring role as Katrina Ridgeway, a mother who finds herself unexpectedly caught up in a dangerous mystery.

When a single mother accepts the help of a mysterious woman after her daughter is bitten by a rattlesnake, she finds herself forced to pay back her 'debt' by taking the life of a total stranger in the rural town of Tulia, Texas.

Rattlesnake wrapped filming in December 2018 in northern New Mexico and has no definitive release date as of yet.

Actress Olivia Wilde's feature directorial debut, Booksmart, premiered Sunday at SXSW in Austin, Texas, to solid reviews.

The film stars Beanie Feldstein (Lady Bird) and Kaitlyn Dever (Beautiful Boy), along with a host of other notable actors, including Jessica Williams (Eulalie Hicks). The Daily Texan noted the film was among the 60 percent at SXSW that are either directed or codirected by women, and it was described by IndieWire as "the best teen party movie since Superbad."

Booksmart follows Molly and Amy, two studious teenage girls, who come to the realization they've missed out on years of adolescent misbehavior and attempt to make up for lost time on graduation night. It's scheduled to hit theaters May 24.

Check out the film's official trailer, and be aware it's restricted for appropriate audiences.

 

 

 

We treated you last week to a look at the second trailer released for the upcoming biopic Tolkien, and now the film has a beautiful new poster as well.

Tolkien, which stars Nicholas Hoult in the titular role and Anthony Boyle (Scorpius Malfoy) as G.B. Smith, one of the author's best friends, will debut May 10, and Fox Searchlight released the tantalizing new art Tuesday via Twitter. It features Hoult and Lily Collins as Edith Bratt, joined by the One Ring, with young Tolkien, Smith, and their other close schoolmates seen on the left.

 

 

 

Starz has announced the global premiere date for its upcoming television miniseries The Spanish Princess, coproduced by Sir Colin Callender (coproducer of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child).

The Spanish Princess is the follow-up to previous hit miniseries The White Queen and The White Princess and will air at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on May 5 on Starz in the US and Starz Play in the UK and Germany. The Futon Critic describes the production as a "vivid and captivating story told uniquely from the point of view of the women," and showrunners and coproducers Emma Frost and Matthew Graham say they're also excited to provide a glimpse into the lives of people of color in 16th-century London.

Catherine of Aragon has generally been depicted negatively, as an unwanted and burdensome wife, so this story of her early years as a strong, driven young woman and shrewd political player is a fresh and untold tale. We are also especially pleased to be able to bring into the light the inspiring story of people of color in early Tudor England.

The official trailer for the miniseries was also released last week.

 

 

 

Callender additionally has another four-part television miniseries in postproduction. Based on the play of the same name by Lucy Kirkwood, Chimerica follows an American photojournalist as he returns to China 20 years after capturing a photo of a mysterious man standing defiantly in front of a tank in Tiananmen Square, hoping to discover the man's identity.

No release date for Chimerica has been set, but IMDb also lists Katie Leung (Cho Chang, Harry Potter) among the cast members in the role of Liuli. We'll keep you posted as more information becomes available!