Role Call: Fangs, Jumpers, and Parades
In the spirit of the upcoming holidays, we’d like to share with you a gem we happened upon that shows off celebrities in their holiday jumpers. (For all you Americans out there, that means sweaters!) Perhaps one of our favorites is Julie Walters, who seems to be dressed as a sassy (house-?)elf, ready to help Santa deliver all those toys! Even better, the celebrities who are participating are donning the jumpers to support Save the Children, a charity that raises awareness and funds for vulnerable and poverty-stricken children around the world.
How can you participate in Jumper Day, set for December 13? We’re so glad you asked! Besides wearing your best jumper on December 13, you can also donate by visiting the Christmas Jumper Day website here. Get your friends involved, take silly pictures, and get the word out. Don’t have a sweater? You can buy a specially designed sweater by John Lewis from the website, with 25 GBP being donated to Save the Children. One thing’s for sure – you won’t be the only person wearing a wooly Christmas sweater on December 13!
It’s been some time since we’ve seen Robbie Coltrane on screen. That will change in May of 2014 when his new film, Effie Gray, premieres in the UK. Coltrane plays a doctor alongside Julie Walters and Emma Thompson in this based-on-a-true-story film focusing on art historian John Ruskin and his wife, Euphemia “Effie” Gray.
Fiona Shaw will take part in the 2014 theater season at The Barbican in London. Her one-woman show, The Testament of Mary, was nominated earlier this year for three Tony awards when the show debuted in a limited run on Broadway. The play is based on the novella by Colm Toibin and recounts the Virgin Mary’s grief upon losing her son. For ticket information, please visit the Barbican website here.
Jason Isaacs is a busy man! We reported last month on the premiere of Sweetwater and his new role in John Wick. He’s also taking on another role, this time as actor AND producer to a new dramatic series for ABC about a former LAPD homicide detective that develops an incredibly powerful ability to solve the hardest cases. Let’s hope that ABC truly appreciates the incredible talent they have in Jason and keeps this series on the air! (You can’t tell that we miss his all-too-soon canceled series, Awake, can you?)
The always entertaining and talented Warwick Davis has landed three new roles as of this casting roundup: He participated in the Christmas Parade in Milton Keynes to launch the Land of Enchanted Dreams Christmas display on November 15; Warwick is also set to appear the evening of November 15 in a full sketch by Harry Hill as part of Children in Need, spoofing A-ha’s “Take on Me.” The video is scheduled to play live on the BBC Children in Need’s appeal night, and as soon as we get our eager hands on the video, we will post it for all to see. In addition, Davis also just landed the role of television game show host! The pilot for Celebrity Squares is set to tape later this month and could get picked up in time to air in the new year. To read more about the premise of the game show, visit the article here. Congrats, Warwick!
More Gary Oldman news! We reported earlier on his role in the remix of RoboCop, but we also discovered a rumor of a possible role starring opposite Jay Baruchel in the WWII thriller Panzer 88. Cinema Blend has some great concept art up for the film, and we will continue to watch for more information on the project upon confirmation of the role. In addition, it was announced a few days ago by Dread Central that Juliet Landau, known for her role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is working on a documentary called A Place Among the Dead. The documentary will feature vamp writer Anne Rice and Gary Oldman as Landau interviews actors and creators who have taken on the fanged ones in books, movies, and television. We’ll report more on this documentary as information is revealed.
It’s official! Downton Abbey has been renewed for a fifth season, which means we will get our weekly dose of Dame Maggie Smith in her role as family matriarch, the dowager countess on ITV. Are you excited to see what life has in store for the residents of Downton?
While Tom Felton has joined the television series Full Circle, he’s not alone. Another HP alum has joined TNT’s Falling Skies as a regular cast member. Known most for her role as Pansy Parkinson in the HP films, Scarlett Byrne is taking on the mysterious role of a woman with special powers who is connected to the other-worlders. Watch the preview video below!
As far as we know, David Heyman may still be in talks for the upcoming but not yet written Fantastic Beasts film. In the meantime, it is now rumored, according to The Hollywood Reporter, that he is “in negotiations” to bring the game Temple Run to the big screen in either a live action or animated version. Look for more on this story as information becomes available!
Finally, a great big HP alumni party is taking place for the film Brooklyn. According to Screen Daily, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters, and Domhnall Gleeson have signed on to the film, which is slated to begin filming in Ireland next year. Here’s the summary of the film:
The film follows Nora (Ronan), a young Irish woman who leaves her small town in Ireland hoping for a brighter future in 1950s Brooklyn. Despite her initial homesickness, she falls in love with Tony (Cohen), an Italian American who opens her eyes her new surroundings. But a family tragedy leads Nora back to Ireland, where her American sophistication catches the eye of the charming Jim (Gleeson).
Well, that wraps up Harry Potter role call for now. Keep checking back to read all the latest news from Mugglenet, and don’t forget to tell us what YOU think about the different roles our favorite actors are taking on – we’d love to hear from you!
