Role Call: The Absolem Truth

Welcome to this week’s Role Call! There are A LOT of new projects in the works for our favorite Harry Potter alum including those of David Tennant, David Thewlis, and David Heyman (Wow! That’s a lot of Davids!), and of course, we prepare for Alan Rickman’s last film: Alice Through the Looking Glass. Check out what is in the works below!

For our followers in China, it’s your lucky day! It has been confirmed that Now You See Me 2, which stars none other than Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) himself, will premiere in China on June 22 ahead of a June 24 theatrical release. This date comes way before it was expected to release. Personally, I can’t wait for this movie!

It has been confirmed that Paddington 2 will begin production this October! The film, which is produced by David Heyman (producer of the Harry Potter films), will be the sequel to the first Paddington which was released in 2014. It is not confirmed whether or not the rest of the original cast will join the film, but a UK release date of November 24 of next year has been set.

David Thewlis (Remus Lupin) has joined the cast of Croak, a dark comedy that takes a look at the quirks of the film industry. Thewlis was involved in writing the script for the movie, and shooting begins this July. Joining him on the film are Juliette Lewis, Zoe Kazan, Julia Garner, Craig Roberts, Ken Scott, and Shirley Henderson (Moaning Myrtle), with producers Stephen Fry (voice of UK audiobooks) and Robert Taylor. The film will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

Our beloved Jim Dale is back to narrate the new Grimm’s Fairy Tales audiobook. As most of us know, Jim Dale narrated the Harry Potter audiobooks released in the United States, and thereby stole all of our hearts. In this new project, Dale will be accompanied by the voices of Roy Dotrice, Alfred Molina, and January LaVoy. Together, they will voice some of the most recognizable characters from Grimm’s Fairy Tales, including Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel.

 

 

The audiobook was released on May 10, but you can take a listen to Jim Dale’s narration of Rumpelstiltskin here.

Bill Nighy (Rufus Scrimgeour) has joined the cast of the Spanish drama The Bookshop! The film is based on Penelope Fitzgerald’s novel set in 1959 Britain:

The story sees Mortimer portraying Florence Green, a free-spirited widow who puts grief behind her and risks everything to open up a bookshop — the first such shop in the sleepy seaside town of Hardborough. Fighting damp, cold and considerable local apathy, she struggles to establish herself, but soon her fortunes change for the better.

Joining Nighy on the film are Patricia Clarkson and Emily Mortimer. Very little is known about the film or when production will begin, but we will make sure to keep you updated as new information is released!

Bill Nighy is also set to star in Four Kids And It alongside Michael Caine and Matthew Goode. The film is based on Jacqueline Wilson’s novel that…

…tells the story of the four children whose beach holiday is actually a bonding trip with their potential step-siblings. During an argument, the children discover a magical but grumpy creature called Psammead who can grant them one wish a day. But there’s a catch – their wishes only last until the sun sets.

Nighy will play a villainous role in the film, as the one who wants to steal Psammead for himself. Can’t wait to see that! Four Kids and It sounds like a mix of a lot of different movies, but definitely interesting!

This year’s Boondocks Festival, a 2-day music festival set in the countryside just outside of Malmesbury, will feature Natalia Tena (Nymphadora Tonks) fronting her band, Molotov Jukebox. Genres like Balkan fiddle and Latin trumpet will grace the market town July 7-8. This is only the festival’s second year, but it was a huge success last year. Check out the poster below for more information!

 

 

I think it’s safe to say that all of us are excited to see the second installment of Alice in Wonderland, Alice Through the Looking Glass. This film features a whole host of familiar faces including Alan Rickman (Severus Snape) as Absolem, Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), Stephen Fry (voice of UK Harry Potter audiobooks), Timothy Spall (Peter Pettigrew), Toby Jones (Dobby), Frances de la Tour (Olympe Maxime), and Rhys Ifans (Xenophilius Lovegood).

Alice Through the Looking Glass finds the title character, played by Mia Wasikowska, away from Underland for a long while. And by the time she has returned from sailing the high seas, the magical place she saved and loved is being destroyed by Time (Sacha Baron Cohen). Not only that, but The Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), her truest friend, seems to have forgotten all about her.

I am excited to see how this plot unravels, but until then, check out the new international Alice Through the Looking Glass trailer from Disney France below!

 

 

An extended look at Alice Through the Looking Glass was also released, in which Tim Burton himself gives viewers exclusive, never-before-seen footage from the film.

 

 

We reported previously that Helena Bonham Carter was to star in Love, Nina, a five-part series airing on BBC1. The series follows the novel by Nina Stibbe and tells the story of a 20-year-old nanny, Nina Stibbe, who begins working for a divorced single mother named Mary-Kay Wilmers. In the series, Helena will star as Mary-Kay, who has two young sons and a disabled husband. When asked about her role in the series, Helena felt that there were many similarities between her and her character.

I’d never heard of her but when I read the book and got to know her there’s a lot we share. We come from a similar extraction, Jewish-European. Mary-Kay’s mother was Russian and her father English but she was brought up in Belgium, and my mother is French so we had the same kind of upbringing where French and English were interchangeable.

 

 

Helena also points out that Mary-Kay’s divorce seems very similar to her own divorce from Tim Burton in 2014.

We’re both divorced from film directors, both with two children. I could relate to it a bit because Sam Frears is disabled and my father was very disabled [he was in a wheelchair after a stroke] so there was a sympathy there.

We are pleased to inform you that the series will air this Friday at 9:30 p.m.! Tune in to BBC1 and tell us what you think of Helena’s performance in Love, Nina!

Clémence Poésy (Fleur Delacour) recently did an interview with Luxury London, where she talked about her current role on Sky Alantic’s The Tunnel. In the series, Poésy stars as French detective Elise Wassermann, who teams up with an English cop in order to uncover the mystery behind a plane crash in the English Channel.

Poésy was asked a variety of questions about her film career including whether she has ever thought about directing, comedy, or if she ever watches herself on TV or film. When asked what she did before playing Elise on The Tunnel in its second series, she had this to say:

Well, before shooting the first series I watched all of The Wire, and this time I watched Fargo. I also talked to police officers in Paris, one of whom took me gun-shooting, which turned out to be one of the scariest experiences I’ve ever had. We went to this ranch in the French suburbs; it was really isolated and eerie. Most people in the club weren’t even police officers; I don’t know who they were.

Poésy obviously did not like firing the gun at all. In a follow-up question, she mentioned how, after consulting with the police officers, she never realized how much paperwork was involved with shooting. All in all, Clémence Poésy is a masterpiece in and of herself and a true delight to watch on TV and film. To catch more of Clémence Poésy, watch The Tunnel: Sabatoge Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. on Sky Alantic!

Warwick Davis (Griphook, Professor Flitwick) backed a charity cycle ride at the Yaxley Festival yesterday for Rebekah Cheshire. Rebekah was involved in a life-threatening car crash when she was young, which left her with severe physical and mental injuries, but now, at age 24, her recovery is somewhat of a miracle.

The charity ride raised funds for Magpas air ambulance, a service that saved Rebekah’s life all those years ago. Giving his support for the charity, Warwick Davis had this to say:

Rebekah’s doing a fantastic job, not only is she only achieving something by doing the tour of Cambridgeshire herself, but she’s raising awareness and helping to raise funds for the Magpas air ambulance… It’s really important because I don’t think many of us realize that it’s not something that has central funding; it purely relies on generous donations to keep doing what it does.

 

 

As we’ve mentioned before, Sir Kenneth Branagh (Gilderoy Lockhart) will star in The Entertainer at the Garrick. The production also stars John Hurt (Ollivander) as Billie Rice and takes place during post-war Britain. A first look at Branagh in The Entertainer has been released, giving us yet another picture to tack to our walls.

 

 

The final season of Wallander, which stars Kenneth Branagh, is now available to stream online. The plot for the final season is as follows:

The case of a missing Swede in South Africa leads Wallander down a dangerous path. His mission is complicated by perplexing blackouts that interfere with his work.

Check out Wallander: The White Lioness here! Kenneth Branagh has also joined several actors in support of the Tricycle Theatre’s Capital Project, which will lead to a complete transformation of the auditorium. The new auditorium will increase capacity, improve sightlines, and provide greater accessibility to guests. Speaking about the project, Branagh had this to say:

It is wonderful that this renovation will allow the Tricycle’s auditorium to be transformed into a state-of-the-art, world-class theatre that truly reflects the quality of the work being produced on its stage.

The Tricycle Theatre’s Capital Project has raised £5.5 million thus far, but still needs £750,000 to see the project to completion. Once the money is raised and the theater renovated, the Tricycle will be able to deliver more learning experiences for young people in the community.

Speaking of John Hurt in The Entertainer, we previously reported on his recent undertaking in That Good Night. The film, which gets its name from Dylan Thomas’s famous poem, recently wrapped a five-week shoot in Algrave, Portugal. The film follows Ralph, played by John Hurt, a famous screenwriter preparing for his impending death.

As he does so, he resolves to attempt two final missions in life: to be reconciled to his long-lost son and to ensure that he doesn’t become a burden on his wife Anna with his slow decline by enlisting a mysterious “Visitor” to help him pass painlessly into “that good night.”

A release date for the film is yet to be determined, but see the first photo from That Good Night below!

 

 

In Channel 4’s new drama National Treasure, Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid) stars as Paul, a has-been entertainer hit with underage sex claims from his past life. Starring alongside him is Julie Walters (Molly Weasley) as Coltrane’s on-screen wife.

Coltrane and Walters were seen on set last week, hand in hand and dressed to impress. Even though Channel 4 announced plans for the series last year, casting is still being kept under wraps along with a release date.

The first teaser trailer of Time After Time, starring Freddie Stroma (Cormac McLaggen), was released this weekend! Time After Time, in which Stroma stars as H.G. Wells, will air on ABC.

Based on the novel and movie ‘Time After Time’, executive producer/writer Kevin Williamson delivers a fantastical cat and mouse adventure through time when famed science fiction writer H.G. Wells is transported to modern day Manhattan in pursuit of Jack the Ripper. Once H.G. arrives in New York City, he finds a world he never thought possible and a young woman who captivates him.

We don’t yet know when the show will air on ABC, but a full trailer of the series will premiere on Tuesday, May 17! Check back for more details and watch the teaser below!

 

 

There are several things in the works for David Tennant (as usual). First up, our beloved Barty Crouch Jr. will be joining the cast of Fish Without Bicycles. The film tells the story of two women’s differing experiences with pregnancy.

One is a 40-year-old magistrate, the other a carefree party girl. The twist is that they are in a relationship with each other.

David will star as the couple’s neighbor John, who is responsible for one of the pregnancies. He had this to say about the film:

Daisy Aitkens has written a brilliant, funny, surprising and moving script and I am delighted that she has asked me to be in her first feature – as she is clearly going to be making many many more and I want to be in all of them.

Fish Without Bicycles is due to begin shooting this November, and it sounds like one heck of a film! I am very interested to see how it plays out.

David also recently performed as Puck from A Midsummer Night’s Dream in The Shakespeare Show, courtesy of fathom events. Fathom Events is hosting screenings of the show, co-hosted by David Tennant himself with Catherine Tate, in theaters across the US on May 23. To see a clip of David’s performance, visit this link.

 

 

David Tennant has also finished recording the final volume of the How to Train Your Dragon saga. The audiobook is due to be released on June 28 and closes the 12-part series. David began voicing the novels back in 2004 and has since then given life to the magical world.

Speaking of audiobooks, Tennant was nominated for a 2016 Audie Award for original work for his voice work on the gothic horror audiobook Carmilla. In Carmilla, David voices the character of Dr. Hesselius, helping tell a vampiric story:

One of the very first vampire thrillers, the narrative follows 18-year-old Laura as she recounts the story of her mysterious, intriguing and beautiful house guest Carmilla, who is stranded in the forest after a carriage accident and taken in by Laura’s widowed father. The girls develop a friendship which turns into a passionate meeting of souls. A relationship of vampire and prey, the story is told through Laura’s eyes as she is drawn further into Carmilla’s terrifying world of pleasure and pain.

As an avid audiobook listener, I can’t wait to listen to this hit. David Tennant’s voice is iconic and award-worthy, so it is no wonder why he has been nominated for an Audie Award. The winners for the Audies were announced on Thursday night at the Audies Gala in Chicago where he, sadly, was the runner-up, but he will always be a winner in our hearts! That’s a wrap on David Tennant! Show us some Tennant love in the comments!

That’s the end of this week’s Casting News! I hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day! Tell us what you think in the comments about this week’s projects! How excited are you for Alice in Wonderland? Do you love audiobooks? Which one sounds the most interesting?