Castium Revelio: Christmas Specials Galore!

The teaser trailer for Sir Kenneth Branagh's (Gilderoy Lockhart) film adaptation of Artemis Fowl is here!

 

 

Branagh also spoke with the Irish Independent and ComingSoon.net about bringing the film to life. In an interview with AceShowbiz.com, Branagh spoke of the challenges that the young cast of the new film will face – namely, that he warned them to ignore any comparisons to Harry Potter.

I said, 'Don't get all worked up about stuff. We'll go to work today and we'll see what happens. I hope we make a good film, and I hope it'll be a nice time. The making of the film is the here-and-now. Don't worry about pressure. Every time somebody says to you about Harry Potter or how's it [the movie] going to change your life, there's no life to change. There's no Harry Potter...'

Artemis Fowl has been adapted by Disney from the book by Irish author Eoin Colfer, and eight novels have been published in the Artemis Fowl series.

Directed by Kenneth Branagh and based on the beloved book by Eoin Colfer, ARTEMIS FOWL follows 12-year-old genius Artemis Fowl, a descendant of a long line of criminal masterminds, as he finds himself in a battle of strength and cunning against a powerful, hidden race of fairies who may be behind his father’s disappearance. The film stars Ferdia Shaw, Lara McDonnell, Tamara Smart, Nonzo Anozie, with Josh Gad, and Judi Dench. Judy Hofflund and Kenneth Branagh are producing with Angus More Gordon and Matthew Jenkins serving as executive producers. The screenplay is by Conor McPherson.

Artemis Fowl hits theaters in the United States on August 9, 2019.

John Cleese’s (Nearly Headless Nick) sitcom Hold the Sunset will have a Christmas episode! The BBC has announced its lineup for the holiday season, and an episode of the sitcom, titled “If I Were a Wise Man,” will be among them, notes Chortle. No additional details were provided.

Cleese has also lent his voice to the new holiday film Elliot: The Littlest Reindeer, as reviewed by the New York Times. The family film was just released on December 1, and you can watch its official trailer below.

 

 

Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick and Griphook) will appear on Celebrity LEGO Masters at Christmas on Britain’s Channel 4 this holiday season. According to the press release, it’s sure to be plenty of fun.

Mischievous Christmas elf Melvin Odoom hosts the action as the formidable Build Room opens its doors to six talented junior builders from Series 1 and Series 2 of LEGO MASTERS paired up with six celebrity helpers who share their passion for the little plastic brick.

From Series 1 we welcome back cheeky chappie Jack and his celebrity helper, funny man, Rob Beckett, and cute but competitive best mates Guy and Abraham buddy up with King of the Jungle, Joe Swash and comedian Joel Dommett. From series 2; creative builder Izzy is joined by Spencer Matthews; ideas machine Jayden is joined by artistic Tattoo Fixer, Alice Perrin, and finally master planner 9-year-old Harry’s celebrity partner is Harry Potter and Star Wars legend, Warwick Davies [sic].

Together the teams will do battle in the iconic Build Room in a number of festive challenges including individual tests of creativity, head to head challenges and tests of teamwork under the watchful eye of judges, Matthew Ashton and Fran Scott, before one team will win the inaugural LEGO MASTERS Christmas Trophy.

No air date or time was given for the special.

Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort) and his Antony and Cleopatra costar Sophie Okonedo have won the awards for Best Actor and Best Actress at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards. The Telegraph notes that this is the first time in 30 years that the awards have gone to a pair of costars. The Evening Standard also held interviews with this year’s award winners, and you can find more on those here.

Meanwhile, Fiennes and Rhys Ifans (Xenophilius Lovegood) might be costarring in the next film in the Kingsman franchise! According to a report from We Got This Covered, Ifans “is in talks to portray a character described as ‘a dangerous and manipulative Russian mystic,’” which has led to speculation that the character could be Grigori Rasputin, the real-life Russian mystic who ingratiated himself with the family of Tsar Nicholas II.

Hero Fiennes-Tiffin (11-year-old Tom Riddle, Half-Blood Prince) will star in the war drama Freedom’s Path, according to Variety.

The film follows the story of a wounded Union soldier named Kitch who, when saved by a group of black soldiers, helps them run the Underground Railroad while he recovers from his injuries. Fiennes Tiffin will play William, a naïve Union soldier who is horrified when he enters the war. A deserter and a coward, he befriends Kitch and learns the error of his prejudice.

Domhnall Gleeson (Bill Weasley) and Colin Farrell (Percival Graves, Fantastic Beasts) both appear in a new campaign for the Children’s Medical and Research Foundation, Crumlin (CMRF Crumlin), as posted by the Irish Independent.

Childhood Illness Takes Too Much #WhateverItTakes is the brainchild of long-standing CMRF Crumlin supporter, fashion photographer Emily Quinn, and CMRF Crumlin CEO, Lisa-Nicole Dunne. The campaign features some of our favourite exports photographed by Emily, with a favourite toy from their childhood. Or something that they felt was important to their childhood, and to the person they went on to become.

The message from the celebrities featured is clear: we survived childhood; we got to play and explore, and look what we did.

The cause is especially personal for Farrell, whose son James has Angelman syndrome. Watch Farrell’s and Gleeson’s campaign videos below.

 

 

 

In addition, Gleeson’s The Little Stranger is now on DVD and Blu-ray, as well as Digital HD. More information on that can be found at Moviefone.

David Heyman (Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts producer) and Paul King have teamed up for a new project for Fox Searchlight! The two, who previously worked together on Paddington, will work together on a “magical love story” called Time’s Fool, according to Deadline Hollywood. King will reportedly direct the film, which is an adaptation of Glyn Maxwell’s novel-length poem Time’s Fool: A Tale in Verse, while Heyman will produce it.

Heyman also commented on the new project.

I am thrilled to continue collaborating with Paul and Jon on 'Time’s Fool' and we could not be more excited to be working with Searchlight; as a long-time fan of the films they make, it felt like the perfect home for this unique and magical story.

Gemma Jones (Poppy Pomfrey) and Derek Riddell (Torquil Travers, Fantastic Beasts) have both joined the cast of the upcoming BBC drama Gentleman Jack, according to the Irish Independent.

The eight-part series is based on the diaries of Regency landowner Anne Lister, who is regarded as the ‘first modern lesbian.’

It will be set in Halifax, West Yorkshire, in 1832. Suranne Jones will star as Lister, although no information was provided on either Gemma Jones’s or Derek Riddell’s roles.

The series will premiere in 2019.

Georgina Leonidas (Katie Bell) will return to her role as Stella in David Walliams’s Awful Auntie when it begins its London run later this month! From the press release from Birmingham Stage Company, the play will be staged at the Bloomsbury Theatre, following its renovations. The London run of the show will be staged from December 12 to January 5.

When Stella sets off to visit London with her parents, Lord and Lady Saxby, she has no idea her life is in danger! Waking up three months later, only her Aunt Alberta can tell Stella what has happened. But not everything Alberta tells her turns out to be true and Stella quickly discovers she’s in for the fight of her life against her very own awful Auntie!

Awful Auntie is suitable for children ages five and up, and it runs for two hours including the interval. More information about the show can be found at the Bloomsbury Theatre’s website.

Peter Mullan (Yaxley) stars alongside Gerard Butler in the new thriller The Vanishing. The Hollywood Reporter describes the film, writing that it is “a seaside thriller centering on three lighthouse keepers who stumble upon a chest of riches on a remote Scottish isle. Fueled by greed and anxiety, the three men eventually descend into violence and paranoia.”

 

 

The film will be released in January.

David Thewlis (Remus Lupin) can be seen in the new film The Mercy, which just got a new US trailer! The film, according to First Showing, “tells the story of a humble middle-aged man who takes an unfinished boat on a race around the world to add some adventure in his life.” It also stars Rachel Weisz and Colin Firth, as well as Genevieve Gaunt, who portrayed Pansy Parkinson in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

 

 

Dame Emma Thompson (Sybill Trelawney) stars in the new comedy film Late Night, for which some stills have been released! Collider notes that the film will have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival next month.

Written by Mindy Kaling, the film stars Emma Thompson as a legendary late-night talk show host who hires her only female staff writer (played by Kaling), only to see her world turned upside down. The decision was intended to smooth over diversity concerns, but has unexpected (and funny) consequences as 'two women separated by culture and generation are united by their love of a biting punch line.'

It is also being reported by the Hollywood Reporter that Michelle Yeoh has been cast in Last Christmas, which was written by both Thompson and Bryony Kimmings. Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding were previously announced as the film’s stars.

'Last Christmas' will feature the music of George Michael, including the holiday classic of the same name, and will also premiere unreleased material.

The pic, which is dated for a Nov. 15, 2019, release, follows Kate (Clarke), an elf in a year-round Christmas shop, who begins dating Tom (Golding), a guy who seems too good to be true when he walks into her life and starts to see through so many of her barriers.

John Williams, who composed the scores for the first three Harry Potter films, will compose new music to be featured in the upcoming Star Wars–themed lands at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort. Variety reported on the new details of the expansions, which are set to open in 2019, and are officially named Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Here’s a preview of Williams’s new music.

 

 

Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley) will appear at Planet Comicon Kansas City for its 20th anniversary, the convention’s organizers have announced via Twitter. James Phelps and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley) have also been announced as special guests.

The event will take place from March 29 through March 31, 2019, at Bartle Hall in Kansas City, Missouri. More information about Planet Comicon can be found on its website.

Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalski) is on The Walking Dead, and the show’s mid-season finale is coming! In anticipation of it, a new promo and clip have been released by AMC. You can find those at ComingSoon.net.

Fogler also tweeted about his new docu-series, The Story of Masters.

Hosted by Hollywood actor Dan Fogler, who stars in the new 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald' and blockbuster 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them', 'Story of Masters' will examine the roots of martial arts and its incredible disciplines, exploring how martial arts has made an impact on societies in different cultures around the world.

The series will see Dan travel around the world in search of martial arts stories and legends, reflecting on the huge influence that this incredible combat sport has had on modern civilization. He will travel from Egypt to Rome, from China to Japan and Korea, ending back home in the US. Throughout the series Dan is accompanied by local contributors and together they will look at all the different martial arts forms. Just like the discipline itself, Dan’s journey is one of Yin and Yang with physical and spiritual learnings.

Colin Farrell (Percival Graves) has joined the cast of Guy Ritchie’s Toff Guys, alongside Matthew McConaughey, writes the Hollywood Reporter.

The Toff story sees McConaughey as a businessman who has built a weed empire and now wants out; the other characters are either complications or helpful to his scheme. [Michelle] Dockery is the man’s wife, while [Henry] Golding will play a Vietnamese gangster. [Hugh] Grant is a photographer who snaps scandalous photos of our protagonist and schemes to blackmail him.

Farrell will play a character named Coach, a man who trains MMA fighters.

The film is reportedly already in production.

Jude Law (Albus Dumbledore) has a number of items of Casting News this week. First, there’s a new trailer for Vox Lux, in which he stars alongside Natalie Portman. Geek Tyrant provided more information about the film, which will be released on December 7 in select theaters before its wide release on December 14.

The film begins in 1999 with teenage sisters Celeste (Raffey Cassidy) and Eleanor (Stacy Martin), who have survived a seismic, violent tragedy. The sisters compose and perform a song at about their experience, making something lovely and cathartic out of catastrophe — while also launching a career.

The sisters draw the attention of a passionate manager (Jude Law) and are rapidly catapulted into fame and fortune, with Celeste as the star and Eleanor the creative anchor. By the film's second half, set in 2017, the now 31-year-old Celeste (Portman) is mother to a teenage daughter of her own (Cassidy) and struggling to navigate a career fraught with scandals when another act of terrifying violence demands her attention.

You can watch the trailer below. Note that the film is rated R and contains material that may not be appropriate for all viewers.

 

 

Law’s Captain Marvel character has also been revealed! Marvel fans, we’ve heard that this one could be a potential spoiler, so stop now if you wish to remain spoiler-free!

Originally, it was thought that Law would be playing Mar-Vell; however, a new product leak from Funko changes that. As reported by ComicBook.com, Law won’t be playing Mar-Vell after all. Instead, his character is Yon-Rogg, a Kree military officer who is also a villain.

Law and the narrator of the British editions of the Harry Potter audiobooks, Stephen Fry, voice characters in the Neo Yokio Christmas special on Netflix. Collider has more information on the show and its new Christmas special, which will premiere on the streaming platform on December 7.

From creator, writer and executive producer Ezra Koenig (Vampire Weekend), writer/executive producer Nick Weidenfeld and his Friends Night banner, 'Neo Yokio' is a new animated series starring the voice talents of Jaden Smith, Susan Sarandon, Jude Law, Tavi Gevinson, Jason Schwartzman, and Desus & Mero, along with Richard Ayoade, Ike Barinholtz, Steve Buscemi, Alexa Chung, Stephen Fry, Katy Mixon, Annet Mahendru, Kiernan Shipka, Willow Smith and Amandla Stenberg. A collaboration with Japanese anime studios Production IG and Studio Deen, along with MOI, the Seoul-based animation studio, the series is a postmodern collage of homages to classic anime, English literature and modern New York fashion and culture. Storyboard artists for the series include Kazuhiro Furuhashi ('Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn', 'Hunter x Hunter', 'Rurouni Kenshin') and Junji Nishimura ('Ranma 1/2', 'Urusei Yatsura', 'Pro Golfer Saru').

Check out the trailer for the Christmas special below!

 

 

Ezra Miller (Credence Barebone) remains as fashionable as ever, and Vogue has noticed one key accessory that Miller carried to the Dior Men’s show in Tokyo: a glass of champagne!

Miller also attended Tokyo Comic Con, his first appearance at the event. Also in attendance were James and Oliver Phelps.

Katherine Waterston (Porpentina Goldstein) can be seen in the trailer for her latest film, State Like Sleep. The trailer was posted by Entertainment Weekly, which described the film’s plot.

'State Like Sleep', which you can watch the trailer for exclusively above, follows Katharine, the recent widow of Belgian actor Stefan Delvoe (Michiel Huisman), as she navigates the events leading up to her husband’s suicide, including tracking down his childhood friend Emile (Luke Evans) who works in a seedy and mysterious club her husband frequented. The film jumps back and forth between before and after Stefan’s death, and Waterston’s ability to navigate the complex emotional changes of her character anchors the film.

The magazine also interviewed Waterston about the film, which will be released in January 2019. Check out the trailer below, but know that it contains adult material.

 

Playwright Jack Thorne has written The Eddy, a new “Paris-set musical drama series which will be directed by Oscar-winning helmer Damien Chazelle (La La Land)” for Netflix. Variety reported on the news of Atlantique Productions’ involvement with the project, which will begin shooting in Paris during the first half of 2019.

'The Eddy' will revolve around a club, its owner, the house band, and the chaotic city that surrounds them. The show will feature dialogue in French, English and Arabic. Casting is underway.

Thorne will also serve as an executive producer.