Castium Revelio: Don’t Be Cruella

Filming has officially begun on Disney's next villain origin story, Cruella, starring Emma Stone and Dame Emma Thompson (Sybill Trelawney). Thompson was spotted last week in London by both the Daily Mail and Metro, looking wickedly fabulous in a posh outfit and beehive hairdo outside the Liberty department store on Regent Street. The film is reportedly set in punk-era London of the late 1970s and early 1980s, and Stone was also spotted wearing a maid's uniform with her hair dyed bright red. We'll finally learn why Miss De Vil was so anti-puppy on May 28, 2021!

The stars have been out by the dozens at the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals, and that includes several of your wizarding world favorites!

Gary Oldman (Sirius Black) was in Venice with The Laundromat costar Meryl Streep in support of the film. The actor talked about what platforms like Netflix provide to smaller film projects, and he also spoke with Entertainment Tonight Canada about the picture.

When you've got something this serious, you want to get that out to as many people. Back in the day, you might make a remarkable little movie that no one ever saw. Can art bring about change? Yeah, if people see it.

Meanwhile, the Vancouver International Film Festival, the lineup of which we previously let you know about, has announced that David Thewlis's (Remus Lupin) Guest of Honour will open the festival! The film will screen during the VIFF's Opening Gala at 7:00 p.m. (Pacific Daylight) September 26, and you can purchase tickets online.

Timothy Spall (Peter Pettigrew) is continuing to garner accolades for his performance as L.S. Lowry in Mrs Lowry & Son, and the actor spoke on the Art Newspaper's podcast last week about the project. Have a listen!

 

 

Downton Abbey - and Dame Maggie Smith (Minerva McGonagall) and Imelda Staunton (Dolores Umbridge) - fans in the United Kingdom will have the opportunity to explore Highclere Castle the day before the film's September 13 premiere, the Mirror reports, thanks to ITV's This Morning. The show will join stars of the movie, including Staunton's husband, Jim Carter (Carson), on a tour of the castle and its grounds on September 12. Meanwhile, United States fans wishing to toast the picture's impending September 20 release can do so with a new line of Downton Abbey wines, which are available now in limited quantities at World Market stores.

Staunton also has the October 18 debut of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil coming up, and a new featurette was released last week for not only that film but Sir Michael Gambon's Judy, premiering September 27, as well. You can check out both below!

 

 

 

 

 

Dame Julie Walters (Molly Weasley) was in Horsham, England, last week to officially open a new community project. Residents there transformed an old phone box into a children's book-swap library, and you can watch a video of Walters at the opening event on the West Sussex County Times website.

 

 

We're still reeling from the release of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, starring Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy), Ralph Ineson (Amycus Carrow), Toby Jones (voice of Dobby), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Skender, Fantastic Beasts), and Natalie Dormer (narrator of the Harry Potter: A History of Magic audiobook). Now, Jim Henson's daughter, executive producer Lisa Henson, has us in another tizzy with the news that a second season could be in the cards.

When [showrunners] Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews pitched us their version of the series, it actually did continue on past this, and then we realized it was moving too quick and we cut it back. So even though we made ten episodes, we only have produced six of their original episodes. We definitely have ideas about where it goes from here, but time will tell if we'll be making a Season 2 or not.

Yes, please! Elsewhere, Bonham Carter's turn as Princess Margaret in Season 3 of The Crown will begin November 17, and Deadline Hollywood announced last week that Gillian Anderson has joined the cast of Season 4, which is now in production. She'll portray Margaret Thatcher.

 

 

Gillian Anderson will play Margaret Thatcher in The Crown Season Four, now in production. pic.twitter.com/OVCO8o2bVk

— The Crown (@TheCrownNetflix) September 7, 2019

 

Here's a story that will warm your Potter-loving hearts in more ways than one. There was a time when Isaacs didn't know whether he should continue as the patriarch of one of the most despised families in the wizarding world. Lucius was fading from the Dark Lord's favor, and Isaacs told the New York Daily News last week that he was on the fence about committing to a part that might no longer exist.

Well, I hadn't met [J.K. Rowling]. I was actually, at the time, trying to decide whether to be in ['Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'] or not because I didn't have very much to do in the fifth film. I knew I wasn't in the sixth film because I was in Azkaban and I wasn't in the book. So I didn't know whether to commit to it because they were very piecemeal, for me at least. So I thought, 'Well, if I've got something to do in ["Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1"], obviously I don't want to walk away.' No part of me wanted to walk away at all. But I needed to know if I was ever going to do anything.

Understandable. Then, however, Isaacs finally meet the queen herself at an awards ceremony. And for the sake of her Lucius, she was willing to make a pretty incredible exception.

We're all in tuxedos, and this is kind of a big ballroom. As I walked over, I said to myself, 'Don't ask her if you're in the seventh book. There's no point asking. She's not going to tell you. It's the best-kept secret in the publishing world. And she's writing at the moment, why would she give it away in public?' [...] They went, 'Jo, Jason. Jason, Jo.' And she went, 'Hello, darling, how are you?' And I said, 'I'm terrible, get me out of Azkaban, I'm begging you.' And she looked over her shoulders both ways, and then she mouthed at me, 'You're out. Chapter 1.' And that's when I signed up for number five.

If only we could have been a Billywig on the wall in that room! Isaacs also sat down last week with Collider to discuss everything from Dark Crystal to The OA to Scoob, and you'll definitely want to read that full interview. Here's a snippet of Isaacs discussing his Scoob character, the deliciously devious Dick Dastardly.

There's so much flexibility and time. And Dick Dastardly is the biggest ham in the history of the world. There are people out there who'd say I've already done that, many times before, but I've taken it and turned it up to 11 for this.

The actor also is in "advanced negotiations" to star as Derek Ryder, the father of Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder, in Twisting My Melon, Deadline Hollywood reports.

The cautionary rock fable will chart Ryder's story from childhood, when he was desperate to play in a rock band like his father, a local working-class guitar hero dubbed the Horseman, to his rise as the frontman for '90s Manchester band the Happy Mondays.

The film is based on Ryder's autobiograpy of the same name, and production is slated to begin in January 2020. Also in talks to feature as Ryder's girlfriend is Holliday Grainger (Robin Ellacott, C.B. Strike). We'll keep an eye on this one for you!

The European Film Awards are set to air December 7 from Berlin, Germany, and Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort) will be recognized with a significant accolade. Fiennes will be presented with the European Achievement in World Cinema Award during the ceremony. Congratulations, He Who Really Deserves That Honor! Those living in the Suffolk, England, area will also have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Fiennes this month. According to the East Anglian Daily Times, The Dig, starring Fiennes and Carey Mulligan, will be filming in the area starting in mid-September. Lastly, Fiennes's National Theatre production of Antony and Cleopatra is screening encore performances at venues throughout the US, and you can find one near you and purchase tickets on the National Theatre Live website.

Who's up for a big honking David Tennant (Barty Crouch Jr.) update? We'll start with a fantastic video of Tennant's panel from Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia, during which he delighted Good Omens fans by remarking that he might have married the wrong person. When asked with which actor during his career he's had the most chemistry, Tennant obviously referenced wife Georgia (Moffett) Tennant, the daughter of Fifth Doctor Peter Davison, whom Tennant met when she played his cloned daughter, Jenny, on Doctor Who. He then added, "I mean, I hope? Otherwise, I married the wrong person. Maybe I should've married Michael Sheen." And Aziraphowley (Crowlaphale?) shippers rejoiced.

 

 

 

 

A new trailer for Tennant's upcoming Netflix series Criminal was also released last week. The show additionally features Lee Ingleby (Stan Shunpike) and will premiere on the streaming service September 20.

 

 

 

 

Fans of the Tenth Doctor will also want to check out the new limited-edition vinyl release of Death and the Queen, starring Tennant and Catherine Tate (Donna). That record is available now, exclusively at HMV. Don't forget that Season 3 of the DuckTales (woo-oo) reboot is also premiering in October, and chances are good we'll see another standoff between Tennant's Scrooge McDuck and Tate's Magica De Spell! There's a new Minecraft DuckTales Adventure Map available for download now while you wait for the new season to begin.

A new official synopsis has been released for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, starring Domhnall Gleeson (Bill Weasley) as General Armitage Hux, and... well, it tells us absolutely nothing we don't already know about the upcoming film. But it's breaking news, and so we're bringing it to you because that's what we do here at MuggleNet. We take it very seriously.

Lucasfilm and director J.J. Abrams join forces once again to take viewers on an epic journey to a galaxy far, far away with 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker', the riveting conclusion of the seminal Skywalker saga, where new legends will be born and the final battle for freedom is yet to come. 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' opens in US theaters on December 20.

As for Gleeson's father, Brendan Gleeson (Mad-Eye Moody), Season 3 of his Audience network series Mr. Mercedes premieres Tuesday in the US, and RTÉ has confirmed it will begin airing in the Gleesons' homeland of Ireland on September 16. The Domhnall, Brendan, and Brian Gleeson–starring film Psychic, meanwhile, which was written by Rory Gleeson, will be featured September 20 at the San Francisco Irish Film Festival, and you can pick up tickets to that screening online.

We've been keeping you up to date on Kelly Macdonald's (Helena Ravenclaw) latest projects, and her film Dirt Music will be making its premiere Wednesday at the Toronto International Film Festival. Ahead of that, we have a more extensive synopsis for you below, and you can check out an exclusive clip of Macdonald and costar Garrett Hedlund on Deadline Hollywood's website.

Macdonald plays Georgie, a woman who is in a loveless marriage with a man who has sons from a dead mother she can never replace. While stranded in a remote West Australian coastal fishing town, she meets Lu (Garrett Hedlund), a poacher and outcast from the community. The two are drawn to each other and become involved in an intense and sexually charged affair. Georgie will risk everything for this chance at love, but Lu is haunted by a tragic accident from his past. For him, the prospect is too painful, and he retreats into the wilderness to the remotest islands, leaving little clue as to his whereabouts. With the unlikely help of Jim (David Wenham), who is determined to right the wrongs of his own past, Georgie embarks on a journey to bring Lu back from his past and his grief, ultimately finding herself.

HeyUGuys also unveiled a new set of first-look images from Macdonald's eight-part series Giri/Haji last week. The show will premiere in October on BBC2 and is scheduled to arrive on Netflix in early 2020. It explores the butterfly effect one murder has on two different worlds.

BroadwayWorld reports that Ciarán Hinds (Aberforth Dumbledore) will be joining the cast of a new production of Translations at the National Theatre in London, England.

 

Translations is "a powerful account of nationhood, which sees the turbulent relationship between England and Ireland play out in one quiet community." Previews will begin October 15, and you can purchase tickets now online. Tickets are also currently available for a special evening with Hinds and costar Fra Fee on December 16 as they reflect on the production.

Short-form comedy series State of the Union makes its debut this week on BBC2, featuring Jeff Rawle (Amos Diggory) in the role of "older husband." The series runs in increments of ten-minute episodes, and you can view the synopsis below.

'State of the Union' follows Louise (Rosamund Pike) and Tom (Chris O'Dowd), who meet in a pub immediately before their weekly marital therapy session. With each successive episode, we piece together how their lives were, what drew them together, and what has started to pull them apart. [Nick] Hornby explores the complexities of marriage with his inimitable honesty and humour.

No, it's unfortunately not a biopic about our favorite dragonologist, Charlie Weasley, but the upcoming animation from Spain and China, Dragonkeeper, will star one of our wizarding world alumni in Bill Nighy (Rufus Scrimgeour). Nighy will voice Danzi in the picture, Deadline Hollywood reports, and you can check out the synopsis and a film still below. We'll let you know as more details emerge!

'Dragonkeeper' centers on Ping, a slave girl who dreams of freedom while looking after imprisoned dragons in the Emperor's castle. One fateful day, a dragon escapes, forcing Ping to go on a mission. She must deliver the last dragon egg to the ocean and save the dragons from extinction. On her journey, she learns to unlock her special powers as she discovers she is the last true dragonkeeper.

Nighy's Hope Gap is also preparing to screen at the BFI London Film Festival, and we have a new trailer for you this week.

 

 

 

 

The Annabelle Davis Centres, named for Warwick Davis's (Griphook/Filius Flitwick) daughter, are divisions of the Young People's Counselling Service (YPCS) that offer free mental health support to young people over the age of 25, and the YPCS is looking to establish a new center in Wisbech, England. In an attempt to do so, the center is hoping to win £100,000 in funding from Persimmon Homes, which will award the money to the project receiving the most votes on its website. You can help the Davis family and the YPCS achieve their goal by voting online now.

 

Harry Potter film stars Sally Mortemore (Madam Pince), Chris Rankin (Percy Weasley), Jamie Waylett (Vincent Crabbe), and Josh Herdman (Gregory Goyle) were in attendance at the recent Preston Comic Con in Preston, England, and Blog Preston spoke to Mortemore about her attendance and her voice work on Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery.

I was here a couple of years back filming for Channel 5's 'Elizabeth I', so it's lovely to be back. Being at Preston Comic Con is just brilliant. It's amazing how many fans there are and how lovely everyone has been. I am trying to do more comic cons, as it's such a great experience. Lending my voice for the new 'Harry Potter' game was great, and working with Maggie Smith, Gemma Jones [Poppy Pomfrey], and Zoë Wanamaker [Madam Hooch] again was special.

 

 

 

Jessica Hynes's (voice of Mafalda Hopkirk) film The Fight, which we let you know about a few months ago, arrives on DVD today in the UK, and you can pick up your copy on Amazon. Rumors are also circulating that Quentin Tarantino could be considering releasing an extended version of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, produced by David Heyman (Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts producer), as a miniseries on Netflix. IndieWire says Brad Pitt has confirmed that such an action was being considered and would feature several scenes shown in promotional clips that didn't make the theatrical cut, including a scene with ten-year-old breakout star Julia Butters that Heyman has said was so good it would have earned the child an Oscar nomination.

Lastly in Harry Potter alumni news, Specsavers has released a new spot about the importance of eye health, featuring former footballer Ian Wright and Stephen Fry (narrator of the UK Harry Potter audiobooks) doing voiceover duty. It's frankly just a good reminder for us all, so give it a watch.

 

 

 

Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander) and Robert Pattinson (Cedric Diggory, Harry Potter) were both spotted last week at Entertainment Weekly's party at the Toronto International Film Festival, and you can view a gallery of photos of the actors below. In other Redmayne film news, Geeks Worldwide reports that Jeremy Strong will now be replacing Seth Rogen in Aaron Sorkin's The Trial of the Chicago 7, and Screen Daily says that The Aeronauts will be receiving a full theatrical window in the UK. Unfortunately, Amazon Prime elected to slash the amount of time the movie will spend in theaters in the US before moving it to its streaming service - and removed it altogether from IMAX theaters, despite the fact it was filmed for that format - but it will spend a full 16 weeks on the big screen in the UK beginning November 6.

At the Venice International Film Festival, meanwhile, were Johnny Depp (Gellert Grindelwald) and Jude Law (Albus Dumbledore), and you can check out even more photos featuring those actors in the gallery below. Law spent his time discussing The New Pope, telling media that the now-famous sinful white Speedo he donned for the series' first trailer was actually not the smallest costume he wore for filming. Saints preserve us. You can also watch Law talk about The New Pope with Entertainment Tonight Canada below and read his interview with the GMA Network.

You'd be surprised to know those swimming trunks weren't the smallest costume. I asked the costumier one day what I would be wearing, and he lifted up a tiny piece of material. There's actually one scene where I was wearing a napkin. I have a photo of it because it was truly the smallest costume I have ever been given.

 

 

 

The Irish Sun reports, meanwhile, that Victoria Mary Clarke, wife of legendary Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan, has indicated Depp will play a role in a new biopic about the singer. Clarke told fans that "Johnny says he will play a part, and we definitely want him!" Which part, however, is as yet unclear. Clarke had originally said the couple wanted Depp to portray MacGowan, but the filmmakers were looking for an actor to portray the singer in his mid-20s. As if Johnny Depp ages, but hey; we digress.

MuggleNet previously let you know that Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalski) had contributed a chapter with Andy Belanger to the graphic novel Megadeth: Death by Design, and a new video has been released in promotion of the book. It's currently available for purchase on both Amazon US and Amazon UK.

 

 

 

 

BroadwayWorld says Andrew Turner (MacDuff) will be appearing in a production of Connection at the Harrogate Studio Theatre in England. You can check out the synopsis below and visit the theatre's website for tickets.

'Connection' is a Yorkshire 'Thelma and Louise' of an adventure, where two women meet as strangers in the A&E waiting room of Harrogate District Hospital and embark on a life-changing 24 hours as they try to escape their personal demons.

The New York Times recently interviewed Jack Thorne (writer, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) about everything from the Potter play to his upcoming new production Sunday to the His Dark Materials series on HBO, and you can check out that full interview on the Times' site.