Role Call: No Strings to Hold Us Down!
When it comes to the roles and projects available to Potter or Fantastic Beasts cast and crew, the sky appears to be the limit! Follow along this week as we explore what’s next on the slate for our favorite actors from the wizarding world!
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child director John Tiffany is set to direct a new stage production of Pinocchio for the National Theatre, which will play during Christmas 2017! The new take on this classic will feature songs from the Disney film but aims to give audiences a new version, written by Dennis Kelly. Tickets will go on sale this summer.
Emma Thompson (Sybill Trelawney) is set to tackle royalty in her next role! The actress has recently joined the comedic Shakespearean second series currently in production, Upstart Crow, and will portray Queen Elizabeth I. The series is set to return to BBC Two this year, but no date has yet been publicized. What we do know about the episode that Thompson will guest star in is that young Shakespeare will present an early draft of his play Twelfth Night, to Queen Elizabeth, only it will be titled Eighth Night. We look forward to Thompson’s episode!
A new romantic comedy film starring David Tennant (Barty Crouch, Jr.) is going to premiere at the Berlin Film Festival next month. You, Me and Him follows two young women who experience very different pregnancies. Tennant plays John, one of the fathers-to-be. Gemma Jones (Madam Pomfrey) also has a role in the film, whose trailer will air sometime during the festival, February 9 to 19. Here’s a brief plot explanation from the Tennant News website:
‘You, Me And Him’ tells the story of two women’s differing experiences with pregnancy. One, Alex, is a 40-year-old magistrate, the other, Olivia, a carefree party girl. The twist is that they are in a relationship with each other.
The first clip from A Cure For Wellness, featuring Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy), has hit the internet. The psychological thriller promises to keep Isaacs and his trademark villainous roles intact. Watch the clip below.
Here’s the synopsis of the film as well:
An ambitious young executive is sent to retrieve his company’s CEO from an idyllic but mysterious ‘wellness center’ at a remote location in the Swiss Alps. He soon suspects that the spa’s miraculous treatments are not what they seem. When he begins to unravel its terrifying secrets, his sanity is tested, as he finds himself diagnosed with the same curious illness that keeps all the guests here longing for the cure. From Gore Verbinski, the visionary director of ‘The Ring’, comes the new psychological thriller ‘A Cure for Wellness’.
Fiona Shaw (Aunt Petunia Dursley) has been quite busy, considering her new show Emerald City is pretty much all anyone can talk about. However, the talented actress, writer, and director took time out of her schedule this week to discuss her favorite books as part of the Express‘s Six Best Books section. Among her choices were Virginia Woolf, The Rings of Saturn, and Wave. You can learn more about her six by visiting the site here.
Ezra Miller‘s (Credence Barebone, Fantastic Beasts) The Flash has yet another new writer on board. Announced this week was the addition of Joby Harold, who will rewrite the entire script. Let’s hope this is a good sign for the film getting out of the dark hole and back into the light of day. We want more Ezra!
Rumor has it that John Cleese (Nearly Headless Nick) is set to join the DC universe in the upcoming Batman film Justice League. The Sun reports that the actor’s official Twitter account began to follow both Ben Affleck and director Zack Snyder; and to further fuel the rumors of his addition to the cast, the film’s UK Twitter account began to follow Cleese back. No official announcement has been made, but we will continue to follow the progress and report back once confirmation trickles down.
A huge congratulations goes out to Bill Nighy (Rufus Scrimgeour), who received an award from the BBC this week for his services to radio drama! The BBC Radio Drama Awards were held at the Radio Theatre at Broadcasting House, where he was presented the award by actress Amelia Bullmore. Nighy accepted his award, speaking about his start in radio:
I was apprenticed on BBC Radio, and I am as proud of my involvement there as of anything in my professional life. Long may it provide its unparalleled service and entertainment.
We now have a little more information on Helena Bonham Carter‘s (Bellatrix Lestrange) role in the new film Ocean’s Eight, along with a new photo from the film! Bonham Carter will portray Rose, but not much more than that is known at this time. Take a look at the photo below posted on Entertainment Tonight‘s website, which shows a blonde Bonham Carter in the back. Ocean’s Eight is slated for a 2018 summer release.
“Ocean’s 8”, Warner Bros. Pictures
Disappointed that Colin Farrell (Percival Graves, Fantastic Beasts) won’t be in the upcoming Fantastic Beasts films? Don’t worry! He’s still on the job and was recently announced to be in talks to join Denzel Washington’s Inner City, a legal drama. According to Variety, if Farrell joins, he would play an attorney in the film. Here’s the synopsis!
A hard-nosed liberal lawyer named Roman J. Israel, who’s been fighting the good fight while others take the credit. When his partner has a heart attack, Israel suddenly takes on the role of the firm’s frontman. He soon uncovers details about the crusading law firm’s history that run afoul of his values of helping the poor and dispossessed, and finds himself in an existential crisis that leads to extreme action.
Last week, we reported on Sir Michael Gambon (Albus Dumbledore) and David Tennant‘s film, Mad To Be Normal, which is set to premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival’s closing gala. Now, we bring you the official trailer for the film! Take a look here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vJgh5Dyiog
That wraps up this edition of MuggleNet’s Role Call! We love catching up on all the things our cast and crew from the wizarding world are doing, and we hope you do too! Let us know your favorite projects by commenting. You can also send any projects you’ve seen that you think fans would like to read about. Feel free to contact us here! We want to hear from you!
