HUGH BONNEVILLE, MANISH DAYAL, GILLIAN ANDERSON IN PERIOD SET 'VICEROY'S HOUSE' MOVIE! 'IGNACIO DE LOYOLA' EPIC MOVIE TRAILER WITH ANDREAS MUNOZ

'VICEROY'S HOUSE' MOVIE

WITH HUGH BONNEVILLE, MANISH DAYAL, GILLIAN ANDERSON

Not much to report to you today, so we're going to exotic locations, starting with a trip to India with a new historical movie VICEROY'S HOUSE which should come to the cinemas in the United Kingdom sometime later this year! It will see Huge Bonneville and Gillian Anderson playing an unlikely couple: Lord Mountbatten, the last viceroy of India and his wife. Michael Gambon and lovely Manish Dayal whom we fell in love with in A 100 FOOT JOURNEY also star!

THE STORY  
In 1947, Lord Mountbatten assumes the post of last Viceroy, charged with handing India back to its people, living upstairs at the house which was the home of British rulers, whilst 500 Hindu, Muslim and Sikh servants lived downstairs.

'IGNACIO DE LOYOLA' 

  ANDREAS MUNOZ EPIC MOVIE

Meanwhile, in the clip department we're going international as I'm about to show you the first trailer for new historical epic movie IGNACIO DE LOYOLA which should arrive into cinemas probably this summer sometime in July! Andreas Munoz is playing St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus.

FROM KNIGHT TO SAINT  The movie is told by a young priest who was once assigned to defend him before the Spanish Inquisition following Ignacio's transformation from a brash, impulsive youth obsessed with women and sword-fighting; to the masterful, charismatic leader of an order that would change the face of Christendom. In his lifelong quest to become the heroic Knight of his fantasies, Ignacio stares death in the face again and again, finding himself imprisoned for murder; having his leg shattered by a cannonball in battle; driven to near suicide by his inner demons; and finally finding his life in the hands of the Inquisition.

PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT ON 'HIGH RISE' MOVIE WITH TOM HIDDLESTON, LUKE EVANS, JAMES PUREFOY, JEREMY IRONS, KEELEY HAWES, SIENNA MILLER

'HIGH RISE' THRILLER MOVIE

WITH TOM HIDDLESTON, LUKE EVANS, JEREMY IRONS AND JAMES PUREFOY

A movie treat for you today to launch the new working week: new photo shoot pictures showing the leading characters of the long awaited thriller HIGH RISE which should hit the cinemas in the United King this March (arriving a year later after the 40 year anniversary of the release of the book) as the big screen adaptation of J.G. Ballard's famous novel of the same name. Directed by Ben Wheatley, the movie boasts the most star studded of ensemble casts lead by two of our most favourite hunks on the planet Tom Hiddleston and Luke Evans, alonside Jeremy Irons, James Purefoy, Keeley Hawes, Elisabeth Moss and Sienna Guillory. Both Hiddles and Lukey were nominated for British Independent Film Awards for their roles in the movie. Click to check out the exquisitely naughty photo of our dearest Hiddles sunbathing naked on the HIGH RISE balcony from the film over at our Twitter page :)

WELCOME TO THE HIGH LIFE  
London, 1975. Robert Laing (Tom Hiddleston) is a young doctor seduced by the lifestyle in a HIGH RISE, an isolated community, cut off from the rest of society in their luxury tower block, and its creator, the architect Anthony Royal (Jeremy Irons). Taking up residence on the twenty-fifth floor, Laing discovers a world of complex loyalties, and also strikes up a relationship with Royal’s devoted aide Charlotte (Sienna Miller). After Laing befriends Richard Wilder (Luke Evans), a documentary filmmaker relegated to the second floor who is determined to provoke the class injustices inherent in the HIGH RISE, a dangerous social situation develops and the high-rise eventually fragments into violent tribes.

PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT ON 'HOUDINI & DOYLE' PERIOD SET PARANORMAL PROCEDURAL TV SERIES WITH MICHAEL WESTON AND STEPHEN MANGAN

'HOUDINI & DOYLE' TV SHOW

FIRST TRAILER AND PHOTOS

When winter ends in couple of months one of the first of the brand new period set television series to arrive to us with Spring will be HOUDINI & DOYLE with Michael Weston and Stephen Mangan in the titular roles. The historical crime series will air on ITV Encore in The United Kingdom, at Fox in the United States and also on Shaw Media in Canada, connecting the greatest magician of all times with the legendary creator of Sherlock Holmes! The show itself is based on their real life friendship, which was very unlikely to begin with given that Houdini was a debunker of mediums and psychics, while Doyle was an ardent spiritualist!

SERIES INSPIRED BY A REAL LIFE FRIENDSHIP

Inspired by true events, HOUDINI & DOYLE historical procedural draws heavily on the rich history of the period. Two great men of the 20th Century – Harry Houdini (Michael Weston) and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Stephen Mangan) – grudgingly join forces with New Scotland Yard in Edwardian England to investigate unsolved and inexplicable crimes with a supernatural slant. You will watch them teaming up in 1901 London at the behest of Constable Adelaide Stratton (Rebecca Liddiard), a somewhat fictionalized take on a little-known historical figure, to investigate crimes that might or might not have a supernatural component.
In the ten episode series, the two of the great characters of the 20th century, Houdini, master magician, escape artist and paranormal debunker, and Doyle, creator of the world’s greatest detective and a paranormal aficionado, grudgingly join forces to investigate crimes with a supernatural slant. Although they’re both rich, famous and brilliant, they’re the original odd couple, with Houdini believing in nothing, Doyle in everything. Emily Carey will appear as Mary Conan Doyle!

NEIL PATRICK HARRIS IS COUNT OLAF IN NETFLIX LEMONY SNICKET SERIES? CONNIE NIELSEN IS 'WONDER WOMAN'S' QUEEN HIPPOLYTA OF AMAZONIANS!

NEIL PATRICK HARRIS IS

COUNT OLAF IN NETFLIX' NEW 'LEMONY SNICKET' SERIES?

Well, isn't this an absolute bliss? Everybody's favourite Neil Patrick Harris is in talks to take the role of crazy Count Olaf in Netflix new series adaptation of A SERIES OF UNFOR- TUNATE EVENTS after they find a new show runner since Mark Hudis has left the project. Famous LEMONY SNICKET children books follow the lives of orphaned siblings Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire as they try to find a guardian and stay out of the clutches of their evil Uncle Olaf, who wants to get his hands on their fortune. The 13 episode series could be directed by Brad Silberling who already helmed the same movie with Jim Carrey and Meryl Streep!

'WONDER WOMAN' MOVIE

FINDS ITS QUEEN OF AMAZONIANS  Meanwhile, beside the World War One setting being officially confirmed for WONDER WOMAN movie, Gal Gadot's Diana of Themyscira's has found her mother, Hippolyta the Queen of Amazonians in GLADIATOR's Connie Nielsen (who is, by the way, 50, not that the photo shows it). It has been revealed before that the movie, set in today's world, in WW1 and WONDER WOMAN's homeland, will  see Chris Pine playing her love interest Steve Trevor! Ewen Bremner, Robin Wright, David Thewlis, Danny Huston, Elena Anaya also star in Patty Jenkins helmed movie. There are also some gossips saying that Sean Bean could play the main villain Ares. The movie is out June next year.

'EMPIRE' RENEWED FOR SEASON 3 AFTER TARAJI P. HENSON'S GOLDEN GLOBE WIN! 'SECRET LIFE OF PETS' SNOWBALL BUNNY CLIP IS HERE AND IT'S NOT WHAT YOU'D EXPECT

'EMPIRE' TO OPEN THE DOORS

OF LYON'S DEN FOR 3RD SEASON

Yes, yes, you will taste Cookie's cookies again! Fox has officially renewed their leading TV series EMPIRE for the third season ahead of the airing of the spring part of its second season March 30th! No wonder at all since it got both popular and critical acclaim, with Taraji P. Henson winning best actress in a drama Golden Globe this month and with viewership reaching 20 million and above each week. Although the second season saw a small drop among viewers, it is still number one broadcast TV series. Terrence Howard and Jussie Smollett also star in the saga of the family of hip hop and r'n'b music moguls. The end of the winter season saw Naomi Campbell's character take over the EMPIRE!

'SECRET LIFE OF PETS'

SNOWBALL BUNNY CLIP IS HERE

The only video I have for you today is a hilarious new clip from this summer's THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS animated movie but I can't establish whether it's sweet or if it actually turns me away from watching the film. It features Kevin Hart's little bunny who is not what you might expect. The white bunny named Snowball (who is insanely cute and also just insane) is actually building an army of abandoned pets determined to take revenge on all happy-owned pets and their owners.

NEW PHOTOS OF JUDE LAW IN 'THE YOUNG POPE' TV SERIES! 'OF KINGS AND PROPHETS' EPIC TV SERIES GETS FULL TRAILER WITH RAY WINSTONE, OLIVER RIX

NEW JUDE LAW PHOTOS

FROM 'YOUNG POPE' TV SERIES

Not much to report today, so we're turning over to the TV world with the new photos of Jude Law as the pontiff in THE YOUNG POPE TV series that is under production. The new headshots show he looks brilliant with grey hair and in papal robes! In the Oscar winner Paolo Sorrentino directed drama he will play the fictional role of the first American Pope in contemporary times who is ultra conservative and thus has problems in Vatican. Diane Keaton is a nun who raised him and helped him become the pope. HBO, Sky and Canal + will air the series later this year.

'OF KINGS AND PROPHETS'

EPIC TV SERIES TRAILER

And ABC has finally released an extended trailer for the midseason epic TV series OF KINGS AND PROPHETS and I'm afraid it looks kinda cheap and lacking in visual image. To start airing March 8th, it will be set 1,000 years before Christ, following the first king of the Israelites, Saul (Ray Winstone), who struggles to unify the 12 Israelite tribes and defend his fledgling nation against savage enemy attacks. The prophet Samuel relays a message from God to King Saul that he must destroy one of Israel’s ancient enemies. But when Saul defies that message, Samuel prophesies that the Lord will tear the kingdom of Israel from him and choose another in his place. In time, Saul comes to realize that his greatest threat will not come from his enemies but from the shepherd, David (Oliver Rix).

'CHRONICLES OF NARNIA' TO GET EPIC REBOOT WITH 'THE SILVER CHAIR'! 'AZTECS' EPIC TV ADAPTATION OF DANIEL PETERS BOOK! ABC ORDERS NEW KELLY RIPA SITCOM, FOX NEW COURTNEY COX COMEDY!

'THE SILVER CHAIR' TO BE A

REBOOT OF NARNIA MOVIE SAGA

If you love legendary epic fantasy saga THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA from CS Lewis and are sad that the movie franchise ended last decade with three films, do not despair because the fourth one is coming in the future. Producer Mark Gordon has announced that it will be based on THE SILVER CHAIR book and will be a reboot - a start of a new franchise with new actors, directors and team. The story follows Dawn Treader's Eustace and his schoolmate Jill who end up in Narnia where they need to hunt down the ageing King Caspian's missing son.

'AZTECS' EPIC TV SERIES

BASED ON DANIEL PETERS' BOOK 'THE LUCK OF HUEMAC'

Speaking of book adaptations, Televisa USA will turn Daniel Peters' acclaimed book 'The Luck of Huemac' into AZTECS TV series! MARCO POLO's and BLACK SAILS' Mark Chernuchin will run the series about a family in the waning moments of a glorious but little known civilization as the Spanish invasion looms. As 'Deadline' reports the project will tackle of the subject of the pre-Columbian empire from the family’s vantage point, rather than that of Cortez and the Conquistadors. Intrigue, betrayal and romance told from the eyes of the people that built and lost this great civilization.

NEW SITCOM PILOTS FROM

KELLY RIPA, MARK CONSUELOS
Since it is the season when comedy pilots get ordered, here's the today's batch: ABC has ordered a pilot of Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos untitled multicamera sitcom about husband and wife who are trying to fend off the gentrification of their neighbourhood in Brooklyn. When each of their three daughters announce they are romantically involved with the very people who irritate the two of them so much, they are forced to finally let these people into their lives.
AND COURTNEY COX
Fox is, meanwhile, counting on Courtney Cox in a pilot for new untitled single camera sitcom in which she would play a woman who inherits her late billionaire husband’s charity and quickly finds that changing the world is far less glamorous than she had imagined.

NBC ORDERS KRISTEN BELL, TEN DANSON 'GOOD PLACE' NBC SITCOM, 'MARLON' WAYANS AND 'POWERLESS' SITCOM PILOTS! 'MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN' TRAILER WITH MARTIN HENDERSON, JENNIFER GARNER

'GOOD PLACE' SITCOM

KRISTEN BELL & TED DANSON

In TV news, 'Deadline' reports  that NBC has cast Kristen Bell and Ted Danson for their new comedy series GOOD PLACE which has been ordered straight to series in 13 episodes! It centres on Eleanor (Bell, who will not be leaving HOUSE OF LIES for this), a woman from New Jersey who comes to realize that she hasn’t been a very good person. She decides to turn over a new leaf by learning what it actually means to be “good” or “bad,” and then trying to make up for her past behaviour. Danson plays Michael, who, through an unlikely set of circumstances, comes to be Eleanor’s guide through her self-designed self-improvement course.

NEW NBC SITCOM PILOTS

MARLON WAYANS COMEDY
Speaking of NBC's comedies, they've also ordered a pilot for MARLON multicamera sitcom which would star famous comedian Marlon Wayans! Loosely inspired by his life, it centres on an inappropriate but loving father (Wayans) committed to successfully co-parenting with his polar opposite ex-wife.
'POWER LESS' COMEDY
They've also ordered a pilot for POWERLESS single camera sitcom  set at one of the worst insurance companies in America — with the twist being that it also takes place in the universe of DC Comics. It will focus on POWERLESS folk working there who often envy the men and women outside their window who make headlines with their supernatural powers.

'MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN'

HOW TO EXPLAIN THE IMPOSSIBLE

The only trailer I have for you is the new one for Christian propaganda movie MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN out around Easter this March!  Based on the book 'Three Miracles From Heaven' by Christy Beam it revolves around a young girl suffering from a rare digestive disorder who finds herself miraculously cured after surviving a terrible accident. Jennifer Garner and Martin Henderson play her parents, while Queen Latifah also features in the Patricia Riggen directed movie.

MICHIEL HUISMAN TO LEAD 'HARLEY AND THE DAVIDSONS' HISTORICAL SERIES! 'DAUGHTER' TRAILER WITH GEOFFREY RUSH, SAM NEILL, MIRANDA OTTO! BEST DRESSED AT 'GOLDEN GLOBES 2016!'

MICHIEL HUISMAN TO LEAD

'HARLEY AND THE DAVIDSONS' HISTORICAL TV SERIES

Not much to report this slow Monday, people, but some of you might like the info on GAME OF THRONES and AGE OF ADALINE hunk Michiel Huisman who has just been cast as lead in Discovery Channel's scripted mini series HARLEY AND THE DAVIDSONS! Based on a true story it will see Huisman portraying Walter Davidson and British actor Robert Aramayo playing William Harley. Bug Hall (The Little Rascals) will portray Arthur Davidson.

As EW writes, the six part series will tell the story of how Milwaukee schoolyard pals built and rode the machines that rule the road. Beginning at the turn of the 20th century, at the shores of Lake Michigan, the series charts the birth of Harley Davidson during a time of great social and technological change and tells the epic story of how two 19-year-old kids from Milwaukee started a company in their backyard that would go on to become an American legend.

GOLDEN GLOBES 2016

THE BEST DRESSED STARS

Who were you fashion picks from GOLDEN GLOBES 2016 red carpet? I thought it was such a poor year, both with winners and the outfits. Our fave were elven Saoirse Ronan, sleek and sexy Amy Adams, dazzling Jaimie Alexander and Channing Tatum's wife Jenna Dewan in Zuhair Murad!

'THE DAUGHTER' TRAILER

WITH GEOFFREY RUSH, SAM NEILL, MIRANDA OTTO

You can also check out the first trailer and poster for Geoffrey Rush, Sam Neill drama THE DAUGHTER! In the last days of a dying logging town Christian (Paul Schneider) returns to his family home for his father Henry’s (Geoffrey Rush) wedding to the much younger Anna (Anna Torv). While home, Christian reconnects with his childhood friend Oliver (Ewen Leslie), who has stayed in town working at Henry’s timber mill and is now out of a job. As Christian gets to know Oliver’s wife Charlotte (Miranda Otto), daughter Hedvig (Odessa Young) and father Walter (Sam Neill), he discovers a secret that could tear Oliver’s family apart. As he tries to right the wrongs of the past, his actions threaten to shatter the lives of those he left behind years before.

PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT ON 'MERCY STREET' HISTORICAL EPIC TV SERIES WITH JOSH RADNOR, MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD, LUKE MACFARLANE, GARY COLE, ANNA SOPHIA ROBB

'MERCY STREET' EPIC SERIES

ON AMERICAN CIVIL WAR

Today we're spotlighting the last of the brand new historical TV series to air this January MERCY STREET, which is ready to cobble its way into the small screens at PBS from January 17th! Based on real events, it takes viewers beyond the battlefield and into the lives of Americans on the Civil War home front as they face the unprecedented challenges of one of the most turbulent times in US history.

BLOOD ISN'T BLUE OR GRAY  
Set in Virginia in the spring of 1862, MERCY STREET follows the lives of two volunteer nurses on opposite sides of the conflict: Nurse Mary Phinney (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a staunch New England abolitionist, and Emma Green (Hannah James), a naive young Confederate belle. The two collide at Mansion House, the Green family’s luxury hotel that has been taken over and transformed into a Union Army hospital in Alexandria, a border town between North and South and the longest Union occupied city of the war. Ruled under martial law, Alexandria served as the melting pot of the region: with soldiers, civilians, female volunteers, doctors, wounded fighting men from both sides, runaway slaves, prostitutes, speculators and spies. The intersection of North and South within the confines of a small occupied town creates a rich world that is chaotic, conflicted, corrupt, dynamic and even hopeful — a cauldron within which these characters strive, fight, love, laugh, betray, sacrifice and, at times, act like scoundrels. This series is not about battles and glory; it’s about the drama and unexpected humour of everyday life behind the front lines of war.

THE STELLAR CAST

Mercy Street stars Josh Radnor as Dr. Jedediah Foster (unhappily married doctor searching for ways to advance medical science, sometimes at the expense of his own health)
 Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Mary Phinney (feisty widow, and a new nurse with whom he develops an unexpected bond)
 Gary Cole as James Green (the patriarch of the Green family who is struggling to maintain his family businesses in an occupied city)
Hannah James as Emma Green (an entitled Southern young woman who volunteers as a nurse at Mansion House Hospital) 
Brad Koed as James Green, Jr. (desperately wants to be on the front lines for the Confederate cause.)
 Tara Summers as Anne Hastings (a nurse whose claim to fame is her experience working with Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War)
 McKinley Belcher III as Samuel Diggs (a black laborer who works in Mansion House Hospital and harbours a secret knowledge of medicine)
 Jack Falahee as Frank Stringfellow (a Confederate spy who is betrothed to Emma Green)
 Anna Sophia Robb as Alice Green (Emma's younger sister, who at first frivolous and naïve, becomes the most radicalized member of the family)
 Donna Murphy as Jane Green (the wife of James Green, Sr. The mother to three is the quintessential Southern belle)
 Luke Macfarlane as Chaplain Hopkins (has a dark past and is newly committed to God and his work).

Check out the first trailer below:

LAURIE DAVIDSON TO LEAD SHEKHAR KAPUR'S 'WILL' SHAKESPEARE EPIC TV SERIES! 'OUTLANDER' 2ND SEASON TRAILER IS HERE! 'ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME' TRAILER WITH SARAH JESSICA PARKER, RAOUL BOVA

SHEKHAR KAPUR'S 'WILL' EPIC

SERIES CASTS LAURIE DAVIDSON

Tell me, people, what are the odds that two of our fave directors move onto the small screens in the same year? With Tarsem directing EMERALD CITY epic series for NBC, another of our dearest filmmakers, Shekhar Kapur (ELIZA BETH saga) will helm WILL epic series for TNT, which I've already told you about, but now they have the sweetest of leads! Charming young Laurie David son will lead the wild story of young WILLiam Shakespeare's arrival onto the punk rock theatre scene that was 16th century London – the seductive world where his raw talent faced rioting audiences, religious fanatics and raucous side-shows. It’s the hot, contemporary, dangerous version of Shakespeare’s life, played to a modern soundtrack, exposing all his recklessness, lustful temptations and brilliance.

'OUTLANDER' 2ND SEASON

TRAILER RELEASED!
Speaking of epic series, check out the first teaser for the second season of OUTLANDER which should arrive to Starz in April! The new season will see pregnant Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) arrive to France, intent on infiltrating the Jacobite rebellion led by Prince Charles Stuart and stopping the battle of Culloden.

'ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME' MOVIE TRAILER

WITH SARAH JESSICA PARKER

There's also another trailer for you today, the first clip for Sarah Jessica Parker's new romantic movie ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME which is out this February! She plays Maggie, a slightly neurotic woman excited for an Italian vacation with her less-enthused daughter, Summer (Rosie Day). While the rebellious teen is eager to get back to her boyfriend in New York, Maggie’s romance is right in front of her, as she reconnects with an old flame named Luca (Raoul Bova). While they’re distracted by the sparkle of youth in each other’s eyes, Luca’s mother (Claudia Cardinale) gives the keys to his Alfa Romero convertible to Summer with the understanding that she drive the elderly woman to Rome for her own romantic adventure.