Author: Deadline

China has picked World War II documentary The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru as its submission for the Oscars‘ best international feature film category. Directed by Fang Li, the film’s selection is the first documentary that the country has picked as its representative at the Academy Awards. The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru was the opening film of the Shanghai International Film Festival, held in June. Using live interviews, historical footage and animated reconstructions, the documentary focuses on a WWII event in 1942 when a Japanese transport ship named The Lisbon Maru was torpedoed by the U.S. Navy. Onboard the…

True to form, Tom Cruise unexpectedly jetted to London to surprise nearly 3,000 fans at a Top Gun: Maverick orchestral event held at the famed Royal Albert Hall Sept. 27. “I’m very excited to be here with you all tonight to share in this unique cinematic orchestral experience with Top Gun: Maverick,” the action star said as he appeared on stage to uproarious applause and shocked screams. As part of the Hall’s Films in Concert series, the experience screened the Academy Award-winning blockbuster with a synchronized, live performance from the Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, conducted by Lorne Balfe, who worked as a…

Rupert Everett has revealed he asked Ridley Scott for a role in the upcoming Gladiator II, but to no avail. The British actor has written a new book called The American No, which he describes as the process of being courted by Hollywood, with producers waxing lyrical about a script and how they “can’t wait to work with you” but with no result. Everett told The Times of London he appeared in Ridley Scott’s 2023 epic Napoleon as the Duke of Wellington, and went on to phone him about a role in Scott’s big-budget sequel to his 2000 blockbuster Gladiator.…

Maggie Smith, the British actress famous for roles in ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Downton Abbey,’ has died. She was 89.

Netflix is going deeper into the Nordics with the launch of a trio of originals — including the return of romantic drama series Home For Christmas. The streamer unveiled the titles at the opening of a new office in Stockholm. Netflix has had a base in the Swedish capital since 2021, but is moving into a new space this week. Marking the move are Swedish drama Synden, Danish feature film Sult and Home For Christmas, which will return more than three years after season two dropped. All three will launch in 2025. Home For Christmas Season 3 will see Ida…

‘Sex Education’ Star Asa Butterfield Lands First Theater Role Sex Education star Asa Butterfield has landed his first stage role with a project about the actor who came second to playing Harry Potter in the movie franchise. The limited four week-run at London’s Riverside Studios will see Butterfield play Martin Hill in Second Best. At age 10, Martin was on the brink of stardom, but he narrowly missed out and now embarks on the ultimate adventure in adulthood – fatherhood. Butterfield said: “It’s equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, a universal tale of ‘what ifs’, and I can’t wait to bring…

SRM Entertainment and Suretone Entertainment’s Suretone Pictures are in negotiations to form an alliance. The plan is to capitalize on Suretone Pictures’ film productions, tv content creation, existing library and distribution strengths, alongside SRM’s merchandise, manufacturing and distribution businesses as it looks to ramp up as a content provider. SRM and Suretone Entertainment’s Suretone Pictures are engaged in far-reaching discussions to jointly create a new media company using certain assets of Suretone Pictures as the two companies intend to come together to build a multi-film asset and IP based library that will move into distribution, merchandising and production. The goal…

‘Fool Me Once‘ Producer Quay Street Lands Next Project For BBC Fool Me Once producer Quay Street Productions has landed a BBC thriller series starring Eve Myles and Gabrielle Creevy. The Guest comes from Matthew Barry, who was also behind Quay Street’s Russell Davies-produced Men Up drama for the Beeb. The Guest centers on the toxic and beguiling relationship between a successful business owner, Fran, and her employee, Ria. Ria has never had the time or opportunity to think about what she might actually want from the world. So, when she starts cleaning for Fran, she’s intoxicated by this confident…

As Jon M. Chu takes on the cinematic event of the year, he’s keeping accessibility in mind. The Wicked director recently discussed creating “a fantastical world with a wheelchair user in mind” on the set of his feature adaptation of Gregory Maguire’s 1995 book and the Tony-winning Broadway musical, which features a handicap-accessible Ozdust Ballroom. In the musical, Elphaba’s (Cynthia Erivo) younger sister Nessarose Thropp (portrayed by Marissa Bode) is a paraplegic, who later becomes the Wicked Witch of the East, ruler of Munchkinland. Galinda (Ariana Grande) ultimately enchants Nessarose’s silver shoes to give her the ability to walk. Chu…

Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter case for the fatal 2021 shooting of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was tossed out in July, but the Emmy winner is still trying to make sure the whole thing is truly over. In a filing Friday in New Mexico state court, lawyers for Baldwin requested that Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey’s long-shot move to have the case reconsidered be firmly and finally shut down. “No basis exists to reconsider the Court’s decision,” says Baldwin’s attorneys led by Alex Spiro and Luke Nikas regarding their opposition to Morrissey’s request, which Judge Mary Marlowe Sonner has already rejected for being way…