Author: Deadline

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…

Good afternoon Insiders, it’s time for you to get your weekly fix as we dive head first behind the headlines. Please read on, and sign up here. Netflix Dishes The Data Netflix Being transparent: Long-serving Netflix execs love to ruminate on the era when the company was a DVD mailing service, but what felt pertinent this week was the streamer’s more recent transformation into an outfit that is very much at ease with transparency over viewing data. The murky days of walled gardens and numbers being kept hidden from even the most in-the-know producers appear behind us, and Ted Sarandos…

Rome’s MIA Market has seen a 20% increase in submissions for its Co-Production Market and Pitching Forum, with 60 of the 600 received selected to be presented. The number of submissions rose from 80 to 90, with a 12.5% increase in the number of countries of origin. Genres span drama, docs, film and animation The popular Drama Co-Production Market and Pitching Forum has seen submissions up 6%, with 14 series projects from 12 nations presenting. Among the drama projects are Italian productions A Family Reunion (Riuione di Famiglia), a family thriller produced by Rosario Rinaldo for Cross Productions and written…

EXCLUSIVE: Jane Goodall is one of the world’s most renowned conservationists and foremost experts on chimpanzees. Her life’s work has been spreading knowledge about animals and the natural world, challenging what was historically a male-dominated scientific establishment along the way. Goodall’s work has drawn her admiration and respect from all corners, including from Leonardo DiCaprio, with whom she is an executive producer on upcoming film Howl. The live-action movie will tell the story of a dog and wolf’s joint battle for survival. It is the first picture from Promethean Pictures, the label created by Argo Films’ Richard Johns and E.…