Premium docs specialist Lightbox is moving into drama with Gunpower Siege, a scripted series for Sky History in the UK that promises to reveal the gripping truth behind the Gunpowder Plot. Chuku Modu (Game of Thrones) leads the cast, starring as Robert Catesby.
Lightbox is known for high-end docs including Man on Wire and Searching for Sugar Man. Its first drama aims to shatter myths around the Gunpowder Plot, one of the most infamous moments in British history and when, in 1605, a group of plotters organized by Catesby attempted to blow up King James I at the opening of Parliament.
The three-part series is written by Noel McCann (Blue Lights). It delves into the aftermath of the Plot, spotlighting its three leaders: Catesby, his cunning cousin Thomas Wintour, and their ruthless enforcer, Thomas Percy. Luke Hobson (Mary Queen of Scots) plays Wintour, and Luke Roberts (Ransom) is Percy.
The series...
Lightbox is known for high-end docs including Man on Wire and Searching for Sugar Man. Its first drama aims to shatter myths around the Gunpowder Plot, one of the most infamous moments in British history and when, in 1605, a group of plotters organized by Catesby attempted to blow up King James I at the opening of Parliament.
The three-part series is written by Noel McCann (Blue Lights). It delves into the aftermath of the Plot, spotlighting its three leaders: Catesby, his cunning cousin Thomas Wintour, and their ruthless enforcer, Thomas Percy. Luke Hobson (Mary Queen of Scots) plays Wintour, and Luke Roberts (Ransom) is Percy.
The series...
- 9/11/2024
- by Stewart Clarke
- Deadline Film + TV
Happy Valley and Top Boy shared the BAFTA love on Sunday night at the British Academy’s prestigious Television Awards in London’s Royal Festival Hall.
Sarah Lancashire took home the top prize for her performance in Sally Wainwright’s Yorkshire-based police thriller, and fellow Briton Timothy Spall beat Succession‘s Brian Cox to win the equivalent award, best leading actor, for The Sixth Commandment – which also won two BAFTAs.
Jasmine Jobson claimed the best supporting actress prize for her role in drug-gang drama Top Boy, which also went on to win best drama. Matthew Macfadyen was the only winner for Jesse Armstrong’s hugely popular black satirical comedy, winning the award for best supporting actor in Succession. Sitcom Such Brave Girls claimed best scripted comedy.
Notably, The Crown and Black Mirror missed out despite leading the nominations ahead of the awards show with eight and seven, respectively, and in...
Sarah Lancashire took home the top prize for her performance in Sally Wainwright’s Yorkshire-based police thriller, and fellow Briton Timothy Spall beat Succession‘s Brian Cox to win the equivalent award, best leading actor, for The Sixth Commandment – which also won two BAFTAs.
Jasmine Jobson claimed the best supporting actress prize for her role in drug-gang drama Top Boy, which also went on to win best drama. Matthew Macfadyen was the only winner for Jesse Armstrong’s hugely popular black satirical comedy, winning the award for best supporting actor in Succession. Sitcom Such Brave Girls claimed best scripted comedy.
Notably, The Crown and Black Mirror missed out despite leading the nominations ahead of the awards show with eight and seven, respectively, and in...
- 5/12/2024
- by Lily Ford
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After making the leap to narrative filmmaking last year with “Nyad,” Oscar winners Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin have returned to their documentary roots and are currently at work in the edit suite prepping their next doc feature — “Lost in the Amazon” (working title), about how four Indigenous children survived for 40 days in the Amazon jungle after a plane crash in 2023. The story of their disappearance and eventual recovery transfixed the global media.
Vasarhelyi and Chin co-directed and produced the film with Colombian filmmaker Juan Camilo Cruz for National Geographic.
The feature docu will tell the story of the struggle for survival of the four children — who ranged in age from 11 months to 13 years — in the guerilla-held jungles of Colombia after a plane they were aboard crashed and killed their mother. The children survived for 40 days in the deep Amazonian rainforest using their Indigenous knowledge of the jungle and the...
Vasarhelyi and Chin co-directed and produced the film with Colombian filmmaker Juan Camilo Cruz for National Geographic.
The feature docu will tell the story of the struggle for survival of the four children — who ranged in age from 11 months to 13 years — in the guerilla-held jungles of Colombia after a plane they were aboard crashed and killed their mother. The children survived for 40 days in the deep Amazonian rainforest using their Indigenous knowledge of the jungle and the...
- 5/9/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Warner Bros. Discovery has announced the movies, TV shows, and live sports that will be available on the Max streaming service in April. The Max April 2024 lineup includes the HBO original limited series The Sympathizer, the Max original unscripted series Conan O’Brien Must Go, and the HBO original comedy special Alex Edelman: Just for Us.
The April schedule also includes the HBO original documentary series The Jinx – Part Two and The Synanon Fix, the HBO original documentaries Brandy Hellville & The Cult Of Fast Fashion and An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th, season four of HBO original We’re Here, And A24’s The Zone of Interest.
Sports fans will be able to watch live games from the 2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and studio coverage airing on TBS, TNT, and truTV. The coverage will include the 2024 NCAA Men’s Final Four National Semifinals and the 2024 Men’s National Championship.
The April schedule also includes the HBO original documentary series The Jinx – Part Two and The Synanon Fix, the HBO original documentaries Brandy Hellville & The Cult Of Fast Fashion and An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th, season four of HBO original We’re Here, And A24’s The Zone of Interest.
Sports fans will be able to watch live games from the 2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and studio coverage airing on TBS, TNT, and truTV. The coverage will include the 2024 NCAA Men’s Final Four National Semifinals and the 2024 Men’s National Championship.
- 3/23/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
Netflix has pulled the curtain back on a slate of UK unscripted originals, including reality competition series Bear Hunt, starring Bear Grylls and Holly Willoughby.
Announced at the Next on Netflix showcase in London, Bear Hunt (working title) will feature survival expert Grylls preying on an unlikely group of British celebrities in the Central American jungle.
Here’s the logline: “Bear believes there’s an action hero inside us all – even the celebs – but how strong is their will to survive? As Bear puts them through their paces, those who fail to impress will face the dreaded ‘Bear Hunt’ – a brutal game of cat and mouse where they’ll be hunted down by Bear himself and, if captured, eliminated from the show.”
The series will premiere next year and will be co-produced by Grylls’ The Natural Studios; Workerbee, the Banijay-backed outfit behind Discovery’s Idris Elba: Fighter; and Fremantle’s Talkback,...
Announced at the Next on Netflix showcase in London, Bear Hunt (working title) will feature survival expert Grylls preying on an unlikely group of British celebrities in the Central American jungle.
Here’s the logline: “Bear believes there’s an action hero inside us all – even the celebs – but how strong is their will to survive? As Bear puts them through their paces, those who fail to impress will face the dreaded ‘Bear Hunt’ – a brutal game of cat and mouse where they’ll be hunted down by Bear himself and, if captured, eliminated from the show.”
The series will premiere next year and will be co-produced by Grylls’ The Natural Studios; Workerbee, the Banijay-backed outfit behind Discovery’s Idris Elba: Fighter; and Fremantle’s Talkback,...
- 3/14/2024
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Who is Sam Cox, and why is his house covered in doodles?
Acme Studios and Lightbox set out to answer these questions in the upcoming documentary feature The Trouble with Mr Doodle.
The documentary tells the story of Cox, a 25-year-old British artist known as Mr Doodle, who bought a six-bedroom mansion in the English countryside of Kent in 2019. After stripping it bare and painting it brilliant white, he spent more than two years covering every single inch of it in doodles.
In October 2022, Mr Doodle became the subject of global media attention when he unveiled his Doodle House to the world. The video Sam created to document his work in a three-minute-long stop-frame time lapse received over 70 million views in the first few days.
The world marvelled at what kind of mind could produce such an extraordinary work of living art and wondered how he did it. Now...
Acme Studios and Lightbox set out to answer these questions in the upcoming documentary feature The Trouble with Mr Doodle.
The documentary tells the story of Cox, a 25-year-old British artist known as Mr Doodle, who bought a six-bedroom mansion in the English countryside of Kent in 2019. After stripping it bare and painting it brilliant white, he spent more than two years covering every single inch of it in doodles.
In October 2022, Mr Doodle became the subject of global media attention when he unveiled his Doodle House to the world. The video Sam created to document his work in a three-minute-long stop-frame time lapse received over 70 million views in the first few days.
The world marvelled at what kind of mind could produce such an extraordinary work of living art and wondered how he did it. Now...
- 3/5/2024
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
The official trailer has been released for “David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived,” which tells the story of Daniel Radcliffe’s “Harry Potter” stunt double who was left paralyzed after an accident on the set of “Deathly Hallows Part 1.”
Executive produced by Radcliffe, the documentary showcases the decade-long bond between the “Harry Potter” star and stuntman Holmes during the making of the iconic franchise. But, Holmes’ world is turned upside down when a debilitating spinal injury on set leaves him paralyzed.
“As Daniel and his closest stunt colleagues rally to support David and his family in their moment of need, it is David’s extraordinary spirit of resilience that becomes their greatest source of strength and inspiration,” the documentary’s official logline reads.
“He just seemed like a cool older brother,” Radcliffe says of Holmes in the trailer. “He would do the most dangerous physical stuff.”
Of the accident, Radcliffe says,...
Executive produced by Radcliffe, the documentary showcases the decade-long bond between the “Harry Potter” star and stuntman Holmes during the making of the iconic franchise. But, Holmes’ world is turned upside down when a debilitating spinal injury on set leaves him paralyzed.
“As Daniel and his closest stunt colleagues rally to support David and his family in their moment of need, it is David’s extraordinary spirit of resilience that becomes their greatest source of strength and inspiration,” the documentary’s official logline reads.
“He just seemed like a cool older brother,” Radcliffe says of Holmes in the trailer. “He would do the most dangerous physical stuff.”
Of the accident, Radcliffe says,...
- 11/1/2023
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Daniel Radcliffe is partnering up with David Holmes, his longtime stunt double in the Harry Potter films, to create a documentary based on his life.
Holmes was brought onto the film franchise ahead of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and, over the course of 10 years, he and Radcliffe formed an “inextricable bond.” However, in the penultimate film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Holmes had a tragic accident on set that left him paralyzed after a spinal injury.
“As Daniel and his closest stunt colleagues rally to support David and his family in their moment of need, it is David’s extraordinary spirit of resilience that becomes their greatest source of strength and inspiration,” Warner Bros. Discovery said in a statement about the documentary, which is directed by Dan Hartley (Lad: A Yorkshire Story).
The statement continued, “Featuring candid personal footage shot over the last decade, behind-the-scenes material from Holmes’ stunt work,...
Holmes was brought onto the film franchise ahead of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and, over the course of 10 years, he and Radcliffe formed an “inextricable bond.” However, in the penultimate film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Holmes had a tragic accident on set that left him paralyzed after a spinal injury.
“As Daniel and his closest stunt colleagues rally to support David and his family in their moment of need, it is David’s extraordinary spirit of resilience that becomes their greatest source of strength and inspiration,” Warner Bros. Discovery said in a statement about the documentary, which is directed by Dan Hartley (Lad: A Yorkshire Story).
The statement continued, “Featuring candid personal footage shot over the last decade, behind-the-scenes material from Holmes’ stunt work,...
- 10/25/2023
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The HBO Original documentary David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived, executive produced by Daniel Radcliffe and directed by Dan Hartley (“Lad: A Yorkshire Story”), debuts Wednesday, November 15 (9:00-10:30 p.m. Et/Pt) on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.
Synopsis: The film is a coming-of-age story of stuntman David Holmes, a prodigious teenage gymnast from Essex, England, who is selected to play Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double in the first Harry Potter film, when Daniel is just eleven. Over the next ten years, the two form an inextricable bond, but on the penultimate film a tragic accident on set leaves David paralyzed with a debilitating spinal injury, turning his world upside down. As Daniel and his closest stunt colleagues rally to support David and his family in their moment of need, it is David’s extraordinary spirit of resilience that becomes their greatest source of strength and inspiration.
Synopsis: The film is a coming-of-age story of stuntman David Holmes, a prodigious teenage gymnast from Essex, England, who is selected to play Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double in the first Harry Potter film, when Daniel is just eleven. Over the next ten years, the two form an inextricable bond, but on the penultimate film a tragic accident on set leaves David paralyzed with a debilitating spinal injury, turning his world upside down. As Daniel and his closest stunt colleagues rally to support David and his family in their moment of need, it is David’s extraordinary spirit of resilience that becomes their greatest source of strength and inspiration.
- 10/24/2023
- by TV Shows Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid - TV
Daniel Radcliffe has boarded the upcoming HBO original documentary “David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived” as an executive producer, in addition to being prominently featured in the film as an interview subject. The movie, set to debut in November, chronicles the life of Radcliffe’s “Harry Potter” stunt double, who worked closely alongside Radcliffe from “Sorcerer’s Stone” all the way to “Deathly Hallows Part 1” when he was tragically paralyzed during a set accident. Holmes broke his neck performing a stunt and was paralyzed from the chest down.
The official doc synopsis from HBO reads: “The film is a coming-of-age story of stuntman David Holmes, a prodigious teenage gymnast from Essex, England, who is selected to play Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double in the first ‘Harry Potter’ film, when Daniel is just 11. Over the next 10 years, the two form an inextricable bond, but on the penultimate film a tragic accident...
The official doc synopsis from HBO reads: “The film is a coming-of-age story of stuntman David Holmes, a prodigious teenage gymnast from Essex, England, who is selected to play Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double in the first ‘Harry Potter’ film, when Daniel is just 11. Over the next 10 years, the two form an inextricable bond, but on the penultimate film a tragic accident...
- 10/24/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Daniel Radcliffe is exec producing a documentary about his former stunt double who was left paralyzed following an accident on the Harry Potter set.
Sky and HBO Documentary Films are behind David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived, the coming-of-age story of a prodigious teenage gymnast who formed an inextricable bond with Harry Potter star Radcliffe.
Holmes was working on Deathly Hallows: Part 1 when an explosion that was part of a planned stunt sent him plummeting to the ground, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down with a debilitating spinal injury that turned his life upside down.
Featuring candid personal footage shot over the last decade, behind-the-scenes material from Holmes’ stunt work, scenes of his current life and intimate interviews with him, Radcliffe, friends, family, and former crew, the film reflects universal themes of living with adversity, growing up and the bonds that bind people together.
Simon Chinn and Jonathan Chinn...
Sky and HBO Documentary Films are behind David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived, the coming-of-age story of a prodigious teenage gymnast who formed an inextricable bond with Harry Potter star Radcliffe.
Holmes was working on Deathly Hallows: Part 1 when an explosion that was part of a planned stunt sent him plummeting to the ground, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down with a debilitating spinal injury that turned his life upside down.
Featuring candid personal footage shot over the last decade, behind-the-scenes material from Holmes’ stunt work, scenes of his current life and intimate interviews with him, Radcliffe, friends, family, and former crew, the film reflects universal themes of living with adversity, growing up and the bonds that bind people together.
Simon Chinn and Jonathan Chinn...
- 10/24/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The U.K.’s Documentary Film Council (Dfc) is seeking funds to support the independent documentary sector, which is under “existential threat.”
The Dfc was formed in response to a three-year study on the U.K. feature-length documentary film industry and co-designed by several organizations in the field, including Doc Society, Sheffield DocFest, the Grierson Trust, The Whickers, Scottish Documentary Institute, Docs Ireland and BBC Storyville.
An open letter to the U.K. screen industries compiled by the Dfc states that the formation of the Dfc is “based on the recognition that independent documentary in the U.K. faces an existential threat and that there is urgent need for coordinated, long-term interventions across the sector.”
“Films at the independent end of the spectrum – creative, observational, character-led films, films that originate outside of a commissioner’s brief or which explore difficult-but-vital political or cultural questions – are increasingly hard to get made,” the letter adds.
The Dfc was formed in response to a three-year study on the U.K. feature-length documentary film industry and co-designed by several organizations in the field, including Doc Society, Sheffield DocFest, the Grierson Trust, The Whickers, Scottish Documentary Institute, Docs Ireland and BBC Storyville.
An open letter to the U.K. screen industries compiled by the Dfc states that the formation of the Dfc is “based on the recognition that independent documentary in the U.K. faces an existential threat and that there is urgent need for coordinated, long-term interventions across the sector.”
“Films at the independent end of the spectrum – creative, observational, character-led films, films that originate outside of a commissioner’s brief or which explore difficult-but-vital political or cultural questions – are increasingly hard to get made,” the letter adds.
- 10/20/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Cannes Palme d’Or winner Anatomy Of A Fall from Neon grossed $125,377 at five theaters for a per screen average of $25,075 — a solid limited opening for the Justine Triet-directed film that made its theatrical debut Friday in NYC, LA and San Francisco. A limited expansion is planned for next week.
Sandra Hüller stars as a German writer living a secluded life in a remote town in the French Alps with her husband Samuel and their 11-year-old son. When Samuel is found dead in the snow below their chalet, the police question whether it was suicide or murder. They fix on the latter and Sandra becomes the main suspect who finds herself and her relationship dissected in a courtroom. Anatomy most recently packed screenings at the New York Film Festival.
The dynamics at play are all different, but here are some of the best recent limited openings in terms of...
Sandra Hüller stars as a German writer living a secluded life in a remote town in the French Alps with her husband Samuel and their 11-year-old son. When Samuel is found dead in the snow below their chalet, the police question whether it was suicide or murder. They fix on the latter and Sandra becomes the main suspect who finds herself and her relationship dissected in a courtroom. Anatomy most recently packed screenings at the New York Film Festival.
The dynamics at play are all different, but here are some of the best recent limited openings in terms of...
- 10/15/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
The 2023 Doc NYC lineup has officially been announced.
The program for the 14th annual festival includes opening night selection “The Contestant,” a real-life “Truman Show”-esque story of a Japanese comedian who was trapped alone and naked in an apartment for 15 months as part of a reality TV show. The only twist? The comedian had no idea he was being filmed. Clair Titley directs the stranger-than-fiction documentary which premiered at TIFF.
Doc NYC runs from November 8 through 26, featuring 30 world premieres and 26 U.S. premieres with more than 200 films programmed. New films from Wim Wenders, Penny Lane, Dawn Porter, and Jeff Zimbalist are among the lineup for America’s largest documentary festival, with screenings at New York City’s IFC Center, Sva Theatre, and Village East by Angelika. In-person screenings take place November 8 through 16, with online selections available through November 26.
The centerpiece screening is the world premiere of D.W. Young’s...
The program for the 14th annual festival includes opening night selection “The Contestant,” a real-life “Truman Show”-esque story of a Japanese comedian who was trapped alone and naked in an apartment for 15 months as part of a reality TV show. The only twist? The comedian had no idea he was being filmed. Clair Titley directs the stranger-than-fiction documentary which premiered at TIFF.
Doc NYC runs from November 8 through 26, featuring 30 world premieres and 26 U.S. premieres with more than 200 films programmed. New films from Wim Wenders, Penny Lane, Dawn Porter, and Jeff Zimbalist are among the lineup for America’s largest documentary festival, with screenings at New York City’s IFC Center, Sva Theatre, and Village East by Angelika. In-person screenings take place November 8 through 16, with online selections available through November 26.
The centerpiece screening is the world premiere of D.W. Young’s...
- 10/12/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Marilyn Manson, the controversial schlock rocker, is to be the subject of a new documentary series.
British broadcaster Channel 4 has ordered three-part series Marilyn Manson: Behind The Mask (w/t) that is co-financed by Fifth Season, the company formerly known as Endeavor Content, and comes from Spector producer Lightbox in partnership with Rolling Stone.
It comes after Manson, otherwise known as Brian Warner, received a litany of accusations in recent years. Evan Rachel Wood accused the musician of sexual and physical violence and was behind a two-part HBO documentary Phoenix Rising. Subsequently, Game of Thrones star Esmé Bianco accused him of sexual assault and sexual battery and a number of other women filed civil lawsuits against him.
He was dropped by CAA and his record label Loma Vista and axed from series such as Starz’s American Gods and Shudder’s Creepshow.
After these initial accusations, Rolling Stone magazine,...
British broadcaster Channel 4 has ordered three-part series Marilyn Manson: Behind The Mask (w/t) that is co-financed by Fifth Season, the company formerly known as Endeavor Content, and comes from Spector producer Lightbox in partnership with Rolling Stone.
It comes after Manson, otherwise known as Brian Warner, received a litany of accusations in recent years. Evan Rachel Wood accused the musician of sexual and physical violence and was behind a two-part HBO documentary Phoenix Rising. Subsequently, Game of Thrones star Esmé Bianco accused him of sexual assault and sexual battery and a number of other women filed civil lawsuits against him.
He was dropped by CAA and his record label Loma Vista and axed from series such as Starz’s American Gods and Shudder’s Creepshow.
After these initial accusations, Rolling Stone magazine,...
- 10/11/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Mega Merger
The proposed merger between Indian powerhouse Zee Entertainment Enterprises and Sony‘s Indian TV businesses, which has been nearly two years in the making, is likely to be delayed further, Sony said in a filing on Friday. The companies cleared a key regulatory hurdle in August, but there are other matters pending, especially that of leadership. The original plan had foreseen that Zee’s CEO Punit Goenka would be its captain, while Sony would own a 51% controlling stake. However, Goenka was banned from managing any listed company in India following an interim regulatory report that accused him and Zee founder Subhash Chandra of running the company for their own benefit and “siphoning off” money.
Goenka appealed the decision with India’s Securities Appellate Tribunal, who heard his plea on Wednesday but has reserved a verdict for at least a week.
On Friday, Sony said: “Both companies continue to...
The proposed merger between Indian powerhouse Zee Entertainment Enterprises and Sony‘s Indian TV businesses, which has been nearly two years in the making, is likely to be delayed further, Sony said in a filing on Friday. The companies cleared a key regulatory hurdle in August, but there are other matters pending, especially that of leadership. The original plan had foreseen that Zee’s CEO Punit Goenka would be its captain, while Sony would own a 51% controlling stake. However, Goenka was banned from managing any listed company in India following an interim regulatory report that accused him and Zee founder Subhash Chandra of running the company for their own benefit and “siphoning off” money.
Goenka appealed the decision with India’s Securities Appellate Tribunal, who heard his plea on Wednesday but has reserved a verdict for at least a week.
On Friday, Sony said: “Both companies continue to...
- 9/29/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Sky, Fifth Season and Lightbox are combining on a premium documentary series telling the extraordinary story of a group of young women from across the globe who join forces to bring down a predatory Italian policeman.
Based on the hit podcast, Verified, Bad Host: Hunting the Couchsurfing Predator is being produced in association with Scripps. Produced by Simon and Jonathan Chinn’s Lightbox, the project will be one of Fifth Season’s flagship projects at Mipcom Cannes.
Bad Host tells the Tinder Swindler-esque story of how a group of remarkable young women, unbeknownst to each other, were all victims of a predator who lured them to stay with him using Couchsurfing, a website where travellers can find trustworthy hosts to put them up in their homes for free. Tracing each other through the internet, the young women united and battled for six years, often in the face of indifference in their home countries,...
Based on the hit podcast, Verified, Bad Host: Hunting the Couchsurfing Predator is being produced in association with Scripps. Produced by Simon and Jonathan Chinn’s Lightbox, the project will be one of Fifth Season’s flagship projects at Mipcom Cannes.
Bad Host tells the Tinder Swindler-esque story of how a group of remarkable young women, unbeknownst to each other, were all victims of a predator who lured them to stay with him using Couchsurfing, a website where travellers can find trustworthy hosts to put them up in their homes for free. Tracing each other through the internet, the young women united and battled for six years, often in the face of indifference in their home countries,...
- 9/28/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
National Geographic documentary films specialize in telling stories of adventurers whose journeys put themselves at great risk, but few are more unbelievable than “The Mission.” NatGeo has released the official trailer for the upcoming documentary, set for theatrical release October 13.
The documentary focuses on the story of John Chau, an American evangelical Christian missionary. In 2018 and at the age of 26, Chau traveled to the extremely remote Andaman Islands, claimed by India but closer to Myanmar in the Bay of Bengal, on an unsanctioned missionary trip. There, he repeatedly visited North Sentinel Island, which is restricted by the Indian government to outside visitors because of the indigenous Sentinelese, a voluntarily “uncontacted people,” who live there. They’re considered so vulnerable to contamination from outside influences that the Indian government has armed marine patrols around the island to prevent landings. Chau somehow made it ashore, nonetheless. It did not go well.
The film,...
The documentary focuses on the story of John Chau, an American evangelical Christian missionary. In 2018 and at the age of 26, Chau traveled to the extremely remote Andaman Islands, claimed by India but closer to Myanmar in the Bay of Bengal, on an unsanctioned missionary trip. There, he repeatedly visited North Sentinel Island, which is restricted by the Indian government to outside visitors because of the indigenous Sentinelese, a voluntarily “uncontacted people,” who live there. They’re considered so vulnerable to contamination from outside influences that the Indian government has armed marine patrols around the island to prevent landings. Chau somehow made it ashore, nonetheless. It did not go well.
The film,...
- 8/31/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
HBO has debuted the first trailer for Donyale Luna: Supermodel, a documentary exploring the life, career and legacy of one of the first Black models to grace the cover of a Vogue magazine.
Often considered the “first Black supermodel,” Luna — who died in 1979 at the age of 33 — broke ground at a time when it was not only still rare to see Black women who weren’t white-passing in fashion but Black women on major magazine covers at all. Through her heyday in the late ’60s and early ’70s, Luna challenged the modeling world’s conventions and made history by becoming the first Black woman on the covers of both Harper’s Bazaar in 1965 and British Vogue in 1966.
“She broke the mold of using Black models in the ’60s,” one talking head can be heard saying in the more than two-minute trailer.
“Donyale Luna is the first Black woman to be on the cover of Vogue,...
Often considered the “first Black supermodel,” Luna — who died in 1979 at the age of 33 — broke ground at a time when it was not only still rare to see Black women who weren’t white-passing in fashion but Black women on major magazine covers at all. Through her heyday in the late ’60s and early ’70s, Luna challenged the modeling world’s conventions and made history by becoming the first Black woman on the covers of both Harper’s Bazaar in 1965 and British Vogue in 1966.
“She broke the mold of using Black models in the ’60s,” one talking head can be heard saying in the more than two-minute trailer.
“Donyale Luna is the first Black woman to be on the cover of Vogue,...
- 8/28/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Dance First, a biographical drama from The Theory of Everything director James Marsh about the life of Irish Nobel prize-winning playwright Samuel Beckett, will close the 71st San Sebastian Festival.
The feature, which stars Gabriel Byrne as Beckett alongside Sandrine Bonnaire as his longtime partner, and eventual wife, Suzanne Deschevaux-Dumesnil, will close the 2023 San Sebastian festival on Sept. 30. Dance First will screen out of competition at San Sebastian.
Dance First follows Beckett’s life from his time as a fighter for the French Resistance during the Second World War, through his friendship with fellow Irish literary luminary James Joyce, his rise with such groundbreaking plays as Waiting for Godot, Endgame and Happy Days — which established the Theater of the Absurd movement — to his receiving the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969, and his later life as a recluse. Written by Neil Forsyth, the film also features Aidan Gillen as James Joyce...
The feature, which stars Gabriel Byrne as Beckett alongside Sandrine Bonnaire as his longtime partner, and eventual wife, Suzanne Deschevaux-Dumesnil, will close the 2023 San Sebastian festival on Sept. 30. Dance First will screen out of competition at San Sebastian.
Dance First follows Beckett’s life from his time as a fighter for the French Resistance during the Second World War, through his friendship with fellow Irish literary luminary James Joyce, his rise with such groundbreaking plays as Waiting for Godot, Endgame and Happy Days — which established the Theater of the Absurd movement — to his receiving the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969, and his later life as a recluse. Written by Neil Forsyth, the film also features Aidan Gillen as James Joyce...
- 8/21/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
UK director James Marsh’s literary biopic Dance First, starring Gabriel Byrne as iconic Irish writer Samuel Beckett, will close the 71st San Sebastian Film Festival.
The film is sold by London and Paris-based Film Constellation.
As per its synopsis, the biopic touches on various phases in Beckett’s life from “Parisian bon vivant, to World War II Resistance fighter, Nobel Prize-winning playwright, philandering husband and recluse.”
Its focus, however, is on Beckett’s reaction to winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969, which was a turning point in his life as he grappled with his own inner demons.
Byrne is joined in the cast by French actress Sandrine Bonnaire as Beckett’s wife.
Marsh has a long relationship with San Sebastian.
His Academy Award-winning documentary for Man on Wire (2009), directed with Simon Chinn, played at the festival in 2008.
Prior to that his early work Wisconsin Death Trip screened in...
The film is sold by London and Paris-based Film Constellation.
As per its synopsis, the biopic touches on various phases in Beckett’s life from “Parisian bon vivant, to World War II Resistance fighter, Nobel Prize-winning playwright, philandering husband and recluse.”
Its focus, however, is on Beckett’s reaction to winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969, which was a turning point in his life as he grappled with his own inner demons.
Byrne is joined in the cast by French actress Sandrine Bonnaire as Beckett’s wife.
Marsh has a long relationship with San Sebastian.
His Academy Award-winning documentary for Man on Wire (2009), directed with Simon Chinn, played at the festival in 2008.
Prior to that his early work Wisconsin Death Trip screened in...
- 8/21/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Season two of Meet the Producer podcast has been launched by the Production Guild of Great Britain. Film critic Jason Solomons talks to six leading producers working in film and high-end television. The series features interviews with Academy Award® and BAFTA-winner Simon Chinn, BAFTA-winner and Academy Award® nominee Malte Grunert, Alexandra Derbyshire, Keith Beauchamp, Academy Award® and BAFTA-winner Iain Canning with fellow See-Saw Films producer Joanna Laurie and Yvonne Isimeme Ibazebo.
- 3/10/2023
- by PodcastingToday
- Podcastingtoday
National Geographic has greenlit the 10-part natural history series “Underdogs.”
Narrated by Ryan Reynolds, the series will spotlight the unique and unpredictable behaviors of a cast of little-known animal characters in the natural world, including their camouflage techniques, parenting skills and courtship rituals.
“I love nature series and I love making things my kids can actually watch,” Reynolds said in a statement. “We’re already having a lot of fun trying to bring a new voice to animal docs. Wildstar has the expertise, experience and cutting-edge film tech to help us chew up that healthy National Geographic budget. We’ll deliver a show that is entertaining, surprising and will do justice to animals usually stuck as supporting cast.”
From National Geographic Content, “Underdogs” will be produced by Wildstar Films and Reynold’s Maximum Effort. Executive producers include Reynolds and George Dewey for Maximum Effort, along with Vanessa Berlowitz, Mark Linfield and Dan Rees for Wildstar.
Narrated by Ryan Reynolds, the series will spotlight the unique and unpredictable behaviors of a cast of little-known animal characters in the natural world, including their camouflage techniques, parenting skills and courtship rituals.
“I love nature series and I love making things my kids can actually watch,” Reynolds said in a statement. “We’re already having a lot of fun trying to bring a new voice to animal docs. Wildstar has the expertise, experience and cutting-edge film tech to help us chew up that healthy National Geographic budget. We’ll deliver a show that is entertaining, surprising and will do justice to animals usually stuck as supporting cast.”
From National Geographic Content, “Underdogs” will be produced by Wildstar Films and Reynold’s Maximum Effort. Executive producers include Reynolds and George Dewey for Maximum Effort, along with Vanessa Berlowitz, Mark Linfield and Dan Rees for Wildstar.
- 1/13/2023
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
The British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) have revealed the nomination longlists for Best Feature Documentary and Best International Independent Film categories. In addition, BIFA’s Raindance Discovery Award longlist has also been unveiled.
Of the 15 films longlisted for Best Feature Documentary, eight are directed by women. The 17 films longlisted for Best International Independent Film have already won top prizes from this year’s premier international festivals.
The final five nominations in each category will be announced in early November and winners will be revealed at the 25th annual BIFA ceremony on Dec. 4.
Best International Independent Film Sponsored By Champagne Taittinger
“Alcarràs” – Carla Simón, María Zamora, Stefan Schmitz, Tono Folguera, Sergi Moreno
“All The Beauty And The Bloodshed” – Laura Poitras, Howard Gertler, Nan Goldin, Yoni Golijov, John S. Lyons
“Argentina, 1985” – Santiago Mitre, Mariano Llinás, Axel Kuschevatzky, Federico Posternak, Agustina Llambi Campbell, Ricardo Darín, Santiago Carabante, Chino Darín, Victoria Alonso
“Broker” – Kore-eda Hirokazu,...
Of the 15 films longlisted for Best Feature Documentary, eight are directed by women. The 17 films longlisted for Best International Independent Film have already won top prizes from this year’s premier international festivals.
The final five nominations in each category will be announced in early November and winners will be revealed at the 25th annual BIFA ceremony on Dec. 4.
Best International Independent Film Sponsored By Champagne Taittinger
“Alcarràs” – Carla Simón, María Zamora, Stefan Schmitz, Tono Folguera, Sergi Moreno
“All The Beauty And The Bloodshed” – Laura Poitras, Howard Gertler, Nan Goldin, Yoni Golijov, John S. Lyons
“Argentina, 1985” – Santiago Mitre, Mariano Llinás, Axel Kuschevatzky, Federico Posternak, Agustina Llambi Campbell, Ricardo Darín, Santiago Carabante, Chino Darín, Victoria Alonso
“Broker” – Kore-eda Hirokazu,...
- 10/21/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Showtime Documentary Films has announced that their network will launch the four-part documentary series "Spector" on November 4, 2022. The docuseries follows the story of the legendary music producer Phil Spector and explores his life and downfall — the events of February 3, 2003, that led to his murder conviction. The producer was arrested for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson in his mansion and was charged with second-degree murder and sentenced to 19 years in prison. Eligible for parole in 2024, Spector died last year at the age of 81, and the titular series will depict both the lives of Clarkson and the man sentenced for her murder.
A chilling trailer for the docuseries has been released. "Spector" comes from an award-winning crew, and there's much information about the show at our disposal. Here's all you need to know about the Showtime docuseries.
What Is Spector About?
"Spector" will examine the life of Phil Spector and his...
A chilling trailer for the docuseries has been released. "Spector" comes from an award-winning crew, and there's much information about the show at our disposal. Here's all you need to know about the Showtime docuseries.
What Is Spector About?
"Spector" will examine the life of Phil Spector and his...
- 9/29/2022
- by Fatemeh Mirjalili
- Slash Film
Showtime Documentary Films has announced that the network will air Spector, a four-part documentary series produced by Lightbox from directors Sheena M. Joyce and Don Argott about enigmatic, legendary music producer Phil Spector and what happened on the fateful night of February 3, 2003 when actress Lana Clarkson was shot dead in his mansion. All four episodes of the docuseries will release on demand and on streaming platforms for Showtime subscribers on Friday, November 4, ahead of its on-air premiere on Sunday, November 6 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt. Spector is executive produced by Oscar-nominated producer Jonathan Chinn and Oscar-winning producer Simon Chinn and Oscar-winning director James Marsh. Stephen Neely also serves as executive producer and Janet Ginsburg produces. Spector examines how the destinies of Phil Spector and Lana Clarkson became intertwined with the report of a fatal shooting of a woman at the eccentric French chateau style mansion in Los Angeles owned by the legendary music producer.
- 9/27/2022
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Showtime is targeting a November release for its Phil Spector docuseries and has unveiled a trailer that highlights the guns and mayhem surrounding the legendary and controversial record producer.
The premium cabler is launching four-part series Spector, which is a co-production with British pay-tv broadcaster Sky on November 4.
The series will look at what happened on the fateful night of February 3, 2003 when actress Lana Clarkson was shot dead in his mansion. The victim was a charismatic and once prolific film actress whom Spector had met just that night. Through the lens of this notorious crime and the infamous trial which followed, the explores the stories of both Clarkson and the man who was convicted of her murder.
It comes from Sheena M. Joyce and Don Argott, the co-directors of Framing John Delorean, Searching for Sugar Man producer Simon Chinn and Tina producer Jonathan Chinn and director James Marsh, who helmed...
The premium cabler is launching four-part series Spector, which is a co-production with British pay-tv broadcaster Sky on November 4.
The series will look at what happened on the fateful night of February 3, 2003 when actress Lana Clarkson was shot dead in his mansion. The victim was a charismatic and once prolific film actress whom Spector had met just that night. Through the lens of this notorious crime and the infamous trial which followed, the explores the stories of both Clarkson and the man who was convicted of her murder.
It comes from Sheena M. Joyce and Don Argott, the co-directors of Framing John Delorean, Searching for Sugar Man producer Simon Chinn and Tina producer Jonathan Chinn and director James Marsh, who helmed...
- 9/27/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Film Constellation is handling world sales on the Sky Original title.
Principal photography has wrapped on James Marsh’s UK film Dance First which stars Irish actor Gabriel Byrne as Samuel Beckett.
The Sky Original film charts the Irish writer’s life, from his time as a fighter for the French Resistance during the Second World War to his literary rise to winning the Nobel Prize for literature in 1969.
The film will premiere in cinemas and on Sky Cinema in 2023.
Byrne, whose credits include The Usual Suspects and Miller’s Crossing, is joined in the cast by Aidan Gillen, Sandrine Bonnaire,...
Principal photography has wrapped on James Marsh’s UK film Dance First which stars Irish actor Gabriel Byrne as Samuel Beckett.
The Sky Original film charts the Irish writer’s life, from his time as a fighter for the French Resistance during the Second World War to his literary rise to winning the Nobel Prize for literature in 1969.
The film will premiere in cinemas and on Sky Cinema in 2023.
Byrne, whose credits include The Usual Suspects and Miller’s Crossing, is joined in the cast by Aidan Gillen, Sandrine Bonnaire,...
- 9/8/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
The International Documentary Association (IDA) has announced the full program for its annual screening series, including the 10 films that have been chosen for its Awards Campaign Access Initiative (Acai).
The program will open with Netflix’s “Descendant,” a film produced by the Obamas’ company Higher Ground Productions. The documentary sees director Margaret Brown return to her hometown of Mobile, Alabama to document the search for The Clotilda, the last known ship to arrive in the United States, illegally carrying enslaved Africans, and the ramifications its discovery has on the community.
What will follow is a showcase of 43 feature-length documentary films that are eligible for consideration for the upcoming Academy Awards; 20 films will be screened both in-person and online, and 35 will be available for virtual viewing only.
The films selected for the Acai, a program meant to support independent filmmakers from historically excluded communities currently pursuing a film awards campaign, are:
Beba | Dir.
The program will open with Netflix’s “Descendant,” a film produced by the Obamas’ company Higher Ground Productions. The documentary sees director Margaret Brown return to her hometown of Mobile, Alabama to document the search for The Clotilda, the last known ship to arrive in the United States, illegally carrying enslaved Africans, and the ramifications its discovery has on the community.
What will follow is a showcase of 43 feature-length documentary films that are eligible for consideration for the upcoming Academy Awards; 20 films will be screened both in-person and online, and 35 will be available for virtual viewing only.
The films selected for the Acai, a program meant to support independent filmmakers from historically excluded communities currently pursuing a film awards campaign, are:
Beba | Dir.
- 8/30/2022
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
Disney+ has commissioned a doc on the sensational ‘Wagatha Christie’ legal case, another on fashion magazine Vogue and a Keanu Reeves-voiced Formula 1 series as part of its UK slate.
In total, the streamer’s Director of Unscripted Content, Emea Sean Doyle has commissioned five unscripted series, which will premiere on Disney+ in Emea and Asia Pacific. Full details of the slate can be found below.
“Our aim was to find brilliant once-in-a-lifetime stories that showcase a wide range of subjects; and these latest projects truly deliver on that promise,” said Doyle. “We’re working with our elite creative partners on this slate, reflecting the UK’s status as an unscripted powerhouse and establishing Disney+ as a destination for unscripted titles.”
Disney+ plans to create 60 local productions by 2024 as it seeks to up its global subscriber base.
Toplining today’s orders, Wagatha Christie (working title) will recall the libel...
In total, the streamer’s Director of Unscripted Content, Emea Sean Doyle has commissioned five unscripted series, which will premiere on Disney+ in Emea and Asia Pacific. Full details of the slate can be found below.
“Our aim was to find brilliant once-in-a-lifetime stories that showcase a wide range of subjects; and these latest projects truly deliver on that promise,” said Doyle. “We’re working with our elite creative partners on this slate, reflecting the UK’s status as an unscripted powerhouse and establishing Disney+ as a destination for unscripted titles.”
Disney+ plans to create 60 local productions by 2024 as it seeks to up its global subscriber base.
Toplining today’s orders, Wagatha Christie (working title) will recall the libel...
- 8/26/2022
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
The highly-anticipated “Wagatha Christie” documentary with Coleen Rooney is set to air on Disney+ the streamer confirmed today.
Unveiling its scripted slate at the Edinburgh TV Festival, Disney+ also announced a slate of high-end original unscripted titles. In addition to “Wagatha Christie” (working title) the platform is set to premiere docs from Keanu Reeves about Formula 1 (which Variety first revealed in July), Asif Kapadia about London’s alternative capital Camden Town, Bear Grylls’ about Spencer Matthews’s missing brother, and Conde Nast with an inside look at Vogue featuring Anna Wintour and Edward Enninful.
Sean Doyle, director of unscripted content, Emea, for Disney+, commissioned the five projects, which will premiere on Disney+ in Emea and Asia Pacific and Star+ in Latin America.
“Our aim was to find brilliant once-in-a-lifetime stories that showcase a wide range of subjects; and these latest projects truly deliver on that promise,” said Doyle. “We...
Unveiling its scripted slate at the Edinburgh TV Festival, Disney+ also announced a slate of high-end original unscripted titles. In addition to “Wagatha Christie” (working title) the platform is set to premiere docs from Keanu Reeves about Formula 1 (which Variety first revealed in July), Asif Kapadia about London’s alternative capital Camden Town, Bear Grylls’ about Spencer Matthews’s missing brother, and Conde Nast with an inside look at Vogue featuring Anna Wintour and Edward Enninful.
Sean Doyle, director of unscripted content, Emea, for Disney+, commissioned the five projects, which will premiere on Disney+ in Emea and Asia Pacific and Star+ in Latin America.
“Our aim was to find brilliant once-in-a-lifetime stories that showcase a wide range of subjects; and these latest projects truly deliver on that promise,” said Doyle. “We...
- 8/26/2022
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Disney+ has unveiled an eclectic slate of five new U.K. unscripted originals spanning a broad range of talent and topics from Keanu Reeves to arguably the most talked about U.K. trial in years.
Wagatha Christie (working title), produced by Lorton Street Entertainment in association with Dorothy Street Pictures, will be uncovering one of the biggest tabloid news stories in Britain over the last decade, revealing how Coleen Rooney, wife of soccer star Wayne Rooney, turned amateur sleuth to reveal who had been leaking private stories to the press, and the high-profile defamation case brought against her by fellow footballer’s wife Rebekah Vardy. In something of a coup for Disney+, the three-part series will be told through exclusive access to Rooney, alongside interviews with family, friends and key players involved in the trial.
In Brawn: The One Pound Formula 1 Team...
Disney+ has unveiled an eclectic slate of five new U.K. unscripted originals spanning a broad range of talent and topics from Keanu Reeves to arguably the most talked about U.K. trial in years.
Wagatha Christie (working title), produced by Lorton Street Entertainment in association with Dorothy Street Pictures, will be uncovering one of the biggest tabloid news stories in Britain over the last decade, revealing how Coleen Rooney, wife of soccer star Wayne Rooney, turned amateur sleuth to reveal who had been leaking private stories to the press, and the high-profile defamation case brought against her by fellow footballer’s wife Rebekah Vardy. In something of a coup for Disney+, the three-part series will be told through exclusive access to Rooney, alongside interviews with family, friends and key players involved in the trial.
In Brawn: The One Pound Formula 1 Team...
- 8/26/2022
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sky has greenlit documentaries on England World Cup winner Geoff Hurst, serial killer Fred West and music producer Phil Spector. Scroll down for the full slate below.
The shows come on a seven-strong slate at the Edinburgh Television Festival, which also includes Whales with Steve Backshall, a follow-up to the nature presenter’s Shark series, along with Secret World of Sound [working title] about animal behavior.
Intrusion: Stasi Fc uses personal testimony from survivors and an extensive archive to tell the compelling story of how The Stasi, East Germany’s secret service, abused football to destabilize the last oasis of free speech in the country, meanwhile. Finally, The Good Fight Club will follow a dynamic, young team of mixed martial arts fighters from South East London in training.
The slate, which is led by Matthew Lorenzo Productions’ Hurst: The First and Only, telling off the life of the man who scored a...
The shows come on a seven-strong slate at the Edinburgh Television Festival, which also includes Whales with Steve Backshall, a follow-up to the nature presenter’s Shark series, along with Secret World of Sound [working title] about animal behavior.
Intrusion: Stasi Fc uses personal testimony from survivors and an extensive archive to tell the compelling story of how The Stasi, East Germany’s secret service, abused football to destabilize the last oasis of free speech in the country, meanwhile. Finally, The Good Fight Club will follow a dynamic, young team of mixed martial arts fighters from South East London in training.
The slate, which is led by Matthew Lorenzo Productions’ Hurst: The First and Only, telling off the life of the man who scored a...
- 8/25/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
HBO Max has released a new poster and trailer for The Princess.
The HBO Original documentary film The Princess is an intimate and immersive look at the life of Princess Diana, directed by Academy Award® nominee Ed Perkins (“Black Sheep” “Tell Me Who I Am”) and produced by Lightbox, Academy Award®-winning Simon Chinn and Emmy®-winning Jonathan Chinn.
The film debuts on Saturday, August 13 (8:00-9:50 p.m. Et/Pt) on HBO, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana’s tragic death, and will be available to stream on HBO Max. The Princess had its world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
The relationship of Diana and Charles, the Prince and Princess of Wales, was tabloid fodder for nearly two decades, the subject of almost daily headlines in the 24-hour news cycle. The Princess draws solely from contemporaneous archival audio and video footage to take audiences back...
The HBO Original documentary film The Princess is an intimate and immersive look at the life of Princess Diana, directed by Academy Award® nominee Ed Perkins (“Black Sheep” “Tell Me Who I Am”) and produced by Lightbox, Academy Award®-winning Simon Chinn and Emmy®-winning Jonathan Chinn.
The film debuts on Saturday, August 13 (8:00-9:50 p.m. Et/Pt) on HBO, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana’s tragic death, and will be available to stream on HBO Max. The Princess had its world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
The relationship of Diana and Charles, the Prince and Princess of Wales, was tabloid fodder for nearly two decades, the subject of almost daily headlines in the 24-hour news cycle. The Princess draws solely from contemporaneous archival audio and video footage to take audiences back...
- 7/27/2022
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Updated, 10 a.m.: HBO today unveiled the trailer and poster for its Princess Diana documentary The Princess from director Ed Perkins, which will premiere on the premium cabler on August 13, and will also be available to stream on HBO Max.
More information on the film can be found below. View the trailer above.
Previously, July 18: HBO has announced that its Princess Diana documentary The Princess will premiere on the premium cabler at 8:00 p.m. Et/Pt on August 13—just days before the 25th anniversary of the royal’s tragic death on the 31st. The film directed by Academy Award nominee Ed Perkins (Black Sheep) will also be available to stream on HBO Max.
The relationship of Diana and Charles, the Prince and Princess of Wales, was tabloid fodder for nearly two decades, the subject of almost daily headlines in the 24-hour news cycle. HBO’s intimate and...
More information on the film can be found below. View the trailer above.
Previously, July 18: HBO has announced that its Princess Diana documentary The Princess will premiere on the premium cabler at 8:00 p.m. Et/Pt on August 13—just days before the 25th anniversary of the royal’s tragic death on the 31st. The film directed by Academy Award nominee Ed Perkins (Black Sheep) will also be available to stream on HBO Max.
The relationship of Diana and Charles, the Prince and Princess of Wales, was tabloid fodder for nearly two decades, the subject of almost daily headlines in the 24-hour news cycle. HBO’s intimate and...
- 7/27/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The HBO Original documentary film The Princess is an intimate and immersive look at the life of Princess Diana, directed by Academy Award(R) nominee Ed Perkins (“Black Sheep” “Tell Me Who I Am”) and produced by Lightbox, Academy Award(R)-winning Simon Chinn (“Man on Wire” “Searching for Sugar Man”) and Emmy(R)-winning Jonathan Chinn (“LA92” HBO’s “Tina”). […]
The post HBO Original Documentary ‘The Princess’ Premiering August 13 appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
The post HBO Original Documentary ‘The Princess’ Premiering August 13 appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
- 7/18/2022
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
The HBO Original documentary film The Princess is an intimate and immersive look at the life of Princess Diana, directed by Academy Award® nominee Ed Perkins (“Black Sheep” “Tell Me Who I Am”) and produced by Lightbox, Academy Award®-winning Simon Chinn (“Man on Wire” “Searching for Sugar Man”) and Emmy®-winning Jonathan Chinn (“LA92” HBO’s “Tina”). The film debuts on Saturday, August 13 (8:00-9:50 p.m. Et/Pt) on HBO, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana’s tragic death, and will be available to stream on HBO Max. The Princess had its world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
The relationship of Diana and Charles, the Prince and Princess of Wales, was tabloid fodder for nearly two decades, the subject of almost daily headlines in the 24-hour news cycle. The Princess draws solely from contemporaneous archival audio and video footage to take audiences back to...
The relationship of Diana and Charles, the Prince and Princess of Wales, was tabloid fodder for nearly two decades, the subject of almost daily headlines in the 24-hour news cycle. The Princess draws solely from contemporaneous archival audio and video footage to take audiences back to...
- 7/18/2022
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
“The Princess,” an intimate and immersive look at the life of Princess Diana, will debut on HBO next month.
The film will premiere on Saturday, Aug. 13, at 8 p.m. Et to coincide with the 25th anniversary of Diana’s death on Aug. 31. It will be available to stream on HBO Max on the same day.
Ed Perkins (“Black Sheep”), who directed the film, used only television news footage and other public records to retell the story of the people’s princess. It also tackles the relationship of Diana and Charles, the Prince and Princess of Wales, which served as tabloid fodder for nearly two decades through their wedding, the birth of their two sons, and their bitter divorce.
According to the film’s logline, “The Princess” is described as “a visceral submersion into Diana’s life in the constant and often intrusive glare of the media spotlight. The film unfolds...
The film will premiere on Saturday, Aug. 13, at 8 p.m. Et to coincide with the 25th anniversary of Diana’s death on Aug. 31. It will be available to stream on HBO Max on the same day.
Ed Perkins (“Black Sheep”), who directed the film, used only television news footage and other public records to retell the story of the people’s princess. It also tackles the relationship of Diana and Charles, the Prince and Princess of Wales, which served as tabloid fodder for nearly two decades through their wedding, the birth of their two sons, and their bitter divorce.
According to the film’s logline, “The Princess” is described as “a visceral submersion into Diana’s life in the constant and often intrusive glare of the media spotlight. The film unfolds...
- 7/18/2022
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Other new releases include ‘Nitram’ and ‘The Princess’.
With the school summer holidays already underway for some and in sight for most children, Universal is going big with the release of Minions: The Rise Of Gru.
The Minions sequel will play in 637 sites, making it Universal’s widest ever animation release in the UK-Ireland. The first Minions film debuted at the top of the UK-Ireland box office back in 2015, taking £11.6m from 573 sites, which broke the then record for the biggest ever three-day opening for an animation.
The Illumination title is the fifth film in the Despicable Me franchise. Despicable Me 3...
With the school summer holidays already underway for some and in sight for most children, Universal is going big with the release of Minions: The Rise Of Gru.
The Minions sequel will play in 637 sites, making it Universal’s widest ever animation release in the UK-Ireland. The first Minions film debuted at the top of the UK-Ireland box office back in 2015, taking £11.6m from 573 sites, which broke the then record for the biggest ever three-day opening for an animation.
The Illumination title is the fifth film in the Despicable Me franchise. Despicable Me 3...
- 7/1/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
The team behind a new film, The Princess, explain why the royal family possess all the vital ingredients to make them the perfect cinematic subjects
Only a genius of longform plotting could have planned the sting in the tail of the royal 2022. In the rolling melodrama of the British monarchy, the platinum jubilee was always slated for this year, gratitude splashed across the Daily Express. But now the mood will darken. So it is that 70 years of the Queen segues directly into 25 since the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. In Macbeth, the ghost haunted the feast. Here she returns with the pink gin hangovers barely faded. On with the show.
A film will mark the occasion: The Princess, a much buzzed-about new documentary. It also follows a celebration of the Queen, the fond bio-doc Elizabeth: A Portrait in Parts. That was the last movie directed by the late, highly regarded Roger Michell.
Only a genius of longform plotting could have planned the sting in the tail of the royal 2022. In the rolling melodrama of the British monarchy, the platinum jubilee was always slated for this year, gratitude splashed across the Daily Express. But now the mood will darken. So it is that 70 years of the Queen segues directly into 25 since the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. In Macbeth, the ghost haunted the feast. Here she returns with the pink gin hangovers barely faded. On with the show.
A film will mark the occasion: The Princess, a much buzzed-about new documentary. It also follows a celebration of the Queen, the fond bio-doc Elizabeth: A Portrait in Parts. That was the last movie directed by the late, highly regarded Roger Michell.
- 6/17/2022
- by Danny Leigh
- The Guardian - Film News
Documentaries
U.K. TV producer Content Kings and production finance broker and distribution agent Silverlining Rights have revealed a raft of international pre-sales for “Diana: The Ultimate Truth” (1×60’), a documentary which investigates the circumstances leading up to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, 25 years ago. Despite a verdict of unlawful killing and two police investigations into the devastating crash, many questions around what happened, and who is responsible, remain. The documentary follows journalist Mark Williams-Thomas whose investigation includes interviews with security experts; forensic crash investigators and photographers at the Metropolitan Police who investigated the fatal car crash; and a new witness to the crash – all speaking for the first time – along with close friends of Princess Diana, and individuals caught up in her infamous BBC Panorama interview.
The documentary has been pre-sold to Reelz (U.S.), Paramount+ (U.K.), Foxtel’s Fox Docos (Australia), TV2 (Denmark), Rtl Deutschland (Germany...
U.K. TV producer Content Kings and production finance broker and distribution agent Silverlining Rights have revealed a raft of international pre-sales for “Diana: The Ultimate Truth” (1×60’), a documentary which investigates the circumstances leading up to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, 25 years ago. Despite a verdict of unlawful killing and two police investigations into the devastating crash, many questions around what happened, and who is responsible, remain. The documentary follows journalist Mark Williams-Thomas whose investigation includes interviews with security experts; forensic crash investigators and photographers at the Metropolitan Police who investigated the fatal car crash; and a new witness to the crash – all speaking for the first time – along with close friends of Princess Diana, and individuals caught up in her infamous BBC Panorama interview.
The documentary has been pre-sold to Reelz (U.S.), Paramount+ (U.K.), Foxtel’s Fox Docos (Australia), TV2 (Denmark), Rtl Deutschland (Germany...
- 6/14/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: HBO Documentary Films is embarking on a documentary about pioneering supermodel Donyale Luna, one of the first Black models to be featured on the covers of major European fashion magazines.
Nailah Jefferson (Vanishing Pearls: The Oystermen of Pointe à la Hache), is directing the film, teaming with Oscar- and Emmy-winning Lightbox, and Jeff Friday Media (HBO’s Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn).
Luna was born Peggy Anne Freeman in Detroit in 1945 and began going by the name Donyale Luna in her late teens as she launched her modeling career. In March 1966 she became the first model of color to grace the cover of the British edition of Vogue (wearing a Chloé dress and photographed by David Bailey). She also appeared on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar and other leading fashion publications. Richard Avedon and William Claxton are among the greats who photographed her.
Nailah Jefferson (Vanishing Pearls: The Oystermen of Pointe à la Hache), is directing the film, teaming with Oscar- and Emmy-winning Lightbox, and Jeff Friday Media (HBO’s Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn).
Luna was born Peggy Anne Freeman in Detroit in 1945 and began going by the name Donyale Luna in her late teens as she launched her modeling career. In March 1966 she became the first model of color to grace the cover of the British edition of Vogue (wearing a Chloé dress and photographed by David Bailey). She also appeared on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar and other leading fashion publications. Richard Avedon and William Claxton are among the greats who photographed her.
- 6/13/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Short Film
Ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20, Unhcr, the Un Refugee Agency has released “Uprooted,” a powerful short film featuring and made by Ukrainian refugees now living in Germany. The film shows loud noises – a door slamming, the sirens of an ambulance, the bangs of a firework display – and how they can trigger terrifying memories of war. Some 50 refugees from Ukraine, including writers, choreographers, designers, casting producers, styling assistants, set dressing, make up, music and all the talent featured in the film, were involved in the project.
“Uprooted”, released Monday on Unhcr’s social media platforms, is being shown in select cinemas across the U.K. It was directed by Stink Films’ Andzej Gavriss who wrote the concept with Ukrainian choreographer, Konstantin Koval and Don’t Panic London’s creative partner, Rick Dodds. Production took place in Berlin, Germany.
Unhcr spokesperson, Joung-Ah Ghedini-Williams said: “The Ukrainian refugee cast...
Ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20, Unhcr, the Un Refugee Agency has released “Uprooted,” a powerful short film featuring and made by Ukrainian refugees now living in Germany. The film shows loud noises – a door slamming, the sirens of an ambulance, the bangs of a firework display – and how they can trigger terrifying memories of war. Some 50 refugees from Ukraine, including writers, choreographers, designers, casting producers, styling assistants, set dressing, make up, music and all the talent featured in the film, were involved in the project.
“Uprooted”, released Monday on Unhcr’s social media platforms, is being shown in select cinemas across the U.K. It was directed by Stink Films’ Andzej Gavriss who wrote the concept with Ukrainian choreographer, Konstantin Koval and Don’t Panic London’s creative partner, Rick Dodds. Production took place in Berlin, Germany.
Unhcr spokesperson, Joung-Ah Ghedini-Williams said: “The Ukrainian refugee cast...
- 6/13/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ played as a surprise film.
Jim Archer’s comedy Brian And Charles won the audience award at Sundance Film Festival: London on Sunday, June 12.
Archer was present to accept the award at Picturehouse Central, presented by Clare Binns, managing director at Picturehouse.
Brian And Charles is a comedy about a man who builds and befriends a robot. It is sold by Bankside Films, with Focus Features having acquired global rights following its Sundance premiere in January.
Brian And Charles director Jim Archer on why he hopes the UK is poised for a comedy film revival
The four-day...
Jim Archer’s comedy Brian And Charles won the audience award at Sundance Film Festival: London on Sunday, June 12.
Archer was present to accept the award at Picturehouse Central, presented by Clare Binns, managing director at Picturehouse.
Brian And Charles is a comedy about a man who builds and befriends a robot. It is sold by Bankside Films, with Focus Features having acquired global rights following its Sundance premiere in January.
Brian And Charles director Jim Archer on why he hopes the UK is poised for a comedy film revival
The four-day...
- 6/12/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The People’s Princess is back in the public eye.
Late Princess Diana is at the center of the archival footage documentary “The Princess,” which captures the fandom and media obsession with the royal family in the 1990s. Sans talking heads or narration, “The Princess” relies solely on “turning the camera back on ourselves,” the public who adored — and later mourned — Diana Spencer.
Academy Award-nominated director Ed Perkins helms the documentary, with Oscar-winning “Searching for Sugar Man” producer Simon Chinn serving as producer. The feature documentary debuted at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, making its way to the London arm of the film festival on June 11 before a nationwide theatrical release starting June 30.
“The Princess” charts the public moments of Diana and Prince Charles’ love story and subsequent divorce through news reports, personal videos, and paparazzi footage. Editors Jinx Godfrey and Daniel Lapira couple the videos with nameless voiceovers from fans framing the doc.
Late Princess Diana is at the center of the archival footage documentary “The Princess,” which captures the fandom and media obsession with the royal family in the 1990s. Sans talking heads or narration, “The Princess” relies solely on “turning the camera back on ourselves,” the public who adored — and later mourned — Diana Spencer.
Academy Award-nominated director Ed Perkins helms the documentary, with Oscar-winning “Searching for Sugar Man” producer Simon Chinn serving as producer. The feature documentary debuted at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, making its way to the London arm of the film festival on June 11 before a nationwide theatrical release starting June 30.
“The Princess” charts the public moments of Diana and Prince Charles’ love story and subsequent divorce through news reports, personal videos, and paparazzi footage. Editors Jinx Godfrey and Daniel Lapira couple the videos with nameless voiceovers from fans framing the doc.
- 5/12/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The first trailer from upcoming Princess Diana feature documentary “The Princess” has landed and gives audiences a glimpse into the media maelstrom that surrounded the tragic royal.
Directed by Ed Perkins (“Tell Me Who I Am”), the film is produced (in association with HBO and Sky) by Lightbox, the producers behind the Oscar-winning documentary “Searching for Sugar Man.”
According to the logline, “‘The Princess’ tells the story of Princess Diana exclusively through contemporaneous archival footage creating a bold and immersive narrative of her life and death. Turning the camera back on ourselves, the film also illuminates the profound impact she had and how the public’s attitude to the monarchy was, and still is, shaped by these events.”
Despite her death 25 years ago, “the people’s princess” (as she was dubbed by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair) continues to fascinate, particularly on screen. In the last year alone she has been...
Directed by Ed Perkins (“Tell Me Who I Am”), the film is produced (in association with HBO and Sky) by Lightbox, the producers behind the Oscar-winning documentary “Searching for Sugar Man.”
According to the logline, “‘The Princess’ tells the story of Princess Diana exclusively through contemporaneous archival footage creating a bold and immersive narrative of her life and death. Turning the camera back on ourselves, the film also illuminates the profound impact she had and how the public’s attitude to the monarchy was, and still is, shaped by these events.”
Despite her death 25 years ago, “the people’s princess” (as she was dubbed by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair) continues to fascinate, particularly on screen. In the last year alone she has been...
- 5/12/2022
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
How should we embrace getting older in a society obsessed with eternal youthfulness? Millions of people turned to Macaulay Culkin last year when he tweeted that he had hit 40 and needed suggestions on how to handle going over the hill. The online conversation that ensued spawned “Macaulay Culkin’s Midlife Crisis,” a new premium documentary format with Lightbox, which will see the “Home Alone” and “Party Monster” star travel the world as he explores and celebrates what it means to be the big four-oh on an intrepid, international journey.
Culkin will be asking the questions that anyone who is dealing with the process of aging, fatherhood and lifetime partnership needs to ask themselves in order to ensure that unbridled passion does not become a relic of our youth.
“Mack remains as iconic, and as loved as ever — a social media sensation, internet entrepreneur and a hard-working member of his pizza-themed Velvet Underground tribute band,...
Culkin will be asking the questions that anyone who is dealing with the process of aging, fatherhood and lifetime partnership needs to ask themselves in order to ensure that unbridled passion does not become a relic of our youth.
“Mack remains as iconic, and as loved as ever — a social media sensation, internet entrepreneur and a hard-working member of his pizza-themed Velvet Underground tribute band,...
- 2/3/2022
- by Mónica Marie Zorrilla
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Macaulay Culkin recently turned 40 and he’s celebrating the occasion with a travelogue about becoming middle-aged.
That’s right, the cherub-faced star of Home Alone has entered his fifth decade.
The actor is working with Lightbox, the production company behind HBO’s Tina, Sundance Diana doc The Princess and Discovery+’s The Curse of the Chippendales, to develop a premium documentary format – Macaulay Culkin’s Midlife Crisis – on the subject.
It comes after Culkin tweeted last year about his impending birthday, a post that generated over 3M likes.
This tweet, and its half a million retweets and 70,000 replies, is the starting point for the show, which will see him embark on a wild and intrepid journey to discover what hitting the big four-zero really means and asks the questions which anyone who’s...
That’s right, the cherub-faced star of Home Alone has entered his fifth decade.
The actor is working with Lightbox, the production company behind HBO’s Tina, Sundance Diana doc The Princess and Discovery+’s The Curse of the Chippendales, to develop a premium documentary format – Macaulay Culkin’s Midlife Crisis – on the subject.
It comes after Culkin tweeted last year about his impending birthday, a post that generated over 3M likes.
This tweet, and its half a million retweets and 70,000 replies, is the starting point for the show, which will see him embark on a wild and intrepid journey to discover what hitting the big four-zero really means and asks the questions which anyone who’s...
- 2/3/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: National Geographic’s award-winning documentary Torn is about to make its streaming platform debut.
Disney+ announced it will premiere the film, directed by Max Lowe, on February 4. Torn tells the story of world-renowned mountain climber Alex Lowe, who was killed in an avalanche in the Himalayas in 1999. He left behind a wife, Jennifer, and three young boys—sons Max, Sam and Isaac. Max, now in his 30s, directed the documentary in part to come to terms with his father’s death, and to process all that came after it.
Accompanying Alex Lowe on that ill-fated expedition were fellow climber Conrad Anker, himself a legendary talent and a close friend of Lowe’s, and cameraman David Bridges. The avalanche also killed Bridges, and left Anker seriously injured but alive. Anker spent time with the Lowe family after Alex’s death and eventually Jennifer and Conrad fell in love and married.
Disney+ announced it will premiere the film, directed by Max Lowe, on February 4. Torn tells the story of world-renowned mountain climber Alex Lowe, who was killed in an avalanche in the Himalayas in 1999. He left behind a wife, Jennifer, and three young boys—sons Max, Sam and Isaac. Max, now in his 30s, directed the documentary in part to come to terms with his father’s death, and to process all that came after it.
Accompanying Alex Lowe on that ill-fated expedition were fellow climber Conrad Anker, himself a legendary talent and a close friend of Lowe’s, and cameraman David Bridges. The avalanche also killed Bridges, and left Anker seriously injured but alive. Anker spent time with the Lowe family after Alex’s death and eventually Jennifer and Conrad fell in love and married.
- 1/20/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Six of the most celebrated documentaries of 2021 reflect subjects that span the spectrum of fascinating subjects. They touch on a legendary filmmaker and conservationist, a broken police system in North America’s most populous city, an under-recognized civil rights leader, the stories of families displaced by a brutal civil war and one of the defining rock bands of the late 1960s. In a recent discussion, we got to hear what the filmmakers behind these docs thought about the current state of documentaries and some of their favorites in the genre. Gold Derby recently got to ask these questions with Dan Cogan (“Becoming Cousteau”), Elena Fortes (“A Cop Movie”), Betsy West and Julie Cohen (“My Name is Pauli Murray”), Megan Mylan (“Simple as Water”) and Julie Goldman (“The Velvet Underground”) during our recent Meet the Experts panel.
You can watch the film documentary group panel above with the people behind these five films.
You can watch the film documentary group panel above with the people behind these five films.
- 11/20/2021
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
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