Noticias

Kensuke’s Kingdom, directed by Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry, based on the novel by Micheal Morpurgo, is a hand-drawn animated feature that managed to snag both BAFTA and Annie Award nominations this year. The action-adventure centers around a young boy named Michael (Aaron MacGregor), who is taken by his family on a sailing trip. When a storm rolls in, he and his dog, Stella, are pushed overboard and end up on a remote island where they must learn to survive on their own. On the verge of losing all hope, Michael encounters a stern, elderly Japanese soldier (Ken Watanabe) who was stranded there after his military boat capsized during World War II.

Here, Deadline talks to the filmmaking duo about bringing this tale to life.

Deadline: How did you both come to this project?

Kirk Hendry: Sarah Radclyffe, a filmmaker and producer,...

If you’re able to get to London by January 25th, or to Dublin in February, you can still get yourself a seat to see Dr. Strangelove, adapted for the stage by The Thick of It creator Armando Iannucci and starring Iannucci’s frequent star, Steve Coogan. If you’re not? All you need is a Hulu login to see Coogan’s next most recent performance.

In this week’s episode of What We Do in the Shadows, Coogan débuts as Roderick Cravensworth, father to Matt Berry’s Laszlo — or, to be more precise, his ghost, Roderick having died more than a century ago. It’s reductive to say Roderick is the kind of father who would drive his son to rebel by embracing vampirism, but it might also be true: He’s pompous, he weasels his way into relationships far too quickly and he’s lightly emotionally abusive to...

Once in a blue moon, some really crafted filmmaker manages to land a good sports drama that appeases both fans and critics alike. In 2024, this sports film came in the name of The Beautiful Game – a critically acclaimed Thea Sharrock project that proved to be a worthy addition to the streaming giant Netflix, its distributing company.

The Beautiful Game. (2024) | Credits: Netflix.

Released earlier this year in March, this piece turned out to be more or less of a massive success for Netflix – and for everyone involved in the making of it – as the story touched the hearts of many with its emotionally complex plotline. But while many viewers were greatly taken by the immersive aspects of this fictional tale, they don’t seem to know its roots.

That raises a question that perhaps many soccer fans must have had while watching this masterpiece: Is The Beautiful Game based on a true story?...

Nothing but praise for Cillian Murphy 's new movie, Kensuke's Kingdom, resulting in the feature opening with a 100% fresh Rotten Tomatoes rating. The film, based on Michael Morpurgo's best-selling children's book and directed by Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry, tells an inspiring and contemporary tale of building strong relationships, working together, and saving nature. Alongside Murphy, we also hear the voices of Aaron MacGregor, Ken Watanabe, Raffey Cassidy, and Sally Hawkins.

Kensuke's Kingdom focuses on a young boy, Michael (Aaron MacGregor) a fictionalized version of Morpurgo himself who, together with his sister Becky (Cassidy) and his parents (Murphy and Hawkins), boards the Peggy Sue for an unforgettable family trip. Unbeknownst to his parents, Michael brought his precious sheepdog, Stella, on board. However, their heartwarming family trip soon becomes heartbreaking when the ship gets caught up in a terrible storm, resulting in Michael and Stella being thrown overboard.

After reaching...

Comedy animation Harold And The Purple Crayon heads the new releases at this weekend’s UK-Ireland box office, opening in 595 cinemas through Sony.

The live-action/animation fantasy comedy is adapted from Crockett Johnson’s 1955 children’s book of the same name, with the film serving as a sequel to the book.

Harold And The Purple Crayon follows a character in a book who can make anything come to life by drawing it; and who draws himself off the book’s pages and into the physical world.

Zachary Levi leads the cast, which also includes Lil Rel Howery, Zooey Deschanel, Jemaine Clement,...

After winning an Oscar for his performance in what many have deemed Christopher Nolan's Magnum Opus, one Oppenheimer star's next film finally has its first trailer and release date. The official trailer for Kensuke's Kingdom, the upcoming anime movie directed by Nick Boyle and Kirk Hendry, has been released, also announcing that the film will premiere in the United States and Canada on October 18. Cillian Murphy will star as Dad, with Sally Hawkins playing Mum, Ken Watanabe playing Kensuke, Raffey Cassidy playing Becky, and Aaron Macgregor in the role of Michael. The screenplay for the movie comes from Frank Cottrell Boyce and is based on the children's book by Michael Morpugo.

Kensuke’s Kingdom brings to life Michael Morpurgo’s 1999 story in a beautifully animated adaptation. Directed by Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry, this 2023 British film tells the tale of an 11-year-old boy named Michael who is shipwrecked on a remote island. There he encounters the island’s sole inhabitant, Kensuke, an elderly Japanese man living alone since World War II.

The film is adapted from Morpurgo’s novel by Frank Cottrell Boyce, known for works like Treasure Island and The Moses Expedition. Cottrell Boyce’s screenplay captures the heart of the original story while making some smart changes. Notably, Kensuke speaks no English in the film, creating an unexpected bond between the castaways that must overcome a language barrier. This shifts the dynamic in an impactful way.

Through traditional hand-drawn animation, Kensuke’s Kingdom brings Morpurgo’s touching story of friendship to life. The visuals are beautifully paired with sound design and...

Morpurgo’s yarn about a kid on a round the world voyage is adapted by Frank Cottrell-Boyce and attractively packaged as a family-friendly animation

Michael Morpurgo’s children’s story is a boy’s-own desert island adventure, closer in spirit to The Coral Island than Lord of the Flies, and here attractively presented as a family animated feature, adapted by the children’s laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce. The story itself makes clear that the action must be happening around the time of the original novel’s publication in 1999, and not really the present day.

Michael (voiced by Aaron MacGregor) is a moody, lonely boy on a round-the-world sailing trip with his family, but his immaturity and unreliability exasperate his older teen sister (Raffey Cassidy) and parents (Sally Hawkins and Cillian Murphy). Unbeknown to any of them, Michael has smuggled his beloved dog Stella onboard and when their craft hits stormy seas,...

Cinema Management Group has reported brisk sales on Kensuke’s Kingdom featuring Cillian Murphy on the back of wins at the British Animation Awards for best picture, best screenplay and best original music.

Blue Fox Entertainment has acquired the film for North America; Modern Films for the UK & Ireland; Movies Inspired for Italy Periscoop for Benelux; Arthouse Traffic for Ukraine; New Horizon for Poland; Playarte for Brazil; and Cinetopia for Chile, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia. Encore Inflight acquired worldwide airline rights.

Based on the best-selling novel by Michael Morpurgo (War Horse) and adapted for screen by Frank Cottrell-Boyce,...

Amusing, uplifting, and about as sugary and teeth-sabotaging as caramelized popcorn, The Beautiful Game celebrates the healing power of team sports for those who might feel pushed to society’s margins by misfortune or choice. Although prefaced with the vague assurance that it’s based on true stories, this comedy-drama by eminent British screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce (The Railway Man) and directed by Thea Sharrock (Wicked Little Letters) is a tidily assembled, happy-ending-hewing narrative package that revolves mostly around the fortunes of a half dozen unhoused men, competing for England in the Homeless World Cup.

Bill Nighy stars as the team’s manager, a former scout for major London football club West Ham, who takes the team to Rome, where he must also accommodate each player’s foibles and faults, including the arrogance of star striker Vinnie (Micheal Ward, of Empire of Light). After a short theatrical run in the U.

Coming off a well-deserved first-ever Oscar nomination, Bill Nighy has a new worthwhile movie to add to his highly impressive filmography. The Beautiful Game is, on its surface, another well-worn story of a ragtag team of misfits coming together for validation not just in their football (i.e. soccer) skills but, more importantly, in their lives. And even though we have seen countless underdog stories like this one set on a playing field, we actually haven’t seen one quite like this in terms of the welcome spotlight it puts on the homeless population among us. The timing is particularly pertinent as many major cities seem to a war going on with the homeless, a complete lack of empathy toward what gets a person to this point in life and a solution for lifting them out of it.

The Beautiful Game is not focused on the politics of their lot in life,...

The Beautiful Game brings the message of unity through football, highlighting global homelessness issues. Micheal Ward shines as a complex lead, showcasing the importance of second chances in The Beautiful Game. The film avoids sports movie clichés, focusing on authentic human stories of resilience and redemption.

Netflix's new sports movie, The Beautiful Game, could not have come at a better time in relation to English football. Last week, in the lead up to England's match against Brazil, controversy emerged over Nike's decision to change the color of the St George's cross on the English national team's shirt. Nike's design decision — which was in no way exclusive to the England shirt — led to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and leader of the opposition Kier Starmer publicly opposing the change, climaxing in a poorly attended protest march through London on the day of the Brazil game.

6/10

Based on a real-life sporting event,...

The sports movie has always held the power to uplift and reinvigorate, with some of the best examples regularly cited as many people's favorite films. Combine that power with a true story of hope despite struggle and a cast of talented actors, and you have a recipe for magic. Producer Frank Cottrell-Boyce first had the idea for The Beautiful Game - a movie about the soccer (or football) Homeless World Cup back in 2012. After many years of pushing, which included an iteration with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson attached, Bill Nighy was announced to star in 2021. Now three years later, the film is just around the corner, with a recent trailer release and positive reviews on the festival circuit suggesting it isn't one you will want to miss. So, with all that in mind, here is everything we know about The Beautiful Game so far.

An assortment of familiar life-as-sport metaphors get a healthy workout in “The Beautiful Game,” a story of underdog athletes for whom winning may not be everything, though it’s a welcome distraction from greater obstacles. For many viewers, Thea Sharrock’s cheery Netflix entertainment may serve as an introduction to the real-life event on which it’s based: the Homeless World Cup, an annual soccer tournament bringing together displaced or dispossessed players from nearly 50 countries, playing not merely for a trophy but for a second shot at life. As a premise for an inspirational sports drama, that’s close to unbeatable, and no amount of rote writing in Frank Cottrell-Boyce’s patchy script can dim the film’s lump-in-the-throat effectiveness.

Though drawn from the stories of a range of Homeless World Cup players, the film ultimately centers a single team — England, of course — from the event’s international tapestry, and...

Nighy is as charming as ever as the manager building a team, but he seems basically miscast and much else misfires in an underdog sports drama

The inspirational true story of the Homeless World Cup – an international football tournament for homeless people founded in 2001 – would probably be better told as a documentary. Instead, it’s been turned into this well-meaning (and often well-acted) but sugary underdog sports drama where everyone’s the underdog, from screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce and director Thea Sharrock, with composite fictional characters and storylines gleaned from interviews and research.

It has an eccentric, not to say surreal bit of casting: Bill Nighy plays the football manager with his own standard-issue backstory of emotional pain to go with all the players’ hidden personal dramas. And he performs it with the same elegant dark suit and diffident, quizzical mannerisms that he might use to portray a fellow of All Souls College,...

Francesca Orsi Wins Series Mania Award

HBO programing boss Francesca Orsi is to be awarded Series Mania’s Woman In Series Award and will take the stage with Bad Wolf CEO Jane Tranter at the Lille confab later this month. Orsi, whose slate has included the likes of The Last of Us, The White Lotus and Euphoria, along with Bad Wolf-made shows such as Industry, will speak about her career and the industry during the Tranter chat. She is one of the biggest draws for the Lille event, which takes place in two weeks and is featuring the likes of Patricia Arquette and Narcos showrunner Chris Brancato. “Awarding Francesca Orsi with this award for 2024 was an easy decision and an obvious choice for us,” said Laurence Herszberg, Series Mania founder. “Francesca is a true leader and I am incredibly honored to be presenting her with our award this year.” Last...

Iceland’s Stockfish Film Festival has announced a new prize, the Eva Maria Daniels Award for Vital Filmmaking, which honors the legacy of the Icelandic filmmaker who died last year. With the support of Daniels’ partner Moritz Diller and son Henry, the festival will honor one standout producer or director in the shorts categories will receive the inaugural award commemorating her achievements and continued contributions to Iceland’s next wave of filmmakers. The prize includes a $1.5 million Icelandic krona award.

Daniels’ credits include “Reality” and “Joe Bell.” The 10th edition of the festival runs April 4-14.

“Eva’s approach to producing was to listen and support undeniable talent,” said her producing partner, Riva Marker, who will oversee the prize committee. “We will never know all the beautiful stories she would bring to audiences, but we’re honored to create an inaugural award endowed to storytellers that we believe Eva would have championed.

Netflix brings us the trailer for a sports film with an interesting twist. The Beautiful Game is based on a true story of a soccer event, The Homeless World Cup. The film stars Bill Nighy, Micheal Ward, Susan Wokoma, Callum Scott Howells, Kit Young, Sheyi Cole, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Robin Nazari, Aoi Okuyama, Cristina Rodlo, Tadashi Watanabe, Kazuhiro Muroyama and Valeria Golino.

The official synopsis from Netflix reads,

“Mal is the manager of England’s homeless football team, taking his players to Rome with the hope of being crowned champions of the Homeless World Cup, a global street soccer tournament. At the last minute he decides to bring with them a talented striker Vinny, who could give them a real chance at winning, but only if he’s ready to let go of his past and become part of the team. Made with the support of the Homeless World Cup, The Beautiful Game...

Netflix kicked off February with news of the streaming service’s 2024 film slate.

The steamer, which landed 18 Oscar nominations this year – including seven for Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro” – will debut numerous populist films in 2024, including new projects from Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry, Jenifer Lopez, Millie Bobby Brown, Eddie Murphy, and more.

Well-known directors with movies set to premiere on Netflix this year include Tyler Perry (two titles), McG, Richard Linklater, and Lee Daniels. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld will also make his directorial debut with “Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story.”

On the awards front, while it’s too early to tell which projects might pop – and what movies Netflix might acquire for release this year, similarly to how the studio purchased Todd Haynes’ “May December” at the Cannes Film Festival last year – titles to flag include “The Piano Lesson” from Malcolm Washington with Samuel L. Jackson and John David Washington,...

A three hour documentary about iconic comedian Ken Dodd will premiere in June, and here are the details.

There are few comics, before him or since, who were as hardworking as Ken Dodd. Known for the epic length of his performances, he performed shows that began at 7.30, wouldn’t have an interval until 10.30, with gigs regularly finishing in the small hours.

Dodd passed away in 2018 at the age of 90, and left a legacy of laughter in a career that began in the 1940s.

Ken Dodd is now set to be the subject of new documentary The Real Ken Dodd: The Man I Loved. As a tribute to Dodd’s shows, the film is a whopping three hours long.

The film, narrated by the irrepressible Miriam Margoyles, also features tributes from the comedy community, including Lee Mack, Harry Hill, Johnny Vegas, Tim Vine, Les Dennis, Ricky Tomlinson, Stephen K Amos, Shaparak Khorsandi and the late,...

Exclusive: Netflix has set a March 29 global launch for Homeless World Cup movie The Beautiful Game, which stars Oscar nominee Bill Nighy (Living) and BAFTA winner Micheal Ward (Top Boy).

The movie will follow Mal (Nighy), the manager of England’s homeless soccer team, who takes his players to Rome with the hope of being crowned champions of the Homeless World Cup, a global street tournament. At the last minute he decides to bring talented striker Vinny (Ward), who could give them a real chance at winning, but Vinny must overcome personal demons and embrace the team to give them a chance at winning the tournament. Above is a first-look image from the movie.

Also starring are Susan Wokoma, Callum Scott Howells, Kit Young, Sheyi Cole, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Robin Nazari, Aoi Okuyama, Cristina Rodlo, Tadashi Watanabe, Kazuhiro Muroyama and Valeria Golino.

The long-gestating project, which began filming in 2021, has been produced by Graham Broadbent,...

Making Magic

To mark the 25th anniversary of the “Harry Potter” books being published in the U.S., the Empire State Building is set to be lit up in Hogwarts house colors at sunset on Wednesday, Sept. 27.

Viewers outside of New York can watch the building’s Tower Lights shine red for Gryffindor, yellow for Hufflepuff, blue for Ravenclaw and green for Slytherin on the Empire State’s live cam. For those in New York, there will be a magical pop-up cart on the 86th Floor Observation Deck where fans will be able to pick up free copies of the book and bottles of Butterbeer. Costumes and wizard robes are encouraged.

Crypto Scam

BBC One have set a documentary on alleged crypto-scammer Sam Bankman-Fried. Produced by Bitachon365 (“Secrets of Prince Andrew”), the 60-minute doc will air under the BBC’s “Panorama” strand on Sept. 25. A 90-minute cut will be available...

Michael Morpurgo’s 1999 children’s book comes vividly to life in Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry’s joint feature debut, a castaway fantasy in which a young boy learns vital lessons about the natural order of things. Seasoned screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce is on board too, and yet this is likely one of his sparsest screenplays yet, leaning into the subtleties of the animation: traditional hand-drawn 2D with mixed-media elements for the background. Older kids will likely love it, but a beautifully stark encapsulation of the bombing of Nagasaki in 1945 may rule it out as something for the whole family.

It begins with 11-year-old Michael (Aaron MacGregor) setting off on a world cruise on The Peggy Sue with his parents (Cillian Murphy and Sally Hawkins) and sister (Raffey Cassidy). This is a normal family – the kids squabble and fight over their tasks – but Mum and Dad take their responsibilities seriously...

Leading animation festival will open with Benoît Chieux’s Sirocco And The Kingdom Of The Winds.

French director Benoît Chieux’s Sirocco And The Kingdom Of The Wind is to open the Annecy International Animation Film Festival which runs from June 11-17.

The film – about two young sisters who discover a passage between this world and the extraordinary universe of The Kingdom of the Winds - is one of 11 titles selected for the festival’s official competition, where it will compete for the Crystal award.

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Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry’s Kensuke’s Kingdom – which is...

Frank Cottrell Boyce, who co-wrote two of Queen Elizabeth II’s most iconic on-screen cameos – at the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony with Daniel Craig and this year’s Jubilee sketch with Paddington Bear – said the monarch had “brilliant” comic timing and could have been an actor.

“She’s absolutely glowing in that moment,” he said of her appearance alongside Paddington in the 2-minute long sketch, which commenced her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in July. “And you’ve got to remember that that’s real acting that’s going on there. Paddington isn’t really in the room. She’s acting with an eye-line and with someone pretending to be Paddington. That’s proper acting going on. But I also think it’s true happiness.”

Cottrell Boyce made the comments during an appearance on BBC breakfast news on Friday morning, following news of the Queen’s death on Thursday. As he paid tribute to her acting skills,...

Click here to read the full article.

Over the last decade, despite her royal duties and advancing years, Queen Elizabeth II — who died Thursday at the age of 96 — starred in two beloved sketches alongside arguably two of the biggest modern-day icons of British entertainment.

In 2012, she stunned much of the world by appearing in a secretly shot scene for the London Olympics opening ceremony with Daniel Craig as James Bond.

“Good evening, Mister Bond,” she says after a tuxedo-wearing Craig enters her study in Buckingham Palace, before the two — and several corgis — walk out to a waiting helicopter, from which she later parachutes into the Olympic Stadium to the 007 music.

While it was — obviously — a double who made the leap, it was the actual queen who appeared before, something the producers weren’t anticipating when they first pitched the idea.

Speaking to the BBC on Friday morning, screenwriter and children...

There’s no future in England’s dreaming but despite this FX is setting its Sex Pistol drama series for May.

FX boss John Landgraf revealed that the Pistol premiere date during his virtual TCA exec session.

The series, which is based on the memoir of guitarist Steve Jones, comes from Danny Boyle.

It tells the story of the band from West London’s council estates to Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren’s notorious Kings Road Sex shop to the international controversy that came with the release of Never Mind the Bollocks, which was banned by the BBC and frequently is listed as one of the most influential albums of all time.

“It faithfully captures the story of Sex Pistols, the British born, anti-establishment punk music band who started a revolution,” said Landgraf.

Boyle will direct and exec produce the six-part series, which was created by Moulin Rouge! writer Craig Pearce...

Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon — better known as his alter ego Johnny Rotten — has lost his legal battle against bandmates Steve Jones, the group’s guitarist, and drummer Paul Cook over a contract setting out how the 1970s punk band agrees to license its music.

The decision means that Jones and Cook can now license the band’s music for Danny Boyle’s FX adaptation of Jones’s memoir, “Lonely Boy: Tales From A Sex Pistol” despite Lydon’s veto.

Lydon objects to his characterization in Jones’ book and has claimed he had no idea a show was in the works until very late into proceedings. He had intended to veto use of the band’s music being licensed to FX for the series.

The show has been filming during the pandemic and stars Anson Boon (“1917”) as Lydon and Thomas Brodie-Sangster (“The Queen’s Gambit”) as the band’s former manager Malcolm McLaren.

French In Motion Sets Up In LA

Exclusive: French In Motion, the non-profit that brings together French and American professionals from the film and TV industry is launching a chapter in Los Angeles, with Martine Melloul set to run the new office. Headquartered in New York with an existing chapter in Washington DC, the org supports international co-productions and collaborations between France and the United States through its partnership with the Gotham Film & Media Institute and has been doing so since 2016. The org is also creating an honorary board, composed of talent from the independent film and television industry whose work and influence span both sides of the Atlantic. U.S.-based French filmmakers Mathieu Demy and Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire have both joined the board alongside French In Motion’s Founder Nathalie Perus.

Msr Hire

Production outfit Msr Media has appointed Nick Royak to the newly-created role of Vice President of Development.

Danny Boyle is giving iconic punk rock band the Sex Pistols the limited series treatment at FX.

FX announced on Monday that Boyle, the director behind praised films such as “Slumdog Millionaire,” “Steve Jobs,” and “Trainspotting,” will direct and executive produce “Pistol,” a six-episode limited series about the legendary Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones. The series is created by Craig Pearce, who serves as co-writer alongside Frank Cottrell Boyce.

“Pistol” stars Toby Wallace as Steve Jones, Anson Boon as John Lydon, Louis Partridge as Sid Vicious, Jacob Slater as Paul Cook, Fabien Frankel as Glen Matlock, Dylan Llewellyn (“Derry Girls”) as Wally Nightingale, Sydney Chandler (“Don’t Worry Darling”) as Chrissie Hynde, Emma Appleton as Nancy Spungen, and Maisie Williams (“Game of Thrones”) as punk icon Jordan.

Per FX, “Pistol,” which is based on Jones’ 2018 memoir, will move from West London’s council estates, to Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren’s notorious Kings Road Sex shop,...

FX has ordered ‘Pistol’, a six-episode limited series about the legendary Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones with Danny Boyle at the helm, it was announced today by Nick Grad, President, Original Programming, FX Entertainment.

The series will be based on Jones’ 2018 memoir Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol, Boyle will also serve as executive producer.

The FX project will offer a fascinating new perspective on one of rock’s greatest ever stories as it moves from West London’s council estates to Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren’s notorious Kings Road Sex shop, to the international controversy that came with the release of Never Mind the Bollocks, which is frequently listed as one of the most influential albums of all time. Their single “God Save the Queen” was banned by the BBC and reached Number 1 on the UK’s NME chart, but appeared at Number 2 on the Official UK Singles chart,...

Toby Wallace, Anson Boon, Louis Partridge also in cast.

Danny Boyle will direct limited series drama Pistol for US network FX about UK punk pioneers the Sex Pistols, with Maisie Williams among the cast attached to star.

Due to start production on March 7, the six-episode series is based on Lonely Boy: Tales From A Sex Pistol, the 2018 memoir of the band’s guitarist Steve Jones.

Boyle will serve as director and executive producer on the series, which was created by Craig Pearce and written by Pearce and Frank Cottrell Boyce.

FX Productions, the network’s inhouse production company, is producing...

FX has ordered “Pistol,” a six-episode limited series about iconic Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones from Oscar-winner Danny Boyle, the cable channel said Monday.

The show, which is set to begin production March 7, is based on Jones’ 2018 memoir “Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol” and will star Toby Wallace as Jones. Boyle will executive produce and direct “Pistol,” which was created by Craig Pearce and written by Pearce and Frank Cottrell Boyce.

Per FX, “Anchored by Jones’ memoir, which offers a fascinating new perspective on one of rock’s greatest ever stories, ‘Pistol’ moves from West London’s council estates, to Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren’s notorious Kings Road Sex shop, to the international controversy that came with the release of Never Mind the Bollocks, which is frequently listed as one of the most influential albums of all time. Their single ‘God Save the Queen’ was banned by...

Slumdog Millionaire and Trainspotting helmer Danny Boyle is collaborating with FX on a limited series based on the memoir of Steve Jones, the legendary Sex Pistols guitarist who helped usher in a punk revolution in Britain.

Boyle will direct and executive produce the six-part series, which is titled Pistol and was created by Moulin Rouge! writer Craig Pearce and is co-written by Frank Cottrell Boyce (24 Hour Party People). Babyteeth actor Toby Wallace stars as Jones, while Game Of Thrones star Maisie Williams has joined the cast as punk icon Jordan.

Other cast includes Anson Boon (Crawl) as John Lydon, Louis Partridge (Enola Homes) as Sid Vicious, Jacob Slater as Paul Cook, Fabien Frankel (The Serpent) as Glen Matlock, Dylan Llewellyn (Derry Girls) as Wally Nightingale, Sydney Chandler (Don’t Worry Darling) as Chrissie Hynde, and Emma Appleton (The Witcher) as Nancy Spungen.

Produced by FX Productions, Pistol is anchored by Jones’ book,...

A limited series about the infamous punk band the Sex Pistols has been ordered at FX, Variety has learned.

The six-episode series is based on Steve Jones’ 2018 memoir “Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol.” Academy Award winner Danny Boyle will direct and executive produce the series, which hails from writers and fellow executive producers Craig Pearce and Frank Cottrell Boyce. Pearce created the series.

Titled “Pistol,” the show stars Toby Wallace as Steve Jones, Anson Boon as John “Johnny Rotten” Lydon, Louis Partridge as Sid Vicious, Jacob Slater as Paul Cook, Fabien Frankel as Glen Matlock, Dylan Llewellyn as Wally Nightingale, Sydney Chandler as Chrissie Hynde, Emma Appleton as Nancy Spungen, and Maisie Williams as punk icon Jordan.

“Imagine breaking into the world of ‘The Crown’ and ‘Downton Abbey’ with your mates and screaming your songs and your fury at all they represent,” said Boyle. “This is the moment...

FX wants to be anarchy.

The Disney-owned outlet has ordered a six-episode limited series, Pistol, about punk rock legends the Sex Pistols. It’s based on a memoir titled Lonely Boy: Tales From a Sex Pistol by the band’s guitarist, Steve Jones, and will be directed and executive produced by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire).

Craig Pearce (Moulin Rouge!) created the series and wrote the episodes with Frank Cottrell Boyce (Sometimes Always Never). Pistol comes from FX Productions and Wiip.

“It’s great to be back in business with Danny Boyle, an exceptional artist responsible for so many great feature films and ...

FX wants to be anarchy.

The Disney-owned outlet has ordered a six-episode limited series, Pistol, about punk rock legends the Sex Pistols. It’s based on a memoir titled Lonely Boy: Tales From a Sex Pistol by the band’s guitarist, Steve Jones, and will be directed and executive produced by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire).

Craig Pearce (Moulin Rouge!) created the series and wrote the episodes with Frank Cottrell Boyce (Sometimes Always Never). Pistol comes from FX Productions and Wiip.

“It’s great to be back in business with Danny Boyle, an exceptional artist responsible for so many great feature films and ...

Jed Mercurio, creator of hit series “Line of Duty” and “Bodyguard,” will executive produce a three-part sequel to BAFTA-winning 1999 single drama “The Murder of Stephen Lawrence,” for U.K. broadcaster ITV.

Titled “Stephen,” the series will be directed by Alrick Riley (“NCIS”) and written by Frank Cottrell Boyce (“The Railway Man”) and Joe Cottrell Boyce (“Vivid”). Paul Greengrass, who directed the 1999 drama, will executive produce alongside Mercurio, Mark Redhead (“The Secret”) and Jimmy Mulville (“Whose Line Is It Anyway?”). Mercurio’s Htm will produce, with Madonna Baptise (“The Stranger”) serving as producer.

“The Murder of Stephen Lawrence” (pictured) recreated the night in April 1993 when 18-year-old student Stephen Lawrence died after being attacked by a gang of youths in south London. The narrative was as seen through the eyes of his parents, Doreen and Neville Lawrence. The sequel will portray the investigation that secures the convictions of two of the gang...

ITV is to follow-up Paul Greengrass’ BAFTA-winning 1999 drama The Murder of Stephen Lawrence with a sequel series following the pursuit of justice for the murdered teenager.

The UK commercial broadcaster has commissioned three-part series Stephen, which will be made by Hat Trick Mercurio Television, the production outfit co-owned by Bodyguard creator Jed Mercurio and Hat Trick Productions, the Jimmy Mulville-run indie behind Matt LeBlanc’s Golden Globe-winning Episodes.

Frank Cottrell Boyce (Hilary And Jackie) and Joe Cottrell Boyce (Treasure) are writing Stephen, while it will be directed by Alrick Riley (The Cops). Madonna Baptiste (The Stranger) is the producer, while Greengrass and Mark Redhead — who produced the original drama — serve as executive producers. Mulville and Mercurio are also executive producers.

With the full support of Doreen and Neville Lawrence, the story will portray events from 2006, 13 years after Stephen’s death in a racially motivated attack while he was waiting...

It’s strange that as mannered a film as Carl Hunter’s Scrabble-loving debut feature “Sometimes Always Never” should yield one of Bill Nighy’s very least mannered — and best — performances, but then, these are strange times. They were strange back in 2018 when this British production, based on a screenplay by celebrated screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce premiered at the London Film Festival. They will no doubt still be strange in July when, after its stateside run in “virtual cinemas,” the film will bow on VOD. And they were certainly strange in the alternate, anachronistic present-day England in which the film is set.

Nighy, fielding a soft but convincing Liverpudlian lilt, plays widowed father, grandfather, bespoke tailor and Scrabble hustler Alan, a character who combines the actor’s easy rakishness, dapper style and stiffly diffident Englishness. Alan has spent many dogged years searching for his son Michael, who stormed out of...

There are few more enjoyable actors to watch than Bill Nighy. He always just seems to be having a good time, mellow and easy-going. It’s rare that a filmmaker gives him a starring role, but he has close to one here in Sometimes Always Never, a film that’s been on the festival circuit for almost two years. That might suggest a problematic flick, but that’s not the case. Though the movie ultimately falls just shy of being recommendation worthy for me, it’s still a pleasant yet melancholic dramedy, with Nighy at the center. He’s not let loose like he usually is when at his best, like in Richard Curtis penned roles, but this is one of his fuller performances to date. The film is a dramedy, centered on Alan (Nighy), a tailor and expert Scrabble player. For years, Alan has been searching for his missing eldest son Michael,...

Bill Nighy is set to score a triple word score this weekend with the dramedy Sometimes Always Never, which is set to open virtually in theaters today before it becomes available on-demand July 10.

Directed by former member of the British band The Farm, Carl Hunter and written by Frank Cottrell Boyce, the film follows Alan (Nighy) a stylish tailor who has spent years searching for his son Michael who went missing after he stormed out of his life…over a game of Scrabble. With a body to identify and his family torn apart, Alan must fix the relationship with his youngest son Peter (Sam Riley) and solve the mystery of an online player who he thinks could be Michael, so he can finally move on and reunite his family. The film also stars Alice Lowe, Jenny Agutter and Tim McInnerny.

Marking Hunter’s feature film debut, the dramedy debuted in...

Hardscrabble grief hides behind high-scoring words on the Scrabble board in “Sometimes Always Never,” English director Carl Hunter’s scattered-brained but ultimately affecting hodgepodge of a first feature. As if they’re random letter tiles from a full bag, some ideas create meaning while others crowd the hand without much use.

Bill Nighy dons the deadpan charm of wordsmith Alan, a man unable to engage with the likelihood that his son Michael, gone missing long ago, may never turn up. “Hope is a great friend,” he tells his other adult child, Peter (Sam Riley), during a trip toward possible closure. Nuanced emotions escape his vocabulary, and in his quest for the prodigal son, he’s alienated the son who remains, the solid constant he takes for granted.

Known for heartfelt dramas that include Danny Boyle’s “Millions” and Simon Curtis’ “Goodbye Christopher Robin,” screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce creates characters charged with latent resentment,...

In late November, the agency evaluated 37 projects eligible for development and production support. The selection committee of the Film Fund Luxembourg’s national audiovisual support programme has announced that it will be backing 20 new domestic productions. In particular, production and development support for this slate of funding accounted for €9,217,341 and will contribute to the making of ten fiction films, four animated films, four documentaries, one TV series and one short fiction film. The big winners of this round of funding are two animated movies – namely, Kirk Hendry and Neil Boyle’s Kensuke’s Kingdom, and Christian Volckman’s The Kid, both in receipt of a €1.9 million production grant. The first project is an adventure flick penned by Frank Cottrell Boyce and produced by Howald-based outfit Mélusine Productions in co-operation with French, British and Irish partners. Meanwhile, Volckman’s dramedy is a loose adaptation of Charlie Chaplin’s 1921 film of the.

Stars: Bill Nighy, Sam Riley, ALice Lowe, Jenny Agutter, Tim McInnerny, John Westley, Ella-Grace Gregoire, Louis Healy, Alexei Sayle | Written by Frank Cottrell Boyce | Directed by Carl Hunter

Sometimes Always Never stars Bill Nighy as Alan, a Scrabble aficionado, who has spent the last few decades of his life along with his son Peter (Sam Riley) searching for his missing child. Alan and Peter begrudgingly meet and travel to a morgue to identify a body that may, or may not, be the long-lost son and brothers they have been looking to find. What commences is a beautifully poignant family drama that touches on the delicate balancing of love and loss.

Bill Nighy and Sam Riley are terrific as father and son. The chemistry both actors bring to their respective characters is phenomenal. Nighy’s arc is beautifully orchestrated on paper and even better brought to life with an outlandish stoic nature.

The Disney live-action feature has held the number one position for four weeks.

Today’s Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.26

RankFilm (Distributor)Three-day gross (June 14-June 16)Total gross to date Week 1 Aladdin (Disney) £2.9m £30.4m 4 2 Men In Black: International (Sony Pictures) £2.8m £2.8m 1 3 Rocketman (Paramount) £1.6m £19.3m 4 4 The Secret Life Of Pets 2 (Universal) £1.5m £16.9m 4 5 X-Men: Dark Phoenix (20th Century Fox) £1m £5.9m 2 Disney

Live-action remake Aladdin held off the challenge of Men In Black: International to take the top spot for the fourth weekend in a row, with a £2.9m Friday-Sunday.

This marks the longest run at the top...

The actor, writer and Prevenge director on demonic possession and the cathartic possibilities of Scrabble

Alice Lowe has starred in Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, The Mighty Boosh, Hot Fuzz and Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers, which she co-wrote. In 2016 she wrote, directed and starred in Prevenge, and last year appeared in Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. Next she stars alongside Bill Nighy and Sam Riley in Sometimes Always Never, a film written by Frank Cottrell Boyce about a Scrabble-loving family coping with a loss, to be released in cinemas on 14 June.

What attracted you to the project?

Frank Cottrell Boyce is on my list of people I’d say yes to, even if he asked me to play a paper bag. And when I found out Bill Nighy was involved, I was over the moon. It’s a really warm comedy, without being soppy or cheesy – it’s wry and witty, with lots of surprising humour.

It received development backing from Screen Ireland’s latest funding round.

Ireland’s Element Pictures is to reunite with author Emma Donoghue on The Wonder following their successful collaboration on the Oscar-winning Room.

Element will produce Donoghue’s 2016 novel set just after the Irish Famine in the late 1840s, about an 11 year-old girl who is rumoured to have survived without food for months. The project has received €50,000 in development funding from Screen Ireland in its latest round of awards.

Donoghue received one of four Oscar nominations for Room for her adapted screenplay, with the film winning best actress for Brie Larson...

It received development backing from Screen Ireland’s latest funding round.

Ireland’s Element Pictures is to reunite with author Emma Donoghue on The Wonder following their successful collaboration on the Oscar-winning Room.

Element will produce Donoghue’s 2016 novel set just after the Irish Famine in the late 1840s, about an 11 year-old girl who is rumoured to have survived without food for months. The project has received €50,000 in development funding from Screen Ireland in its latest round of awards.

Donoghue received one of four Oscar nominations for Room for her adapted screenplay, with the film winning best actress for Brie Larson...

She starred with Humphrey Bogart and James Stewart. But Gloria Grahame refused to bow to Hollywood sexism and was driven out. Frank Cottrell-Boyce on a new film about her finding love and a second life with a chaotic Liverpool family

In the late 1970s, Peter Turner was a young actor living in digs in Primrose Hill. One of his fellow lodgers in the London flat was Gloria Grahame – you know, the girl who couldn’t say no in Oklahoma!, the wayward small-town floozy in It’s a Wonderful Life.

By the time she met Peter, she was playing Sadie in a production of Somerset Maugham’s Rain at the Watford Palace. “She asked to borrow a shirt,” he says. “Then she needed a fiver. It escalated from there.” The couple began an on-off affair that seemed to dwindle to nothing – until late 1981. “Tuesday 29 September,” says Peter, embarking on a tale...