Somewhat mysterious and fearless, Oscar-winning British actor Jeremy Irons has played a host of different characters during his decades-long career, from Adrian Veidt in Damon Lindelof’s TV series “Watchmen,” to Rodolfo Gucci in Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci,” British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in “Munich: The Edge of War” and Alfred Pennyworth in the DC Extended Universe films, including the latest “Justice League.” Reteaming with Palme d’Or winning Bille August for the third time, Irons will next play Abbé Faria, a noble and wise character, in the prestige limited series “The Count of Monte Cristo,” starring opposite fellow British actor Sam Claflin as Edmond Dantès. The premum limited series is distributed worldwide by Mediawan Rights, in cooperation with CAA (for North America).
Currently on the sprawling set of “Monte Cristo” in sun-drenched Malta, a cheerful Irons spoke to Variety about the timeliness of “Monte Cristo’s” story,...
Currently on the sprawling set of “Monte Cristo” in sun-drenched Malta, a cheerful Irons spoke to Variety about the timeliness of “Monte Cristo’s” story,...
- 11/28/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Steven Soderbergh is sharing the trailer for his secret project, “Command Z.”
The Oscar-winning director, whose most recent screen project is the just-premiered Max series “Full Circle,” has unveiled the first look at “Command Z,” originally billed under the moniker “The Pendulum Project” for TV earlier this year.
Michael Cera stars as a scientist who tasks his employees with a “historic” mission to travel back in time to revise history and save the world. The futuristic sci-fi series hinges on a “wormhole in a washing machine” to redo the past to hopefully save the (future) present. The satire, which a press note said will be released in eight parts, stars Roy Wood Jr. and Liev Schreiber.
The trailer is available on Soderbergh’s website here.
“Command Z” was independently financed by Soderbergh outside of his overall deal with Warner Bros. and HBO. The 90-minute “Command Z” will only be exclusively...
The Oscar-winning director, whose most recent screen project is the just-premiered Max series “Full Circle,” has unveiled the first look at “Command Z,” originally billed under the moniker “The Pendulum Project” for TV earlier this year.
Michael Cera stars as a scientist who tasks his employees with a “historic” mission to travel back in time to revise history and save the world. The futuristic sci-fi series hinges on a “wormhole in a washing machine” to redo the past to hopefully save the (future) present. The satire, which a press note said will be released in eight parts, stars Roy Wood Jr. and Liev Schreiber.
The trailer is available on Soderbergh’s website here.
“Command Z” was independently financed by Soderbergh outside of his overall deal with Warner Bros. and HBO. The 90-minute “Command Z” will only be exclusively...
- 7/14/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Artificial intelligence has become such a hot topic in Hollywood that it served as a key factor in the ongoing WGA strike. While such strikes have historically put modern issues at the forefront – the 2007-2008 one partly concerned home video and streaming residuals – professional writers feeling a genuine threat from technological advancements shows just where the industry is. Now, Steven Soderbergh – a director who has embraced modern technology in meaningful ways – is speaking out against AI, saying it can’t possibly pose a true challenge because it’s not human enough.
Speaking with Variety, Steven Soderbergh said he is far from threatened by AI. “I may be the Neville Chamberlain of this subject, but I am not afraid of A.I. in this specific context. It has no life experience. It’s never been hungover. It’s never made a meal for anybody it loved. It’s never been scared walking home late at night.
Speaking with Variety, Steven Soderbergh said he is far from threatened by AI. “I may be the Neville Chamberlain of this subject, but I am not afraid of A.I. in this specific context. It has no life experience. It’s never been hungover. It’s never made a meal for anybody it loved. It’s never been scared walking home late at night.
- 6/13/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Steven Soderbergh isn’t losing sleep over the rise of artificial intelligence in Hollywood.
The “Full Circle” limited series director told Variety during the Tribeca Festival that A.I. can “absolutely not” finish a full script on its own.
“I may be the Neville Chamberlain of this subject, but I am not afraid of A.I. in this specific context. It has no life experience,” Soderbergh said. “It’s never been hungover. It’s never made a meal for anybody it loved. It’s never been scared walking home late at night. It’s never felt insecure because somebody that it went to high school with 20 years ago has become incredibly successful. I’m not afraid of it. It’s just another tool.”
The “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” director added, “If it helps you finish a first draft of a script, great. But can it finish that thing and make it great on its own?...
The “Full Circle” limited series director told Variety during the Tribeca Festival that A.I. can “absolutely not” finish a full script on its own.
“I may be the Neville Chamberlain of this subject, but I am not afraid of A.I. in this specific context. It has no life experience,” Soderbergh said. “It’s never been hungover. It’s never made a meal for anybody it loved. It’s never been scared walking home late at night. It’s never felt insecure because somebody that it went to high school with 20 years ago has become incredibly successful. I’m not afraid of it. It’s just another tool.”
The “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” director added, “If it helps you finish a first draft of a script, great. But can it finish that thing and make it great on its own?...
- 6/12/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
It’s time for a new episode of the Black Sheep video series, and in this one we’re looking back at a cool horror anthology from 1993 called Body Bags (watch it Here), a movie made up of segments directed by John Carpenter and Tobe Hooper, featuring cameos from the likes of Wes Craven, Sam Raimi, and Roger Corman. To find out why we think Body Bags deserves to be more popular than it is, check out the video embedded above!
Body Bags was made for Showtime and was supposed to be the start of an anthology series, their version of Tales from the Crypt. But this movie is all we ever got out of that idea. It’s a shame this didn’t become a series, especially since it’s hosted by Carpenter himself, hamming it up as a character called The Coroner. The film has the following synopsis:...
Body Bags was made for Showtime and was supposed to be the start of an anthology series, their version of Tales from the Crypt. But this movie is all we ever got out of that idea. It’s a shame this didn’t become a series, especially since it’s hosted by Carpenter himself, hamming it up as a character called The Coroner. The film has the following synopsis:...
- 1/18/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Warning: contains Peaky Blinders Series 5 spoilers.
Since Peaky Blinders broke through on Netflix in the US, its creators have dropped hints about the Hollywood superstars lobbying for roles in the Birmingham-based gangster drama. Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Snoop Dogg, Samuel L. Jackson and more are all fans of the show, and apparently keen to come aboard. Those names don’t appear among the series six cast announced below (though who knows about the planned follow-up feature film), but it’s obvious that Peaky Blinders has no trouble attracting serious talent. Series six welcomes acclaimed This is England, Boardwalk Empire, The Virtues and Line of Duty‘s Stephen Graham, and welcomes back Tom Hardy once again as the apparently unkillable Alfie Solomons. Both will appear in Peaky Blinders’ final TV series, alongside one of the finest British regular casts around. We’ll update this list as more details are confirmed.
New...
Since Peaky Blinders broke through on Netflix in the US, its creators have dropped hints about the Hollywood superstars lobbying for roles in the Birmingham-based gangster drama. Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Snoop Dogg, Samuel L. Jackson and more are all fans of the show, and apparently keen to come aboard. Those names don’t appear among the series six cast announced below (though who knows about the planned follow-up feature film), but it’s obvious that Peaky Blinders has no trouble attracting serious talent. Series six welcomes acclaimed This is England, Boardwalk Empire, The Virtues and Line of Duty‘s Stephen Graham, and welcomes back Tom Hardy once again as the apparently unkillable Alfie Solomons. Both will appear in Peaky Blinders’ final TV series, alongside one of the finest British regular casts around. We’ll update this list as more details are confirmed.
New...
- 2/8/2022
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Looking for a spy story with a twist? Check these out on Netflix. I Want Historical Intrigue… Munich: The Edge of War In a tense film based on Richard Harris’ 2017 page-turner, by-the-book Brit Hugh Legat (George MacKay) accompanies his boss, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (Jeremy Irons), to the 1938 Munich conference for peace talks with Hitler. But Hugh’s old Oxford pal, German diplomat Paul von Hartmann (Jannis Niewöhner), has evidence that his leader’s motive is control of Europe, and he secretly feeds the intel to Hugh. “It’s a story,” says Niewöhner, “about finding the right way to fight for the right cause.” Available now I Want Sci-Fi Action… In From the Cold Ex–Russian spy turned single New Jersey mom Jenny Franklin is forced out of retirement to stop an assassination. Over eight episodes, Jenny brutally fights and, thanks to a Kgb experiment when she was a young intelligence officer,...
- 1/30/2022
- TV Insider
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on Wbgr-fm on January 20th, 2022, reviewing a fictional film set in a real historic event, “Munich – The Edge of War,” streaming on Netflix beginning on January 21st.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
A British student named Hugh Legat (George MacKay) and a German named Paul von Hartman (Jannis Newöhner) meet at Oxford in 1932 and six years later, on the brink of war in 1938, both end up as diplomatic agents for their respective countries. They end up around the negotiations of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (Jeremy Irons) and Adolf Hitler (Ulrich Matthes). Paul is working in the underground resistance against Der Fuehrer, and wants to get Legat involved, making the fate of the world in both their destinies.
“Munich – The Edge of War” streams on Netflix beginning January 21st. Featuring George MacKay, Jannie Niewöhner, Liv Lisa Fries, Jeremy Irons and Ullrich Mathes.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
A British student named Hugh Legat (George MacKay) and a German named Paul von Hartman (Jannis Newöhner) meet at Oxford in 1932 and six years later, on the brink of war in 1938, both end up as diplomatic agents for their respective countries. They end up around the negotiations of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (Jeremy Irons) and Adolf Hitler (Ulrich Matthes). Paul is working in the underground resistance against Der Fuehrer, and wants to get Legat involved, making the fate of the world in both their destinies.
“Munich – The Edge of War” streams on Netflix beginning January 21st. Featuring George MacKay, Jannie Niewöhner, Liv Lisa Fries, Jeremy Irons and Ullrich Mathes.
- 1/21/2022
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Munich – The Edge of War. (L to R) Jeremy Irons as Neville Chamberlain, George MacKay as Hugh Legat, in Munich – The Edge of War. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2021
Once again the years encompassing the Second World War prove to be a fertile ground for filmmakers, and a compelling subject for filmgoers. This new film focuses on the “lead up” to the US involvement, to give us a look at the dark clouds just beginning to form over Europe. And, as this film infers, the friendship of two young men may have made an impact on the upcoming conflict. One from England, the other in Germany, but both are determined to keep their respective homeland safe from destruction. And everything seems to come to a “boil” during an unexpected reunion in Munich: The Edge Ofwar.
We first meet these two “school chums” in a flashback prologue. Brit Hugh Legat (George MacKay...
Once again the years encompassing the Second World War prove to be a fertile ground for filmmakers, and a compelling subject for filmgoers. This new film focuses on the “lead up” to the US involvement, to give us a look at the dark clouds just beginning to form over Europe. And, as this film infers, the friendship of two young men may have made an impact on the upcoming conflict. One from England, the other in Germany, but both are determined to keep their respective homeland safe from destruction. And everything seems to come to a “boil” during an unexpected reunion in Munich: The Edge Ofwar.
We first meet these two “school chums” in a flashback prologue. Brit Hugh Legat (George MacKay...
- 1/20/2022
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Neville Chamberlain has endured a savage historical appraisement. He’s the prime minister who failed to stand up to Hitler. The politician who didn’t understand the existential threat posed by the fascist leader and his Nazi ideology. The man who bundled things so spectacularly with his policy of appeasement that Europe plunged into devastating conflict that cost millions of lives.
But “Munich: The Edge of War,” an adaptation of Robert Harris’ novel, presents a far more sympathetic portrait of Chamberlain, and it’s one that hasn’t been sitting all that well with some historians and critics. As played by Jeremy Irons, Chamberlain is so scarred by the carnage of World War I that he will do anything to prevent more violence, even if that means allow Germany to annex the Sudetenland, a section of western Czechoslovakia that proved to be only the first stop in Hitler’s unquenchable territorial ambitions.
But “Munich: The Edge of War,” an adaptation of Robert Harris’ novel, presents a far more sympathetic portrait of Chamberlain, and it’s one that hasn’t been sitting all that well with some historians and critics. As played by Jeremy Irons, Chamberlain is so scarred by the carnage of World War I that he will do anything to prevent more violence, even if that means allow Germany to annex the Sudetenland, a section of western Czechoslovakia that proved to be only the first stop in Hitler’s unquenchable territorial ambitions.
- 1/13/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Jeremy Irons as Neville Chamberlain leads this Netflix adaptation of the novelist’s conspiracy story set on the eve of the second world war
Plush offices, candlelit speakeasies and tasteful walled gardens; such cosy confines feel built for lovers. In Christian Schwochow’s handsome spy thriller, they are the clandestine meeting points for undercover agents. Set in 1938, in the run-up to the second world war, and based on Robert Harris’s 2017 historical novel, it stars a quietly dignified Jeremy Irons as prime minister Neville Chamberlain as he prepares to meet with Adolf Hitler (Ulrich Matthes) to discuss what would become the ill-fated Munich agreement.
Advising, or rather, advising against, is George MacKay’s sombre political aide Hugh Legat, who in turn is fed information by former university pal Paul von Hartman (Jannis Niewöhner), now a German diplomat. MacKay is muted; his character is teased for his reserve, a quality he shares with the film.
Plush offices, candlelit speakeasies and tasteful walled gardens; such cosy confines feel built for lovers. In Christian Schwochow’s handsome spy thriller, they are the clandestine meeting points for undercover agents. Set in 1938, in the run-up to the second world war, and based on Robert Harris’s 2017 historical novel, it stars a quietly dignified Jeremy Irons as prime minister Neville Chamberlain as he prepares to meet with Adolf Hitler (Ulrich Matthes) to discuss what would become the ill-fated Munich agreement.
Advising, or rather, advising against, is George MacKay’s sombre political aide Hugh Legat, who in turn is fed information by former university pal Paul von Hartman (Jannis Niewöhner), now a German diplomat. MacKay is muted; his character is teased for his reserve, a quality he shares with the film.
- 1/9/2022
- by Simran Hans
- The Guardian - Film News
Two more war film are about to hit our screens, and while we can’t seem to wean ourselves off them, the best capture a complex reality
Are you British and reading this piece at the age of 94? If so, as you will know, you may actually have fought in the second world war. Widen the metric to anyone born by the end of the conflict, and the demographic swells: 76 and up. Even so, the greater part of the country could only know the era through parents, grandparents or grandparents’ parents. Yet January has still begun with two new depictions of wartime Blighty. Such is British film. Whatever year the calendar says it is, the nation’s cinema is always here to put an arm a little too tightly around your shoulder and pull you into a fusty back room to look at its Airfix Lancaster Bombers.
The first of the new films,...
Are you British and reading this piece at the age of 94? If so, as you will know, you may actually have fought in the second world war. Widen the metric to anyone born by the end of the conflict, and the demographic swells: 76 and up. Even so, the greater part of the country could only know the era through parents, grandparents or grandparents’ parents. Yet January has still begun with two new depictions of wartime Blighty. Such is British film. Whatever year the calendar says it is, the nation’s cinema is always here to put an arm a little too tightly around your shoulder and pull you into a fusty back room to look at its Airfix Lancaster Bombers.
The first of the new films,...
- 1/7/2022
- by Danny Leigh
- The Guardian - Film News
Jeremy Irons is on top form as Neville Chamberlain in a Robert Harris adaptation that melds fact with enjoyable fiction
There’s a great turn from Jeremy Irons as the careworn appeaser Neville Chamberlain in this breezy what-if political thriller, adapted from the page-turner by Robert Harris and directed by Christian Schwochow. It’s set at the notorious 1938 Munich conference, convened by Adolf Hitler to force the cringing western powers into giving him the Czech Sudetenland.
With some generous revisionism, this film makes the case for Chamberlain’s savvy negotiating powers and heroic self-sacrifice: he was apparently buying time for British rearmament and exposing Hitler as a bully at the cost of his own reputation. The movie even includes some eyebrow-raising dialogue on the plane home, after Chamberlain has got Hitler to sign that piece of paper promising peace, in which the prime minister predicts that if the Führer ever broke his promise,...
There’s a great turn from Jeremy Irons as the careworn appeaser Neville Chamberlain in this breezy what-if political thriller, adapted from the page-turner by Robert Harris and directed by Christian Schwochow. It’s set at the notorious 1938 Munich conference, convened by Adolf Hitler to force the cringing western powers into giving him the Czech Sudetenland.
With some generous revisionism, this film makes the case for Chamberlain’s savvy negotiating powers and heroic self-sacrifice: he was apparently buying time for British rearmament and exposing Hitler as a bully at the cost of his own reputation. The movie even includes some eyebrow-raising dialogue on the plane home, after Chamberlain has got Hitler to sign that piece of paper promising peace, in which the prime minister predicts that if the Führer ever broke his promise,...
- 1/6/2022
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Sony Pictures Entertainment follows its release of Parallel Mothers last week with Jockey in three theaters in New York and Los Angeles on Friday in a specialty market crowded by holdovers and wide releases, and amid a Covid-19 surge that’s particularly tough on art houses. The frame isn’t ideal for new specialty fare in any case, but gets it on the board for a January rollout ahead of Oscar nominations.
SPC acquired Jockey out of Sundance where it won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury award for star Clifton Collins Jr. as an aging rider trying to win one last championship race. The directorial debut of Clint Bentley will expand nationwide following its exclusive debut. The Oscar hopeful (87% Rotten Tomatoes’ Critics’ score) was one of Deadline critic Todd McCarthy’s top ten picks of the year. See his review here.
Collins plays Jackson Silvan,...
SPC acquired Jockey out of Sundance where it won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury award for star Clifton Collins Jr. as an aging rider trying to win one last championship race. The directorial debut of Clint Bentley will expand nationwide following its exclusive debut. The Oscar hopeful (87% Rotten Tomatoes’ Critics’ score) was one of Deadline critic Todd McCarthy’s top ten picks of the year. See his review here.
Collins plays Jackson Silvan,...
- 12/31/2021
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
There’s much talk of the proverbial British stiff upper lip in “Munich: The Edge of War,” as that dignified reserve mutates into damaging caution in matters of politics, days away from the start of the Second World War. In the film’s opening scene, a German Oxford student criticizes his host country as being “distant from feeling,” but if there’s some truth to his observation, this British-German co-production largely takes the same aloof tack. Immersively crafted but never emotionally involving, director Christian Schwochow’s handsome imagining of underground attempts to prevent war during the 1938 Munich conference flip-flops between the perspectives of George MacKay’s English political aide and Jannis Niewöhner’s German turncoat, spreading its sympathies between them.
The resulting historical drama is unavoidably sapped of tension by our knowledge of precisely what happened next, though it’s gripping enough on an in-the-moment basis. Based on a novel...
The resulting historical drama is unavoidably sapped of tension by our knowledge of precisely what happened next, though it’s gripping enough on an in-the-moment basis. Based on a novel...
- 12/30/2021
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
He is seen as the appeaser who fell for Hitler’s lies. But was Chamberlain scapegoated? Writer Robert Harris and actor Jeremy Irons discuss taking on history with their controversial new film
“Any country’s present,” says Robert Harris, “is shaped by its interpretation of its past.” Harris, whose bestselling second world war novel Munich is now coming to the big screen courtesy of Netflix, adds: “We have a very strong image of this island standing alone, weak, defenceless – pulled back together by an effort of will. Well, none of it’s really true.”
The big stories Britain creates from its history require heroes, but they also require cowards, failures and villains. How else could we be sure that our heroes were truly heroic, if we didn’t have comparable figures who fell short? This has been the fate of prewar prime minister Neville Chamberlain, remembered for his policy of...
“Any country’s present,” says Robert Harris, “is shaped by its interpretation of its past.” Harris, whose bestselling second world war novel Munich is now coming to the big screen courtesy of Netflix, adds: “We have a very strong image of this island standing alone, weak, defenceless – pulled back together by an effort of will. Well, none of it’s really true.”
The big stories Britain creates from its history require heroes, but they also require cowards, failures and villains. How else could we be sure that our heroes were truly heroic, if we didn’t have comparable figures who fell short? This has been the fate of prewar prime minister Neville Chamberlain, remembered for his policy of...
- 12/15/2021
- by Alex von Tunzelmann
- The Guardian - Film News
Two friends try to prevent a war in Munich: The Edge Of War, a thought-provoking Netflix period drama premiering at the BFI London Film Festival.
We first meet Hugh Legat (George MacKay) and Paul Hartman (Jannis Niewöhner) in 1932 when they are carefree students at Oxford University, swilling champagne and rolling around in the grass at a drunken party. Cut to London, six years later, and the mood is grim: Adolf Hitler is preparing to invade Czechoslovakia and Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (Jeremy Irons) is trying to find a peaceful solution. Hugh is now a civil servant, and has the ear of the Pm.
Meanwhile, Paul is a diplomat in his home of Germany, and comes into possession of important documents that could help the British government. As the two prepare for a clandestine meeting in Munich during the emergency conference, flashbacks fill us in on more of their past, and the tension mounts.
We first meet Hugh Legat (George MacKay) and Paul Hartman (Jannis Niewöhner) in 1932 when they are carefree students at Oxford University, swilling champagne and rolling around in the grass at a drunken party. Cut to London, six years later, and the mood is grim: Adolf Hitler is preparing to invade Czechoslovakia and Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (Jeremy Irons) is trying to find a peaceful solution. Hugh is now a civil servant, and has the ear of the Pm.
Meanwhile, Paul is a diplomat in his home of Germany, and comes into possession of important documents that could help the British government. As the two prepare for a clandestine meeting in Munich during the emergency conference, flashbacks fill us in on more of their past, and the tension mounts.
- 10/14/2021
- by Anna Smith
- Deadline Film + TV
Ronald Pickup, who appeared in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and its sequel among more than 150 film, TV and stage credits spanning a half-century, died Wednesday after a long illness. He was 80. His agent confirmed the news to the BBC today.
Pickup played Norman Cousins in John Madden’s 2011 romantic dramedy The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, sharing a SAG Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture with Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel and others. He returned for 2015’s The Second Best Exotic Hotel.
The actor also recurred as the Archbishop of Canterbury in the first season of Netflix’s hit drama The Crown. He also played Neville Chamberlain in 2017’s Darkest Hour, a Best Picture Oscar nominee that also earned Gary Oldman a Best Actor Academy Award for his role as Winston Churchill.
Showbiz & Media Figures We’ve Lost In 2021 – Photo Gallery
Born on June 7, 1940, in Chester,...
Pickup played Norman Cousins in John Madden’s 2011 romantic dramedy The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, sharing a SAG Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture with Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel and others. He returned for 2015’s The Second Best Exotic Hotel.
The actor also recurred as the Archbishop of Canterbury in the first season of Netflix’s hit drama The Crown. He also played Neville Chamberlain in 2017’s Darkest Hour, a Best Picture Oscar nominee that also earned Gary Oldman a Best Actor Academy Award for his role as Winston Churchill.
Showbiz & Media Figures We’ve Lost In 2021 – Photo Gallery
Born on June 7, 1940, in Chester,...
- 2/26/2021
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Ronald Pickup, the British actor best known for his roles in “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” films and “The Crown,” died on Feb. 24. He was 80.
Pickup’s agent said he “passed away peacefully yesterday after a long illness surrounded by his wife and family,” per the BBC. “He will be deeply missed.”
Born on June 7, 1940 in Chester, England, Pickup was an actor that performed across film, television, radio and theater. He is best known internationally for his role in the 2011 film “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and its 2015 sequel. Pickup also played the archbishop of Canterbury in the first season of The Crown in 2016. In the following year, he portrayed Neville Chamberlain in the Winston Churchill film “Darkest Hour.”
After graduating the University of Leeds in 1962 with a degree in English, Pickup had his big break after landing his first television role as a physician in an episode of “Doctor Who.
Pickup’s agent said he “passed away peacefully yesterday after a long illness surrounded by his wife and family,” per the BBC. “He will be deeply missed.”
Born on June 7, 1940 in Chester, England, Pickup was an actor that performed across film, television, radio and theater. He is best known internationally for his role in the 2011 film “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and its 2015 sequel. Pickup also played the archbishop of Canterbury in the first season of The Crown in 2016. In the following year, he portrayed Neville Chamberlain in the Winston Churchill film “Darkest Hour.”
After graduating the University of Leeds in 1962 with a degree in English, Pickup had his big break after landing his first television role as a physician in an episode of “Doctor Who.
- 2/26/2021
- by Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
Director Christian Schwochow and writer Thomas Wendrich’s “Je Suis Karl,” due to premiere at the Berlin Film Festival’s Berlinale Special strand in June, is a chillingly timely film.
On Aug. 29, 2020, dozens of assailants from the far right attacked the Reichstag building, the home of German parliament in Berlin, the burning of which in 1933 heralded the rise of Hitler’s Nazi rule. Several months later, on Jan. 6, 2021, fascism reared its head again at the Capitol in Washington DC, as a baying mob breached the building while a sitting president watched.
Since April 2020, when the pandemic began spreading across the world, Germany has seen the rise of the Querdenken (lateral thinking) movement, which convenes several groups, including anti-vaxxers, protesting the German government’s Covid-19 measures.
“Je Suis Karl” charts the rise of a new young fascists movement across Germany and Europe. The leaders of the movement don’t fit the...
On Aug. 29, 2020, dozens of assailants from the far right attacked the Reichstag building, the home of German parliament in Berlin, the burning of which in 1933 heralded the rise of Hitler’s Nazi rule. Several months later, on Jan. 6, 2021, fascism reared its head again at the Capitol in Washington DC, as a baying mob breached the building while a sitting president watched.
Since April 2020, when the pandemic began spreading across the world, Germany has seen the rise of the Querdenken (lateral thinking) movement, which convenes several groups, including anti-vaxxers, protesting the German government’s Covid-19 measures.
“Je Suis Karl” charts the rise of a new young fascists movement across Germany and Europe. The leaders of the movement don’t fit the...
- 2/25/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Jeremy Irons has been cast opposite Lady Gaga in MGM’s murder drama “Gucci,” with Ridley Scott directing.
Gaga will portray Patrizia Reggiani, the ex-wife of Maurizio Gucci. She had been abandoned after 12 years of marriage by Gucci in 1985 for a younger woman. Reggiani was tried and convicted of orchestrating her ex-husband’s assassination on the steps of his office in Italy in 1995. She gained the nickname the Black Widow during the trial and served 18 years before being released from prison in 2016.
The story about the Gucci murder is scripted by Roberto Bentivegna, based on Sara Gay Forden’s book “The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed.” Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Al Pacino, Jack Huston and Reeve Carney are also attached to “Gucci.” Producers are Ridley and Giannina Scott via Scott Free Productions as well as Kevin Walsh.
Driver is starring as Maurizio Gucci...
Gaga will portray Patrizia Reggiani, the ex-wife of Maurizio Gucci. She had been abandoned after 12 years of marriage by Gucci in 1985 for a younger woman. Reggiani was tried and convicted of orchestrating her ex-husband’s assassination on the steps of his office in Italy in 1995. She gained the nickname the Black Widow during the trial and served 18 years before being released from prison in 2016.
The story about the Gucci murder is scripted by Roberto Bentivegna, based on Sara Gay Forden’s book “The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed.” Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Al Pacino, Jack Huston and Reeve Carney are also attached to “Gucci.” Producers are Ridley and Giannina Scott via Scott Free Productions as well as Kevin Walsh.
Driver is starring as Maurizio Gucci...
- 12/7/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
“Watchmen” actor Jeremy Irons is headlining Netflix original film “Munich,” an adaptation of the bestselling 2017 novel by Robert Harris (“Fatherland”).
The film is set in the fall of 1938 when Europe stands on the brink of war. Adolf Hitler is preparing to invade Czechoslovakia and Neville Chamberlain’s government desperately seeks a peaceful solution. With the pressure building, British civil servant Hugh Legat and Paul von Hartmann, a German diplomat, travel to Munich for the emergency conference. As negotiations begin, the two old friends find themselves at the centre of a web of political subterfuge and very real danger.
Irons plays Chamberlain, while “1917” actor George McKay portrays Legat. The cast also includes Jannis Niehwöhner (“The Turncoat”), Liv Lisa Fries (“Babylon Berlin”), Erin Doherty (“The Crown”), Sandra Hüller (“Toni Erdmann”), August Diehl (“A Hidden Life”), Robert Bathurst (“Downton Abbey”), and Marc Limpach (“Bad Banks”). Martin Wuttke, who played Hitler in “Inglourious Basterds,...
The film is set in the fall of 1938 when Europe stands on the brink of war. Adolf Hitler is preparing to invade Czechoslovakia and Neville Chamberlain’s government desperately seeks a peaceful solution. With the pressure building, British civil servant Hugh Legat and Paul von Hartmann, a German diplomat, travel to Munich for the emergency conference. As negotiations begin, the two old friends find themselves at the centre of a web of political subterfuge and very real danger.
Irons plays Chamberlain, while “1917” actor George McKay portrays Legat. The cast also includes Jannis Niehwöhner (“The Turncoat”), Liv Lisa Fries (“Babylon Berlin”), Erin Doherty (“The Crown”), Sandra Hüller (“Toni Erdmann”), August Diehl (“A Hidden Life”), Robert Bathurst (“Downton Abbey”), and Marc Limpach (“Bad Banks”). Martin Wuttke, who played Hitler in “Inglourious Basterds,...
- 11/3/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Jeremy Irons will play Neville Chamberlain in Netflix’s Munich, an adaptation of Robert Harris’s acclaimed novel.
Also in the cast are George McKay, Jannis Niehwöhner, Sandra Hüller, Liv Lisa Fries, August Diehl, and Erin Doherty, with Martin Wuttke as Adolf Hitler. Christian Schwochow (The Crown) is directing from a script by Ben Power (The Hollow Crown). Andrew Eaton is producing through his outfit Turbine Studios.
Set in 1938, as Europe stands on the brink of war, the film follows Hugh Legat, British civil servant, and Paul von Hartmann, German diplomat, who travel to Munich for an emergency conference. As negotiations begin, the two old friends find themselves at the centre of a web of political subterfuge and very real danger.
The film is now underway in Germany and will also shoot in the UK. Netflix will release in 2021.
Also in the cast are George McKay, Jannis Niehwöhner, Sandra Hüller, Liv Lisa Fries, August Diehl, and Erin Doherty, with Martin Wuttke as Adolf Hitler. Christian Schwochow (The Crown) is directing from a script by Ben Power (The Hollow Crown). Andrew Eaton is producing through his outfit Turbine Studios.
Set in 1938, as Europe stands on the brink of war, the film follows Hugh Legat, British civil servant, and Paul von Hartmann, German diplomat, who travel to Munich for an emergency conference. As negotiations begin, the two old friends find themselves at the centre of a web of political subterfuge and very real danger.
The film is now underway in Germany and will also shoot in the UK. Netflix will release in 2021.
- 11/3/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Watchman star Jeremy Irons, 1917 actor George McKay and German up-and-comer Jannis Niehwöhner (Netflix’s Mute) have signed on to star in Netflix’s Munich, a feature adaptation of the Robert Harris bestseller.
The spy thriller is set in fall 1938 as Europe stands on the brink of World War II. As Adolf Hilter prepares to invade Czechoslovakia, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (Irons) is desperate to find a peaceful solution. British civil servant Hugh Legat (McKay) and German diplomat Paul von Hartmann (Niehwöhner), travel to Munich for an emergency conference. As they see if war can be averted — and ...
The spy thriller is set in fall 1938 as Europe stands on the brink of World War II. As Adolf Hilter prepares to invade Czechoslovakia, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (Irons) is desperate to find a peaceful solution. British civil servant Hugh Legat (McKay) and German diplomat Paul von Hartmann (Niehwöhner), travel to Munich for an emergency conference. As they see if war can be averted — and ...
- 11/3/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Watchman star Jeremy Irons, 1917 actor George McKay and German up-and-comer Jannis Niehwöhner (Netflix’s Mute) have signed on to star in Netflix’s Munich, a feature adaptation of the Robert Harris bestseller.
The spy thriller is set in fall 1938 as Europe stands on the brink of World War II. As Adolf Hilter prepares to invade Czechoslovakia, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (Irons) is desperate to find a peaceful solution. British civil servant Hugh Legat (McKay) and German diplomat Paul von Hartmann (Niehwöhner), travel to Munich for an emergency conference. As they see if war can be averted — and ...
The spy thriller is set in fall 1938 as Europe stands on the brink of World War II. As Adolf Hilter prepares to invade Czechoslovakia, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (Irons) is desperate to find a peaceful solution. British civil servant Hugh Legat (McKay) and German diplomat Paul von Hartmann (Niehwöhner), travel to Munich for an emergency conference. As they see if war can be averted — and ...
- 11/3/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Rubika Shah’s documentary explores Rock Against Racism, which united punk, ska, reggae and new wave against the National Front in the 1970s
An excellent brief documentary about a heroic grassroots political movement whose importance reveals itself more clearly in retrospect with every year that passes.
In late 1970s Britain, fascists and racists were gaining ground and members of the nervously silent political establishment were showing themselves the heirs of Neville Chamberlain and Paul von Hindenburg. A photographer and underground theatre activist called Red Saunders realised something had to be done. He co-founded Rock Against Racism to mount demonstrations and concerts against the far-right National Front and it was the great achievement of Rar to help to bring together the forces of punk, ska, reggae and the new wave – whose fanbases might otherwise be indifferent to each other – to present a united front to counter and mock the ugly bigots.
An excellent brief documentary about a heroic grassroots political movement whose importance reveals itself more clearly in retrospect with every year that passes.
In late 1970s Britain, fascists and racists were gaining ground and members of the nervously silent political establishment were showing themselves the heirs of Neville Chamberlain and Paul von Hindenburg. A photographer and underground theatre activist called Red Saunders realised something had to be done. He co-founded Rock Against Racism to mount demonstrations and concerts against the far-right National Front and it was the great achievement of Rar to help to bring together the forces of punk, ska, reggae and the new wave – whose fanbases might otherwise be indifferent to each other – to present a united front to counter and mock the ugly bigots.
- 9/18/2020
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
A Look At 2017 Films Nominated For Prominent Oscars
By Lee Pfeiffer
Who would have imagined that amid the debris of over-produced super hero movies, Winston Churchill would emerge as a major figure in films released in 2017? The woefully underrated "Churchill" (click here for review) was first out of the box, chronicling the British Prime minister's tumultuous inner-grappling with the pending D-Day invasion, which he supported but dissented from Eisenhower and Montgomery as to where and when the great armada should land. (History happily proved his instincts wrong.) Brian Cox gave a magnificent portrayal of Churchill that was largely overlooked by critics and the public. Churchill's specter also looms largely over Best Picture nominee "Dunkirk", as it was he who ordered the evacuation of stranded British troops by an improvised "fleet" of private vessels, small and large. The second Churchill biopic, "Darkest Hour", has won raves for Joe Wright's direction,...
By Lee Pfeiffer
Who would have imagined that amid the debris of over-produced super hero movies, Winston Churchill would emerge as a major figure in films released in 2017? The woefully underrated "Churchill" (click here for review) was first out of the box, chronicling the British Prime minister's tumultuous inner-grappling with the pending D-Day invasion, which he supported but dissented from Eisenhower and Montgomery as to where and when the great armada should land. (History happily proved his instincts wrong.) Brian Cox gave a magnificent portrayal of Churchill that was largely overlooked by critics and the public. Churchill's specter also looms largely over Best Picture nominee "Dunkirk", as it was he who ordered the evacuation of stranded British troops by an improvised "fleet" of private vessels, small and large. The second Churchill biopic, "Darkest Hour", has won raves for Joe Wright's direction,...
- 2/10/2018
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
I had the chance to attend the UK premiere of Churchill biopic Darkest Hour starring Gary Oldman. Check out the video above for footage from the red carpet event including some interesting insights into the film by one of the film’s stars Kristin Scott Thomas and screenwriter Anthony McCarten.
You can also read my thoughts on the film below.
London, 1940. Nazi Germany is decimating Europe. Britain’s ruling Conservative Party leader, Neville Chamberlain is ousted from power by a parliamentary vote of no confidence. The party’s chosen successor: a middle-aged, overweight, boozer, with a questionable military record – Winston Churchill. The country’s darkest hour, indeed.
In the opening minutes of Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup) being unceremoniously ousted from the prime-ministership because of his lack of nerve in the war effort. It is abundantly clear from the elaborate camera setup, which glides seamlessly from a birds-eye view to a...
You can also read my thoughts on the film below.
London, 1940. Nazi Germany is decimating Europe. Britain’s ruling Conservative Party leader, Neville Chamberlain is ousted from power by a parliamentary vote of no confidence. The party’s chosen successor: a middle-aged, overweight, boozer, with a questionable military record – Winston Churchill. The country’s darkest hour, indeed.
In the opening minutes of Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup) being unceremoniously ousted from the prime-ministership because of his lack of nerve in the war effort. It is abundantly clear from the elaborate camera setup, which glides seamlessly from a birds-eye view to a...
- 1/14/2018
- by Thomas Salmon
- The Cultural Post
Twitter won’t remember this as Mike Huckabee’s finest hour. The ex-governor of Arkansas shared his thoughts on former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill after seeing “Darkest Hour” on Tuesday, and, well, he left the theater thinking about how awesome President Trump is. “Churchill was hated by his own party, opposition party, and press. Feared by King as reckless, and despised for his bluntness,” tweeted Huckabee. “But unlike Neville Chamberlain, he didn’t retreat. We had a Chamberlain for 8 years; in we have a Churchill.” Also Read: Prince Harry Puts Obama on the Spot: 'Suits' or 'The Good Wife'?...
- 12/27/2017
- by Sean Burch
- The Wrap
Focus Features-Working Title production Darkest Hour to star Gary Oldman as Churchill.
Focus Features is joining Working Title production Darkest Hour, from director Joe Wright, and has set a November 2017 release date for the prestige project.
Gary Oldman will star as Churchill in the biopic which will chart the story of the early days of Churchill’s premiership when he had to decide between a negotiated peace treaty with Nazi Germany, or standing firm to fight for his ideals in the face of a host of pressures.
Joining Oldman are John Hurt as Neville Chamberlain, whom Churchill succeeded as Prime Minister; Lily James (Cinderella) as Churchill’s personal secretary; Golden Globe Award nominee Ben Mendelsohn as King George VI; and Academy Award nominee Kristin Scott Thomas as Churchill’s wife, Clementine.
Production on Darkest Hour is set to begin this fall.
Focus will hold worldwide rights to the film and will release in the Us on November...
Focus Features is joining Working Title production Darkest Hour, from director Joe Wright, and has set a November 2017 release date for the prestige project.
Gary Oldman will star as Churchill in the biopic which will chart the story of the early days of Churchill’s premiership when he had to decide between a negotiated peace treaty with Nazi Germany, or standing firm to fight for his ideals in the face of a host of pressures.
Joining Oldman are John Hurt as Neville Chamberlain, whom Churchill succeeded as Prime Minister; Lily James (Cinderella) as Churchill’s personal secretary; Golden Globe Award nominee Ben Mendelsohn as King George VI; and Academy Award nominee Kristin Scott Thomas as Churchill’s wife, Clementine.
Production on Darkest Hour is set to begin this fall.
Focus will hold worldwide rights to the film and will release in the Us on November...
- 9/6/2016
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Focus Features-Working Title production Darkest Hour to star Gary Oldman as Churchill.
Focus Features is joining Working Title production Darkest Hour, from director Joe Wright, and has set a November 2017 release date for the prestige project.
Gary Oldman will star as Churchill in the biopic which will chart the story of the early days of Churchill’s premiership when he had to decide between a negotiated peace treaty with Nazi Germany, or standing firm to fight for his ideals in the face of a host of pressures.
Joining Oldman are John Hurt as Neville Chamberlain, whom Churchill succeeded as Prime Minister; Lily James (Cinderella) as Churchill’s personal secretary; Golden Globe Award nominee Ben Mendelsohn as King George VI; and Academy Award nominee Kristin Scott Thomas as Churchill’s wife, Clementine.
Production on Darkest Hour is set to begin this fall.
Focus will hold worldwide rights to the film and will release in the Us on November...
Focus Features is joining Working Title production Darkest Hour, from director Joe Wright, and has set a November 2017 release date for the prestige project.
Gary Oldman will star as Churchill in the biopic which will chart the story of the early days of Churchill’s premiership when he had to decide between a negotiated peace treaty with Nazi Germany, or standing firm to fight for his ideals in the face of a host of pressures.
Joining Oldman are John Hurt as Neville Chamberlain, whom Churchill succeeded as Prime Minister; Lily James (Cinderella) as Churchill’s personal secretary; Golden Globe Award nominee Ben Mendelsohn as King George VI; and Academy Award nominee Kristin Scott Thomas as Churchill’s wife, Clementine.
Production on Darkest Hour is set to begin this fall.
Focus will hold worldwide rights to the film and will release in the Us on November...
- 9/6/2016
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
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