Matthew Macfadyen - "The Von Trapp Family – A Life of Music" Heading to the Screen This Christmas

PLAYBILL
By Adam Hetrick
04 Jun 2015



"The von Trapp Family – A Life of Music," a new film from Dutch filmmaker Ben Verbong based on Agathe von Trapp's autobiography, promises to tell the story behind the Sound of Music legend.

Currently shooting on location in Salzburg and Bavaria, the new film stars Eliza Bennett, Matthew Macfadyen and Tony Award winner Rosemary Harris. The film is expected to arrive in theatres this Christmas.

Lionsgate acquired U.S., Canada and U.K. rights on the film. Christoph Silber and Tim Sullivan penned the screenplay based on Agathe von Trapp's "Memories Before and After The Sound of Music."

Here's how the film is billed: "'The von Trapp Family – A Life of Music,' tells the fascinating and exciting story of Agathe von Trapp (Eliza Bennett), who has been searching for her path in life since her youth: She is the eldest daughter among many siblings, and her relationship with her father, the distinguished marine officer Georg von Trapp (Matthew Macfadyen) and his second wife Maria von Trapp (Yvonne Catterfeld), is often difficult. She develops her beautiful voice and stimulating musical talent together with her family and with the support of the famous singer Lotte Lehmann (opera singer Annette Dasch). She constantly struggles for the love of her childhood sweetheart Sigi (Johannes Nussbaum) and, not least, she must confront the menacing rise of fascism in Germany and Austria. Emigration to the U.S. finally brings a decisive step toward freedom and world success.




READ MORE HERE: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/the-von-trapp-family-a-life-of-music-heading-to-the-screen-this-christmas-350645

Poldark-style six-packs 'smack of vanity', says Matthew Macfadyen

THE GUARDIAN
John Plunkett
@johnplunkett149
Tuesday 5 May 2015 05.47 EDT



The actor Aidan Turner’s topless scenes in Poldark were some of the most talked about TV moments of the year but the Ripper Street star Matthew Macfadyen has criticised attempts by TV and film studios to make their male stars increasingly hunky.

The former Spooks actor said the growing obsession for male actors to have a six-pack was not true to life and “smacks of vanity”.

Macfadyen, 40, was told to undergo a rigorous diet and fitness regime when he landed the role of Mr Darcy in the 2005 adaptation of Pride And Prejudice.

“You do the deal and then the personal trainer gets in touch,” he told the new issue of Radio Times.

“When I see it on screen, it immediately smacks of vanity because I know what’s happened – they’ve been doing crunches, 50,000 press-ups before breakfast and a character in a period drama wouldn’t have done that.

“Darcy would have been quite fit because he rode horses and all that stuff, but if I ripped off my shirt to show a six-pack... well, that’s a gym thing.”

The former Spooks star added: “I remember when we did Warriors [a 1999 BBC drama about the conflict in former Yugoslavia], we were shooting with squaddies from the Royal Green Jackets – they were the real thing, they’d just come back from Bosnia.



Macfadyen is set to play Georg von Trapp in a new film about the family who served as inspiration for The Sound of Music. He also stars in the drama The Enfield Haunting.

He said of his Victorian crime drama Ripper Street being axed by the BBC: “I think there was a new person and anything that wasn’t their baby was ... I don’t know, I really don’t know ... but it’s been a rocky old ride.” The drama has since been picked up by Amazon’s on-demand TV service, and will be repeated on the BBC.


READ MORE HERE:  http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/may/05/poldark-six-pack-smack-vanity-period-drama-macfadyen