Tom Hiddleston defends Hank Williams role

EXPRESS
June 20, 2014

TOM HIDDLESTON has defended his portrayal of country music legend HANK WILLIAMS in a new biopic, insisting he understands the "huge responsibility" to fans and has been practising his music skills every day.

The Thor actor will play the tragic star in I Saw The Light, a new film which will chronicle Williams' meteoric rise to fame and his untimely death at the age of 29 in 1953.

However, the casting of a Brit in the role has sparked debate among fans, and drawn criticism from late star's grandson, Hank Williams III, who insisted an American actor should have been picked by casting bosses.

Hiddleston has now spoken out to assure fans he will do everything he can to make sure Williams' story is accurately portrayed.

He tells the Daily Mail newspaper, "The film is about the man behind the myth, the power of his music, the sheer voltage of his talent and charisma, and his formidable demons... Hank's life has a tragic arc, but in simple truth, he was a genius: a star that burned twice as bright and lived half as long. It's a huge role for me and a huge responsibility. I'm going to give it everything I've got."

READ MORE HERE: http://www.express.co.uk/news/showbiz/483838/Tom-Hiddleston-defends-Hank-Williams-role

Glowing reviews for Benedict Cumberbatch at Imitation Game test screening in New York

RADIO TIMES
Susanna Lazarus
11:25 AM, 20 June 2014

The Sherlock actor has already been tipped for awards season glory for his portrayal of code breaker and computer scientist Alan Turing

A New York City test screening of The Imitation Game has provided the strongest indication yet that Benedict Cumberbatch will be a mainstay of the red carpet when the 2015 awards season comes around.

The Sherlock actor plays computer scientist and Bletchley Park codebreaker Alan Turing in the new biopic which was bought earlier this year for a record fee by The Weinstein Company (the distributors behind Oscar winners The Artist, The King's Speech and Silver Linings Playbook).

And while Cumberbatch features alongside a star-studded cast – Keira Knightley, Rory Kinnear, Allen Leech and Matthew Goode – it's his name on the tip of every viewer's tongue.

Details of the 18 June event remain pretty scarce – test screenings are known to be largely secretive – but a few comments have emerged on forums and the Twittersphere heralding the film and the British actor's commanding performance.


READ MORE HERE: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-06-20/glowing-reviews-for-benedict-cumberbatch-at-imitation-game-test-screening-in-new-york

‘Sons of Anarchy’ season 7 notes: Charlie Hunnam and production chatter

CARTERMATT
June 20, 2014



As for some other, more-bizarre news, the internet took this week to repeatedly killing off Charlie Hunnam, despite the fact that he has been seen on set and there is zero evidence that this is true. We suppose that having an internet death hoax is some sort of morbid badge of honor, given that you do not traditionally get such a thing unless you are a big enough deal for someone to care.

Our favorite response to the hoax comes from show creator Kurt Sutter on Twitter, who turned the “headline” (if you can call it that) into a nice callback to the “Sons of Anarchy” story:

“charlie is alive and well. i got wind of the hoax when i saw coates and boone in the costume trailer looking for the president’s patch.”


READ MORE HERE: http://cartermatt.com/123429/sons-anarchy-season-7-notes-charlie-hunnam-production-chatter/

Tom Hiddleston, Luke Evans: Bard the Bowman joins Loki in Ben Wheatley's High Rise - Luke Evans and Tom Hiddleston will be in the same film

HOBBIT FORMING
By Daniel Wood | Yahoo Contributor Network – 4 hours ago

Luke Evans' portrayal of Bard the Bowman in the 'Hobbit' films has been one of the stand-out performances, which shouldn't be surprising at all given that this is an actor quickly on the rise. But now he's about to join forces with an absolute super star.

I'm of course talking about Tom Hiddleston's whose recurring role as Loki in the Marvel super hero films has catapulted him right to the top of the fame ladder and propelled him to be more than just a super star, he's universally loved the world-over because he's the cheeky yet menacing Asgardian trickster.

That's because Evans is set to join Hiddleston in up-and-coming British director Ben Wheatley's next film 'High Rise' which he is to begin working on fresh after completing work on directing the first two episodes of 'Doctor Who'. Honestly there are so many fandoms colliding here that I'm getting a bit dizzy.

Indiewire reports "The film's set in a dystopian society, in a huge tower block, into which Hiddleston's doctor Robert Laing moves, and which soon finds itself bitterly divided along class lines, as all morality and society collapses into squalor and violence. There's no word as to who Evans will be playing"


READ MORE HERE: https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/bard-bowman-joins-loki-ben-wheatleys-high-rise-102800335.html

'Sherlock' Season 4 Spoilers: Benedict Cumberbatch's Onscreen Love Interest Irene Adler to Return?

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES
By Sonalee singh | June 20, 2014 12:53 PM EST




There is still no news as to when would "Sherlock" season 4 would go on air but fans can't wait to know as to what all would happen in the new season of BBC's immensely popular detective series.  The much evident question in the fans mind is the return of Sherlock's potential love interest Irene Adler.

The character, portrayed as a dominatrix by Lara Pulver left an indelible impression when she almost beat Sherlock Holmes in the episode called "The Scandal in Bohemia". After that she only appeared once in Sherlock's mind palace in the episode called "The Sign of Three". Interestingly, Adler appeared in Sherlock's imagination in all her naked glory.

Would Adler return in Season 4? Fans think that the spark she shares with Sherlock it would be hard for her to stay away from him forever and she may return in Season 4. However, if the creators go by Sir Arthur Thomas Doyle's stories, then Irene may never come back as she does not appear after "The Scandal in Bohemia" (the short story "A Scandal in Belgravia," in which Sherlock meets the character, is based on).

However, Benedict Cumberbatch, would love to have Pulver back on the show as Irene.

"She was terrific fun," he told the Radio Times last year. "She was so brilliant in [Series 2] and we'd love to have her back. Maybe not in this series, but she's a great strong character, even though she only appeared once."

But one of the co-creators Mark Gatiss, who also plays Sherlock's brother Mycroft Holmes, is in doubts whether Adler's character should be brought back or not.


READ MORE HERE: http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/556413/20140620/sherlock-season-4-mark-gatiss-irene-adler.htm#.U6QwW_ldVls

‘Sherlock’s Louise Brealey Joins ‘Ripper Street’

ANGLOPHENIA
By Fraser McAlpine | Posted on June 20th, 2014

Louise Brealey, who plays the put-upon pathologist Molly Hooper in Sherlock, has been cast in the third season of Ripper Street as Dr. Amelia Frayn, who takes her place in a very specific moment in the advancement of medical science:

She told Radio Times: “I’m playing one of the first women doctors. I’m really excited because I did history at university and I love a bit of research. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson blazed the trail in the 1870s and in the intervening decade or so a few extremely intrepid and unusual women started learning to be doctors themselves.”



Her character runs a clinic in Whitechapel, which means her costume is very different to that of her female co-stars: “I’m dressed very soberly and the other girls are all so ravishing. I’m like a little Jenny Wren. Literally, where are my pretty feathers?!”

She also revealed a particular bond with her co-star, Matthew Macfadyen. “He’s so nice. Just lovely, funny and very kind. His family is from Northamptonshire, which is where I’m from, so we’ve had a Rose of the Shires bond.”

READ MORE HERE: http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2014/06/sherlocks-louise-brealey-joins-ripper-street/

Martin Freeman: The Shocking ‘Fargo’ Finale: Creator Noah Hawley Breaks Down the Epic Bloodbath (SPOILERS)

THE DAILY BEAST
ByKEVIN FALLON

FX’s pitch-perfect 10-episode TV adaptation of ‘Fargo’ came to a bloody conclusion Tuesday. The show’s creator and writer, Noah Hawley, breaks down the brilliant finale.

Well, there was no wood chipper.

But you betcha that the explosive finale of FX’s Fargo limited series wasn’t lacking in spewed blood, comeuppance, and the kind of understated intensity that’s made the risky adaptation of the Coen Brothers film classic at once menacing and suspenseful, pulpy and fun, and—in turn—cable’s must-watch drama of this past spring.

The high-octane finale featured retribution, surprising acts of heroism, expected deaths in unexpected fashions, and even a snowmobile chase scene. (WARNING: Stop reading here if you have not seen Tuesday night’s Fargo finale. SPOILERS lie ahead.)

We get what appears to be a climax about halfway through the episode when Billy Bob Thornton’s hitman Lorne Malvo and Martin Freeman’s in-over-his-head insurance salesman turned prime suspect Lester Nygaard finally reunite. Whether you considered them heroes, villains, antiheroes, protagonists, or antagonists depended on the episode and, frankly, your mood. 

Regardless, that their reunion ended so unexpectedly was satisfying given how atypical the season-long cat-and-mouse chase between the two characters was—they started out strangers, became complicit partners in crime, and, eventually, enemies in their own right. At the end of the adrenaline-packed scene, they both end up getting away.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2819996155024456954#editor/target=post;postID=6113960694792229168

Michelle Dockery Will Be on 'Downton Abbey' 'Till the End, Whenever That May Be'

ABC NEWS
June 17, 2014
By LESLEY MESSER



Are you a fan of "Downton Abbey"?

Hope you like Lady Mary Crawley, because she isn't going anywhere.

"It amuses me more than anything, because it's all speculation, and I think it’s down to fact the show has such a popularity,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. "But no, I’m here till the end, whenever that may be."

Dockery, 32, has been on set in Europe filming the show's fifth season, along with her famous co-stars. Between scenes, the newspaper reported that the cast plays word games (Bananagrams) and play on their phones in spite of the bad reception out in the country. However, Dockery said she prefers games that involve as many people as possible.

READ MORE HERE: http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/michelle-dockery-downton-abbey-till-end/story?id=24180720

Benedict Cumberbatch arrives in Boston, fans rejoice

THE BOSTON GLOBE
By Mark Shanahan and Meredith Goldstein  | GLOBE STAFF   JUNE 17, 2014

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch is in Boston to take on the role of Billy Bulger in the adaptation of Dick Lehr and Gerry O’Neill’s book “Black Mass.” Cumberbatch, best known for his work in “Sherlock” (and for his wildly dedicated fan base) was spotted at Sonsie on Newbury Street on Monday night. He was also seen Monday morning by a super-fan who then went on Reddit and told her sighting story to more than 10,000 Cumberbatch lovers who have a group on the site called “Cumberbitches.” The fan, whose user name is VitalCapacity, says she was walking on G Street in South Boston when she saw Cumberbatch visit the set. She said, in her detailed report, “BLUE FRENCH OPEN HAT. THAT HAT. IN THE MINIVAN. BESIDE ME. And he gets out, and I just. lost. my. breath. . . . He is taller than I’d thought . . . and ripped. Like, really much more muscly than I was expecting — those arms! . . . And the arm veins were in Full Effect. Popping. There is not an ounce of fat on that man, it’s all muscle, sinew and wholesome goodness. (And the hat looks better in real life, too.)”

READ MORE HERE: http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/names/2014/06/17/benedict-cumberbatch-arrives-boston-fans-rejoice/MmKl1znpPnJdWDVJ4QgeZN/story.html

Colin Firth: “After a period of denial, we’ve chosen ‘conscious uncoupling,’”

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
By Anthony Breznican on Jun 17, 2014 at 2:00PM   @breznican



Colin Firth, who was providing the impeccably polite tones of the stuffed bear in a red hat, has split with the film in the midst of production.

“After a period of denial, we’ve chosen ‘conscious uncoupling,’” The King’s Speech Oscar-winner said in a statement to EW.

It’s rare for an actor to leave a project this late, with a trailer for the December movie having already been released. But it’s not uncommon for voice actors to drop out periodically.

Firth said the decision to leave Paddington was a mutual one. “It’s been bittersweet to see this delightful creature take shape and come to the sad realization that he simply doesn’t have my voice,” the actor said. “I’ve had the joy of seeing most of the film and it’s going to be quite wonderful. I still feel rather protective of this bear and I’m pestering them all with suggestions for finding a voice worthy of him.”

The release date for Paddington hasn’t changed. Studiocanal still plans to have it in British theaters by Nov. 28, and The Weinstein Company has targeted Christmas Day for the U.S. debut.

Director Paul King (The Mighty Boosh) has not selected a replacement voice, but says a new one will be announced in the coming weeks.

READ MORE HERE: http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/06/17/colin-firth-leaving-as-voice-of-paddington-movie-exclusive/

Rehearsal Pics: Richard Armitage and cast prepare for The Crucible at the Old Vic

WHAT'S ON STAGE
By Ben Hewis • 17 Jun 2014 • London, West End

Set in the town of Salem, Massachusetts, where in 1692, 19 adults and two dogs were hanged for witchcraft, and one man was pressed to death for refusing to plead. The Crucible tells the story of one man's fight to save his identity in a repressive Puritan community.

Miller's play was inspired by the actions of The House Committee on Un-American Activities of the McCarthy era, in front of which the playwright was invited to give evidence. It was most recently seen in London at the Open Air Theatre in 2010, with Patrick O'Kane as Proctor.

READ MORE HERE: http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/06-2014/richard-armitage-crucible-old-vic-rehearsal-photos_34772.html

Sherlock's make-up secrets: Benedict Cumberbatch's green hair and Andrew Scott's guy-liner

RADIO TIMES
Susanna Lazarus
11:55 AM, 17 June 2014

Claire Pritchard-Jones reveals what goes on behind the scenes of the detective drama, from Martin Freeman's moustache hatred to parties in the make-up chair...

Now this is a woman Sherlockians have every right to be envious of. Meet Claire Pritchard-Jones – the Sherlock make-up artist responsible for creating Benedict Cumberbatch's tousled curls and that moustache. 

She appeared with her husband Arwel Wyn Jones – who just happens to be Sherlock's production designer – at this week's Sherlock Holmes Convention in Vienna and revealed some precious secrets from the BBC1 drama. The Q&A is reported in full on somelikeitpink's tumblr but here are the highlights.

1. When Benedict Cumberbatch first did the pilot, his hair was dyed dark to resemble the famous Sherlock Holmes. What the make-up team didn't foresee were his bleached locks (he'd just played Van Gogh), which turned a lovely shade of green the day before filming began. Cue a last minute dash to the hairdressers....

2. Jim the IT guy had tinted eyelashes (according to Sherlock) but Jim Moriarty went one better. In addition to the slicked hair and pale pallor of Sherlock's arch-nemesis, the production team reached into their make-up bags to help Andrew Scott perfect Moriarty's "cold stare". What did they use? Guy-liner.

3. The moustache. A point of contention, apparently, when Martin Freeman had to sport the facial accessory for the start of series three. According to Pritchard-Jones, they had to try over ten different versions before Martin finally agreed to one. He also shaved it off sooner than originally planned in the script.

READ MORE HERE: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-06-17/sherlocks-make-up-secrets-benedict-cumberbatchs-green-hair-and-andrew-scotts-guy-liner

June is David Tennant month on screens big and small

THE SEATTLE TIMES
By Tish Wells
McClatchy News Service



June should be officially designated “David Tennant Month” for the number of shows he’s appearing in.

Who is David Tennant? Clearly, you haven’t watched the BBC’s “Doctor Who” or “Broadchurch,” in which he starred as a scruffy detective hunting the murderer of a boy in a small town. The most knowledgeable, and adult, viewers might remember him from the racy “Casanova.”

Now he stands to be on the silver screen and public television all in the same month.

First, Fathom Events and BBC Worldwide are having a two-night Tennant extravaganza for family movie viewing.

On Monday, June 16, the 2006 “Doctor Who” episodes “Rise of the Cybermen” / “The Age of Steel” will be shown in movie theaters. The two episodes have been re-edited into one theatrical release. These showings include an extra 20 minutes of bonus content from Tennant himself.

On the second night, Tuesday, June 17, the theaters will show “Wings 3D,” a director’s cut of the documentary series “Earthflight,” narrated by Tennant in his native Scottish accent. The John Downer documentary uses 3-D photography done via microlites, paragliders and octocopters aircraft, videotaping from the heart of the flocks as they migrate.

The film includes snow geese gliding past the Statue of Liberty in New York, the lyrical mating dances of Hokkaido’s snowy cranes and flocks of scarlet macaws darting about in the rain forest. In Seattle, the movies will be shown at Pacific Place and Meridian 16. For a list of other area movie theaters hosting these films, go to fathomevents.com.

Tennant also stars in PBS’ new two-part series “The Escape Artist” on “Masterpiece Mystery!” In it he’s a defense lawyer who runs afoul of a dangerous client.

READ MORE HERE: http://seattletimes.com/html/entertainment/2023841702_davidtennantjunexml.html