Jeremy Northam to play Charles II in Devil's Whore sequel New Worlds

The Tudors star will play a ruthless and unpleasant version of the Merry Monarch in the Channel 4 historical drama

RADIO TIMES

Ben Dowell

10:30 PM, 29 July 2013

New Worlds, Channel 4’s follow up to its acclaimed 2008 period drama The Devil’s Whore, will feature a very unpleasant, tyrannical and brutal Charles II who will be played by The Tudors’ Jeremy Northam, RadioTimes.com can reveal.

“In New Worlds, the restored King Charles II has betrayed his promise of tolerance and is now exerting a tyrannical and brutal rule over his people with torture, hangings, show trials and state terror being commonplace across England,” said Channel 4 of its four-part drama.

Also starring is The Fall’s Jamie Dornan and Games of Thrones’ Joe Dempsie.

Dornan, who played the handsome killer in The Fall, takes on the part of idealistic outlaw Abe in the drama set in England and America in the 1680s.

Dempsie, who stars as heroic blacksmith Gendry in GoT, plays an American colonist opposing the English crown.

The piece has been co-written by Peter Flannery with Martine Brant and is being seen by the boradcaster as a companion drama to Flannery's hit 2008 period piece The Devil’s Whore.

READ MORE HERE: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-07-29/jeremy-northam-to-play-charles-ii-in-devils-whore-sequel-new-worlds

'Broadchurch', 'Doctor Who' lead TVChoice Awards 2013 shortlist Published Monday, Jul 1 2013, 7:01pm EDT | By Sam Rigby DIGITAL SPY

Doctor Who and Broadchurch are among the shows nominated for the 2013 TV Choice Awards.

The shortlist for the awards, which will take place at The Dorchester in London on September 9, also includes nods for E4's Made in Chelsea, Gillian Anderson's The Fall and The Great British Bake Off.

Doctor Who will compete against Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife and Waterloo Road in the 'Best Drama Series' category.

Meanwhile, Broadchurch is up against The Fall, Ripper Street and Mr Selfridge for the title of 'Best New Drama'.

Who newcomer Jenna Coleman has been nominated in the 'Best Actress' category alongside Olivia Colman (Broadchurch), Miranda Hart (Call the Midwife) and Sheridan Smith (Mrs Biggs).

Matt Smith and David Tennant - who will appear together in Doctor Who's upcoming 50th anniversary episode - have both been nominated for 'Best Actor' for their performances in Who and Broadchurch.

Read more: http://www.digitalspy.com/british-tv/s7/doctor-who/news/a494831/broadchurch-doctor-who-lead-tvchoice-awards-2013-shortlist.html#ixzz2Y0hL7S2t 

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Benedict Cumberbatch: Parade's End Footage

(well you have to wait for it a bit - sorry.  It's in here somewhere)

Tarsem Singh revealed | The Boston Phoenix

When I first saw the trailer for Immortals, I wondered how Tarsem's newest film would be misinterpreted.

The mononominal director's work is uniquely open to misinterpretation; he makes films that no one seems to know how to watch. Everyone agrees they're visually gorgeous, but those who dislike them mostly say the same thing: there's no substance. As Richard Roeper put it in his review of Tarsem's second film, The Fall (2006): "It really adds up to a whole lot of nothing."

Empty beauty? Hardly. The Fall amounts to a passionate argument — in fact, the only possible argument — against suicide. It tells the story of an injured man who relates a fantastical story to a little girl in the same hospital. What most synopses miss is that the injured man is trying to trick the child into helping him kill himself.

That twist changes everything that follows: those gorgeous fantasy visuals contain a story as urgent, as serious, as Peter Jackson's in Heavenly Creatures or Guillermo del Toro's in Pan's Labyrinth. "It's my story too," the little girl pleads — which happens to be the only argument anyone can make against someone else's self-destruction.

Interestingly, Tarsem's first film, The Cell (2000) makes exactly the opposite argument in a similar story. The movie was marketed as a girl-meets-serial-killer flick (I'm sure the elevator pitch was "Silence of the Lambs on really good acid!"). Here too, there's a female character — Jennifer Lopez — entering into a man's fantastic private universe, as Lopez uses some best-unexplained tech to navigate the subconscious of a murderer she wants to heal. In this version, though, the man is unredeemed or unredeemable; his story ends by her hands.
At first glance, both movies appear to fall into comfortable genre categories; both transcend them. Taken together, the two films add up to an old question: to be, or not to be?

As for Immortals — the trailer sells it as a 300-esque sword-and-sandal disembowelment fest. But in fact, it may be Tarsem's most intimate work yet.

EPIC INTIMACY A former TV-commercial director — as well as director of The Cell, The Fall, and now Immortals — Tarsem describes his work as “personal.”Advertising art
A little background first. Tarsem Singh Dhandwar: born in India, raised in Iran, schooled in the Himalayas. At 24, he told his father he wanted to study film. His father's response, as Tarsem tells it: "You don't exist anymore."

In the US, Tarsem shed his last two names and went to film school. He first made his bones in advertising — an abased art form if there ever was one. But he's never been ashamed of or apologetic about his work as a commercial director — "I'm like a prostitute in love with her profession," he's told more than one interviewer. Early in Tarsem's career, when David Fincher suggested they work together, Tarsem turned him down. As Tarsem recalled on a panel at WonderCon: "I said, 'I don't think I'm ready. I don't feel like making films, I love advertising, I love music videos, I'll be doing this for another decade and a half.'

"Read the full article at: http://thephoenix.com/boston/movies/130499-director-of-immortals-could-be-hollywoods-mos/#ixzz1fC7utq44

via Aggelik1

Henry Cavill, Luke Evans | 'Immortals' 4 out of 5 stars

The stuff of legend
Immortals

November 10, 2011 by Todd Gilchrist 4.0/5 rating Box Office Magazine

3.0/5 income

Spectacle and spectacular are often confused for one another in stories of epic adventure, but Immortals is the rare film where they are one and the same. Tarsem—a gifted filmmaker who sometimes sacrifices storytelling for visual sumptuousness—lacquers a straightforward narrative to his decadent directorial DNA, producing a genuinely mythic tale of a mortal who becomes a fulcrum between the well-meaning meddling gods and the villainous mischief of man. With any luck the success of its more-superficial stylistic antecedent, Zack Snyder's 300 will rub off on Immortals box office returns, but more likely the flick is poised for cult adulation, not mainstream glory.

Henry Cavill (of TV's The Tudors and our next Superman) plays Theseus, a peasant content to live a life of unassuming anonymity keeping a watchful eye on his mother. His focus is daily survival, not war. But when power-hungry King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) invades his village in search of a weapon of mythical power, Theseus is forced into action-and thankfully he's been trained by an old man (John Hurt) whose true identity is none other than the king of the gods, Zeus (Luke Evans), who long ago swore off outwardly meddling in human affairs. Theseus slowly assembles a ragtag group of allies that include Stavros (Stephen Dorff) and a priestess named Phaedra (Freida Pinto). But when Hyperion obtains the Epirus Bow and decides to use it against his enemies, the gods are forced to decide whether or not to intervene and save humankind from itself.

Given the participation of 300 producer Mark Canton, the muscles, and the ancient Greece setting, it's easy to dismiss Immortals as a superfluous knockoff with more style than substance. But where Zack Snyder's film owes its look to a visceral combination of Frank Miller's iconic source material and the director's own cinematic excesses, Tarsem's film is steeped in capital-A art. Even as he sets up nasty modern fights, The Cell director invokes the staging and detail of classical artwork. The framing is painterly, the colors are vivid and the choreography is mythic. The visuals aren't just "cool," each shot directly serves the story while giving the viewer something memorable—and better yet, emotionally provocative—to grok.

Although I'm a fan of his two previous films, The Cell and The Fall, it's fair to say that in the past Tarsem sometimes actively encouraged his visuals to overshadow his stories. But his use of filters and camera techniques is never an end unto itself—he uses his stunning toolbox to create atmosphere and character. (Audiences looking for Snyder-style speed-ramping will find that Tarsem uses it sparingly, and less as a self-celebratory flourish than an integral—and awesomely entertaining—example of power, prowess and skill.) The result is an irony-free, magnificently epic style, a hero's journey that's transcendent yet populist.

Cavill is in the unusual position of being better known for an unreleased project—Zack Snyder's Man of Steel—than his current ones. But as he defines his career, Cavill showcases the rugged yet refined masculinity that makes him an ideal leading man. And in Immortals, he proves that has the personality and talent to back it up. While his fellow actors are clearly either peasants or superheroes from the start, he transitions from one to the other with naturalness and believability. Looking good even when he's covered from head to toe in oil, he has a commanding presence and an ease with the formalities of the film's necessarily melodramatic dialogue that never sounds self-aware or silly.

Meanwhile, Evans plays Zeus as an unexpectedly tormented ruler who presides over gods who oddly aspire to be men, even as men aspire to be gods. His struggles with how much (if at all) to intervene in the human war, show the need to preserve the order of this mythical world. Meanwhile, Mickey Rourke's intimidating offscreen presence gives Hyperion's maniacal ambition surprising credulity—he's more practical than he is one-dimensionally villainous. And as the priestess Phaedra, Freida Pinto's incomparable beauty slowly reveals a sophisticated, thoughtful female character desperately yearns to discard her hermetic purity and experience the world in all of its messy mundanity.

Immortals shouldn't be mistaken for unwarranted self-seriousness or frivolous pageantry—this is theatrical adventure shot through with a sincere appreciation for myth-making. Though Tarsem doesn't have the cache of a David Fincher or Zack Snyder, his distinctive style has crossover potential if he continues to find projects that marry his ornate, high-minded sensibility to a more conventional story. If the key to immortality is living a life worth remembering, Tarsem is well on his way, because Immortals is beautiful, smart and emotionally engaging—a combination is as memorable as it is entertaining.

Distributor: Relativity
Cast: Mickey Rourke, Henry Cavill, John Hurt, Stephen Dorff, Corey Sevier, Kellan Lutz, Freida Pinto, Isabel Lucas, Alan Van Sprang, Luke Evans, Robert Maillet
Director: Tarsem Singh
Screenwriter: Charles Parlapanides, Vlas Parlapanides
Producers: Mark Canton, Gianni Nunnari, Ryan Kavanaugh
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Rating: R for sequences of strong bloody violence, and a scene of sexuality
Running time: 110
Release date: November 11

via Charley Parlapanides.

Henry Cavill, Luke Evans - 'Immortals'

Tarsem Gets it Right Again with 'Immortals' Review by Best Geek Blog Ever

It’s difficult to put into words how much I have been looking forward to “Immortals”. Tarsem’s The Fall is my favorite movie of all time. The film is lush in both story and sight and features a unique approach to storytelling. Needless to say when I heard Tarsem was making another film (that is enough for me) that was to be set against the backdrop of a swords and sandals epic power battle between gods and men, I was sold.

I immediately starting daydreaming what a movie like Troy or 300 would look like with Tarsem at the reigns and my thoughts filled me with glee. He is a director that has very openly stated that he thinks about what the movie looks like before he starts to put a story together. That probably scares a lot of people but I think he has been successful in doing so three times now so I really don’t let that bother me. I don’t think Tarsem is a household name but I hope Immortals will help with that. In fact, that was actually one of my main concerns going into the film. I was slightly worried that the film would stray away from Tarsem’s visual panache and look more like your typical Hollywood blockbuster. After having seen the film, I am confident that Tarsem fans need not worry. The film very successfully straddles a fine line between typical fair that will draw a lot of new viewers in and still has enough of Tarsem’s DNA in it for his fans.

Theseus is a mortal chosen by Zeus to stop King Hyperion from obtaining the fabled Epirus bow and using it to unleash the titans. Hyperion, played manically evil by Mickey Rourke, has lost faith. After fruitless calls to the gods to save his wife and children from death by disease, he vows to releases the titans against the gods and to use his growing power to declare war on humanity.

Theseus, played by new leading man Henry Cavill, is a peasant who just so happens to have been dutifully trained by Zeus himself. As it states, gods are not to interfere in human affairs. But in this world, that doesn’t count if the gods take on mortal forms while they are on earth. Old Zeus (John Hurt) has watched over Theseus since he was a child, seeing something in him that no other mortal could. It’s the job of young Zeus(Luke Evans) to recruit Theseus. Theseus is thrust into the center of this age old battle after King Hyperion kills his mother. Soon after being captured by Hyperion’s men, Theseus encounters the beautiful virgin oracle Phaedra (Frida Pinto) and slave/thief, and comic relief, Stavros (Stephen Dorff). Together they seek the means to prevent Hyperion from releasing the titans.

The film spends a good amount of time setting up our characters. The first half of the film is filled with gorgeous exposition with a sprinkling of action thrown in for good measure. After learning that the oracles vision shows Theseus and Hyperion in victorious embrace, Theseus sets out to change the prophecy. We learn that theEpirusbow is the only weapon with the power to release the titans from their imprisonment withinMountTartarus. Hyperion will stop at nothing to see the gods fall at the hands of their prisoners. We meet Zeus and a mixing of gods including his daughter Athena, Poseidon and Helios inOlympus. The gods seem to be at an impasse on how to handle the Hyperion situation. I love the godly moments between Zeus and his subordinates. Their costumes are as beautiful to look at as they are.

I adore this film at the moment. I had such high expectations for Tarsem’s return to the big screen. In fact, like most people I have never seen his works in a theater. I didn’t see The Cell or The Fall until they were on home video, a tradition I will no longer keep as long as the man keeps making films. The film is bookended by wonderful Tarsem moments that are very evocative of his wild and vivid imagination. Don’t get me wrong the film is without a doubt his, but there is also a lot for non-Tarsem fans to enjoy. When I introduce non-believers to his work I am usually met with, “Oh this is just a bit too weird!” I doubt folks will say that about Immortals. The action scenes are beautifully choreographed and are high in intensity. Folks looking for action resembling 300 will not be disappointed. In fact, Tarsem takes your typical clash into a new stratosphere. He one-ups Zach Snyder in the speed department. As you’ve probably seen in the trailers gods and titans fight very differently and it’s a wonder to see on screen, especially because he makes you wait for that moment so when it’s time for the god’s to get involved, it’s totally worth it. If you are looking for a non-stop action romp you’ve come to the wrong place, however when the action breaks through it’s incredible. Unlike The Cell or The Fall, there is a very straightforward narrative to Immortals that many may find easier to enjoy than his previous endeavors. Nothing takes place within someone’s mind or told in a fairy-tale.

The production and costume design are breathtaking and gets a Tarsem Approved stamp right across the screen from me. The color palette for Immortals is definitely not as abundant as The Fall but I think they make it work really well. Another thing I noticed is the heavy use of CG in Immortals. CG was not a tool used in heavy rotation on Tarsem’s last two films. In fact, he utilized some nifty camera tricks in The Fall that could easily be confused as CG that were in fact practical. I think he has a good handle on how to effectively use CG elements and blend them with practical effects. The part where you’ll notice the strings is obviously and awesomely when the gods fight the titans. For those who have not seen the flick, do not let the trailers deceive you, this film is violent and extremely gory. You thought there was a lot of fake blood in 300? You haven’t seen Immortals yet. The gods dispatch the titans in a manner you’ve never seen in a movie before. It is wonderful to watch and will leave you wanting more I am sure of that.

My one complaint, and it’s my usual, is that the 3D is a huge distraction when scenes are dark. I think the film looks remarkable in 3D. I’ll give props to Tarsem for knowing where to put those cameras to maximize its effectiveness. However, whenever the moon is up, detail is down. In two specific scenes I removed my glasses completely so I could make out figures. Besides that I would recommend a 3D screening if your like me and will spend the money of the movie was shot natively. I will make the case that Tarsem is a filmmakers whose work lends itself beautifully to 3D. In fact, I wouldn’t mind seeing The Fall in 3D at some point. I believe 3D was a natural progression for him and I’m glad he embraced the tool. If only we could get those light bulbs ramped up a bit more.

I think Immortals really showcases the ability for Henry Caville to be a leading man. It bodes well considering he’ll be Superman next year. This film puts some of my trepidations about that project on the back-burner for now. I also think Mickey Rourke is a wonder to watch on screen. It makes total sense why his Whiplash character in Iron Man 2 was such a huge weenie; he was saving it all for Hyperion. He is a man motivated and that is what makes him dangerous. Stephen Dorff and Frida Pinto round out an excellent ensemble that makes the film so enjoyable to watch to the very end. In fact the last 15 minutes of the film are intense and staged perfectly to a rhythm only Tarsem could create.

My hope is that the name Tarsem will enter a lot of people’s vocabularies for the first time with Immortals and stay around to check out his earlier work. I think the film is fantastic and continues to showcase Tarsem’s unique voice. New fans and old will find a lot to enjoy within the film. Just in time too, he’s got another one right around the corner when he brings some color back into the world with his Snow White comedy adaptation, Mirror, Mirror.


Thank you to Charley Parlapanides!

LUKE EVANS, HENRY CAVILL

Special Preview - Tarsem's IMMORTALS

by Jack Gattanella, Teaneck Movie Examiner
September 2, 2011 -

Tarsem Singh has proven himself as one of a handful of true visionary directors working in the system today. He comes at the material as an artist, not as a commercial work-for-hire, and even on what should be a simple police procedural, 2000's The Cell, he infused a vision of a startling, richly drawn and emotionally harrowing inner-world of a criminal mind. Now, as his follow-up to the underrated The Fall, he goes back to Hollywood with a for-hire project, Immortals, and takes what could be another hack film about Mythological Green Gods and figures, i.e. Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, Hyperon, etc, and makes something truly bold. It's an original story with all of these characters, concerning possession of a sacred and magical bow that could destroy all of Greece (nay, the world), and how the humans interact with Gods and what happens when one of them (Theseus, played by soon-to-be Superman Henry Cavill) makes that ascenscion from mortal to the status of the title.

Singh's film moves elegantly through it's sets and backdrops, some of them CGI and some of them real physical sets, and doesn't hold back on the audience this is intended for. Many will come just hoping for another 300 or Clash of the Titans, as was asked of the speak-preview audience before the film if they had seen, which is just pure spectacle and action. Singh not only gives action, but it's amped up. It's very violent, and sometimes very graphic (a few key moments where the villain King Hyperion, played with usual growling menace by Mickey_Rourke, exacts his harsh power and torture on subjects), and so it's not for the squeamish. All the better: the film's action can be brutal, but it's as much what is shown (and there is blood if one wants it) as the nature of the violence in this world that's depicted. It's a barbaric period in time (around 2000 BC), and the film reflects that.

What Singh adds isn't just the intensity of the violence - though he also does bring to the table a wonderful eye for action, and a great sense of how to edit so it's always suspenseful, but the audience isn't lost in the action - but the extra ingredient of seeing into the visual possibilities of the medium. When the oracle Phaedra (Freida Pinto) sees the future of Theseus, it's a very dark image that comes out more like a painting than a simple cinematographic image. And when he has to show Gods fighting in the sky, it turns into a beautifully insane landscape of destruction (and in 3D this pops out especially, though in general this is the one lackluster flaw to be had). The characters are dynamic, the story is well-paced, the action (as mentioned) is exhilirating, and for fans of the mythological heroes of old their depictions become like modern-superheroes revitilized. It's a serious and seriously entertaining "popcorn" movie that will please Tarsem's fans and those looking for their quota of action.

When it comes out in November, it is a must-see of the Autumn Hollywood season.

Source: examiner.com, @henrycavillufb (Twitter)