DOWNTON ABBEY's Allen Leech Joins Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley in THE IMITATION GAME

VARIETY

Justin Kroll

Film Reporter

@krolljvar

Tuesday, August 27, 2013; 09:08 PM 

Pic is being helmed by “Headhunters” director Morten Tyldum with Teddy Schwarzman’s Black Bear Pictures financing.

Script topped the 2011 Black List and is based on the life story of mathematician Alan Turing, the genius responsible for cracking the German “Enigma Code” during World War II that helped the Allies stave off defeat, and who would later be prosecuted by Britain in the early 1950s for being a homosexual.

Leech will play a Scottish spy for the Soviets who plots against Cumberbatch’s character.

READ MORE HERE: http://variety.com/2013/film/news/downton-abbey-alan-leech-cumberbatch-imitation-game-1200590246/

Tom Hardy to star in The Outsider (SKY NEWS)

Hardy is set to star as an American soldier in 'The Outsider', which will mark the English-language debut of Japanese director Takashi Miike.

The 35-year-old actor - who received the BAFTA Rising Star Award for his role in 'Inception' in 2010 - is rumoured to play an American soldier in the upcoming film, set in post-World War II Japan and following an American expatriate who becomes a Yakuza enforcer (gangster), according to Deadline.com

The epic film - which was originally being developed by Warner Bros. - will mark the English-language debut of Japanese director Takashi Miike and will be based on an original idea by John Linson.

The Andrew Baldwin script was passed over to Silver Pictures last November and is being independently funded. Filming is expected to kick off early next year in Japan.

Meanwhile, Tom is also wanted for a Sir Elton John biopic entitled 'Rocketman'.

read more: http://www.skynews.com.au/showbiz/article.aspx?id=878386

Michelle Dockery: A hot potato for Lady Mary as she takes on new lead role By BAZ BAMIGBOYE (MAIL ON LINE)

Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery is in negotiations to play the lead in the movie adaptation of best-selling novel The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society, set during and after World War II.

Michelle has been offered the role, but there’s no deal in place yet.

But various parties involved hope the actress will be available to start preparing for filming after shooting ends on the fourth series of ITV’s Downton in August.

The movie, based on Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows’s tale of a magazine writer who uncovers the story of a book society, established on Nazi-occupied Guernsey in order to fool curfew patrols, is being directed by Simon Curtis.

Mr Curtis happens to be married to Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle’s Downton screen mother.

Curtis took over as director from Kenneth Branagh, who had planned to make the picture with Kate Winslet.

READ MORE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2314996/BAZ-BAMIGBOYE-A-hot-potato-Lady-Mary-takes-new-lead-role.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

‘Spies of Warsaw,’ Starring David Tennant, Has BBC AMERICA Premiere Date By staff | Posted on Thursday, January 24th, 2013 (BBC AMERICA)

David Tennant in ‘Spies of Warsaw’ (Photo: BBC AMERICA)

David Tennant is back on BBC AMERICA!

The channel has announced that its co-production Spies of Warsaw, the World War II-set miniseries which stars the former Doctor Who star, is set to premiere in the Dramaville block over two consecutive Wednesdays, April 3 and April 10, at 9/8c. The news comes on the heels of the announcement that Part 2 of Doctor Who Season 7 would premiere Saturday, March 30.

READ MORE: http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2013/01/spies-of-warsaw-starring-david-tennant-has-a-bbc-america-airdate/