Roughly translated from Latin, “Veni Vidi Vici,” means “I came, I saw, I conquered.” Usually attributed to Julius Caesar, the phrase reflects the casual brutality, cruelty, and avarice of the onetime Roman Republic and its successor, the Roman Empire. It also implies that non-Romans existed solely to be conquered, their individual and collective fates determined not by their allegiance to Rome and its emperors, but by their conquerors' arbitrary and capricious whims. To live under Roman rule as a subject and not a citizen was to live — and often die — in abject fear of a premature demise. That sense of power, privilege, and entitlement, of ownership over the bodies, hearts, and minds of the non-ruling classes permeates Austrian filmmakers Daniel Hoesl and Julia...
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- 1/26/2024
- Screen Anarchy
Veni, vidi, vici: “I came, I saw, I conquered,” reportedly said Julius Caesar after an especially swift victory. Now, his words echo in Daniel Hoesl and Julia Niemann’s satire about a family so powerful it can get away with murder. Literally.
“Imagine you are above the law. You can do anything. It’s frustrating, because sometimes you want the world to wake up and yet nothing happens. It’s really funny and really sad,” Hoesl tells Variety.
“These people want to be stopped. They leave all these traces, so why does no one speak up? There is more than one Jeffrey Epstein out there.”
Premiering at Sundance and Rotterdam – and produced by Ulrich Seidl for Ulrich Seidl Film Produktion, with Magnify handling sales – “Veni Vidi Vici” takes a closer look at the Maynard clan where “family is everything,” but human life means nothing.
“Our main character always wins. It...
“Imagine you are above the law. You can do anything. It’s frustrating, because sometimes you want the world to wake up and yet nothing happens. It’s really funny and really sad,” Hoesl tells Variety.
“These people want to be stopped. They leave all these traces, so why does no one speak up? There is more than one Jeffrey Epstein out there.”
Premiering at Sundance and Rotterdam – and produced by Ulrich Seidl for Ulrich Seidl Film Produktion, with Magnify handling sales – “Veni Vidi Vici” takes a closer look at the Maynard clan where “family is everything,” but human life means nothing.
“Our main character always wins. It...
- 1/18/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Haydn Gwynne, a stage and screen actor who starred in royal comedy “The Windsors” and also appeared in “The Crown,” died on Friday of cancer, Variety has confirmed. She was 66.
“It is with great sadness we are sharing with you that, following her recent diagnosis with cancer, the star of stage and screen Haydn Gwynne died in hospital in the small hours of Friday 20 October, surrounded by her beloved sons, close family and friends,” her agent said in a statement. “We would like to thank the staff and teams at the Royal Marsden and Brompton Hospitals for their wonderful care over the last few weeks.”
Gwynne made her TV breakthrough in the late 1980s with the drama “Nice Work” before going on to star in other British series including “Peak Practice,” “Merseybeat” and BBC series “Rome” as Julius Caesar’s wife Calpurnia.
But it was her role as cynical journalist...
“It is with great sadness we are sharing with you that, following her recent diagnosis with cancer, the star of stage and screen Haydn Gwynne died in hospital in the small hours of Friday 20 October, surrounded by her beloved sons, close family and friends,” her agent said in a statement. “We would like to thank the staff and teams at the Royal Marsden and Brompton Hospitals for their wonderful care over the last few weeks.”
Gwynne made her TV breakthrough in the late 1980s with the drama “Nice Work” before going on to star in other British series including “Peak Practice,” “Merseybeat” and BBC series “Rome” as Julius Caesar’s wife Calpurnia.
But it was her role as cynical journalist...
- 10/20/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Panera Bread is the latest restaurant chain to latch onto a trendy TikTok meme. It has unveiled its “Roman Empire menu,” which is filled with items its customers “just can’t stop thinking about.”
The Roman Empire meme took off on TikTok after a historical reenactor named Gaius Flavius contended that men think about Ancient Rome more often than the women in their lives might think. A wave of male answers to the question “how often do you think about the Roman Empire?” soon followed. The #romanempire hashtag on TikTok has received more than 1.5 billion views in all.
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A post shared by Gaius Flavius (@gaiusflavius)
The meme seems to be running its course on TikTok, but Panera is keeping it in the spotlight. The delivery-only Roman Empire menu features a Caesar salad (naturally) as well as fan-favorite items like mac and cheese and the cinnamon crunch bagel.
The Roman Empire meme took off on TikTok after a historical reenactor named Gaius Flavius contended that men think about Ancient Rome more often than the women in their lives might think. A wave of male answers to the question “how often do you think about the Roman Empire?” soon followed. The #romanempire hashtag on TikTok has received more than 1.5 billion views in all.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Gaius Flavius (@gaiusflavius)
The meme seems to be running its course on TikTok, but Panera is keeping it in the spotlight. The delivery-only Roman Empire menu features a Caesar salad (naturally) as well as fan-favorite items like mac and cheese and the cinnamon crunch bagel.
- 9/27/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
warning: contains (potential historical) spoilers for Domina seasons 1 & 2
Ancient history is a gift to screenwriters, because you can make up most of what’s going on and still claim to be completely historically accurate. Domina takes full advantage of that to produce what might be the most historically accurate period drama ever made, even though it might not bear any resemblance to the actual lives of the actual people portrayed.
Making a TV show about the ancient Roman Empress Livia is not like making a show about, say, Winston Churchill. If you’re writing a screenplay about Churchill, you’ve got access to letters, calendars, portraits, photographs, recordings, diaries, newspaper reports, memoirs… the list goes on and on. That means you have loads of material to use and adapt for your film or TV show, but it also means it is impossible to be completely historically accurate, because you will...
Ancient history is a gift to screenwriters, because you can make up most of what’s going on and still claim to be completely historically accurate. Domina takes full advantage of that to produce what might be the most historically accurate period drama ever made, even though it might not bear any resemblance to the actual lives of the actual people portrayed.
Making a TV show about the ancient Roman Empress Livia is not like making a show about, say, Winston Churchill. If you’re writing a screenplay about Churchill, you’ve got access to letters, calendars, portraits, photographs, recordings, diaries, newspaper reports, memoirs… the list goes on and on. That means you have loads of material to use and adapt for your film or TV show, but it also means it is impossible to be completely historically accurate, because you will...
- 9/20/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Everyone knows the problem: there’s too much really good TV these days, and not enough time to watch it all. But if you’re a fan of gripping, adult drama that follows twisted, complicated relationships with high stakes, it’s well worth putting aside a few hours of your time to watch Sky Atlantic’s Domina.
Domina is the story of Livia Drusilla, the wife of the first Roman Emperor, Augustus. The historical Livia is a truly fascinating character. Her father fought and died with the assassins of Julius Caesar, she endured a siege with a toddler, then she ended up married for 50 years to the man whose army was on the attacking side in both cases. She had more power and influence than any other woman in Roman history and worked together with Augustus to help him rule, but his reign was peppered with the untimely deaths of multiple family members,...
Domina is the story of Livia Drusilla, the wife of the first Roman Emperor, Augustus. The historical Livia is a truly fascinating character. Her father fought and died with the assassins of Julius Caesar, she endured a siege with a toddler, then she ended up married for 50 years to the man whose army was on the attacking side in both cases. She had more power and influence than any other woman in Roman history and worked together with Augustus to help him rule, but his reign was peppered with the untimely deaths of multiple family members,...
- 9/13/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
The upcoming Broadway production of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ play Appropriate starring Sarah Paulson will also feature Corey Stoll, Natalie Gold (Succession) and Alyssa Emily Marvin (Broadway’s Grey House), producers announced today.
The play, as part of Second Stage Theater’s 45th anniversary season, begins previews Wednesday, November 29 and officially opens on Monday, December 18, at Second Stage’s Hayes Theater.
The darkly comic Appropriate will mark the Broadway debut for playwright Jacobs-Jenkins (An Octoroon), a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist. Lila Neugebauer directs.
Stoll’s New York theater credits include Macbeth, Othello, Julius Caesar, A View from the Bridge and Intimate Apparel. Gold most recently portrayed Rava Roy in HBO’s Succession, and Marvin recently made her Broadway debut originating the role of A1656 in Levi Holloway’s Grey House.
Complete casting will be announced in the coming weeks.
The official synopsis for Appropriate: “It’s summer, the cicadas are singing,...
The play, as part of Second Stage Theater’s 45th anniversary season, begins previews Wednesday, November 29 and officially opens on Monday, December 18, at Second Stage’s Hayes Theater.
The darkly comic Appropriate will mark the Broadway debut for playwright Jacobs-Jenkins (An Octoroon), a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist. Lila Neugebauer directs.
Stoll’s New York theater credits include Macbeth, Othello, Julius Caesar, A View from the Bridge and Intimate Apparel. Gold most recently portrayed Rava Roy in HBO’s Succession, and Marvin recently made her Broadway debut originating the role of A1656 in Levi Holloway’s Grey House.
Complete casting will be announced in the coming weeks.
The official synopsis for Appropriate: “It’s summer, the cicadas are singing,...
- 9/12/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Putting the blackened, flash-frozen heart of Chile’s undead past into a blender, blitzing it to a lumpen pulp and guzzling down the result with grimly comic relish, Pablo Larraín, after his Hollywood forays with “Spencer” and “Jackie,” returns to his home turf and finds it bleeding out from a mysterious two-hole puncture on its neck. “El Conde” — the Chilean director’s uncategorizably bizarre riff on vampire mythos, cronyist corruption and the more mundane horror that is a squabbling family divvying up their patriarchal inheritance while the patriarch is still around — coils itself around an inventively nasty literalization of the idea that the evil that men does lives after them. Those words, spoken over Caesar’s body in “Julius Caesar,” sparked a war that ended a republic. With his iteration, Larraín aims to do his part in delivering a republic instead, bringing his elegantly foul exercise in gallows humor to bear,...
- 8/31/2023
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
MGM+’s new series about King Arthur, The Winter King, is based on a trilogy of novels by well known historical novelist Bernard Cornwell, author of the Sharpe books. Cornwell’s historical fiction is always well-researched. But just how “historical” is King Arthur in the first place?
People have been telling stories about King Arthur for centuries, but historians aren’t even sure if anyone by that name ever existed. Even the earliest stories were told centuries after Arthur would have lived, if he were real. On top of that, of course, there are quite a few elements of those stories that seem… unlikely. Women sticking their hands out of lakes holding swords, that sort of thing. Some dragons. But there are elements of truth to some of the stories, and the historical setting of them is real enough.
The Setting: Post-Roman Rule Political Chaos
Stories about King Arthur usually...
People have been telling stories about King Arthur for centuries, but historians aren’t even sure if anyone by that name ever existed. Even the earliest stories were told centuries after Arthur would have lived, if he were real. On top of that, of course, there are quite a few elements of those stories that seem… unlikely. Women sticking their hands out of lakes holding swords, that sort of thing. Some dragons. But there are elements of truth to some of the stories, and the historical setting of them is real enough.
The Setting: Post-Roman Rule Political Chaos
Stories about King Arthur usually...
- 8/20/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Domina is a British-Italian historical drama series created by Simon Burke. The drama series follows the story of Livia Drusilla (Kasia Smutniak) in the wake of Julius Caesar’s assassination, and her rise to power after she becomes the wife of Emperor Augustus’ wife. So, if you loved Domina here are some similar shows you could watch next.
Troy: Fall Of A City (Netflix) Credit – BBC One
Synopsis: An epic story of love and war, intrigue and betrayal. When Helen and Paris fall in love, they trigger a chain of events that threatens their families and the city of Troy. The myths surrounding the Trojan War are over 3,000 years old but have emotional depths and timeless themes of identity, love, revenge and belonging. Troy: Fall of a City grounds these primal myths in vivid psychological truth and explores the universal questions of human existence- how people battle to retain their...
Troy: Fall Of A City (Netflix) Credit – BBC One
Synopsis: An epic story of love and war, intrigue and betrayal. When Helen and Paris fall in love, they trigger a chain of events that threatens their families and the city of Troy. The myths surrounding the Trojan War are over 3,000 years old but have emotional depths and timeless themes of identity, love, revenge and belonging. Troy: Fall of a City grounds these primal myths in vivid psychological truth and explores the universal questions of human existence- how people battle to retain their...
- 8/19/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
MGM+’s “Domina” actress Joelle goes by one name like Madonna and Cher. She steps back in time this season and into a Roman world, post Julius Caesar as Tiberius’ wife Vipsania.
In the series, Joelle worked with the hair and makeup team to create a look fitting for the show’s themes, death, manipulation and a battle for control over the city.
Through her looks, a story was being reflected.
Speaking with Variety, Joelle, who has appeared in “Dune” and “The School for Good and Evil” says, “In the beginning, Vipsania is at her most innocent, she’s young and in love and hair department head Claudia Catini chose a playful golden red wig for the first three episodes.” Together they collaborated on her evolving look and most importantly how to incorporate the actor’s natural look (the actor was diagnosed with alopecia universalis at the age of 8 and...
In the series, Joelle worked with the hair and makeup team to create a look fitting for the show’s themes, death, manipulation and a battle for control over the city.
Through her looks, a story was being reflected.
Speaking with Variety, Joelle, who has appeared in “Dune” and “The School for Good and Evil” says, “In the beginning, Vipsania is at her most innocent, she’s young and in love and hair department head Claudia Catini chose a playful golden red wig for the first three episodes.” Together they collaborated on her evolving look and most importantly how to incorporate the actor’s natural look (the actor was diagnosed with alopecia universalis at the age of 8 and...
- 8/7/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Los Angeles, Aug 5 (Ians) Actor Mark Margolis, who is known for ‘Scarface’ and ‘Breaking Bad’ has passed away at the age of 83.
The actor’s wife and son were by his side at the time.
Tributes have been pouring in for the late star, who appeared in some of the biggest films and TV series over recent decades, reports Mirror.co.uk.
Paying tribute to Mark, Robert Kolker, his manager since 2007, said: “He was one of a kind. We won’t see his likes again. He was a treasured client and a lifelong friend. I was lucky to know him.”
Mark is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Margolis, his son Morgan Margolis and his three grandchildren, Ben, Aiden and Henry Margolis.
As per Mirror.co.uk, the family plans to host a private funeral and memorial and as requesting donations to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in lieu of flowers.
The actor’s wife and son were by his side at the time.
Tributes have been pouring in for the late star, who appeared in some of the biggest films and TV series over recent decades, reports Mirror.co.uk.
Paying tribute to Mark, Robert Kolker, his manager since 2007, said: “He was one of a kind. We won’t see his likes again. He was a treasured client and a lifelong friend. I was lucky to know him.”
Mark is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Margolis, his son Morgan Margolis and his three grandchildren, Ben, Aiden and Henry Margolis.
As per Mirror.co.uk, the family plans to host a private funeral and memorial and as requesting donations to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in lieu of flowers.
- 8/5/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Mark Margolis, a veteran actor with hundreds of credits dating back to the 1970s but perhaps best known for his Emmy-nominated portrayal of cartel don Hector “Tio” Salamanca on TV’s Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, died Thursday at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City following a short illness. He was 83.
His death was announced by son Morgan Margolis, the CEO of Knitting Factory Entertainment. Morgan Margolis said he and Mark’s wife Jacqueline were at his bedside at the time of death.
“He was one of a kind,” said manager Robert Kolker of Red Letter Entertainment. “We won’t see his likes again. He was a treasured client and a lifelong friend. I was lucky to know him.”
Born on November 26, 1939 in Philadelphia, Margolis briefly attended Temple University before moving to New York City to study acting, first under Stella Adler at the Actors Studio and subsequently...
His death was announced by son Morgan Margolis, the CEO of Knitting Factory Entertainment. Morgan Margolis said he and Mark’s wife Jacqueline were at his bedside at the time of death.
“He was one of a kind,” said manager Robert Kolker of Red Letter Entertainment. “We won’t see his likes again. He was a treasured client and a lifelong friend. I was lucky to know him.”
Born on November 26, 1939 in Philadelphia, Margolis briefly attended Temple University before moving to New York City to study acting, first under Stella Adler at the Actors Studio and subsequently...
- 8/4/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Drake and London rapper Central Cee delivered stellar On The Radar freestyle performances released on Friday.
Hosted by Power 105.1 radio personality and journalist Gabe P, the New York-based platform is known for featuring freestyles by local drill rappers. Drake stopped by On the Radar Radio for his It’s All a Blur Tour and took the mic first, whilst dropping notable comparisons.
“But we know some demon guys with jealous and evil eyes/ You know that’s how Jesus died, you know that’s how Julius Caesar died/ I bet...
Hosted by Power 105.1 radio personality and journalist Gabe P, the New York-based platform is known for featuring freestyles by local drill rappers. Drake stopped by On the Radar Radio for his It’s All a Blur Tour and took the mic first, whilst dropping notable comparisons.
“But we know some demon guys with jealous and evil eyes/ You know that’s how Jesus died, you know that’s how Julius Caesar died/ I bet...
- 7/22/2023
- by Charisma Madarang
- Rollingstone.com
Jd Pardo as Ez Reyes in ‘Mayans M.C.’ season 5 episode 10 (Photo Cr: Prashant Gupta/FX)
FX’s Mayans M.C. season five episode 10 – the series finale – is, hands down, the best episode of the entire series. Amid all the blood and deaths, questions are answered, and dues are stamped paid. Not every character deserves their fate, but every death is, in its own way, justified.
Sons of Anarchy was Hamlet with motorcycles. Mayans M.C. is also a Shakespearean tragedy, complete with betrayals, love, loyalty, and murder.
Season five episode 10, “Slow to Bleed Fair Son,” begins with confirmation that Felipe has died. His funeral is the opening scene, with Angel (Clayton Cardenas) holding Maverick and Ez (Jd Pardo) solemnly staring straight ahead as “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord” is sung.
Sadly, the service has very few people other than Mayans in attendance. When the song ends, Angel and Ez...
FX’s Mayans M.C. season five episode 10 – the series finale – is, hands down, the best episode of the entire series. Amid all the blood and deaths, questions are answered, and dues are stamped paid. Not every character deserves their fate, but every death is, in its own way, justified.
Sons of Anarchy was Hamlet with motorcycles. Mayans M.C. is also a Shakespearean tragedy, complete with betrayals, love, loyalty, and murder.
Season five episode 10, “Slow to Bleed Fair Son,” begins with confirmation that Felipe has died. His funeral is the opening scene, with Angel (Clayton Cardenas) holding Maverick and Ez (Jd Pardo) solemnly staring straight ahead as “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord” is sung.
Sadly, the service has very few people other than Mayans in attendance. When the song ends, Angel and Ez...
- 7/20/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Though franchises dominate nearly every corner of the entertainment industry, they are not invincible. Even the biggest franchises can only survive and thrive for so long. While time is ultimately most franchises’ biggest enemy, there have been times when once-mighty series have been toppled by an entry so bad that they not only sunk the future of those franchises but called into question the validity of their pasts. Many gamers are all-too-familiar with such titles.
In an industry where long development times and massive production budgets inherently put a lot of pressure on many new releases, a failed entry into a major gaming franchise can do a lot of damage. From bad reviews and poor sales to…well, honestly, a lot of games that suffered from both, these are 15 games that ruined once-great franchises.
15. Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
Like the death of Julius Caesar, the fall of the mighty...
In an industry where long development times and massive production budgets inherently put a lot of pressure on many new releases, a failed entry into a major gaming franchise can do a lot of damage. From bad reviews and poor sales to…well, honestly, a lot of games that suffered from both, these are 15 games that ruined once-great franchises.
15. Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
Like the death of Julius Caesar, the fall of the mighty...
- 7/15/2023
- by Matthew Byrd
- Den of Geek
Over the decades, viewers have enjoyed many historical-fiction shows, as it is not just a great way to learn about the subject matter, but the indulgence factor works well in such shows. There is drama, treachery, lust, love, killing, and, most of all, historical accuracy as well. Vikings, Marco Polo, The Tudors, Reign, Downton Abbey, Versailles, and Barbarians are some examples of popular television shows in the historical fiction genre, and all of them have one thing in common: a focus on the politics and the drama of the era. Domina, created and written by Simon Burke for Sky Atlantic (UK and Italy), is about the infamous Roman Empire, which in its early turbulent period was ruled by Augustus Caesar and his wife Livia Drusilla, the protagonist of this show. The power of this woman made sure she and her husband would remain undefeated for a long time.
For your context,...
For your context,...
- 7/10/2023
- by Smriti Kannan
- Film Fugitives
Paramount Pictures "Cleopatra", starring Gal Gadot, is being directed by Patty Jenkins ("Wonder Woman") in a new period biographical drama scripted by Laeta Kalogridis, produced by Atlas Entertainment's Charles Roven, Jenkins, Gadot and Pilot Wave Motion Pictures' Jaron Varsano:
"...'Cleopatra' is the daughter of 'Ptolemy', an ancestor of the leader of the army of 'Alexander the Great'...
"...who became the lover of Rome's 'Julius Caesar' and 'Marc Antony', and a powerful political leader in her own right, before killing herself."
Elizabeth Taylor starred as "Cleopatra" in a 1963 feature.
Click the images to enlarge...
"...'Cleopatra' is the daughter of 'Ptolemy', an ancestor of the leader of the army of 'Alexander the Great'...
"...who became the lover of Rome's 'Julius Caesar' and 'Marc Antony', and a powerful political leader in her own right, before killing herself."
Elizabeth Taylor starred as "Cleopatra" in a 1963 feature.
Click the images to enlarge...
- 5/30/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
In the very early days of prestige television, a series appeared (some say it began the prestige era) that gave us a glimpse of what the future would hold. That series was "Rome," the story of the rise and fall of Julius Caesar (Ciarán Hinds) and the romance and death of Mark Antony (James Purefoy) and Cleopatra (Lyndsey Marshal). The series was gorgeous and full of rich historical detail, and the performances were spectacular.
The series, which ran from 2005-2007, came to us from John Milius, William J. MacDonald, and Bruno Heller. It nabbed talented actors like Hinds, Purefoy, Marshal, Lindsay Duncan, Polly Walker, Tobias Menzies, Kevin McKidd, and the late Ray Stevenson. It won a Director's Guild award, seven Primetime Emmy Awards, and quite a number of others.
The sets were stunning and actually existed in the world, in the historic Cinecittà Studios, right in Rome, from the Forum...
The series, which ran from 2005-2007, came to us from John Milius, William J. MacDonald, and Bruno Heller. It nabbed talented actors like Hinds, Purefoy, Marshal, Lindsay Duncan, Polly Walker, Tobias Menzies, Kevin McKidd, and the late Ray Stevenson. It won a Director's Guild award, seven Primetime Emmy Awards, and quite a number of others.
The sets were stunning and actually existed in the world, in the historic Cinecittà Studios, right in Rome, from the Forum...
- 5/26/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
Thirteen! In incredibly sad news today, actor Ray Stevenson has suddenly passed away at the age of 58. With noteworthy performances in "Thor," "Rrr," and "Vikings," Stevenson may be best known for his breakout role in HBO's swords and sandals epic television series, "Rome." In a time before George R.R. Martin's "Game of Thrones" took to the skies to become the network's flagship series, "Rome" was one of the most ambitious shows on primetime when it premiered back in 2005.
Lasting just two seasons, "Rome" centered around the relationship between two Roman soldiers in the 13th legion of Julius Caesar's army: the steadfast Lucius Vorenus played by Kevin McKidd and the brash, unpredictable Titus Pullo played by Stevenson. Due to its enormous cost, "Rome" came to an abrupt end, but not before amassing a core group of dedicated fans who fell in love with Stevenson's roguish performance as Pullo. Arguably,...
Lasting just two seasons, "Rome" centered around the relationship between two Roman soldiers in the 13th legion of Julius Caesar's army: the steadfast Lucius Vorenus played by Kevin McKidd and the brash, unpredictable Titus Pullo played by Stevenson. Due to its enormous cost, "Rome" came to an abrupt end, but not before amassing a core group of dedicated fans who fell in love with Stevenson's roguish performance as Pullo. Arguably,...
- 5/22/2023
- by Drew Tinnin
- Slash Film
Guillaume Canet’s 2023 adventure comedy Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom is a movie that feels like a breath of fresh air amidst all the tension, drama, and sadness that the film industry has been releasing of late. Based on the world-famous Asterix comics by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, the latest live-action movie stars some of the biggest names in French cinema, including Guillaume Canet, who plays Asterix; Vincent Cassel as Julius Caesar; and Marion Cotillard as Queen Cleopatra, among others. With an exciting adventure and an entertaining group of people, our heroes Asterix and Obelix go through a series of emotions on this journey as they try to save the day. Read on to learn more about this wholesome and light-hearted movie that’ll surely keep you entertained.
Spoilers Ahead
The Princess
It’s been a while since we, the audience, got to see a proper comedy movie...
Spoilers Ahead
The Princess
It’s been a while since we, the audience, got to see a proper comedy movie...
- 5/20/2023
- by Indrayudh Talukdar
- Film Fugitives
There are millions of us who remember the joy of getting a fresh comic of Asterix and Obelix in our hands and diving into the world of rowdy, boisterous Gauls, scheming Romans, magic potions, and a whole lot of fun. René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo’s masterpiece, the Asterix and Obelix series, gets a live-action adaptation of “The Middle Kingdom” comic, and it’s every bit as fun as you’d expect it to be. Guillaume Canet brings us the live-action representation of this joy with his latest adventure comedy, Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom. With fabulous actors, jaw-dropping scenery, amazing representation of various cultures, and side-splitting humor, this movie is all you need for a happy weekend.
In the barricaded little town of Armorica inside Gaul, where our heroes Asterix and Obelix spend their days hunting boars and thumping Roman soldiers, a mysterious carriage driver brings in treasure from a land far away.
In the barricaded little town of Armorica inside Gaul, where our heroes Asterix and Obelix spend their days hunting boars and thumping Roman soldiers, a mysterious carriage driver brings in treasure from a land far away.
- 5/20/2023
- by Indrayudh Talukdar
- Film Fugitives
Gene Roddenberry’s vision of space-age utopia has always been one of idealism and intelligence, of peace and prosperity. From the start, he wanted Star Trek to showcase the best of humanity, confronting modern-day issues and appearing as an aspirational model for society. So, naturally, when it came time to hurl us 300 years into the future, he did it by building on stories from 400 years in the past.
Having cut his teeth writing on early Westerns and police procedurals, Roddenberry wanted to elevate his sci-fi weekly into something more than typical genre television – he wanted to appeal to intellectuals. And how better to appeal to the thinking person than with a library’s worth of bookish influences.
Classic literature was right there in Roddenberry’s original pitch: Captain Kirk was described as a Horatio Hornblower-type, while the show itself was referred to as Gulliver’s Travels in space. His sequel series,...
Having cut his teeth writing on early Westerns and police procedurals, Roddenberry wanted to elevate his sci-fi weekly into something more than typical genre television – he wanted to appeal to intellectuals. And how better to appeal to the thinking person than with a library’s worth of bookish influences.
Classic literature was right there in Roddenberry’s original pitch: Captain Kirk was described as a Horatio Hornblower-type, while the show itself was referred to as Gulliver’s Travels in space. His sequel series,...
- 5/18/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
If you enjoyed Netflix’s docudrama Queen Cleopatra, you might be in the mood for a fully fictionalised dramatization of Cleopatra’s story, or for something else set around the same time period and following some of the same people. If so, we have got you covered!
We’ve given each of these series an “accuracy rating” to indicate how near or far they are to reality, but these should be taken with a bit of a pinch of salt, as a general guideline only. Real life ancient history’s relationship to TV and film versions of it is pretty much the same as the relationship between George Rr Martin’s Fire and Blood and the TV adaptation House of the Dragon. Fire and Blood is a pretend history, and it provides several different versions of events from different sources, with little to no indication which one is the “truth.
We’ve given each of these series an “accuracy rating” to indicate how near or far they are to reality, but these should be taken with a bit of a pinch of salt, as a general guideline only. Real life ancient history’s relationship to TV and film versions of it is pretty much the same as the relationship between George Rr Martin’s Fire and Blood and the TV adaptation House of the Dragon. Fire and Blood is a pretend history, and it provides several different versions of events from different sources, with little to no indication which one is the “truth.
- 5/13/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
NewsCleopatra, queen of Egypt in the years 51-30 BC, is back in the news thanks to a controversial docudrama series on Netflix called Queen Cleopatra. Much debate has raged about her ethnicity.The ConversationCleopatra, queen of Egypt in the years 51-30 BC, is back in the news thanks to a controversial docudrama series on Netflix called Queen Cleopatra. Much debate has raged about her ethnicity. The queen was of Greek ancestry. In the Netflix series she’s played by a black actress. The fuss has provided an opportunity to look at her role in history and how she has been portrayed over time. Historian Toby Wilkinson is an Egyptologist and author of the award-winning book The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt: the History of a Civilisation from 3000 BC to Cleopatra. We asked him to shed some light on the past. Who was Cleopatra and why is she so important?...
- 5/11/2023
- by AjayR
- The News Minute
Episode two of Queen Cleopatra ended with Mark Antony making his entry into Cleopatra’s life after executing her sister Arsinoe. Arsinoe was charged with sheltering the assassins who had murdered Julius Caesar. It was only fitting to get rid of her. With her last sibling gone, Queen Cleopatra, who is essentially Pharaoh, has the full power to rule Egypt as per her wishes. The episode also had Cleopatra visiting Rome with her child with Julius Caesar, Caesarion, whom she had hoped would get public recognition as his son. Unfortunately for her, Caesar was murdered by his people, and she was forced to flee Rome to save herself and her child. What would happen with Mark Antony now in Alexandria?
Mark Antony has been in Alexandria for quite some time. The expert chipped in that he was finding it comfortable around here, now with the power of the eastern side...
Mark Antony has been in Alexandria for quite some time. The expert chipped in that he was finding it comfortable around here, now with the power of the eastern side...
- 5/10/2023
- by Smriti Kannan
- Film Fugitives
Episode one ends with Queen Cleopatra getting rid of her husband-brother, Ptolemy Xiii, and his advisor Pothinus, by killing them, and her sister being made captive by Julius Caesar, who took her back to Rome to put her behind bars. Cleopatra is now pregnant with Julius’s child, and she considers it good news. Meanwhile, she is on the verge of becoming an influential leader, and her affair with Julius Caesar, which resulted in pregnancy, would be the beginning of the merger between two ancient empires.
Cleopatra gives birth to a baby boy, and with the birth of a child, she cements her power over the Roman Empire as well as gives Julius an heir. She is sure Julius would consider her child one of his many heirs. The child Caesarion is a symbol of the bringing together of two powers, which are the Roman Republic and the Ptolemaic dynasty.
Cleopatra gives birth to a baby boy, and with the birth of a child, she cements her power over the Roman Empire as well as gives Julius an heir. She is sure Julius would consider her child one of his many heirs. The child Caesarion is a symbol of the bringing together of two powers, which are the Roman Republic and the Ptolemaic dynasty.
- 5/10/2023
- by Smriti Kannan
- Film Fugitives
The legend of Queen Cleopatra has been immortalized by the Shakespeare tragedy Antony and Cleopatra. Though the story only focused on her beauty and the torrid love the two of them shared, there was more to Queen Cleopatra than being led on. She was an astute politician and a great strategist and diplomat. She has always been reduced to a thing of beauty thanks to Elizabeth Taylor’s portrayal of her, and because of this, for a long time, the world had a face for the most beautiful queen of the ancient world. But was the woman white? And what exactly is the history of the legendary queen?
The Netflix Original mini-series begins with experts talking about how Cleopatra was misrepresented by Hollywood by showcasing her as a white-skinned lady from the ancient world who happened to have ancient Macedonian heritage. It is mind-boggling to understand how a woman of...
The Netflix Original mini-series begins with experts talking about how Cleopatra was misrepresented by Hollywood by showcasing her as a white-skinned lady from the ancient world who happened to have ancient Macedonian heritage. It is mind-boggling to understand how a woman of...
- 5/10/2023
- by Smriti Kannan
- Film Fugitives
Queen Cleopatra is a towering figure in world history who was immortalized by Shakespeare in his tragic play Antony & Cleopatra, a love story of two powerful leaders who succumbed to love and jealousy, or is that what the famous playwright meant through his literature? When we think of Queen Cleopatra, we think of the unmatched beauty of Egypt, who bathed in milk, and we think of Elizabeth Taylor encapsulating the beauty of the Pharaoh in such a way that it is still hard to imagine another actor in the role other than the iconic Hollywood actress. But the new Netflix Original documentary series about the famous Queen of Egypt is not interested in talking just about the doomed love story. Directors Tina Gharavi and Victoria Adeola Thomas tell us the tale of the politician and leader that the Queen was, who managed to stay strong till the end.
The documentary begins with an American professor,...
The documentary begins with an American professor,...
- 5/10/2023
- by Smriti Kannan
- Film Fugitives
Exclusive: The award-winning team behind 9/11: Inside the President’s War Room are to tell the story of the 7/7 London bombings in a BBC docuseries, while the BBC has greenlit a definitive history of Volodymyr Zelensky from the makers of The Elon Musk Show.
7/7: Three Weeks In July [working title] will document the day plus aftermath of one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in British history, which took place in the English capital almost 20 years ago – killing 52 people when three trains and a bus were blown up by suicide bombers.
9/11 director Adam Wishart’s new indie The Slate Works is producing for the BBC. Inside The President’s War Room, Wishart’s 2021 BBC/Apple TV+ co-pro that told the story of the hours after the Twin Tower attacks via interviews with the likes of George W. Bush, won a BAFTA and an Rts Award.
Key players being interviewed for the 7/7 doc...
7/7: Three Weeks In July [working title] will document the day plus aftermath of one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in British history, which took place in the English capital almost 20 years ago – killing 52 people when three trains and a bus were blown up by suicide bombers.
9/11 director Adam Wishart’s new indie The Slate Works is producing for the BBC. Inside The President’s War Room, Wishart’s 2021 BBC/Apple TV+ co-pro that told the story of the hours after the Twin Tower attacks via interviews with the likes of George W. Bush, won a BAFTA and an Rts Award.
Key players being interviewed for the 7/7 doc...
- 5/10/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
One of the guests on "James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction" was George Lucas. In his conversation with the program's host, the creator of "Star Wars" said he feels there are two varieties of sci-fi: science-focused and social-focused. "I come out of anthropology, so my focus is social systems," Lucas explained.
A lifelong lefty, Lucas' politics guide his work. In that aforementioned interview, Lucas confirmed to Cameron that part of his inspiration for "Star Wars" was the Vietnam War — the Rebel Alliance is the Viet Cong and the Galactic Empire is America. In 2005, during the release of "Revenge of the Sith," he summed up the story of the "Star Wars" prequels in an interview with the Chicago Tribune: "Democracies aren't overthrown; they're given away."
During "The Phantom Menace," Palpatine/Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid) orchestrates his rise from Senator to Chancellor. In "Attack of the Clones," when his term limit is approaching,...
A lifelong lefty, Lucas' politics guide his work. In that aforementioned interview, Lucas confirmed to Cameron that part of his inspiration for "Star Wars" was the Vietnam War — the Rebel Alliance is the Viet Cong and the Galactic Empire is America. In 2005, during the release of "Revenge of the Sith," he summed up the story of the "Star Wars" prequels in an interview with the Chicago Tribune: "Democracies aren't overthrown; they're given away."
During "The Phantom Menace," Palpatine/Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid) orchestrates his rise from Senator to Chancellor. In "Attack of the Clones," when his term limit is approaching,...
- 3/19/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
This post contains spoilers for "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania."
If you agree that Jonathan Majors' Kang performance was the best part of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," we've got good news and bad news. The bad news (which you should know if you've read past the above spoiler warning) is that the version of Kang you know and love from this movie looks to be dead by the end (or possibly hiding in the past as Victor Timely). The good news is there are a lot more Majors coming your way in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
This shouldn't be news to anyone who stayed for the zany "Quantumania" mid-credits scene, which showed three more Kangs, then a whole stadium full of additional variants hooting and hollering. However, if that informal Kang pep rally wasn't enough to snap you out of MCU fatigue, "Quantumania" writer Jeff Loveness — who will also...
If you agree that Jonathan Majors' Kang performance was the best part of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," we've got good news and bad news. The bad news (which you should know if you've read past the above spoiler warning) is that the version of Kang you know and love from this movie looks to be dead by the end (or possibly hiding in the past as Victor Timely). The good news is there are a lot more Majors coming your way in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
This shouldn't be news to anyone who stayed for the zany "Quantumania" mid-credits scene, which showed three more Kangs, then a whole stadium full of additional variants hooting and hollering. However, if that informal Kang pep rally wasn't enough to snap you out of MCU fatigue, "Quantumania" writer Jeff Loveness — who will also...
- 2/28/2023
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
With Donald Trump running for president again, and with his Republican rivals preparing to throw their hats into the ring, it is worth asking: how did the wholly unqualified reality TV star defeat sixteen GOP rivals — from governors to senators to CEOs — in his first race for his party’s presidential nomination back in 2016? Was it by besting them on policy? By raising more money? Or was it . . . by taunting and diminishing them with childish nicknames?
Liddle Marco. Lyin’ Ted. Low-Energy Jeb.
The pundits derided Trump for his “use of vitriolic,...
Liddle Marco. Lyin’ Ted. Low-Energy Jeb.
The pundits derided Trump for his “use of vitriolic,...
- 2/27/2023
- by Mehdi Hasan
- Rollingstone.com
Making a movie requires a lot of time, effort, and talent. But more importantly, making a movie requires a lot of money. No filmmaker wants their movie to flop, but none more so than studios whose very existence depends on their releases putting butts in seats. While studios have always put their bets on tentpole movies to produce good profit margins, because of the popularity of superheroes and other big-budget franchises, it seems that studios are putting less focus on smaller films that would ensure they wouldn't suffer too much due to their modest budgets (even if they failed). As budgets have gotten bigger, so too has the pressure for these films to not only break even but to break box office records.
Filmmakers face serious career problems when their movies flop with audiences, as a failure or, worse, a string of failures, could lead to a dream project being squashed.
Filmmakers face serious career problems when their movies flop with audiences, as a failure or, worse, a string of failures, could lead to a dream project being squashed.
- 2/4/2023
- by Joe Garza
- Slash Film
Exclusive: Patricia Heaton‘s potential return to television is taking shape. The multi-camera comedy from Kapital Entertainment starring and executive produced by the Emmy winner, which was set up at Fox in 2021 with a script-to-series commitment, has found its writers. Comedy veterans Carol Leifer and Andy Gordon have been tapped to pen the untitled half-hour, which also has homed in on a premise.
Heaton is set to star as the host of an upscale lifestyle show, sent to prison for embezzlement and tax evasion. She gets out after two years, forgotten and broke, and moves to Tennessee to live with her estranged sister.
Related Story 2023 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming Related Story 'Ancient Empires': Julius Caesar, Alexander The Great & Cleopatra Brought To Life By Latest History Channel Mega-Doc From Ample Related Story 'The Cleaning Lady' Renewed For Season 3 At Fox; Jeannine Renshaw Joins...
Heaton is set to star as the host of an upscale lifestyle show, sent to prison for embezzlement and tax evasion. She gets out after two years, forgotten and broke, and moves to Tennessee to live with her estranged sister.
Related Story 2023 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming Related Story 'Ancient Empires': Julius Caesar, Alexander The Great & Cleopatra Brought To Life By Latest History Channel Mega-Doc From Ample Related Story 'The Cleaning Lady' Renewed For Season 3 At Fox; Jeannine Renshaw Joins...
- 2/2/2023
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great and Cleopatra are to be brought to life in the latest History Channel mega-doc from HBO’s The Invisible Pilot indie Ample.
Three-part premium docu-drama Ancient Empires is being shot in Morocco and is aiming to shed new light on the way that history remembers the three titans of the ages. The trio’s dark sides have always been focused on but Ancient Empires will throw up debates around whether their hallmark attributes were strengths rather than weaknesses.
A cast and crew of more than 300 people have been assembled for the dramatic elements of the battle scenes and CGI has been used to augment the show.
Roel Reine, whose credits include Colosseum and Halo, is director and Ari Mark, Phil Lott and Joey Allen are EPing for Ample Entertainment.
The big-budget show is the latest in History’s mega-doc series, following in the footsteps...
Three-part premium docu-drama Ancient Empires is being shot in Morocco and is aiming to shed new light on the way that history remembers the three titans of the ages. The trio’s dark sides have always been focused on but Ancient Empires will throw up debates around whether their hallmark attributes were strengths rather than weaknesses.
A cast and crew of more than 300 people have been assembled for the dramatic elements of the battle scenes and CGI has been used to augment the show.
Roel Reine, whose credits include Colosseum and Halo, is director and Ari Mark, Phil Lott and Joey Allen are EPing for Ample Entertainment.
The big-budget show is the latest in History’s mega-doc series, following in the footsteps...
- 2/2/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Guillaume Canet’s ambitious 64M euros (70M) production Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom was on track to be the top opener at the French box office on Wednesday, but it remains to be seen whether the film can match the success of its predecessors.
Pathé released the title on 950 screens across France in the biggest theatrical launch of early 2023 for local productions. The mini-major bankrolled the film and is also a producer alongside Alain Attal’s Tresor Films and Yohan Baiada at Les Enfants Terribles.
In first figures for the Paris region, which can be a bellwether for box office performance across the rest of the country, especially for mainstream local productions like Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom, the film scored the strongest opening.
By 2 pm local time, the film had drawn 9,091 spectators in 84 theaters, split between 3,274 admissions on 29 screens in the city and 5,817 admissions in outer Paris.
Pathé released the title on 950 screens across France in the biggest theatrical launch of early 2023 for local productions. The mini-major bankrolled the film and is also a producer alongside Alain Attal’s Tresor Films and Yohan Baiada at Les Enfants Terribles.
In first figures for the Paris region, which can be a bellwether for box office performance across the rest of the country, especially for mainstream local productions like Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom, the film scored the strongest opening.
By 2 pm local time, the film had drawn 9,091 spectators in 84 theaters, split between 3,274 admissions on 29 screens in the city and 5,817 admissions in outer Paris.
- 2/1/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Before "Game of Thrones" took the world by storm with its compelling visuals, extravagant locations, expansive scope, and impressive production value, there was another epic series from HBO that charmed viewers. "Rome" is a historical drama series seen through the lens of two war heroes. Set in the 1st Century BC, it focuses on the events that led to the rise of the Roman Empire following the dismantling of the Roman Republic. The show features a sprawling cast of characters (many of which are based on actual figures from historical records) and vividly depicts life, politics, and warfare in ancient Rome.
The show ran for two seasons in 2005 and 2007, and like "Game of Thrones," it had a massive production budget that cost HBO a lot of money. It was, in fact, much costlier to make than its fantasy successor. And it didn't even have dragons!
Why Rome Was So Expensive To Make
Truthfully,...
The show ran for two seasons in 2005 and 2007, and like "Game of Thrones," it had a massive production budget that cost HBO a lot of money. It was, in fact, much costlier to make than its fantasy successor. And it didn't even have dragons!
Why Rome Was So Expensive To Make
Truthfully,...
- 1/30/2023
- by Fatemeh Mirjalili
- Slash Film
Nothing beats a good villain theme. Yet despite being the world's dominant media franchise, the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn't produced many memorable character themes (I'll defer an explanation to Every Frame a Painting), and there are even fewer villains with a signature leitmotif.
That doesn't mean they don't have unofficial villain songs, though. In a recent interview for the upcoming issue of Total Film, which hits shelves next Thursday, Jonathan Majors revealed he brought his own theme for Kang the Conqueror to the set of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." While director Peyton Reed and star Paul Rudd were listening to '80s New Romantic bands, Majors was getting into the mindset of a conqueror with the rap song "9mm." A track on David Banner's 2008 album "The Greatest Story Ever Told," the song features Akon, Lil Wayne, and Snoop Dogg.
The lyrics are just one part of the sound in "9mm,...
That doesn't mean they don't have unofficial villain songs, though. In a recent interview for the upcoming issue of Total Film, which hits shelves next Thursday, Jonathan Majors revealed he brought his own theme for Kang the Conqueror to the set of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." While director Peyton Reed and star Paul Rudd were listening to '80s New Romantic bands, Majors was getting into the mindset of a conqueror with the rap song "9mm." A track on David Banner's 2008 album "The Greatest Story Ever Told," the song features Akon, Lil Wayne, and Snoop Dogg.
The lyrics are just one part of the sound in "9mm,...
- 1/28/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
French actor and director Guillaume Canet has revealed he is feeling the pressure ahead of the release next week of his ambitious 70M production Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom.
Canet directs and stars in the film as iconic plucky Gaul Asterix in an all-star ensemble cast also featuring Gilles Lellouche as Obelix, Vincent Cassel as Julius Caesar, Marion Cotillard as Cleopatra and Swedish soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimović as Caesar’s bodyguard Antivirus.
The production is Canet’s eighth feature after 2006 breakout Tell No One, 2010 hit Little White Lies, Brooklyn-set, English-language debut Blood Ties and the smaller more personal pandemic-shot film Lui.
Long-time collaborator Alain Attal at Trésor Films produces with Pathé and Yohan Baiada at Les Enfants Terribles.
Pathé will launch Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom on 1,200 screens on February 1. Local media is hailing the release as the biggest film event of early 2023.
Canet has said he...
Canet directs and stars in the film as iconic plucky Gaul Asterix in an all-star ensemble cast also featuring Gilles Lellouche as Obelix, Vincent Cassel as Julius Caesar, Marion Cotillard as Cleopatra and Swedish soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimović as Caesar’s bodyguard Antivirus.
The production is Canet’s eighth feature after 2006 breakout Tell No One, 2010 hit Little White Lies, Brooklyn-set, English-language debut Blood Ties and the smaller more personal pandemic-shot film Lui.
Long-time collaborator Alain Attal at Trésor Films produces with Pathé and Yohan Baiada at Les Enfants Terribles.
Pathé will launch Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom on 1,200 screens on February 1. Local media is hailing the release as the biggest film event of early 2023.
Canet has said he...
- 1/27/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The arrival of "Rome" in 2005 marked one of the most expensive productions of all time for its co-producers HBO and BBC. Its makers had grand plans. Set in the first century Bce, "Rome" would chart Ancient Rome's transition from being a republic to an empire -- while taking us through the assassination of Julius Caesar, and the deaths of Mark Antony and Cleopatra. But the show lasted for two seasons out of a planned five, with about three seasons of story shoved into the second (and final) season. The reason? I've already brought it up -- the budget.
The first season of "Rome" cost upwards of 100 million. That's about 8 million per episode. A lot of that money went toward the incredible sets and the amazing costumes. "Rome" showrunner Bruno Heller, who had the task of planning out the five seasons, told Den of Geek in late 2020 that he was...
The first season of "Rome" cost upwards of 100 million. That's about 8 million per episode. A lot of that money went toward the incredible sets and the amazing costumes. "Rome" showrunner Bruno Heller, who had the task of planning out the five seasons, told Den of Geek in late 2020 that he was...
- 1/25/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
“Inspirations for Kang — Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Julius Caesar. Start there,” Jonathan Majors told us at Deadline’s Sundance studio recently about his influences for playing Marvel’s next giant villain, Kang the Conqueror.
“Counterpoints, which is also important in creating character is to figure out how does he encounter people,” the Primetime Emmy nominee added.
“‘You’re smart, watch out how smart I am. You can look at Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man, that’s the superhero of superheroes, etc.”
“In order to be the super villains of super villains, how do I counter-act that in the zeitgeist?,” explains Majors about his acting discovery process for Kang, “I could write a book on this at this point.”
Majors’ Kang the Conqueror made his debut in the Marvel/Disney+ series Loki. If you haven’t been watching, in the next subsequent phase of the MCU, Kang is the next big baddie after Thanos,...
“Counterpoints, which is also important in creating character is to figure out how does he encounter people,” the Primetime Emmy nominee added.
“‘You’re smart, watch out how smart I am. You can look at Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man, that’s the superhero of superheroes, etc.”
“In order to be the super villains of super villains, how do I counter-act that in the zeitgeist?,” explains Majors about his acting discovery process for Kang, “I could write a book on this at this point.”
Majors’ Kang the Conqueror made his debut in the Marvel/Disney+ series Loki. If you haven’t been watching, in the next subsequent phase of the MCU, Kang is the next big baddie after Thanos,...
- 1/21/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
The Performer | Alan Cumming
The Show | Peacock’s The Traitors
More from TVLineThe Last of Us Episode 2 Recap: For 'Shroom the Bell TollsNCIS: Rocky Carroll on Directing Torres' Action-Packed Undercover Mission, Significance of Upcoming Episode 450Why'd Big Sky Deny Us Any Hook-Ups? Did Feds Trot Out Trope Too Soon? Is a Just Shoot Me Revival Next? More Qs!
The Episode | “The Grand Finale” (Jan. 12, 2023)
The Performance | It’s a rarity that we’re honoring a reality TV host as this week’s top performer, but then again, most reality hosts aren’t the fabulous Cumming.
In Peacock’s new competition series,...
The Show | Peacock’s The Traitors
More from TVLineThe Last of Us Episode 2 Recap: For 'Shroom the Bell TollsNCIS: Rocky Carroll on Directing Torres' Action-Packed Undercover Mission, Significance of Upcoming Episode 450Why'd Big Sky Deny Us Any Hook-Ups? Did Feds Trot Out Trope Too Soon? Is a Just Shoot Me Revival Next? More Qs!
The Episode | “The Grand Finale” (Jan. 12, 2023)
The Performance | It’s a rarity that we’re honoring a reality TV host as this week’s top performer, but then again, most reality hosts aren’t the fabulous Cumming.
In Peacock’s new competition series,...
- 1/21/2023
- by Team TVLine
- TVLine.com
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Series: "Rome"
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max
The Pitch: Ah, what could and should have been. Back in 2005, which is exactly 1000 years ago in the post-pandemic reckoning, HBO pretty much began the era of very expensive, prestige television with the TV series "Rome." This was before streaming and the rise (and fall) of many services with a whole lot of money to burn. "Rome" was incredibly expensive, but it was so good that fans clamored for more. There were supposed to be five seasons, though we only got the first wonderful one and a second, very rushed (but still good) season. Think of it this way; "Rome" had to walk (and get canceled early) so that "House of the Dragon...
The Series: "Rome"
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max
The Pitch: Ah, what could and should have been. Back in 2005, which is exactly 1000 years ago in the post-pandemic reckoning, HBO pretty much began the era of very expensive, prestige television with the TV series "Rome." This was before streaming and the rise (and fall) of many services with a whole lot of money to burn. "Rome" was incredibly expensive, but it was so good that fans clamored for more. There were supposed to be five seasons, though we only got the first wonderful one and a second, very rushed (but still good) season. Think of it this way; "Rome" had to walk (and get canceled early) so that "House of the Dragon...
- 11/19/2022
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
Jonathan Majors has an uncanny comfort when it comes to playing men in uniform.
In his first film role, Scott Cooper’s “Hostiles,” the actor portrayed a 19th-century corporal stationed in New Mexico. In the HBO supernatural horror TV series “Lovecraft Country,” he was a World War II veteran returning home to the monsters of white supremacy. He even portrayed the son of a Ptsd-afflicted, Trump-voting veteran in Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods.”
The military is not only in Majors’ name, it’s in his DNA: His father was in the Air Force. His grandfather served in the Navy.
“I did not serve, but it’s just how I was brought up,” Majors said during a recent interview with IndieWire. “Every man in my lineage, for the most part, who had any real influence in rearing me, with the exception of my uncle, were in the military. If you...
In his first film role, Scott Cooper’s “Hostiles,” the actor portrayed a 19th-century corporal stationed in New Mexico. In the HBO supernatural horror TV series “Lovecraft Country,” he was a World War II veteran returning home to the monsters of white supremacy. He even portrayed the son of a Ptsd-afflicted, Trump-voting veteran in Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods.”
The military is not only in Majors’ name, it’s in his DNA: His father was in the Air Force. His grandfather served in the Navy.
“I did not serve, but it’s just how I was brought up,” Majors said during a recent interview with IndieWire. “Every man in my lineage, for the most part, who had any real influence in rearing me, with the exception of my uncle, were in the military. If you...
- 11/15/2022
- by Robert Daniels
- Indiewire
One might think that Karl Urban starred in his first fantasy role when he played Éomer in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, but that is not the case. Although Jackson's trilogy was Urban's first high-profile fantasy role, the actor kickstarted his career with the role of Cupid in the television series, "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys." He also appeared in the show's popular spin-off series, "Xena: Warrior Princess," in which he played the role of Julius Caesar. Since then, Urban has come a long way in terms of playing key roles in high-fantasy and sci-fi offerings, including "Pathfinder," the "Star Trek" reboots, "The Chronicles of Riddick," and "Doom."
How does Karl Urban approach his roles when preparing for them? In a 1998 interview, right after the success of "Hercules" and "Xena," Urban talked about his approach to characters, which has since developed into a core principle for his work.
How does Karl Urban approach his roles when preparing for them? In a 1998 interview, right after the success of "Hercules" and "Xena," Urban talked about his approach to characters, which has since developed into a core principle for his work.
- 10/11/2022
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
Prolific character-actor David Warner, known for his roles in Titanic and The Omen alongside TV shows such as Twin Peaks and Penny Dreadful, has died. He was 80. Warner’s death was confirmed by his family in a statement to the BBC, revealing that the veteran actor died from a cancer-related illness. “Over the past 18 months he approached his diagnosis with a characteristic grace and dignity,” the statement read. “He will be missed hugely by us, his family and friends, and remembered as a kind-hearted, generous and compassionate man, partner and father, whose legacy of extraordinary work has touched the lives of so many over the years,” it continued. “We are heartbroken.” Born on 29 July 1941, in Manchester, England, Warner trained for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada) in London. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in April 1963, performing in plays such as The Tempest, Julius Caesar,...
- 7/25/2022
- TV Insider
From Bond to Indiana Jones to Game of Thrones, Julian Glover has starred in some of the biggest franchises ever. As he appears with Russell Crowe in Prizefighter, the great actor spills his secrets
‘Ok,” says Julian Glover. “We talk to each other for an hour. And you extract what you want, as long as it’s nice.” We’re sitting in a cafe in Barnes, London, and it is all a little surreal. Glover, now 87, is so vividly recognisable from The Empire Strikes Back, in which he played villainous General Veers, that it’s like teleporting back to the 1980s. In fact, to look at, he seems to have altered almost not at all between starring in 1967 film Quatermass and the Pit and, say, playing the baddie in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade two decades later. What’s more, you would have easily picked him out as Grand...
‘Ok,” says Julian Glover. “We talk to each other for an hour. And you extract what you want, as long as it’s nice.” We’re sitting in a cafe in Barnes, London, and it is all a little surreal. Glover, now 87, is so vividly recognisable from The Empire Strikes Back, in which he played villainous General Veers, that it’s like teleporting back to the 1980s. In fact, to look at, he seems to have altered almost not at all between starring in 1967 film Quatermass and the Pit and, say, playing the baddie in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade two decades later. What’s more, you would have easily picked him out as Grand...
- 7/19/2022
- by Zoe Williams
- The Guardian - Film News
Currently in pre-production Paramount Pictures "Cleopatra", starring Gal Gadot, is being directed by Patty Jenkins ("Wonder Woman") in a new period biographical drama scripted by Laeta Kalogridis, produced by Atlas Entertainment's Charles Roven, Jenkins, Gadot and Pilot Wave Motion Pictures' Jaron Varsano:
"...'Cleopatra' is the daughter of 'Ptolemy', an ancestor of the leader of the army of 'Alexander the Great'...
"...who became the lover of Rome's 'Julius Caesar' and 'Marc Antony', and a powerful political leader in her own right, before killing herself."
Elizabeth Taylor starred as "Cleopatra" in a 1963 feature.
Click the images to enlarge...
"...'Cleopatra' is the daughter of 'Ptolemy', an ancestor of the leader of the army of 'Alexander the Great'...
"...who became the lover of Rome's 'Julius Caesar' and 'Marc Antony', and a powerful political leader in her own right, before killing herself."
Elizabeth Taylor starred as "Cleopatra" in a 1963 feature.
Click the images to enlarge...
- 7/10/2022
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
For much of Robin Hardy’s cult classic of British cinema, The Wicker Man, you would be excused for not realizing you were watching a horror movie. Granted, this cornerstone of folk horror is bizarre from the word go, and more than a few scenes border on the perverse, yet it functionally is not trying to scare you; the movie prefers to madden and intrigue via the mystery of a missing child on a remote Scottish isle. It also infuriates, because the vanished lass’ only hope is our sour protagonist Sgt. Neil Howie (Edward Woodward), a stick in the mud who clearly slept through the 1960s and will now pay for it on an island led by a man who missed the modern world altogether—Christopher Lee’s delightfully learned pagan, Lord Summerisle.
It’s shocking, then, how quickly the film’s dreamy nature changes once Howie and the audience...
It’s shocking, then, how quickly the film’s dreamy nature changes once Howie and the audience...
- 6/23/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
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