News

Bectu Launches Biggest Ever Survey

British broadcasting union Bectu is launching what it is calling its largest ever survey of those working behind the scenes in TV and film. The union is asking workers across the UK’s creative industries about their experiences and views on key issues facing the sector, including pay, employment practices, mental health and wellbeing and finances. The move comes with the freelance workforce in a perilous position, with thousands exiting the sector as they struggle for work and grapple with low pay and poor conditions. Bectu has repeatedly stressed that this is worsening as time goes on. “Creative industry workers are critical to our economy and to our social and cultural fabric,” said Bectu head Philippa Childs. “But data on creative workers is lacking. The freelance nature of the creative industries means that freelancers often fall through data gaps on employment statistics, while without formal employment structures,...

The Artful Dodger has been renewed for a second season. Hulu has picked up the period drama series for eight new episodes, which will follow the events of season one. Production will begin in early 2025 in Sydney, Australia.

Thomas Brodie-Sangster, David Thewlis, Maia Mitchell, Damon Herriman, Tim Minchin, Miranda Tapsell, Luke Carroll, Kim Gyngell, Vivienne Awosoga, Nicholas Burton, Susie Porter, Damien Garvey, Lucy-Rose Leonard, Jessica De Gouw, and Andrea Demetriades star in the series, which is follow up to Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist.

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Natalie Burn Joins Anthony Hopkins In ‘Eyes In The Trees’

Exclusive: Natalie Burn (Til Death Do Us Part) has joined Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Ashley Greene in sci-fi thriller Eyes in the Trees. She will play the role of Marcy, a seasoned military veteran who reluctantly agrees to join former teammates for a final mission. They are dispatched to investigate the work of Dr Moreau’s enigmatic successor, Dr. Addis, a brilliant yet mysterious geneticist. Soon, the team finds their resolve tested as they delve into a world of chilling and dangerous experiments taking place on a remote island. Shooting is taking place on location in Thailand. Burn recently starred opposite Jason Patric and Cam Gigandet in action-comedy Til Death Do Us Part and was in period action flick The Last Redemption, which stars Angus Macfadyen and Kevin Sorbo. She also completed shooting comedy Dashing Through the Snow...

Netflix is developing Barbaric, a TV series adaptation of the best-selling Vault comic, sources tell Deadline. Sam Claflin is set to star and executive produce and Patrick Stewart is attached to star in the project, from A+E Studios and Sheldon Turner and Jennifer Klein’s studio-based 100% Productions.

Written by Turner, with Michael Bay in talks to direct, Barbaric is described as Deadpool meets Game of Thrones for the way it mashes gonzo violence and humor, sources said. Set in a Medieval fantasy world, the series chronicles the journey of Owen (Claflin) – a barbarian cursed to do the right thing – and his talking (and horny) axe (voiced by Stewart) as they unite to take on a great evil.

Sheldon Turner, Jennifer Klein

Turner and Klein executive produce through their newly renamed 100% Productions. F.J. DeSanto and Damian Wassel executive produce for Vault Comics; Claflin,...

Michael Bay is heading to television.

The director, known for his muscular and high-revving big-screen action franchises such as Bad Boys and Transformers, is in talks to direct Barbaric, an acerbic fantasy series based on the best-selling Vault Comics title.

Netflix has picked up the bold-faced series package, which it will develop with A+E Studios.

Sam Claflin and Patrick Stewart are attached to star in the series, which will be written and exec produced by Sheldon Turner, known for his feature credits such as Up in the Air and X-Men: First Class.

Joining the exec producing team are Jennifer Klein, Turner’s partner at 100% Productions, which has a first-look deal with A+E, as well as F.J. DeSanto and Damian Wassel of Vault Comics. Claflin will also exec produce via his production company Cusp Films and the company’s Luke Carroll and Michael Stevenson. Barry Jossen and Tana Jamieson of...

Production has begun on a second season of “Scrublands,” the Australian crime thriller series starring Luke Arnold (“Black Sails”) and Bella Heathcote.

With action set a year after the events of the first season, award-winning investigative journalist Martin Scarsden (Arnold) has returned to his coastal hometown, Port Silver, in Western Australia, to set up a new life with partner Mandy Bond (Heathcote). When he arrives to find his childhood friend Jasper brutally murdered and Bond the prime suspect, Scarsden struggles with doubts – about Bond and about his own ability to recognize the truth. As he pushes forward to find the real murderer and absolve Bond, Scarsden confronts secrets about Port Silver and his long-buried past.

The series is directed by Ben Young and written by Felicity Packard, Fiona Kelly and Jock Serong. It is based on “Silver,” the best-selling novel by Chris Hammer that is a sequel to the author’s “Scrublands” title.

Exclusive: Luke Carroll (The Artful Dodger), Debra Lawrance (Please Like Me) and David Roberts (Please Like Me) are among the new stars of Australian drama Scrublands, which is gearing up for its second season on Stan and 9 Network.

Also starring alongside returning leads Luke Arnold and Bella Heathcote in Scrublands: Silver are Tasma Walton (The Twelve), Luke Pegler (Hacksaw Ridge), Caroline Brazier (Year Of), Joel Jackson (Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door), Toby Truslove (La Brea), Sarah Roberts (Home and Away), Hamish Michael (The Twelve), Radek Jonak (The Surfer) and Damian De Montemas (Hounds of Love).

Above you can see an exclusive first-look image of season 2, with filming now underway in Augusta, Western Australia.

The season is being adapted from author Chris Hammer’s novel ‘Silver’, and here are some new plot details: A year after the life changing events of season 1, investigative journalist Martin Scarsden (Arnold...

The Artful Dodger is coming soon to Hulu, and viewers are getting another look at the drama series based on the work of Charles Dickens. The streaming service has released a new trailer and poster for the series.

Starring Thomas Brodie-Sangster, David Thewlis, Maia Mitchell, Damon Herriman, Tim Minchin, Miranda Tapsell, Luke Carroll, Kim Gyngell, Vivienne Awosoga, Nicholas Burton, Susie Porter, Damien Garvey, Lucy-Rose Leonard, Jessica De Gouw, and Andrea Demetriades, the series is set in 1850s Australia and follows the life of an adult Jack Dawkins, aka the Artful Dodger from Dickens' 1838 novel, Oliver Twist.

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"This isn't London, Jack. There's nowhere to hide..." Hulu has revealed the official trailer for The Artful Dodger, a spin on Charles Dickens' classic story Oliver Twist. Set in 1850s Australia the series follows adult double life of Charles Dickens' famous prince of thieves Dodger, now a surgeon, but who can't shake his predilection for crime. Dodger's past returns to haunt him with the arrival of Fagin, who wants to lure him back into a world of crime. And an even greater threat — to Dodger's heart — is Lady Belle Fox (as played by Maia Mitchell), the Governor's daughter, who is determined to become the colony’s first female surgeon. The series stars talented young actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Jack Dawkins, with David Thewlis (looking grimy), Damon Herriman, Tim Minchin, Miranda Tapsell, Luke Carroll, Kim Gyngell, Vivienne Awosoga, and Nicholas Burton. It looks quite fun, a pick-pocket series about thieves getting back together,...

"If you have any ambition, then you have you fight for it." Hulu has revealed the first teaser trailer for a series called The Artful Dodger, a spin on Charles Dickens' classic story Oliver Twist, this time down in Oz. Set in 1850s Australia the series follows adult double life of Charles Dickens' famous prince of thieves Dodger, now a surgeon, but who can't shake his predilection for crime. Dodger's past returns to haunt him with the arrival of Fagin, who wants to lure him back into a world of crime. And an even greater threat — to Dodger's heart — is Lady Belle Fox (played by Maia Mitchell), the Governor's daughter, who is determined to become the colony’s first female surgeon. Starring talented young actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Jack Dawkins, along with David Thewlis, Damon Herriman, Tim Minchin, Miranda Tapsell, Luke Carroll, Kim Gyngell, Vivienne Awosoga, and Nicholas Burton. This actually looks quite good,...

The Artful Dodger is set to arrive in November, and viewers are getting another look at the eight-episode series ahead of its premiere. Hulu has released a trailer and new key art for the historical series based on the adult life of the popular character from the Oliver Twist novel by Charles Dickens.

Starring Thomas Brodie-Sangster, David Thewlis, Maia Mitchell, Damon Herriman, Tim Minchin, Miranda Tapsell, Luke Carroll, Kim Gyngell, Vivienne Awosoga, Nicholas Burton, Susie Porter, Damien Garvey, Lucy-Rose Leonard, Jessica De Gouw, and Andrea Demetriades, the series follows an adult Jack Dawkins in 1850s Australia.

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The Artful Dodger has a premiere date. The new Hulu series, inspired by the character in Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist novel, will arrive in November, and first-look photos have been released.

Starring Thomas Brodie-Sangster, David Thewlis, Maia Mitchell, Damon Herriman, Tim Minchin, Miranda Tapsell, Luke Carroll, Kim Gyngell, Vivienne Awosoga, Nicholas Burton, Susie Porter, Damien Garvey, Lucy-Rose Leonard, Jessica De Gouw, and Andrea Demetriades, the series follows the double life of the adult Jack Dawkins in 1850s Australia. Eight episodes were produced.

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Any digital artist well-versed in motion capture technology knows that a successful session relies on the performance of the actor. Donavon Stinson has been a witness and participant in the journey of motion capture since its explosion in popularity starting at the turn of the millennium, acting in an extensive list of film and video game productions that includes "District 9," "The Lord of the Rings" video games, and the "Mass Effect" series. The actor's live-action credits include Lifetime series "UnREAL," Shudder's zombie comedy "Dead Shack," and Nickelodeon's revival of "Are You Afraid of the Dark?", among others.

I got the opportunity to talk with Stinson about his career, covering how much work goes into mo-cap performances, how filmmakers and creative directors work with actors on motion capture sets, and how the technology is ever-evolving. The discussion made it clear that acting for motion capture is a lot more...

Well, I’ve now got “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two” stuck in my head, and you are about to as well.

Onetime Maze Runner Thomas Brodie-Sangster has landed the title role in The Artful Dodger, Disney+’s period drama set in 1850s Australia and serving up “a twist to the classic Charles Dickens character” (aka Jack Dawkins).

More from TVLineGood Trouble Stars, EP Explain Those Two Big Exits and What Their Final Scene Hints at for [Spoiler]'s FutureGood Trouble Stars on Davia's Decision, Callie and Jamie's Meaningful MomentTVLine Items: Man Who Fell to Earth Castings,...

Disney+ has announced the cast of the Disney+ Australian original series ‘The Artful Dodger,’ which includes Thomas Brodie-Sangster.

Brodie-Sangster, David Thewlis (“Landscapers,” “Fargo”) and Maia Mitchell lead the stellar cast, with Brodie-Sangster taking on the role of “Jack Dawkins” aka “The Artful Dodger,” Thewlis as “Fagin” and Mitchell as “Lady Belle Fox.”

The series is a character drama set in 1850s Australia and is a much-loved story with a twist. Across eight episodes the scripted series explores the adult double life of Charles Dickens’ famous prince of thieves – Dodger – now a surgeon, but who can’t shake his predilection for crime. From high-octane heists to life-and-death surgeries, glittering parties to colourful streets, this series is a rock’n’roll tale with an Aussie connection.

Also in news – Scarlett Johansson set to star in Amazon limited series ‘Just Cause’

The cast includes an incredible line-up of Australian talent, featuring Damon Herriman), Miranda Tapsell,...

Click here to read the full article.

Disney+ unveiled the starring cast of its upcoming Australian period drama The Artful Dodger Wednesday at its Asia-Pacific content showcase event in Singapore. Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Pistol, The Queen’s Gambit), David Thewlis (Landscapers, Fargo) and Australian actress Maia Mitchell (Good Trouble, The Fosters) will lead the cast, with Brodie-Sangster taking on the role of Jack Dawkins, aka “The Artful Dodger” himself, Thewlis playing Fagin and Mitchell as Lady Belle Fox.

The Artful Dodger, which was first announced in May, is described as an international character-driven drama set in 1850s Australia, which gives a twist to the classic Charles Dickens character, Dodger. The eight-episode series finds Dodger living a double life as a surgeon who still can’t shake his predilection for crime.

“From high-octane heists to life-and-death surgeries, glittering parties to colorful streets, this series is a rock’n’roll tale with an Aussie connection,...

Thomas Brodie-Sangster, David Thewlis and Australia’s Maia Mitchell head the cast of “The Artful Dodger,” an Australian series for Disney+ that is now beginning production. The series explores the adult double life of Charles Dickens’ famous prince of thieves, Dodger, who has become a surgeon, but retains criminal tendencies.

Disney unveiled the eight-part show at its Content Showcase in Singapore on Wednesday. It was pitched as “a premium character drama set in 1850s Australia and as “a rock’n’roll tale with an Aussie connection,” spanning “high-octane heists to life-and-death surgeries [and] glittering parties to colorful streets.”

Jeffrey Walker is the set-up director and co-executive producer, with directors Corrie Chen and Gracie Otto. The series is written by James McNamara, Andrew Knight, Vivienne Walshe and Dan Knight, with Miranda Tapsell.

It will be filmed in New South Wales, Australia, with financial support provided by the state government through Screen Nsw’s Made in Nsw fund.

Exclusive: Interactive story app Weirdwood Manor is being adapted as an animated movie titled Shadowrail Circus, which The Exchange is launching sales on this week during the virtual AFM.

The project follows fourteen-year-old Lettie Donough who unknowingly unlocks her dormant magical abilities and is thrust into the wondrous world of the Shadowrail Circus — a troupe of fantastical performers led by a magnificent Trackdragon. Pursued by a sorcerous Pirate Queen, Lettie must learn to survive the perilous Tracklands and discover her family’s dark legacy.

Currently in production and casting in Canada, the film is being directed by Luke Minaker, produced by Paul Pattison, and executive-produced by Luke Carroll (The Willoughbys). Production company is Relish Studios in association with Wasabi Entertainment.

Weirdwood Manor first launched in 2015 as an interactive story app with more than one million downloads. It has since been expanded by Macmillan Publishing as a three-book middle-grade novel series,...

Production in and around Sydney, Australia has started on “Preppers,” a comedy series about the end of the world.

Directed by Steven McGregor (“Black Comedy”), “Preppers” follows a young Aboriginal woman whose world crumbles around her after experiencing a personal, cataclysmic event. Escaping the fallout, she finds herself at the center of a mismatched community of doomsday preppers.

“Preppers” stars Nakkiah Lui who also co-wrote the series with Gabriel Dowrick.

Penny Smallacombe, head of the First Nations Department at Screen Australia said: “Nakkiah Lui has a track record of creating boundary-pushing comedy and we’re proud to support her and the rest of the talented creative team in bringing this hilarious and clever series to life. Who doesn’t need a few lessons in Prepping!”

The show is a Porchlight Films production in association with Spirit Pictures. The series producer is Sylvia Warmer, with Porchlight’s Liz Watts and the...

ABC doomsday comedy Preppers has started filming in Sydney, with the six-part series set to air later this year.

Directed by Steven McGregor, Preppers follows Charlie (Nakkiah Lui), a young Aboriginal woman whose world crumbles around her after experiencing a personal, cataclysmic event.

Escaping the fallout, Charlie finds herself at the centre of a hilariously mismatched community of doomsday preppers.

Written by Lui and Gabriel Dowrick, the cast includes Ursula Yovich, Chum Ehelepola , Meyne Wyatt, Aaron McGrath, Eryn Jean Norvill, Jack Charles, Grant Denyer, Christine Anu, Miranda Tapsell, Brooke Satchwell, Luke Carroll and singer Kate Miller-Heidke.

Preppers is a Porchlight Films production, in association with Spirit Pictures. Sylvia Warmer produces, with Liz Watts executive producing alongside Margaret Ross from the ABC.

Backers include Screen Australia’s First Nations Department, while there has also been a major production investment from the ABC, in association with Screen Nsw.

Lui and Dowrick, a wife and husband team,...

This marks the fourth year that the entire membership of the academy can take part in the nomination stage of the Animated Feature Oscar race. Previously, only select members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch and invited members from the other branches could serve on the committee that decided the nominees. Collectively, the committee tended to favor traditional and stop-motion films over CG fare. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2021 Oscars predictions for Best Animated Feature.)

Mandatory attendance at screenings has been dropped and voters who want to be on the nominations committee need only attest to having seen all the contenders at theaters or screenings or by way of the the academy’s streaming site.

And the method of determining the nominees has been changed. Gone is the system where voters scored a film from 6 (poor) to 10 (excellent) with only those movies meriting an average mark of...

With The Willoughbys, writer/director Kris Pearn adapted a beloved children’s book of the same name by Lois Lowry, looking to be as faithful as possible to the “subversive” nature of her story, while bringing to it his own personal touch.

Pearn’s second feature, following 2013’s Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, centers on the Willoughby children, who grew up with parents who could not be more disinterested in them. Exploring the sometimes-wide gap between the families we’re born into and those we choose, it watches as the kids send their selfish guardians off on vacation, setting off on a globetrotting adventure and forging new connections.

In conversation with Deadline, Pearn breaks down his narrative and visual approach to the feature—which debuted on Netflix last April—a clever, darkly comedic parable, through which he hoped to say “something real.”

Deadline: How did you come to direct The Willoughbys?...

"Henchmen" is the Bron Studios, CG animated comedy feature, directed by Adam Wood, starring Thomas Middleditch, James Marsden, Rosario Dawson and Alfred Molina, produced by Brenda Gilbert, Luke Carroll and Aaron L. Gilbert, releasing on digital and VOD, October 9, 2020:

"...a fallen henchman named 'Hank' leads 'Lester' and two others, called the 'Union of Evil"...

"...who must prevent 'Baron Blackout' from dominating the world. The crew are assigned to the 'Vault of Villainy'...

"...where Lester accidentally steals the ultimate weapon..."

Click the images to enlarge...

Vertical Entertainment has obtained U.S. distribution rights to Henchmen, the Bron Animation action comedy featuring the voices of Thomas Middleditch, James Marsden and Rosario Dawson. Adam Wood wrote and directed the pic, which marked his feature-length directorial debut. Based on a story by Jay D. Waxman and Wood, the film will be available on digital platforms October 9.

Here is the synopsis: In a world of super-villains, evil schemes and global domination, someone has to take out the trash. Welcome to the world of Henchmen, third class. When Lester (Middleditch), a fresh-faced recruit, joins the Union of Evil, he is assigned to a motley crew of blue-collar workers led by fallen henchmen Hank. But when Lester accidentally steals a super-villain’s ultimate weapon, Hank must break his risk-nothing code to save the boy he’s befriended, even if it means becoming the one thing he has always avoided: a hero.

Ben Mortley, Jaclyn Hewer and Antony Webb.

Writer-director Antony Webb and producer Jaclyn Hewer’s Carmentis has won the $5,000 CinefestOz Short Film Prize.

It’s the first year the festival has presented shorts awards, with Carmentis beating out Carrie’s Doing Great, I Want to Make a Film About Women and The Immortal for the top gong.

The sci-fi short follows a grief-stricken miner (Ben Mortley) who finds himself injured on the desolate planet ‘Carmentis’ and must overcome his personal demons in order to survive. It was previously selected for the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, and recently screened as part of Fantasia Festival.

“We are so proud to have won the first inaugural short film prize,” Webb and Hewer said.

“CinefestOZ is a festival that has become an essential part of the fabric for the Australian screen industry and we couldn’t be more excited to accept such a prestigious award.

Tim Minchin and Milly Alcock in ‘Upright’

Lingo Pictures’ dramedy Upright starring Tim Minchin and Milly Alcock will premiere on Fox Showcase on Sunday December 1 at 8.30 pm.

The first co-commission between Foxtel and the UK’s Sky TV, the eight-parter will debut in the UK on Sky Atlantic and streaming service Now TV on November 28.

Created by The Chaser’s Chris Taylor and directed by Matt Saville, the series follows two misfits who meet by chance in the middle of the desert and form a bond in their quest to get a piano from one side of the country a to the other.

When Minchin’s family outcast Lucky Flynn learns that his mother is dying, he decides to drive to the other side of Australia to see her, packing nothing but an upright piano for the journey.

His plans are turned upside down when he meets the rogue teenager...

Deborah Mailman and Rachel Griffiths.

Blackfella Films’ Black B*tch (working title), a six-part drama for the ABC revolving around high stakes ambition, betrayal and treachery in the nation’s capital, started shooting today.

Directed by Rachel Perkins, the series stars Deborah Mailman as Alex Irving, a charismatic and contradictory Indigenous woman who is thrust into the national limelight after a horrific event.

Rachel Griffiths co-stars as Australia’s embattled Prime Minister Rachel Anderson, who, seeing a publicity goldmine for her party, makes her a captain’s pick for the Senate.

But Alex wants to be more than just a political stunt: she wants to make a difference. So after Alex is betrayed by the Pm she sets out for revenge that will send the political establishment into meltdown.

The supporting cast includes Harry Richardson, William McInnes, Aaron Pedersen, Rob Collins, Anthony Hayes, Celia Ireland, Trisha Morton-Thomas, James Sweeny, David Roberts,...

Milly Alcock and Tim Minchin.

Lingo Pictures’ eight-part series Upright, starring Tim Minchin and Milly Alcock, has kicked off production in South Australia.

Joining the actors in the Foxtel/Sky UK series are Heather Mitchell, Daniel Lapaine, Ella Scott Lynch, Daniel Frederiksen, Kate Box, Ningali Lawford, Sachin Joab, Luke Carroll and Rob Collins.

Created by The Chaser’s Chris Taylor, Upright follows Flynn (Minchin), a gifted pianist whose talent for music is matched only by his talent for self-destruction. When he learns that his mother has only days left to live, Lucky sets off in a hire car to drive the 4000 kilometres from Sydney to Perth to say goodbye to her, taking with him his only cherished possession in the world – a battered and scarred upright piano. But what should have been a straightforward drive across the Nullarbor soon becomes a test of Lucky’s emotional fitness, when he (quite...

Ricky Gervais will narrate Bron Animation's upcoming feature The Willoughbys, based on the children's book of the same name by Lois Lowry.

Written and directed by Kris Pearn (Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2) and co-directed by Cory Evans, the film is in preproduction at Bron's studio in Burnaby, B.C. Bron's Brenda Gilbert, Aaron L. Gilbert and Luke Carroll are producing. Gervais is an exec producer.

Published in 2010, the book follows the four Willoughby children, who are abandoned by their oblivious parents and must learn how to adapt their old-fashioned values to the ...

Ricky Gervais will narrate Bron Animation's upcoming feature The Willoughbys, based on the children's book of the same name by Lois Lowry.

Written and directed by Kris Pearn (Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2) and co-directed by Cory Evans, the film is in preproduction at Bron's studio in Burnaby, B.C. Bron's Brenda Gilbert, Aaron L. Gilbert and Luke Carroll are producing. Gervais is an exec producer.

Published in 2010, the book follows the four Willoughby children, who are abandoned by their oblivious parents and must learn how to adapt their old-fashioned values to the ...

Exclusive: Vancouver-based Bron Animation has acquired animated film rights to children’s book The Willoughbys by Newbery Award-winning author Lois Lowry.

Bron Animation president Brenda Gilbert made the announcement on Saturday.

The story follows the four Willoughby children who are abandoned by their oblivious parents and must learn how to adapt their old-fashioned values to the contemporary world in order to create the modern family.

Kris Pearn will adapt the screenplay for co-writer Adam Wood to direct.

The film is in pre-production at Bron’s studio in Burnaby, British Columbia. Bron’s Aaron L Gilbert and Luke Carroll will produce.

From Nicole Kidman on a BMX to Collingwood on the big screen, our pick of the best sport films

1) Save Your Legs

There are a couple of pretty fail-safe ways to stop a conversation dead in its tracks, but one of the best is to try and convince someone that they need to go and see an Australian movie. If that Australian movie happened to be about a cricket team, it wouldn't be out of the question to suggest that your co-conversationalist might just turn and walk at pace. Which brings us to Save Your Legs, surely one of the least-loved Australian films of recent times and with no good reason; this film is actually half-decent.

It's quite admirable that an Australian filmmaker would multiply their odds of failure by making a film like this one. We're often told that cricket is the sport with the richest and most voluminous literary canon,...

Described as Australia's answer to Harold and Kumar, as well as Cheech And Chong, and also Australia's first indigenous comedy feature film, Stone Bros stars Aboriginal actors Luke Carroll and Leon Burchill, and is directed by Richard J Frankland. The movie was released in Australian cinemas in September, 2009 and is now making its debut in the USA, via iTunes, as I've been informed. Previously profiled on this blog, the synopsis for the pot-fueled road-trip reads: Sick of the city life and their dead end jobs, primo-stoner Charlie and his up-tight cousin Eddie decide it's time to reconnect with their homegrown roots. Taking off in a beat-up Ford they spark it...

Celebrating achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, Sbs will again broadcast The 2012 Deadly Awards on Sunday 30 September at 9.30pm on Sbs One.

The announcement:

Sbs is once again proud to be the exclusive host broadcaster of The 2012 Deadly Awards®. Held at the Sydney Opera House, the awards applaud excellence in all areas of the Indigenous community from health, education, employment and cultural advancement to music and the arts.

The Deadlys® showcase the outstanding achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and provide identifiable national and local role models to inspire all Australians, particularly young people.

The Deadlys® also play a major role in showcasing Indigenous talent in the Australian music scene.

In fact, The Deadlys® have it all – glamour, humour, music and fun, complete with fashion divas, footy legends, Olympic athletes, pop princesses and circus performers!

The awards also have a serious side as they pay respect to sporting...

This actually might not be a terrible movie, so why do they go out of their way to make it sound like it will be? (emphasis mine) For immediate release: All Star Voice Cast Lines Up For Animated Family Feature Escape From Planet Earth Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Alba, Rob Corddry, James Gandolfini and Craig Robinson Provide The Character Voices In This Fun-Filled Alien Break-Out Tale New York, NY August 2, 2011 – The Weinstein Company (TWC) and Rainmaker Entertainment announced today the all-star voice cast for Escape From Planet Earth which includes Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Alba, Rob Corddry, James Gandolfini and Craig Robinson. The 3D animated family comedy is currently in full production. The announcement was made today by Donna Gigliotti, TWC’s President of Production, and Catherine Winder, President and Executive Producer, Rainmaker Entertainment. Both Gigliotti and Winder serve as producers on the animated feature film.

The 3D animated film, Escape from Planet Earth from The Weinstein Co. has announced it's voice cast. The film is being directed by Cal Brunker and has an all-star cast that includes, Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Alba, Rob Corddry, James Gandolfini and Craig Robinson. Keep reading for all of the details about this film.

Here is the official press release:

The Weinstei Company (TWC) and Rainmaker Entertainment announced today the all-star voice cast for Escape From Planet Earth which includes Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Alba, Rob Corddry, James Gandolfini and Craig Robinson. The 3D animated family comedy is currently in full production.

The announcement was made today by Donna Gigliotti, TWC’s President of Production, and Catherine Winder, President and Executive Producer, Rainmaker Entertainment. Both Gigliotti and Winder serve as producers on the animated feature film.

Escape From Planet Earth is directed by Cal Brunker, best...

I could’ve sworn this was some sort of sequel to 2009′s “Planet 51″. The aliens look pretty much the same and when I looked it up, well, it’s not I think. But nevertheless, another family aimed animated alien film is coming to theaters and as with any kiddie flick in this day and age, it’s sure to make tons of moolah at the box office. And is it just me, or do the guys chasing the aliens look like the same characters from “Monster’s Inc.”? Anyhoo, The Weinstein Company has announced the voice cast for “Escape From Planet Earth” which includes Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Alba, Rob Corddry, James Gandolfini and Craig Robinson. The 3D film is already in production. “Escape From Planet Earth” is directed by Cal Brunker, best known for his work on the animated feature films “Despicable Me”, “9″ and “Horton Hears A Who!

New York, NY August 2, 2011 – The Weinstein Company (TWC) and Rainmaker Entertainment announced today the all-star voice cast for Escape From Planet Earth which includes Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Alba, Rob Corddry, James Gandolfini and Craig Robinson. The 3D animated family comedy is currently in full production. The announcement was made today by Donna Gigliotti, TWC’s President of Production, and Catherine Winder, President and Executive Producer, Rainmaker Entertainment. Both Gigliotti and Winder serve as producers on the animated feature film. Escape From Planet Earth is directed by Cal Brunker, best known for his work on the animated feature films Despicable Me, 9 and Horton Hears A Who! Producers Gigliotti and Winder are joined by Rainmaker’s Luke Carroll as a producer on the film. TWC Co-Chairmen Bob and Harvey Weinstein are executive producers. The film was written by Cal Brunker and Bob Barlen based on an original screenplay by Tony Leech and Cory Edwards.

Exclusive: You remember Brendan Fraser, right? Whose movie career has been in the witness protection program since CBS Films' Extraordinary Measures and hasn't had a major hit since 2008's Journey To The Center Of The Earth 3D and The Mummy 3. But whose roles remain as eclectic as anyone's in Hollywood? Well, he hasn't changed his ways even though he's been absent from the box office recently. Fraser will star in what's being billed to me as a "sweeping epic historical drama" that starts production in Toronto in August. Four Kings is set against the French and Indian War that essentially divided North America. Executive produced by Todd Moyer and James Holt, the film is produced by Jeff Sackman (American Psycho) from a project developed by Telefilm Canada. Fraser, himself a Canadian-American, stars as Colonel Lord Francis Nicholson, a vastly wealthy Brit who self-finances the war in the hope...

With the horror renaissance well and truly underway in Australia, Crush director John V.Soto is back with another creepy horror to make your skin crawl.

Needle is about Ben Rutherford, a young college student and his friends who are targeted by a vengeful killer who uses an 18th century machine with deadly supernatural powers. Not just any powers though, but voodoo!!

Michael Dorman (Daybreakers, Prime Mover) stars, alongside John Jarratt (Wolf Creek, Dark Age), Ben Mendelsohn (Animal Kingdom, Cosi), Jessica Marais (Packed to the Rafters), and the up-and-coming Luke Carroll (Stone Bros).

Lightning Entertainment has picked up Needle for a Us DVD release, but no word as yet on other territories. Here's hoping the film hits cinemas in Australia at least!

Toronto -- Canadian digital studio Rainmaker Entertainment on Tuesday said it has hired former Lucasfilm Animation executive producer Catherine Winder (" Star Wars: The Clone Wars") as president.

Winder, who most recently set up the Lucasfilm Animation studio and consulted for Rainmaker, arrives at the Vancouver-based animation studio along with Kim Dent Wilder as senior vp of production and operations, and Tara Kemes as manager of talent development.

Winder will be charged with developing original family content at Rainmaker, formerly Mainframe Entertainment, and expanding its fee-for-work business with U.S. producers.

First out of the pipeline from Winder is the original short feature cartoon "Luna," created by in-house producer Luke Carroll and directed by Jon Mead. The project is set for production this summer.

Jennifer Twiner McCarron will continue at Rainmaker as vp of production, overseeing day-to-day production of animated movies, DVDs, games and TV series.