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Although Peter Cushing has already been digitally re-created for a posthumous role in Rogue One, Deadline is now reporting that the iconic actor will have his likeness regenerated again with the help of AI. This time, he will be featured in a Halloweentime documentary, Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters, on Sky. Cushing was a regular in the Hammer horror films, which included new adaptations of classic monsters, such as Dracula and Frankenstein.

Sky said it is part of presenting “powerful and poignant reveal of Hammer royalty” and they are doing this as a “special homage” to Cushing. Ben Field, who runs the production company, Deep Fusion, said the project had secured all necessary permissions. He stated that this decision was to show how Cushing is “tied to his significance to the Hammer legacy.” He added, “As a figure central to Hammer’s success, Cushing’s presence is crucial to telling the story authentically.

There's a current Hollywood trend that is wholly disturbing. Many major studios -- but primarily Disney -- have been spending millions of dollars and hiring hundreds of effects technicians, animators, and designers to digitally resurrect dead actors to include in their franchise movies. The film "Alien: Romulus" did this recently, while the movies "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" and "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" hired actors Guy Henry and Bob Gunton to portray characters previously played by the late Peter Cushing and Harold Ramis before digitally altering them to resemble their predecessors. While Cushing's estate and Ramis' family signed off on this, it's still different from a living actor giving their consent to be digitally altered, like Jeff Bridges did for "Tron: Legacy."

The first example of digital grave robbing likely came in 2004 with the release of Kerry Conran's "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow," which featured a digital performance...

Eight years ago, Peter Cushing was digitally resurrected to appear in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as Grand Moff Tarkin, which has now prompted a lawsuit against Disney.

The lawsuit has been filed by Kevin Francis, a film producer and friend of Peter Cushing. He claims that Cushing “agreed not to grant permission for anyone to reproduce his appearance through special effects without his authorization” and that he allegedly “signed the agreement not to allow his image to be used without Francis’s permission in 1993 while preparing to make a television film called A Heritage of Horror, which was not completed.” In addition to Disney, the lawsuit includes Lucasfilm, Lunak Heavy Industries, which produced Rogue One, as well as Cushing’s agency and the estate’s now-deceased executors. The suit alleges that the studio got “unjust enrichment” from Cushing’s digital appearance in the movie.

Disney attempted to have...

Disney is in yet another lawsuit, this time over the use of CGI to recreate Peter Cushing’s likeness in Rogue One. Cushing, who passed away in 1994, famously played Grand Moff Tarkin in the original 1977 Star Wars film.

Tyburn Film Productions is suing the Disney-owned company Lunak Heavy Industries (UK) Ltc over using Peter Cushing’s likeness for their 2016 film “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” In the film, actor Guy Henry portrayed Tarkin, and then Lucasfilm added Cushing’s face digitally. This started the lawsuit in 2019, three years after the film’s release.

Lunak Heavy Industries (UK) Ltd

Disney is being sued for using CGI to resurrect Peter Cushing for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The actor, who played imperial commander Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars: A New Hope, died in 1994.

The production company claims they made an agreement with the late actor’s estate for permission...

This article contains Alien: Romulus and The Flash spoilers.

The reviews are in, and some fans are already holding Fede Alvarez’s Alien: Romulus up as the best xenomorph feature since Ridley Scott’s 1979 original and James Cameron’s Aliens from 1986. It feels like a new era of the Alienverse is ready to burst forward from Hollywood’s chest. But while there’s plenty of praise for Alvarez’s back-to-basics approach, which tries to capture the pulse-pounding horror of Scott’s Alien, it’s not quite a perfect outing.

As well as some criticizing the suitably batshit ending that echoes Alien Resurrection’s bewildering finale, it’s the return of Ian Holm’s likeness that’s causing a stir for Romulus—namely because the actor tragically passed away in 2020. Despite a CGI approximation of “Holm” appearing in the role of a new android called Rook instead of Alien‘s Ash,...

In Gareth Edwards' 2016 film "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," a group of scrappy Rebels defy orders from their superiors to infiltrate an Imperial stronghold and steal the blueprints for the Empire's newest superweapon, a planet-killing, moon-sized laser called the Death Star. It's no surprise that they will be successful, as the plans they steal are put to good use in the 1977 film "Star Wars." Indeed, the events of "Rogue One" end at the exact moment "Star Wars" picks up, leaving nothing to the imagination. Sadly, the characters of "Rogue One" all die in their mission, a fact that all "Star Wars" fans kind of knew going in.

The villain of "Rogue One" is an Imperial weapons developer named Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) who has overseen the design and construction of the Death Star. Like most of the Imperial characters throughout the "Star Wars" franchise, Krennic is stressed, angry, and unhappy.

Gareth Edwards' 2016 film "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" was the first non-episodic feature from the "Star Wars" canon after Disney notoriously purchased Lucasfilm in 2012. At the time, Disney announced a very ambitious plan for "Star Wars" which involved releasing a new film every Christmas. The odd-numbered years would boast numbered chapters in the central "Star Wars" canon, and the even-numbered years would feature spin-off movies that take place at other points in the vast "Star Wars" timeline. That plan lasted only five years. 

The plan likely fell apart through a lack of creativity. "Rogue One" was a direct prequel to the original 1977 "Star Wars," telling the story of how the Rebels secured the blueprints to the Death Star. This wasn't a broad expansion of the "Star Wars" myth as promised, but an inward turn. "Rogue One" was an announcement that "Star Wars" had no interest in straying from its tightly-constrained,...

Brutal new slasher Peter Rabid gets a relentlessly bloody trailer ahead of its early 2024 release!

Directed by S.J. Evans (Dead Of Nite) and written by Adam Stephen Kelly (Nemesis) Peter Rabid is unleashed by leading UK genre production studio Shogun Films. Starring Guy Henry (Star Wars: Rogue One), Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott (Renegades), and Johnny Palmiero (Green Street Holigans) as well as a cast of promising newcomers including Harrison Watson, Kirsty Howe, Madeleine Sidi, Joseph Emms, Harry Walters, Elise Oliviea, Charles Smith and Charlie Bentley. The titular role is played by 6’ 4” man mountain Nick Onsloe.

Peter Rabid delivers exactly what slasher fans want…blood and buckets of it! If you like inventive kills and practical effects, then you’ll love Peter Rabid!

Plot:

A group of former schoolfriends reunite in a secluded mansion after the death of one of their former classmates. However, their mourning is cut short as masked maniacs...

Gravitas Ventures’ Easter Bloody Easter isn’t the only Easter-themed horror movie headed our way this year, as Shogun Films is getting set to unleash their own slasher: Peter Rabid.

The team tells Bd, “Peter Rabid delivers exactly what slasher fans want…blood and buckets of it! If you like inventive kills and practical effects, then you’ll love Peter Rabid!”

Exclusively watch the trailer for Peter Rabid below, which is expected in early 2024.

In the upcoming slasher, “A group of former schoolfriends reunite in a secluded mansion after the death of one of their former classmates. However, their mourning is cut short as masked maniacs – controlled by a deranged cult – arrive with one intention, to slaughter them all.

“Will any of the former school pals survive? Will anything remain of them after Peter Rabid and his insane sister Bedelia are finished?”

Directed by S.J. Evans (Dead of Nite) and...

Prepare for the chilling return of the Romford Horror Festival, an extended four-day plunge into the heart of cinematic horror, starting on Thursday, 29th February 2024. Now in its fourth year, this festival, a twisted offshoot of the Romford Film Festival, is gearing up to unleash an unparalleled experience, unveiling its most diabolical lineup to date.

Plunge headfirst into a blood-curdling cinematic odyssey, featuring 168 feature films and shorts, including eight timeless classic horror masterpieces. The festival, spreading its dark influence across two screens and introducing a third exclusively for spine-tingling talks, continues its legacy of premiering global cinematic nightmares, boasting an astounding 33 world premieres that are sure to send shivers down your spine. The resurrection of fan-favorite segments like “Short, Sharp Shocks” and “Cheap Thrills” is now joined by two electrifying additions: “Student Bodies,” showcasing student films, including seven from New City College, and the unpredictable “Horror Roulette,” a pulsating party...

The Romford Horror Festival, an extended four-day plunge into the heart of cinematic horror, returns for its Fourth(!) year on Thursday, 29th February, with a lineup that promises a star-studded affair, featuring Tony Todd, Prunella Scales, Sean Young, Jamie Lomas, Kane Hodder, Kierston Wareing, Lynn Lowry, Caroline Munro, Graham Cole, Diane Franklin, Caroline Pickles, Pauline Peart, Guy Henry, Dani Thompson, Ayvianna Snow, and a myriad of other captivating talents, all ready to plunge audiences into a world of terror.

Plunge headfirst into a blood-curdling cinematic odyssey, featuring 168 feature films and shorts, including eight timeless classic horror masterpieces. The festival, spreading its dark influence across two screens and introducing a third exclusively for spine-tingling talks, continues its legacy of premiering global cinematic nightmares, boasting an astounding 33 world premieres that are sure to send shivers down your spine. The resurrection of fan-favorite segments like “Short, Sharp Shocks” and “Cheap Thrills” is now...

Death In Paradise returns to our screens in February, and the BBC have released plot and cast details.

Death In Paradise has been one of the BBC’s most successful dramas in recent years. Created by Robert Thorogood in 2011, the show’s thirteenth series is about to hit our screens. It has seen Ben Miller, Kris Marshall, Ardal O’Hanlon and current detective Ralf Little solve a remarkably high number of murders for such a small Caribbean island.

Last year, Marshall’s character Humphrey Goodman starred in spin-off Beyond Paradise, which paired him with Not Going Out star Sally Bretton and relocated the action to Cornwall. Proving popular with viewers, it recently returned for a Christmas special and a second series will be broadcast this year.

A further spin off, entitled Return to Paradise was announced last year, with action taking place in Australia.

Death In Paradise itself is back for a new series,...

German distributor Dolphin Medien has partnered with U.K. horror production house Red Shadow Studios on horror films based on public domain children’s properties Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan, it was revealed at the ongoing Cannes film market.

“Winnie the Pooh: Death House,” described by the makers as “The Strangers” meets “The Purge,” is a stylized serial killer slant on A.A. Milne’s beloved character, which recently entered the public domain. The film is written by Red Shadow’s Adam Stephen Kelly and is directed by S.J. Evans (“Dead of the Nite”). The story centres around an unexpected school reunion in a remote country mansion – an event orchestrated by members of a cult who were mercilessly tormented by the guests as children. Now, years later, they’re out for gruesome revenge. Filming is underway at U.K. locations.

Evans said: “The script is supremely clever with scope for iconic visuals,...

Whether you enjoy the "Star Wars" spinoff film "Rogue One" or not, you can't deny that it took a lot of risks to the franchise's formula. After all, it is far and away the bleakest entry in the franchise, with almost all of its main characters being killed off in a story-defining sacrifice. The film took many big gambles, and you can argue that they all paid off in dividends. It is a miracle that "Rogue One" turned out as cohesive and singular as it did, as it had a number of problems plaguing its production.

One of the biggest gambles that the film made, however, is bringing back an iconic character that many might not have expected. Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing) was a significant figure in the Galactic Empire, having appeared in "A New Hope" as a commander to Darth Vader on the Death Star. Considering how the...

There is more opportunity than ever before to share your opinions about science fiction movies. Social review sites like IMDb and Letterboxd have made it easy for sci-fi movie buffs to write reviews and share them with their friends. It's always interesting if you can have a great discussion about a controversial movie, and share your opinions respectfully. You may even learn to look at a piece of work from someone else's perspective!

There are many reasons that a film is deemed "controversial." Sometimes a shocking or unsatisfying ending can rub viewers the wrong way, and a surprising death can definitely color fans' opinions of a movie. There are some science fiction films that were so incendiary that they were banned in different countries. The sci-fi genre has a history of stirring up controversy, and some sci-fi masterpieces were ahead of their time while other beloved favorites have suffered with age.

Rogue One is arguably the best Star Wars movie since the franchise was reborn. In fact, it’s the one film with the fewest nitpicks. But certainly the most criticized aspect of the Gareth Edwards pic is its portrayal of Grand Moff Tarkin.

Peter Cushing, who played the role in the Original Trilogy, passed away in 1994 and in order to bring him back for Rogue One, the filmmakers used an actor as a stand-in so the visual effects team could digitally paint in Cushing using old footage. That actor’s name is Guy Henry and the results were, shall we say, mixed.

While it was exciting to see an old character who helps bridge the gap between Rogue One and A New Hope, the effects were poor. The movement of the character and the way he interacts with others just felt unnatural and was yet another example of the uncanny...

One of the upcoming Star Wars TV series headed for Disney Plus is based around Cassian Andor, as played by Diego Luna in Rogue One. The show will serve as a prequel to the movie, following the Rebel spy as he undertakes dangerous missions against the Empire. Alongside Luna, Alan Tudyk is returning as Cassian’s faithful yet cynical droid K-2So. What’s more, a new report claims that one of Sw‘s most iconic villains could also feature in the series.

Kessel Run Transmissions is reporting that Grand Moff Tarkin will appear in the Cassian Andor show. It’s not yet known how big his role will be or how exactly he’ll fit into the plot, but Krt has heard that Guy Henry will reprise the role of Tarkin. The British actor, also known for his involvement in the Harry Potter films, recreated the Peter Cushing character...

Shooting rescheduled to begin in August, after being postponed due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

UK distributor Bulldog Film Distribution has acquired all UK and Ireland rights to Nemesis, the upcoming gangland home invasion thriller starring Billy Murray (Rise Of The Footsoldier).

It marks the first feature from Shogun Films, a London-based production outfit that was launched in January by Jonathan Sothcott and Jeanine Sothcott.

Jonathan Sothcott previously produced features including Vendetta, We Still Kill The Old Way and The Krays: Dead Man Walking, which proved home entertainment hits when released in the UK.

Filming was due to begin on Nemesis...

"This is my school. You see me now, don't you?" How do you fight off bullies? How about with singing. The Devil's Harmony is a fantastic, must watch short film made by up-and-coming British filmmaker Dylan Holmes Williams. It recently screened at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, where it won the Short Film Jury Prize. The dark comedy film is about a bullied teenage girl who leads an a cappella club on a trail of destruction against her high school enemies. It's not just a film about bullying, but also a number of problems that are all too common in society these days - toxic masculinity, revenge, idiocy in school. Patsy Ferran stars as Kiera, with Cassian Bilton, Guy Henry, Ramzan Miah, and Leo Suter as Connor. It's not just the concept, but the quirky structure and feel of the whole short that makes this seriously stand out.

It's not long now before AFI Fest 2019 kicks off on November 14th, so details on the genre films set to be screened at the festival have been announced. Also in today's Horror Highlights: The Addams Family Halloween screenings, Gibson's Behind the Board interview with A Nightmare on Elm Street composer Charles Bernstein, a look at the short film Bienvenue, Cavitycolors' Halloween: H20 and Halloween: Resurrection apparel, and the poster for Black Wood.

Lineup Revealed for AFI Fest 2019: "AFI Fest 2019 presented by Audi, the American Film Institute’s annual celebration of cinema, will take place Thursday, November 14 – Thursday, November 21 in the heart of Hollywood.

Tickets can be purchased starting October 30 at https://fest.afi.com/tickets/

Bacurau – World Cinema

The inhabitants of a remote Brazilian village realize that their town has been erased from the map. When the water supply is cut, cell-phone coverage fades and a local family is murdered,...

Rob Leane Apr 5, 2017

Former Doctor Who star Paul McGann will play "a surgical star" in BBC medical drama Holby City...

Paul McGann is best known among geeks as the eighth man to play the lead role in Doctor Who, but now he's set to attempt a different sort of doctoring: he's nabbed a role as a surgeon in the BBC's medical mainstay Holby City.

Mr McGann will play Professor John Gaskell, who's described in CultBox's report as "a surgical star with irrepressible charm" who will act as "the saviour of the hour when Holby struggles under a crisis, armed with a programme of surgical innovations – taking the hospital into an exciting but unknown future."

The prospect of McGann sharing scenes with long-time Holby star Guy Henry is particularly exciting for sci-fi fans. The Doctor and Grand Moff Tarkin (well, his pre-cgi on-set form in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) exchanging dialogue?...

There was a lot to like about Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. It wasn’t perfect, and not quite as good as The Force Awakens, but it was an admirable effort from all involved and has us very excited to see the next Anthology film from Disney. That would be the Han Solo spinoff, which is currently in development, and while it may be a while before we get to see anything substantial from it, the Rogue One goodies just keep on coming in the meantime.

Following in the footsteps of a neat effects video which was released last week, we’ve now got a brand new clip which shows us how the wizards at Industrial Light & Magic brought Grand Moff Tarkin to life. However you feel about this particular decision that Edwards and Disney made, you have to agree that they did a pretty damn impressive job in recreating the character.

Although not everyone was completely blown away with the work Ilm did on Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing) in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, it was still quite an impressive achievement in my book. Through a mixture of motion-capture and CGI, Guy Henry was able to step into Tarkin's shoes (or slippers) and bring to life a character whose original actor had long since passed away. Ilm's work on Rogue One... Read More...

Peter Cushing-style reappearances might soon be used to solve all kinds of problems, from Ben Affleck’s discomfort in the Batsuit to Benedict Cumberbatch’s busy schedule

It’s already possible to be in two places at once in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as Benedict Cumberbatch proved during several out-of-body experiences in last year’s Doctor Strange. So the New York Post story that the Sherlock star has been replaced by a body double for the shooting of scenes as the sorcerer supreme in the forthcoming McU instalment Avengers: Infinity War Part One should come as no shock. Moreover, with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story having shown you don’t even need to be alive to star in a new movie, we should hardly be surprised that an actor no longer has to be on set to get involved in a shoot.

Disney has denied that Cumberbatch’s...

Opinions on how successful the CGI recreation of Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing) was in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story range from "amazing" to "terrible," but the technology used to bring Tarkin back still represented quite a large leap forward in creating digital human-beings. Hidden beneath all that digital makeup and giving life to Tarkin was Guy Henry (Harry... Read More...

Whether you’re wowed or creeped out by the controversial digital humans in “Rogue One,” featuring the late Peter Cushing’s Grand Moff Tarkin and Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia from “A New Hope,” there’s no denying that Ilm has achieved a new level of photoreal facial animation.

In fact, the same facial performance-capture solving system (developed at Ilm by Kiran Bhat, Michael Koperwas, Brian Cantwell, and Paige Warner) will be among the Academy’s 18 Sci-Tech honorees this year.

But the high-fidelity work on “Warcraft” — even though it was Orcs — convinced Ilm’s chief creative officer and senior VFX supervisor John Knoll (and creator of “Rogue One”) to pull the trigger. “We were within striking distance to achieve close-up digital human work,” he told IndieWire.

For Tarkin and Leia, they mocapped actors Guy Henry (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”) and Ingvild Deila, respectively.

Added Hal Hickel, Ilm’s animation supervisor: “On ‘Warcraft,...

No performance from 2016 was met with quite the fascination of Guy Henry's turn in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story — and he wasn't even one of the few actors not involved in the film's worldwide media blitz.

The British actor was tasked with playing Grand Moff Tarkin, with his performance capture work and visual effects wizardry helping resurrect the character played by the late Peter Cushing in 1977's Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope. Rather than recasting the role, Industrial Light & Magic recreated Cushing's actual likeness for a performance not quite like any...

Author: Jon Lyus

During the filming of Rogue One there was talk of a secret element to the first Star Wars spin off story that had not been revealed in any trailer or promo image. Fans of the saga poured over the minutiae of the production and began to piece together a few clues that ultimately led them to the truth.

In amongst all the talk of how much screen time Darth Vader would have in the new film, and if the new characters were related to any of the Skywalkers, there was a piece of the Rogue One puzzle waiting to delight the fans, and it points a new way forward for an emerging technology.

Obviously there are spoilers for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story here. See it first before reading on.

ABC’s Nightline were recently granted access to Industrial Light & Magic to talk with John Knoll...

One of the craziest things that came out of Rogue One: A Star Wars story was how Peter Cushing was brought back to life in CGI form as Grand Moff Tarkin. He played a much bigger part of the story than we expected him to, and I loved that.

Tonight on Nightline, visual the visual effects artists at Industrial Light and Magic will talk about creating the digital characters in the film, revealing the secrets and challenges of actually being able to properly pull it off.

As a way to promote that special, a video was posted on Twitter showing the transformation of actor Guy Henry into Peter Cushing. It's pretty cool to see, and you'll get even more details on how they pulled it off tonight during the ABC Nightline special.

Tonight on @Nightline: visual effects wizards at @Ilmvfx reveal secrets & challenges behind the digital characters in @starwars #RogueOne.

With Rogue One: A Star Wars Story having been in theatres for a few weeks now, one of the biggest talking points of the film has been the digital resurrection of the late Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin. While there were plenty of rumors prior to release about the character appearing in the film, the villain ended up having an unexpectedly sizeable role as a secondary antagonist. Reactions to the use of Cushing's skeletal visage have ranged from praise over the effects to derision over morality, though the team behind the film maintains that his involvement was imperative to the story, given Tarkin's position as Commander of the Death Star in Episode IV. “If he’s not in the movie, we’re going to have to explain why he’s not in the movie,” said Lucasfilm story development executive Kiri Hart to the New York Times. “This is kind of his thing.

Among the most divisive aspects of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was the use of a CGI-created Grand Moff Tarkin, made in the likeness of Peter Cushing, an actor who died in 1994. Some thought it was brilliantly handled, while others considered it to be a cheap, unnecessary addition. Cheap morally, that is. It definitely cost a lot to bring into actualization, and based on recent reports, we now know that Lucasfilm actually had backup plans if things didn’t work out.

The character, re-created through motion capture performance and visual effects, doesn’t play an extensive role in the new spinoff, but he is featured in a few key scenes with Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn). Industrial Light and Magic believed they had the capability to digitally re-create Cushing, rather than simply re-casting the role, and Lucasfilm decided to give them the go ahead. It should be noted that...

A few characters from Star Wars: A New Hope awesomely make an appearance in Rogue One. These characters were brought back to life in CGI form. I won’t tell you who they are right now in case you haven’t seen the movie yet, but Lucasfilm discusses their decision to bring these characters back to life as well as the work that went into making it happen with the New York Times.

One of the biggest surprises in the film for me was how big a role Grand Moff Tarkin played in Rogue One’s story! I already knew he would be in the film, but I didn’t think his part would be that big, so that was awesome. I thought Ilm did an amazing job bringing this character played by Peter Cushing back to life.

There was a bit of controversy surrounding this decision because Cushing died...

In director Gareth Edwards' "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story", the late Hammer Films actor Peter Cushing ("Horror Of Dracula", "The Curse Of Frankenstein") was digitally recreated as the villain 'Grand Moff Tarkin', a role Cushing originated in the first "Star Wars" movie (1977):

In "Rogue One" Brit actor Guy Henry ("Holby City") portrayed Cushing's character on set, with his work replaced with a 'photoreal' Cushing performance courtesy Lucasfilm's Industrial Light & Magic.

Some famous actors are currently getting 'scanned' so they can be recreated in films in perpetuity, or as insurance...

...if they are accidentally injured or killed on set.

In the UK, where Cushing died there is no recognized publicity right after death, although Lucasfilm did get permission from Cushing's estate to use his likeness in "Rogue One".

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"...

Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)

Warning: This article reveals critical plot plots from “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”

Of all the surprises seen in “Rogue One,” none was more unexpected — or more divisive — than the return of Grand Moff Tarkin, whose presence might have been less of a shock if actor Peter Cushing hadn’t died in 1994.

While this isn’t the first time that a movie has used technology to bring someone back from the grave, the prominence of Tarkin’s role in “Rogue One” has rekindled the debate over digitally manipulating deceased performers. For this week’s survey, we asked our panel of critics a question (or two...

Though it may well be common knowledge at this stage, just in case any of you have yet to catch Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, we decided not to reveal one of the film’s many secrets in the title – but major spoilers will follow from this point on.

Rogue One features the return of two fully-cg characters that were first introduced in A New Hope: Princess Leia and Grand Moff Tarkin. While the former only appears in a couple of brief shots right at the end of the movie, Tarkin is actually utilized quite a bit, and shares several scenes with Ben Mendelsohn’s Director Krennic. The use of the late Peter Cushing’s likeness for this returning villain has caused some controversy – and not just because some see it as disrespectful to his memory, but also because the effects used to render the character are...

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story breaks new ground in a number of ways. It’s the first Anthology film of the newly rebooted Star Wars franchise; it’s the first Star Wars movie released without the traditional opening crawl, it’s the first Star Wars film released without the Skywalker family at the heart of the action; it’s the first Star Wars movie released without a Jedi character.

By virtue of the fact that this spinoff tale depicts the actions of a group of rebel fighters trying to derail the Death Star project, this is a Star Wars film that introduces a number of new characters who play a vital role in the overall Star Wars mythology, while still being – as it were – regular people. Of course, there are a few familiar faces here as well.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Gallery 1 of 64

Click to...

Rob Leane Dec 16, 2016

Who is Saw Gerrera? What was [spoiler redacted] all about? Our answers to your Rogue One questions are here...

This article contains lots of Rogue One spoilers.

See related Looking back at Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is in cinemas now. By most accounts I've seen, director Gareth Edwards and writers John Knoll, Gary Whitta, Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy have served up a Star Wars movie that critics and audiences have really taken to.

You might have questions about Rogue One. We might have thought of these very same questions. We may or may not have answered them adequately. Scroll past our spoiler squirrel to find out....

Why was there no opening crawl?

“We felt that’s so indicative of what those saga films are”, Lucasfilm head honcho Kathleen Kennedy told Variety a few weeks ago. “Initially, we probably will...

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Gallery 1 of 64

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Not a day goes by without Rogue One: A Star Wars Story occupying the headlines for one reason or another. With little over a week to go until release, Disney and Lucasfilm naturally have all hands at the pump to ensure the Gareth Edwards-directed offshoot enjoys the biggest release possible, and more recently that strategy has taken the form of a steady stream of TV spots, clips and tantalizing promos.

Fans haven’t found themselves short on content, then, but over the weekend one Reddit user allegedly unearthed a casting list that identifies all of the surprise cameos set to feature in Rogue One. Word comes to us by way of Star Wars News Net, and we should warn you that these findings stray far, far into spoiler territory. Before delving into the details,...

A cast list from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has surfaced online. If it's the real thing, we have some interesting information on some of the other characters from the original Star Wars trilogy who will be making an appearance. We already know a few of the characters from the original trilogy — like Darth Vader — who will be in it, but there are a few others that I think you'll be interested in learning about.

The cast list originated from Reddit user tphilb, and I came across it over on Star Wars News. Some of the characters included on this list could be considered a spoiler, so tread lightly.

Here is what tphilb said on his Reddit page:

"Because of my line of work, the end credits for Rogue One came across my desk the other day. While I couldn’t take a picture of the screen (phone not allowed,...

Star Wars News has spotted a Reddit post which seemingly spills the beans on all of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story's surprise cameos. The person who shared the list claimed that their line of work means that the movie's credits made their way on to his desk (so, take this with a pinch of salt for now), and if it's accurate, we can expect to see a fair few familiar faces from the original trilogy in this release.    Apparently, Avengers: Age of Ultron actress Ingvild Deila is going to star as a young Princess Leia, and while she's not exactly Carrie Fisher's doppelganger, it's easy to imagine her playing the character.    Spencer Wilding and Daniel Naprous are credited with being inside Darth Vader's iconic costume (there go those rumours about Hayden Christensen returning), while British actor Guy Henry (Harry Potter) will play Governor Tarkin. Game of Thrones...

A bunch of "Star Wars" rumors have cropped up in the last few days starting with "Diary Of A Teenage Girl" breakout star Bel Powley reportedly emerging as a new contender for a key female character role in Rian Johnson's "Star Wars: Episode VIII".

The scoop comes from Meet the Movie Press who indicates Powley is up against "Jane the Virgin" star Gina Rodriguez for the role while previously linked Gugu Mbatha-Raw is no longer in the running.

These follow on from some rumors at MakingStarWars regarding this year's spin-off film "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" which goes into details about "Hannibal" actor Mads Mikkelsen's role of Galen in the film:

Potential Spoilers Ahead

"Mikkelsen (Galen appears to be his name in the film) is kind of the key to the film in a way. He is a scientist that took over the Geonosian Death Star project.

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We look at what we know so far about Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - plus round up some of the juiciest rumours and bits of speculation...

Nb: The following contains potential spoilers for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and speculation about Rogue One.

Even the return of cinema's most charismatic fish can't quite match the anticipation surrounding this year's Star Wars spin-off, Rogue One. That's according to a much-shared survey which suggests that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is the movie cinemagoers are most looking forward to in 2016 - beating Pixar sequel Finding Dory to second place and superhero face-off epic Batman V Superman into third.

That level of fervour isn't bad going, really, when you consider that: one, Rogue One isn't a full sequel to The Force Awakens, which is still cutting a swathe through multiplexes, and two, we don't really know a huge amount about it yet.

"I'd like to see you try and make a movie," goes the occasional taunt from commenters on negative reviews. It's a pretty unfair stance in a lot of ways, mainly because most critics do what they do out of a genuine love for both film and criticism, and treat it as an art in and of itself and have no secret desire to go off and make movies themselves. That said, there are a number of writers or directors who started their careers by writing about movies first. Like the guy who made "The Last Castle." And, uh, me. When I'm not writing here at the Playlist or elsewhere, I'm a screenwriter, and earlier this year I wrote a short called "The Listener," which was directed by Michael Gilhooly and produced by Sam Swann and their colleagues at Good Shout. It stars Amit Shah, who you might have seen this summer in "The Hundred Foot-Journey,...

Stars: Guy Henry, Gordon Styles | Written and Directed by Adam Stephen Kelly

Adam Stephen Kelly, who began his career as a film critic (you may know him from Screenjabber.com or as BritGeek on AICN) turns his hand to film making with the short film Done In – which follows Harry, played by Guy Henry, as we watch him slowly pen a letter…

I get asked to review a lot of short films here on Nerdly so more often than not it takes something special to grab my attention – in some case it’s the writer or director, in others it the story. But in the case of Done In the first thing that grabbed my attention about this particular short was the cast.

You see star Guy Henry is a hero of mine as his TV “show” shaped my love of horror as a teenager. That show was Dr. Terror’s Vault of Horror,...

Feature Alex Westthorp 19 Feb 2014 - 07:00

Nostalgia ahoy! With Sherlock Holmes more popular than ever, Alex looks back at eighties children's drama, The Baker Street Boys...

The BBC's contemporary take on Arthur Conan Doyle's short stories has made Sherlock the most popular television drama series in many years. Benedict Cumberbatch has made Sherlock his own, his approach to the role as radical for the current era as the late, great Jeremy Brett's was a generation ago. Martin Freeman has banished our memories of his role as Tim Canterbury in Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's The Office, with his wonderful re-assessment of Dr John Watson. The corporation is making the most of the Conan Doyle franchise. After from two rather lacklustre yuletide cases, firstly with Richard Roxburgh in 2002 then Rupert Everett in 2004; they finally have a hit on their hands. The benchmark hitherto has always been Granada Television...

The National Television Awards 2014 longlist nominations have been announced and voting is now (September 17) open.

Hosted by Dermot O'Leary, the NTAs celebrate the best and most popular TV and are exclusively voted for by viewers. The 2014 awards take place at London's O2 on January 22.

Full list of 2014 nominations:

Drama

Broadchurch

Call The Midwife

Casualty

Dci Banks

Death In Paradise

Doc Martin

Doctor Who

Downton Abbey

Endeavour

Foyle's War

Holby City

Homeland

Jonathan Creek

Last Tango in Halifax

Law & Order: UK

Lewis

Love and Marriage

Luther

Midsomer Murders

Mr Selfridge

New Tricks

Poirot

Revolution

Ripper Street

Scott & Bailey

Shetland

Silent Witness

The Fall

The Paradise

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher

The Syndicate

The Village

The White Queen

Under The Dome

Vera

What Remains

TV Detective

Olivia Colman - Broadchurch

David Tennant - Broadchurch

Stephen Tompkinson - Dci Banks

Shaun Evans - Endeavour

Michael Kitchen - Foyle's War

Alan Davies - Jonathan Creek...

Lauren Drummond and three other stars have quit 'Holby City'. Show bosses are concerned for the BBC One medical drama after the 25-year-old actress - who plays loveable nurse Chantelle Lane - has announced she's leaving the show alongside Guy Henry (Henrik Hanssen), Jimmy Akingbola (Antoine Malick) and Ty Glaser (Gemma Wilde). Lauren - who has seen her alter-ego wrapped up in a violent mugging storyline - has decided to depart the show after three years to try her hand at other roles in the industry, but she's grateful for the opportunity 'Holby' has given her because it helped her develop...

Dark Arts Films has started a crowd funding campaign for its upcoming short film Done In, starring Guy Henry (Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows) from first-time director Adam Stephen Kelly. Read on for the press release as well as the campaign video.

Cardiff, Wales – April 03, 2013: Dark Art Films has launched an ambitious crowd-funding campaign for its upcoming short film Done In, which is set to star British film and television actor – and former BBC horror host Dr. Terror – Guy Henry (BBC1′s Holby City, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, V For Vendetta, HBO’s Rome, House Of Horror).

Done In will be the directorial debut of renowned film critic and entertainment journalist Adam Stephen Kelly, whose writing credits include contributions to world famous entertainment website Ain’t It Cool News (where he is known by his pseudonym Britgeek) and The Layfield Report, the online home of professional wrestling legend John “Bradshaw” Layfield.

Holby City bosses have released a behind-the-scenes video previewing the show's special episode in Sweden. Guy Henry and Rosie Marcel, who play Henrik Hanssen and Jac Naylor respectively, are seen discussing the roles their characters play in the on-location scenes. Henry explained: "Another side to Henrik is shown... It's a rather more emotional side." On whether Hanssen is surprised when Jac visits him in Stockholm, the actor joked: "It's (more)...

Digital Spy can today (December 22) present a behind-the-scenes look at Holby City's special episode in Sweden. Earlier this month, it was announced that Jac Naylor and Henrik Hanssen will take centre stage in on-location scenes in Stockholm, as Jac is sent on a mission to discover exactly what has happened to the hospital's rogue leader. Rosie Marcel and Guy Henry - who play Jac and Hanssen - worked on the storyline earlier this year, and our gallery below takes a look at the filming and some of the locations used. As confirmed last week, the plot begins when Jac is told that Hanssen is in his native Stockholm (more)...