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Say goodbye to those New Year greetings and memes, because February is almost here. Time to really sink our teeth into 2025 and how it’ll look, and of course that means beefing up your watchlist. As always the libraries of Hulu and Disney+ (and multiple available bundles) are here to help, with new shows and movies (both family friendly and… a little unfriendly) available to stream.

Along with ongoing episodes of “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man,” Disney+ will debut all of “Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” Season 2 and plenty of other great titles for young viewers. “The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl” special will recapture the magic of a live performance, and “Harlem Ice” follows a girls’ figure skating team through their competitive season.

Hulu will feature ongoing episodes of the new drama “Paradise,” and if you want more White House action there’s Viacom’s “The Oval,...

Hallmark Channel movies can have quite a bit in common with indie movies: Small budgets and tight shooting schedules averaging two weeks. In terms of cinematic values, though, these highly watchable festive gems can also share quite a bit with indies: They’re character-driven, they’re script-driven, and they’re usually about the smaller but more important things in life — meeting someone new, seizing an unexpected opportunity, reviving a long-forgotten passion. They’re about connection and fulfillment. They’re about intimacy rather than production value and spectacle.

By no means are all of the new Hallmark holiday movies each year good. Far from it. Some very much are, though, and cut through the noise. They’re often the ones that end up being re-aired again and again year after year. And, yes, Hallmark movies may have certain repeated tropes. But don’t a good number of Sundance movies, also?

They...

To me, you are…creepy. It’s one thing to show up at a woman’s house unannounced while her husband is inside. But it’s another thing entirely to do so with hand-written cue cards declaring your love for her. To think, this was once considered one of the most romantic scenes in any Christmas movie. But today, that moment in Love Actually stands as peak creep, as its target, Keira Knightley, has no problem pointing out.

As the holidays near, Love Actually will be on many-a Christmas movie advent calendar, what with the romance of the season hitting everybody from love-struck kids to adulterous husbands. But its most famous scene still remains its most eyebrow-raising for multiple reasons. As Knightley – who played Juliet, the object of Andrew Lincoln’s affection – told The Los Angeles Times, “The slightly stalkerish aspect of it — I do remember that. My memory is...

Keira Knightley became famous worldwide for playing Elizabeth Swann in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl when she was 17. Though her experience was not always easy, she returned to the role in four more films.

Knightley, who started acting young, faced abuse, and in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, she talked about what that meant for her and whether she would let her own children start acting so young.

She said she wouldn’t allow her kids to act publicly until they were older to protect their privacy. Knightley also shared that her early acting experiences were mostly positive, and her career really took off after Bend It Like Beckham at age 16.

They haven’t expressed an interest, but I wouldn’t allow them to do anything public until they were grown up. I think their privacy is very important.

I was very lucky.

Keira Knightley rose to worldwide prominence with her role as Elizabeth Swann in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.’ Knightley was 17 years old when she was cast in the first movie, and in the past opened up regarding some of the aspects of the role that marked her acting career.

Despite her experience not always being pleasant, the actress reprised her role in 4 installments. Considering that she started acting really young, Knightley was often targeted by abuse and exploitation. In her latest interview with the Los Angeles Times, the actress opened up regarding what the meant to her and whether she would allow her children to start acting That young.

Knightley said she wouldn’t let her kids act publicly until they were older, as she values their privacy. She also shared that her early acting experiences were positive, with her career only gaining major attention...

English actress Keira Knightley has received several accolades for her participation in blockbuster movies, especially in the period drama genre. At a very young age, the actress began working in commercials and small roles but soon transitioned to acting with projects like A Village Affair, The Treasure Seekers, Princess of Thieves, and Bend It Like Beckham to name a few.

Keira Knightley and Johnny Depp in a still from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl | Credits: Walt Disney Studios

While she had established her name in the industry, her participation in Johnny Depp’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl further solidified her status. This was obviously an excellent opportunity for the young actress, however, it also posed great concerns for her safety.

Keira Knightley on the Dark Side of Fame Especially After Her Role in Pirates of the Caribbean

Keira Knightley...

Keira Knightley is grateful for all the success she’s seen, particularly early on in her career — but she said it came at a significant cost.

In a conversation with the Los Angeles Times about her upcoming Netflix series “Black Doves,” Knightley looked back at her time as a rising star, revealing how it changed her life for better and for worse.

“It’s very brutal to have your privacy taken away in your teenage years, early 20s, and to be put under that scrutiny at a point when you are still growing,” she shared. “Having said that, I wouldn’t have the financial stability or the career that I do now without that period. I had a five-year period between the age of 17 and 21-ish, and I’m never going to have that kind of success again. It totally set me up for life.”

Knightley continued, “Did it come at a cost?...

“Black Doves,” Netflix’s latest thriller series, has it all. The dialogue is both clever and funny. There’s lots of political intrigue and Keira Knightley hasn’t been this action star since “Domino.” The award-winning actor Ben Whishaw is awesome as usual and there is one (literally) bloody shocking twist after another.

The setting is London during the Christmas holidays where Helen (Knightley) is married to UK Secretary of Defense Wallace Webb (Andrew Buchan), the mother of adorable fraternal twins and unbeknownst to Wallace, a spy feeding much of what goes on at 10 Downing Street to secret intel group, Black Doves. Helen’s information has been “lucrative” according to her handler. As is the case with these types of plots, when something goes very wrong and threatens to expose Helen, her long-time ‘Dove’ conspirator Sam (Whishaw) is sent in to help.

Up until this upset, life on the surface...

Keira Knightley trades the Black Pearl for the Black Doves in her new Netflix series, turning from pirate to spy.

The new series, now streaming on Netflix, is a thriller centered on Helen, a mother and devoted wife — who just so happens to also be a professional spy who’s been passing on secrets about her politician husband to her bosses. So, maybe not super devoted.

When her secret lover is assassinated, her spymaster, Helen’s old friend Sam — who is an assassin — is called in to keep her safe.

You’ll definitely recognize a lot of faces in this series, so we’ve rounded them up for you. Here’s a handy guide to the “Black Doves” cast.

Netflix Helen Webb (Keira Knightley)

Helen is a spy known as a Black Dove, who steals secrets from her husband and passing them on to her employers. She’s played by...

When we meet Helen Webb in the first episode of the new Netflix miniseries Black Doves, she seems a picture-perfect example of a politician’s wife: impeccably styled, cheerful, tending to home and children while her husband, Wallace, works as Great Britain’s defense secretary. She has it all, and makes it look easy. Because no one could be that perfect, though, we soon find out that Helen, played by Keira Knightley, is in fact a freelance spy who has spent the past decade of her life getting close to...

Keira Knightley has been in the film industry for a long time, but her role in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise opposite Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom propelled her to success and worldwide acclaim. However, the actress has not been happy about the experience but would rather not work on any franchise again due to the films.

Keira Knightley in Pirates of the Caribbean | Credit: Walt Disney Pictures

While it is true that the Pirates of the Caribbean films have been Knightley’s highest-grossing films, they aren’t in the top 5 best movies of her career according to critical ratings.

Keira Knightley Gets Candid About Pirates of the Caribbean Franchise Keira Knightley and Geoffrey Rush in Pirates of the Caribbean | Credit: Walt Disney Pictures

Keira Knightley has often spoken about her experience in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, revealing that despite the fun time it was an incredibly arduous experience for her.

While she had her first breakout role in “Bend It Like Beckham,” Keira Knightley first really became a household name thanks to her role in the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ franchise. But now, years later, she has mixed feelings about ‘Pirates’ and is likely never going to do another big franchise again.

Read More: Fall 2024 TV Preview: 40 Must-See Series To Watch

Speaking in a new interview with the Times, while promoting her new TV series, “Black Doves,” Keira Knightley talked about what happened when she started to appear in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films.

Continue reading Keira Knightley Says She Was “Seen As Sh*t” During ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean’ & Now Rules Out Franchises at The Playlist.

Having been in the limelight since she was 17 with the Pirates of the Caribbean films, two-time Oscar nominee Keira Knightley said she has since ruled out returning to the franchise world.

“It’s a funny thing when you have something that was making and breaking you at the same time,” Knightley — whose fame was cemented at the height of the noughties with the initial trilogy and other fare like Atonement and Pride & Prejudice later on — told The Times of London in a new profile.

“I was seen as sh– because of them, and yet because they did so well I was given the opportunity to do the films that I ended up getting Oscar nominations for [Pride & Prejudice and The Imitation Game],” the Bend It Like Beckham star said. “They were the most successful films I’ll ever be a part of and they were the reason that I was taken down publicly.

The new Culture, Media and Sport Committee (Cmsc) is to continue the work of the previous one in attempting to revamp British film and high-end TV via what it has described as a “sequel” to the previous inquiry.

The previous inquiry was responsible for pushing for the new 40% indie film tax relief along with tax relief for VFX, the latter of which the Labour government rubberstamped in yesterday’s budget and brought forward by three months.

While the newly-assembled Cmsc didn’t have to carry on this work under a new government, the committee has the same chair in Caroline Dinenage and she confirmed today that work will continue under the new committee, which features a new set of lawmakers, mostly from the ruling Labour Party.

“The predecessor committee’s work in the last Parliament featured some blockbuster successes, securing tax incentives from the Treasury to support independent film and...

Keira Knightley is a spy now.

The actress will lead Netflix’s “Black Doves,” created by Joe Barton, opposite Ben Whishaw. It marks the actress’ first live-action TV role since she first rose to fame in “Bend It Like Beckham” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” as a teenager. Whishaw was last seen on TV screens on the BBC/AMC 2022 hit “This Is Going to Hurt.”

“‘Black Doves’ is a very exciting spy thriller set at Christmas in London,” Knightley said at a Netflix event earlier this year. The first season will contain six episodes, and Netflix has already renewed it for a second season (so: It sure feels like a cliffhanger is coming).

Per a press release, “Set against the backdrop of London at Christmas, ‘Black Doves’ is a sharp, action-filled, and heartfelt story of friendship and sacrifice. It follows Helen Webb (Keira Knightley), a quick-witted, down-to-earth, dedicated wife and mother — and professional spy.

The last five years have been transformative for cinema, between the impact of Covid, the streaming revolution, and the rise of AI technology. Which is exactly why Empire decided to poll an array of top filmmakers in Hollywood – and beyond – on what exactly is going on in the industry, and what it all means for the movies. The result is a major new article – available to read in full in our Mickey 17 issue (order here).

One of the hottest topics is the encroachment of AI, with the industry still figuring out how it could, should – or should not – be used in moviemaking. “It is not creative,” says Gina Prince-Bythewood, director of The Woman King. “It just takes from others’ creativity.” Sofia Coppola – director of Priscilla and Lost In Translation – questions its capabilities beyond creating mere imagery: “It can be helpful, but I think you need a heart and soul to make art.

Academy Award-nominated actress Keira Knightley is set to star in a new Netflix spy thriller series titled Black Doves. If you’re just as excited as us to see this show, you must continue reading to find out all there is to know about it, including the December 2024 release date.

On Oct. 14, Netflix officially announced that Black Doves will make its long-awaited premiere on Thursday, Dec. 5. All six episodes of the series will release on Dec. 5. Along with the release date announcement, the streamer released a teaser clip featuring cast members Knightley, Ben Whishaw, and Sarah Lancashire. It's a chilling clip, with Knightley and Whishaw face's both covered in blood.

Keira Knightley, Ben Whishaw, Sarah Lancashire as you've never seen them before.

Black Doves, a six-episode spy thriller, premieres December 5. pic.twitter.com/mwJVdpLXyJ

— Netflix (@netflix) October 14, 2024

Before the series was released or even had a release date, Netflix announced...

Oscar-nominated Rosamund Pike will make her debut at London’s National Theatre in 2025, and they’ve given her the starring role in the world premiere of a new work by Suzie Miller, the playwright who created Prima Facie, the legal drama that catapulted Jodie Comer to Olivier and Tony Award trophies.

Pike has been cast in Miller’s Inter Alia, in which she’ll play a British High Court judge forced to reckon with conflict in her private and professional life. The production will reunite Miller with director Justin Martin, who also directed Comer in Prima Facie in the West End and on Broadway.

Inter Alia will be part of the final season of National Theatre director and co-chief executive Rufus Norris, who steps down from his post on March 31, 2025 after a decade at the helm of the UK’s flagship theatrical institution. Norris...

The new season of Doctor Who has already cast plenty of new faces, from Varada Sethu to Nicola Coughlan — but these are both companions of Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor. The latest casting sees Under the Bridge and The Good Wife star Archie Panjabi enter the Whoniverse as a villain!

After a mixed debut season on Disney+, Doctor Who will return for its second season on the platform in 2025, although its future beyond that remains uncertain. Season 1 ranged from fantastic episodes, like 73 Yards and Boom, to more disappointing entries like Space Babies and The Devil's Chord. In terms of viewership, it wasn't a resounding success, but it exceeded in its target demographic. What's more, 2025 will also see an all-new spinoff premiere, titled The War Between the Land and the Sea.

The casting of Archie Panjabi has been widely celebrated across the fandom. The Emmy-winning British actress first made waves on...

Exclusive: Emmy Award winner Archie Panjabi will star as a villain in Season 2 of Doctor Who, sources tell Deadline. The BBC and Disney+ series is set to return in 2025.

Details regarding her character remain under wraps. BBC and Disney+ declined to comment for this story.

Panjabi joins Ncuti Gatwa, who currently stars as the titular Time Lord; Millie Gibson, who plays his companion Ruby Sunday; and Varada Sethu, who will serve as the fifteenth Doctor co-companion Belinda Chandra.

In Season 1 starring Gatwa, The Doctor and his companion Ruby Sunday travel across time and space, with adventures all the way from the Regency era in England, to war-torn future worlds. Throughout their adventures in the Tardis – a time-traveling ship shaped like a police box – they encounter incredible friends and dangerous foes, including a terrifying bogeyman, and the Doctor’s most powerful enemy yet.

The long-running British series,...

What popular retro toy, now with its own Dreamworks animated movie franchise, topped the Geller Cup touch football trophy in Friends?Troll DollMy Little PonyTransformersGI JoeMadonna played 'All the Way' Mae Mordabito in which 1990s US sports movie?A League of Their OwnJerry MaguireHappy GilmoreCool RunningsFX American sports documentary series Welcome to Wrexham, following Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny’s soccer team, is set in which country of the United Kingdom?WalesScotlandNorthern IrelandEnglandReportedly the only breed of dog mentioned in the Bible, what is the team nickname of AFC Richmond in Apple TV+ comedy Ted Lasso?GreyhoundsHuskiesBeaglesBulldogsThe title of which US sports TV drama was followed by the subtitle “A Town, a Team and a Dream” in the 1990 non-fiction book on which it was based?Friday Night LightsOne Tree HillEastbound & DownAll American2014 biopic Unbroken, about the life of US Olympic distance runner Louis Zamperini, who survived a plane crash and a PoW camp,...

Keira Knightley has been captivating her audience ever since she played a small role in the Star Wars franchise. She went on to find her breakthrough role in Bend It Like Beckham and soon became the actress on top of everyone’s favorites list. Keira Knightley’s most recent performance was in Matt Ruskin’s Boston Strangler where she starred as Loretta McLaughlin, the reporter who broke the news about the serial killer murdering thirteen women in the 1960s.

Keira Knightley in Bend it Like Beckham (2002) | Kintop Pictures

As for her personal life, the actress is married to musician James Righton with whom she tied the knot back in 2013. Just like any other good husband, James Righton is happy with his wife’s success and does not feel undermined by her popularity. However, the same couldn’t be said for Keira Knightley’s ex, Jamie Dornan.

Did Keira Knightley’s Success Overwhelm Jamie Dornan?...

After first being noticed and appreciated in Bend It Like Beckham, Keira Knightley has cemented her place as one of the most talented and desirable stars in Hollywood. While the British beauty has done a wide range of films from romantic dramas to period films, her marquee role in the action-adventure series Pirates of the Caribbean established her as a commercial star.

Keira Knightley in Pride and Prejudice (image credit: Universal Pictures)

Being a pivotal part of a large-scale franchise, Knightley has had her share of memorable and harrowing experiences on set by the actor’s own admission. In the first film, the Atonement star got a bit too close to her character’s predicament in the film when she understood what it meant to be shipwrecked in reality.

Keira Knightley Had An Unforgettable Ordeal On The Sets Of Pirates Of The Caribbean

In 2003, British actor Keira Knightley landed a...

British royal family news divulges that retired soccer star David Beckham and King Charles have a very buzzy hobby in common, one that they have bonded over. What in the world do the regent and Beckham do that has made them fast friends? Keep reading to find out!

Royal News – The King And David Beckham Enjoy Beekeeping

David Beckham is a legendary, loyal royalist. So it makes sense that Charles made him the ambassador of his sustainability-focused charity, The King’s Foundation.

The appointment was made recently but prior to this important event, Charles and David discovered that they have beekeeping in common.

Beckham retired as a player in 2013 and inspired the popular movie Bend it Like Beckham. He is married to former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and through the years he has been quite vocal about his support for the monarchy. His Instagram account also shows that he’s a dedicated beekeeper,...

The Death Of Robin Hood, starring Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer, has secured a UK distributor following A24’s acquisition of the film’s US rights.

When we recently learned of the plans to make a Robin Hood movie featuring the twin talents of Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer, it raised an eyebrow or two. A couple of weeks ago at Cannes, the project was unveiled and US rights for the film were quickly snapped up by A24.

At the same time, it was also revealed that Pig director Michael Sarnoski is making the film. Sarnoski knows how to do brooding drama, and the filmmaker also has the horror prequel, A Quiet Place: Day One, on the horizon.

Here’s a synopsis for the new Robin Hood movie:

‘The story is described as a grounded, visceral and darker reimagining of the classic Robin Hood tale. Set of its time, the...

The number of movies about gifted youngsters sacrificing the traditional teen experience in favor of artistic perfection or academic excellence is immeasurable. "Stick It" peered into the world of Olympic hopeful gymnastics, "Whiplash" pulled back the curtain of elite musicianship, and "Bring It On" turned the world of competitive cheerleading into one of the greatest teen films ever made. This is all to say, coming-of-age stories in this territory are well-tread, so finding a way to stand out among so many all-time greats is a massive undertaking. Fortunately, for D.W. Waterson's directorial feature film debut, "Backspot," this stylish, unapologetically queer look at the world of All-Star Cheerleading (not to be confused with high school cheerleading) is a soaring breath of fresh air.

Written by Joanne Sarazen, "Reservation Dogs" star Devery Jacobs commands the tale as star cheerleader Riley, who is given the opportunity to audition for the elite competitive squad,...

Fears over the future of the UK’s film and high-end TV inquiry have emerged due to the upcoming general election.

Culture, Media & Sport Committee (Cmsc) chair Caroline Dinenage has written today to Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer urging the Cmsc’s “successor committee” to keep up its work exploring the issues impacting the industry.

When a general election is called, committees such as the Cms are dissolved. Once a new government is in place, a different chair and group of cross-party MPs will be appointed to the new committee but it is under no obligation to continue the work of the previous one.

“We hope that the next government will continue to champion and support all facets of our screen industries,” wrote Dinenage. “Given the huge value that film and Hetv contributes, and the deep questions that remain about its resilience, we strongly urge our successor committee to revisit the...

“Throwing money” at the “workforce crisis” in UK film and TV will “exacerbate the problem” rather than solving it, according to the former boss of Amazon in Europe.

Georgia Brown, who now chairs the UK’s Screen Sectors Skills Task Force, delivered a passionate plea for the industry to take a holistic approach to resolving the “crisis” during an appearance in front of the UK’s British Film & High-End TV Inquiry this morning, which was titled “How can the UK film industry combat its workforce crisis?”

According to Brown, the industry is now comfortably meeting a BFI-set demand to spend 1% of production budgets, or £100M ($127M), on training, but that this spending is far too fragmented.

“We know we are collectively spending more than 1% but I will keep coming back to the fact that it’s not a money question,” she added. “Throwing more money won’t solve this, it will exacerbate the problem.

Amazon UK MD Chris Bird was among the latest group of industry execs to appear in front of the UK’s British Film & High-End TV Inquiry this afternoon, during which he revealed how much cash the streamer has invested in content from UK broadcasters for the first time.

“We have spent more than $400 million licensing, co-producing, and co-commissioning content from the UK Public Service Broadcasters,” Bird said. “Not only to make bigger and better shows but we’ve also helped produce everything from Steve McQueen’s Small Axe and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag to the recently announced second and third seasons of The Night Manager with the BBC.”

Deadline was first to break news of The Night Manager returning with Tom Hiddleston signed on to star.

Prime Video doesn’t only help produce these hits but also distributes them to territories across the globe, Bird added. “Outside of America, British...

The Star Wars film series is still expanding and has grown in recognition over the years. Innumerable actors have contributed to the property as the galaxy far, far away continues to grow through projects for both small and large screens. Some of them even lose track of how they came to be cast in the first place. Take Keira Knightley, for example.

Known for her acclaimed performances in Pride and Prejudice and The Imitation Game, the actress, 39, also had a role in the Star Wars film franchise that was a long-kept secret.

Keira Knightley in Love Actually

Surprisingly, Knightley’s involvement in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) wasn’t a big deal at the time, as she was not a known face playing a bit part in the background. Even more intriguingly, she was cast for the role because of how much she resembled Natalie Portman when...

‘The Big Bang Theory’ star Kunal Nayyar has joined the cast of Gurnder Chadha’s festive offering ‘Christmas Karma’ from True Brit Entertainment, Bend It Films, Maven Screen Media and Civic Studios.

Inspired by Dickens ‘A Christmas Carol, Nayyar will lead the cast as Scrooge with a further cast including Eva Longoria, Boy George, Billy Porter, Hugh Bonneville, Leo Suter, Charithra Chandran, Pixie Lott, Danny Dyer, Bilal Hasna, Allan Corduner, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Rufus Jones, Eve, Nitin Ganatra.

On his casting Nayyar stated; “To explore a beloved holiday tale through the eyes of an immigrant story (much like my own) is exactly the kind of movie that I believe will resonate with so many of us who are searching for the meaning of home. It takes a visionary like Gurinder to take a chance on a story like this, and I am humbled to be a part of it.”

Also in...

‘Bend It Like Beckham’ helmer Gurinder Chadha is all set to start shooting for her next production, ‘Christmas Karma’, a Bollywood musical set in contemporary London and inspired by Charles Dickens’s ‘A Christmas Carol’.

Kunal Nayyar, who is best known for his role in the popular sitcom ‘The Big Bang Theory’, is the lead actor in a star-studded global cast, which includes Eva Longoria, Boy George, Billy Porter, Hugh Bonneville, Leo Suter, Charithra Chandran, Pixie Lott, Danny Dyer, Allan Corduner, Bilal Hasna, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Rufus Jones, Eve and Nitin Ganatra.

Chadha, a BAFTA-nominated director, is also the producer and writer, and the music is by the six-time Ivor Novello award-winning singer and songwriter Gary Barlow, apart from Shaznay Lewis and Nitin Sawhney. Shooting for the film will start on April 22.

‘Christmas Karma’ sees Chadha’s return to the big screen following her time working on the Indian historical television...

BAFTA Circles Calendar

The British Academy has confirmed the date of the 2025 BAFTA Film Awards, which will now be held on Sunday February. 16.

As per recent scheduling arrangements, the awards — arguably the biggest film awards outside the U.S. — takes place two weeks before the Oscars on March 2, 2025. Regular film festival attendees may note that the BAFTA awards will, once again, be held during the Berlinale, set to run February 13-23, with there likely to be a spike in industry professionals flying back to London on the morning of Feb. 16.

The full timeline and eligibility details for the 2025 BAFTA Film Awards will be announced in due course. Voting will take place over three rounds: longlisting, nominations and winners, by the academy’s global voting film membership which comprises more than 7,800 industry creatives.

The 2024 BAFTA Film Awards, which saw “Oppenheimer” dominate with wins for best film, director and actor, were watched...

Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham) is pushing forward with Christmas Karma, a contemporary Bollywood musical set in London and inspired by Charles Dickens’ seminal A Christmas Carol, with Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) signed on to lead an ensemble cast.

Nayyar will star as Scrooge in pic alongside an expansive cast, including Eva Longoria, Boy George, Billy Porter, Hugh Bonneville, Leo Suter, Charithra Chandran, Pixie Lott, Danny Dyer, Bilal Hasna, Allan Corduner, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Rufus Jones, Eve, and Nitin Ganatra.

Chadha wrote the pic and is producing alongside directing, with music by Take That alum Gary Barlow alongside Shaznay Lewis and Nitin Sawhney. Financing for Christmas Karma is from Civic Studios. Gurinder Chadha, Celine Rattray, Trudie Styler, and Amory Leader will produce. Zygi Kamasa, Anushka Shah, Paul Mayeda Berges, Sophia Pedlow, and Hannah Leader will serve as executive producers.

Christmas Karma is the fifth scripted project from British distributor True Brit Entertainment,...

Kunal Nayyar, Eva Longoria, Hugh Bonneville and Danny Dyer head the ensemble cast of Gurinder Chadha’s Christmas Karma for which Zygi Kamasa’s True Brit Entertainment has UK and Ireland rights.

Filming is set to start on April 22. It is being produced by Chadha’s Bend It Films, Celine Rattray and Trudie Styler for Maven Screen Media and Amory Leader. Executive producers are Kamasa, Paul Mayeda Berges, Sophia Pedlow and Hannah Leader.

Further financing is coming from Anushka Shah’s Mumbai and London-based Civic Studios.

The Bollywood musical retelling of A Christmas Carol will also star musicians Boy George,...

Tilda Swinton, Ken Loach and Brian Cox are among the British film and TV VIPs contributing to an online auction to raise money for humanitarian relief for Palestinians in Gaza.

Among the auction lots to bid on are an online bedtime story read by Swinton; tickets to Cox’s London stage performance of A Long Day’s Journey Into Night, including a meet and greet with the Succession star; and a walk-on part in the new film from Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha.

Directors Mike Leigh, Asif Kapadia and Joanna Hogg, and actors including Harris Dickinson (The Iron Claw), Alison Oliver (Saltburn) and Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education), are also taking part in the auction, which will raise money for Medical Aid for Palestinians (Map), a U.K.-based nonprofit that provides medical and humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza.

The auction was set up by Cinema for Gaza,...

Simone Ashley (Bridgerton, Sex Education) and Hero Fiennes Tiffin (After) will star in the new U.K. original romantic comedy Picture This for Amazon’s Prime Video.

The movie’s cast also includes Phil Dunster (Ted Lasso), Nikesh Patel (London Has Fallen), Adil Ray (Citizen Khan), Sindhu Vee (Matilda: The Musical), Anoushka Chadha (You), Kulvinder Ghir (Bend It Like Beckham) and Luke Fetherston (Still Up).

Amazon said that Picture This will premiere on Prime Video in the U.K. “and internationally,” which for the company typically means it plans to make the content available in all or nearly all 240-plus countries and territories. The film doesn’t yet have a release date.

“Single and without a man on the horizon, Pia (Ashley) runs a failing photography studio in London with her best friend Jay (Fetherston),” according to a plot description. “As her sister Sonal (Chadha) prepares to get married and...

When Keira Knightley Was Shocked To See Reports Of Her Pay Gap With Husband James Righton! (Photo Credit – IMDb/Instagram)

Keira Knightley began working on Pirates Of The Caribbean at the young age of 17. Unfortunately, the fame was really overwhelming for her, and the actress had to undergo years of therapy to overcome the public scrutiny. But did you know? Things got worse when rumors of her earning more salary than her husband broke the internet. Scroll below for all the details!

Apart from playing Elizabeth Swann in the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise, Keira has many other successful projects credited to her filmography. The list includes Pride And Prejudice, The Imitation Game, Love Actually, Bend It Like Beckham, and Atonement, among others.

Keira Knightley was “shocked” to see salary comparisons with her husband

Keira Knightley once recalled that she was “shocked” to learn that there were actually news articles...

Created by Empire for M&m’S Chocolate.

Time to lace up those footy boots, and get yourself out on the pitch – there’s potentially a brand new female footy film in town, and you could be part of making it a reality.

Introducing the M&m’S Short Film Festival, an exciting new way to find the filmmakers of tomorrow. Bringing together diverse voices from across the UK and shining a light on the next generation of talent, the M&m’S Short Film Festival is a competition which gives up and coming directors the chance to receive £25,000 in funding to bring their short film idea to life. The best part? You get to be involved too, and vote for who takes the top prize.

The challenge for these budding movie-makers was to come up with a compelling cinematic concept that fits the theme of ‘belonging’. After receiving many incredible applications,...

In terms of new original content coming to Hulu, March is a slight month, with the streamer’s highlight being the limited series premiere of We Were the Lucky Ones at the end of the month. The show, which is based on Georgia Hunter’s New York Times bestselling novel, is inspired by the true story of a Jewish family who are separated at the start of WWII, and who then have to survive in order to eventually reunite. We Were the Lucky Ones stars Joey King from The Kissing Booth films alongside Percy Jackson‘s Logan Lerman, and debuts on March 28.

Here’s everything coming to Hulu (and leaving) in March…

Hulu New Releases – March 2024

March 1

Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains: Complete Seasons 1-3 (Dubbed) Dark Side of the 90s: Complete Season 2 Dark Side of the 2000s: Complete Season 1 Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem | 2007 Ali | 2001 Bad Teacher | 2011 Batman Begins | 2005 Beasts of the Southern Wild...

This March, Hulu will ring in spring with dozens of great titles, from Hulu Originals to programs from brands including National Geographic, Fox, FX, ABC, Crunchyroll, and others.

Just announced, Yorgos Lanthimos’ awards darling “Poor Things” will make its streaming premiere on the platform this month after a 90-day theatrical window and three days before this year’s Academy Awards where the absurdist comedy is nominated for 11 statuettes, including Best Picture. Other film favorites getting added to the library in March include “Scarface,” “The Wrestler,” and “My Cousin Vinny.”

The streamer will also host the season premieres of many of ABC’s most popular competition series, including “MasterChef Junior,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” and “The Masked Singer,” plus the landmark 20th season premiere of “Grey's Anatomy.”

Get your watch list together: find out The Streamable’s top picks for March 2024 at Hulu and continue below to see everything...

A TV series made entirely by generative AI is only three-to-five years away, according to the director of hits including Slow Horses and Anthony Hopkins movie One Life.

James Hawes spoke with legal teams at SAG-AFTRA and the WGA and undertook a poll with fellow directors and VFX workers after the BBC canceled long-running drama Doctors, in which he probed the likelihood of a fully AI series, he revealed today.

“The best guess was three to five years,” he told the British Film & High-End TV Inquiry. “Someone will say, ‘Create a scene in an ER room where a doctor comes in and he’s having an affair with a woman and they’re flirting, and someone is dying on the table,’ and [AI] will start to create it. Maybe it won’t be as polished as we are used to but that is how close we are getting.”

Hawes, who is...

In the realm of fandoms, where eagle-eyed enthusiasts scrutinize every detail, even the most revered stars occasionally find themselves subject to comparisons. Such was the case when fans stumbled upon an unexpected revelation: a startling resemblance between two titans of Hollywood, Keira Knightley, and Marvel star Tom Hardy.

However, every celebrity icon possesses a distinctive blend of beauty and talent that sets them apart, carving out a unique niche in the world of entertainment.

Keira Knightley in Bend It Like Beckham

A surprising revelation sent shockwaves through the fan community, sparking intense debate and fascination. What seemed to capture the collective imagination was the uncanny similarity between Keira Knightley’s portrayal in Bend It Like Beckham and the youthful visage of Tom Hardy.

Fans poured over an image, dissecting every contour and expression, drawing connections between Knightley’s iconic role and Hardy’s earlier appearance.

Keira Knightley and Tom Hardy...

Actress Keira Knightley gained significant popularity in the 2000s and it’s hard to not talk about 2003’s Love Actually when we talk about her success. While the movie was very important for the actress’ career, Knightley has one regret: wearing a hat in a scene in the movie. It may have looked out of place but there was a particular reason why she wore it.

Keira Knightley and Andrew Lincoln in Love Actually

Knightley once revealed that she wore the hat in order to hide acne. It was natural for her as she was just a teenager back then, but she preferred the hat instead of makeup to cover the pimple. Love Actually made Knightley a household name and created bigger opportunities for the star.

Keira Knightley wore a hat in Love Actually to hide a pimple

Keira Knightley in Love Actually

During her 2018 appearance on BBC Radio 1,...

Berlin-based producer/distributor Dcm has taken a sake in Wim Wenders’ production company Road Movies, creating an “equal, strong partnership” between the two firms, Wenders and Dcm said Friday.

Dcm, which has released several of Wenders’ films in Germany, including the Oscar-nominated Perfect Days, will buy into Road Movies in the first quarter of this year. Dcm partners Dario Suter, Christoph Daniel, Marc Schmidheiny and Joel Brandeis described the move as a strategic expansion of the company’s film production business. Schmidheiny will be named Road Movies’ managing director.

Schmidheiny described the partnership as “a dream come true,” saying Dcm would handle the financial and day-to-day management of Road Movies to “to create the space for Wim to bring his seemingly inexhaustible creative power to the screen.”

“It has been on the agenda for years that we would work together with a strong partner,” said Wenders. “As Road Movies, we...

Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha has a new, contemporary adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol in the works.

With films including Bhaji On The Beach, Bend It Like Beckham and Blinded By The Light, Gurinder Chadha has long since established herself as a filmmaker capable of tackling contemporary subjects with a lightness of touch and broad appeal.

It’s a style that’s set to continue with her film for Disney – more on that in a sec – and another project we hadn’t previously learned about: a modern adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

As reported by Variety, the film came to light when Chadha was in the UK’s House of Commons and talking about the state of the British film industry. There, she revealed that her Christmas Carol would have a British Indian protagonist. Her “Scrooge is an Indian Tory who hates refugees,” she said.

UK director Gurinder Chadha has revealed how she has struggled to set up her own take on Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol, as part of the oral evidence she has given during the first session of the UK Parliament’s cross-party Culture, Media and Sport (Cms) Committee today, January 23.

“Right now I’m putting together an independent Christmas film, set in London, very diverse, and it’s been a real struggle for me to get off the ground, partly because the lead character is Indian,” said the Kenyan born, British-Indian filmmaker Chadha, whose credits include Bend It Like Beckham...

The boss of the UK Cinema Association (Ukca) has said that British cinemagoers are not being fed enough quality local movies to get them back to movie theaters with the frequency of the pre-Covid era.

According to Phil Clapp, most pre-Covid cinemagoers are now happy to check out movies at their local theater from time to time, but frequency is the issue. If an average person was going to the cinema six times per year before the pandemic, Clapp floated the notion that they would now be going three to four times.

He placed the blame on a lack of quality local fare amidst a tough time for indie cinema.

“This is because there is nothing we’re putting in front of [cinemagoers] that encourages them to get out,” Clapp told the opening day of the British Film and High-End Television inquiry. “There are cost of living issues within that and...

Filmmaker Gurinder Chadha has revealed that she’s making a film based on Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’, but one with a contemporary twist. Speaking about the current state of the UK’s film industry, she said the upcoming film would have an Indian lead character, reports ‘Variety’.

“My Scrooge is an Indian Tory who hates refugees”, she said.

Gurinder, best known for ‘Bend it Like Beckham’, also told the U.K. Parliament that the film had support from True Brit Entertainment, the new distribution company set up by former Lionsgate U.K. and Europe head and Marv Studios CEO Zygi Kamasa.

“It’s very close to Dickens’ original themes with the cost of living crisis in Britain”, she said, admitting that she’d spoken to the U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak about the film and he’d asked her not “make him look bad” to which she responded, “I...

Gurinder Chadha is forging an indie Christmas movie about an Indian Ebenezer Scrooge set in London, financed by Zygi Kamasa’s new UK distributor True Brit.

The Bend It Like Beckham director has revealed the news in the past hour as she delivers evidence at the British Film and High-End Television inquiry, which starts today.

Chadha said the film is “fun, British and very close to Dickens’ original themes,” telling the story of an Indian Scrooge who votes for the Conservative Party and hates refugees.

She says financing is being provided through a combination of UK tax credits and Kamasa’s True Brit, which Deadline revealed launched late last year with backing from Three Six Zero. Its debut production is Danny Dyer-starrer Marching Powder.

“Real struggle to get it off the ground”

While Chadha said her Xmas movie is “coming together” due to the combination of tax credits and True Brit,...