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David Tennant: BBC Audio Drama Awards, and project updates

David Tennant won the 'Best Actor' award at the first BBC Audio Drama Awards ceremony, held at Broadcasting House in London on Sunday evening. David also hosted the ceremony. He won the award for his lead role in Kafka The Musical!
More details at David Tennant on Twitter



Transmission dates and premières:

The transmission all over Britain of the David Tennant narrated documentary Wild About Pandas has been moved from Tuesday 7th to Friday 10th February at 9pm on BBC Two. Scotland will still be able to view it first on Wednesday 1st February.
More details at David Tennant on Twitter

The David Tennant voiced Tree Fu Tom will première at BBC's celebration of CBeebies and CBBC's 10th birthday on Saturday 18th February in Salford Quays near Manchester.
See here for full details.

The release date of the movie The Pirates! Band of Misfits has been delayed in the US from the original date of 30th March to 27th April. (This is the movie which is called The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists in the UK.)
See here for more details and the opening dates of the movie all around the world.

Elaine C Smith to star as Susan Boyle in new stage show

I DREAMED A DREAM (Palace Theatre, Oxford Street, Manchester, June 19-23)
Susan Boyle will make a guest appearance in this eagerly awaited new show based on her life story. Starring Elaine C Smith (Rab C Nesbitt) the musical follows Susan Boyle’s rise from humble beginnings to global icon and features signature songs from her multi-platinum selling albums.
Ring 0844 372 7272 or visit www.manchesterpalace.org.uk for ticket information

Source: Flintshire Chronicle

Ewan McGregor making switch to small screen in US

He became one of the world’s biggest movie stars after the success of Trainspotting, eclipsing all his other co-stars. But Ewan McGregor’s blockbusters of Moulin Rouge and three Star Wars movies have been followed by a few flops at the box office.

Now it looks like the Scot could be copying his old pals from the 1996 movie of the Irvine Welsh book and heading to the American small screen.

Ewan has landed his first role in a US television show made by HBO, an adaptation of hit novel The Corrections. That makes him the last Trainspotting star to make it big on TV.

HBO, who make cult shows The Sopranos, Sex And The City and The Wire, are rumoured to have tied the Crieff-born actor into a megabucks four-year contract.

He doesn’t need to look far to see just how well his co-stars are doing since heading across the Atlantic.

Read more at Daily Record

Also reported by Hey U Guys

First look at James McAvoy in 'Welcome To The Punch' and in 'Filth'

How did the UK film-makers behind Welcome To The Punch attract an A-list cast, top financiers and Ridley Scott? Made for just $153,000 (£100,000) under Film London’s Microwave scheme in 2008, Eran Creevy’s Shifty was one of the most impressive UK debut features in recent years. With a sharpness that belied its micro-budget origins, the urban crime thriller scored a Bafta nomination and put Creevy and his producers, Ben Pugh and Rory Aitken of London-based Between The Eyes, into the industry spotlight.

Their follow-up, Welcome To The Punch, is now in post. The film is an action thriller about a London detective (James McAvoy) and an ex-criminal (Mark Strong) forced to return from his Icelandic hideaway, who become allies in a bid to expose a high-level conspiracy. The cast also includes Andrea Riseborough and Peter Mullan.

Read more at Screen Daily




Take a look at James McAvoy in Filth



It’s been a long old while since one of Irvine Welsh’s scabrous black comedies was adapted for the big screen, but fans of Filth will be pleased to see that James McAvoy looks suitably dissolute in the latest images from the forthcoming movie adaptation.

McAvoy plays Detective Sergeant Bruce Robertson, an Edinburgh policeman with an unfortunate predilection for booze, drugs and sexually abusive relationships.

As Christmas approaches, Robertson is hoping for a nice long blow-out to indulge his various vices, but the matter of a missing wife and child and a racially fraught murder case soon complicate matters.

With a tapeworm Robertson develops serving as one of the novel’s narrators, the subject material is anything but conventional, so Scottish director Jon S. Baird will likely have his work cut out for him. However, he does have a rather excellent cast to work with, with McAvoy supported by Jamie Bell, Joanne Froggatt, Eddie Marsan, Jim Broadbent and Imogen Poots.

Filth is expected to arrive in the latter part of 2012, although no release date has been confirmed as yet. Could it be a worthy successor to Trainspotting? Let’s hope so.

Source: Total Film

Captains Jack & Kirk: John Barrowman interviews William Shatner about 'Star Trek Generations'

Here is a video that has John Barrowman, with some funky 90's hair going on, interviewing William Shatner about Star Trek Generations (from Live and Kicking on BBC1, 1994).




Source: The Knights

'Once Upon a Time' heads to U.K.’s Channel 5

Channel 5 has secured the exclusive U.K. first-run free television rights for the ABC Studios-produced drama series Once Upon a Time.

The series, a fantasy drama from Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, writers of Lost and Tron: Legacy, will air exclusively on Channel 5 in the spring of 2012. It debuted in the U.S. on ABC in October 2011, and has now been licensed by Disney to broadcasters in more than 190 territories worldwide. It stars Ginnifer Goodwin (Big Love, Walk the Line, He’s Just Not That Into You), Jennifer Morrison (House, How I Met Your Mother) and Robert Carlyle (The Full Monty, 28 Days Later, Trainspotting), among others. It is about fairytale characters exiled to modern-day America. Kitsis and Horowitz are creators and executive producers. Steven Pearlman is also executive producer.

Paul Fagan, the head of acquisitions at Channel 5, said, “There’s no living happily ever after here—these are fairytales as you’ve never seen them before. Once Upon a Time is a magical and mysterious addition to our 2012 schedule on Channel 5.”

Dayna Donaldson, the executive director of media distribution at Disney UK and Ireland, added, “Once Upon a Time has caused global buzz right from pilot stage, with its unique premise and ABC Studios’ stamp of high-quality storytelling and production. We’re excited that U.K. viewers will soon be able to enjoy it too.”

Source: World Screen

New Exorcism movie hopefully cut from a different 'Cloth'

There's a new exorcism movie afoot. And after The Devil Inside I'd say The Cloth has nowhere to go but up! It's certainly got a better cast!

Eric Roberts, Danny Trejo, Rachele Brooke Smith, Kyler Willett and Steven Brand star in the film. No one in Devil Inside can even begin to chew scenery like Roberts and Trejo. Justin Price wrote and directed the film which recently wrapped production.

The film, "is a thriller centred on a secret organization formed by the Catholic Church to counteract the rising cases of demonic possessions across the country. With the arrival of the Devil’s General Kasdeya on earth, the members of the Cloth have only seven days to stop the crossover of the ultimate evil into our realm. To stop Beelzebub’s arrival, their mission depends on Jason (Kyler Willett), a young godless man, to lead the next generation of Cloth members before the Devil and his armies walk the earth."

More updates as they come! Meanwhile, check out the poster!



Source: Bloody Disgusting

Update on 'Sir Billi'

Release date: Coming Soon
Genre: Animation
Studio: Glasgow Animation

Plot outline:
When tragedy strikes in the Highlands, there can be only one man for the job - Sir William Sedgewick, aka Sir Billi (Sir Sean Connery)!

This is an adventure story about an inimitable Highland hero - a grandpa. As active senior skateboarding veterinarian he goes above and beyond the call of duty fighting villainous policemen and powerful lairds in a battle to save an illegal fugitive - Bessie Boo

Starring:
Sir Sean Connery, Alan Cumming, Alex Norton, Miriam Margolyes, Ruby Wax, Ford Kieran, Greg Hempil, John Amabile, Chris Jai Alex, Jamie Still, Larry Sullivan, Amy Sacco



More information and pictures on the official Facebook page.

Other sources:
http://www.sirbilli.com/
http://www.billiproductions.com/home.php
https://twitter.com/#!/sirbilli

Robert Burns Night 2012: Robert Carlyle, Robbie Coltrane, and Brian Cox recite Robert Burns

BBC Scotland are working on a project to record all of Burns' works. So far the BBC have recordings for 716 pieces of works, read by some of Scotland's best-loved actors as well as HRH Prince Charles and Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond.

The Tree of Liberty read by Robbie Coltrane


Read and hear more at TEK Journalism UK

Weekly schedule for Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

Mo 1/30: Don Cheadle, Andrea Riseborough
Tu 1/31: Ringo Starr
We 2/1: William Shatner
Th 2/2: Daniel Radcliffe, Mark Forward
Fr 2/3: Rachel Bilson, David Milch

David Tennant: 'Decoy Bride' trailer | new narration project

The Decoy Bride
IFC Films have released the trailer for The Decoy Bride


The official Decoy Bride Facebook page has the news that the movie's director Sheree Folkson will hold a Question and Answer session after the screening on 21st February at the Glasgow Film Festival.

Both The Sun and the Daily Mail attempted to tie up promotional photos from The Decoy Bride with David's personal life
WARNING: both articles contain spoilers!!!

Source (and more information) DavidTennantOnTwitter



Wild About Pandas
David Tennant will narrate the documentary Wild About Pandas which will be broadcast on BBC One Scotland on Wednesday 1st February. (It will also be available on Sky.)
See here for more details about the programme.

John Barrowman: TV appearances and book signings

TV:
It's John Barrowman Day on UKTV on Friday 3 February 2012

Hustle
John's episode (series 8, episode 4) of Hustle will air on Friday 3 February 2012 on BBC1 at 9pm. He plays a character called Dr Dean Deville. There are spoilers for the whole series including John's episode on Cultbox site here.
Promotional photos in the gallery here

Chris Moyles Quiz Show
John won his round of Chris Moyles' Quiz Night and will now appear in the final of the series, competing against Alesha Dixon and boy-band JLS.
The show is at 10.30pm on Channel 4 on Friday, 3 February 2012. Right after Hustle!
Read more about the show here

All About Me Pilot Quiz Show
A comedy panel show which is hosted by, and all about, a different celebrity each week.
In the pilot episode, John Barrowman presents a series of rounds all based on his life for the two team captains, Jason Manford and Myleene Klass, who are joined by celebrity and comic guest panellists.
Free tickets to the recording can be bought here

Source: John Barrowman: The Official Site


Dallas
Channel Five has announced a number of new programmes in development, including a cookery show fronted by Marco Pierre White, a documentary presented by John Barrowman on the TV show Dallas
Source: The CMU website


Hollow Earth:
Torchwood star John Barrowman has written a children’s book inspired by his Scottish childhood. The star, who was born in Glasgow and moved to America when he was eight, wrote the book with his sister Carole. They are in talks to turn the novel into a TV series.

Hollow Earth, which is set on a Scottish island, is about 12-year-old twins with special powers. It comes out next month.
Source: Daily Record

John and Carole Barrowman's children's fantasy book is due out in February 2012 and available for pre-order from Amazon

Hollow Earth book signings are listed here

Radio interviews have now been confirmed for John and Carole Barrowman. See John's Official site for details.

More details of the book at Largs & Millport Weekly News and a booksigning at Waterstones in Bluewater shopping centre at 1pm on Saturday, February 4 is reported in the Dartford Messenger

'California Solo' to première at Sundance

In Marshall Lewy's film California Solo, Scottish actor Robert Carlyle, known for his roles in Trainspotting and the James Bond action flick The World Is Not Enough, let's his hair grow out and plays an ageing Britpop musician who lives in the U.S.

When he is arrested for drunk driving and faces deportation, Carlyle's character must face his past and come to terms with his inner demons.

The idea of using a Scottish character, instead of an illegal alien to examine the immigration and deportation topic was a different twist that really stemmed from Lewy's love for Britpop music that hit its stride in the mid- to late- 1990s.

"Britpop was a movement that I loved in college," Lewy said to The Park Record during a telephone interview from Los Angeles, Calif. "I went to visit some friends in Ireland and I returned with a lot of music that hadn't made it to the U.S., at that time."

Bands such as Oasis, Blur, Supergrass, Echobelly and Shed Seven are a few examples of the genre, which was influenced by the music that emerged from Manchester, England, in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

"When it came time to write the script, I thought about how old Robert Carlyle's character would have been during the movement's heyday in the early to mid 1990s," Lewy said. "That took me back to the music that I loved and I just started listening to it again while I wrote the script."

Lewy was again drawn to the emotional and anthemic quality Britpop.

"I felt the character was like the music, which has this epic and intimate quality going on at the same time," he said. "In fact, that's how the character sees himself."

Although Lewy had never met Carlyle before, he had him in mind when crafting the characteristics.

"I didn't know him and I didn't know I could get him, so I had a back-up plan because there are so many great actors from Scotland or Ireland that I could get, but he was the one I wanted," Lewy said. "So, even though the character was not like me, I was able to write in a voice that was able to capture him because I knew the characters he plays in his films."

In California Solo, Carlyle plays Lachlan MacAldonich, a man who can become his own worst enemy.

"I know many people who have trouble getting out of their own way," Lewy said. "They have settled into this comfortably numb state over the years and aren't able to just sit tight in that space. The events of the film rock Lachlan out of that and force him to deal with his demons."

When Carlyle did sign on, he was able to bring a lot of that quality and a history of Britpop culture to the character, because he hung out with a lot of those musicians at that time, Lewy said.

"Robert arrived in Los Angeles for the shoot and had a lot of the clothes he used to wear to the Hacienda, which is like the Studio 54 of Manchester," he said. "He wore those in the film and buttoned the top button up to the neck, which was the image back then."

Furthermore, Carlyle has appeared in an Oasis music video and is good friends with the now-defunct band's founders Noel and Liam Gallagher.

"He also knows Paul Weller, who is known as the "Modfather" and the leader of the band the Jam," Lewy explained. "In fact, Robert wears a bracelet throughout the film that was given to him by Paul."

Those little details made brought MacAldonich to life for the shoot, which, when stripped down, could have become just another film about the United States immigration dilemma.

"Obviously, a lot of the stories we hear about immigration are focused on Latin-American families or Arab families," Lewy said. "In fact, there is a line in the film where Robert's boss, who is of Mexican descent says, 'I have all these Mexicans working on my farm and it's the Scottish guy that gets into trouble with immigration.'

Although Lewy found irony in basis of the film, he talked to an immigration lawyer as part of his research.

"The lawyer walked me through what can happen to someone even if they have a Green Card and is a permanent legal resident of the U.S. who has lived here for years," he said. "They can still be deported, or as they say, now, removed, for something like a DUI, even if they have grandchildren here.

"The more I learned, the more I realized it would be a good basis for the spine of the film," he said.

Lewy shot California Solo last summer in 20 days.

"We filmed around the areas where I live in Los Angeles," he said. "It was fun, and the reason I had such a good experience with his film is that I saw what I have learned from the past. I found collaborators and when I worked with them, I knew we were making the same movie."

Lewy was able to set a tone to the movie and then let his collaborators loose to do their work.

"Directors come in all types," he said. "There are the Clint Eastwoods who are very hands off and there are the David Finchers and Stanley Kubricks who are known to be extreme micro managers.

"I try to do it with a loose hand to allow for improv and be open to other people's ideas, while still getting the movie that I want," he said. "I'm looking forward to seeing how people react to the film, starting with Sundance. I haven't watched it with an audience, yet. So it will be interesting to hear what they will have to say."

California Solo is one of the premières at the Sundance Film Festival. It will screen on
Wednesday, Jan. 25, 9:45 p.m., Eccles Theatre, PC
Thursday, Jan. 26, 8:30 a.m., the MARC, PC
Friday, Jan. 28, 9:30 p.m., Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, SLC
Saturday, 29, 10 a.m., Screening Room, Sundance Resort

Source: Park Record