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Christopher Lee is one of the integral elements of the cinematic Middle-earth experience. The Saruman actor breaks bad in Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and is the central antagonist in "The Two Towers." Lee reprised the role for the "Hobbit" prequel films, too, depicting an earlier version of the White Wizard of Isengard who was harboring ill intent but hadn't yet openly joined Sauron's cause.

While Lee played Saruman across two trilogies, his Middle-earth journey came to an end when the actor died in June 2015 — just half a year after "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" released. Since then, multiple studios have initiated various projects based on Tolkien's world. Prime Video's "The Rings of Power" was able to skirt the issue of recasting Saruman for multiple reasons, including the fact that Saruman isn't in its Second Age story (even if they did technically...

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It's been well over a decade since "Indiana Jones" filmmaker Steven Spielberg and "The Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson teamed up to bring us "The Adventures of Tintin." Based on the works of Hergé, it was an ambitious motion-capture adaptation of the "Tintin" comics that was intended to be the start of a full-fledged franchise. Spielberg directed the first installment, with Jackson expected to direct the sequel. Sadly, that sequel never came. So, what happened exactly? And is the movie still going to happen?

Last we heard about "Tintin 2" was way back in 2018 when Spielberg, who was in the midst of promoting "Ready Player One," suggested that it was still going to happen. Or, at the very least, that he still wanted it to happen. Here's what Spielberg had to say about it at the time:

"Peter Jackson...

This article contains discussions of addiction, assault, and mental health.

When the pilot of "Lost" aired on ABC in September of 2004, it became an instant hit for the network and catapulted its sprawling cast to stardom in the process. Created by J.J. Abrams alongside Jeffrey Lieber and Damon Lindelof — the last of whom would eventually become a co-showrunner with Carlton Cuse — "Lost" begins in the immediate aftermath of a massive plane crash on a deserted island, but things quickly get very, very complicated. When Oceanic flight 815 crashes on that island while traveling from Sydney to Los Angeles, the audience is introduced to the survivors ... and throughout the first season, they all get a closer look through flashbacks set before they ever boarded the doomed flight.

I should say this up-front: the cast of "Lost" is huge, so not every single important character will get a spotlight here. As far as the core cast is concerned,...

The road (to more Lord Of The Rings) goes ever on and on! Earlier this summer, we found out the exciting news that Andy Serkis is set to kick off a planned new trilogy of big screen Middle-earth adventures at Warner Bros. with the self-explanatorily titled Lord Of The Rings: The Hunt For Gollum. And after a fallow few weeks with no further word on the new Rings project, last week Sir Ian McKellen — Gandalf the Grey (and occasionally White) himself — revealed that he has been approached to pick up his trusty pipe and hat once more. Now, Orlando Bloom has thrown his bow in the ring for a Legolas return in Serkis' film, too.

During an interview with Variety whilst promoting his new boxing drama The Cut, the actor — who last played the elven archer in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies back in...

Prime Video is the place to be in August with an incredible month of new releases. The month kicks off with the premiere of the animated series Batman: Caped Crusader on Aug. 1. The series was produced by J.J. Abrams and The Batman‘s Matt Reeves. We also return to Middle Earth this month with the premiere of The Rings of Power season 2 on Aug. 29.

As far as movies go, the Amazon original Jackpot! arrives on Aug. 15 starring Awkwafina and John Cena. This comedy is set in a world where Lottery winners have to survive until sundown in order to claim their multi-billion dollar jackpot – anyone who kills them before that gets to claim their prize.

The Hobbit trilogy also joins the Prime Video library this month, as do 21 and 22 Jump Street, Superman I-iv, Superman Returns, Night Swim, Drive Away Dolls, and 10 Cloverfield Lane.

Here’s everything coming...

In 1937, J.R.R. Tolkien created the epic fantasy world of Middle-earth for "The Hobbit" and filled it with magical creatures such as dragons, elves, and -- of course -- hobbits. He followed it up with the 1,137-page saga "The Lord of the Rings," which chronicles the Dark Lord Sauron's threat to take over Middle-earth with the hypnotic power of The One Ring. His son, Christopher Tolkien, took over forty years to put together and posthumously publish "The Silmarillion" and the 12-volume series "The History of Middle-earth," which contain vast accounts of Middle-earth's intricate lore.

Tolkien's ability to develop an enchanted realm with its own mythology, language, and extensive history was the work of a genius. "The Lord of the Rings" and its associated stories are a miracle of fantasy writing and artistry, and their monumental scope made them seem unfilmable. The medium of animation helped director Ralph Bakshi overcome the...

Evangeline Lilly announced on Instagram that she has stepped away from Hollywood for the foreseeable future and “might return one day.” Lilly, best known for playing Kate Austen in ABC’s drama series “Lost,” re-shared a video recorded in 2006 in which she expressed her desire to be a “retired actress” by the next decade.

“Ten years from now, where would I like to be? I am terrified to admit this to the rest of the acting world but ideally 10 years from now I’d like to be a retired actress and have a family,” Lilly said in the video. “I’d like to be writing and influencing people’s lives in humanitarian ways.”

In her caption to the video posted June 3, 2024, Lily writes: “I am so filled with joy and contentment today as I live out my vision. Praise God, I feel so grateful for my blessings. Stepping away from...

The story of Beowulf and Grendel is one of the most famous stories in English literature. The epic Beowulf is one of the most important works of English literature in general and it has been an inspiration for many authors over the centuries. We have also had numerous adaptations of the work, including the animated film from 2007, but all of them focused on the heroic tale of Beowulf, the hero of the story. But, the story also has another important character – Grendel – the monster and Beowulf’s rival in the story.

Grendel is finally going to get the chance to tell you his side of the story, as the movie Grendel will be released soon, with Palisades Park Pictures is launching international sales ahead of Cannes.

But that is actually not the main piece of news we have for you today. Namely, the cast of the upcoming movie has been...

Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart) will play the title role in Grendel, a live-action monster flick from The Jim Henson Company, for which Palisades Park Pictures is launching international sales ahead of Cannes.

Grendel is the tale of the legendary monster at the heart of the Beowulf epic poem who steps forth to tell his side of this riveting story. Directed by Robert D. Krzykowski (The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot), the film’s ensemble also includes Dave Bautista (Dune: Part Two) as Beowulf, Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) as King Hrothgar, Sam Elliott (A Star is Born) as The Dragon, Thomasin McKenzie (Last Night in Soho) as Queen Wealhtheow, and Aidan Turner (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) as Unferth. In addition to playing the role of The Shaper, famed recording artist and record producer T Bone Burnett will provide original songs for the film.

Krzykowski...

Updated with working title, film details: The first of two new Lotr films at Warner — working title Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum — will be directed by and star Andy Serkis, with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens set to write the screenplay, along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou (Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim). The film will be executive produced by Ken Kamins, with Serkis and The Imaginarium’s Jonathan Cavendish.

Peter Jackson will produce along with Walsh and Boyens, Wbd said in a release that fleshed out comments on the project by Wbd CEO David Zaslav earlier today.

Said Warner Bros. Motion Pictures heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, “For over two-decades, moviegoers have embraced the Lord of the Rings film trilogy because of the undeniable devotion Peter, Fran and Philippa have...

Who Is Ruby Ashbourne Serkis from Shardlake? Meet the Alice Actress - Main Image

The first of C.J. Sansom’s Matthew Shardlake series, Dissolution, is about to hit the small screens on Disney Plus. One of the cast members of Shardlake is Ruby Ashbourne Serkis as Alice Fewterer, in addition to Arthur Hughes (Matthew Shardlake) and Sean Bean (Thomas Cromwell).

Get to know Ruby Ashbourne Serkis and where you’ve seen her before in this article.

Who Is Ruby Ashbourne Serkis? Is She Related to Andy Serkis?

Ruby Ashbourne Serkis is an actress who hails from Hackney, East London.

She was born on October 1, 1998, to actors Andy Serkis (Gollum in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy) and Lorraine Ashbourne (Cheryl in I Used to Be Famous).

She has two younger siblings, Sonny and Louis Ashbourne Serkis, who are also working in film and television.

Before landing a titular role...

A new movie just came out from Zack Snyder, the divisive but provocative director who has inspired legions of passionate and loyal fans online, but it hardly feels like anyone outside of the internet knows or even cares much. Perhaps that's the peril of falling into the streaming trap, where name-brand talents receive sky-high budgets for productions that no traditional studio is willing to support ... only to be promptly forgotten once its brief time in Netflix's weekly Top 10 reports comes and goes. Full disclosure: It's downright strange to have been able to see "Rebel Moon: Part Two - The Scargiver" in a theater and base this review on that experience, particularly when the vast majority of those reading this will never have the same opportunity. Yet it's stranger still that the film we've received, from a visionary auteur whose battles with corporate overlords during his tenure in the DC...

A case can be made that Drew Goddard is one of the more underappreciated genre voices to break through in the last 20 years. The filmmaker has had an impressive track record, from writing and directing a bonafide cult classic like Cabin in the Woods to also penning one of the best sci-fi movies of this century, 2015’s The Martian, which was adapted from the Andy Weir novel of the same name and earned Goddard an Oscar nomination. He also wrote the original Cloverfield and helmed the extremely overlooked Bad Times at the El Royale. In nerd circles, his name should be revered.

Even with that esteem though, we cannot ignore that a vast shadow of trepidation descended Wednesday afternoon when the news hit: Goddard has been tapped to write and direct what will be a fifth and currently untitled Matrix film—a first for a series which up until now...

Ah, Oscar season. The time of the year where we, as movie fans, act like we're totally not going to get angry and/or excited about the Academy Awards and then proceed to totally get angry and excited about the Academy Awards. That's just how it works. And the nominations for the 96th Annual Academy Awards certainly gave us plenty to get angry and excited about.

The /Film team gathered around our virtual water cooler to celebrate the strange, cool wins that come with these nominations ... and to complain and moan about the movies and performances that were neglected. Is it pointless to assume that a massive voting body like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences could somehow go out of its way to snub our favorite movies? Of course. That's just silly. But does it feel satisfying to yell about it? Yes. Always.

Here's what stood out...

At last count, there have been nine studio-sanctioned feature films to have been adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. 

"The Hobbit," the first book in the series, was published in 1937, while a follow-up trilogy called "Lord of the Rings" was published in 1954 and 1955. Tolkien was both a linguist and a pacifist, so the books tended to lean toward elaborately constructed fantasy languages as well as antiwar themes. The mythology of Middle-earth was so vast and complex, Tolkien also wrote a book called "The Silmarillion" in which deep-cut details from within the "Rings" universe were laid out in excruciating, mythological detail. 

For many years, multiple filmmakers and producers attempted to adapt the first book, "The Hobbit" to film. According to Brian J. Robb's and Paul Simpson's 2013 book "Middle-earth Envisioned: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: On Screen, On Stage, and Beyond," Walt Disney had considered...

Thomasin McKenzie is a New Zealand actress. She is best known for her roles in Old, Last Night in Soho and Eileen.

Thomasin McKenzie Biography: Age, Early Life, Family, Education

Thomasin McKenzie was born on July 26, 2000, in Wellington, New Zealand to director Stuart McKenzie and actress Dame Miranda Harcourt. She has one older brother and a younger sister, actress Davida McKenzie.

McKenzie graduated from Samuel Marsden Collegiate School in 2018.

Thomasin McKenzie Biography: Career

In 2012 McKenzie started her acting career with a small role in the film Existence. Two years later in 2014, she played Astrid in the film The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, which helped launch her career.

Some of her other notable acting credits include films like Leave No Trace (2018), Jojo Rabbit (2019), Old (2021) and Last Night in Soho (2021), the last of which she played the lead character.

For her role as Tom in Leave No Trace, McKenzie...

With Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (check out our review here) coming out and over-performing, and because we here at Joblo are big fans of alliteration, we wanted to know what is your Favorite Fantasy Film? If you don’t see your favorite listed, please click “Other” and let its know in the comments

What is your Favorite Fantasy Film?The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings (2001)The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug (2013)The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)Beowulf (2007)Hercules (2014)Clash of the Titans (2010)Wrath of the Titans (2012)Conan The Barbarian (1982)Warcraft (2016)Your Highness (2011)The 13th Warrior (1999)Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)The NeverEnding Story (1984)The NeverEnding Story 2: The Next Chapter (1990)Labyrinth (1986)The Wizard of Oz (1939)The Dark Crystal (1982)The Shape of Water...

Just over three years after the conclusion of Disney’s “Star Wars” feature film sequel trilogy, the company’s vast expansion of the franchise now includes four live action streaming series, with several more in the works. The latest of these shows – “Andor” – follows flagship series “The Mandalorian” as the second non-limited “Star Wars” program and has now emulated its predecessor by scoring a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination in the category of Best TV Stunt Ensemble. Since “The Mandalorian” team succeeded on their bid in 2021, it is reasonable to assume that the “Andor” stunt performers are on a solid path to victory.

“Andor,” the first season of which originally streamed on Disney+ in the fall of 2022, serves as a prequel to the 2016 theatrical feature “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” the plot of which preceded and even slightly overlapped with that of 1977’s “Star Wars: A New Hope.” The show’s titular character,...

February ushers in a new slate of movies and TV shows making their way to HBO and HBO Max, from a slew of James Bond movies to the recently released Olivia Colman-led “Empire of Light” to, yes, the Puppy Bowl.

“The Terminator,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “Footloose,” “Taxi Driver” and “The Silence of the Lambs” all mark notable library offerings this month, in addition to “Superbad,” “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” and “Eighth Grade.”

Despite HBO Max pulling a number of originals from its roster over the past several months, HBO Max originals premiering on the platform this month include a Dionne Warwick documentary, an adult European animated series titled “Poor Devil” and “Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine’s Day Special” based on the popular animated series.

HBO Max is also beefing up its sports offerings by streaming soccer matches featuring the U.S. national teams,...

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and HBO Max got the memo. With its list of new releases for February 2023, the HBO streamer is bringing a very special Valentine’s Day episode into the fold.

Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine’s Day Special premieres on Feb. 9 and finds Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy celebrating their first Valentine’s Day together. Consider this a fun little aperitif for the fast approaching Harley Quinn season 3 – which will feature none other than freshly-installed DC czar James Gunn. Other HBO Max original series this month include another C.B. Strike special on Feb. 6 and Spanish-language animated comedy Poor Devil a.k.a. Pobre Diablo on Feb. 17.

February also looks to be a jam-packed month for movies on HBO Max. February 1 sees the arrival of many appealing library titles like Birdman, Casino Royale, The Silence of the Lambs, and The Terminator. Later on HBO Max...

Looking for something to watch? There will be many classic movies and new award-winning films coming to HBO Max in February 2023. Here are all of the best films being added to the platform in order of their IMDb scores.

HBO Max Logo, | LightRocket via Getty Images Top Rated films being added to HBO Max in February 2023

Of the long list of films being added to HBO Max on February 1st, we’ve ranked the best films by their IMDb ranking. Here are the movies, ranked from highest to lowest IMDb scores.

The Silence of the Lambs, 1991 — IMDb score: 8.6/10Taxi Driver, 1976 — IMDb score: 8.2/10The Terminator, 1984 — IMDb score: 8.1/10Catch Me If You Can, 2002 — IMDb score: 8.1/10The Miracle Worker, 1962 — IMDb score: 8.1/10Platoon, 1986 — IMDb score: 8.1/10Honeyland, 2019 — IMDb score: 8.0/10Casino Royale, 2006 — IMDb score: 8.0/10Edge of Tomorrow, 2014 — IMDb score: 7.9/10 (available February 7)The Music Man, 1962 — IMDb score: 7.8/10Gravity, 2013 — IMDb score: 7.7/10 (available February 23)Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), 2014 — IMDb score: 7.7/10Superbad,...

Since "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" was the last time Peter Jackson expected to be a part of the Tolkien universe, he needed the perfect song to end his sprawling cinematic journey across the magical Middle-earth. Although /Film called it "the worst Peter Jackson hobbit movie, "Five Armies" is elevated by the moving ballad "The Last Goodbye" in the end credits.

"The Last Goodbye" creates a full-circle moment by having Billy Boyd, who famously played the cheeky hobbit Pippin in the original trilogy, write and sing. This song serves as a callback to one of his most well-known scenes from "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" where he sings "The Edge of Night" for a scowling Denethor. Similar to "The Last Goodbye," it is a quiet piece composed by Boyd where his character reflects on the dangers of war and lost friendships. Boyd...

"Avatar: The Way of Water" has officially joined the 1 billion club. James Cameron's long-awaited sequel to 2009's "Avatar" has managed to cross the box office milestone, after just two weeks of release. With the movie first rolling out internationally on December 14, it took just 14 days for it to hit 10 figures in ticket sales. But how high can it fly, and will it be enough to turn a profit for Disney?

According to Variety, "The Way of Water" has earned 317.1 million domestically and 712.7 million overseas, counting Tuesday's grosses, which puts it at 1.025 billion globally. That makes it the second highest-grossing movie of 2022, just above "Jurassic World Dominion" (1 billion) and behind "Top Gun: Maverick" (1.48 billion). The key thing here is that Cameron's sequel hit the milestone rather quickly, tying "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" as the sixth-fastest movie to ever hit that mark. The fastest to ever do it, for the record,...

In 1937, English author J.R.R. Tolkien penned a children’s book called “The Hobbit,” or “There and Back Again,” which ignited what would become one of the most popular franchises of all time across books, film and television. That means there’s a whole lot to watch, so we’ve put together a handy guide for anyone wondering how to watch all the “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” movies in chronological or release date order.

Tolkien followed the success of “The Hobbit,” which features a Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins and his adventures in the Third Age of the fictional, mystical world of Middle Earth, with a sequel series called “The Lord of the Rings.” Set 60 years after “The Hobbit,” “The Lord of the Rings” follows an ensemble of different characters traveling to defeat the evil One Ring. The “Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings” books later spawned some of the...

As spooky season comes to a close, HBO Max is ditching scary favorites like “Friday the 13th,” “Poltergeist” and the “A Nightmare on Elm Street” franchises this November in preparation for the holidays.

Emerald Fennell’s Oscar-winning hit, “Promising Young Woman,” led by Carey Mulligan, will exit the streaming service alongside the Kristen Wiig-led comedy “Girl Most Likely” at the end of the month.

Film fans should also take advantage of watching classics like “Anna Karenina,” “Fatal Attraction,” “He’s Just Not That Into You,” “The Truman Show,” “Godzilla” and the Judy Garland and James Mason version of “A Star Is Born” before they leave.

Other noteworthy titles leaving HBO Max this month include “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” “Godzilla vs. Kong” and “Dunkirk.”

Check out a full list of what’s leaving HBO Max in November and the dates that each title leaves below..

Also Read:

The Best Movies...

This article contains spoilers for episode 4 of The Rings of Power and J.R.R. Tolkien’s works.

In episode 4 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, we finally learn what Durin IV (Owain Arthur) and Disa (Sophia Nomvete) have discovered in the Khazad-dûm mines – the precious metal mithril. In The Lord of the Rings universe, mithril becomes highly sought after in Middle-earth both for its beauty and its durability – it shines like silver, is stronger than steel, it’s as malleable as copper, and doesn’t tarnish. While this discovery may seem like a win for Durin IV and the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm in the Second Age, the mining of mithril will eventually lead to the destruction and downfall of the Dwarven kingdom.

Because mithril can only be found in the Dwarven mines of Moria, the haste with which the Dwarves mine mithril throughout the Second Age leads...

Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" is a singular filmmaking achievement. Greenlit by the smallish New Line Cinema in 1999, the trilogy was initially budgeted at 180 million. But after a footage presentation at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival wowed audiences, the studio, realizing it had something special in the works, loosened the purse strings. The epic series ultimately cost 281 million, which is plenty steep, but it's a luxury you can afford when the movies go on to make 3 billion at the global box office.

And it all came so close to never happening.

Though J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy novels were a publishing phenomenon in the 20th century, their popularity had peaked in the 1960s and '70s. Typically, when an undertaking of this magnitude goes into production at a Hollywood studio, it's because there's been a resurgence. Instead, Jackson, who was smarting from the commercial failure of his first studio movie,...

The 2001 film "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" tells a tale of a small, intelligent, talking blue hedgehog — a hedgehog possessed with the ability to run at tremendous speeds — who must protect his bag of mystical golden rings from the forces of evil. The hedgehog's rings allow him to skip merrily between dimensions, and are coveted by the mad scientist Dr. Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung), who possesses a set of ten mystical rings of his own.

Oh, but this has been a merry jest.

One of the more visually striking things about Peter Jackson's sextet of popular films set in Tolkien's fantastical Middle-earth was his ability to shrink down human-sized actors into the realm's many diminutive humanoid species. Using forced perspective, digital overlays, stand-ins, stunt doubles, and then-revolutionary motion-matching CGI technology, Jackson was able to envision numerous hobbits and dwarfs — about 3 ½ feet and 4 feet respectively — standing...

Click here to read the full article.

The Lord of the Rings, the property that became a founding mythology for modern geek culture, returned to San Diego Comic-Con Friday with Amazon showing off a new trailer for the mega-budget The Rings of Power TV series. The panel kicked off with composer Bear McCeary and an orchestra (including a choir) performing music from the show for Hall H’s 6,000-strong crowd.

The pageantry set the tone for emcee (and noted Tolkien fan) Stephen Colbert to take the Comic-Con crowd to Middle-earth. The Rings of Power takes place during the Second Age. The series is set thousands of years before Peter Jackson’s films and centers on the rings of power that allowed the Dark Lord Sauron to spread evil across Middle-earth. Colbert noted the Second Age is one of the least-explored aspects in the Tolkien mythology. “It’s a story of loss,...

Heads up, San Diego! Middle-earth is coming to you this summer. For the first time since 2014, when the cast and crew of "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" made their highly-anticipated appearance at several panels at the event, the fantasy world of J.R.R. Tolkien and the weekend chaos of San Diego Comic-Con are on a collision course once again.

Prime Video announced the exciting news about the upcoming series earlier today, confirming all those practically no-brainer rumors that "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" will unleash plenty of exclusive looks at the famed Hall H stage this July, to...

The post The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is Coming to Comic-Con appeared first on /Film.

I'm not often squicked out by a series description, but I find the one for the upcoming Netflix series "Damage" really unsettling. With all the horror films and sci-fi that I watch, it might be surprising that this one is sort of vile for me, but it is. "Damage" is based on the Josephine Hart 1990s political novella about "erotic obsession and forbidden desire," and Richard Armitage and Charlie Murphy have now joined the cast, according to Variety. 

Armitage ("The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies") is set to play William, a doctor who is having an affair with -- and here...

The post Richard Armitage and Charlie Murphy Set To Star in Netflix Thriller Series Damage appeared first on /Film.

Richard Armitage is set to star in “Damage,” a new Netflix series from Gaumont U.K. and Moonage.

Armitage (“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies”) will play William, a politician who embarks on a passionate affair with his soon-to-be daughter in law, Anna (played by “Peaky Blinders” star Charlie Murphy.)

Anna is already engaged to William’s son Martyn, played by “Miss Marvel’s” Rish Shah. She fights to keep both relationships alive – one with Martyn and one with William – but it is inevitable that the truth will emerge and someone is going to get hurt.

In the meantime, William finds himself drawn into an obsessive spiral, unbeknown to his wife Ingrid (played by “Obi Wan Kenobi’s” Indira Varma.)

Pippa Bennett-Warner (“Gangs of London”) is also set to join the cast as Peggy.

“Damage” is based on Josephine Hart’s 1990s political novella about “erotic obsession and forbidden desire.

“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” — the original anime feature from New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation — is set for release on April 21, 2024 from Warner Bros. Pictures, Variety can report exclusively.

Set roughly two centuries before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings,” “The War of the Rohirrim” will explore the exploits of Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan, and the creation of Helm’s Deep, the stronghold featured in Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.”

Kenji Kamiyama (the TV series “Blade Runner: Black Lotus” and “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex”) is directing with “Blade Runner: Black Lotus” producer Joseph Chou through his anime studio Sola Entertainment, which has been working on the film since it was announced in June 2021.

As can be seen in this exclusive first look at conceptual art from the film,...

Historically, the Super Bowl has been a hugely important moment when it comes to movie marketing. This was the first place we ever saw the White House explode ahead of the release of “Independence Day,” after all. And this year felt even more movie-oriented, thanks to the game happening in Los Angeles and a Los Angeles team (the Rams) playing in the game. Not every Super Bowl starts with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson making an inspiring speech, after all!

Below are all the trailers that aired during this year’s Super Bowl (and we’ll be adding more during the game):

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”

If causing chaos for Spider-Man wasn’t enough, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) returns for the first official sequel to 2016’s “Doctor Strange.” This entry is directed by the legendary Sam Raimi, with a decided emphasis on spookiness and also potential cameos...

Hollywood is about to stampede into Middle Earth. An array of movie, merchandising, gaming and live event rights to “Lord of the Rings,” “The Hobbit” and other titles from author J.R.R. Tolkien are coming up for auction now that the Saul Zaentz Co. has decided to sell its Tolkien holdings.

Zaentz Co. has hired Acf Investment Bank to handle the sale process, which is unfolding this week as bankers make the rounds of the logical Hollywood buyers. The Tolkien properties are projected to fetch at least $2 billion, based on recent high valuations for top-tier IP and content producers.

Representatives for Zaentz Co. and Acf declined to comment.

The timing of the sale process is not accidental. Amazon is set to premiere its long-awaited, mega-budgeted TV series rendition of the enduring “Lord of the Rings” saga, “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” on Sept. 2. Amazon is at the top...

A new year has finally arrived and HBO Max is set to open it with a bang. With its list of new releases for January 2022, HBO Max is rolling out some intriguing original series and an absolutely packed slate of library titles.

The real highlight this month comes on Jan. 13 with the release of Peacemaker. Developed by James Gunn, this series spins off John Cena’s titular character from last years’ The Suicide Squad. The show will delve into the pathology of a superhero who will achieve peace regardless of how many people need to be killed to attain it.

Also of note this month are second seasons for two major HBO series. Euphoria season 2 and The Righteous Gemstones season 2 both premiere on Jan. 9, making for quite the odd double feature. Meanwhile, the fifth and final season of superb comedy Search Party arrives on Jan. 7.

January 2022 is light as far as original movies go.

After concluding his sixth Middle-earth film, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” Ian McKellen praised Peter Jackson, telling Variety, “He’s invented technology to match his imagination.”

Jackson’s first “Lord of the Rings” film, “The Fellowship of the Ring,” premiered in December, 2001, and celebrates its 20th anniversary this month.

Jackson oversees five companies in Wellington, New Zealand, that were each started to fill the films’ needs:

— Weta Workshop was born for the 1989 “Meet the Feebles.” Jackson and Fran Walsh collaborated with husband-and-wife team Richard Taylor and Tania Rodger and their 5-year-old Rt Effects, who worked on models and puppets.

Weta Workshop has five divisions: Makeup and prosthetics, armor, weapons, creatures and miniature environments.

During a Variety visit a few years ago, the WW’ers were working on film and TV projects as well as museum installations, a sculpture garden, film projects and books. Richard Taylor told Variety,...

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy’s $2.9 billion collective worldwide gross and 17 Academy Award wins certainly make a case for the 2001-2003 films being the product of a winning formula, both production-wise and plot-wise. However, the process of getting the grandiose, once-unfathomable project off the ground naturally involved producers pressuring director Peter Jackson to implement ideas often contradictory to the source material. Apparently, one such idea would have seen one of the film’s four hobbits die!

While the more loquacious half of Lord of the Rings’ onscreen hobbits, Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd—Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck and Peregrin “Pippin” Took, respectively—have told myriad stories about life on the set across the past few decades through interviews and the films’ insightfully entertaining DVD commentary, the duo brought new anecdotes in an interview with IGN promoting their recently launched, Rings-heavy podcast, The Friendship Onion. According to them, there was a...

Exclusive: Netflix has swooped on world rights to horror film Curs>R out of the Cannes virtual market, we can reveal.

We understand the streamer is paying high seven figures for the buzzy movie, which stars Asa Butterfield (Sex Education), newcomer Iola Evans (The 100), Eddie Marsan (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw) and Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street).

Production recently wrapped in the UK on Curs>R, which will follow a broke college dropout (Iola Evans) who decides to play an obscure, 1980s survival computer game in pursuit of an unclaimed $125,000 prize. But the game curses her, and she’s faced with dangerous choices and reality-warping challenges. After a series of unexpectedly terrifying moments, she realizes she’s no longer playing for the money, but for her life.

Anton handled sales with Endeavor Content co-repping domestic. Anton’s President of International Production and Distribution, Cecile Gaget, negotiated the Netflix deal on behalf of Anton,...

Not even remotely interested in seeing Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes or The Weeknd do their thing at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium?

We’ve got you. Instead of watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs go helmet-to-helmet for a shiny Vince Lombardi, head to these platforms and channels to get your Sunday evening fix of series and flicks.

All showtimes listed below are in Eastern Standard Time.

Streaming Alternatives Netflix

Shows: “Kid Cosmic,” “Firefly Lane,” “Hache” (Season 2), “Invisible City,” “The Sinner” (Season 3)

Films: “The Bank Job,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” “Zathura: A Space Adventure,” “Shutter Island,” “The Patriot,” “Little Big Women,” “Space Sweepers,” “Strip Down, Rise Up,” “The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity”

Amazon Prime

Shows: “Little Coincidences,” “What’s New, Scooby-Doo?,” “Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men,” “The White Princess” (Season 1), “Billions” (Seasons 1-3), “Black in Latin America” (Season 1), “Finding Your Roots” (Season 1)

Films: “Kiki,” “Dazed and Confused,...

TNT, TBS, and truTV are set to air blocks of HBO Max programming over the Thanksgiving holiday.

The first episodes of the DC series “Titans” and the new Kaley Cuoco series “The Flight Attendant” will both air during the “Thanksgiving to the HBO Max” block, which will run from Nov. 26-29 on each network. The DC films “Aquaman,” “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” and “Wonder Woman” will also air, with “Aquaman” making its network premiere. Elsewhere, Melissa McCarthy will offer a sneak peek of her HBO Max original film “Superintelligence.”

For “The Flight Attendant,” Cuoco will host a curated marathon of “Big Bang Theory” episodes leading up to the airing of the new show’s pilot. Throughout each day, Qr codes will appear on-screen along with network and show specific URLs giving viewers access to subscribe for a free 7-day trial of HBO Max.

‘”Thanksgiving to the HBO Max...

In the first major crossover between WarnerMedia’s HBO Max and siblings TNT, TBS and TruTV, the ad-supported linear cable networks will carry four days of curated HBO Max programming over the Thanksgiving holiday. The stunt is clearly designed to promote HBO Max’s programming and draw new subscribes to the streaming platform.

Warner Media brass have said that HBO Max is a main priority, and the other divisions of the company have been pitching in to support it. When WarnerMedia earlier this year pulled the plug on DirecTV’s Audience as an original programming network, it was transformed into an HBO Max preview channel.

Beginning Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26 through Sunday, Nov. 29 each network will air its own themed content from HBO Max.

On Thursday, TNT will feature DC movies, including the network premiere of Aquaman, as well as the first episode of season one of HBO Max’s original series Titans.

There are only two months left to go in this truly hellish year and relatively new streaming service HBO Max is trying to make the best of them. While most other streamers recover from Halloween and get prepared for Christmas, HBO Max is using November 2020 to fill out its servers.

Things are pretty light not the new original series front this month with only Industry (Nov. 9) and His Dark Materials season 2 (Nov. 16) making a splash. But the streamer has a couple of notable original films to complement them. Between the World and Me, based on the book by Ta-Nehisi Coates, arrives on Nov. 21 and Melissa McCarthy comedy Superintelligence arrives on Nov. 26. That’s not even to mention two intriguing projects that don’t have dates yet: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion Special and The Mystery of Db Cooper.

Thankfully, the real appeal in November 2020 is all the fresh library...

We might be stuck indoors this Halloween weekend, but thankfully, the various major streaming services are on hand to keep us occupied with a monumental mountain of new content heading our way over the next few days. As it’s both the end of the month and the beginning of November, the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu and Prime Video are adding a mix of seasonal movies and TV shows today and tomorrow, and a whole load of freshly licensed titles on Sunday.

First of all, Netflix is dropping five new originals this Friday, October 30th, including a couple of horrors, like The Day of the Lord and His House. Disney Plus, meanwhile, debuts The Mandalorian‘s season 2 premiere today, along with a new episode of The Right Stuff and Nicolas Cage movie The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Elsewhere, on the 31st, HBO Max adds last year’s Black Christmas...

As we have just about a week left to go of October, let’s take a look at everything that’s due to arrive on HBO Max in November. It’s a big month for the WarnerMedia streaming service, with countless new movies from their legendary library being added and plenty of fresh originals dropping throughout the following weeks. A few upcoming releases have yet to be dated, but otherwise, here’s the full list of what’s coming to HBO Max next month.

Released November Tba

12 Dates Of Christmas, HBO Max Original Series Premiere

Colin Quinn & Friends: A Parking Lot Comedy Show, HBO Max Original Special Premiere

Crazy, Not Insane, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air Reunion Special, HBO Max Original Special Premiere

Full Bloom, HBO Max Original Series Premiere

I Hate Suzie, HBO Max Original Series Premiere

The Mystery Of Db Cooper, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

Sesame Street,...

With a new month quickly approaching, it’s time to look ahead and see what’s coming to all your favorite streaming services this November. That’s Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and, of course, HBO Max.

Halloween will soon be behind us and given that Christmas isn’t too far off, we’re beginning to see some holiday titles pop up, with all the major platforms getting into the festive spirit. That’ll continue in December as well, of course, but for November, there’s certainly tons on offer for those looking to start the celebrations early.

There’s a lot of other great stuff on the way, too, though, be it classic films, underrated gems, brand new releases and much more, and you can check out the entire lineup, sorted by date, down below. Ready to dive in?

November 1

Netflix

60 Days In: Season 5

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Burbank, CA, October 8, 2020 – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that The Hobbit Trilogy and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, from Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson, will be available for the first time on 4K Uhd on December 1.

From New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, the two epic trilogies include the theatrical and extended versions of the six films in 4K Uhd with Hdr. The Hobbit Trilogy includes The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy includes The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which won Academy Awards® for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Both trilogies will also include Digital copies of both versions of each film.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Announces Peter Jackson’S The Hobbit Trilogy And The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy To Be Released In 4K Uhd For The First Time On December 1St

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that The Hobbit Trilogy and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, from Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson, will be available for the first time on 4K Uhd on December 1.

From New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, the two epic trilogies include the theatrical and extended versions of the six films in 4K Uhd with Hdr. The Hobbit Trilogy includes The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy includes The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,...

There is so much more we’re going to learn about New Zealand-born actress Thomasin McKenzie in the coming years. With each new role, we see her abilities tested and our expectations exceeded. After a small role in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies when she was barely even a teenager, she continued working […]

The post ‘Jojo Rabbit’ Star Thomasin McKenzie on Why Watching ‘Mean Girls’ and ‘Heathers’ Prepared Her for Taika Waititi’s WWII Satire [Interview] appeared first on /Film.

The Peter Jackson produced and directed World War I documentary “They Shall Not Grow Old” will hit Chinese theaters on November 11. Though it will roll out nationwide, it will do so via the China’s National Arthouse Alliance, which has limited screens.

The 2018 documentary puts together interviews with WWI veterans and more than 100-year-old archival footage from the BBC and Imperial War Museum, restored via colorization and other production techniques to make it appear much more real to modern viewers.

The film premiered at the London Film Festival and was more broadly released by Warner Brothers earlier in February this year. It was nominated for a Best Documentary BAFTA Award, but was deemed ineligible for submission to the Oscar race for best documentary because it missed a filing deadline.

Peter Jackson is a big name in China, where all of his “Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings” movies have seen theatrical releases,...