Exclusive: SonyLIV’s ambitious Indian independence drama Freedom at Midnight has added British cast.
Cordelia Bugeja, Richard Teverson, Luke McGibney, Andrew Cullum and Alistair Findlay have joined the series, which charts India’s struggle for independence and subsequent partition.
McGibney and Bugeja will play the last Viceroy and Vicereine of India, Lord Louis Mountbatten and Lady Edwina Mountbatten, respectively. Finlay is Archibald Wavell, the Commander-in-Chief and Viceroy of India preceding Mountbatten. Cullum brings to life Clement Attlee, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, while Teverson portrays Cyril Radcliffe, the chairman of the Boundary Commission for the Partition of India.
They join Sidhant Gupta (Jubilee), who stars as Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, Chirag Vohra (Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story) as...
Cordelia Bugeja, Richard Teverson, Luke McGibney, Andrew Cullum and Alistair Findlay have joined the series, which charts India’s struggle for independence and subsequent partition.
McGibney and Bugeja will play the last Viceroy and Vicereine of India, Lord Louis Mountbatten and Lady Edwina Mountbatten, respectively. Finlay is Archibald Wavell, the Commander-in-Chief and Viceroy of India preceding Mountbatten. Cullum brings to life Clement Attlee, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, while Teverson portrays Cyril Radcliffe, the chairman of the Boundary Commission for the Partition of India.
They join Sidhant Gupta (Jubilee), who stars as Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, Chirag Vohra (Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story) as...
- 5/7/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
The Maintenance Phase podcaster was an anonymous blogger before her open letter on fatness went viral. Now the subject of Jeanie Finlay’s documentary Your Fat Friend, she hopes it can reshape the way we discuss bodies
In February 2016, Aubrey Gordon sat at her computer and pressed publish on a blog post. An open letter, it was titled A Request from Your Fat Friend. She decided not to sign it with her name. “I need less sympathy and more solidarity; less pity and more anger,” she wrote, about being denied medical care by doctors, and basic understanding from her thinner friends. Gordon describes herself as a fat woman, who at that time wore a US dress size 26 (about a UK size 30). “If you disapprove of yourself, vivisect your own body, and then compliment me,” she explained in the letter, “I will remember how you talk about both of us.” Within one week,...
In February 2016, Aubrey Gordon sat at her computer and pressed publish on a blog post. An open letter, it was titled A Request from Your Fat Friend. She decided not to sign it with her name. “I need less sympathy and more solidarity; less pity and more anger,” she wrote, about being denied medical care by doctors, and basic understanding from her thinner friends. Gordon describes herself as a fat woman, who at that time wore a US dress size 26 (about a UK size 30). “If you disapprove of yourself, vivisect your own body, and then compliment me,” she explained in the letter, “I will remember how you talk about both of us.” Within one week,...
- 1/26/2024
- by Simran Hans
- The Guardian - Film News
[This story contains spoilers from the finale of Reacher‘s second season.]
Viewers of Reacher have now had one week to decompress, perhaps rewind, and think about how archvillain Shane Langston (Robert Patrick) finally got his in the season two finale.
After saving love interest Karla Dixon (Serinda Swan) from dropping mid-air out of a helicopter, Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) — while strapped to a gurney and with a knife stuck in his arm — goes to retrieve Langston and deliver him the same fate that had been handed to many of our series hero’s friends: being thrown out of a flying aircraft.
The scene was rewarding to viewers of Prime Video’s action-packed hit series. And it turns out that scene was also one of the highlights for Reacher showrunner Nick Santora. Santora doesn’t make light of how much he is a fan of both author Lee Child’s books (the source material for the series) and his lead actor, Ritchson.
Viewers of Reacher have now had one week to decompress, perhaps rewind, and think about how archvillain Shane Langston (Robert Patrick) finally got his in the season two finale.
After saving love interest Karla Dixon (Serinda Swan) from dropping mid-air out of a helicopter, Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) — while strapped to a gurney and with a knife stuck in his arm — goes to retrieve Langston and deliver him the same fate that had been handed to many of our series hero’s friends: being thrown out of a flying aircraft.
The scene was rewarding to viewers of Prime Video’s action-packed hit series. And it turns out that scene was also one of the highlights for Reacher showrunner Nick Santora. Santora doesn’t make light of how much he is a fan of both author Lee Child’s books (the source material for the series) and his lead actor, Ritchson.
- 1/26/2024
- by Demetrius Patterson
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This post contains spoilers for "Reacher" season 2
Season 1 of Prime Video's "Reacher" was a big hit for the streamer, topping the Nielsen streaming charts back in 2022. Now, with the arrival of season 2, Jack Reacher has triumphed once again. Not only has he overcome Robert Patrick's insidious Shane Langston in an explosive season finale, but he's once again garnered enough ratings to hit the number 2 spot on the Nielsen charts for the show's first week of release (Nielsen releases their stats a lot later than you'd think).
This all suggests that Prime Video has a reliable hit on its hands with "Reacher." Prior to the show's debut, two Tom Cruise-starring films came and went, upsetting fans of Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels in the process who felt that Cruise's diminutive stature wasn't quite the embodiment of Child's hulking ex-Military Police officer. But "Reacher" introduced the 6-ft 3-inch,...
Season 1 of Prime Video's "Reacher" was a big hit for the streamer, topping the Nielsen streaming charts back in 2022. Now, with the arrival of season 2, Jack Reacher has triumphed once again. Not only has he overcome Robert Patrick's insidious Shane Langston in an explosive season finale, but he's once again garnered enough ratings to hit the number 2 spot on the Nielsen charts for the show's first week of release (Nielsen releases their stats a lot later than you'd think).
This all suggests that Prime Video has a reliable hit on its hands with "Reacher." Prior to the show's debut, two Tom Cruise-starring films came and went, upsetting fans of Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels in the process who felt that Cruise's diminutive stature wasn't quite the embodiment of Child's hulking ex-Military Police officer. But "Reacher" introduced the 6-ft 3-inch,...
- 1/23/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
This article contains spoilers for "Reacher" season 2.
One of the biggest questions (at least among those who haven't read the original Jack Reacher novels) many viewers had going into the "Reacher" season 2 finale regarded the mysterious A.M. (Ferdinand Kingsley). The show has constantly cut to this enigmatic man, who's gone by many names with those initials, throughout its second season. He's been on a dangerous mission across the country to transport some illegally contained missiles, and he's casually murdered multiple people in his quest to pull it off.
But beyond that, A.M.'s been irrelevant. For seven episodes straight, he hasn't shared a single scene with any of the other main characters, nor has he actually done much to affect their goals. Many viewers probably assumed this meant the series was saving the best with him for last. Maybe the season 2 finale would reveal some extra bit of game-changing information about A.
One of the biggest questions (at least among those who haven't read the original Jack Reacher novels) many viewers had going into the "Reacher" season 2 finale regarded the mysterious A.M. (Ferdinand Kingsley). The show has constantly cut to this enigmatic man, who's gone by many names with those initials, throughout its second season. He's been on a dangerous mission across the country to transport some illegally contained missiles, and he's casually murdered multiple people in his quest to pull it off.
But beyond that, A.M.'s been irrelevant. For seven episodes straight, he hasn't shared a single scene with any of the other main characters, nor has he actually done much to affect their goals. Many viewers probably assumed this meant the series was saving the best with him for last. Maybe the season 2 finale would reveal some extra bit of game-changing information about A.
- 1/19/2024
- by Michael Boyle
- Slash Film
This post contains spoilers for "Reacher"
At this point, it's fair to say "Reacher" season 2 is a dramatic improvement on the first. Not only does the new season feel so much bigger than its predecessor (which was hampered somewhat by pandemic-imposed restrictions), the story is much more engaging than the small-town conspiracy Alan Ritchson's hero thwarted last time around. Part of that is down to the legend that is Robert Patrick, who brings a specific kind of seedy menace to the role of antagonist Shane Langston, paying homage to his classic James Cameron villain, the T-1000, in the process. But the camaraderie between Reacher and his former Army unit, the Special Investigators, makes for a more compelling watch, too.
That said, there's no doubt fans of the show will be missing the rag-tag group from season 1. When Jack Reacher first hit Prime Video in 2022, he arrived in the small town of Margrave,...
At this point, it's fair to say "Reacher" season 2 is a dramatic improvement on the first. Not only does the new season feel so much bigger than its predecessor (which was hampered somewhat by pandemic-imposed restrictions), the story is much more engaging than the small-town conspiracy Alan Ritchson's hero thwarted last time around. Part of that is down to the legend that is Robert Patrick, who brings a specific kind of seedy menace to the role of antagonist Shane Langston, paying homage to his classic James Cameron villain, the T-1000, in the process. But the camaraderie between Reacher and his former Army unit, the Special Investigators, makes for a more compelling watch, too.
That said, there's no doubt fans of the show will be missing the rag-tag group from season 1. When Jack Reacher first hit Prime Video in 2022, he arrived in the small town of Margrave,...
- 1/12/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
The following contains spoilers from the Dec. 22 episode of Reacher, now streaming on Prime Video.
Nick Santora, the showrunner for Prime Video’s Reacher series based on the Lee child novels, told TVLine between seasons, “You never know if a character [from Season 1] might come back. We might come up with a great idea and say, ‘You know what? Maybe that character can work in Season 2 or Season 3,’ and then you bring them back for a bit or for an extended visit.”
More from TVLineTVLine Items: The Cleaning Lady Enlists Mayans M.C. Vet, The Holdovers on Peacock and More Survivor 45 Winner...
Nick Santora, the showrunner for Prime Video’s Reacher series based on the Lee child novels, told TVLine between seasons, “You never know if a character [from Season 1] might come back. We might come up with a great idea and say, ‘You know what? Maybe that character can work in Season 2 or Season 3,’ and then you bring them back for a bit or for an extended visit.”
More from TVLineTVLine Items: The Cleaning Lady Enlists Mayans M.C. Vet, The Holdovers on Peacock and More Survivor 45 Winner...
- 12/22/2023
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
This post contains spoilers for "Reacher" season 2, episode 4.
When Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) first arrives in Margrave in the pilot of "Reacher," he meets Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin), the Chief Detective of the Margrave Police Department, who is investigating the same murder case Reacher wants to solve. Sporting wildly contrasting philosophies, Reacher and Finlay do not get along too well initially but decide to become allies throughout the series, with Finlay coming in clutch and saving Reacher heroically towards the end. As Finlay is one of the few characters who maintain a deep bond with Reacher, fans anticipated his return in the newest season, despite the narrative's massive time jump and the decision to adapt "Bad Luck and Trouble", the 11th book in the "Jack Reacher" series.
"Reacher" season 2, episode 4 deepens the shadow of doubt surrounding Tony Swan (Shannon Kook), one of Reacher's colleagues who served in the 110th Special Investigations Unit several years ago.
When Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) first arrives in Margrave in the pilot of "Reacher," he meets Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin), the Chief Detective of the Margrave Police Department, who is investigating the same murder case Reacher wants to solve. Sporting wildly contrasting philosophies, Reacher and Finlay do not get along too well initially but decide to become allies throughout the series, with Finlay coming in clutch and saving Reacher heroically towards the end. As Finlay is one of the few characters who maintain a deep bond with Reacher, fans anticipated his return in the newest season, despite the narrative's massive time jump and the decision to adapt "Bad Luck and Trouble", the 11th book in the "Jack Reacher" series.
"Reacher" season 2, episode 4 deepens the shadow of doubt surrounding Tony Swan (Shannon Kook), one of Reacher's colleagues who served in the 110th Special Investigations Unit several years ago.
- 12/22/2023
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
"Reacher" is one of the best action shows streaming or airing anywhere, and Alan Ritchson was born to lead it.
Ritchson perfectly embodies the hulking, often sardonic, always stoic boots of Jack Reacher, the former military police officer who now wanders the United States as a vagabond who only stops to enact bloody violence on the unjust and the corrupt. Author Lee Child created a character of mythological proportions -- a vengeful, righteous piece of modern American folklore come to life -- and it's increasingly impossible to imagine another actor in the role. Ritchson's physicality is key, but so is the innate intelligence that powers that physicality (he always finds the correct evidence to lead to the proper heads to stomp). It's one of hell of a performance in one hell of show.
With season 2 of "Reacher" set to premiere its first three episodes on the evening of December 14, 2023, I...
Ritchson perfectly embodies the hulking, often sardonic, always stoic boots of Jack Reacher, the former military police officer who now wanders the United States as a vagabond who only stops to enact bloody violence on the unjust and the corrupt. Author Lee Child created a character of mythological proportions -- a vengeful, righteous piece of modern American folklore come to life -- and it's increasingly impossible to imagine another actor in the role. Ritchson's physicality is key, but so is the innate intelligence that powers that physicality (he always finds the correct evidence to lead to the proper heads to stomp). It's one of hell of a performance in one hell of show.
With season 2 of "Reacher" set to premiere its first three episodes on the evening of December 14, 2023, I...
- 12/14/2023
- by Jacob Hall
- Slash Film
In a pleasant surprise for "Reacher" fans, this year's "The Fall of the House of Usher" served as a reunion for season 1 stars Willa Fitzgerald and Malcolm Goodwin. The Mike Flanagan-created, Edgar Allan Poe-inspired Grand Guignol saw the two actors once again sharing the screen, this time as future enemies C. Auguste Dupin and Madeline Usher during the show's 1979-set flashbacks. The only downside? It was also a bittersweet reminder the duo wouldn't be returning for "Reacher" season 2.
Indeed, much of the pleasure of "Reacher" season 1 comes from watching the hunky super-sleuth vagabond Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) unravel a criminal conspiracy in the small town of Margrave, Georgia, with the help of Margrave's by-the-book Chief Detective Oscar Finlay (Goodwin) and spunky police officer Roscoe Conklin (Fitzgerald). Between Reacher and Finlay's oil-and-water dynamic and the mutual respect -- and attraction -- Reacher and Roscoe share for one another,...
Indeed, much of the pleasure of "Reacher" season 1 comes from watching the hunky super-sleuth vagabond Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) unravel a criminal conspiracy in the small town of Margrave, Georgia, with the help of Margrave's by-the-book Chief Detective Oscar Finlay (Goodwin) and spunky police officer Roscoe Conklin (Fitzgerald). Between Reacher and Finlay's oil-and-water dynamic and the mutual respect -- and attraction -- Reacher and Roscoe share for one another,...
- 12/12/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
“Your Fat Friend” begins with blogger Aubrey Gordon reciting the simple request that elevated her to literary prominence: Just say “fat.” In a viral blog post, she implored her readers to stop tiptoeing around her feelings with a thesaurus full of softer adjectives like “curvy” or “overweight” and simply embrace “fat” as a definitive term. By stripping the word of its negative connotations, she argued, the world might be able to move on from an unproductive conversation about the offensiveness of various terms and focus on finding more tangible ways to help people.
The message resonated with readers around the world. Since launching her “Your Fat Friend” blog in 2015, Gordon has become one of the Internet’s most prominent voices advocating for “fat acceptance.” Highly skeptical of diets, wellness fads, and conventional medical advice, she views many of the struggles faced by fat people as symptoms of a society that ignores their unique needs.
The message resonated with readers around the world. Since launching her “Your Fat Friend” blog in 2015, Gordon has become one of the Internet’s most prominent voices advocating for “fat acceptance.” Highly skeptical of diets, wellness fads, and conventional medical advice, she views many of the struggles faced by fat people as symptoms of a society that ignores their unique needs.
- 12/10/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
A new documentary, Your Fat Friend, details Aubrey Gordon’s journey from blogger to bestselling author. It debuts in the UK early next year.
After premiering at the Tribeca film festival earlier this year, Jeanie Finlay’s latest documentary has finally nailed down a UK release plan. The film arrives in UK cinemas nationally on 9th February, following a preview Q&a tour with Finlay and the film’s subject – author and podcaster Aubrey Gordon – across the UK and Ireland.
Made over six years, the film follows Gordon’s journey into the public eye, as she works to re-configure societal perceptions of fat people and the fat on our bodies.
Director Jeanie Finlay had the following to say about it:
“Experiencing audience reactions to the film I have made as we have toured film festivals around the world has been so moving. People have connected very strongly with Aubrey, her...
After premiering at the Tribeca film festival earlier this year, Jeanie Finlay’s latest documentary has finally nailed down a UK release plan. The film arrives in UK cinemas nationally on 9th February, following a preview Q&a tour with Finlay and the film’s subject – author and podcaster Aubrey Gordon – across the UK and Ireland.
Made over six years, the film follows Gordon’s journey into the public eye, as she works to re-configure societal perceptions of fat people and the fat on our bodies.
Director Jeanie Finlay had the following to say about it:
“Experiencing audience reactions to the film I have made as we have toured film festivals around the world has been so moving. People have connected very strongly with Aubrey, her...
- 12/6/2023
- by James Harvey
- Film Stories
The UK documentary charts the rise of Aubrey Gordon from anonymous blogger to best-selling author.
UK-based sales and distribution firm Together Films has acquired Jeanie Finlay’s documentary Your Fat Friend for international sales.
Together will present the film to buyers at Doc NYC (November 8-26) and IDFA (November 8-19) over the coming weeks.
Your Fat Friend had a world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival in June, followed by an international premiere at Sheffield DocFest. Written, directed and produced by UK filmmaker Finlay for her company Glimmer Films, the film charts the rise of writer and activist Aubrey Gordon, from...
UK-based sales and distribution firm Together Films has acquired Jeanie Finlay’s documentary Your Fat Friend for international sales.
Together will present the film to buyers at Doc NYC (November 8-26) and IDFA (November 8-19) over the coming weeks.
Your Fat Friend had a world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival in June, followed by an international premiere at Sheffield DocFest. Written, directed and produced by UK filmmaker Finlay for her company Glimmer Films, the film charts the rise of writer and activist Aubrey Gordon, from...
- 11/9/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Paul McGann takes on extra business while Tara Fitzgerald brings sparkle to this low-key tale of a funeral director who gets mixed up with a local gangster
This low-key thriller, set in the late 1950s-early 60s judging by the costumes, harks back to the regional British crime flicks of that period, the sort of movies where penny-stakes gangsters and spivs in shiny suits clash over who will control the ration-card black market. Writer-director Michael Wright clearly has a yen for this milieu and takes care to get the argot right in this tale of Arthur Morel (Paul McGann), a reticent funeral director who gets mixed up with local hoodlum Finlay (Roger Barclay) in a northern town. Finlay needs a bit of help burying the excess bodies his shady business generates, or “loose ends” as he describes them.
It’s not immediately clear why Arthur agrees to take on this shady extra business,...
This low-key thriller, set in the late 1950s-early 60s judging by the costumes, harks back to the regional British crime flicks of that period, the sort of movies where penny-stakes gangsters and spivs in shiny suits clash over who will control the ration-card black market. Writer-director Michael Wright clearly has a yen for this milieu and takes care to get the argot right in this tale of Arthur Morel (Paul McGann), a reticent funeral director who gets mixed up with local hoodlum Finlay (Roger Barclay) in a northern town. Finlay needs a bit of help burying the excess bodies his shady business generates, or “loose ends” as he describes them.
It’s not immediately clear why Arthur agrees to take on this shady extra business,...
- 10/31/2023
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
When Taylor Swift kicked off her highly anticipated Eras Tour on March 18, fans worldwide were curious about what would and wouldn't make the set list.
During the tour (which is now also a film), Swift performs at least one song from almost all of her album eras, giving particular attention to the albums released since her last tour in 2018: 2019's "Lover," 2020's "Folklore" and "Evermore," and 2022's "Midnights." There's also a different surprise song every night. But the section of the show that focuses on her "Evermore" album is, perhaps, most surprising to fans, as it features some of the saddest songs from her discography. One particular standout is the song "Marjorie," which is only one of two songs in Swift's catalog named after a woman. In fact, "Marjorie" is actually about a real person - the singer's late maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay.
Just like "Folklore"'s "Epiphany," which...
During the tour (which is now also a film), Swift performs at least one song from almost all of her album eras, giving particular attention to the albums released since her last tour in 2018: 2019's "Lover," 2020's "Folklore" and "Evermore," and 2022's "Midnights." There's also a different surprise song every night. But the section of the show that focuses on her "Evermore" album is, perhaps, most surprising to fans, as it features some of the saddest songs from her discography. One particular standout is the song "Marjorie," which is only one of two songs in Swift's catalog named after a woman. In fact, "Marjorie" is actually about a real person - the singer's late maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay.
Just like "Folklore"'s "Epiphany," which...
- 10/12/2023
- by Corinne Sullivan
- Popsugar.com
Escalante will head the competition jury while Allen-Miller will preside over first feature
Filmmakers Amat Escalante, Raine Allen-Miller and Rubika Shah will preside over the competition juries for the 67th BFI London Film Festival.
Escalante, the Mexican director whose credits include 2013’s Heli and 2016’s The Untamed, will head the official competition jury where he is joined by Kate Taylor, programme director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival, and author Niven Govinden.
The Mexican director’s latest feature Lost In The Night made its debut in Cannes Premiere earlier this year and is also screening in the Lff Thrills strand.
Filmmakers Amat Escalante, Raine Allen-Miller and Rubika Shah will preside over the competition juries for the 67th BFI London Film Festival.
Escalante, the Mexican director whose credits include 2013’s Heli and 2016’s The Untamed, will head the official competition jury where he is joined by Kate Taylor, programme director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival, and author Niven Govinden.
The Mexican director’s latest feature Lost In The Night made its debut in Cannes Premiere earlier this year and is also screening in the Lff Thrills strand.
- 9/19/2023
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSEvil Does Not Exist.The Venice Film Festival has unveiled its full lineup, featuring new films from Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Sofia Coppola, and Yorgos Lanthimos in competition, alongside buzzy titles like David Fincher’s The Killer and Michael Mann’s Ferrari.There's lineup news from Toronto as well. So far, TIFF has revealed its opening night selection, Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron (better original title: How Do You Live?), as well as its gala, special, Platform, and nonfiction presentations. On the docket are new films from Raoul Peck, Kitty Green, Atom Egoyan, and Richard Linklater, among others. The Platform section will open with Kristoffer Borgli's Dream Scenario, starring Nicolas Cage; he portrays an academic who begins appearing in people's dreams.Dream Scenario.REMEMBERINGPee-wee's Big Adventure.Comedian and actor Paul Reubens—best...
- 8/2/2023
- MUBI
Manny Coto, who won an Outstanding Drama Series Emmy for 24, worked on its sequel series, co-created Fox’s AI drama neXt and was an EP on Dexter, Star TreK Enterprise, American Horror Story and others, died Sunday of pancreatic cancer at his home in Pasadena. He was 62.
His family shared the news today, saying he had fought the disease for 13 months and passed surrounded by loved ones.
The Cuba-born Coto shared the Outstanding Drama Series Emmy for 24’s fifth season in 2005. He continued on 24 through its eighth and final season, and co-created along its sequel series, 24: Live Another Day and 24: Legacy. He also served as executive producer on four seasons of American Horror Story and two seasons of American Horror Stories, directing the 2021 episode “Feral” of the latter.
He also was an EP on the final three seasons of Showtime’s Dexter, scoring an Outstanding Drama...
His family shared the news today, saying he had fought the disease for 13 months and passed surrounded by loved ones.
The Cuba-born Coto shared the Outstanding Drama Series Emmy for 24’s fifth season in 2005. He continued on 24 through its eighth and final season, and co-created along its sequel series, 24: Live Another Day and 24: Legacy. He also served as executive producer on four seasons of American Horror Story and two seasons of American Horror Stories, directing the 2021 episode “Feral” of the latter.
He also was an EP on the final three seasons of Showtime’s Dexter, scoring an Outstanding Drama...
- 7/10/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Over the past 15 years, British filmmaker Jeanie Finlay has earned a reputation for nuanced, sensitive and compelling documentary portraits. Her films have told many unlikely stories: the rise and fall of a reluctant Elvis lookalike in Orion: The Man Who Would Be King, two Scottish hip hop fraudsters in The Great Hip Hop Hoax, a pregnant transgender man in Seahorse. Her third feature film, Sound it Out, told the story of the last record shop in the Northeast of England and its owner, Tom Butchart, a school friend of Finlay’s. The morning after the world premiere of Finlay’s latest […]
The post “I’m Not a Fly on the Wall, I’m Not Invisible”: Jeanie Finlay on Your Fat Friend first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “I’m Not a Fly on the Wall, I’m Not Invisible”: Jeanie Finlay on Your Fat Friend first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 6/27/2023
- by Carol Nahra
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Over the past 15 years, British filmmaker Jeanie Finlay has earned a reputation for nuanced, sensitive and compelling documentary portraits. Her films have told many unlikely stories: the rise and fall of a reluctant Elvis lookalike in Orion: The Man Who Would Be King, two Scottish hip hop fraudsters in The Great Hip Hop Hoax, a pregnant transgender man in Seahorse. Her third feature film, Sound it Out, told the story of the last record shop in the Northeast of England and its owner, Tom Butchart, a school friend of Finlay’s. The morning after the world premiere of Finlay’s latest […]
The post “I’m Not a Fly on the Wall, I’m Not Invisible”: Jeanie Finlay on Your Fat Friend first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “I’m Not a Fly on the Wall, I’m Not Invisible”: Jeanie Finlay on Your Fat Friend first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 6/27/2023
- by Carol Nahra
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
To celebrate the release of Best of Money in the Bank we are giving away a copy of this brilliant two-disc set.
A 2-disc set collecting 14 of the greatest ever Money in the Bank ladder matches – just as Money in the Bank comes to the UK for the first time ever this summer! One of the true phenomena of modern WWE, the Money in the Bank match sees multiple Superstars battle to retrieve a contract for a championship match. The contract hangs above the ring in a briefcase and winners can “cash-in” their contract for a championship match anytime, anyplace! Over 18 years, Money in the Bank has delivered jaw-dropping, daredevil action. But more than that – it’s given WWE Superstars a literal ladder to the top and created future legends!
Match Highlights: Money in the Bank Ladder Match – WrestleMania 22
Rob Van Dam vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Finlay vs. Matt Hardy vs.
A 2-disc set collecting 14 of the greatest ever Money in the Bank ladder matches – just as Money in the Bank comes to the UK for the first time ever this summer! One of the true phenomena of modern WWE, the Money in the Bank match sees multiple Superstars battle to retrieve a contract for a championship match. The contract hangs above the ring in a briefcase and winners can “cash-in” their contract for a championship match anytime, anyplace! Over 18 years, Money in the Bank has delivered jaw-dropping, daredevil action. But more than that – it’s given WWE Superstars a literal ladder to the top and created future legends!
Match Highlights: Money in the Bank Ladder Match – WrestleMania 22
Rob Van Dam vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Finlay vs. Matt Hardy vs.
- 6/13/2023
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Season 1 of "Reacher" ended in much the same way as most of Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels: with the eponymous ex-military police officer hitch-hiking out of town. As Blind Blake's "Police Dog Blues" plays out over the closing shots and the bluesman croons the refrain, "All my life I've been a travelin' man," Prime Video's hugely popular series hammers home the point that Jack Reacher doesn't stay in one place too long.
Before leaving the fictional town of Margrave, Georgia, Alan Ritchson's Reacher makes sure to visit Willa Fitzgerald's Roscoe Conklin to reveal, in particularly grandiose fashion, that "A hundred thousand years ago there were people who stayed by the campfire and people who wandered. I'm pretty sure I'm a direct descendent of the wandering type." But Reacher is, of course, descended solely from the pen of Lee Child, who envisioned the character as a sort...
Before leaving the fictional town of Margrave, Georgia, Alan Ritchson's Reacher makes sure to visit Willa Fitzgerald's Roscoe Conklin to reveal, in particularly grandiose fashion, that "A hundred thousand years ago there were people who stayed by the campfire and people who wandered. I'm pretty sure I'm a direct descendent of the wandering type." But Reacher is, of course, descended solely from the pen of Lee Child, who envisioned the character as a sort...
- 4/17/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
A+E Networks Boosts Co-Pro Offering With Double UK Hire
A+E Networks has boosted its international co-production team with the hire of British TV vets Ninder Billing and Alexandra Finlay. The pair take up the roles of Vice President Unscripted Co-Productions International and Vice President Scripted Co-Productions International respectively. Billing’s role is new and Finlay replaces Moreyba Bidessie. Based in London, they will be responsible for identifying opportunities with global appeal and overseeing development and production, while working closely with third-party producers. A+E’s international co-productions include PBS Masterpiece’s Miss Scarlet and the Duke, Disney+’s Red Election, BBC drama North Sea Connection and Paramount+ doc Damian Lewis: Spy Wars. Former Channel 5 commissioner Billing joins from her post as Creative Director of Banijay-backed Darlow Smithson Productions, while Finlay was Vice President, Creative and Co-productions at Shaftesbury and is a former acquisitions exec for BBC Studios-owned UKTV.
A+E Networks has boosted its international co-production team with the hire of British TV vets Ninder Billing and Alexandra Finlay. The pair take up the roles of Vice President Unscripted Co-Productions International and Vice President Scripted Co-Productions International respectively. Billing’s role is new and Finlay replaces Moreyba Bidessie. Based in London, they will be responsible for identifying opportunities with global appeal and overseeing development and production, while working closely with third-party producers. A+E’s international co-productions include PBS Masterpiece’s Miss Scarlet and the Duke, Disney+’s Red Election, BBC drama North Sea Connection and Paramount+ doc Damian Lewis: Spy Wars. Former Channel 5 commissioner Billing joins from her post as Creative Director of Banijay-backed Darlow Smithson Productions, while Finlay was Vice President, Creative and Co-productions at Shaftesbury and is a former acquisitions exec for BBC Studios-owned UKTV.
- 4/11/2023
- by Max Goldbart and Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Coproductions Calling For A+E
A+E Networks has made two high-profile appointments in London as part of an initiative to expand its international coproduction activities.
Ninder Billing is appointed VP of unscripted co-productions international. Alexandra Finlay is appointed VP scripted co-productions international. Both report to Patrick Vien, group MD, A+E International.
Billing was previously creative director at Darlow Smithson Productions, leading the premium factual slate focusing on streamer, international and U.K. terrestrial unscripted output and securing six new unscripted series. Prior to Dsp, she was head of specialist factual at The Garden where she launched and oversaw BAFTA-nominated “Operation Live” for Channel 5, “Police Tapes” for ITV and “The Unshockable Dr Ronx” for the BBC.
Finlay spent her previous five years at Shaftesbury as VP creative and co-productions, where her credits include the upcoming comedy drama “SisterS” for IFC/Sundance, Crave and Rte by Sarah Goldberg and Susan Stanley.
A+E Networks has made two high-profile appointments in London as part of an initiative to expand its international coproduction activities.
Ninder Billing is appointed VP of unscripted co-productions international. Alexandra Finlay is appointed VP scripted co-productions international. Both report to Patrick Vien, group MD, A+E International.
Billing was previously creative director at Darlow Smithson Productions, leading the premium factual slate focusing on streamer, international and U.K. terrestrial unscripted output and securing six new unscripted series. Prior to Dsp, she was head of specialist factual at The Garden where she launched and oversaw BAFTA-nominated “Operation Live” for Channel 5, “Police Tapes” for ITV and “The Unshockable Dr Ronx” for the BBC.
Finlay spent her previous five years at Shaftesbury as VP creative and co-productions, where her credits include the upcoming comedy drama “SisterS” for IFC/Sundance, Crave and Rte by Sarah Goldberg and Susan Stanley.
- 4/11/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Amazon's "Reacher" series proved a bigger hit than even the streamer was expecting, breaking Prime video records and topping the Nielson streaming chart for the week of its release. After two movies based on Lee Child's novels had proven successful enough but failed to wow fans of the books, Alan Ritchson's Jack Reacher proved to be a much more book-accurate representation of the former military policeman.
Amazon quickly greenlit "Reacher" season 2, which should debut fairly soon considering filming wrapped back in February. But when the series does return, we can expect things to be a whole lot different. Showrunner Nick Santora has spoken about his intention to keep the series as close to Child's original novels as possible, and if the first season is anything to go by, that's a winning formula. But it also means the show will be much more of an anthology series than anything else.
Amazon quickly greenlit "Reacher" season 2, which should debut fairly soon considering filming wrapped back in February. But when the series does return, we can expect things to be a whole lot different. Showrunner Nick Santora has spoken about his intention to keep the series as close to Child's original novels as possible, and if the first season is anything to go by, that's a winning formula. But it also means the show will be much more of an anthology series than anything else.
- 4/2/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Amazon finally got Jack Reacher right — at least, in the eyes of die-hard fans who were adamant that after two movies, Tom Cruise shouldn't be cast in the TV show. Instead, we got the very large Alan Ritchson, who starred in season one of Prime Video's "Reacher" and was praised for portraying a book-accurate version of the former military policeman. So well-received was that first season that Amazon hastily renewed the show for a second, cementing Ritchson's return before most viewers could even binge the first run of episodes.
"Reacher" season 2 is now almost upon us, and you can expect much more of the dogged adherence to author Lee Child's original vision for his hulking protagonist. Child, who is an executive producer on "Reacher," wrote the original books with a very clear idea of who his central character was: morally incorruptible, better at fighting than everyone else, huge, and,...
"Reacher" season 2 is now almost upon us, and you can expect much more of the dogged adherence to author Lee Child's original vision for his hulking protagonist. Child, who is an executive producer on "Reacher," wrote the original books with a very clear idea of who his central character was: morally incorruptible, better at fighting than everyone else, huge, and,...
- 3/25/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Reacher Season 1 closely mimics Lee Child’s 1997 book “Killing Floor”, and it follows the story of Reacher (Alan Ritchson), as well as Finlay and Roscoe (Malcolm Goodwin and Willa Fitzgerald) as they work to uncover corruption and conspiracies. Finlay and Roscoe will unlikely return for Reacher Season 2. The characters appear in the series’ first book but do not appear in the second book. As such, it might be odd to bring either character back for Reacher season 2 without a presence in the books Reacher is modeled after. Of course, there are a few loopholes that might apply. Unlike
Reacher: Will Fans See Finlay & Roscoe In Season 2?...
Reacher: Will Fans See Finlay & Roscoe In Season 2?...
- 3/13/2023
- by Tiffany Raiford
- TVovermind.com
"Reacher" season 1 was all about depicting a book-accurate version of the titular military policeman and the world he inhabits. Originally the creation of author Lee Child, Jack Reacher was played by Tom Cruise in 2012's "Jack Reacher" and 2016's "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back." But fans of the original book series weren't happy when the 5-foot-7 star was originally cast. After all, Child had made very clear in his novels that Reacher had a considerable physique, standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 250 pounds.
Which is part of the reason why, when it came to the Prime Video show, Tom Cruise was not cast as Reacher. In an interview prior to the first season's 2022 debut, showrunner Nick Santora explained how he and the crew had strived to create, "a genuine Jack Reacher experience," and that, "Lee Child is the compass of this television show."
Which turned out to be a wise choice, considering...
Which is part of the reason why, when it came to the Prime Video show, Tom Cruise was not cast as Reacher. In an interview prior to the first season's 2022 debut, showrunner Nick Santora explained how he and the crew had strived to create, "a genuine Jack Reacher experience," and that, "Lee Child is the compass of this television show."
Which turned out to be a wise choice, considering...
- 3/9/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
"It's what we choose to do now, that determines who we really are." Buffalo 8 has released the official US trailer for an indie film from the Philippines (also a Canadian co-production) titled Boy From Nowhere, based on a true story. The directorial debut from Sj Finlay, Boy From Nowhere is shot guerrilla style in the dangerous parts of the southern Philippines. Featuring a cast of non-actors, Finlay realistcally captures the harsh realities of war, the brutality of human behavior, and the risks someone may take to find their place in the world. The story follows a young boy from a fishing village who is brainwashed and recruited to become a child soldier as part of a fictional rebel group in the southern Philippines. The intense indie drama stars Balugto Necosia, Gary Jumawan, Nack Nack Abugyan, and Waway Saway. This looks like a very powerful and authentic story about how kids...
- 2/3/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
There was a semi-awkward moment at tonight’s Sundance Film Festival premiere of the Tiffany Haddish-led sci-fi film Landscape with Invisible Hand. During a post-screening Q&a with castmembers and filmmaker Cory Finley, an audience member asked what he prefaced as “a provocative question.”
Posing it “mainly for the producers and also for the Sundance programming team,” the questioner asked the panel if they “found it ironic that you have a film that’s about exploited young artists and also has studio financing having its world premiere at an indie film festival.”
Haddish quickly responded.
“First of all,” she began with exaggerated emphasis, to the crowd’s amusement, “I’m a producer on this film, and I didn’t feel exploited. And I feel like it’s very clear [Finlay] stood up for what he believed in, and I think that’s what every artist should do.”
Watch the full exchange below.
Posing it “mainly for the producers and also for the Sundance programming team,” the questioner asked the panel if they “found it ironic that you have a film that’s about exploited young artists and also has studio financing having its world premiere at an indie film festival.”
Haddish quickly responded.
“First of all,” she began with exaggerated emphasis, to the crowd’s amusement, “I’m a producer on this film, and I didn’t feel exploited. And I feel like it’s very clear [Finlay] stood up for what he believed in, and I think that’s what every artist should do.”
Watch the full exchange below.
- 1/24/2023
- by Scott Shilstone and Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
British journalist and author Nicholas Evans, best known for writing “The Horse Whisperer,” which was adapted as a film by Robert Redford, has died of a heart attack, according to United Agents. He was 72.
In a statement, United Agents said the “much-loved” author had died following a heart attack on Aug. 9. “He lived a full and happy life, in his home on the banks of the River Dart in Devon,” the statement added.
Evans’ 1995 novel “The Horse Whisperer” sold 20 million copies worldwide and was the number one bestseller in 20 countries. It has been translated into 40 languages. The 1998 film, produced by and directed by Redford, also starred him alongside Scarlett Johansson, Kristin Scott Thomas and Sam Neill.
The inspiration for “The Horse Whisperer” came in 1993 when Evans met a blacksmith in the south-west of England who informed him about horse whisperers — those who have the gift of healing traumatized horses by speaking to them.
In a statement, United Agents said the “much-loved” author had died following a heart attack on Aug. 9. “He lived a full and happy life, in his home on the banks of the River Dart in Devon,” the statement added.
Evans’ 1995 novel “The Horse Whisperer” sold 20 million copies worldwide and was the number one bestseller in 20 countries. It has been translated into 40 languages. The 1998 film, produced by and directed by Redford, also starred him alongside Scarlett Johansson, Kristin Scott Thomas and Sam Neill.
The inspiration for “The Horse Whisperer” came in 1993 when Evans met a blacksmith in the south-west of England who informed him about horse whisperers — those who have the gift of healing traumatized horses by speaking to them.
- 8/15/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Nicholas Evans, the author of the bestselling novel The Horse Whisperer, has died. He was 72.
In a statement, Evans’s longtime agent, Caradoc King of United Agents, confirmed the news to Deadline and said that Evans died following a heart attack on Tuesday, August 9.
“He lived a full and happy life, in his home on the banks of the River Dart in Devon. He was much loved and leaves behind his wife Charlotte, and four children, Finlay, Lauren, Max and Harry,” the statement continued.
Born in 1950 in Worcestershire, England, Evans studied law at Oxford University and started his career as a journalist, working at the Evening Chronicle, a local newspaper based in Newcastle, England.
Evans then moved into TV, producing broadcasts about US politics and the Middle East for the popular weekly current affairs programme Weekend World. In 1982, he began producing arts documentaries on a range of subjects, including popular artists such as David Hockney,...
In a statement, Evans’s longtime agent, Caradoc King of United Agents, confirmed the news to Deadline and said that Evans died following a heart attack on Tuesday, August 9.
“He lived a full and happy life, in his home on the banks of the River Dart in Devon. He was much loved and leaves behind his wife Charlotte, and four children, Finlay, Lauren, Max and Harry,” the statement continued.
Born in 1950 in Worcestershire, England, Evans studied law at Oxford University and started his career as a journalist, working at the Evening Chronicle, a local newspaper based in Newcastle, England.
Evans then moved into TV, producing broadcasts about US politics and the Middle East for the popular weekly current affairs programme Weekend World. In 1982, he began producing arts documentaries on a range of subjects, including popular artists such as David Hockney,...
- 8/15/2022
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
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