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As King Charles III is officially crowned, we revisit all the actors who’ve played him on “The Crown” and other productions about the British Royal Family.

Christopher Baines in “The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana”

Baines played the future king in this 1982 TV movie opposite “Dynasty” star Catherine Oxenberg’s Princess Diana.

Jack Farthing in “The Queen”

In this 2006 feature film about the aftermath of Princess Diana’s death in 1997, Farthing plays Charles. Helen Mirren won a Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of his mother, Elizabeth I.

Tim Pigott-Smith in “King Charles III”

The late actor, who was known for his roles in “V for Vendetta,” “Remains of the Day,” and “Victoria and Abdul,” starred in this filmed adaptation of the play “King Charles III.”

Pigott-Smith, who died in April 2017, received a posthumous BAFTA nomination for the play, which was set in the then-future as Charles ascended the throne.

Burbank, CA, September 10, 2020 – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that DC’s V for Vendetta, 2005’s thought-provoking action thriller from the creators of The Matrix trilogy, will be released on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital HD on November 3rd, 2020. From producer Joel Silver, V for Vendetta was written and produced by the Wachowskis (The Matrix Trilogy), and stars Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving. The film was directed by James McTeigue (Ninja Assassin).

V for Vendetta is an electrifying story of an everyday woman in futuristic Britain who becomes the unlikely accomplice of a mysterious freedom fighter in his radical effort to rid the country of oppression. Based on the powerful graphic novel, V for Vendetta stars Academy-Award winner Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea (The Crying Game), Stephen Fry, John Hurt, and Tim Pigott-Smith.

The 4K Uhd release of V for Vendetta is from a new scan of the original camera negative.

Sneak Peek director Stephen Frears' comedy drama "Victoria & Abdul" (2017), based on the book by Shrabani Basu, following the real-life relationship between 'Queen Victoria' of the United Kingdom and her Indian servant 'Abdul Karim', starring Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Michael Gambon, Eddie Izzard, Tim Pigott-Smith and Adeel Akhtar:

"....in 1887, 'Abdul Karim', a young prison clerk from Agra, India, is instructed to travel to England for the 'Golden Jubilee' of 'Queen Victoria' to present her with a 'mohur', a gold coin which has been minted as a token of appreciation from British-ruled India.

"The Queen, who is lonely and tired of her fawning courtiers, develops an interest in and later a friendship with Abdul, spending time with him alone..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek Victoria & Abdul"...

The 2018 BAFTA TV Awards programs took place at London’s Festival Hall on Sunday, May 13. “The Great British Bakeoff” presenter Sue Perkins hosted this celebration of the best of British television for the second year running. Scroll down to see the complete list of BAFTA TV Awards winners (and nominees).

As with the Emmys, the British academy divides its TV awards into two parts. The BAFTA TV craft awards which are equivalent to the Creative Arts at the Emmys, were handed out in a ceremony on April 22 that was emceed by Stephen Mangan (“Episodes”). The lavishly produced drama series “The Crown,” which screened on Netflix on both sides of the pond, won three of its seven races at these kudos honoring the best behind-the-scenes artists and professionals.

“The Crown,” which chronicles the first years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, also leads the BAFTA TV Awards nominations for the...

The BAFTA TV Awards honor programs across a wide range of genres. Winners will be revealed in a ceremony at London’s Festival Hall on Sunday, May 13 with “The Great British Bakeoff” presenter Sue Perkins hosting for the second year running. See the full list of BAFTA TV Awards nominations below and come back to Gold Derby for complete coverage of the ceremony.

See 2018 BAFTA TV Awards full list of winners (and nominees too!) [Updating Live]

The historical drama “The Crown,” which chronicles the first years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, leads the BAFTA TV Awards nominations for the second year in a row with bids for Best Drama Series, Best Drama Actress (Claire Foy) and Best Drama Supporting Actress (Vanessa Kirby). Not surprisingly, this lavishly produced series, which screened on Netflix on both sides of the pond, won three of its seven races at last month’s BAFTA TV...

As with the Emmys, BAFTA divides its TV awards into two parts, with the main ceremony taking place in London on Sunday, May 12. At the craft awards on April 22, the big winners were the drama series “Game of Thrones” and “The Crown” and the limited series “Three Girls.”

“The Crown” contends in the marquee category of Best Drama Series against “The End of the F***ing World,” “Line of Duty” and “Peaky Blinders.” “Line of Duty” and “The Crown” also picked up bids for Best Actress, in Thandie Newton and Claire Foy, respectively. The four acting categories on the drama side are highly competitive as they include performances in series, limited series and telefilms.

“The Crown” scene-stealer Vanessa Kirby contends in supporting for her portrayal of Princess Margaret. And the Best Actor race also features a thespian nominated for playing a royal, with the late Tim Pigott-Smith cited for “King Charles III.

The BAFTA TV Awards honor programs across a wide range of genres. Winners will be revealed in a ceremony at London’s Festival Hall on Sunday, May 13 with “The Great British Bakeoff” presenter Sue Perkins hosting for the first time. The Craft Awards winners will be announced on Sunday, April 22 at an evening presided over by “Episodes” star Stephen Mangan. (Read the full report on the BAFTA TV Awards nominations here.)

Best Drama Series

“The Crown”

“Line of Duty”

“Peaky Blinders”

“The End of the F***ing World”

Best Mini-series

“Howards End”

“The Moorside”

“The State”

“Three Girls”

Best Single Drama

“Against the Law”

“Black Mirror (Hang the DJ)”

“King Charles III”

“Murdered for Being Different”

Best Drama Actor

Sean Bean, “Broken”

Joe Cole, “Black Mirror”

Tim Pigott-Smith,” King Charles III”

Jack Rowan, “Born to Kill”

Best Drama Actress

Claire Foy, “The Crown”

Sinead Keenan, “Little Boy Blue”

Thandie Newton,...

Netflix shows “The Crown” and “Black Mirror” each landed three nominations Wednesday for BAFTA Television Awards, as did BBC dramas “Line of Duty” and “Three Girls.”

Royal chronicle “The Crown” received nominations for best drama; for Claire Foy, who plays Queen Elizabeth II, as leading actress; and for Vanessa Kirby, who plays Princess Margaret, as best supporting actress. “Black Mirror,” the dark, dystopian anthology series, also bagged nominations in the leading actor, single drama, and supporting actor categories.

Police drama “Line of Duty’s” trio of nominations included one for drama series and one for lead actress Thandie Newton. “Three Girls,” about sexual abuse in a community in northern England, will compete for the best miniseries award.

The nominations were unveiled Wednesday morning at BAFTA’s Piccadilly headquarters in London, with Michelle Keegan and presenter and “Strictly Come Dancing Winner” Ore Oduba making the announcements.

BAFTA chairwoman Jane Lush told...

By Troy Ribeiro

Film: Victoria and Abdul; Director: Stephen Frears; Cast: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Eddie Izzard, Adeel Akhtar, Tim Pigott-Smith, Olivia Williams, Fenella Woolgar, Paul Higgins, Robin Soans, Julian Wadham, Simon Callow, Michael Gambon; Rating: **1/2...

Chicago – There have been 155 TV/Movie depictions of Queen Victoria, who ruled England from 1837 to 1901. The “Victorian Era” continues to fascinate filmmakers, and who is perfect to portray Queen V. towards the end of her life? Get me Dame Judi Dench on the Skype!

Rating: 3.0/5.0

This is a story of a little known chapter of her later life… her unlikely relationship with a footman from India, Abdul Karim. In the film, it is hinted that the history of this friendship was destroyed for image purposes, but enough of the events were recorded to adapt into a film (from a book by Shrabani Basu). Veteran director Stephen Frears (“Florence Foster Jenkins”) applies his usual workmanlike approach to narrative, but nothing comes to life in the situation. No offense to the great Judi D., but the formula presented in the film almost seemed like a satire, with the elder actress of course...

Judi Dench (left) stars as Queen Victoria and Ali Fazal (right) stars as Abdul Karim in

director Stephen Frears’ Victoria And Abdul, a Focus Features release. Photo credit: Peter Mountain / Focus Features ©

Director Stephen Frears’ funny, charming Victoria And Abdul was inspired by a real event late in the life of Queen Victoria, when the aging British monarch had her mood brighten by the arrival of a visitor from India, much to the dismay of her advisers and her son, the crown prince. Judi Dench gives a brave and bitingly funny performance as the elderly Queen Victoria, which feels a bit like a kind of sequel to her role as the same queen earlier in life in 1997’s Mrs. Brown. Frears’ handsome historical comedy/drama has a script written by Lee Hall, who penned Billy Elliot, and is based on journalist Shrabani Basu’s “Victoria & Abdul: The True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant.

Since Dame Judi Dench is acting royalty she has no trouble playing the hell out of Queen Victoria in her last years on the throne of England. Even better, she lets her ingrained mischief remove any hints of sanctimony from the old girl. Sadly, Victoria & Abdul, directed by the usually scrappy Stephen Frears from a dutiful script by Lee Hall, only sets one place at the table. Abdul Karim (Bollywood star Ali Fazal), the lowly Indian Muslim clerk who's sent from Agra to England to present the Queen with a ceremonial coin,...

If yours were one of only twelve Jewish families in all of Prague to survive World War II, you’d do your best to move forward despite the memories of death, fear, and oppression that marked you in a way no one who wasn’t there could ever understand. Some are better than others at pushing these aside to embrace the life that remained and future to come. Alfred Willer was one such survivor, a teenager at war’s end who eventually migrated to Brazil with his father Vilem for a fresh start. There he’d become a successful architect, marry, and have children: gifts that very nearly never were. And when those children took him to Europe to see his home, they couldn’t have been prepared for the horrors he’d share.

The stories were so vivid and important that his daughter Marina has crafted them (with the...

MaryAnn’s quick take… Charming based-on-fact British costume dramedy gently snarks about power and propriety but cuts a lot deeper when it comes to bigotry and bootlicking. I’m “biast” (pro): love Judi Dench, mostly love Stephen Frears’s films

I’m “biast” (con): we’re still telling stories about this dead queen?

I have not read the source material

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

The ribbing writes itself: Hey, they finally made the sequel to 1997’s Mrs. Brown! You know, the movie in which Judi Dench as Queen Victoria develops a close platonic friendship — or maybe even a romance — with royal groundskeeper John Brown in the early years of her widowhood, in the 1860s. It was a scandal! And now here’s Victoria & Abdul, which opens 20 years later and stars Judi Dench (Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel...

Ben Mortimer Sep 14, 2017

Director Stephen Frears chat to us about British cinema, Victoria & Abdul, and directing Dame Judi Dench...

Arriving in cinemas tomorrow is Victoria & Abdul, a film that tells a previously little-known story of a friendship between Queen Victoria and a man called Abdul towards the end of her life. It's a thematic follow on from director John Madden's Mrs Brown, and this story is directed by Stephen Frears. He took some time out to chat to us abou tit...

You spent the whole day talking about the film. One of the things I’m sure you’ve been asked, and I apologise for asking it, but I think the answer may inform where the rest of this interview goes. There’s an obvious similarity, particularly with casting, to Mrs Brown.

Yeah.

What was it you felt you could do differently?

Didn’t think about it.

You completely...

Ben Mortimer Sep 13, 2017

Eddie Izzard on his acting career, Victoria & Abdul, Clint Eastwood, Robin Williams, directing films and more...

Eddie Izzard is back on the big screen this weekend in Victoria & Abdul. It's the new film from director Stephen Frears, a sort-of follow-up to Mrs Brown that sees Dame Judi Dench playing Queen Victoria in a story that's recently been discovered about her later life. We got a chance to chat with Eddie Izzard about his role in the movie, and potentially directing...

Could you clear something up for me, as I swear I heard a hint of it in the film - did you give Bertie a slight German accent?

Maybe mentally. He did have a tapped ‘r’, because his first years there was German in it, but it was only the hint of it, I didn’t overtly push it.

I was watching your interview this morning on This Morning,...

Stephen Frears’ “Victoria & Abdul” is an otherwise benignly toothless, pleasantly glossy affair, but it does force us to confront one tricky question: When treating a subject as fraught as British imperial rule, when does a film’s benign inoffensiveness become offensive in and of itself? Still, that’s about the only food for thought in what is at once a breezy, lion-in-winter vehicle for Judi Dench in queen-mode and a “Lifestyles of the Rich and Noble” bit of wealth porn, and not much more.

Dench is back as Queen Victoria, returning to a role she had previously played in John Madden’s “Mrs. Brown,” a film that must have not only inspired Frears and screenwriter Lee Hall, but acted as their foundational text. Little is known about the very real relationship that existed between the aging monarch and her advisor Abdul Karim, and so Hall has essentially grafted their story...

After making The Queen over a decade ago, Stephen Frears is returning to direct another film about high royalty, but this time Queen Victoria. Victoria & Abdul, starring Judi Dench and Ali Fazal depicts the friendship between the 19th century Queen and a young clerk hailing from India. Ahead of a fall release, Focus Features have now debuted the first trailer.

As with Frears’ recent films, it looks to be a warm genial dramedy that we’d bet makes its bow at Toronto International Film Festival ahead of its debut. Also starring Adeel Akhtar, Simon Callow, Michael Gambon, Eddie Izzard, Ruth McCabe, Tim Pigott-Smith, Julian Wadham, Olivia Williams, and Fenella Woolgar, check out the trailer and poster below.

The extraordinary true story of an unexpected friendship in the later years of Queen Victoria’s (Academy Award winner Judi Dench) remarkable rule. When Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal), a young clerk, travels from...

Up until a few years ago, Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India, was the longest reigning monarch. That is until Queen Elizabeth II, her great-great granddaughter surpassed her in September 2015. Elizabeth has been Queen since 1952.

With a reign of 63 years, seven months and two days, Victoria was the longest-reigning British monarch and the longest-reigning queen regnant in world history.

Focus Features has released the first poster and trailer for the upcoming Victoria & Abdul, from director Stephen Frears (The Queen,” “Philomena,” “Mrs. Henderson Presents”). The cast features Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Adeel Akhtar, Simon Callow, Eddie Izzard, Ruth McCabe, Tim Pigott-Smith, Julian Wadham, Olivia Williams, Fenella Woolgar and Michael Gambon.

Many fans of the 1997’s Mrs. Brown wanted more of the story of a bereaved Queen Victoria (Judi Dench) and her relationship with a Scottish servant, John Brown (Billy Connolly), and the subsequent uproar it provoked.

"I am cantankerous, greedy, fat. I am perhaps, disagreeably, attached to power. But I am anything but insane." Focus Features has released the first official trailer for a film titled Victoria and Abdul, telling the story of an unlikely friendship between Queen Victoria of Britain and an Indian clerk named Abdul Karim. Director Stephen Frears partners with Judi Dench again, who stars as Queen Victoria (she also starred in Frears' Philomena a few years back earning an Oscar nomination), with newcomer Ali Fazal playing Abdul. The full cast includes Olivia Williams, Michael Gambon, Eddie Izzard, Tim Pigott-Smith, Simon Callow, and Adeel Akhtar. This seems like a good fall film, charming and entertaining, with a few great performances. Dench looks excellent as always, and I'm intrigued to see Fazal's performance. Worth a look. Here's the first trailer (+ poster) for Stephen Frears' Victoria & Abdul, direct from Focus' YouTube: The extraordinary true...

Author: Zehra Phelan

At the youthful age of 82, Dame Judi Dench isn’t retiring for anyone, just a little like her latest role as an ageing Queen Victoria in Victoria and Abdul for which a joyous trailer and poster have been released.

Dench teams up again with the Philomena director Stephen Frears on a story which is based on the latter years of Queen Victoria who reigned over England for 64 years between 1837 until her death in 1901 and her relationship with a young Indian clerk who she befriends after he is sent to her court. Dench is reprising her role as the cantankerous Queen after she portrayed Queen Victoria back in 1997 in Mrs Brown alongside Billy Connolly from an earlier episode in the royal’s life, so stepping back into her persona should have come quite naturally to the veteran actress.

Clad in Queen Victoria’s black mourning dress that she...

Author: Stefan Pape

Quite why director Gillies MacKinnon and writer Peter McDougall decided to remake the 1949 comedy Whisky Galore remains to be seen, and yet in spite of the initial apprehensions, it feels somewhat timely to celebrate the notion of community, and remaining spirited in the face of adversity. To be released in such close proximity to Their Finest seems apt too, for the latter celebrates productions of this very flavour, which find a semblance of hope amidst one of Britain’s darkest ages.

The war may be going on, but those who inhabit the Highlands and Islands of Scotland don’t seem particularly interested – that is until they run out of whisky. The locals eventually get wind of a transport ship heading in the direction of America, which just so happens to be carrying tens of thousands of cases of the aforementioned beverage, causing then to concoct a plan.

[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers from PBS’ movie adaptation of “King Charles III.”]

In “King Charles III,” Charles waited his whole life to be king, but when he finally got his chance, he messed it up royally.

In the PBS Masterpiece movie adapted from Mike Bartlett’s play of the same name, when the Queen dies, Charles (Tim Pigott-Smith) becomes the acting monarch immediately, even though the official coronation won’t take place for three months. During that time, however, he refuses to give his royal assent to a bill that had already passed both houses of Parliament. That refusal divides his government and the nation, inciting riots. Amidst this chaos, Charles’ son William (Oliver Chris) forces him to abdicate, and therefore when coronation day rolls around, it’s William and Kate (Charlotte Riley) who are sitting on the thrones, not Charles.

Read More: ‘King Charles III’: When the Queen Dies, It’s Not Just Sad; It’s a Shakespearean Tragedy

The...

Queen Elizabeth II has outlived them all.

As the longest-reigning monarch in British history, and the oldest living monarch in the world, the Queen has seen many presidents and popes come and go. In PBS’ “King Charles III,” adapted from the critically acclaimed play of the same name, the Queen will finally pass away, allowing for her eldest (and elderly) son Charles to ascend the throne.

Read More: ‘Feud’ Season 2 Dream Cast: 12 Actors We Need to Play Charles, Diana, the Queen and More

The late Tim Pigott-Smith stars as the ascending monarch Charles III, alongside Oliver Chris as William, Richard Goulding as Harry, Charlotte Riley as Kate nee Middleton, and Margot Leicester as Camilla. Pigott-Smith, who reprised his Tony-nominated Broadway role for the movie, spoke to IndieWire in January about the Queen and the realities of “King Charles III.”

“One of the things you miss over here [in the United States] is, of course,...

Masterpiece successfully adapts Mike Bartlett’s Tony-nominated play King Charles III. The late Tim Pigott-Smith excels as the titular future king. This one feels like catnip to me. You should...

Author: Zehra Phelan

The trailer and release date for the upcoming story 6 Days, which is based on the real-life siege drama at the Iranian Embassy in London in 1980, starring Jamie Bell and Mark Strong has been announced.

Related: Jamie Bell News

Jamie Bell (Snowpiercer / Defiance / Billy Elliott) get his chance to delve deep into the gritty role of Sas team leader, Rusty Firmin in the story which depicts events that took place during the notorious Iranian Embassy siege in London in 1980, An event which brought the whole country to a standstill to watch as events unfolded on an intense standoff played out between the British security forces and armed militants, culminating in a dramatic and brutal assault.

Developed with detailed input from survivors of the real-life events, 6 Days was also shot on location in Princess Gate, London, the actual location those fateful events unfolded.

New Zealand director Toa Fraser, who...

As reported by Variety, British actor Tim Pigott-Smith died last week on April 7. Variety doesn’t have a cause of death, but Pigott-Smith was set to play Willy Loman in a touring production of Death Of A Salesman that was supposed to open this week, so his death was apparently unexpected. Pigott-Smith was 70.

In England, Pigott-Smith had a long and successful career with memorable appearances in everything from The Hour, The Chief, and a handful of original Doctor Who episodes in the ‘70s. However, he was probably best known for playing Police Superintendent Ronald Merrick in the 1984 series The Jewel In The Crown, which told stories about the final days of the British Raj in India after World War II—a role that earned Pigott-Smith a Best Actor award at the BAFTAs in 1985.

Here in the United States, Pigott-Smith is better known for his movie roles ...

Playlist Adam McKay (The Big Short) planning a Dick Cheney biopic which may star Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Steve Carell

La Times comedian Don Rickles has died at 90

Vulture Interesting observations: blockbuster filmmakers are making the same single parent family drama inbetween their visual fx movies

Movie City News on the tired false notion that 'movie stars don't matter anymore' in terms of box office which we're seeing a lot of post Ghost in the Shell opening and which we see every time a star driven movie fails essentially. Movie stars obviously do still matter but the economics of movies are always changing.

/Film in this week's strangest news: Actor/Hunk Joe Mangianello has written a Dungeons & Dragons movie

Washington Post another 'Nicole Kidman is awesome and always has been' essay. Glad we're getting a wave of these but kind of annoyed that people haven't taken our word for...

Bafta-winning star of stage and screen died on Friday.

Colleagues, friends and admirers have paid tribute to Pigott-Smith, the Bafta-winning star of classic TV series The Jewel In The Crown, who has died aged 70.

“Today a great actor left the stage,” Kevin Spacey tweeted. “But more than that, a great man. A friend & one of the kindest I’ve ever known. Rip Tim Pigott-Smith.”

Many people took to Twitter in remembrance.

Miranda Hart said: “So saddened by the news of Tim Pigott-Smith. What a fun, lovely, kind, brilliant gent. Was part of one of my fav Miranda eps. Oh we laughed.”

“So shocked to hear Tim Pigott-Smith has died,” Rupert Evans said. A great actor and family man. He played my father 3 times. He will be so missed.”

Rory Bremner said: “Shocked & saddened to hear Tim Pigott-Smith has died. Lovely man- great grace, voice, presence, timing, sense of humour. Great actor too...

Tim Pigott-Smith, the BAFTA Award-winning British actor who appeared in such TV fare and films as The Jewel in the Crown, V for Vendetta and Downton Abbey, died today. He was 70. His death was announced by his agent John Grant. “It is with deep regret that I have to announce the sad news that Tim Pigott-Smith died this morning. Much-loved and admired by his peers, he will be remembered by many as a gentleman and a true friend. He will be much missed. We ask that you…...

Tim Pigott-Smith, the BAFTA Award-winning British actor who appeared in such TV fare and films as The Jewel in the Crown, V for Vendetta and Downton Abbey, died today. He was 70. His death was announced by his agent John Grant. “It is with deep regret that I have to announce the sad news that Tim Pigott-Smith died this morning. Much-loved and admired by his peers, he will be remembered by many as a gentleman and a true friend. He will be much missed. We ask that you…...

Tim Pigott-Smith, a versatile British actor who recently played Prince Charles on stage and screen, has died. U 70.

The actor's agent, John Grant, says Pigott-Smith died Friday. Grant called him "one of the great actors of his generation ... a gentleman and a true friend."

Pigott-Smith was already a veteran of stage and screen when he came to international attention as a sadistic police officer in British-controlled India in the 1980s miniseries The Jewel in the Crown.

The show became a global sensation, and Pigott-Smith said it "changed my life."

Born in Rugby, central England in 1946, Pigott-Smith trained...

Tim Pigott-Smith as Lord Ascot in Alice In Wonderland. Photo: © 2010 Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Film, stage and small screen actor Tim Pigott-Smith - who was made an OBE in this year's New Year Honours list - died this morning, aged 70.

His agent John Grant confirmed his death and described him as "one of the great actors of his generation" He added: "Much loved and admired by his peers, he will be remembered by many as a gentleman and a true friend."

Pigott-Smith - who had been due to appear in a stage production of Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman next week - became a household name thanks to his appearance in ITV Raj-set drama Jewel In The Crown in 1984. He won a BAFTA for his role as police sergeant Ronald Merrick.

In addition to his television work, Pigott-Smith, who was born in Rugby, Warwickshire and trained at the Bristol Old Vic,...

Focus Features holds worldwide rights to the Working Title drama from Stephen Frears starring Judi Dench in what will be her second on-screen portrayal of Queen Victoria.

Shooting will take place at locations across Scotland, India, and England. Focus is financing Victoria And Abdul in association with BBC Films.

Ali Fazal of Furious 7 plays Abdul Karim, a young clerk who forges a close friendship with the queen that is frowned upon by her inner circle after he travels from India to participate in her Golden Jubilee celebrations.

Dench played Queen Victoria in Mrs Brown (pictured) in 1997.

Billy Elliot screenwriter wrote the Victoria And Abdul script based on Shrabani Basu’s book Victoria & Abdul: The True Story Of The Queen’s Closest Confidant.

The cast includes Adeel Akhtar, Simon Callow, Michael Gambon, Eddie Izzard, Ruth McCabe, Tim Pigott-Smith, Julian Wadham, Olivia Williams and Fenella Woolgar.

Focus will open the film in limited release in North America on September...

Broadway's best has come out in full force. The 2016 Tony Awards made history before it even started, when Hamilton nabbed a record-breaking 16 nominations - but will they also raise the bar with wins? Along with Hamilton, this year's nominees include Jeff Daniel and Michelle Williams for their performances in Blackbird, Lupita Nyong'o for Eclipsed, Steve Martin for his music in Bright Star and Sara Bareilles for her music in Waitress. View a complete list of winners below. (Winners' names are in bold; stay tuned as more winners are announced.) Best Play Eclipsed The Father The Humans King Charles IIIBest Musical...

Lin-Manuel Miranda's critically-acclaimed musical "Hamilton" has broken the record for the most Tony Award nominations.

The production, about America's founding father Alexander Hamilton, became a record-breaker with 16 nods on Tuesday morning (May 3) when the shortlist was announced by Andrew Rannells and Nikki M. James.

It scored nominations in many categories, including Best Musical, Best Choreography, Best Orchestrations and Best Direction of a Musical, while Miranda achieved mentions for Best Book, Best Score, and leading actor in a musical.

Actors Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, and featured stars Jonathan Groff, Daveed Diggs, Renee Elise Goldsberry and Christopher Jackson also landed acting nominations.

The Best Musical prize will also be a competition between School of Rock, Bright Star, Waitress and Shuffle Along, while nominees for Best Play include Eclipsed, written by The Walking Dead actress Danai Gurira, King Charles III, The Father, and The Humans.

The Crucible, A View From the Bridge,...

The Tony nominations were announced today, and Hamilton got a record 16 of them, because of course it did. The ridiculously popular and critically acclaimed musical was nominated in basically every possible category, with its writer and star Lin-Manuel Miranda alone earning three nominations: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score Written for the Theatre.  Other big names with nominations include Steve Martin, Lupita Nyong'o, Jane Krakowski, Jeff Daniels, Jessica Lange, and Michelle Williams. The Tony Awards will be broadcast on June 12 at 8 p.m. on CBS. You can find the full list of nominations here, but here are some of the major categories: Best Play Eclipsed The Father The Humans King Charles III Best Musical Bright Star Hamilton School of Rock - The Musical Shuffle Along, or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All...

Writer, publisher and TV producer who made drama for children and adults

Ruth Boswell, who has died aged 86, “got into telly” after a job reading unsolicited scripts for Atv during the early 1960s. She went on to script editing and producing in Atv’s children’s department, where she made the series Timeslip (1970) and The Tomorrow People (1973). Her instinct for storytelling, combined with her own knowledge of loss in childhood, gave her insight into children’s emotional development through the arts.

She later moved into adult drama at the BBC, where she and her husband, Greg Stewart, a psychiatrist, helped to develop Maybury (1981-83), a series about people with mental health problems, written by Shane Connaughton and featuring a young Kenneth Branagh. Then she moved on to Anglia TV to make the series The Chief (1990-95) with Tim Pigott-Smith and Martin Shaw. She also produced a feature film, The Run of the Country...

For every script that Hollywood turns into a movie, there are so many more that go unmade... until now.

Radio 4 has unearthed a load of "lost" scripts from the likes of Arthur Miller, Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock and Harold Pinter, and adapted them for the radio.

James McAvoy will be taking on the role of Charles Marlow from Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness. The original film script was adapted by Orson Wells, but it was thought to be too extravagant at the time.

The Blind Man, by Ernest Lehman and Alfred Hitchcock, has been directed by Mark Gatiss who made a very interesting casting decision.

"And in The Blind Man, Mark Gatiss, who directs, decided to cast the Narrator as Alfred Hitchcock. So we asked Peter Serafinowicz to read it as him. He does an uncanny impression!" producer Laurence Bowen told Wired.

Hugh Laurie, David Suchet, Tim Pigott-Smith,...

'Alice in Wonderland' 2010 with Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter. 'Alice in Wonderland' 2010: Plenty of visuals, no substance In the interest of full disclosure, I should start this commentary on Alice in Wonderland by saying that I have never been a fan of Tim Burton's works. I've enjoyed a couple of his movies, but the vast majority of them I've found uninspiring and, really, quite boring. Burton's eye for unusual worlds, particularly in terms of art direction and costume design, is not lost on me. But how can I possibly find Tim Burton a great director when he continues to offer the same tricks, over and over again? True, Burton's stories and characters change from movie to movie. What he offers, however, does not. What's there beyond cool visuals? What's there beyond the neo-gothic atmosphere he offers in Batman, or the brilliantly rendered chocolate factory playhouse in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?...

Steve Toussaint will fight crime alongside Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox in the new series of Lewis.

The Line of Duty actor will star in the new series as Chief Superintendent Joseph Moody, who will clash with Robbie Lewis (Whately) over their differing approaches to detective work.

Angela Griffin (Waterloo Road) will return to the series as Detective Sergeant Lizzie Maddox, while Clare Holman will also appear as forensic pathologist Laura Hobson.

Other new additions to the cast include Steve Pemberton (Happy Valley) and The Hour's Helen Schlesinger, who will play Ian and Vivienne Tedman in 'One For Sorrow', the first episode of the new series.

The couple have connections to the death of a psychology student and artist named Talika Desai and will face questions from Lewis and his colleagues.

Ralf Little (Our Zoo), Tim Pigott-Smith (Houdini) and Naomi Scott (Terra Nova) will also star in the episode.

Producers Stuart Thompson and Sonia Friedman announced today that, following its critically acclaimed run at the Almeida Theatre and in the West End, the newly crowned Olivier Award winning Best Play, King Charles III, will open on Broadway this fall starring Tim Pigott-Smith reprising his much-raved-about role as King Charles III. Directed by Rupert Goold, Mike Bartlett's play about Britain's future king will begin previews October 10, 2015, with opening night set for November 1, 2015 at the Music Box Theatre 239 West 45th Street, NYC.

Fresh from the success of his most recent film outings, Kingsman: The Secret Service and The Imitation Game, Mark Strong saw his current stage turn in A View From the Bridge earn him the best actor gong at the Olivier Awards, the British equivalent of the Tonys. "I really wasn't expecting this. I'm in such a strong category with such incredible actors," Strong said on stage at the Royal Opera House, offering a nod to fellow nominees James McAvoy, Richard Armitage and Tim Piggot-Smith. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter last month, Strong revealed that A View From the Bridge

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The Wachowski's latest science fiction adventure, Jupiter Ascending, may not have lit up the box office, but there was still plenty of fun for movie-goers willing to give it a chance. Today, Warner Bros. have announced details on the film's blu-ray release, including a date and special features, so you can check it out at home!

While I didn't "love" Jupiter Ascending as much as I wanted to, I didn't hate the film either. It has a lot of great elements behind it, with impressive visuals and characters you want to know more about. While I wish it had been paced differently, I don't exactly get all the hatred the movie gets either. I thought it was still a lot of fun, and if you skipped out on it, I think it's worth watching when it hits blu-ray on June 2. Check out the features coming on the disc when it...

Warner Bros. Pictures released their new action/sci-fi film, "Jupiter Ascending" into theaters this weekend, and the reviews are in from the major,top movie critics. It turns out that it was only able get a mixed reaction from them with an overall 40 score out of a possible 100 across 38 reviews at the Metacritic.com site. The film stars: Sean Bean, James D'Arcy, Tim Pigott-Smith, Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, Doona Bae and Tuppence Middleton. We've provided blurbs from a few of the critics,below. Alonso Duralde from TheWrap, gave it a very nice 85 score, saying: "Who cares if the story is occasionally impenetrable or if some gags land with a thud when the thrills and the eye candy keep coming at such a breathless pace? Jupiter Ascending doesn’t break the new ground that the Wachowskis have managed in the past...but the film never slacks in its efforts to wow us.

Mike Bartlett's critically acclaimed new play, King Charles III directed by Rupert Goold, is currently playing in the West End at the Wyndham's Theatre, and according to the New York Times, the show might soon travel across the pond. The Nyt reports that producers Stuart Thompson and Sonia Friedman are looking to bring the play to Broadway in Fall 2015. Tim Pigott-Smith, who plays the title role in London is expected to reprise his performance.

Opening in theaters on February 6, Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis star in Jupiter Ascending, an original science fiction action adventure from filmmakers Lana and Andy Wachowski.

Jupiter Jones (Kunis) was born under a night sky, with signs predicting that she was destined for great things. Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars but wakes up to the cold reality of a job cleaning other people’s houses and an endless run of bad breaks. Only when Caine (Tatum), a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all along—her genetic signature marks her as next in line for an extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos.

From the streets of Chicago to far flung galaxies whirling through space, Jupiter Ascending is written and directed by the Wachowskis.

Channing Tatum (“Magic Mike,...

Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow have released new posters for Andy and Lana Wachowski's "Jupiter Ascending", which hits theaters on February 6, 2015. Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, Tuppence Middleton, Doona Bae, James D'Arcy and Tim Pigott-Smith are starring.Jupiter Jones was born under a night sky, with signs predicting that she was destined for great things. Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars but wakes up to the cold reality of a job cleaning toilets and an endless run of bad breaks. Only when Caine, a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all along - her genetic signature marks her as next in line for an extraordinary...

While many of Downton Abbey's characters remain stuck in the past, Lady Rose (Lily James) has always been the constant bright spark to bring them into the 20th century, and now she finally has a serious love interest to join her.

Matt Barber joined the cast of the ITV period drama this year as Atticus Aldridge, the Jewish son of Lord and Lady Sinderby, whom she meets after bumping into him in town.

The 31-year-old actor has built up an impressive theatre credit list - including Pygmalion opposite Downton's Michelle Dockery in 2008 - and has since appeared in the likes of Being Human, Bert and Dickie and NBC's Dracula.

Digital Spy had a chat with Barber about playing one of the most pleasant characters on television and where his story may lead.

Is Atticus everything that he seems?

"I think he is genuinely the nicest man on the planet!

The brand new trailer for “Jupiter Ascending” is here! The film written and by visionary directors The Wchowskis stars Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, Tuppence Middleton and Tim Pigott-Smith in a revolutionary sci-fi adventure. Here’s more about the film. “Jupiter Jones (Kunis) was born under a night sky, with signs predicting that she was destined for great things. Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars but wakes up to the cold reality of a job cleaning other people’s houses and an endless run of bad breaks. Only when Caine (Tatum), a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin [ Read More ]

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