News

Exclusive: Craig Fairbrass to star in action-thriller Cartel.

UK finance outfit Red Rock Entertainment and actor-producer Craig Fairbrass’s (Get Lucky) Impact Entertainment are to collaborate for the third time on action-thriller Cartel, which is in development.

Outside Bet and Bonded By Blood director Sacha Bennett is due to direct the Puerto Rico-based story about a military policeman (Fairbrass) who clashes with a local cartel while investigating the murder of a priest.

The deal was negotiated by Red Rock Entertainment’s Gary Collins and Impact Entertainment’s Luke Fairbrass.

Collins said: “We are delighted to be partnering again with Impact Entertainment; working with them has been seamless and are very excited about Cartel’s International appeal.”

Red Rock and Impact previously worked on Jonnie Malachi’s psychological-thriller Breakdown, which is due to be released in the UK later this year, and Mark McQueen’s Spain and London-set heist-thriller Gunned Down, which is repped...

British acting legend Bob Hoskins has died of pneumonia at the age of 71. Hoskins' agent confirmed to the BBC that he died on Tuesday in hospital, surrounded by family.

With over a hundred credits to his name across film and television, Hoskins announced his retirement from acting in 2012 after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. His final films were British comedy "Outside Bet" and big-budget fantasy feature "Snow White and the Huntsmen".

Hoskins will be remembered far more though for his memorable turns in films such as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," "The Long Good Friday," "Mona Lisa," "The Honorary Consul," "Brazil," "Hook," "Nixon," "The Cotton Club," "Twenty Four Seven," "Super Mario Bros.," "Last Orders," "Mermaids," "Mrs. Henderson Presents," "Unleashed," "Hollywoodland," "Doomsday," "Enemy at the Gates," "The Wall" and TV productions like "Pennies from Heaven," "On the Move," "The Lost World" and "The Street".

Hoskins had a dry sense of humor, famously...

Exclusive: UK thriller gets international sales and UK distribution deals.

International sales outfit Arsenal Pictures has picked up UK trafficking thriller Abducted.

Director-producer Mark Harris, an executive producer on Anuvahood and Outside Bet, stars in Abducted alongside Honor Kneafsey and Anna Nightingale. The script comes from Davie Fairbanks and Marc Small.

The production recently struck a deal for the film with UK home entertainment group 4Digital Media. Coffee and Cigarettes negotiated the international and UK deals on behalf of Harris.

The film follows a man’s quest to find his young daughter who has been abducted by an underground crime ring.

Harris’ Roar Entertainment is now gearing up for heist thriller Bullet which is set to shoot in London and Europe in early 2014.

Exclusive: UK thriller gets international sales and UK distribution deals.

International sales outfit Arsenal Pictures has picked up UK trafficking thriller Abducted.

Director-producer Mark Harris, an executive producer on Anuvahood and Outside Bet, stars in Abducted alongside Honor Kneafsey and Anna Nightingale. The script comes from Davie Fairbanks and Marc Small.

The production recently struck a deal for the film with UK home entertainment group 4Digital Media. Coffee and Cigarettes negotiated the international and UK deals on behalf of Harris.

The film follows a man’s quest to find his young daughter who has been abducted by an underground crime ring.

Harris’ Roar Entertainment is now gearing up for heist thriller Bullet which is set to shoot in London and Europe in early 2014.

British crime feature stars Joe Cole, Phil Davis and Alison Steadman.

Control Films and Talent Films have begun principal photography on crime film Peterman, which is being shot on location around Dunstable, UK.

For production details visit

Peterman

The feature follows the story of a young junkie (Joe Cole) who is kidnapped by a criminal gang and forced to crack open a safe using skills taught to him by the gang’s former ‘Peterman’ (safe cracker), his deceased grandfather (Phil Davis).

The film also stars Alison Steadman and Peter Bowles as well as Brian McCardie, Kenny Doughty, Stuart Graham and Adam Nagaitis.

The screenplay by Andy Bloom marks the debut feature for director Mark Abraham and producers Darren Pratt and Tim Phillips.

Phillips recently finished his second collaboration with Air Productions on their latest film, Keeping Rosy, starring Maxine Peake and Blake Harrison.

Executive producer is Tony Humphreys from Talent Films, who produced...

We’re back with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes trailers for 100 Bloody Acres and Teacher’s Day, a first look at a scene from Ditch Day Massacre, and more:

First Trailer for 100 Bloody Acres: “In 100 Bloody Acres, brothers Reg and Lindsay Morgan are struggling to keep their organic blood and bone fertilizer business in motion. Their secret “recipe” for success (using dead car crash victims in their product) was a huge boon to business, but lately supply has been gravely low. Months have passed since their last find, and an important new customer is now waiting on a delivery. When junior partner Reg (Damon Herriman of Justified) stumbles upon 3 travelers stranded on a remote country road, he cooks up a radical solution to their problem, and a way of finally gaining the respect of his bossy big...

A few days ago I was able to get a sneak peak at The Broken, a new British film starring Mark Harris (Whose credits include Outside Bet, and Offender). The film is so new in fact that in order to get a glimpse at what is coming I had to visit the edit suite where they were still piecing together the cut.

Check out the interview below where Mark talks about his character, the challenges of making the film and some of the challenges of life and the acting business.

The film sees Mark play Matt Hollis, a father and husband who is struggling to keep his family together having spent some time in prison and faced other challenges in life. A family holiday to the United States seemed the perfect thing to get back on the right track, but shortly after arriving in the Us of A everything turns...

There seem to have been a lot of movies featuring tower blocks in the last year or two. Attack the Block, The Raid, Dredd all spring to mind and there’s even a movie called Tower Block coming out later this year. StudioCanal obviously thought there was room for another one and have released the trailer for Come Down which is out on DVD and Blu-ray 28th January.

The movie stars Adam Deacon (Adulthood), Geoff Bell (War Horse), Jacob Anderson (4.3.2.1), Calum McNab (Outside Bet), Duane Henry (The Dark Knight Rises), Sophie Stuckey (The Woman in Black) and Jessica Barden (Tamara Drewe). Comedown is directed by the man who brought us Kidulthood Menhaj Huda and is written by Steven Kendall.

You can pre-order the movie here and scroll down to watch the trailer.

Fresh out of prison and back on the streets of London, Lloyd is determined to stay on the...

Mark Kermode picks the year's best DVD releases that went largely unnoticed – but are too good to miss

Ping Pong

(Hugh Hartford, 2012, Britdoc Films, E)

A documentary about octogenarian (and upward) table tennis may not sound like the most obvious formula for life-affirming thrills, but this splendid account of the Oap "paddles of fire" circuit is as nail-biting as any sports event this year. Most impressively, the age of the participants (some in triple figures) quickly becomes an irrelevance as their competitive personalities take over to dominate the drama. There's nothing quaint or genteel about this battle of wits from players whose faculties, both physical and mental, have clearly been enhanced by the beautiful game.

The Dardennes Collection

(Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, 2012, Artificial Eye, 15)

The work of these most admirably humanist directors is gathered together in a six-disc collection which cements the Dardennes' reputation as guardians of the beating heart of cinema.

Marley; Outside Bet; Battleship; Lockout

Considering the extraordinary levels of access that he's been granted both to interviewees and archive recordings, it would have been easy for Kevin Macdonald's vibrantly exhaustive documentary Marley (2012, Universal, 15) to become little more than a hagiography. Although the tone is indeed broadly celebratory (Ziggy Marley gets an executive producer credit, and family members feature heavily on screen), Macdonald still manages to delve beneath the public adulation, painting a credible and engrossing picture of a troubled youth who grew into a cultural giant, often at the cost of his family life.

Describing his approach as "more traditional" than such previous works as Touching the Void, Macdonald intertwines interviews, stills and concert footage with some spectacularly scenic views of Jamaica as he traces Marley's mixed-race roots (his father was a uniformed white man who looked at home on a horse) to find a search for...

Bob Hoskins is to retire from acting following a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease last autumn, it was announced on Wednesday. A statement, issued on Hoskins' behalf, said:

"He wishes to thank all the great and brilliant people he has worked with over the years, and all of his fans who have supported him during a wonderful career."

It continued: "Bob is now looking forward to his retirement with his family, and would greatly appreciate that his privacy be respected at this time."

Hoskins, one of Britain's best-loved actors, known for his gruff bonhomie and diminutive size, has been working consistenly for more than 30 years. He first found fame on the small screen in Dennis Potter's Pennies from Heaven, and then in cinemas as a London gangster-turned-businessman in The Long Good Friday (1980). Hopkins had leading roles in Brazil (1985), Mona Lisa (1986), Mermaids (1990), Who Framed Roger Rabbit?...

Bob Hoskins has announced his retirement from the big screen, and revealed that he is suffering from Parkinson's Disease.

Bob Hoskins has been a distinctive British presence on the screen in a career lasting 40 years

He released a statement today through his agent, which read:

"He wishes to thank all the great and brilliant people he has worked with over the years, and all of his fans who have supported him during a wonderful career.

"Bob is now looking forward to his retirement with his family, and would greatly appreciate that his privacy be respected at this time."

The much-loved British actor made the announcement, only three months after the release of his latest films, the London-based drama Outside Bet, about a group of printers who bet on a horse, and the Hollywood epic, Snow White and the Huntsman.

It is a double-dose swansong that sums up the popular actor's diverse career,...

Here’s the first trailer for new British Indie movie, ‘Get Lucky’ from Getaway Films which stars Luke Treadaway, James Cosmo, Craig Fairbrass, Emily Atack, Rebecca Ferdinando, Jason Maza, Terry Stone and T.J. Ramini. It comes from Director Sacha Bennett who recently brought us Bonded by Blood and more recently Outside Bet with Bob Hoskins.

The script comes from T.J. Ramini and Walter Taylaur and the plot of the film goes like this:

Two brothers living on the wrong side of the law who become involved in a casino heist.

Iframe Embed for Youtube...

A new British film charts the battle of Wapping printworkers in 1986 against the Murdoch empire. It even stars Bob Hoskins

An industrial estate in Isleworth, west London, on Friday evening would swiftly disabuse anyone of the notion that film-making is a glamorous business. Extras in donkey jackets huddle in the rain around unlit braziers as the stench from the nearby sewage works drifts across the scene. A flu-ridden Bob Hoskins rubs his hands, his coughing drowned out by the whine of jets sinking into Heathrow. Spluttering old Transit vans are reversed into position, hand-painted signs that read "6,000 sacked by foreign bosses" are brandished, two police horses clop up, and suddenly we are transported back to Wapping in 1986.

"It's not about progress, it's about profit," shouts Hoskins as 70 extras gather around him, playing striking printers attempting to stop Rupert Murdoch's new Wapping printworks from getting its newspapers out. The sky...

Disney's superheroes drive Battleship from first to sixth place at UK box office, while Salmon Fishing in the Yemen holds steady

The winner

Iron Man has always been potent at the UK box office, but would adding relative commercial weaklings Thor, Captain America and the Hulk to the formula increase or detract from the character's appeal? That question has now been answered in resounding fashion, as Avengers Assemble explodes at the UK box office with £15.78m, including Thursday previews of £2.55m. That's more than double the openings of Iron Man (£5.47m including previews of £667,000) and Iron Man 2 (£7.66m including previews of £877,000) from early May 2008 and late April 2010 respectively. The Avengers takings are also more than the entire runs of last year's franchise extensions Thor (£14.05m) and Captain America: The First Avenger (£9.48m) as well as both of the last decade's Hulk movies, which took £8.43m (Ang Lee's The Hulk,...

Phil Davis, the British actor and director, says gritty drama offers escapism from the recession

A corpse is found in a dark London alley: across the body a jester's hat is draped, or maybe there is a charcoal inscription of a tarot symbol, or perhaps the spray-painted tag of an unknown graffiti artist. Something mysterious anyway. For this is British crime drama – the new, macabre style. No more slamming car doors and seedy nightclubs. Popular thriller series such as Whitechapel on ITV or Sherlock on the BBC rely instead on chilling their audiences to the bone. And somewhere, amid the gloom, the increasingly well-known face of Phil Davis often lurks.

Davis, who is a regular in Whitechapel and who played the warped taxi driver in the first series of Sherlock, believes the demand for smart, modern horror is a symptom of the times: "There are two things everybody wants when...

Damsels In Distress (12A)

(Whit Stillman, 2011, Us) Greta Gerwig, Analeigh Tipton, Adam Brody, Ryan Metcalf, Megalyn Echikunwoke. 99 mins

Stillman casts a wry eye across the college campus, and settles on Gerwig's clique of preppy girls who confuse charity with condescension. The result is distinctively articulate, witty, gently surreal and hilariously sarcastic. But as well as parodying these misguided teens, Stillman clearly has great sympathy for them. It's good to have him back.

Avengers Assemble (12A)

(Joss Whedon, 2012, Us) Samuel L Jackson, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson. 142 mins

Considering the lack of leeway Whedon had with this superhero juggernaut, he pulls off a remarkable feat, keeping all the plates spinning with as much irony as he can get away with. It descends into a numbing effects orgy, but it's fast and fun along the way.

Albert Nobbs (15)

(Rodrigo García, 2011, UK/Ire) Glenn Close, Mia Wasikowska. 113 mins

Close's committed performance anchors this...

Another busy weeks of cinema releases this week but despite the wide array of movie offerings, there’s clearly one fantastical, latex-clad, cross-over blockbuster which towers above all the others. I am of course referring, to Strippers Vs Werewolves.

Apparently there’s some small, niche movie about a bunch of crazy vigilantes who gang up to fight with one of their mentally disturbed brothers, but I doubt you’ve heard of it.

No, but seriously folks, stitch your sides back together and i’ll level with you, The Avengers Assemble is out this Friday and after the months of trailers, stills, clips and more trailers, the anticipation is as they say at fever pitch. I imagine many of us have tickets booked up for the opening weekend already and after near unanimously positive reviews in the press, expectations are sky high.

As one might expect, few studios have bothered putting...

We have added a new set of pictures from the event "Outside Bet UK Premiere".Richard Blackwood and Rebecca Ferdinando attending the Outside Bet UK premiere at Cineworld in London.Photo copyright by Landmark / PR Photos. Kate Magowan attending the Outside Bet UK premiere at Cineworld in London.Photo copyright by Landmark / PR Photos. Russell Kane attending the Outside Bet UK premiere at Cineworld in London.Photo copyright by Landmark / PR Photos. Kate Magowan attending the Outside Bet UK premiere at Cineworld in London.Photo copyright by Landmark / PR Photos. Kate Magowan attending the Outside Bet UK premiere at Cineworld in London.Photo copyright by Landmark / PR Photos. Jason Maza attending the Outside Bet UK premiere at Cineworld in London.Photo copyright...

On the same night as the Strippers vs. Werewolves premiere, stars of another new British movie, Outside Bet were in town for their own premiere. Our friends from our very own Ben Mortimer and Upbeat were there to chat with the cast of the movie as they walked the red carpet. During the interview, we find out that the horse they used in the movie was actually called ‘Rocky’ and how director Sacha Bennett found working with his great cast.

Outside Bet is directed by Sacha Bennett and stars Bob Hoskins, Philip Davis, Adam Deacon, Emily Atack, Terry Stone, Jenny Agutter many of whim were at the premiere on Tuesday night.

Developed from The Mumper written by Mark Baxter and Paolo Hewitt. Set against the turbulent mid 80′s of money, privatization, unions and dramatic media evolution: A life-long group of friends find themselves at the bad end of a redundancy...

Here’s the new poster for Outside Bet which hits UK cinemas next Friday 27th April. It stars Starring Bob Hoskins (Mona Lisa, Made in Dagenham), Jenny Agutter (An American Werewolf in London, Call the Midwife), Phil Davis (Notes on a Scandal, Whitechapel), Linda Robson (Birds of a Feather), Emily Atack (The Inbetweeners), Jason Maza, Adam Deacon, Rebecca Ferdinando and is helmed by Director Sacha. If you missed the trailer which came out last month, click here to view.

It is 1985. Thatcher is in power, Sade is on the radio, and the print workers have gone on strike. But nothing, not even a scale eight earthquake can put a dampener on a group of close friends that meet every Sunday in their regular South London pub for a pint and free flowing banter of the highest order.

Set against the backdrop of a changing way of life-as Rupert Murdoch moves...

Here’s the new trailer for UK comedy ‘Outside Bet’ which has a fantastic cast including Bob Hoskins, Jenny Agutter, Phil Davis, Calum McNab, Adam Deacon and Emily Atack. It’s directed by Sacha Bennett (Bonded by Blood) and is based on the novel ‘The Mumper’ written by Mark Baxter and Paolo Hewitt.

Outside Bet is a comedy drama following the journey of seven friends during the Fleet Street print workers’ strikes in the 1980s. While money, privatisation, unions and dramatic media evolution start to swirl, the life-long group of friends find themselves at the bad end of a redundancy pay-out and invest their savings into a racehorse – hoping that one final race can turn their fortunes around. The story is one of friendship and overcoming the odds.

The film stars a host of British acting talent including Academy Award nominee Bob Hoskins (Mona Lisa, Made in Dagenham) and BAFTA...

Adam Deacon talks about his Bafta for rising star and his desire to be a voice for modern youth

Adam Deacon has had an incredible week. Last Sunday he became the surprise winner at the Baftas when, against the odds, he took home the Orange Wednesdays Rising Star award. You get the impression life has been a non-stop party ever since.

He arrives for his interview an hour behind schedule, four days after his victory, but still carrying the Bafta in a carrier bag. He looks exhausted but on a high, so he gets the trophy out and we all take a moment to coo at it. He will pose for photographs only if the Bafta is in the shot, which seems terribly precious. But he says: "I'll be straight up with you. I was the outsider for this, bottom of the list. So this is huge for me."

The category,...

Bob Hoskins is one of the many talented stars of this fall's Made in Dagenham, which has gotten disappointingly little Oscar buzz given its stellar cast and generally heartwarming story. Hoskins plays an auto plant manager who helps the women there go on strike, but he's apparently not done telling stories about labor issues. According to THR he'll play a role in Weighed In: The Story of the Mumper, centered around the 1980s strike by British newspaper workers. No, I have no idea what a mumper is, though it seems fair to assume there's some British slang involved in creating that word. Joining Hoskins will be Jenny Agutter and Emily Atack, with Calum McNab, Adam Deacon, Vincent Regan, Terry Stone and Perry Benson all on board already for director Sacha Bennett. Yes, this may be the most obscurely British story in the world to tell, but i would have said...