‘Franklin’ Director Tim Van Patten Says Shooting Period Piece in Europe Was a ‘Beautiful Experience,’ but ‘Physically Daunting’

Welcome to ElectionLine’s A View From Abroad series, in which we speak with media figures who don’t live in America but keep a close eye on its politics. Every few weeks, these smart observers will provide a unique perspective on what promises to be a fraught and unpredictable campaign for the White House. This week, our interview is with Richard Madan, the award-winning Washington D.C. correspondent for Canada’s CBC News.

Former Chelsea and England captain John Terry has revealed former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wanted to sign him as a youngster.

Justin Bieber and other stars are heartbroken after the death of Chris King.

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events The last time I spoke to Noah Jupe was four years ago when he was just 15 years old. It was over Zoom, and he was promoting HBO’s “The Undoing” from a Detroit hotel room, where he was under mandatory quarantine waiting to be cleared to start work on Steven Soderbergh’s “No Sudden Move.” At the time, Jupe’s list of credits already included “The Night Manager,” “Suburbicon,” the first two “A Quiet Place” films and “Ford v Ferrari.” He had earned a Spirit Award nomination for his work starring role in “Honey Boy,” director Alma Har’el’s drama loosely based on Shia LaBeouf’s childhood.

Eva Evans, a social media star and Club Rat series creator, has died. She was 29.

The star’s of Spike Lee‘s upcoming film High and Low are working hard!

Charli XCX and Troye Sivan are heading out on the road together!

Victoria Beckham has reflected on reaching a major age milestone as she admitted she would bring her signature sense of style to her new decade. The fashion designer is celebrating turning 50 on Wednesday (April 17).

The Crown, The Sixth Sense and The Father actress Olivia Williams has opened up about the “harrowing” time she spent on the set of Friends back in 1998. Williams appeared as a bridesmaid in the two-part season 4 finale of the iconic series, “The One with Ross’ Wedding.”

Carla Renata Fans lined up in the rain recently at the Linwood Dunn Theatre in Hollywood eager to screen “Franklin,” the new Apple TV+ limited series about Benjamin Franklin’s trip to France in 1776 to try and convince the king to fund America’s fight for independence. Based on Stacy Schiff’s book, “A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America,” the show also spotlights the relationship between Franklin (Michael Douglas) and his grandson Temple (Noah Jupe) Temple, who accompanies his grandfather to France.

Daniel Mays remembers Michael Douglas and Timothy Van Patten, the respectively star and director of new Apple TV drama Franklin, bursting into song whenever he appeared on set.

“Franklin,” an eight-part series premiering April 12 on Apple TV+.“Franklin” tells the story of 70-year-old Ben Franklin’s secret diplomatic mission to France in 1776 to gain French support (money, arms) for America’s fight against the British in the Revolutionary War. There are a lot of moving parts here, so viewers would be apprised to pay attention as Franklin navigates French high society — and politics — in an effort to achieve his goal.The series is based on the book “A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America” by Pulitzer Prize-winner Stacy Schiff.As the series opens, Franklin — commissioned by Congress to undertake his clandestine journey across the Atlantic — has no diplomatic experience.

Aramide Tinubu When pondering the Revolutionary War, specific inflection points come to mind. The Boston Massacre of 1770, Paul Revere’s midnight warning in 1775 and the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 are often the main topics of conversation. However, much more went on during the nearly two-decade-long battle that led to the 13 colonies’ independence from England.

Madonna paid tribute to the victims of the 2016 Orlando shooting at her show in Miami, Florida earlier this week. Watch the footage below.The pop star was performing at the Kaseya Center arena on Tuesday (April 9) as part of her current ‘Celebration Tour’ when she took a moment to reflect on the tragedy.On June 12, 2016, a mass shooting at the LGBTQ+ nightclub Pulse in Orlando left 49 people dead and injured 53 more.

Noah Jupe, who is starring opposite Michael Douglas in the Apple TV+ Benjamin Franklin biopic, is leading a TV drama adaptation of Sebastian Faulks’ cult classic Engleby.

Michael Douglas and the cast of Franklin touched down in Cannes today with a message. Speaking to press ahead of the world premiere screening of the series at Canneseries on Wednesday evening, the actor said the Apple TV+ period drama is a great reminder of “how fragile democracy is and how generous France was.”

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Apple TV+’s “Franklin,” which stars Michael Douglas, has its world premiere at series festival Canneseries on April 10 in Cannes, France. The show is produced by ITV Studios America and Apple Studios.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor “Franklin” director Tim Van Patten, who won Emmys for “Boardwalk Empire” and “The Pacific,” says that although he loves history and is a history buff “this was a slice of history I was not aware of.” Van Patten, who was also Emmy nominated for “The Sopranos,” “Sex and the City” and “Game of Thrones,” adds: “For me, at this point in my career, I like to take myself to a world I don’t know, and also to do the same with the audience.” “Franklin,” which stars Michael Douglas, has its world premiere at series festival Canneseries on April 10 in Cannes, France, in the presence of cast and crew. The show, which is a co-production between ITV Studios America and Apple Studios, makes its global streaming debut April 12 on Apple TV+.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Heatseeking filmmaker Olmo Schnabel has signed for representation with WME, and with Black Bear for management. Schnabel’s breakout directorial effort “Pet Shop Days” played both the Venice International Film Festival and SXSW this cycle, scoring distribution from Utopia for a 2024 theatrical release. Starring Darío Yazbek Bernal, Willem Dafoe and Peter Sarsgaard, the film tells of a drug lord scion on the run from his powerful family.

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events When Michael Douglas was invited to play Benjamin Franklin in Apple TV+’s “Franklin,” he immediately took out a $100 bill. “I looked at Ben and thought, ‘I’ve got a long ways to go,’” the two-time Oscar winner tells Variety. Douglas didn’t just worry that he’d have to spend hours in the makeup chair — the series took more than 160 days to shoot.