‘Good Luck To You, Leo Grande,’ ‘Peaky Blinders’ Among Projects Helped by U.K.’s COVID Production Scheme

Todd Gilchrist editor There are very few movie genres in which Emma Thompson hasn’t left her mark, but she’s established a special pedigree in romantic comedies: from “The Tall Guy” to “Sense and Sensibility” to “Love Actually” to “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande,” she’s explored love in more ways on screen than most people get to experience in real life. In the romantic entanglements of writer-producer Jemima Khan’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It?,” Thompson’s more of a well-meaning instigator than an active participant, playing a divorcee named Cath who clumsily tries to make a match for her serially-single filmmaker daughter Zoe, played by Lily James. Zoe, meanwhile, is more interested in documenting the arranged (or “assisted,” they rebrand it) marriage agreed to by her childhood friend Kazim (Shazad Latif), not realizing the complicated feelings that his impending nuptials are igniting in her about relationships past, present and future.

EXCLUSIVE: Finn Cole has signed with UTA for representation in all areas.

Tyrell Malacia set a target of 20 appearances in his first Manchester United season. His start against Aston Villa was his 36th.

General Hospital‘s Eden McCoy isn’t about to let an internet troll spoil her third Daytime Emmy nomination for playing Josslyn Jacks on the ABC sudser.

There they are! Netflix is giving fans of The Crown their first glimpse of young Prince William and Princess Kate in the upcoming sixth season.

Naman Ramachandran Director Thordur Palsson has wrapped principal photography in Iceland on “The Damned,” starring Odessa Young. Newly revealed cast for the psychological horror film includes Joe Cole (“Gangs of London”), Siobhan Finneran (“Happy Valley”), Rory McCann (“Game of Thrones”), Turlough Convery (“Killing Eve”), Lewis Gribben (“Somewhere Boy”), Francis Magee (“The Tourist”), Mícheál Óg Lane (“The Guard”) and Andrean Sigurgeirsson (“A Song Called Hate”). The script was written by Jamie Hannigan and is based on a story by Palsson (“The Valhalla Murders”). “The Damned” tells the story of Eva, a 19th-century widow who faces a difficult decision when a ship sinks off the coast of her isolated fishing post in the middle of an especially cruel winter. Eva and her crew must decide whether to rescue the shipwrecked or survive the winter with their last remaining food. As they face the consequences of their decision and are tormented by guilt, the inhabitants begin to believe they are being punished for their choices.

The business behind an iconic Manchester hotel featured in Peaky Blinders and favoured by a host of celebrities has changed hands.

Peaky Blinders and Gangs of London star Joe Cole has been cast as lead in real-time BBC thriller series Nightsleeper.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Comes a time when even Neil Young is going to set foot on a stage again after the pandemic, and the recently gig-shy legend turned in his first substantial live performance in almost four years Saturday night at a benefit concert at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Young shared much of his time on stage with Stephen Stills, in a show that relied so much on material from their first run as fellow band members in the 1960s, it almost amounted to a true “Buffalo Springfield revisited” show. The two longtime cohorts’ appearances apart and in tandem would have been draw enough to fill the Greek Saturday for the “Autism Speaks Light Up the Blues 6 Concert,” a sixth edition of the recurring autism benefits hosted by Stills and his wife Kristen, this one postponed by three years from its original spring 2020 date. But there was plenty of star power besides, including sets by Willie Nelson, making a brief but impactful appearance in advance of his 90th birthday celebration next weekend at the Hollywood Bowl, and Joe Walsh, who ensured that Stills and Young did not have the guitar heroism to themselves.

Fresh from her ratings triumph in the third and final series of Happy Valley, its star Sarah Lancashire is teaming up with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight to bring the story of William Shakespeare’s First Folio to screen.

Naman Ramachandran “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight is developing a drama series based on the life of William Shakespeare, based on a concept by double BAFTA-winning “Happy Valley” star Sarah Lancashire. The series is being developed with Banijay U.K.’s Kudos and Lancashire’s production company, Via Pictures, which she formed with Peter Salmon. It will be written by Knight and will be produced out of his Digbeth Loc. Studios in Birmingham by Kudos, in association with Via. The drama will tell the complete story of the glove-maker’s son who became the greatest storyteller in history and how his genius survived and thrived in an age of turmoil and terror, danger and disease. It aims to be the first full account of the passion, people and politics that made William Shakespeare the world’s most famous dramatist and the men and women around him who loved and labored, schemed and plotted, killed and connived in one of the most dangerous periods in history.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Leo Maidenberg’s Paris-based company Place du Marché Productions is developing a slate of French and international films and TV series with acclaimed talents, including Daphna Levin, the creator of the Israeli series “Euphoria,” as well as Sarah Kaminsky (“Raid Dingue”) and Leïla Sy (“Banlieusards”). Maidenberg, who launched Place du Marché in 2018 after a career in diplomacy and made his producing debut with Caroline Fourest’s politically charged action film “Sisters in Arms,” has teamed with Kim Younes at Elvie Productions on a pair of high concept Israeli series. The first title produced by the two banners is “The Truth,” a police thriller series co-written and directed by Levin, whose credits also include the original Israeli series “In Therapy.” Set in Tel Aviv, “The Truth” opens on the day of the final verdict for the most controversial murder case in Israel, 10 years after the incident which took place in a high school gym. That same day, a new murder happens in identical circumstances. Juvenile inspector Rachel Zohar, a student at the high school at the time of the first murder, must revisit her trauma to solve the case. Aurit Zamir (“Babysitter”) co-wrote the series with Levin.

Lourdes Leon stunned in New York. The 26 year old model and singer was present at the launch of H&M x Mugler collaboration, in a black catsuit with bold cuts on it.Lourdes Leon shares photo and calls her friends ‘family’Lourdes Leon is the star of the new beauty campaign for Make Up For Ever: WATCHLeon matched the striking catsuit with a coat and heels. She paired the look with some striking make up and her black hair straightened, and added a dash of color with her nails, which were painted a bright green.

Diddy’s latest relationship is no more.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Hot Docs and Netflix have revealed the five Canadian documentary projects that will share CAD 175,000 ($130,000) as part of the Hot Docs Incubator program, the latest instalment of the Canadian Storytellers Project. These five projects will each receive CAD 35,000 ($26,000). The program, designed to ignite developing doc projects that show creative and market potential, will also engage filmmakers in a series of intensive workshops focused on story, market preparedness, and career or company building. Work-in-progress scenes of the projects will screen to international decision-makers and Industry delegates at next year’s edition of the Hot Docs film festival.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Religion of Sports, the Emmy Award-winning sports media company founded by director and producer Gotham Chopra, American football legend and Hall of Famer Michael Strahan, and seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, has acquired Jiva Maya, a U.K.-based production company formed in 2020 by writer and director Manish Pandey (“Senna,” “Grand Prix Driver,” “Lucky!”).  The deal marks the second company that was brought underneath the ROS umbrella, following the acquisition of Main Event Media earlier this year. The combined company plans to significantly expand its work in global football, cricket, and motorsport, especially Formula 1, for which Pandey is known.

Leo Sayer and Donatella Piccinetti are married.The newlyweds, who have been together for almost four decades, said their ‘I dos’ last weekend in an intimate ceremony in their back garden. Celebrity Big Brother star Leo, 74, announced the news of their nuptials on Instagram. Sharing an upclose photo of his and Donatella’s hands boasting wedding bands, Leo wrote: “This past weekend was truly a dream… “After being partners for almost 39 years, Donatella Piccinetti and Leo Sayer got married in their garden in the Southern Highlands on Saturday 15th of April.

The UK’s Film & TV Production Restart Scheme (PRS) will end up costing the government just £20M ($25M) while generating more than £2.25B ($2.8B) for the nation’s economy, according to an independent report analyzing its success.

A cancer patient who fell ill with an infection which can cause deadly sepsis had her life saved by her sister's gut instinct.

EXCLUSIVE: Banijay has backed a TV drama indie set up by Peaky Blinders EP Tommy Bulfin and Apple TV+ commissioner Kim Varvell.