Beloved actor Michael Gambon has passed away at the age of 82, it has been confirmed. Renowned for his performances both on screen and on stage, Gambon died peacefully following an illness. “We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon,” reads a statement on behalf of his wife Lady Gambon and son Fergus, released via his publicist. “Beloved husband and father, Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside, following a bout of pneumonia. Michael was 82. We ask that you respect our privacy at this painful time and thank you for your messages of support and love.”
For an entire generation, Gambon was known for playing Albus Dumbledore in many of the :a[Harry Potter films]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/every-harry-potter-movie-ranked/' target='blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'} – taking on the role of the Hogwarts headmaster from 2004’s :a[The Prisoner Of Azkaban]{href='https://www.
For an entire generation, Gambon was known for playing Albus Dumbledore in many of the :a[Harry Potter films]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/every-harry-potter-movie-ranked/' target='blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'} – taking on the role of the Hogwarts headmaster from 2004’s :a[The Prisoner Of Azkaban]{href='https://www.
- 9/28/2023
- by Ben Travis
- Empire - Movies
Even in the beginning, the Beatles were hugely popular. Though it seemed they were popular everywhere but London. They experienced enormous recording success, sold-out concerts, and crazed fans wherever they went. And yet, the London press hardly covered them and they couldn’t book any of the big theaters in the city. Beatles manager Brian Epstein had a theory as to why.
The Grade Brothers
Epstein believed he and the Beatles were being blacklisted by three brothers: Lew and Leslie Grade, and Bernard Delfont. The Grades were highly involved and influential in the English entertainment business.
Lew Grade, who later became Lord Grade, owned the Associated Television Corporation, Britain’s largest independent producer of TV programs. He personally produced the UK’s most popular variety show, Sunday Night at the Palladium. For an act to gain national recognition at the time, it was crucial they appear on Snatp.
Leslie Grade...
The Grade Brothers
Epstein believed he and the Beatles were being blacklisted by three brothers: Lew and Leslie Grade, and Bernard Delfont. The Grades were highly involved and influential in the English entertainment business.
Lew Grade, who later became Lord Grade, owned the Associated Television Corporation, Britain’s largest independent producer of TV programs. He personally produced the UK’s most popular variety show, Sunday Night at the Palladium. For an act to gain national recognition at the time, it was crucial they appear on Snatp.
Leslie Grade...
- 7/14/2023
- by Kelsey Goeres
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
If there’s a kerfuffle on the Croisette, the prolific U.K. producer is never far away…
Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas knows a thing or two about making waves. The man once described by director Bernardo Bertolucci as a “hustler in the fur of a teddy bear” has lived both at the heart of the U.K. film establishment and as a passionate advocate for counterculture, whether in the novels of authors William S. Burroughs and Paul Bowles or the punk-rock anarchy of the Sex Pistols.
But none of the 75+ features the 71-year-old Thomas has worked on has created as much of a stir as David Cronenberg’s adaptation of J.G. Ballard’s Crash, which debuted on the Croisette 25 years ago. The drama, about an underground subculture of scarred, omnisexual car-crash victims who fetishize auto accidents, became a lightning rod among critics and politicians.
After landing 18 films in Official Selection,...
Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas knows a thing or two about making waves. The man once described by director Bernardo Bertolucci as a “hustler in the fur of a teddy bear” has lived both at the heart of the U.K. film establishment and as a passionate advocate for counterculture, whether in the novels of authors William S. Burroughs and Paul Bowles or the punk-rock anarchy of the Sex Pistols.
But none of the 75+ features the 71-year-old Thomas has worked on has created as much of a stir as David Cronenberg’s adaptation of J.G. Ballard’s Crash, which debuted on the Croisette 25 years ago. The drama, about an underground subculture of scarred, omnisexual car-crash victims who fetishize auto accidents, became a lightning rod among critics and politicians.
After landing 18 films in Official Selection,...
- 7/9/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Role as Judy Garland in biopic of the troubled musician and movie actor secures top acting prize for Zellweger at the Academy Awards
Nine things we learned at the OscarsPeter Bradshaw: Parasite’s brilliant win is a portent of changeOscars 2020 red carpet: Billie Eilish to Billy Porter – in pictures
Renée Zellweger has won the best actress Oscar at the 92nd Academy Awards for her role as Judy Garland in the biopic of the singer and movie star. Zellweger was the favourite for the award, but faced competition from Saoirse Ronan in Little Women, Cynthia Erivo in Harriet, Charlize Theron in Bombshell and Scarlett Johansson in Marriage Story.
Judy is set mostly in the last year of Garland’s life, as she tries to rebuild her career with a series of concerts in London. The film also stars Finn Wittrock and Rufus Sewell and Michael Gambon as promoter Bernard Delfont.
Continue reading.
Nine things we learned at the OscarsPeter Bradshaw: Parasite’s brilliant win is a portent of changeOscars 2020 red carpet: Billie Eilish to Billy Porter – in pictures
Renée Zellweger has won the best actress Oscar at the 92nd Academy Awards for her role as Judy Garland in the biopic of the singer and movie star. Zellweger was the favourite for the award, but faced competition from Saoirse Ronan in Little Women, Cynthia Erivo in Harriet, Charlize Theron in Bombshell and Scarlett Johansson in Marriage Story.
Judy is set mostly in the last year of Garland’s life, as she tries to rebuild her career with a series of concerts in London. The film also stars Finn Wittrock and Rufus Sewell and Michael Gambon as promoter Bernard Delfont.
Continue reading.
- 2/10/2020
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
"Judy" is the Brit-produced biographical drama feature, following the life of singer, actress 'Judy Garland' circa 1969, starring Renée Zellweger, directed by Rupert Goold, adapting the 'Tony'-nominated West End and Broadway play "End of the Rainbow" by Peter Quilter:
"...'Judy Garland', the child star who played 'Dorothy' from "The Wizard Of Oz', who became alcohol and drug-addicted throughout her long career, arrives in London, UK in 1969 for a five-week run of sell-out concerts..."
Cast also includes Darci Shaw as young 'Judy Garland', Rufus Sewell as 'Sidney Luft', Michael Gambon as 'Bernard Delfont', Finn Wittrock as 'Mickey Deans', Jessie Buckley as 'Rosalyn Wilder', Bella Ramsey as 'Lorna Luft', Royce Pierreson as 'Burt', Arthur McBain as 'Askith', John Dagleish as 'Lonnie Donegan', Gemma-Leah Devereux as 'Liza Minnelli' and David Rubin as 'Noel'.
Click the images to enlarge...
"...'Judy Garland', the child star who played 'Dorothy' from "The Wizard Of Oz', who became alcohol and drug-addicted throughout her long career, arrives in London, UK in 1969 for a five-week run of sell-out concerts..."
Cast also includes Darci Shaw as young 'Judy Garland', Rufus Sewell as 'Sidney Luft', Michael Gambon as 'Bernard Delfont', Finn Wittrock as 'Mickey Deans', Jessie Buckley as 'Rosalyn Wilder', Bella Ramsey as 'Lorna Luft', Royce Pierreson as 'Burt', Arthur McBain as 'Askith', John Dagleish as 'Lonnie Donegan', Gemma-Leah Devereux as 'Liza Minnelli' and David Rubin as 'Noel'.
Click the images to enlarge...
- 1/20/2020
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Renée Zellweger as Judy Garland in Judy. Photo credit: David-Hindley. Courtesy of Ld Entertainment and Roadside Attractions.
Renee Zellweger gives a knockout performance as the legendary Judy Garland, in a biopic set in her later years. as the star struggles to make a living, battles alcoholism and self-destructive behavior and tries to keep her two young children close. Judy takes a sympathetic view of the star in her twilight years, a difficult time when she was still famous enough to draw crowds but when her voice was fading and her reputation for unreliability made it hard to find work.
Renee Zellweger’s turn as Judy Garland is the film’s major asset. The film, which is based on the play “End of the Rainbow” by Peter Quilty, is directed by Rupert Goold. Zellweger’s outstanding performance captures Judy Garland’s personal charm, warmth and vulnerability, the things that drew fans...
Renee Zellweger gives a knockout performance as the legendary Judy Garland, in a biopic set in her later years. as the star struggles to make a living, battles alcoholism and self-destructive behavior and tries to keep her two young children close. Judy takes a sympathetic view of the star in her twilight years, a difficult time when she was still famous enough to draw crowds but when her voice was fading and her reputation for unreliability made it hard to find work.
Renee Zellweger’s turn as Judy Garland is the film’s major asset. The film, which is based on the play “End of the Rainbow” by Peter Quilty, is directed by Rupert Goold. Zellweger’s outstanding performance captures Judy Garland’s personal charm, warmth and vulnerability, the things that drew fans...
- 9/27/2019
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Renée Zellweger performs miracles playing Judy Garland: singing her heart out, baring her bruised soul and acting with a ferocity that ultimately rises to a state of grace. Yes, Judy, the well-meaning but wobbly biopic that can barely contain her take on the late Star Is Born star, is pure Oscarbait — ready made for an Academy campaign and rarely soaring to the level of a portrayal that’s a dazzling, deeply felt tribute from one artist to another.
Garland died of an accidental drug overdose in 1969 when she was...
Garland died of an accidental drug overdose in 1969 when she was...
- 9/24/2019
- by Peter Travers
- Rollingstone.com
Renée Zellweger is back!
The actress, 50, received two standing ovations on Tuesday night after the premiere of her film Judy at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Zellweger brushed away tears as she stood onstage next to her costars and director Rupert Goold, telling the audience, “Ok, quit! You’re messing up my makeup.”
The Oscar-winning actress stars as Judy Garland near the end of her life when the famed Wizard of Oz star arrived in London to perform sold-out shows at the Talk of the Town nightclub.
While there, Garland meets and falls in love with her soon-to-be-fifth husband Mickey Deans.
The actress, 50, received two standing ovations on Tuesday night after the premiere of her film Judy at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Zellweger brushed away tears as she stood onstage next to her costars and director Rupert Goold, telling the audience, “Ok, quit! You’re messing up my makeup.”
The Oscar-winning actress stars as Judy Garland near the end of her life when the famed Wizard of Oz star arrived in London to perform sold-out shows at the Talk of the Town nightclub.
While there, Garland meets and falls in love with her soon-to-be-fifth husband Mickey Deans.
- 9/11/2019
- by Alexia Fernandez
- PEOPLE.com
Renée Zellweger transforms into Judy Garland in the upcoming Judy — and People has a first look at her in action as the legendary performer.
The film chronicles Garland’s journey to London in the winter of 1968 for a series of sold-out concerts she performed despite her exhaustion and deteriorating health. The Wizard of Oz star died in London in 1969 of an accidental barbiturate overdose just months after the tour ended. She was 47.
People’s exclusive scene from the movie shows a preview of the downfall to come, with a shaky Judy walking around backstage before admitting that she doesn’t...
The film chronicles Garland’s journey to London in the winter of 1968 for a series of sold-out concerts she performed despite her exhaustion and deteriorating health. The Wizard of Oz star died in London in 1969 of an accidental barbiturate overdose just months after the tour ended. She was 47.
People’s exclusive scene from the movie shows a preview of the downfall to come, with a shaky Judy walking around backstage before admitting that she doesn’t...
- 9/3/2019
- by Ale Russian
- PEOPLE.com
If it’s taken so long for a bigscreen biopic of Judy Garland to come to fruition, perhaps it’s because the lady herself warned off any attempts with one of her most famous quotes: “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” It is not, admittedly, a saying that has deterred Hollywood from its ongoing fascination with famous people playing other famous people, though it’s a practice that yields more successful Oscar campaigns than for-the-ages performances: Prosthetically enhanced impersonation, for the most part, isn’t a repeatedly dazzling trick. Yet director Rupert Goold and resurgent star Renée Zellweger have pulled off something unusual and affecting in “Judy”: a biographical portrait in which performer and subject meet halfway, illuminating something of each other in the process.
Set in the final year before Garland’s death in 1969, “Judy” covers the shambolic London...
Set in the final year before Garland’s death in 1969, “Judy” covers the shambolic London...
- 8/31/2019
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Renée Zellweger and Sam Smith are teaming up for a new song!
The actress, who is playing Judy Garland in the upcoming biopic Judy, recorded a duet with Smith for the film’s soundtrack. The pair joins forces for a cover of Garland’s song “Get Happy,” while Zellweger also sings “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” with Rufus Wainwright in another track on the album.
“When I was 17 years old I did a project on Judy Garland for my Film Studies A-Level,” Smith — who previously won an Oscar for his song featured in the 2015 James Bond movie Spectre — said of the partnership.
The actress, who is playing Judy Garland in the upcoming biopic Judy, recorded a duet with Smith for the film’s soundtrack. The pair joins forces for a cover of Garland’s song “Get Happy,” while Zellweger also sings “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” with Rufus Wainwright in another track on the album.
“When I was 17 years old I did a project on Judy Garland for my Film Studies A-Level,” Smith — who previously won an Oscar for his song featured in the 2015 James Bond movie Spectre — said of the partnership.
- 8/28/2019
- by Helen Murphy
- PEOPLE.com
"Judy" is the new Brit biographical drama feature, following the life of singer, actress 'Judy Garland' circa 1969, directed by Rupert Goold, adapting the 'Tony'-nominated West End and Broadway play "End of the Rainbow" by Peter Quilter, starring Oscar winner Renée Zellweger, opening theatrically September 27, 2019:
"...'Judy Garland', the child star who played 'Dorothy' from "The Wizard Of Oz', who became alcohol and drug-addicted throughout her long career, arrives in London, UK in 1969 for a five-week run of sell-out concerts..."
Cast also includes Darci Shaw as young 'Judy Garland', Rufus Sewell as 'Sidney Luft', Michael Gambon as 'Bernard Delfont', Finn Wittrock as 'Mickey Deans', Jessie Buckley as 'Rosalyn Wilder', Bella Ramsey as 'Lorna Luft', Royce Pierreson as 'Burt', Arthur McBain as 'Askith', John Dagleish as 'Lonnie Donegan', Gemma-Leah Devereux as 'Liza Minnelli' and David Rubin as 'Noel'.
"...'Judy Garland', the child star who played 'Dorothy' from "The Wizard Of Oz', who became alcohol and drug-addicted throughout her long career, arrives in London, UK in 1969 for a five-week run of sell-out concerts..."
Cast also includes Darci Shaw as young 'Judy Garland', Rufus Sewell as 'Sidney Luft', Michael Gambon as 'Bernard Delfont', Finn Wittrock as 'Mickey Deans', Jessie Buckley as 'Rosalyn Wilder', Bella Ramsey as 'Lorna Luft', Royce Pierreson as 'Burt', Arthur McBain as 'Askith', John Dagleish as 'Lonnie Donegan', Gemma-Leah Devereux as 'Liza Minnelli' and David Rubin as 'Noel'.
- 7/8/2019
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Tony Sokol Jul 8, 2019
The official trailer for the upcoming Judy film shows Renée Zellweger in what might be her next Oscar nominated role.
The first official trailer for the upcoming biopic Judy looks like it might pull an Academy Award for Renée Zellweger, who channels the The Wizard Of Oz star at the close of her career.
"Winter 1968 and showbiz legend Judy Garland arrives in Swinging London to perform a five-week sold-out run at The Talk of the Town," reads the official synopsis. "It is 30 years since she shot to global stardom in The Wizard of Oz, but if her voice has weakened, its dramatic intensity has only grown. As she prepares for the show, battles with management, charms musicians and reminisces with friends and adoring fans, her wit and warmth shine through. Even her dreams of love seem undimmed as she embarks on a whirlwind romance with Mickey Deans,...
The official trailer for the upcoming Judy film shows Renée Zellweger in what might be her next Oscar nominated role.
The first official trailer for the upcoming biopic Judy looks like it might pull an Academy Award for Renée Zellweger, who channels the The Wizard Of Oz star at the close of her career.
"Winter 1968 and showbiz legend Judy Garland arrives in Swinging London to perform a five-week sold-out run at The Talk of the Town," reads the official synopsis. "It is 30 years since she shot to global stardom in The Wizard of Oz, but if her voice has weakened, its dramatic intensity has only grown. As she prepares for the show, battles with management, charms musicians and reminisces with friends and adoring fans, her wit and warmth shine through. Even her dreams of love seem undimmed as she embarks on a whirlwind romance with Mickey Deans,...
- 7/8/2019
- Den of Geek
Judy Garland is over the rainbow and across the pond yearning to be reunited with her children in a new trailer for the upcoming biopic Judy.
The film, which stars Renée Zellweger as the legendary performer, chronicles Garland’s journey to London in the winter of 1968 for a series of sold-out concerts she performed despite her exhaustion and deteriorating health. The Wizard of Oz star died in London in 1969 of an accidental barbiturate overdose just months after the tour ended. She was 47.
The trailer kicks off with daughter Lorna Luft (Bella Ramsey) pleading with her mother as she downs pills...
The film, which stars Renée Zellweger as the legendary performer, chronicles Garland’s journey to London in the winter of 1968 for a series of sold-out concerts she performed despite her exhaustion and deteriorating health. The Wizard of Oz star died in London in 1969 of an accidental barbiturate overdose just months after the tour ended. She was 47.
The trailer kicks off with daughter Lorna Luft (Bella Ramsey) pleading with her mother as she downs pills...
- 7/8/2019
- by Rachel DeSantis
- PEOPLE.com
Whilst attending London Pride this weekend, Renee Zellweger premiered a brand new trailer for the film based Lgbtq Icon ‘Judy’ Garland.
The unveiling marks both the 50th anniversary of Judy Garland’s untimely death and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the historic protests in New York City that sparked a revolution in Lgbtq rights.
Directed by Rupert Goold, Zellweger stars as Garland, the film also stars Rufus Sewell as Sidney Luft, Michael Gambon as Bernard Delfont, Finn Wittrock as Mickey Deans and Jesse Buckley as Roslyn Wilder.
The film features some of her best-known songs, including the timeless classic ‘Over the Rainbow’, Judy celebrates the voice, the capacity for love and the sheer pizzazz of “the world’s greatest entertainer”.
Also in trailers – David Harbour unearths family secrets in trailer for Netflix mockumentary ‘Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster, Frankenstein’
Here’s the new trailer,
Judy Synopsis
Winter 1968 and...
The unveiling marks both the 50th anniversary of Judy Garland’s untimely death and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the historic protests in New York City that sparked a revolution in Lgbtq rights.
Directed by Rupert Goold, Zellweger stars as Garland, the film also stars Rufus Sewell as Sidney Luft, Michael Gambon as Bernard Delfont, Finn Wittrock as Mickey Deans and Jesse Buckley as Roslyn Wilder.
The film features some of her best-known songs, including the timeless classic ‘Over the Rainbow’, Judy celebrates the voice, the capacity for love and the sheer pizzazz of “the world’s greatest entertainer”.
Also in trailers – David Harbour unearths family secrets in trailer for Netflix mockumentary ‘Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster, Frankenstein’
Here’s the new trailer,
Judy Synopsis
Winter 1968 and...
- 7/8/2019
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Renée Zellweger’s big 2019 started with a juicy role in Netflix’s guilty pleasure “What/If” and is set to continue with a starring role as Judy Garland in the upcoming biographical drama “Judy,” her first major awards vehicle in over a decade. The film marks the directorial debut of English theater director Rupert Goold and is an adaptation of Peter Quilter’s musical “End of the Rainbow.” The production played on Broadway and the West End and earned multiple Olivier and Tony Award nominations.
“Judy” focuses on the final months of Judy Garland’s life before her death in 1969. The story takes place in London as the iconic singer and actress prepares for her five-week sold-out concert run at The Talk of the Town. As she preps for the show, Garland battles with management, charms musicians, and reminisces with friends and adoring fans. Garland even embarks on a whirlwind romance with Mickey Deans,...
“Judy” focuses on the final months of Judy Garland’s life before her death in 1969. The story takes place in London as the iconic singer and actress prepares for her five-week sold-out concert run at The Talk of the Town. As she preps for the show, Garland battles with management, charms musicians, and reminisces with friends and adoring fans. Garland even embarks on a whirlwind romance with Mickey Deans,...
- 7/8/2019
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Renée Zellweger is unrecognizable as screen legend Judy Garland in the first trailer for the anticipated biopic Judy.
The 50-year-old star stars as Garland as she arrives in London in the winter of 1968 for a series of sold-out concerts despite her exhaustion and deteriorating health. Garland died of an accidental barbiturate overdose months after the tour ended in June 1969 in London. She was 47.
The film is an adaptation of the Tony Award-nominated Broadway play End of the Rainbow by Peter Quilter.
To prepare for the role, the Oscar winner took music lessons, studied choreography and read up about the actress and singer,...
The 50-year-old star stars as Garland as she arrives in London in the winter of 1968 for a series of sold-out concerts despite her exhaustion and deteriorating health. Garland died of an accidental barbiturate overdose months after the tour ended in June 1969 in London. She was 47.
The film is an adaptation of the Tony Award-nominated Broadway play End of the Rainbow by Peter Quilter.
To prepare for the role, the Oscar winner took music lessons, studied choreography and read up about the actress and singer,...
- 5/10/2019
- by Alexia Fernandez
- PEOPLE.com
Pathe has launched the first trailer for Rupert Goold’s biographical drama ‘Judy’ featuring Renee Zellweger as Judy Garland.
Directed by Goold, the film also stars Rufus Sewell as Sidney Luft, Michael Gambon as Bernard Delfont, Finn Wittrock as Mickey Deans and Jesse Buckley as Roslyn Wilder.
The film features some of her best-known songs, including the timeless classic ‘Over the Rainbow’, Judy celebrates the voice, the capacity for love and the sheer pizzazz of “the world’s greatest entertainer”.
Also in trailers – Hilary Swank stars in trailer for Netflix film ‘I Am Mother’
Judy Synopsis
Winter 1968 and showbiz legend Judy Garland arrives in Swinging London to perform in a sell-out run at The Talk of the Town. It is 30 years since she shot to global stardom in The Wizard Of Oz, but if her voice has weakened, its dramatic intensity has only grown.
As she prepares for the show,...
Directed by Goold, the film also stars Rufus Sewell as Sidney Luft, Michael Gambon as Bernard Delfont, Finn Wittrock as Mickey Deans and Jesse Buckley as Roslyn Wilder.
The film features some of her best-known songs, including the timeless classic ‘Over the Rainbow’, Judy celebrates the voice, the capacity for love and the sheer pizzazz of “the world’s greatest entertainer”.
Also in trailers – Hilary Swank stars in trailer for Netflix film ‘I Am Mother’
Judy Synopsis
Winter 1968 and showbiz legend Judy Garland arrives in Swinging London to perform in a sell-out run at The Talk of the Town. It is 30 years since she shot to global stardom in The Wizard Of Oz, but if her voice has weakened, its dramatic intensity has only grown.
As she prepares for the show,...
- 5/10/2019
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
To portray Judy Garland in the upcoming biopic, Judy, Renée Zellweger read everything she could about the legendary singer and actress.
In doing so, the Oscar winner, 50, tells People she gained a great amount of respect for Garland who shot to fame in 1939 when she played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz but struggled later in life.
For more on Zellweger, pick up this week’s issue of People on newsstands Friday.
Garland, who was married five times and had three children (Liza Minnelli and Lorna and Joey Luft) died from an accidental drug overdose at age 47. The biopic, out Sept.
In doing so, the Oscar winner, 50, tells People she gained a great amount of respect for Garland who shot to fame in 1939 when she played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz but struggled later in life.
For more on Zellweger, pick up this week’s issue of People on newsstands Friday.
Garland, who was married five times and had three children (Liza Minnelli and Lorna and Joey Luft) died from an accidental drug overdose at age 47. The biopic, out Sept.
- 5/8/2019
- by Mia McNiece
- PEOPLE.com
For her upcoming movie Judy, Renée Zellweger, 50, completely transforms herself into Hollywood legend Judy Garland and People has an exclusive first look.
To prepare for the role, the Oscar winner took music lessons, studied choreography and read up about the actress and singer, who shot to fame in 1939 when she played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz but struggled later in life.
For more on Zellweger, pick up this week’s issue of People on newsstands Friday.
The Bridget Jones star spent two hours a day in the makeup chair getting prosthetics, contact lenses and wigs applied.
“It was an exercise in Zen for sure,...
To prepare for the role, the Oscar winner took music lessons, studied choreography and read up about the actress and singer, who shot to fame in 1939 when she played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz but struggled later in life.
For more on Zellweger, pick up this week’s issue of People on newsstands Friday.
The Bridget Jones star spent two hours a day in the makeup chair getting prosthetics, contact lenses and wigs applied.
“It was an exercise in Zen for sure,...
- 5/8/2019
- by Mia McNiece
- PEOPLE.com
Mark Harrison Apr 19, 2019
As Monty Python’s heretical hit returns to cinemas for its 40th anniversary, we look back at a quintessential Easter comedy.
This article comes from Den of Geek UK.
There aren't a whole lot of Easter movies. It would be odd if there was, really. Sitting somewhere in between kids' films like Hop or the Easter Bunny bits of Rise Of The Guardians, and more violent fare like Mel Gibson's The Passion Of The Christ and the far more emotionally gruelling John Michael McDonagh film Calvary, (or 'The Passion Of The Brendan Gleeson') your best bet is Monty Python's Life Of Brian, which is back in cinemas for its 40th anniversary.
For those who've never seen it, the film stars Graham Chapman as a man called Brian Cohen, who was once a teenager called Brian, and a boy called Brian, and so on. Born on Christmas...
As Monty Python’s heretical hit returns to cinemas for its 40th anniversary, we look back at a quintessential Easter comedy.
This article comes from Den of Geek UK.
There aren't a whole lot of Easter movies. It would be odd if there was, really. Sitting somewhere in between kids' films like Hop or the Easter Bunny bits of Rise Of The Guardians, and more violent fare like Mel Gibson's The Passion Of The Christ and the far more emotionally gruelling John Michael McDonagh film Calvary, (or 'The Passion Of The Brendan Gleeson') your best bet is Monty Python's Life Of Brian, which is back in cinemas for its 40th anniversary.
For those who've never seen it, the film stars Graham Chapman as a man called Brian Cohen, who was once a teenager called Brian, and a boy called Brian, and so on. Born on Christmas...
- 4/19/2019
- Den of Geek
Stan And Ollie is a moving love letter to beloved comedians Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy (portrayed by Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly). The film focuses on the dynamics of the duo’s 1953 comeback tour through the music halls of England, which took place amid Ollie’s deteriorating health. With the exception of a look at the filming of Way Out West, one of Laurel and Hardy’s most beloved comedies, director Jon Baird and screenwriter Jeff Pope resist the temptation to show too many re-creations of old movies and imitators of old stars. Fortunately for fans of the pair, that tour featured re-creations of many of their routines, songs and gags and there is plenty on screen to enjoy.
Stand And Ollie is one of the great human dramas of Hollywood, though little of it actually takes place in tinseltown. There’s a 15-minute opening set there in...
Stand And Ollie is one of the great human dramas of Hollywood, though little of it actually takes place in tinseltown. There’s a 15-minute opening set there in...
- 1/24/2019
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Widely regarded as the most iconic comedy double-act in film history, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy enjoyed a hugely successful film career which saw them become household names and as instantly recognisable as Charlie Chaplin on both sides of the Atlantic and beyond. Making over 107 between 1927 and 1950 together and separately, the duo went on to entertain millions of people around the globe thanks to their inimitable wit and perfectly timed routines of double entendre and slapstick humour, until they went their separate ways under a dark cloud.
In his new film Stan & Ollie, director Jon S. Baird, tells the story of the popular duo’s variety hall tour of Britain in 1953 which came over a decade after the two former friends had decided to part ways and pursue their own film projects separately. Starring Steve Coogan and John C. Riley in the principal roles, the film is strangely reminiscent...
In his new film Stan & Ollie, director Jon S. Baird, tells the story of the popular duo’s variety hall tour of Britain in 1953 which came over a decade after the two former friends had decided to part ways and pursue their own film projects separately. Starring Steve Coogan and John C. Riley in the principal roles, the film is strangely reminiscent...
- 1/10/2019
- by Linda Marric
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Don Kaye Dec 27, 2018
The final days of the classic comedy team Laurel & Hardy are brought to life by Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly in Stan & Ollie.
Widely considered one of the greatest comedy teams of all time, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are the subject of the new film Stan & Ollie, which chronicles the pair’s 1953 tour of U.K. variety halls to perform their classic skits live. Hardy (John C. Reilly) is suffering from poor health, while Laurel (Steve Coogan) struggles to keep the tour and their show afloat. The team’s golden years -- in which they appeared in some 107 films, both shorts and features -- are behind them and their partnership has become more fragile than ever, but as they say, the show must go on.
Reilly (Ralph Breaks the Internet) and Coogan (The Trip to Spain) are, in a word, incredible in the movie:...
The final days of the classic comedy team Laurel & Hardy are brought to life by Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly in Stan & Ollie.
Widely considered one of the greatest comedy teams of all time, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are the subject of the new film Stan & Ollie, which chronicles the pair’s 1953 tour of U.K. variety halls to perform their classic skits live. Hardy (John C. Reilly) is suffering from poor health, while Laurel (Steve Coogan) struggles to keep the tour and their show afloat. The team’s golden years -- in which they appeared in some 107 films, both shorts and features -- are behind them and their partnership has become more fragile than ever, but as they say, the show must go on.
Reilly (Ralph Breaks the Internet) and Coogan (The Trip to Spain) are, in a word, incredible in the movie:...
- 12/27/2018
- Den of Geek
In the hilarious movie comedies of the immortal Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, many of the laughs come from watching the duo teetering on the brink, unaware that they’re about to crash their car or to have a floor give way under them or to drop a piano down a very tall flight of stairs.
“Stan & Ollie,” which explores the duo’s career in its final stages — as well as their ongoing off-screen relationship — does a lot of teetering on its own, although luckily it never topples. It’s a story about the serious side of comedians that never indulges in sad-clown sentimentality. It calls upon modern actors to recreate iconic film moments without falling prey to the many potential embarrassments of such restagings. And it intelligently explores the limitations of working partnerships, not to mention the elusive line between partnership and friendship, in a way that neither canonizes nor excoriates its famous subjects.
“Stan & Ollie,” which explores the duo’s career in its final stages — as well as their ongoing off-screen relationship — does a lot of teetering on its own, although luckily it never topples. It’s a story about the serious side of comedians that never indulges in sad-clown sentimentality. It calls upon modern actors to recreate iconic film moments without falling prey to the many potential embarrassments of such restagings. And it intelligently explores the limitations of working partnerships, not to mention the elusive line between partnership and friendship, in a way that neither canonizes nor excoriates its famous subjects.
- 12/24/2018
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Stan Laurel, the slimmer British half of Hollywood double act Laurel and Hardy, was not one to wax lyrical about the art or mystique of comedy: “You have to learn what people will laugh at, then proceed accordingly,” he said, making vaudeville performance sound altogether as methodical and prosaic as shopping for groceries. No matter how ebullient their joint mugging, Laurel and Hardy’s slapstick routines were work, not play. In “Stan & Ollie,” a gently elegiac portrayal of the pair’s final comic collaboration — a low-rent music hall tour of the U.K. and Ireland in 1953 — the physical and emotional toll of that labor finally shows through their threadbare antics. Well-rehearsed performance chemistry is merely a veneer behind which the two veterans, as tenderly played by Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly, find themselves struggling to click.
That the story of two stars once among the surest commercial bets in...
That the story of two stars once among the surest commercial bets in...
- 10/21/2018
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Liza Minnelli is not over the rainbow about the upcoming biopic about her mother, Judy Garland.
The Oscar winner, 72, took to Facebook on Thursday to make clear that she is not involved with the film, and to deny a report that she had met with Renée Zellweger, who is starring as Garland in the film. (That report has since been removed).
“I have never met nor spoken to Renee Zellweger… I don’t know how these stories get started, but I do not approve nor sanction the upcoming film about Judy Garland in any way. Any reports to the contrary are 100% Fiction,...
The Oscar winner, 72, took to Facebook on Thursday to make clear that she is not involved with the film, and to deny a report that she had met with Renée Zellweger, who is starring as Garland in the film. (That report has since been removed).
“I have never met nor spoken to Renee Zellweger… I don’t know how these stories get started, but I do not approve nor sanction the upcoming film about Judy Garland in any way. Any reports to the contrary are 100% Fiction,...
- 6/14/2018
- by Mike Miller
- PEOPLE.com
Renée Zellweger is known for her ability to shape-shift for different roles, but her latest transformation is worth a double-take.
A first look photo from Judy, a biopic about Judy Garland, shows the actress completely transformed into the screen legend.
In the shot, Zellweger channels the Wizard of Oz star and renowned singer in a black dress with floral details and dark locks. Zellweger — who won an Oscar for her work in Cold Mountain — gazes upwards as she sings into a microphone.
According to Variety, the biopic by Pathé and Calamity Films will follow Garland’s final sold-out concerts in...
A first look photo from Judy, a biopic about Judy Garland, shows the actress completely transformed into the screen legend.
In the shot, Zellweger channels the Wizard of Oz star and renowned singer in a black dress with floral details and dark locks. Zellweger — who won an Oscar for her work in Cold Mountain — gazes upwards as she sings into a microphone.
According to Variety, the biopic by Pathé and Calamity Films will follow Garland’s final sold-out concerts in...
- 3/19/2018
- by Stephanie Petit
- PEOPLE.com
Without the help of some brave investors, or the pockets of their makers, the following films would never have existed...
It's now a fairly common mantra that you'd be a fool to put up all of your own personal money into a feature film. By all means invest, but share the risk, or throw a few quid at Kickstarter.
Paying for the bulk of the negative/hard drive yourself, and leaving your own assets exposed? Utter lunacy.
Not that anyone told this lot...
The Passion Of The Christ Paid for by: Mel Gibson
For some time, Mel Gibson had, alongside his acting roles, been heavily invested in his production company, Icon. As such, he had two significant ways to earn money, and he needed both of them when it came to making The Passion Of The Christ.
This is the kind of film that studios run a mile from. All...
It's now a fairly common mantra that you'd be a fool to put up all of your own personal money into a feature film. By all means invest, but share the risk, or throw a few quid at Kickstarter.
Paying for the bulk of the negative/hard drive yourself, and leaving your own assets exposed? Utter lunacy.
Not that anyone told this lot...
The Passion Of The Christ Paid for by: Mel Gibson
For some time, Mel Gibson had, alongside his acting roles, been heavily invested in his production company, Icon. As such, he had two significant ways to earn money, and he needed both of them when it came to making The Passion Of The Christ.
This is the kind of film that studios run a mile from. All...
- 7/31/2014
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Creative force in the British film industry whose work included The Stepford Wives and Whistle Down the Wind
The director, actor and writer Bryan Forbes, who has died aged 86, was one of the most creative forces in the British film industry of the 1960s, and the Hollywood films he directed included the original version of The Stepford Wives (1974). In later life he turned to the writing of books, both fiction and memoirs.
The turning point for him in cinema was the formation of the independent company Beaver Films with his friend Richard Attenborough in 1958. For the screenplay of their first production, The Angry Silence (1960), Forbes received an Oscar nomination and a Bafta award. Attenborough played a factory worker shunned and persecuted for not joining a strike. His colleagues are shown as being manipulated by skulking professional agitators and to some it seemed more like a political statement than a human...
The director, actor and writer Bryan Forbes, who has died aged 86, was one of the most creative forces in the British film industry of the 1960s, and the Hollywood films he directed included the original version of The Stepford Wives (1974). In later life he turned to the writing of books, both fiction and memoirs.
The turning point for him in cinema was the formation of the independent company Beaver Films with his friend Richard Attenborough in 1958. For the screenplay of their first production, The Angry Silence (1960), Forbes received an Oscar nomination and a Bafta award. Attenborough played a factory worker shunned and persecuted for not joining a strike. His colleagues are shown as being manipulated by skulking professional agitators and to some it seemed more like a political statement than a human...
- 5/9/2013
- by Dennis Barker
- The Guardian - Film News
Stage Entertainment, the London-based theatre chain, was also bidding but has now dropped out, I’m told. Grade has teamed up with theatrical agent Michael Linnit and private investors to acquire the New London, Her Majesty’s, Cambridge and Palace theatres. Of the four, the New London needs the most renovation – although the sightlines of the Palace are dreadful. Theatre producers I’ve spoken to have welcomed the deal. “I think it is good news,” says Matthew Byam Shaw, producer of Enron. “They will probably be decent owners.” Grade’s uncle, Lord Delfont, was a famous theatrical impresario who owned the prestigious London Palladium which Lloyd Webber now runs. Back in 2005, Grade and Linnit attempted to buy Lloyd-Webber’s Really Useful Group before the theatre mogul decided not to sell. Lloyd-Webber’s other “crown jewel” venue remains the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Lloyd-Webber bought his theatre empire for £90 million in...
- 9/6/2010
- by TIM ADLER
- Deadline London
Reality show judge Simon Cowell has been named the best TV judge by his home country at a star-studded ceremony at the Variety Club Showbiz Awards.
The British entertainment mogul - who leads hit talent shows including "X-Factor" and "Britain's Got Talent" in the U.K. and "American Idol" in the U.S. - was honored at the annual awards show on Saturday at the Grosvenor House Hotel.
He joins other recipients, such as Kevin Spacey, who won Outstanding Contribution to British Theater, and Sir Ian McKellen, who was awarded The Bernard Delfont Award for Outstanding Contribution to Showbusiness.
The annual awards show is held to raise significant funds for and awareness of The Variety Club's work, which aims to help sick, disabled and disadvantaged children and young people.
The British entertainment mogul - who leads hit talent shows including "X-Factor" and "Britain's Got Talent" in the U.K. and "American Idol" in the U.S. - was honored at the annual awards show on Saturday at the Grosvenor House Hotel.
He joins other recipients, such as Kevin Spacey, who won Outstanding Contribution to British Theater, and Sir Ian McKellen, who was awarded The Bernard Delfont Award for Outstanding Contribution to Showbusiness.
The annual awards show is held to raise significant funds for and awareness of The Variety Club's work, which aims to help sick, disabled and disadvantaged children and young people.
- 11/16/2009
- icelebz.com
It's been more than 25 years since Billy (Silver Dollar) Baxter last graced the Cannes Film Festival, and yet as I pack for this year's event, I am thinking about him even now, and I am smiling. Billy single-handedly created an alternate reality at Cannes, and such was the force of his personality that those who came within earshot were seduced. In the words of Elaine May, he carried on a way of life that was extinct before he was born.
Billy was a loudmouth operator from the pages of Damon Runyon, whose gift was creating scenarios to entertain us. He didn't want our money, he didn't want publicity, he didn't want a free lunch, he only wanted our laughter, and to know that we would pass around the latest "Billy Baxter story." We are still passing them around. Billy is still very much alive, and we are in touch; he lives not far from Broadway,...
Billy was a loudmouth operator from the pages of Damon Runyon, whose gift was creating scenarios to entertain us. He didn't want our money, he didn't want publicity, he didn't want a free lunch, he only wanted our laughter, and to know that we would pass around the latest "Billy Baxter story." We are still passing them around. Billy is still very much alive, and we are in touch; he lives not far from Broadway,...
- 6/11/2009
- by Roger Ebert
- blogs.suntimes.com/ebert
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