Cristela Alonzo Joins Voice Cast of HBO/BBC’s Drama “His Dark Materials”

Cristela Alonzo is going dark

The 40-year-old Mexican American comedian/actress is lending her voice to HBO and BBC drama His Dark Materials.

Cristela Alonzo

Alonzo, Helen McCrory, and David Suchet are among those to sign up as voice actors for the Philip Pullman adaptation, written by Jack Thorne and produced by Bad Wolf.

The first season of His Dark Materials follows Lyra, played by Dafne Keen, searching for a kidnapped friend. She uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children and becomes a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. As she journeys through the worlds, including our own, Lyra meets a determined and courageous boy called Will (Amir Wilson). Together they encounter extraordinary beings and dangerous secrets, with the fate of both the living — and the dead — in their hands. James McAvoy, plays Lord Asriel who has a demon in the form of a snow leopard. Ruth Wilson’s villainess Mrs. Coulter has a monkey. Lin-Manuel Miranda plays Lee Scoresby, a Texan who flies air balloons. He revealed that when we first see his character, he’s singing with his demon.

McCrory voices Stelmaria, Lord Asriel’s snow leopard daemon, Suchet is Kaisa, gyrfalcon daemon to the witch Serafina Pekkala, played by Ruta Gedmintas.  Scoresby’s daemon is an arctic hare called Hester, voiced by Alonzo and Lyra’s unsettled daemon, Pantalaimon, is voiced by Kit Connor.  Mrs Coulter’s mysterious daemon, a Golden Monkey,  doesn’t speak or have a name but his animal noises and vocal characteristics will be created by Brian Fisher, who also serves as the lead puppeteer and CFX co-ordinator on the series. 

Iorek Byrnison, a bear who Lyra meets on her quest will be voiced by Joe Tandberg. In the frozen wilderness of the North exists a race of armored bears. Both skilled metal workers and fierce warriors, they have their own culture and laws.

The cast of the drama also includes Anne-Marie DuffClarke PetersAriyon Bakare, Will KeenIan GelderGeorgina CampbellLucian MsamatiJames CosmoMat FraserGeoff BellSimon Manyonda as well as young actors Lewin LloydDaniel Frogsonand Tyler Howitt.

Trailer Released for Bonham Carter’s “Suffragette”

It’s women’s (rights) work for Helena Bonham Carter

The official trailer has been released for the 49-year-old part-Spanish actress’ latest film Suffragette, co-starring Meryl Streep and Carey Mulligan.

Suffragette

Directed by Sarah Gavron’s drama and written by Abi Morgan, the film centers on early members of the British women’s suffrage movement of the late 19th and early 20th century.

Inspired by true events, the film also stars Ben Whishaw, Anne-Marie Duff, Brendan Gleeson, Romola Garai, and Natalie Press.

The film debuts October 23 in New York and Los Angeles, expanding October 30 and November 6 to additional cities.

Pathé to Release Bonham Carter’s “Suffragette” in October

Helena Bonham Carter is bringing the historic fight for women’s voting rights to the big screen in the United Kingdom…

Pathé has announced plans to release Suffragette, starring the 48-year-old part-Spanish actress, on October 30 in the UK.

Helena Bonham Carter in Suffragette

From director Sarah Gavron, the drama also stars Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep. Focus Features has set Suffragette for a domestic awards season release on October 23.

The film tracks the story of the foot soldiers of the early feminist movement as they fought for the right to vote in Britain. Radicalized and turning to violence as the only route to change, they were willing to lose everything in their fight for equality. The pic centers on Maud (Mulligan), a working wife and mother who decides she must fight for her dignity both at home and in her workplace.

With the UK’s General Election coming up on May 7, and given that nine million women failed to vote in the 2010 election, there is a major campaign under way in Britain to get women to register by the April 20 deadline. In support of the movement, Pathé has released a new teaser trailer.

“Never give up the fight,” Streep’s Emmeline Pankhurst tells Mulligan’s Maud.

Brendan Gleeson, Anne-Marie Duff and Ben Whishaw also star. Abi Morgan wrote the script.