Helena Bonham Carter to Narrate BBC’s “Charles III: The Coronation Year” Documentary on King Charles III

Posted on November 24, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Helena Bonham Carter has landed a royal storytelling role…

The 57-year-old part-Spanish English actress will narrate Charles III: The Coronation Year, a BBC documentary that explores King Charles III‘s first year on the throne.

Charles III: The Coronation Year will air next month, as viewers are taken behind the scenes via exclusive access to see the landmark moments of the king and his wife, Queen Camilla’s, first year since the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Filmed as Buckingham Palace prepared for, delivered, and celebrated the first Coronation in 70 years in May, and in the months that followed, the documentary features contributions from members of the Royal Family and key players in The King and Queen’s Household.

“It’s a real privilege to be given such extraordinary behind the scenes access to the first year of King Charles’ reign,” said Kate Phillips, BBC Director of Unscripted. “It is a remarkable time in history and this documentary will offer a unique insight into King Charles and Queen Camilla, and the preparation and planning leading to their coronation – a momentous ceremony watched by millions around the world.”

Oxford Films is producing the 90-minute documentary, which will air next month. EP for Oxford Films is Nicolas Kent and commissioning editor for the BBC is Simon Young. It’s directed by Ashley Gething, produced by Faye Hamilton and the writer and co-producer is Robert Hardman.

Bonham Carter played Princess Margaret in Seasons 3 and 4 of The Crown.

Ice Spice Part of UK Music Chart History with “Barbie: The Album” Single, “Barbie World”

Posted on July 30, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Ice Spice is helping pinkify the United Kingdom’s music charts.

Barbie: The Album, the soundtrack to the blockbuster hit film Barbie, has broken records on the UK music charts with an assist from the 23-year-old half-Dominican American rapper.

Only one week following the film’s release in the UK, three tracks have all arrived in the top five of the official singles chart, including Ice Spice’s collaboration with Nicki Minaj, “Barbie World.”

It’s the first time three tracks from a film soundtrack have entered the Top 5 in the same chart, according to those supervising the chart.

The BBC reports that the film has further made history, with a total of six tracks from the soundtrack in the top 40. The BBC lists:

What Was I Made For, Billie Eilish – number three
Dance The Night Away, Dua Lipa – number four
Barbie World, Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice – number five
Speed Drive, Charlie XCX – number 19
I’m Just Ken, Ryan Gosling – number 25
Pink, Lizzo – number 39

The list includes Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken, who has snuck into the chart at number 25 with his ballad I’m Just Ken.

The film’s music supervisor George Drakoulias told the BBC that he was able to recruit every artist on his wish list: “Nobody said no. Everybody was really excited.

By Hyatt Place“It was a perfect symbiotic relationship of the music driving the movie and the movie driving the music.

“Once you saw the movie and how well the music works, as soon as they left the theatre people went out and got the album.”

Oscar winning producer Mark Ronson curated the soundtrack, as well as wrote the score and the film’s closing song, Dance the Night Away.

Aqua’s 1997 hit Barbie Girl, which is sampled in Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s film song, has also returned to the music chart.

Peacock Releases Trailer for “The Traitors” Competition Series Featuring Ryan Lochte

Posted on January 4, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Is Ryan Lochte a traitor or a faithful?

Peacock has released the trailer for the inaugural season of The Traitors, featuring the 37-year-old half-Cuban American swimmer and former Olympian.

The Traitors is based on a Dutch format and the U.S. version comes on the heels of the success of the BBC version, which concluded in December 2022.

Set in a remote castle in the Scottish Highlands, the show brings celebrities and civilians together to complete a series of challenges with the objective of earning a cash prize of up to $250,000.

The catch? Three of the contestants coined “the traitors” will devise a plan to steal the prize from the other contestants coined “the faithful.”

Peacock will drop all 10 episodes of the series on January 12.

The Traitors will feature reality stars and celebrity contestants including:

Arie Luyendyk Jr. (Bachelor/Bachelorette)
Brandi Glanville (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills)
Cirie Fields (Survivor)
Cody Calafiore (Big Brother)
Kate Chastain (Below Deck)
Kyle Cooke (Summer House)
Rachel Reilly (Big Brother)
Reza Farahan (Shahs of Sunset)
Ryan Lochte (Olympian)
Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick (Survivor)

Civilians who will join the celebrities in alliances, deception, and even “murder” include:

Christian De La Torre (Veteran & Van Life Influencer) — Los Angeles, CA
Michael Davidson (DMV Office Manager) — Oneida, KY
Andie Thurmond (Director of Music Services) — Reno, NV
Quentin Jiles (Political Analyst) — Houston, TX
Shelbe Rodriguez (Public Affairs Manager) — Beaumont, TX
Geraldine Moreno (Actress) — North Hollywood, CA
Robert “Bam” Nieves (Tech Sales Executive) — Rye, NY
Anjelica Conti (Hair Stylist) — Staten Island, NY
Azra Valani (Yoga Instructor) — Los Angeles, CA
Amanda Clark (Emergency Room Nurse) — Carlisle, PA

Jhené Aiko Appears on Def Jam Recordings’ New Holiday Album “Def The Halls”

Posted on October 31, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Jhené Aiko is deffing the halls…

Def Jam Recordings and 4th & Broadway have released a new compilation album featuring the 34-year-old part-Dominican American singer and others singing traditional Christmas songs and original holiday tracks.

Titled Def The Halls, the holiday album also features Coco Jones, Alessia Cara and others,

The album follows the 2019 EP A Def Jam Christmas, which first featured Cara’s “Make It To Christmas.” That song also appears on this new release, alongside August 08’s reworking of “Silent Night” and Aiko’s 2013 ballad “Wrap Me Up.”

Other notables include Jones’ new “Silver Bells” and North Carolina’s Mikhala Jené, who gives an R&B twist to two modern holiday classics: “This Christmas” (from Donny Hathaway) and “Please Come Home For Christmas” (from Charles Brown). Los Angeles duo Calabasas pay homage to the beloved ’80s duo, Wham! with their rendition of “Last Christmas.”

The original Christmas tunes “BBC” by DaniLeigh, and “Underneath The Mistletoe” by August 08 are both collaborations with rising star Kendra Jae. Another duet brings together 4th & Broadway’s Kidd Kenn and Pap Chanel on “Naughty.”

Def the Halls is rounded out by the originals “Trinket” by UK artist Debbie, “Christmas” by global Latin-pop star Trinidad Cardona, “Cold With You” by young Anaheim rapper OHNO, “Everyday” from Kennedy Stephens, “Snowed In” by newly-signed St. Louis artist Bry Bee, and “A Hoe’s Christmas” by Broadway actress Jai’Len Josey.

“Def The Halls” tracklist:
Mikhala Jene – Please Come Home For Christmas
Alessia Cara – Make It To Christmas
Trinidad Cardona – Christmas With You
August 08, Kendra Jae – Underneath The Mistletoe
Debbie – Trinket
Calabasas – Last Christmas
DaniLeigh – BBC (ft. Kendra Jae)
Jhené Aiko – Wrap Me Up
Coco Jones – Silver Bells
OHNO – Cold With You
Kennedy Stephens – Everyday
Mikhala Jene – This Christmas
Kidd Kenn, Pap Chanel – Naughty
Jai’Len Josey – A Hoe’s Christmas

Banijay Developing ‘Reconciliation’ Documentary Project Featuring Pablo Escobar’s Son & Rodrigo Lara’s Son

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Pablo Escobar’s son’s reconciliation story is headed to the small screen…

Banijay is developing a documentary project about Escobar’s son’s extraordinary reconciliation with Colombian politician Rodrigo Lara’s son Jorge, whose father’s death was ordered by the drug kingpin.

Lara vs. Escobar is being produced by Banijay Benelux JV Scenery and distributed by Banijay Rights.

BAFTA-winning director Mags Gavan said she dedicated over a decade to get access for the feature, which delves into Rodrigo Lara’s Escobar-backed murder and the incredible fallout. Upon learning of his father’s death, Jorge Lara was initially out for revenge but a twist of fate reconciled him with the son of Escobar, one of the most notorious criminals of all time, as he realized that they had more in common than he thought. The docuseries will be told via double narrative, weaving between past and present.

Escobar has long been a subject of fascination and the story of his attempted assassination was told in recent BBC doc Killing Escobar.

“Our expansion into the premium feature documentary space is led by this extraordinary modern-day story and with no hesitation we decided to take this gripping project to market,” said Simon Cox, Banijay Rights EVP Content Acquisitions.

“Lara vs. Escobar is a reconciliation tale like no other, bringing two of the unlikeliest of friends together to find common ground, with a plot as powerful of some of the world’s best dramas.”

Gavan added: “I started the most inspiring journey which also took me through the worst tragedy whilst developing this film. It’s going to take the audience on the same emotional rollercoaster but hopefully leave them in better, more hopeful place”.

BBC Releases First Trailer for “Frozen Planet II,” Featuring Camila Cabello’s Supporting Track

Posted on August 27, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Cabello is helping shine a spotlight on our planet…

BBC has released the first worldwide trailer for its natural history landmark sequel Frozen Planet II, which features the accompanying song performed by the 25-year-old Mexican-Cuban singer and multiple Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer.

The new track, “Take Me Back Home,” marks the first time a new song has been written to support a BBC One natural history landmark release and features Cabello supported by the orchestration of Zimmer and his long-term collaborators – arranger Anže Rozman and producer Russell Emanuel for Bleeding Fingers Music.

The two-minute first look trailer teases scenes from four years of remarkable expeditions by BBC Studios Natural History Unit to the Earth’s frozen frontiers – the Arctic, Antarctic, Tundra, Boreal Forest and the High Mountains.

It shows off animals in their natural habitats as never seen before, even joining forces to survive in brutal environments.

Eleven years after the Emmy, BAFTA and NTA award-winning first series, Frozen Planet II will feature unchartered new worlds and pioneering technology capturing new behavior, showcasing the ever-changing fragile world of beauty and hostility in these habitats. We discover just how much these icy worlds are changing and the dramatic impact this is having not just on these animals’ stories but on the whole planet.

Zimmer and Bleeding Fingers Music have previously composed the BAFTA-nominated score to Planet Earth II, and critically-acclaimed music for Blue Planet II.

This is a BBC Studios Natural History Unit production for BBC One, co-produced by BBC America and The Open University, Migu Video, ZDF and France Télévisions.

Oona Chaplin to Host CBC/BBC Podcast Exploring J. Edgar Hoover’s Obsession with Her Grandfather Charlie Chaplin

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Oona Chaplin will be helping explore J. Edgar Hoover…

Canada’s CBC and the UK’s BBC are jointly working on a podcast in which the 35-year-old Spanish-British actress and former Game of Thrones star explores Hoover’s campaign to root out Communism in Hollywood and his obsession with her grandfather, silent movie star Charlie Chaplin.

The project, from CBC Podcasts and BBC World Service, is an extension to a collaboration commitment from 2019 in which the two national broadcasters pledged to enhance their services and programs by working together.

Chaplin’s BBC Audio Wales-produced Hollywood Outcasts will see Chaplin, known for roles in Game of Thrones and Taboo, looking at how Hoover’s determination to stop perceived Hollywood Communism centered around The Tramp star Charlie Chaplin and guide listeners through the notorious House Un-American Activities Committee hearings and the ‘Hollywood blacklist.’

The podcast will be made available on BBC Sounds, CBC Listen and most other podcast platforms. It’s scheduled for release this year and next.

Talisa Garcia Makes History as First Openly Trans Actor Cast in a Lucasfilm Production

Posted on April 8, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Talisa Garcia is making LGBTQ+ entertainment history…

The Chilean-born British actress has been cast in the highly anticipated Disney+ series Willow, marking the first known occasion an openly trans actor has been cast in a production from Disney-owned Lucasfilm, home to the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises.

In the television spinoff of the 1980s fantasy classic, which is now in post-production, a princess assembles a party to join her on a quest to rescue her twin brother.

Garcia is playing a queen and the mother to Tony Revolori’s character who takes part in the quest. Garcia’s role is a small speaking part and the actress may ultimately only appear in one episode.

The casting also marks the first known time a trans actor has portrayed a cis character in a Disney+ film or series.

During the shoot, there were reports of great pride and support among many of Garcia’s colleagues about her casting.

Garcia was cast in the project long before the storm developed surrounding Disney’s response to the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill and new wave of concerns emerged about on-screen representation in Disney productions.

The studio has been under fire in recent weeks for its response to the controversial Florida legislation, which bans teachers from giving lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity to children under the age of nine.

The studio’s initial silence surrounding the bill angered and frustrated many staff who took it as a slight to the LGBTQ+ community and saw it as an example of the House of Mouse not doing enough to support diversity, something critics also believe the studio could do more of on screen. Marvel Studios executive Victoria Alonso was among those to voice criticism at the recent GLAAD Media awards.

Last year, Raya And The Last Dragon actress Patti Harrison became the first known trans actor to voice a character in a Disney animated movie. In 2019, Spider–Man’s Zach Barack became Marvel Studios’ first transgender actor. More recently, non-binary trans actor iris menas portrayed Anybodys in 20th Century Studios’ West Side Story reboot. Meanwhile, there have been reports online in recent days that Disney+ series Ironheart is looking to recruit a trans actress.

In 2021, Chloe Zhao’s film Eternals featured the first-ever gay superhero in a MCU movie – with Brian Tyree Henry taking on the role of Eternal and inventor Phastos. Lauren Ridloff also starred in the feature film – making history as the first deaf actor ever to play a superhero in a studio feature film.

Garcia is best known for BBC crime-thriller Baptiste.

Her other credits include Starz!’s The Girlfriend Experience and TBS’ Miracle Workers.

Anya Taylor-Joy Returning for Sixth & Final Season of BBC’s Period Drama “Peaky Blinders”

Posted on January 1, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Anya Taylor-Joy is putting her Blinders back on…

The BBC has released the trailer for the sixth and final season of its hit period gangster saga Peaky Blinders, featuring extended footage of the 25-year-old Argentine American actress, who will be reprising her role as Gina Gray in the upcoming season.

An air date has not yet been announced, although it has been teased for early 2022.

Cillian Murphy is back as Tommy Shelby, seeking a means for the titular Birmingham-based clan to finally rest.

In addition to Murphy and Taylor-Joy, Tom Hardy, Paul Anderson, Finn Cole, and Sophie Rundle, among others, return for the final season. Stephen Graham also appears. Co-star Helen McCrory passed away in April of 2021. The fate of her Aunt Polly is not disclosed in the trailer released today.

Creator and writer Steven Knight previously said of the sixth season, “Peaky is back and with a bang. After the enforced production delay due to the COVID pandemic, we find the family in extreme jeopardy and the stakes have never been higher. We believe this will be the best series of all and are sure that our amazing fans will love it. While the TV series will be coming to an end, the story will continue in another form.”

The sixth season of Peaky Blinders is written by Knight, while Anthony Byrne returns as director having helmed season five to great acclaim, and Nick Goding produces.

Created and entirely written by Knight, the beloved drama first aired on BBC Two eight years ago, winning the BAFTA for Best Drama in its fourth season and then making the move to BBC One in 2019 with audiences of over 7M. Outside the UK, it airs on Netflix.

Ozuna Among the Los Angeles Performers for This Year’s Global Citizen Live Concert

Posted on September 10, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Ozuna is preparing to go Global…

Global Citizen Live has revealed the Los Angeles and London performer lineups, which includes the 29-year-old Puerto Rican singer, for its worldwide show on September 25.

Ozuna will play L.A.’s Greek Theatre as part of the multiple-network, 24-hour event, which will feature performances on six continents. His co-performers in the City of Angeles include Stevie Wonder, Adam Lambert, Chloe x Halle, Demi Lovato, H.E.R., OneRepublic, The Lumineers and 5 Seconds of Summer. Wonder also played the 2017 Global Citizen Festival in New York’s Central Park.

Across the pond, Duran Duran will headline the London show at a to-be-determined location, with Kylie Minogue, Måneskin, Nile Rodgers and Chic and Rag’n’Bone Man also set. See the full lineups for the main concerts in New York City, Paris and Lagos, Nigeria, here.

Broadcast and streaming partners for Global Citizen Live include ABC, ABC News Live, BBC, FX, iHeartRadio, Hulu, YouTube, Time and Twitter.

Global Citizen, the international advocacy group behind the Vax Live concert in Los Angeles on May 8, said this month’s event is aimed at defeating poverty, COVID-19 and climate change.

Global Citizen’s stated goal for the event is call on world leaders, major corporations and foundations to donate at least 1 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses to those most in need by September, help the 41 million people on the brink of famine by contributing enough meals to feed everyone for the next year and combat climate change by developing science-based targets to reach net-zero emissions.

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