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Britain’s culture secretary Oliver Dowden has denied a report that the government has asked right-wing commentator Charles Moore and former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre to fill two powerful UK media jobs. The Sunday Times reported that Moore has been tapped to be the next chair of the BBC , while Dacre is set to be installed as the new chair of UK media regulator Ofcom . The government is responsible for recruiting for both roles and the Sunday Times said prime minister Boris Johnson wants the pair, both ferocious critics of the BBC, to usher in a “revolution” in UK broadcasting. Senior government insiders told the newspaper that hiring Moore as a replacement for outgoing BBC chair David Clementi is a “done deal,” while Johnson “wooed” Dacre for the Ofcom job over drinks at Downing Street in February. But speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, Dowden denied that any decisions have been made prior to the government launching a formal recruitment … [Read more...] about UK Government Denies Offering Powerful Media Jobs To Ferocious BBC Critics Paul Dacre & Charles Moore

Detective John Luther’s movie debut helped lock up millions of UK viewers for Netflix , but the feature fell well short of other film offerings on Netflix. Luther: The Fallen Sun was watched by 3M people on TV sets, according to Barb, the official audience research group. It has also occupied first place in Netflix’s top-10 movies in the UK for two weeks. Luther was only sixth in the list of Netflix’s most-watched movies since Barb began reporting viewing figures for streamers in November 2021, according to a Deadline analysis. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery spent two weeks in Barb’s list of the top 50 shows and films in the UK, amassing a total of 18.5M viewers in that time. Don’t Look Up also spent two weeks in Barb’s list, meaning it was watched by 15M people. The Adam Project (11.1M), The Gray Man (6.9M), and Enola Holmes 2 (4.6M) also performed well. The figures only include people watching on television sets, meaning that viewing on mobile … [Read more...] about ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ Arrests 3M UK Viewers, But Struggles To Match Other Netflix Movies

Joe Goldberg’s story is coming to an end. Netflix has renewed You for a fifth season, which will be the the last chapter for the popular thriller from Warner Bros. Television and studio-based Berlanti Prods. Penn Badgley will be back, reprising his role as serial killer Joe (who could finally face justice), but there will be a behind-the-scenes change on the series, developed by Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble based on the Alloy books by Caroline Kepnes. After serving as showrunner for the first four seasons, Gamble is stepping down to focus on other projects. You executive producers Michael Foley and Justin W. Lo , who have been on the series since Season 1 and Season 2, respectively, will succeed Gamble as co-showrunners. She remains involved in the show as an executive producer. Berlanti Prods.’ Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter called Gamble “the most brilliant writer and partner.” RELATED: TV Series Fading To Black In 2023 & Beyond: Photo Gallery Of … [Read more...] about ‘You’ Renewed For Fifth & Final Season By Netflix With New Co-Showrunners As Sera Gamble Steps Down

After snapping up the critically acclaimed Jonathan Majors movie Magazine Dreams out of Sundance, Searchlight has set a Dec. 8 theatrical release for the Elijah Bynum directed title; a date that’s right in line with the classics’ label previous awards season launches. Searchlight beat out Neon, Sony Pictures Classics and HBO for this fierce drama in which Majors portrays a disturbed amateur bodybuilder. The pic, which Bynum also scripted, follows Killian Maddox (Majors), who struggles to find human connection in this exploration of celebrity and violence. Nothing deters him from his fiercely protected dream of superstardom in the bodybuilding world, not even the doctors who warn him of the permanent damage he causes to himself with his quest. Taylour Paige and Haley Bennett also star in the movie along with Mike O’Hearn, Harrison Page and Harriet Sansom Harris. Jennifer Fox, Dan Gilroy, Jeffrey Soros and Simon Horsman produced. EPs are Majors, under his production banner … [Read more...] about Searchlight Sets December Release For Jonathan Majors Sundance Title ‘Magazine Dreams’

The much-maligned Richard III finally gets the royal treatment in Stephen Frears’ The Lost King as amateur historian Philippa Langley unearths the monarch’s five-century-old remains in a parking lot in Leicester, England, in 2012. Two books and a documentary later, IFC Films presents the feature film version in 750+ theaters. “It took eight years from starting the search to cutting the tarmac. To see it telescoped into a hundred or so minutes made it really powerful for me,” Langley, who’s played in the film by Sally Hawkins, told Deadline. Richard III (1461-1483) is one of Shakespeare’s most malevolent villains, a deformed hunchback usurper and murderer. But historians have contested the portrayal of the last king of the House of York and Plantagenet dynasty, noting history is often (re)written by the victors, in this case the Tudors. A society of “Ricardians” at work for years to rehabilitate the monarch’s image, and other well-wishers, chipped in to fund a costly … [Read more...] about Philippa Langley On Digging Up ‘The Lost King’ Richard III After 500 Years – Specialty Preview

Neon has taken the North American rights to the Anne Hathaway -starring Sundance Film Festival premiere Eileen , from director William Oldroyd ( Lady Macbeth ). The distributor is eyeing a fall theatrical release. Oldroyd’s connection to Sundance began in 2013 when his short film Best won the Short Film Competition. Eilee has already notched 87% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with critics since its Park City debut in January. The pic, based on the 2015 debut novel by Otessa Moshfegh, is set during a bitter 1964 Massachusetts winter, when young secretary Eileen (Thomasin McKenzie) becomes enchanted by the glamorous new counselor Rebecca (Hathaway) at the prison where she works. Their budding friendship takes a twisted turn when Rebecca reveals a dark secret — throwing Eileen onto a sinister path. Shea Whigham, Marin Ireland and Owen Teague also star in the pic, which was adapted for the screen by Moshfegh with Luke Goebel. The pic was produced by Fifth Season, … [Read more...] about Neon Acquires Domestic Rights To Anne Hathaway Sundance Movie ‘Eileen’

Our Boys creator Hagai Levi has said he was arrested briefly during a protest in Tel Aviv on Thursday. Following his return from the Series Mania confab, Levi attended a protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s planned overhaul of the Israeli judicial system during what was dubbed “rage day.” Many such protests have broken out across the country over the past few weeks. Levi said people started being arrested for standing in the road instead of sidewalks and he was stopped by police after stepping down from the sidewalk onto the street. According to Levi, he was grabbed by police and walked into a prisoners truck where he was detained in an arrest cell for a couple of hours and had his rights read to him. Levi and the other prisoners were driven to an unknown location and told to exit the vehicle on condition of leaving the area, he said. “I saw some violent arrests, was filming them with my iPhone and the police noticed and didn’t like it,” added … [Read more...] about ‘Our Boys’ Creator Hagai Levi Arrested Briefly At Israeli Protest

EXCLUSIVE : The Daily Show has been ticking along nicely with its phalanx of guest hosts including Chelsea Handler, Leslie Jones and Kal Penn. The producers of the Comedy Central series are currently weighing up how the y replace Trevor Noah in the hot seat come the fall, and one suggestion has been to continue the revolving roster of guest hosts on a permanent basis. The ratings certainly suggest it’s working. Comparing the first quarter of 2023 – Leslie Jones kicked off the new format January 17 – with the first quarter of 2022 when Noah was host, Deadline understands that linear ratings are up 13%. On the social side, views are up 16% in this period compared with last year. Much of this has been done without much marketing; Deadline understands a push is being saved for when the new plan is in place later in the year. It would certainly make for a fresh take if Comedy Central decided to keep the revolving chair and would freshen up the late-night space, … [Read more...] about ‘The Daily Show’ Finds Ratings Success With Guest Hosts As Correspondents Stake Claim For The Hot Seat

Motherland , a “dark and monumental” film about neo-nationalism in Belarus, earned the top prize tonight at the prestigious CPH:DOX festival in Copenhagen. Belorussian directors Alexander Mihalkovich and Hanna Badziaka accepted the Dox:Award honor at a ceremony at the Kunsthal Charlottenborg in the Danish capital. Jurors praised Motherland as “a cinematic and meaningful film that took its time unfolding the complexity of living within an oppressive and unjust system. It poses questions about the idea of an individual choice within a cornered society. The title of the film is a way to give back the power to the women who are at the forefront of this fight.” [See the full list of CPH:DOX winners below]. The world premiere of Motherland at CPH:DOX comes at a particularly timely moment, just over a year after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine with key assistance from the Kremlin-allied Belorussian government. Russian forces trained in Belarus in advance of the … [Read more...] about ‘Motherland,’ Belorussian Film That Challenges Country’s Nationalist Push, Takes Top Prize At CPH:DOX; See Full Winners List

MMA fighter Jordan Parsons has died ... days after he was struck by a Range Rover in a hit and run incident in Florida. He was 25. "It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of a dear member of the Bellator family, Jordan Parsons," Bellator MMA President Scott Coker said in a statement. Parsons was 11-2 as an MMA fighter -- and was a part of the famed Blackzilians training group with stars like Anthony "Rumble" Johnson and Rashad Evans. "Jordan was an exceptional athlete and a rising star in the sport. But more importantly, he was an exceptional young man," Coker added. "Jordan was hard-working, dedicated, intelligent, and a pleasure to be around. He represented all the reasons we love this sport. It is a terribly tragic loss and our thought and prayers go out to his family, friends and teammates." Parsons was struck by the car while crossing a street early Sunday morning. Officials believe Parsons may have been wearing headphones and was unable … [Read more...] about MMA Fighter Jordan Parsons Dies After Hit and Run Incident