2006’s ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ succeeded thanks to the sheer star power of its cast and a sharp script from Aline Brosh McKenna that spotlighted workplace comedy in the rarified air of a luxury fashion magazine. So what does that world look like these days? As you might expect, struggling legacy media, the rise of AI and our main characters reflecting on changed circumstances in their lives. But can it channel the charisma of the original?
With McKenna once again drawing (even more loosely this time from Lauren Weisberger’s original source novel), the screenplay has plenty of Miranda Priestly Zingers and some –– pun entirely intended –– blunt putdowns. And while the story feels rushed in places, it at least has something on its mind beyond the fashion world.
David Frankel, meanwhile, does a workmanlike job on keeping things (mostly) light and fun, and the new movie feels of a piece with the original.
Though Hathaway’s Andy can still come across a little bland, the actor’s innate charm helps keep her watchable. But we all know we’re here for Streep, Tucci and Blunt, and they certainly deliver.
Around the main foursome, the supporting cast is solid –– Rachel Bloom steals scenes as Andy’s book publisher pal, while Justin Theroux is good value as billionaire, Benji Barnes, Emily’s current beau.
Though it occasionally falls into the trap of rehashing old storylines (perhaps that’s a nod to the cycling of fashion trends) and rarely rises above the level of serviceable sequel, this second visit with Miranda, Andy and the rest still offers plenty for fans who have wanted to see these characters back on screens.
Twenty years on, Miranda (Meryl Streep), Andy (Anne Hathaway), Emily (Emily Blunt) and Nigel (Stanley Tucci) return to the fashionable streets of New York City and the sleek offices of Runway Magazine.
With David Frankel back as director and writer Aline Brosh McKenna once again working from Lauren Weisberger’s novel source, it’ll be interesting to see how the characters have moved forward in the (gulp) 20 years since the first film.
The first movie saw the ambitious yet occasionally overwhelmed Andy Sachs (Hathaway) taking on the role of junior assistant to the powerful Miranda Priestly (Streep), editor-in-chief of a high-profile fashion magazine.
The sequel follows Priestly as she navigates her career amid the decline of traditional magazine publishing and as she faces off against Blunt’s character, now a high-powered executive for a luxury group with advertising dollars that Priestly desperately needs.
From the looks of the trailer, Priestly is just as imperious as ever –– but is her attitude towards everyone just her usual shade or is she struggling with memory issues?
When will ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ be in cinemas?
(Left) Adria Arjona stars in ‘Hit Man’. Photo: Netflix. (Right) Michael B. Jordan announces ‘Creed’ spin-off ‘Delphi’ at the Amazon Upfront on May 13th, 2025. Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Amazon
Preview:
Adria Arjona is the latest addition to Michael B. Jordan’s Take on ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’.
She replaces Taylor Russell, who departed over creative differences.
Amazon MGM Studios will release the movie worldwide.
Taylor Russell has left the movie, citing creative differences, leaving a key part available.
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Now we know that, after a quick search and plenty of interest from actors, the vacancy has been filled, as Variety brings word that Adria Arjona, most recently seen doing sterling work in Lucasfilm Disney+‘Star Wars’ series ‘Andor’ is joining the movie to star opposite Jordan.
(L to R) Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway in 1969’s ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’. Photo: United Artists.
The 1968 original, directed by Norman Jewison, saw Steve McQueen as the titular bored millionaire, who concocts and executes a brilliant scheme to rob a bank without having to do any of the work himself.
When Vicki Anderson (Faye Dunaway), an investigator for the bank’s insurance company, takes an interest in Crown, the two begin a complicated cat-and-mouse game with a romantic undertone.
In an attempt to decipher Anderson’s agenda, Crown devises another robbery like his first, wondering if he can get away with the same crime twice.
Few details have emerged about Jordan’s take on the material, though we presume it’ll be a similar blend of high stakes heist action and unexpected romance.
What we do know is the script comes from ‘The Fall Guy’s Drew Pearce, with a previous draft by Wes Tooke and Justin Britt-Gibson, based on the original film.
Patrick McCormick and Toberoff Productions’ Marc Toberoff will also serve as producers, with Alan Trustman–– who wrote the 1968 original ––– serving as executive producer.
And on the returning side of things, two more cast members from the original movie will be back: Tracie Thoms, will reprise her part as Lily, the handbag-loving best friend of Hathaway’s Andy Sachs, and Tibor Feldman is on to once again play Irv Ravitz, the chairman of Runway’s parent company Elias-Clark.
(L to R) Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Adapted by Aline Brosh McKenna from Lauren Weisberger’s novel and directed by David Frankel, the original follows Andy Sachs (Hathaway), a recent journalism graduate who moves to New York City and lands a job as a junior assistant to Miranda Priestly (Streep), the powerful and demanding editor-in-chief of high-fashion magazine Runway, with Blunt as Emily, Priestly’s primary aide.
Andy initially struggles with the high-pressure environment and Miranda’s relentless demands but gradually adapts, gaining confidence and style. As she becomes more involved in her work, she faces personal challenges, including a strained relationship with her boyfriend, Nate (Adrian Grenier), and ethical dilemmas about the fashion industry’s values.
The movie was a hit, earning close to $125 million in the US and more than $326 million worldwide. Streep was nominated for an Oscar along with costume designer Patricia Field.
What would the new movie be about?
Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly in 2006’s ‘The Devil Wears Prada .’
With the cast all back for this one, the sequel’s plot would reportedly pick up the story with Priestly still the head of Runway, but the magazine has endured the financial headwinds of contemporary publishing and is in a diminished state.
Blunt’s one-time assistant would now be an executive at a luxury brand conglomerate that advertises with Runway.
Entertainment Weekly has confirmed that Grenier won’t be back, but we do know that Branagh will be playing Miranda Priestly’s husband, which as anyone who has seen the first film knows, is not an easy gig given the hard-charging, perfectionist character’s style.
Behind the scenes, McKenna has written the new script and Frankel is once again calling the shots.
What else is happening in the ‘Devil Wears Prada’ world?
Anne Hathaway in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
In addition to the sequel, a musical adaptation with an original score by Elton John, is playing in London’s West End.
Novak’s work has been more behind the scenes of late, though he did have a role in TV series ‘Poker Face’ this year, and he’s a contributor to a documentary about comedian Mitch Hedberg.
The trade site also offers word that producer Charles Roven (who recently shepherded the likes of ‘The Killer’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ to screens) will be overseeing things behind the scenes, while The Wrap has the news that Jordan’s ‘Black Panther’ co-star Danai Gurira is also aboard.
(L to R) Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway in 1969’s ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’. Photo: United Artists.
The 1968 original, directed by Norman Jewison, saw Steve McQueen as the titular bored millionaire, who concocts and executes a brilliant scheme to rob a bank without having to do any of the work himself.
When Vicki Anderson (Faye Dunaway), an investigator for the bank’s insurance company, takes an interest in Crown, the two begin a complicated cat-and-mouse game with a romantic undertone.
In an attempt to decipher Anderson’s agenda, Crown devises another robbery like his first, wondering if he can get away with the same crime twice.
Few details have emerged about Jordan’s take on the material, though we presume it’ll be a similar blend of high stakes heist action and unexpected romance.
What we do know is the script comes from ‘The Fall Guy’s Drew Pearce, with a previous draft by Wes Tooke and Justin Britt-Gibson, based on the original film.
Patrick McCormick and Toberoff Productions’ Marc Toberoff will also serve as producers, with Alan Trustman–– who wrote the 1968 original ––– serving as executive producer.
As for who Branagh, Gladstone and Gurira will be playing? Still unknown right now.
Where else can we see Kenneth Branagh, Lily Gladstone and Danai Gurira?
Lily Gladstone stars in ‘Fancy Dance,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.
Finally, he was recently announced as part of the ensemble for comedy drama sequel ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’.
As for Gladstone, the actor was most recently seen in romantic comedy ‘The Wedding Banquet’ and has thriller ‘Lone Wolf’ and comedy ‘In Memoriam’ on the way.
She’s most recently been working on ‘The Fighting Shirley Chisholm’ playing Chisholm, who became the first African American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1968.
And she will next be seen in ‘Matchbox’, adapted from the popular toy line, starring alongside John Cena.
In addition to this new directorial job, Jordan has been keeping himself typically busy.
He has several projects in development, including a ‘Rainbow Six’ film that will see him return as special forces operative John Clark. He’s also working up a fourth ‘Creed’ movie, which he’s expressed a desire to direct following his success with the third (which made $276 million at the global box office).
Jordan told Variety last year that he felt like he had plenty of work still to do:
“I still feel like an underdog. I feel like I just got here, like I’ve just arrived, and I have the tools and the things around me to really be on the offensive a little bit.”
When will the new ‘Thomas Crown Affair’ steal its way into theaters?
The movie has a March 5th, 2027 date set by backers Amazon MGM Studios. And with the cameras already rolling, Jordan is on track to deliver.
Pierce Brosnan in 1999’s ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’. Photo: MGM.
Other Movies in ‘ The Thomas Crown Affair’ Franchise:
Kenneth Branagh is the first new addition to the cast of ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’.
Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci are all back for the sequel.
Writer Aline Brosh McKenna and director David Frankel are also returning.
The last time we reported on the sequel to 2006 comedy drama ‘The Devil Wears Prada,’ it was still lurking in development, without a full commitment from the cast to return.
As per the Instagram post below, the sequel is now in production, meaning that it’ll be on screens next year, just in time for the 20th anniversary of the original.
(L to R) Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Adapted by Aline Brosh McKenna from Lauren Weisberger’s novel and directed by David Frankel, the original follows Andy Sachs (Hathaway), a recent journalism graduate who moves to New York City and lands a job as a junior assistant to Miranda Priestly (Streep), the powerful and demanding editor-in-chief of high-fashion magazine Runway, with Blunt as Emily, Priestly’s primary aide.
Andy initially struggles with the high-pressure environment and Miranda’s relentless demands but gradually adapts, gaining confidence and style. As she becomes more involved in her work, she faces personal challenges, including a strained relationship with her boyfriend, Nate (Adrian Grenier), and ethical dilemmas about the fashion industry’s values.
The movie was a hit, earning close to $125 million in the US and more than $326 million worldwide. Streep was nominated for an Oscar along with costume designer Patricia Field.
What would the new movie be about?
Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly in 2006’s ‘The Devil Wears Prada .’
With the cast all back for this one, the sequel’s plot would reportedly pick up the story with Priestly still the head of Runway, but the magazine has endured the financial headwinds of contemporary publishing and is in a diminished state.
Blunt’s one-time assistant would now be an executive at a luxury brand conglomerate that advertises with Runway.
Entertainment Weekly has confirmed that Grenier won’t be back, but we do know that Branagh will be playing Miranda Priestly’s husband, which as anyone who has seen the first film knows, is not an easy gig given the hard-charging, perfectionist character’s style.
Behind the scenes, McKenna has written the new script and Frankel is once again calling the shots.
What else is happening in the ‘Devil Wears Prada’ world?
Anne Hathaway in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
In addition to the sequel, a musical adaptation with an original score by Elton John, is playing in London’s West End.
That one follows an airman whose reconnaissance mission over Soviet territory goes awry, forcing him to crash-land and survive in Russian wilderness while evading capture or rescue.
It also stars Ryan Reynolds and Maria Bakalova, and is reportedly going to be released in September, though there has been little promotion for it so far.
Finally, there is a movie, currently called ‘Atonement’ (which may change given the slightly well known 2008 drama), which sees a troubled marine seeking to reconcile with the survivors of an Iraqi family he and his unit fired on back in 2003, that one, with Reed Van Dyk in the director’s chair, is in pre-production.
When will ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ be in theaters?
The sequel is currently scheduled for a May 1st, 2026 release, which should make fans of the original, who have anticipated a follow-up, happy.
(L to R) Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
The third installment in the Agatha Christie movies takes a chilling turn in ‘A Haunting in Venice’. Actor and director Kenneth Branagh returns to helm the film and reprise his role of the famed mustache detective, Hercule Poirot.
The movie is based on Christie’s novel ‘Hallowe’en Party’ and will be available on streaming and digital just in time for Halloween. While these murder mystery novels are often accompanied by a sense of suspense and horror, ‘A Haunting In Venice’ leans straight into the horror theme by placing the murder inside a haunted palazzo.
Releasing on Halloween means the film will just make the Huluween line-up at the end of its celebration. Additionally, ‘A Haunting In Venice’ will also be available to rent or purchase on digital on the same day.
Branagh teams up once again with cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos (‘Death on the Nile’, ‘The Orient Express’). In an interview with Collider, the British cinematographer expands on why they made the switch from filming on 70 millimeter to digital, “There were a lot of photographic characteristics that we wanted to maintain in the Poirot films. One was a certain kind of clarity, the other is a sense of depth of field.” he explains.
“One of the things that I think makes the intimacy of the portraiture that we have used on previous Poirot films is that we work at a slightly higher depth of field than most films, T4. Not ‘Citizen Kane‘ levels, but just enough that a face and its features are all in focus. So, we wanted to shoot with a large format lens camera system that was in the highest sensitivity to light, and that was the Sony Venice 2. Those photographic elements were more important than the analog versus digital – that we were able to shoot at low-light levels but with our preferred depth of field. Those were the choices behind shooting this with a digital camera.”
‘A Haunting In Venice’ held its world premiere at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square at the West End London on September 11th. It was released domestically on September 15, 2023, and is still available in theaters if you want to experiment it in standard format or in IMAX. ‘A Haunting In Venice’ has a total runtime of 1 hour and 44 minutes.
Watch the official trailers for ‘A Haunting In Venice’ below:
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The movie will be available on digital on October 31 on major platforms such as Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, YouTube, and Google Play for rent or purchase.
The official synopsis for ‘A Haunting In Venice’ is below:
Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) has retired from detective work and has moved to Italy to live a quiet life. His peace is interrupted when old friend and novelist Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) stops by and insists he attends a séance on Halloween in order to expose a psychic named Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh). However, when a murder occurs, Poirot vows to catch the killer within the haunted palazzo.
Who Is In The Cast of ‘A Haunting In’?
Kenneth Branagh (‘Dunkirk‘) as detective Hercule Poirot
Netflix’s latest adult animation series ‘Blue Eye Samurai’ arrives on the streaming service beginning November 3 and was created by Amber Noizumi and Michael Green (‘Logan’, ‘Blade Runner 2049’).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with showrunners Amber Noizumi and Michael Green about the inspiration behind the upcoming animated series, casting Maya Erskine as the lead character Mizu, the influences from various samurai films and shows, and how the process of approaching their first animated project.
(L to R) ‘Blue Eye Samurai’s Amber Noizumi and Michael Green.
You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, how did this story come together, and what was it about the Eddo period that made you want to focus on it specifically?
Amber Noizumi: So the Eddo period is heralded as Japan’s golden age. I mean, to this day, they call it the golden age of Japan. That was when their borders were closed, completely closed off to the outside world, where it was its most homogenous. The idea to have somebody who’s mixed race, as I am, and we have a daughter who was born with blue eyes, and we called her our Blue Eye Samurai, which was the start of our conversations about it. What would it have been like to be different, to look different, to be a different race during that time? So ultimately, that was the beginning of it, and it just, with our research, our ideas got richer from there.
MF: Speaking of the blue eyes, the main character’s name is Mizu, which means water in Japanese. Was that the inspiration for naming the character, based on the color and the meaning of water?
AN: Yes, but also the idea of water, the idea of its various forms of steam, and ice, and sublimation, and then fire, when she’s sword making, and the fire that’s within her. We just used a lot of that element. Those elemental things to describe what’s going on in her and around her.
MF: With a show focused on a samurai, were there any samurai films or shows that inspired certain scenes or fighting styles?
Michael Green: We work with so many wonderful people, all of whom have encyclopedic knowledge. So it was so much fun, everyone bringing their favorite clips, and we would watch them. I’m going to say where I’m going to get to, is we ended up working with Sunny Sun, a fight choreographer who’s one of the greatest stunt choreographers in the world. So it’s really his movies that I want to talk about. He came at this with so much character focus. Jane Wu, our supervising director, also comes from with martial arts background. I mean, we talked about everything from ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ with the tension of scenes, or ‘Once Upon Time in the West,’ same thing. But in Eastern Films, we talked about the way Zatoichi moves and how he always moves differently from everyone around him. Of course, we looked at Kurosawa‘s compositions.
AN: And then we have a song lifted directly from ‘Kill Bill’. There’s so much greatness to steal from.
MG: We wear our homages on our sleeve and hope the originators notice and go, “Oh yeah.”
MF: Mizu is voiced by Maya Erskine, who audiences know from ‘PEN15’. What has it been like to watch her bring the character of Mizu to life, and how did you know that you found the right actor in Maya?
AN: Maya is such a talented, versatile actor, and you could see in ‘PEN15,’ even though it is a hilarious show, you could see how she brought that kind of raw pain of growing up mixed race and just growing up in general. I actually think that that’s how the character of Maya might envision herself. She might envision herself like Mizu. This might be who she aspires to be. But Maya really was able to bring a lot of that pain into the character of Mizu. I mean, she just did it beyond our expectations.
MF: Finally, the series is the first major animated project you’ve worked on as showrunners, what was the process like? Has it been different than your past projects, and did you approach it differently?
MG: We approached it the same, which might’ve been naive, but that’s good because it ended up working out.
AN: We would’ve been scared away otherwise.
MG: If we knew exactly how hard it was going to be. Some of the ways were very similar. We wrote the script as if it was a live-action piece. We ran our meetings, and mixed it and scored it, and worked with the type of people, with casting directors and costume designers from live action. Suttirat Larlarb did our costumes, worked with her on ‘American Gods’. She’s done everything from Star Wars to Bond, and on and on. Our casting directors work on ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Avatar’. We really just worked with as many live-action people, including Jane Wu, our supervising director and executive producer. But then we met the reality of animation, where we knew we had to learn a lot, where we had to work with people who knew it much better than we ever could, and could teach us and be patient with us, and also just lead us through it. So it was very different. The main difference is how slow animation is. It is for the patient. It’s just the dough needs to rise and you can’t rush it. But you can have anything you want if you’re patient. So it made the show everything we wanted and more.
Set in 17th-century Edo-period Japan, Blue Eye Samurai follows Mizu (Maya Erskine), a mixed-race master of the sword who lives a life in disguise seeking to deliver revenge. In her search for vengeance, she meets Ringo, a soba maker born who longs to be a samurai, Taigen, a pompous samurai, and Princess Akemi, the daughter of Lord Daichi of the Tokunobu clan.
(L to R) Cillian Murphy (as J. Robert Oppenheimer) and writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan on the set of ‘Oppenheimer.’
Christopher Nolan’s historical biopic was not only a box-office powerhouse but also delivered compelling performances and stunning visuals.
The film chronics J. Robert Oppenheimer‘s career from the beginning of his studies to his role in the Manhattan Project to the 1954 security hearing. The film used color to differentiate between Oppenheimer’s point of view and Lewis Strauss’ point of view – with color representing Oppenheimer and black and white for Strauss. The difference in color also depicts their personality, where Oppenheimer sees the world in bright colors, while Strauss sees it in black and white.
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The official synopsis for ‘Oppenheimer’ is below:
“During World War II, Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves Jr. appoints physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer to work on the top-secret Manhattan Project. Oppenheimer and a team of scientists spend years developing and designing the atomic bomb. Their work comes to fruition on July 16, 1945, as they witness the world’s first nuclear explosion, forever changing the course of history.”
Who Is In The Cast of ‘Oppenheimer’?
Robert Downey Jr is Lewis Strauss in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
The film did not use any CGI or VFX to recreate the Trinity Test blast. As we saw with Nolan’s 2020 film ‘Tenet’, the director has always had a knack for creating realistic and explosive moments on film with practical effects. To recreate the atomic bomb detonation, Nolan worked with cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema to capture the explosion on film.
Working closely with special effects supervisor Scott Fisher and visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson, they first ran tests by dropping silver particles in an aquarium.
“We built aquariums with powers in it. We dropped silver particles in it. We had molded metallic balloons which were lit up from the inside. We had things slamming and smashing into one another, such as ping-pong balls, or just had objects spinning,” said Van Hoytema.
The explosion was captured in in close-up at variable frame rates, combined with Van Joytema’s IMAX cinematography which filled the screen with an image that is both beautiful and deadly. When this moment is played in the theaters, the film goes silent as the detonation flashes before the deafening blast shakes and resonates in everyone’s core.
(L to R) Tom Conti is Albert Einstein and Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
‘Oppenheimer’ held its world premiere on July 11, 2023, at Le Grand Rex in Paris. The film was released domestically on July 21 in formats such as IMAX 70mm, stand 70mm, and 35mm. The film was released simultaneously as Warner Bros.’s ‘Barbie’, creating the internet phenomenon known as “Barbieheimer.”
‘Oppenheimer’ earned over $82.4 million on its opening weekend and has since grossed over $322.4 million domestically and $933.8 million worldwide, making it the 2nd highest-grossing R-rated movie. ‘Oppenheimer’ has a total runtime of 3 hours.
Watch the official trailers for ‘Oppenheimer’ below:
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While some theaters are still playing the movie, options are limited as the film has passed its 45-day theatrical window. Currently, there is no word on when the historical biopic will be released on digital or streaming. ‘Barbie’, which was released at the same time as ‘Oppenheimer’, is already available on digital. However, it is possible the film remains in theater longer as Nolan requested a longer theatrical window.
If the film were to follow the release schedule of Universal’s ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’, arriving on its streaming service Peacock 120 days after its theatrical release. That could mean ‘Oppenheimer’ would be available on streaming by mid-November.
(L to R) Emily Blunt is Kitty Oppenheimer and Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
Kenneth Branagh is an Oscar-winning Writer, director, producer, and actor.
The filmmaker first made a name for himself in the 80’s and 90’s for his big screen adaptions of William Shakespeare plays like ‘Henry V,’ ‘Much Ado About Nothing‘ and ‘Hamlet,’ which he also starred in.
After several Academy Award nominations over the course of his career, Branagh finally won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for his very personal 2021 film ‘Belfast.’
In honor of ‘A Haunting in Venice’s release, Moviefone is counting down every movie Kenneth Branagh has ever directed.
Ferdia Shaw in ‘Artemis Fowl.’ Photo: Nicola Dove / Disney.
Artemis Fowl (Ferdia Shaw) is a 12-year-old genius and descendant of a long line of criminal masterminds. He soon finds himself in an epic battle against a race of powerful underground fairies who may be behind his father’s (Colin Farrell) disappearance.
Out of work actor Joe (Michael Maloney) volunteers to help try and save his sister’s local church for the community by putting on a Christmas production of Hamlet, somewhat against the advice of his agent Margaretta (Joan Collins). As the cast he assembles are still available even at Christmas and are prepared to do it on a ‘profit sharing’ basis (that is, they may not get paid anything) he cannot expect – and does not get – the cream of the cream. But although they all bring their own problems and foibles along, something bigger starts to emerge in the perhaps aptly named village of Hope.
During World War I, in an unnamed country, a soldier named Tamino (Joseph Kaiser) is sent by the Queen of the Night to rescue her daughter Pamina (Amy Carson) from the clutches of the supposedly evil Sarastro (René Pape). But all is not as it seems.
London, June 29th, 1613. The Globe Theater, ran by the famous playwright William Shakespeare (Branagh), accidentally burns to ashes. Seriously affected, he stops writing and returns to his hometown, where his wife Anne (Judi Dench) and daughters Judith (Kathryn Wilder) and Susanna (Lydia Wilson) get surprised to hear he intends to stay there definitively, after two decades working in the capital, neglecting his sincere affections for them.
After inheriting a large country estate from his late father, Peter (Stephen Fry) invites his friends from college: married couple Roger (Hugh Laurie) and Mary (Imelda Staunton), the lonely Maggie (Emma Thompson), fashionable Sarah (Alphonsia Emmanuel), and writer Andrew (Branagh), who brings his American TV star wife, Carol (Rita Rudner). Sarah’s new boyfriend, Brian (Tony Slattery), also attends. It has been 10 years since college, and they find their lives are very different.
Celebrated sleuth Hercule Poirot (Branagh), now retired and living in self-imposed exile in Venice, reluctantly attends a Halloween séance at a decaying, haunted palazzo. When one of the guests is murdered, the detective is thrust into a sinister world of shadows and secrets.
The King of Navarre (Alessandro Nivola) and his three companions swear a very public oath to study together and to renounce women for three years. Their honour is immediately put to the test by the arrival of the Princess of France (Alicia Silverstone) and her three lovely companions. It’s love at first sight for all concerned followed by the men’s hopeless efforts to disguise their feelings.
Witty, playful and utterly magical, the story is a compelling romantic adventure in which Rosalind (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Orlando’s (David Oyelowo) celebrated courtship is played out against a backdrop of political rivalry, banishment and exile in the Forest of Arden – set in 19th-century Japan.
Based on Mary Shelley’s novel, “Frankenstein” tells the story of Victor Frankenstein (Branagh), a promising young doctor who, devastated by the death of his mother during childbirth, becomes obsessed with bringing the dead back to life. His experiments lead to the creation of a monster (Robert De Niro), which Frankenstein has put together with the remains of corpses. It’s not long before Frankenstein regrets his actions.
Chris Pine plays the young Jack Ryan, cruising the downtown streets of Manhattan for ‘Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit,’ from Paramount Pictures. Photo credit: David Lee.
Jack Ryan (Chris Pine), as a young covert CIA analyst, uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack.
In this Shakespearean farce, Hero (Kate Beckinsale) and her groom-to-be, Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard), team up with Claudio’s commanding officer, Don Pedro (Denzel Washington), the week before their wedding to hatch a matchmaking scheme. Their targets are sharp-witted duo Benedick (Branagh) and Beatrice (Emma Thompson) — a tough task indeed, considering their corresponding distaste for love and each other. Meanwhile, meddling Don John (Keanu Reeves) plots to ruin the wedding.
When her father unexpectedly passes away, young Ella (Lily James) finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and her daughters. Never one to give up hope, Ella’s fortunes begin to change after meeting a dashing stranger (Richard Madden) in the woods.
Hamlet (Branagh), Prince of Denmark, returns home to find his father (Brian Blessed) murdered and his mother (Julie Christie) now marrying the murderer… his uncle (Derek Jacobi). Meanwhile, war is brewing.
Chris Hemsworth in ‘Thor.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Against his father Odin’s (Anthony Hopkins) will, The Mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth) – a powerful but arrogant warrior god – recklessly reignites an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.
In 1949 composer Roman Strauss (Branagh) is executed for the vicious murder of his wife Margaret (Emma Thompson) with a pair of scissors. In 1990s Los Angeles a mute amnesiac woman (also Thompson) shows up at an orphanage and private eye Mike Church (also Branagh) is called in to investigate. Under hypnosis both the woman and Church seem to have a strange link back to the Strauss murder.
(L to R) Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Jude Hill, and Lewis McAskie in ‘Belfast,’ directed by Kenneth Branagh
Written and directed by Branagh, ‘Belfast’ is a poignant story of love, laughter and loss in one boy’s (Jude Hill) childhood, amid the music and social tumult of the late 1960s.
