Judi Dench Page 5

As always, there are far too many sequels, spin-offs, remakes and reboots clogging the cinemas, but hopefully they'll be better than 2016's lacklustre batch. (Release dates are subject to change.)

Star Wars: Episode Viii - Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill continue the saga (Dec). More sci-fi sequels worth waiting for: the gang reteams for more space antics in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 (May), Michael Fassbender returns for Alien: Covenant (May), and Harrison Ford is back for Blade Runner 2049 (Oct).

Continue reading: The Ten Most Anticipated Films Of 2017

The ensemble cast of Kenneth Branagh’s Murder on the Orient Express is shaping up to be pretty special.

Branagh, who will direct and star in the adaptation, is to be joined by Johnny Depp, Daisy Ridley, Judi Dench and Michelle Pfeiffer for the classic Agatha Christie murder mystery.

Johnny Depp is among the A-list cast for Murder on the Orient Express

Continue reading: Daisy Ridley And Judi Dench To Join Johnny Depp On Board 'Murder On The Orient Express'

Dame Judi Dench that she recently got her first ever tattoo, which she was given for her 81st birthday by her daughter Finty last year.

After a great deal of consideration, the Oscar winning screen and TV icon revealed that she got the words ‘Carpe Diem’ inked on the inside of her right wrist.

In a new interview with The Mirror Online, Dench explained the meaning behind the Latin phrase: “That’s my motto: ‘Seize the day’. Finty gave it to me for my 81st birthday – she’s wonderful with surprises. Mind you the company of ‘A Winter’s Tale’, which I was doing at the time, used to say that it said fish of the day.”

Continue reading: Judi Dench Reveals She Got Her First Tattoo For Her 81st Birthday

The West End revival of Gypsy Rose Lee musical 'Gypsy' was the big winner at the 2016 Laurence Olivier Awards at the weekend with Lin-Manuel Miranda's 'In The Heights' and Judi Dench in 'The Winter's Tale' also being stand-out winners of the night.

Judi Dench wins Best Supporting Actress for 'The Winter's Tale'

'Gypsy', which was played at the Savoy Theatre, landed Best Musical Revival, while Imelda Staunton ('Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix') won Best Actress in a Musical and Lara Pulver was named Best Supporting Actress. The show was also the recipient of the White Light Award for Best Lighting Design. 'Kinky Boots' also took home its share of accolades in the form of MasterCard Best New Musical, Best Costume Design, and Best Actor in a Musical going to Matt Henry.

Continue reading: Judi Dench And Lin-Manuel Miranda Win Laurence Olivier Awards

The Berlin Film Festival wrapped up last weekend after the premiere for Disney's new live-action version of Cinderella, and stars Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Lily James and Richard Madden, plus director Kenneth Branagh were all on hand for the event.

Photos - 65th Berlin International Film Festival - 'Cinderella' - Premiere

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: Berlin Wraps Up, Dames Judi And Maggie Hit The Red Carpet, Julia Roberts Films In L.A. And There Are New Trailers For Age Of Adaline, Big Game And Crimson Peak

On March 2nd 2014, the 86th Annual Academy Awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. As we all well know, for the few months leading up to the Oscars, the awards ceremony is practically all that anybody can talk about...‘Oscar buzz this' and ‘Award nominated that’ are phrases that are worked into practically every article or discussion regarding actors and movies. However, the big question at this point isn’t ‘Who will win?’ it’s ‘Who should win?’, and that’s a question for us film buffs, and not the critics to decide!

Is this the year that Leonardo Dicaprio will finally win his first Oscar?

When it comes to Best Picture the competition is of a seriously high calibre this year. American Hustle was immensely popular with film-goers, while Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave about slavery in the States may be considered difficult to watch but it does look set for a double win after claiming Best Film at the BAFTAs. Will Martin Scorsese’s much celebrated The Wolf of Wall Street even get a look in with such a high quality of competition? Other movies nominated include Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Her, Philomena and Nebraska.

Continue reading: Forget Who Will Win, Who SHOULD Win At The Oscars?

Is Gary Oldman about to add to his ridiculously impressive list of franchises by appearing in Star Wars: Episode VII? That’s what the rumors are suggesting, and Oldman did little to quell them when he confirmed a phone call took place.

When are we going to have an Episode VII logo to play with?

"They've called," said Oldman in an interview with Sky Movies. "You know, I'm more cynical about it now. I'll believe it when I'm on the plane home. The deal isn't done, but yeah, they've inquired. I mean Planet Of The Apes, Harry Potter, Batman, and Star Wars… bloody hell!"

Continue reading: Gary Oldman Would Be A Real Coup For Star Wars: Episode VII

With the sheer size of the Star Wars franchise, Episode VII was always going to be a big deal. J.J Abrams took on a daunting task when he agreed to helm the reboot following Disney’s acquisition of LucasFilms, but have the casting rumors got you excited?

Zac Efron is the latest name attached to the Star Wars franchise

The latest of those rumours concerns a certain former Disney employee, who has attempted to shake off his teen heartthrob reputation by doing, actually, very little at all. He stoked the fire when he confirmed a meeting with Disney and J.J took place.

Continue reading: POLL: Are You Happy With The Star Wars Casting Rumors? Zac Efron?

In the lull between big awards shows, media attention turns to Super Bowl halftime performances and adverts, while award-nominated actors and filmmakers travel around the world to squeeze in their next projects before Bafta and Oscar nights. Judi Dench is in India filming The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 2 with the reunited cast from the original. Chiewtel Ejiofor is in New Zealand filming something top-secret. Cate Blanchett is taking a well-deserved holiday. Meanwhile, Ben Stiller and Robin Williams have been snapped on the streets of rain-swept London filming scenes for Night at the Museum 3. We braved the British weather to snap the filming in action.

We got our first glimpse of the comedy-drama A Long Way Down this week, with a new trailer that plays up the film's black humour and warm emotion. Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette, Aaron Paul and Imogen Poots play four people who meet as they're planning to end it all by leaping from a London skyscraper. In the media circus that follows, they make a pact to live for at least one more month. It looks funny and rather sweet, with the terrific cast on great form. It's out in March. Watch 'A Long Way Down' Trailer here.

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: Stiller And Williams Film In Rainy London, While Trailers Debut For Brosnan, Owen, Rio And Maleficent

Thanksgiving weekend represents a real mix of genres should you venture out to the pictures. From animated Disney musical action in Frozen, to hyper-violent revenge seeking in Oldboy, there’s truly something for everyone. But what are you going to pick? Well we can start by ruling something out: Oldboy.

Josh Brolin and Samuel L. Jackson in Oldboy

Spike Lee seems to have missed a trick with this remake of the South Korean cult classic, which sees a man trapped for several years without explanation, only for his revenge trip to be colored by further torment. Josh Brolin stars, alongside Samuel L. Jackson, but despite an admittedly impressive cast, the film falls short on many levels.

Continue reading: Tonight In Cinemas: Oldboy, Philomena, Frozen, Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Pick A Winner?

Philomena enjoyed a brilliant critical response in the UK, with special mentions for actors Steve Coogan and Judi Dench for the way they handled the emotive subject matter with grace, dignity and a level of humility, injecting a sensitive level of lightheartedness. But, with the film’s U.S release two days ago, how will it translate to an American audience?

Philomena is out for the Thanksgiving weekend in the U.S

The story, based on real life events, surrounds a journalist’s quest to unite a mother with her lost son. Dench plays Philomena, who fell pregnant at a young age, out of wedlock. The nuns in her Irish-catholic looked upon her situation with disdain, putting her son up for adoption in America.

Continue reading: Will 'Philomena' Translate To U.S Market With Its Thanksgiving Release?

The story of Philomena doesn’t exactly paint nuns in the best light, which isn’t to say the story isn’t valid or true. But it’s difficult to escape the fact that nuns don’t exactly come off as the good guys. And The Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary aren’t particularly happy.

The heartwarming story didn't warm the hearts of the nuns

Philomena Lee (Dame Judi Dench), an Irish woman whose son was forcibly put up for adoption, is joined by journalist and former PR & Media spin doctor Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan) as they try and track down her lost child.

Continue reading: The Sisters Are Nun Too Happy With Judi Dench, Steve Coogan And 'Philomena'

Don't laugh. We're serious. Stephen Frears' new movie Philomena, based on the investigative book by BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith, could well figure in the behemoth that is the American movie awards season following stunning reviews in its homeland this week.

Watch the Philomena trailer:

It stars Oscar-winner Judi Dench as the title character, a mother to a boy conceived out of wedlock, something her Irish-Catholiccommunity didn't take kindly to. The child was given away for adoption to the United States and Philomena was forced to sign a doctrine promising she would not look for him. Years later, she meets Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), a BBC reporter with whom she decides to set off on a journey to find her long-lost son.

Continue reading: BAFTA Bound, But Could 'Philomena' Feature At The Oscars?

Philomena stars Judi Dench as Philomena Lee in the movie adaptation of Martin Sixsmith's 2009 novel The Lost Children of Philomena Lee. Co-starring Steve Coogan as Sixsmith, the film is an emotionally moving and shocking true story that follows Sixsmith's journey to help find Philomena's lost children. Handled masterfully by The Queen director Stephen Frears, the film has been universally praised for its sensitive tone and lighthearted comic relief, with the performances from the two stars also being singled out for wide praise.

Dench and Coogan give an acting masterclass in Philomena

Having just been sacked from his job as a government spin doctor, Sixsmith is sent by his editor to do a "human interest story," an idea he at first resents, until he comes across the elderly Philomena Lee. We and Sixsmith soon discover that Lee was sent to a Catholic home for unmarried mothers in the 1950's, where she gave birth to her son, who she was forced to give up for adoption by the zealous nuns running the home.

Continue reading: Critics Agree, 'Philomena' Is A "Serious" Comedy That Needs To Be Seen

Dustin Hoffman has undergone successful cancer treatment, his representative announced on Tuesday 6th August.

Dustin Hoffman at the AFI Festival's screening of Quartet, held at Grauman's Chinese Theater, L.A.

His representative, Jodi Gottlieb, announced Hoffman's cancer "was detected early and he has been successfully cured." However, reports suggest the 75-year-old will continue with preventative treatments in the next few years, as recommended by his doctor. Further details on the procedure have, as yet, not been disclosed to the press.

Continue reading: Dustin Hoffman "Feeling Great" After Cancer Treatment

Stephen Frears' new film Philomena stars Dame Judi Dench and Steve Coogan. The first picture of the film was released yesterday (Monday 16th July) and shows the two British actors in an evidently emotional scene. Coogan looks at Dench with a concerned expression as she holds a photograph.

The film, directed by Frears, follows one woman's journey to discover a son she was forced to give up fifty years before. Young Philomena Lee (played by Sophie Kennedy Clark), according to the BBC's synopsis, fell pregnant in Ireland in 1952: she was then taken to a convent as a 'fallen woman'. As a consequence of her strict surroundings, Philomena was encouraged to offer her baby for adoption. 

Continue reading: First Look At Judi Dench And Steve Coogan In 'Philomena' [Picture]

This year's Golden Globes ceremony takes place tonight (Jan 13), and its categories - much like the categories in most of this years awards - look wide open.

At the Golden Globes in particular, it looks as though this year could see the bulk of the prizes going to British recipients, with the ladies in particular providing hope that a few gongs will be getting sent across the Atlantic. Dames Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith and Judi Dench are all vying for awards, with Dame Smith up for two acting gongs - for The Quartet and Downton Abbey. Meanwhile Aussie-Brit Naomi Watts, Emily Blunt and Rachel Weisz are up for awards, whilst Daniel Day-Lewis is looking like the man to beat in the Best Actor category.

Still, Day-Lewis could be beat, meaning he will have to wait til his next film to take his tally of awards up a notch (he always gets nominated at the very least). Joaquin Phoenix and Denzel Washington are probably his biggest threats, but really the award is pretty much Lewis' already. If he doesn't win though, there's a pretty good chance that Damien Lewis could bring the gold home for the UK, being nominated in the television category for Best Actor for his role on Homeland.

Continue reading: A Year Of Surprises? Golden Globes Have No Clear Winner

When the Oscar nominations were released the whole of Britain sighed, not with relief but with disappointment, due to the absence of Skyfall nominations. It's rare to hear or see an actor's impressions as soon as they find out, but speaking on BBC Radio 4, Judi Dench was unaware of the Oscar results and was told on air. Her reaction was clearly one of great disappointment, not on her own behalf, but on behalf of everyone else involved in the movie, particularly Javier Bardem and Sam Mendes. 

She had only heard that Adele had a nomination from hearing a snippet on the radio before speaking to Radio 4 later, and told them that she "had a lot of things to do this morning". However, when the presenter told her that Adele's nomination had been the only one for Skyfall, she was clearly very disappointed. "That's a great, great pity," she said. "It was a terrific film, I'm very, very sorry... I thought it was very, very exciting." 

She spoke great praise of her colleagues in the film, saying that it was "wonderfully directed, and filmed, and lit, and shot." Plus adding that "Javier [Bardem] hit the Bond villain right on the head... he was terrific." 

Continue reading: Judi Dench Discovers Skyfall Oscar Snub Live On Radio, It's A 'Great Pity'

Academy Snub For Bigelow, Django Scores Five Oscar And 5 Bafta Nominations And Robot & Frank Trailer Delights

The big movie news this week, of course, was the announcement of this year's Oscar nominations, to which people reacted with the usual levels of surprise and anger. The biggest snub seems to be for previous winner Kathryn Bigelow, who was overlooked for a directing nomination even though her film Zero Dark Thirty earned five other nods, including Best Picture. 

Continue reading: A Week In Movies Feat: Academy Snub For Bigelow, Django Scores Five Oscar And 5 Bafta Nominations And Robot & Frank Trailer Delights

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler host the Golden Globes on Sunday (January 13, 2013) and will no doubt bring a touch of Saturday Night Live to one of Hollywood's glitziest evenings. The close friends decided to host the event because - according to Fey - it's "a very kind of sloppy, loud party, and that seemed like our kind of thing." Indeed, it's going to be so sloppy that the hosts have devised their very own drinking game for Sunday drinkers to enjoy.

The Globes is traditionally more raucous than the Oscars. Basically, the organizers want to invite the most famous people available, stick them into a room together and ply them with champagne. Things happen. Mickey Rourke usually gives something his middle finger, Ricky Gervais makes an inappropriate joke as Johnny Depp looks on disapprovingly, despite being in on the joke. Anyway, Fey and Poehler are of the opinion that if they can have a party, then so can we! The pair explained the rules of their drinking game while in conversation with the Hollywood Reporter. So here goes:

-Drink any time an actress cries in a speech

Continue reading: Tina Fey And Amy Poehler's Golden Globes Drinking Game 2013!

Several British stars scored Golden Globe nominations on Friday morning (December 14, 2012), with Tom Hooper's Les Miserables looking the UK's best hope of scoring a statuette. The musical is in the running for Best Picture (Comedy of Musical), as well as a string of acting awards.

Though the Globes is considered a solid barometer for the Oscars, it has been criticised for shaping its nominations to attract as many big name stars as possible. In 2011, Johnny Depp was nominated for his role in the critically panned The Tourist, leading host Ricky Gervais to joke, "It seems like everything this year was three-dimensional.except the characters in The Tourist." Nevertheless, several lesser known movies from the past year received nominations, including Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt's Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. Judi Dench received a nod for Best Exotic Marigold Hotel while Helen Mirren and Rachel Weisz will compete for the Best Actress (Drama) award for their roles in Hitchcock and The Deep Blue Sea respectively. "It's the first major red carpet occasion of awards season," said Nick James, editor of the film magazine Sight & Sound, "so the HFPA need the maximum number of dresses on that carpet, and the widest range of hot talent on their list. They probably have a small eye on that, but I don't think it's too bent in that direction."

Though British stars were listed in today's nominations, it is likely to be Ben Affleck, Steven Spielberg, Kathryn Bigelow, Daniel Day Lewis, Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathway who contest the major prizes. 

Continue reading: The Brits Are Coming! Ewan McGregor And Emily Blunt Score Golden Globe Nominations

Following on from the success it achieved over its opening weekend last week, the latest James Bond film, Skyfall, has broken yet another record by becoming the highest grossing film over its opening week in the UK.

The new Bond film, Daniel Craig’s third as 007, has so far taken in £32.7 million since it opened last week, overtaking the previous holder of the record Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Around £30 million of the takings came in the opening weekend, but the gradual increase of taking – over a Halloween weekend that saw few attend the cinemas – has cemented it’s place in the history books already.

In regards to the achievement, Gary Barber, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at MGM said: "The continued record-breaking success of this film is a true testament to all involved and the global power of this 50 year old franchise." 

Continue reading: Skyfall Shoots Down Harry Potter To Become Top Grossing UK Movie

James Bond in Skyfall must break many of the commandments, what with his serial womanising and killing of others, but The Vatican have issued a full endorsement of the new Bond movie, saying it's the best ever.

The Vatican newspaper published a rave review of Skyfall, saying Bond's character moved away from cliche, and was "more human, capable of being moved and of crying: in a word, more real," according to The Daily Mail. The review went to explain how the movie boasts all of the classic James Bond ingredients: "The title credits song, adrenalin pumping action, amazing hyper-realistic chases, exotic locations, extremely beautiful Bond girls, the usual super villain and the essential vodka martini," before it lauded over Dame Judy Dench's portrayal of M, saying she show 'the fragility of a woman who hides behind the cold mask of the boss of the powerful MI6, rendering her less distant and more appealing'.

The paper actually included 5 pieces on Bond, showing how much it has progressed over the past few years in terms of wider coverage. Included in those, was a published interview with Craig, an article explaining why author Ian Fleming chose the name James Bond for his hero, and a fifth piece analysing the various soundtracks of the 23 films.

Continue reading: James Bond Skyfall Proves A Hit With The Vatican

Bond, "Isn't he just very British?", said Dame Judi Dench on the red carpet at the première for the newest James Bond movie 'Skyfall', reported Sky. True to form, it's not just Bond that's very British, Craig also exposed that typically British self-effacing, social shyness that we're famed for, in a scene with self named 'Bond Beast' Sévérine, played by Berenice Marlohe.

Marlohe is of French/Cambodian descent with a bod to die (another day) for and thus knows nothing of polite modesty, timidity nor embarrassment. However, in an interview with Metro she revealed that Craig was quite the opposite "He tried to keep his underpants on for the shower scenes but I said, 'No, come on, don't be shy. I will do anything to make you feel comfortable.'" She continued, "He was very shy and when he saw me entering the shower he was like, 'Oh my God.'" Well, duh! Who wouldn't be? 

Her confidence in Craig is rooted in something a little deeper than mere professionalism, she explained 'I was not nervous because since the very beginning we just had a great human connection with Daniel... [He's] a beautiful person with a great sense of humour so we managed to just make it easy and I was just having fun and singing under the shower and he was coming and suddenly slipping on the ground.' Does Berenice have a little soft spot for Craig? Describing kissing him as "Ay caramba!" we suspect so, maybe just a little. 

Continue reading: Berenice Marlohe Shower Scene With Daniel Craig In Skyfall

'Skyfall', the new James Bond movie directed by Sam Mendes, hits cinemas on November 9 and already attention is turning to whether or not the picture could snag a surprise Oscar nomination.

'Oscar bait' is a term often used to describe a movie awash with all the key themes that the Academy so readily rewards. For example, they're suckers for epic dramas (Titanic, Gladiator), romance (Shakespeare in Love, The English Patient) and movies packed full of previous Oscar winners (Traffic, The Kings Speech). Oscar bait movies usually hit cinemas at the same time each year- in November or December, wafting themselves under the noses of the Academy just weeks before nominations are announced.

This year, Sony seems to have thrown 'Skyfall' into the fray as Oscar bait, so does the film have a realistic chance of a nomination? Well, as HitFix.com rightly points out, the movie has attached an Oscar winning director in Mendes, an Oscar winning and three time nominated actor in Javier Bardem and an Oscar winning actress and six-time nominee in Judi Dench. Its screenwriter is a three-time nominee while cinematographer Roger Deakins is a nine-time nominee who is almost certain to scoop the prize come February if industry insiders are to be believed. Deakins - best known for his work on just about every Coen Brothers movie - is revered in the movie business and often considered the finest cinematographer of all time. On top of all this, Skyfall's production designer, art director and second unit director have all been handed nominations in the past: i.e - the movie has all the bases covered.

Continue reading: Why ‘Skyfall’ Could Land James Bond An Oscar Nomination

Adele’s ‘Bond’ theme will see the London songstress follow in the footsteps of singing greats Shirley Bassey and Nancy Sinatra, both of whom are responsible for recording some of the most recognizable 007 tunes in the secret agent’s 50 years in film.

The multiple Grammy award winner had long been rumoured to be handed the prestigious role for Sam Mendes’ forthcoming ‘Skyfall’ – again starring Daniel Craig – and Total Film.com confirmed the speculation this week. Adele’s single, named after the new movie, will be the first release from the star since ‘Turning Tables’ from her much-feted ‘21’ album. Given her phenomenally successful couple of years, Adele will certainly be a popular choice for the job and she boasts the kind of heavyweight soulful voice synonymous with the theme tune. One thing’s for sure: it’s almost certain to be an improvement on the poorly received tune ‘Another Way to Die’ by Jack White and Alicia Keys from 2008’s ‘Quantum of Solace’.

‘Skyfall’ – set to open in the UK on October 26 – stars Daniel Craig, alongside Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris and Ben Whishaw.