Latest news with #IainGlen
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Iconic sitcom Dad's Army RETURNS with huge stars for BBC's VE Day celebration as fans praise the 'amazing' cast and call for TV reboot
The iconic wartime sitcom Dad's Army was given a surprise reboot on Thursday, as the BBC marked the 80th Anniversary of VE Day with a star-studded concert. The famous comedy originally aired on BBC from 1968 to 1977, and focused on a group of soldiers from the United Kingdom's Home Guard during World War Two. A whole new cast of names who played the famous soldiers for a one-off sketch, including Iain Glen, Dylan Llewellyn, Nigel Havers, Jim Howick, Kevin Eldon, Daniel Mays and David Bradley. The concert, which took place at London's Horseguards Parade, is the last of many events this week to mark the 80th Anniversary of VE Day, which was the day the Second World War finally came to an end in Europe in 1945. And the specially-written sketch went down a storm with viewers, with one even calling for a permanent TV revival of Dad's Army. Posts on X included: 'This Dad's Army segment is amazing. If you close your eyes you would think it was the original cast;' 'Absolutely brilliant! Bring back Dad's Army with this cast!' 'Close my eyes and you'd think you were watching the original actors on Dad's Army;' 'Dad's Army is brilliant! Perfectly cast and they should really get them together for a new TV show;' However, some fans were less impressed, with posts including: 'Good Lord. That Dad's Army skit was dreadful;' 'Be better of putting on a 1972 episode of Dad's Army. Charles isn't impressed #veday80.' The comedy, which featured the misadventures of a Home Guard platoon in the fictional Walmington-on-Sea on the south coast of England, ran from 1968 to 1977 with 80 episodes produced. It featured Ian Lavender as hapless Private Pike, Clive Dunn, who played Lance Corporal Jones, and Arthur Lowe as Captain George Mainwaring. Sadly the last of the surviving Dad's Army stars, Ian, passed away in February this year aged 77. And the specially-written sketch went down a storm with viewers, with one even calling for a permanent TV revival of Dad's Army However, some viewers were less impressed, with one suggesting they should have re-aired a scene from a classic Dad's Army episode The news of the actor's death was announced on the Dad's Army's official social media account as they paid tribute. Lavender was cast in the classic comedy series at the age of 22 in 1968. Shortly before his death the actor revealed he would take his cast members' secrets to the grave. He said how the show's iconic cast were so close they shared secrets with each other that they 'never told their wives'. Ian admitted that he once promised co-star John Laurie (who played Private James Frazer) that he would never divulge the secrets they shared. Lavender told the We Have Ways of Making You Talk podcast: 'I talked with John [Laurie] for so many hours. He said, "There are things I've told you I've never told my wife, or my daughter. You must promise me you must never tell anybody yourself".' He went on to gush about his fellow co-stars and recalled filming as 'great fun' 10 weeks every year with 'wonderful people who became great friends'. Lavender also revealed that the cast were shocked with the show's success after the first series originally failed to find an audience. The post announcing his death read: 'We are deeply saddened to hear the passing of the wonderful, Ian Lavender. In what truly marks the end of an era, Ian was the last surviving member of the Dad's Army main cast.' Elsewhere, Their Majesties, King Charles, 76, and Queen Camilla, 77, smiled as they made an appearance for an evening of music, along with Prince Edward, 61, and his wife Sophie, 60. The mother-of-three stunned in an all-white ensemble, rewearing an effortlessly elegant Cream Tailored Bouclé and Chiffon Midi Dress by Self-Portrait. The artists included the cast of World War II musical Operation Mincemeat, West End legend Samantha Barks - offering her powerful rendition of We'll Meet Again - Fleur East, Calum Scott, John Newman, Toploader and Tom Walker. Elsewhere, Brian Cox - celebrated for his role in Succession - delivered a moving re-enactment of Winston Churchill's iconic wartime speech. On May 8, 1945 the nation celebrated Victory in Europe (VE) Day with church bells ringing out across the country and people gathering to revel in the end of hostilities, with crowds gathering outside Buckingham Palace calling for King George VI. e until August 15 that year.
India Today
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Game of Thrones actor Iain Glen joins Anupam Kher directorial Tanvi The Great
Actor Anupam Kher is returning to the director's chair with his upcoming film, 'Tanvi The Great'. The team recently revealed that debutant Shubangi Dutt will play the lead. Now, a newly released poster has revealed 'Game of Thrones' star Iain Glen has joined the project and will play Michael Simmons in the Kher, who is also producing the project, shared the poster on social media with an emotional caption that read, 'I acted with Iain Glen ('Game of Thrones') in a BBC three-part series 'Mrs Wilson'. We became friends after the shoot. So, when I was casting for Michael Simmons's character in 'Tanvi The Great', I sent the script to Iain, and he immediately agreed to play one of the most important characters in our film. (sic)'advertisementHere's the post: Iain Glen is a renowned Scottish actor known for his versatile performances across film, television, and theatre. He is widely recognised for his role as Ser Jorah Mormont in HBO's 'Game of Thrones'. Glen also portrayed Bruce Wayne in the DC Universe series 'Titans' and starred as Magnus MacMillan in Amazon Prime's 'The Rig' (2023). His impressive body of work spans genres and continues to captivate audiences Anupam Kher, a veteran actor known for his path-breaking roles, is returning to direction after 21 years. His directorial debut was the 2002 film 'Om Jai Jagadish', a Hindi drama featuring an ensemble cast including Waheeda Rehman, Abhishek Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Fardeen Khan, and Urmila Kher announced 'Tanvi The Great' last March and recently shared a video glimpse introducing Shubangi Dutt as Tanvi. A student from Kher's acting school, Shubangi marks her film debut with this the look reveal video: With music composed by Oscar-winner M.M. Keeravani, the film is produced by Anupam Kher Studios and NFDC, in association with Lower Middle Class Corporation.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Anupam says Iain Glen brings 'gravitas, warmth, and compassion' in 'Tanvi The Great'
Picture Credit: X Veteran actor and filmmaker Anupam Kher has talked about casting his 'Mrs. Wilson' co-star Iain Glen in his upcoming directorial " Tanvi The Great " and said that the Scottish star not only brings the brilliance of his acting to the character of Michael Simmons but also the "gravitas, warmth, and compassion" in the film. After unveiling lead actress Shubhangi , Anupam on Monday released a poster featuring the " Game of Thrones " star Iain Glen as Michael Simmons on Instagram. In the caption section, he wrote, "ACTORS of TANVI THE GREAT: I acted with Iain Glen (Game Of Thrones) in a #BBC three part series #MrsWilson. We became friends after the shoot. So when I was casting for Michael Simmons's character in #TanviTheGreat, I sent the script to Iain, and he immediately agreed to play one of the most important characters in our film (sic)." "He brings with him not only the brilliance of his acting to the character but also the gravitas, warmth, and compassion so needed in the film. Thank you my friend for being part of this important Indian film for the world. Jai Ho! (sic)," added the actor. Directed by Anupam Kher, with music by Oscar-winner M.M. Keeravani , the film is produced by Anupam Kher Studios and NFDC, in association with Lower Middle Class Corporation. The release date will be announced soon. On April 28, Anupam had talked about his decision to cast debutante Shubhangi from his acting school for the lead role in "Tanvi The Great." He explained that he saw great potential in her and believed she was the perfect fit to bring the character to life on screen. "When it came to casting Tanvi, I was determined to discover a fresh face and select a talent from my institute, Actor Prepares, to offer a newcomer this opportunity," he said. He went on to praise Shubhangi's exceptional talent and said that she has given her all to portray Tanvi.
The Herald Scotland
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Netflix and Amazon now making better Scottish drama than BBC or STV
Increasingly the answer is: yes they can. Netflix scored the year's biggest hit with Adolescence, notionally set in a fictional northern English town but tethered pretty firmly to South Yorkshire through its script (Doncaster was mentioned) and its filming locations (exteriors in Sheffield, interiors at Production Park studio near Pontefract). Then there was Martin Compston's well-received outing for Amazon, the three-part psychological thriller, Fear. It was set in Glasgow and saw Compston using his own accent, as he did in another Scottish-set Amazon show, The Rig. It's currently on its second series and, while season three hasn't been officially announced, the noises from cast members such as Compston's co-star Iain Glen are positive. 'It does feel that we haven't completed that journey,' Mr Glen told the Radio Times. 'It does feel that we've done the middle chapter. There is more to tell.' The next Scottish-set offering from the streamers – it is starting to feel a little like a conveyor belt – is nine parter Dept. Q, which premieres on Netflix on May 29. It's based on an acclaimed series of cold case crime novels by Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen, but in the hands of Oscar nominated American writer and show-runner Scott Frank it has been removed from Copenhagen to a city with the same latitude but (slightly) cheaper beer – Edinburgh. Emily Hampshire and Iain Glen in The Rig (Image: free) Does that nullify the cultural specificity argument? The proof will be in the watching, but not necessarily. For a start, filming took place at various locations in Edinburgh, as shown by the first set of images released recently by Netflix. Second, one of Frank's co-writers is local(-ish) boy Stephen Greenhorn, creator of River City and Sunshine On Leith. Third, the casting is a Caledonian treat. English actor Matthew Goode stars, but he's joined in the credits by top Scottish acting talent in the form of Kelly Macdonald, Shirley Henderson, Kate Dickie, Mark Bonnar, Jamie Sives and Chloe Pirrie. Goode, who is thankfully not being asked to wrestle with the Edinburgh accent, plays a cantankerous and little liked English detective assigned to the cold case department by his boss (Dickie). He assembles as team of misfits and oddballs and, well, you can probably imagine the rest. Or you may even have seen some of the several Swedish film versions of the novel series. Well, nobody claimed it was original. No matter. Good or bad, acclaimed or otherwise, what it does do is once more underline that fact that where representations of Scotland and Scottish life are concerned, our home-based broadcasters are no longer the only game in town – which brings other, tricker questions than the one I opened with. Read more Club ties I thought the kailyard battles of old were well behind us – by which I mean I thought we had buried a sentimentalised notion of what Scottish culture is, stopped peddling it to the outside world (except in the tartan tat tourist shops) and convinced ourselves and everybody else that we have artists, DJs, musicians, writers, producers and film-makers as cutting edge as any you'll find in (insert super-cool city or country here). However a line in Marissa MacWhirter's interview for The Herald with Sub Club managing director Mike Grieve makes me stop and think. The Scottish Government, he says, only sees and promotes what he calls 'the kilts and shortbread culture. They don't actually see what we do as being cultural in the right way … They certainly don't support it financially.' Are there right and wrong ways of being cultural? Again, that's an argument we have been having for a long time. Mr Grieve's particular complaint centres on the poor health of what's known as the night-time economy. In particular he bemoans the loss of Scotland's nightclubs – down from 125 to 83 between June 2020 and June 2024. The Sub Club, one of the most storied house and techno venues in Europe, is well enough protected, but the wider ecosystem is clearly in danger, with definite cultural consequences. Ahead of the planned publication of a manifesto for Scotland's night-time economy, Mr Grieve's words are worth a read – doubly so if you know your dubstep from you future funk. And remember this: one decade's club flyers is another decade's museum exhibition. Click here to read the piece And finally Reboots, re-imaginings and reunions dominate this week's cargo of reviews from The Herald's critics. Theatre critic Neil Cooper was at the Lochgelly Centre in Fife for Frankie Stein, Julia Taudevin's musical update of Mary Shelley's evergreen horror novel for the Stellar Quines company. 'Big, bright and bold' is his verdict. Neil also took in a re-imagining by Nikki Kalkman of the Greek myth of Jocasta, Queen of Thebes and mother of Oedipus. That one, part of Òran Mór's A Play, A Pie And A Pint season, was directed by Kate Nelson and starred Zoë Hunter in 'a mighty solo turn' as Jocasta. Then, at Edinburgh's Festival Theatre, something completely different: Calamity Jane, in a touring production of Nikolai Foster's 2014 reboot (the boot here being of the cowboy variety, of course). As for the re-union, that was on show at the Glasgow Hydro where Teddy Jamieson had his highly polished dancing shoes on for the first ever arena tour by Noughties pop legends Sugababes, now reformed. Did they play Overload? Hell, they opened with it. Freak Like Me? You betcha. Read our reviews here
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Studio 100 Rides Animation Wave as Hong Kong Market Takes Aim at Booming Toons
The gobsmacking success of Chinese animated feature 'Ne Zha 2,' which recently topped $2 billion in China to become the first ever to break that record in a single market, has got toon-makers in Asia, well, animated… More from Variety Hong Kong's FilMart Gets Animated as More Toons Join Project Market Lineup Aaron Kwok Drama 'IOU' Unveiled by Distribution Workshop at Hong Kong FilMart 'Game of Thrones' Star Iain Glen Joins TBA Studios' Philippines Historical Biopic 'Quezon' (EXCLUSIVE) 'Ne Zha 2' is now well on track to become one of the six best-performing movies of all time. These are heady days for toons in Asia. The HKIFF Industry Project Market has seen a staggering 60% jump in animation submissions versus last year — of the 48 projects in the project market, six are toon features. 'Animation may be an area that Hong Kong is trying to play a role to become some kind of a hub that people can come and exchange ideas and projects … we think this may be an area for growth,' HKIFF industry director Jacob Wong told Variety. 'We have people coming in from Japan, a traditional powerhouse production country for animation. And then we have people coming in from China, who recently produced this mega-box office animation hit ('Ne Zha 2'). And then we have people coming in from Indonesia, which is a major animation production country in Southeast Asia. They do a lot of animation for children, which is a really big market,' said Wong. The animation slate in the project market comprises both industry veterans and rising toon talents, including Hong Kong director Toe Yuen ('My Life as McDull,' 2003 Annecy best film winner) whose 'A Mighty Adventure' (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia) was shot live in Taiwan, with 90% of computer animation completed in Malaysia. The development slate includes Kunming-born artist Gao Yuan's 'Cloud of the Unknown' (Hong Kong, France), backed by producer Isabelle Glachant. Gao's previous short of the same name premiered at Locarno 2020, winning the Arte Laguna prize. Mumbai-based Triparna Maiti brings 'The Tale of the Holy Beast' (India), which previously pitched at Annecy's Mifa market, the Busan Asian Project Market and Seattle's Tasveer Film Market. Rounding out the animation slate is Xu Zao's 'Light Pillar' (China), produced by actor-director Da Peng. Among the companies hoping to ride the wave of Asian animation is success is Munich-based family entertainment specialist Studio 100 Film. After securing strong international sales across multiple territories for 'Miss Moxy' and 'North', Studio 100 Film is seeking Asian distribs at FilMart for its slate of animated films. As well as 'Miss Moxy' and 'North', Studio 100 Film is bringing 'Rally — From Paris to the Pyramids', helmed by Rasmus A. Sivertsen ('Captain Sabertooth and the Magic Diamond') and written by Rob Sprackling ('Gnomeo & Juliet'). The film is set for delivery at the end of 2025. 'The global animation market remains vibrant, with a strong appetite for independent productions. However, given the saturation of animated content in the market, quality has become the key differentiator. Distributors are seeking well-crafted stories with broad audience appeal, ideally on strong Ips,' said Lucrecia Magnanini, who manages sales and acquisition at Studio 100 Film. 'We are closing strong deals in markets like Taiwan and Vietnam, which reflects the ongoing potential for quality animated content,' she said. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025
