Latest news with #Invasion
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Breaking Baz: ‘Bring Her Back' Star Billy Barratt Says He Performed Best In The Horror Pic After Being Locked Alone In A Room Without His Phone
EXCLUSIVE: Billy Barratt, star of Danny and Michael Philippou's grippingly intense, dark and twisted Bring Her Back, was able to get into the mood for horror by being locked alone in a room, he reveals. Brit actor Barratt, 17, who also plays Casper Morrow, one of the few humans able to communicate with the alien invaders in the Apple TV+ drama Invasion, tells Deadline: 'There were moments where Danny would basically lock me in a room by myself, and he goes, 'Just try and get in character.' He shut the door, I'm not allowed to leave. I ended up just sitting there with no phone, no nothing — which is great, by the way. I just sat there for ages, and then when I came back outside of that door, back into the scene … you just feel like you are there are in it.' More from Deadline Horror Twins Danny & Michael Philippou On The Evil That Lies Beneath In Their Latest 'Bring Her Back' – Crew Call Podcast 'Bring Her Back' Review: Sally Hawkins Gaslights Kids & Channels Grief Into Terror In The Philippous' Trauma-Soaked Sophomore Feature 'Lilo & Stitch' Still Rich With $60M-$64M Second Weekend, 'Mission Impossible 8' Near $27M, 'Karate Kid: Legends' Looks To Punch $21M+ - Box Office Update It was funny at first, but then he found it freaky and scary. However, he adds, being shut away for half-hour stretches at a time was useful. 'Seeing the effect it had actually helped me so much, not just in the script but in future projects as well. So thank you, Danny,' he says with gratitude. Bring Her Back is a horror film underpinned by a solid tale involving siblings Andy and Piper, who is vision-impaired, played by Barratt and Sora Wong, respectively. Following the death of their father, they're fostered by Laura, a seemingly — at first glance, at least — kindly, grieving mother whose daughter has died, played by two-time Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins. 'It's more emotion than just jump scares and gory things,' Barratt says with a dramatic shiver. This isn't a spoiler, because it's in all the trailers, but Hawkins scares the living daylights out of those kids – and the audience. There's a third kid involved in the story called Oliver, played with macabre relish by Jonah Wren Phillips. I saw the A24 picture on a recent morning at a screening kindly set up by Sony at its HQ in Paddington, London, and it left me shaken for the rest of the day — and night. Hawkins fully immerses herself in her role. Barratt recalls chatting to her at the wrap party. 'She said to me, 'We should meet up in London because I haven't actually got to meet you as me yet properly.' And I was like, 'Oh, OK. Cool. Right. So you were really Laura in that!'' He makes clear that the actress wasn't 'terrifying' the whole time. 'It only clicked for me when she said that. And I was like, 'Oh, so you were fully immersed the whole time?'' It can be 'quite handy' to stay in character all day, he says, and go the full Daniel Day-Lewis. There were three weeks of pre-production in Adelaide, Australia, the Philippous' home state, which he says, 'actors at my level aren't usually involved in.' Ordinarily, 'you just sort of show up on the first day, they've done their pre-production, and then you just start. Here, everyone felt so involved. Me especially. It actually helped me and Sora to have that sort of brother-sister relationship, which is hard to get until you actually hang out with them. Those first three weeks of pre-production were fun for sure, because it felt like the whole thing was a great big icebreaker.' Barratt studied acting and music at Sylvia Young's drama school in London, and he was cast in several TV shows, films and one musical. That was with Kelsey Grammer in the musical Big Fish, which I happened to have caught. His breakthrough came when he was 12 in director Nick Holt and writer Sean Buckley's Responsible Child , the 2019 Kudos and BBC TV drama that won him the International Emmy for Best Actor, followed by two seasons of Invasion. He's already filmed a third season, possibly coming to screens later this year. There's a genuine brother-and-sister warmth between the Andy and Piper characters in Bring Her Back — and plenty of sibling bickering too. He's always holding her hand, and the relationship doesn't seem at all feigned. 'And also the fact that I'm not sure how much she could see,' Barratt tells me, because like Piper, Sora is partially blind, though she could see more than her character. 'Anywhere we'd go,' he gently adds, 'we'd end up just sort of linking arms. And so I explained to her what I could see, what was going on, and just sort of paint an image for her. Andy's whole thing is he wants to make the world look like a better place for his little sister.' Hawkins' Laura does a bunch of things that I can't spoil here, though as we discuss them, the word that Barratt and I kept repeating was 'weird.' I'd go so far to say, wonderfully weird. Maybe terrifyingly weird is more appropriate. And as Barratt points out, 'Piper cannot see what's going on.' It's a whole mind game and such great writing from Danny Philippou and Michael Hinzman, who wrote Talk to Me. Barrett didn't meet with any psychologists or social workers whilst preparing for the film, but he tells me that he was introduced to Miranda Harcourt, the distinguished dramaturg and acting coach who often works with the likes of Nicole Kidman. 'She helped me and Sora … and also just how to approach certain scenes and just gave options and different exercises to do before a scene to get you real wound up,' he explains. He says that the crew 'were also my therapy.' How so, I ask. 'Because anytime that it was like a sad scene or a really happy scene or whatever, they would match the vibe on set all day. And it was just so a 'We are one' sort of thing.'' For instance, if he had to do a really sad scene, 'everyone would be really quiet for the whole day.' Reviewing Barratt's performances from Responsible Child, through two seasons of Invasion and now Bring Her Back, there is a discernible deeper progression in his acting. I mean, he's growing up. He's not a little kid anymore; he's gained confidence in front of the camera as he's gotten older. It's not something that he's noticed himself, though he notes that there's 'definitely a feeling of being more comfortable on set' that first day when you don't know anyone. 'It's nerve-wracking, and all you can really think about is the scene, but then at the same time, are they going to like it? Am I doing the right thing? There's still time to pull me out of the movie. But that's just what goes through my mind, at least.' Reflecting on Invasion, he points out that he's been on the set with his castmates since he was 13, 'and I'm turning 18 next month.' Shaking his head, he adds, 'It's just been a mad trip, a mad drive, especially through Covid and everything.' There were stops and starts during the pandemic, though there was a period where they had to stop shooting 'for ages.' But when they resumed 'we'd all grown up by that point and all the growth spurts had happened.' The plus factor is that he made lifelong friends through his involvement with Invasion. He took Cassius, his younger brother, to the set while shooting the final episode of Season 2. 'He was acting a little bit before this and then stopped. And then when I took him to that set, he was so amazed by all the lights and the lasers. It was a mad thing to see. He was like, 'I want to start acting again.' There's video on YouTube of the 2020 International Emmy ceremony done remotely. Barratt's at home with his family, and when he's announced as the winner, he turns to Cassius, now 13, and says, 'Man, I love you,' rubs his brother's head affectionately and says, 'That'll be you next.' It's a telling moment. Also in Bring Her Back there are aforementioned moments with Wong, and in certain scenes in Invasion, there's a sort of inherent caring gene that he has that comes through the screen. The matter is not something he's, thought about or is aware of, obviously, but Barratt acknowledges there's something in what I'm suggesting. 'I think that's what freaks me out when I'm watching myself back. Is it too much like me or have I actually got the character down or have I just half-assed that? Because I'm seeing parts of me in there. But then I also think on the flip side of that, I think it's quite important to have a little bit of you in there because that's what makes it natural.' During the Bring Her Back shoot, he says that he saw a lot of his brother in Sora because they're a similar age 'and they have fights and that sort of thing.' He adds: 'It's just siblings, there's a real deep love in it. I definitely saw a lot of my brother in Sora's character.' We spent a long time chatting, and it's clear, at least to me, that Barratt's in it for the long haul. 'I'd love to be involved in every aspect of a film from the moment it started right up to when it comes out,' he says. 'I think there's moments that I miss because as an actor it's just not your job to be involved in those certain scenarios. And I wish I could be involved in that. And I look at some really big actors who will sit next to the director and have a say in what happens. And I don't know if that's because they're able to produce as well or whatever. 'I am not like, massive. You say to anyone: 'What's his name?' I dunno,' he shrugs. 'I'm definitely new. I'm definitely starting, even though I've been doing it for about 11 years now, almost. I'm a new actor, I guess.' Every actor arrives in some shape or from, I suggest. Leonardo DiCaprio didn't arrive fully formed, nor did Timothée Chalamet or Tom Cruise. Taking issue, Barratt argues that 'Leonardo DiCaprio did come fully formed. I love him. And I think every single film I've seen him in from when he was younger than me in these films like Basketball Diaries or What's Eating Gilbert Grape he's just incredible in all of it. I just think there's just some people that have just got it straight away, and I don't class myself with one of those people, I'm still learning, for sure. And I think that's what I mean when I say an 'actor at my level' — someone that doesn't understand a lot of it but really wants to. Wants to be involved in all of it.' We order French fries, a Coke for him and more piping-hot tea for me. Making Responsible Child, about a 12-year-old boy accused of helping to kill his abusive stepfather who was tried in court the same as an adult in England and Wales, opened his eyes to the power of film. After it came out, he realized 'how much of an impact' it had had, with changes made in how police and courts handle such cases. He remembers reading about it and thinking: 'Oh, shit! It's not just sitting down and watching something on Netflix. It can change people's lives.' Certainly, Responsible Child hold is one of those films that stay with you. There are a bunch of movies that have stayed with him too. Like David Fincher's Fight Club, Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island and Christopher Nolan's Inception. He's a big fan of Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation as well. And Michael Curtiz's Casablanca! He likes Francis Coppola's The Godfather, and now — having watched the Paramount+ series The Offer, about producer Albert S. Ruddy's experience of making The Godfather — he wants to see the whole trilogy. He'd like to work with the Philippou brothers again and admires what he calls their 'genius' way of working. They'd work a full day in the studio and then home and be up until the early hours editing the footage of the day and 'be back at 7 in the morning.' They shot with the same crew and used the same studio they filmed Talk to Me in. It was once an insane asylum. The Babadook was shot there. Apparently, he regales, the studio's haunted on one particular floor. 'We went up to have a little look around,' he recalls, 'This one room was so scary, and there was a pile of dead bees. A lot of bees bang in the center of the film. And people had told stories of cleaners quitting and a security guard going up there and in his ear he could hear whispering. He left and never came back. I would never come back. That's terrifying,' he says, pausing to add, 'a great place to shoot a horror movie.' Season 3 of Invasion was shot in Canada, with Barratt's scenes being shot before and after working on Bring Her Back. 'My hair was really long, and then I went to shoot Invasion, they cut my hair really short. And then I went back out to Canada, and my hair was still short. So then they a wig. But the wig, it just didn't look like it did before. I don't blame anyone for that. I just think it just didn't fit me correctly. It just wasn't right. I've actually watched it back on the cameras, and it looked good. But me actually walking around, it just didn't work.' He's not allowed to give anything away about Season 3 of Invasion, but he does let slip that … Oh, no! I realize that it's way too much of a spoiler to impart. Whatever happens to his Casper Morrow in Invasion, Billy Barratt's in for a long and fruitful career. Best of Deadline Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds 'Poker Face' Season 2 Guest Stars: From Katie Holmes To Simon Hellberg 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More


Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Which writer does Jeremy Vine think has been unfairly cancelled?
What book... ...are you reading now? I'm into Frank Gardner. It's a little strange, because Frank is a BBC colleague I've known for years. I vividly remember in 2004 being in a devastated huddle with other Newsnight colleagues when we heard he had been shot and left for dead in Riyadh (Frank survived but his cameraman, a lovely guy called Simon Cumbers, died). Frank's books are as gripping as anything. I started with the first, Crisis, and am now on the latest, Invasion. International espionage set in the near future. And on Audible, read by my friend himself! ...would you take to a desert island? I would attempt, for the second time, The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon. With six volumes, 1.5 million words and eight thousand footnotes (some of them jokes in Latin!) it defeated my father, who died before finishing it, and it defeated me at the first attempt, after I made it my vainglorious mission to honour my dear dad's efforts! A desert island would be the place to try again. I remember Gibbon saying most Caesars died violently, on average after 13 years – such a great Roman Empire stat. ...first gave you the reading bug? Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I remember him shooting into the sky in the glass elevator on the final page so well; I reckon I was nine years old when I read it. I couldn't imagine how he could end the book on the next page and then he did. I find the rewriting and near-cancellation of Roald Dahl 35 years after he died a silent abomination. Okay, he was not a very nice person but when was that ever the test of a great writer? ...left you cold? No writer likes to answer this question, but I regularly read prizewinning books (e.g. The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida) and don't quite get them. Probably the most drastic example of a classic that I felt guilty about not enjoying was Dune by Frank Herbert. It was just so dense and unbelievable, and the print was tiny, and I got to the end and realised I hadn't really touched the surface. This led me to the realisation that I'm not very good with science fiction. I find the appearance of any spaceship destroys it for me. Sorry, sci-fi fans.


Cision Canada
10-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
BOAT ROCKER MEDIA ANNOUNCES FILING OF MANAGEMENT INFORMATION CIRCULAR FOR SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TORONTO, May 9, 2025 /CNW/ - Boat Rocker Media Inc. ("BRMI" or the "Company") (TSX: BRMI) announced today that it has filed its notice of meeting, management information circular and related documents (collectively, the "Meeting Materials") with securities regulators in connection with the special meeting (the "Meeting") of the holders (the "Shareholders") of subordinate voting shares and multiple voting shares of the Company. The Meeting Materials can be accessed either on the Company's website at or under the Company's SEDAR+ profile at The Meeting is to be held on June 17, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (Toronto time) at the offices of Stikeman Elliott LLP, 5300 Commerce Court West, 199 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5L 1B5, Canada. Only Shareholders whose names have been entered in the register of the Company as at the close of business on April 21, 2025, the record date for the Meeting, or their duly appointed proxyholders, will be entitled to receive notice of and vote at the Meeting or any adjournment(s) or postponement(s) thereof. At the Meeting, Shareholders will be asked to pass resolutions approving, among things, (i) the reverse take-over of BRMI by Blue Ant Media Inc. ("Blue Ant"), a privately owned company controlled by Michael MacMillan, (ii) the management buyout of Boat Rocker Studios by BRMI Co-Founders and Co-Executive Chairmen, David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg, and BRMI CEO John Young, and (iii) the sale of the Company's interests in The Initial Group Global, LLC ("The Initial Group"), a U.S. talent management business, to Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (collectively, the "Transaction"). Shareholders are encouraged to vote well in advance of the proxy cut-off time of 10:00 a.m. (Toronto time) on June 13, 2025. If you have any questions regarding the Transaction or how to vote your shares, please contact the Company's proxy solicitation agent, Carson Proxy Advisors: (i) by telephone at 1-800-530-5189 (North American toll free); or (ii) by email at [email protected]. About Boat Rocker Media Inc. Boat Rocker (TSX: BRMI) is the home for creative visionaries. An independent, integrated global entertainment company, BRMI's purpose is to tell stories and build iconic brands across all genres and mediums. With offices around the world, BRMI's creative and commercial capabilities include Scripted, Unscripted, and Kids and Family television production, distribution, brand & franchise management, a world-class animation studio, and talent management through a minority stake in The Initial Group, a new company launched by TPG. A selection of BRMI's projects include: Invasion (Apple TV+), Palm Royale (Apple TV+), Video Nasty (BBC Northern Ireland, BBC Three, Virgin Media One, WDR), This Is the Tom Green Documentary (Prime Video), Orphan Black: Echoes (AMC), American Rust: Broken Justice (Prime Video), Beacon 23 (MGM+), Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (Hulu), Downey's Dream Cars (Max), BS High (HBO), Orphan Black (BBC AMERICA, CTV Sci-Fi Channel), Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry (Apple TV+), The Next Step (BBC, Corus, CBC), Daniel Spellbound (Netflix), and Dino Ranch (Disney+, Disney Junior, CBC). For more information, please visit Forward-Looking Information / Cautionary Statements Certain information contained in this news release may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "foresee", "could", "estimate", "goal", "intend", "plan", "seek", "will", "may", "would" and "should" and similar expressions or words suggesting future outcomes. These forward-looking statements reflect material factors and expectations and assumptions of the parties. These forward-looking statements include the assumptions: that the Transaction is able to be completed on the timelines and on the terms currently anticipated; that all regulatory and other required approvals can be obtained on the timelines and in the manner currently anticipated; that the anticipated benefits of the transaction are able to be achieved; that the businesses of both BRMI and Blue Ant will continue to operate in a manner consistent with past practice; and that the parties' transition plans are effective. The parties' estimates, beliefs and assumptions are inherently subject to uncertainties and contingencies regarding future events and, as such, are subject to change. Risks and uncertainties not presently known to the parties or that they presently believe are not material could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Additional information on these and other factors that could affect events and results are included in other documents and reports that will be filed by BRMI with applicable securities regulatory authorities and may be accessed through the SEDAR+ website ( Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect the parties' expectations only as of the date of this press release. The parties disclaim any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by law. U.S. Securities Matters None of the securities to be issued pursuant to the Transaction have been or will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws. The resulting issuer securities to be issued in the Transaction are anticipated to be issued in reliance upon available exemptions from such registration requirements pursuant to section 3(a)(10) of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable exemptions under state securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. SOURCE Boat Rocker Media Inc.


Business Upturn
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Upturn
Is ‘Invasion' returning for season 3? Everything we know so far
By Aman Shukla Published on May 8, 2025, 19:00 IST Last updated May 8, 2025, 12:06 IST Apple TV+'s sci-fi drama Invasion has captivated audiences with its gripping narrative and global perspective on an alien invasion. After two thrilling seasons, fans are eager to know: Is Invasion Season 3 happening? Here's everything we know so far. Invasion Season 3 Renewal Status Good news for fans: Invasion has been officially renewed for a third season by Apple TV+. The renewal was announced on February 13, 2024, via posts on X, with production reportedly starting shortly after. Multiple sources, including TV Insider and Rotten Tomatoes, confirm that Season 3 is in development, signaling Apple's confidence in the series' growing popularity. When Will Invasion Season 3 Premiere? While an exact premiere date for Invasion Season 3 has not been announced, we can make an educated guess based on the show's production timeline. Filming began in early 2024, and considering the post-production demands of a sci-fi series with heavy visual effects, a release is likely in late 2025 or early 2026. For comparison, Season 1 premiered in October 2021, and Season 2 followed in August 2023. Apple TV+ typically spaces out releases for its major shows, so fans should stay tuned for official updates. Where to Watch Invasion Invasion Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream exclusively on Apple TV+. With Season 3 in production, now is the perfect time to catch up on the series before its anticipated return. Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at


CBS News
15-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Federal judge in Denver rules against Trump administration on deportations of men held by ICE in Aurora
A federal judge in Denver has ruled in favor of several immigrants' rights organizations and against the Trump administration concerning the administration's efforts to deport several men being held at a detention center in Aurora. The ACLU and several other organizations sued President Trump to stop some deportations out of Colorado. Monday night, U.S. District Judge for the District of Colorado Charlotte Sweeney ruled in favor of those groups, temporarily blocking any deportation under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 . "The order issued by the Court at ECF No. 10 prohibits the removal from this jurisdiction of Petitioners and the class they propose to represent; namely, 'All noncitizens in custody in the District of Colorado who were, are, or will be subject to the March 2025 Presidential Proclamation entitled Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act Regarding the Invasion of the United States by Tren de Aragua and/or its implementation,'" Sweeney wrote. This order will remain in effect through at least April 21, when Sweeney will issue another order. The suit stems from an order issued by a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, which ruled that immigrants facing deportation are entitled to due process rights. That order came after the Trump administration invoked a seldom-used wartime law known as the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 in an effort to deport people it claims are part of a criminal gang from Venezuela, Tren de Aragua . The suit said that people being held at the Aurora ICE Processing Center are being held without charge and being denied due process or any way to fight the deportation proceedings in any court. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the U.S. Department of Justice in a 5-4 split in a separate but related case, but largely on the issue of jurisdiction, saying that the suit, filed in Washington, D.C., was filed in the wrong court, as that suit pertained to people being held in Texas. In that same order, the Supreme Court did rule, however, that people subject to removal under the Alien Enemies Act were entitled to legal protections and the right to fight their detention in court. "The notice must be afforded within a reasonable time and in such a manner as will allow them to actually seek habeas relief in the proper venue before such removal occurs," the court said. The ACLU's lawsuit in Colorado was filed on behalf of two detainees at the Aurora ICE facility, "and persons similarly situated." The people being held in Colorado, the ACLU argues, are "identical, save for the District, to the class protected by the Temporary Restraining Orders issued" in the New York case. It comes after reporting by CBS News and other organizations revealed the Trump administration has deported hundreds of people with no apparent criminal record to El Salvador to be held in a maximum-security prison designed to hold terrorism suspects. Some of those people, such as gay makeup artist Andry Hernandez Romero , had pending asylum cases in the U.S. Several other high-profile cases of deportations from elsewhere in the U.S. have raised questions about the reasons for those people's detention and claims by administration officials about those detainees' gang affiliations. A spokesman for ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday's ruling.