Latest news with #TheMaster
Metro
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
The latest Doctor Who rumours give me hope the series won't die
Doctor Who has survived an awful lot. We've seen the Doctor fall off a giant telescope, absorb a lethal amount of radiation (twice), and even bump their head on the Tardis console, yet they still walked away to tell the tale. True, they might not have had the same face after these incidents, but that's pretty run of the mill for Time Lords. It's strange, then, that for the first time since 2005 and Doctor Who's triumphant return that it feels like the beloved sci-fi series is in peril. Low viewing figures, mixed critical reception, and growing fan antipathy have dogged the show over the last few series, and there's a fear amongst fans that the Doctor might be done for. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. Yet, do you know who else has believed the Doctor was defeated over the years? The Daleks… and the Cybermen… and The Master. In fact, countless villains over the years have considered the Doctor to be beaten, only to be proven wrong, and new rumours have me optimistic that the Last of the Time Lords can do the impossible once again. We'll start with the bad news. There are unverified reports online that Disney is done with Doctor Who and that they won't be helping produce another season. On paper, that sounds like a massive blow, but before you start wailing into your Tom Baker scarf, there is some good news. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Supposedly, the BBC is close to finding a new partner for the beleaguered series, which will allow them to continue Doctor Who in some form or another. What form will the show take next? Who knows? To paraphrase the Doctor, regeneration is a lottery; you never know what you're going to get, and so is renewal in the TV world. What I do know is that whoever takes it over is unlikely to have pockets as deep as Disney – unless it's Apple TV Plus, they're Scrooge McDuck rich – which means Who's going to have to make some adjustments. And you know what? I think that's great. The BBC may have grand ambitions for Doctor Who to be a big-budget affair like the MCU or other modern sci-fi series, but that's not what audiences watch the show for. They watch it because they love the characters, the stories, and the incredible creativity of the writers. The House of Mouse's cash might have allowed the Doctor to go on bigger adventures than ever before through impressive special effects, incredible sets, and stunning CGI, but it also robbed the show of some of its underdog spirit. Now, the stereotype of every Doctor Who monster being made of a pedal bin with bubble wrap glued to it is a bit outdated, as is the belief that it's filmed exclusively in Welsh quarries. Yet it is true that the series' limited budget forced the show's writers and producers to get creative, which gave Doctor Who a certain charm all of its own. Monsters felt more real because they were just people in goofy costumes, not CGI behemoths. Alien worlds felt tangible because they weren't green screens, they were… well, to be honest, they were Welsh quarries, but they used other places in Wales too! More than that, I think the limited budgets pushed writers and producers to think their way out of problems, rather than throwing cash at them. There are plenty of examples from across the show's history but the best example I can think of involves the iconic Tardis. Have you ever wondered why the Tardis is a blue police phone box? No, it's not because the chameleon circuit is broken. It's because the BBC didn't want to pay for a new prop every week. More Trending That's right, one of the most important pieces of iconography in British pop culture was born because some backroom accountant wanted to save a couple of quid. Glibness aside, I do think a big problem in recent years has been an overreliance on spectacle over character and plot (most notably in the last two season finales). With that in mind then I'm hopeful that whoever takes on Who will make Russell T Davies and his writers realise expensive CGI isn't a substitute for a coherent story. View More » So, what I'm saying is that Disney dropping Doctor Who may wound the show. It may even force Doctor Who to change its face once again, but change can be for the better. Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: I won't risk my safety by seeing Charli XCX at Glastonbury 2025 MORE: I've applied for 38 jobs and got nowhere – I blame ageism MORE: Tom Felton was asked about JK Rowling and immediately showed his privilege
Irish Independent
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Colm Tóibín teams up with Wexford Festival Opera for new work inspired by town's Main Street
Colm Tóibín, author of award-winning novels including The Master, Brooklyn, and Long Island, has collaborated with composer Andrew Synnott, marking the second time the Wexford-born writer has worked with the festival. This new work, Urban Legends, will commence on October 19 and will be performed as late-night operas at 11pm in Green Acres Art Gallery in Wexford town. Each performance will last approximately 20 minutes. This follows Mr Tóibín's and Alberto Caruso's collaboration for WFO 2024 with their Pocket Opera (Opera Beag) Lady Gregory: In America. Libretto for this new work is by Mr Tóibín while music is by Mr Synnott, a long-time friend of the festival. The work is inspired by the urban legend that if you walk from one end of Wexford's Main Street to the other end, you will pass the person you are going to marry. Two young lovers set out from either end of the Main Street at noon and – according to legend – are destined to meet and get married. Both are single, both are in search of love. Will they meet? And if they do, will they fall for each other? Each night, we find out more clues of when and where – at what point on the street – they will finally meet and sing a love duet. These three different short late-night operas explore this legend over three separate nights at Green Acres Gallery. Each 20-minute stand-alone performance will be presented twice during the festival and can be enjoyed individually or as part of the series. Artistic Director Rosetta Cucchi said: 'I am so delighted that Colm Tóibín and Andrew Synnott have come together to create this special new work. This project began with an initial conversation that Colm and I had last year. Wexford Festival Opera is so intrinsically linked with Wexford town itself. Creating a work around one of the urban legends here seemed to fit so beautifully into the overall WFO theme this year of myths of legends and I can't wait to experience it myself during WFO 2025.' Booking is now open at for the 74th Wexford Festival opera which explores the theme of Myths and Legends will run from October 17 to November 1.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
19 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About "Friendship," One Of The F-U-N-N-I-E-S-T Movies I've Seen In A Looooooong Time
In case it hasn't landed on your radar yet, Friendship is a new ~wild~ comedy film from A24 starring Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd. The quick pitch is: Suburban dad, Craig (Robinson) falls hard for his charismatic new neighbor (Paul Rudd), but Craig's attempts to make an adult male friend threaten to ruin both of their lives. And let's just say, if you're a fan of the show I Think You Should Leave, this will be 1000% up your alley because the film feels like an extra-long episode of that show. And it's great, 10/10 would recommend. Because I enjoy a good deep-dive into things I like, here are some interesting behind-the-scenes facts about the film I just learned: is writer-director Andrew DeYoung's debut feature film. His previous credits include directing for shows like Our Flag Means Death, Pen15, and Shrill. the writing and jokes seem ~very~ Tim Robinson, he was shockingly not a writer (or even co-writer) on it. DeYoung says that Tim did come to mind while writing his script. "Thankfully, he said 'yes' when I sent it [the script] to him," he told Entertainment Weekly. and Robinson are actually good friends IRL, which maybe explains why DeYoung was able to capture Tim Robinson's comedic voice so well in the film. might think there was a ton of improv in the film, but apparently, Robinson doesn't like improv. According to DeYoung, they did do it [improv], as Rudd is "exceptional" at it. But while a few things made it into the movie, for the most part what you see was written on the page. of DeYoung's inspiration was his own friendship "issues" IRL. He explained, "A few years ago, I had my own Friendship issues that I was trying to resolve, and I realized that I'd never seen a breakup story about two middle-aged men. It's something that's happening all the time. It's tragic but it's also deeply funny." interestingly, DeYoung wrote the script in 2020 during the pandemic. surprising inspiration for the film was actually Paul Thomas Anderson's film The Master — a dramatic story about a guru who becomes dangerously entangled with one of his acolytes. Robinson was immediately on board with that concept. DeYoung said, "When I finished the Friendship screenplay, I told Tim that I had written it for him and that I wanted to shoot the story like it was The Master. He got right back to me and just said, 'Great, let's do it.'" the supporting role of Austin was a smaller part, which DeYoung says "made attracting talent trickier than expected." the part of Austin was actually rewritten for Paul Rudd. DeYoung explained, "It [the script] got to Paul Rudd, and it was just clear how amazing that would be." fact, Paul Rudd's character was originally named Brian. But then Rudd pointed out that "Brian" was the name of his character in Anchorman, who is ALSO a news guy. it was Paul Rudd who pitched the name "Austin" instead of Brian. for the role of Tami, played by Kate Mara, DeYoung wanted Robinson to act against someone not traditionally known for comedy. fact, Mara was one of the first people pitched to DeYoung. He told Entertainment Weekly, "I met her and immediately was like, 'Yeah, you're perfect. Let's do this.'" 16."Spiritual emptiness" is a theme DeYoung wanted to really emphasize in the film saying that in today's society, "capital has replaced religion." He continued, "I wanted to point to that, and to the almost religious grasp that companies like Marvel have on our culture." that empty feeling, they actually filmed in ice-cold weather — upstate New York in January and February for 23 days. despite the film being a comedy, DeYoung didn't want the audience to feel "safe or settled." to emphasize that uneasy feeling, the filmmakers used as much natural lighting as possible. In fact, they took inspiration from the 2018 psychological thriller Burning. In particular, they looked to a scene where the characters in that film are sitting outside at sunset. "We were reaching for something similar and to bring it into a comedy, where everybody's guard is down," said DeYoung. Friendship opens in theaters on May 9. And if you wanna see more, you can check out the official trailer here: Unless otherwise noted, facts were sourced from the film's production notes.
Buzz Feed
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Friendship Comedy Movie Behind The Scenes Facts
In case it hasn't landed on your radar yet, Friendship is a new ~wild~ comedy film from A24 starring Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd. The quick pitch is: Suburban dad, Craig (Robinson) falls hard for his charismatic new neighbor (Paul Rudd), but Craig's attempts to make an adult male friend threaten to ruin both of their lives. And let's just say, if you're a fan of the show I Think You Should Leave, this will be 1000% up your alley because the film feels like an extra-long episode of that show. And it's great, 10/10 would recommend. Because I enjoy a good deep-dive into things I like, here are some interesting behind-the-scenes facts about the film I just learned: This is writer-director Andrew DeYoung's debut feature film. His previous credits include directing for shows like Our Flag Means Death, Pen15, and Shrill. Although the writing and jokes seem ~very~ Tim Robinson, he was shockingly not a writer (or even co-writer) on it. However, DeYoung says that Tim did come to mind while writing his script. "Thankfully, he said 'yes' when I sent it [the script] to him," he told Entertainment Weekly. DeYoung and Robinson are actually good friends IRL, which maybe explains why DeYoung was able to capture Tim Robinson's comedic voice so well in the film. You might think there was a ton of improv in the film, but apparently, Robinson doesn't like improv. According to DeYoung, they did do it [improv], as Rudd is "exceptional" at it. But while a few things made it into the movie, for the most part what you see was written on the page. Part of DeYoung's inspiration was his own friendship "issues" IRL. He explained, "A few years ago, I had my own Friendship issues that I was trying to resolve, and I realized that I'd never seen a breakup story about two middle-aged men. It's something that's happening all the time. It's tragic but it's also deeply funny." And interestingly, DeYoung wrote the script in 2020 during the pandemic. Another surprising inspiration for the film was actually Paul Thomas Anderson's film The Master — a dramatic story about a guru who becomes dangerously entangled with one of his acolytes. And Robinson was immediately on board with that concept. DeYoung said, "When I finished the Friendship screenplay, I told Tim that I had written it for him and that I wanted to shoot the story like it was The Master. He got right back to me and just said, 'Great, let's do it.'" Originally, the supporting role of Austin was a smaller part, which DeYoung says "made attracting talent trickier than expected." And the part of Austin was actually rewritten for Paul Rudd. DeYoung explained, "It [the script] got to Paul Rudd, and it was just clear how amazing that would be." In fact, Paul Rudd's character was originally named Brian. But then Rudd pointed out that "Brian" was the name of his character in Anchorman, who is ALSO a news guy. And it was Paul Rudd who pitched the name "Austin" instead of Brian. As for the role of Tami, played by Kate Mara, DeYoung wanted Robinson to act against someone not traditionally known for comedy. In fact, Mara was one of the first people pitched to DeYoung. He told Entertainment Weekly, "I met her and immediately was like, 'Yeah, you're perfect. Let's do this.'" "Spiritual emptiness" is a theme DeYoung wanted to really emphasize in the film saying that in today's society, "capital has replaced religion." He continued, "I wanted to point to that, and to the almost religious grasp that companies like Marvel have on our culture." Echoing that empty feeling, they actually filmed in ice-cold weather — upstate New York in January and February for 23 days. And, despite the film being a comedy, DeYoung didn't want the audience to feel "safe or settled." Finally, to emphasize that uneasy feeling, the filmmakers used as much natural lighting as possible. In fact, they took inspiration from the 2018 psychological thriller Burning. In particular, they looked to a scene where the characters in that film are sitting outside at sunset. "We were reaching for something similar and to bring it into a comedy, where everybody's guard is down," said DeYoung. Friendship opens in theaters on May 9. And if you wanna see more, you can check out the official trailer here:
Reuters
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Ewan McGregor back on London stage in 'My Master Builder'
LONDON, April 30 (Reuters) - The new Ibsen-inspired play "My Master Builder" digs into modern-day relationship politics, actor Ewan McGregor said at the show's official opening night on Tuesday. Back on stage in the West End for the first time in 17 years, Emmy award winner McGregor, known for on-screen roles such as Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi in "Star Wars", said he loves doing theatre. "The audience teach you what works, what doesn't work," he said, adding that the bond actors have on stage "you can't really find in the film world". Set in the present day in The Hamptons in New York State, "My Master Builder" explores what happens when powerful publisher Elena Solness (Kate Fleetwood) throws her architect husband Henry Solness (McGregor) a dinner party - attended by a former student and love interest of his, played by Elizabeth Debicki. "It really is an interesting look at sexual politics, relationship politics of today versus the way that 'The Master Builder' was written ... in the late 1800s," McGregor said. Inspired by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen's 1892 play "The Master Builder", "My Master Builder" came from writer Lila Raicek's own experience of being treated like a pawn in a powerful couple's marriage. "I realised that this framework of this twisted love triangle was actually very much inspired by Ibsen. So Ibsen's kind of a scaffolding," she said. Unlike in Ibsen's play, her female characters are at the forefront, along with the men," Raicek said. "Every character holds equal weight ... our allegiances ... are with everyone in the play," she said. "It's about how people re-narrate their memories ... we really excavate what the two women in that story have to say to one another and how they reframe narratives to suit themselves or to manipulate one another," actor Kate Fleetwood explained. While McGregor played on Broadway in 2014's "The Real Thing" with Maggie Gyllenhaal, his last performance in London was in 2008 in director Michael Grandage's "Othello".
