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Production has commenced on the highly anticipated Mary Poppins Returns and Walt Disney Studios have finally revealed some exciting plot details.

Filming is currently underway at Shepperton Studios in Surrey, England and the musical is scheduled for release on December 25, 2018.

Emily Blunt stars in Mary Poppins Returns

Continue reading: Here's What We Know So Far About 'Mary Poppins Returns'

The Oscar-nominated star of 12 Years A Slave, Chiwetel Ejiofor, is likely to become the next James Bond villain, according to Variety. The trade magazine says the British star is the top name on producers' wish list for the 24th official James Bond movie, which will once again be directed by Sam Mendes as well as starring Daniel Craig.

Chiwetel Ejiofor Could Be The Next Bond Villain

Bond 24 is due to begin filming in the summer for a November 2015 release date. Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw and Naomie Harris are also set to return as M, Q and Moneypenny respectively. 

Continue reading: '12 Years A Slave' Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor Set For Bond Villain Role

Director Dexter Fletcher has walked out on Sony's Freddy Mercury movie, meaning it's back to the drawing board for a project that has already suffered numerous setbacks. Fletcher, who landed the gig after his work on Sunshine on Leith, did not see eye-to-eye with GK Films' Graham King on the direction of the movie, according to Deadline.

Dexter Fletcher Has Left The Freddie Mercury Biopic

Skyfall actor Ben Whishaw is set to play Mercury, but the delay in finding Fletcher's replacement could have wider implications for the production schedule with Whishaw preparing to begin work on the new Bond movie with Sam Mendes.

Continue reading: Freddie Mercury BioPic Parts Ways With Dexter Fletcher

With his latest film The Zero Theorem, Terry Gilliam returns to the ramshackle future he first visited in his now-classic 1985 film Brazil and then again in 1995's Twelve Monkeys.

Ben Whishaw in 'The Zero Theorem'

Known for his flights of fancy in movies like Life of Brian, Time Bandits and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Gilliam's rampant imagination is well-suited to stories set in the chaos of a future dystopia where society seems to be crushing the independent spirit of the central character.

Continue reading: The Zero Theorem: Is Terry Gilliam Back To 'Twelve Monkeys' Form?

Terry Gilliam's latest effort The Zero Theorem follows a computer hacker and his ultimate goal to discover the reason for human existence. A shadowy organisation known only as The Management are keen to interrupt his work and send a lusty love interest to distract him from his potentially ground-breaking work.

Christoph Waltz [L], Peter Stormare [Centre] and Ben Whishaw [R] in 'The Zero Theorem'

It all sounds very...Gilliam...though from the polarizing critical reception, we're no clearer as to whether the 73-year-old has made his finest movie yet, or another scatty missed opportunity.

Continue reading: 'The Zero Theorem': Terry Gilliam Trapped In His Own Fantasy? [Trailer + Pictures]

Former Queen bassist John Deacon is apparently having nothing to do with the upcoming biopic of the group's late singer Freddie Mercury as he continues to maintain his exile from the surviving group member's work under the Queen name. According to the group's guitarist Brian May, Deacon has given the script for the film his approval, but wants nothing more to do with the upcoming movie project, or the potential new Queen album rumoured to be in the works.

Mercury will be remembered in the upcoming biopic

"We kinda mourn for John as well as Freddie in a sense," May recently told Rolling Stone. "I do know John's read the script and he's in approval...[But] he just doesn't want to be walking those roads ... He's in his own space and we respect that. It's a shame, because we would love to have him around but he doesn't want to be in that arena anymore."

Continue reading: John Deacon Rules Out Any Involvement In Freddie Mercury Biopic

Remember Stars in Their Eyes? That was good wasn’t it, and while it may have provided an incredibly cheap platform on which to build this story – surrounding Ben Whishaw’s upcoming turn as Freddie Mercury in a biopic of the mercurial singer – we maintain its validity and quality. But that’s enough nostalgia now; it’s time to step back into 2013.

Ben Whishaw clasping his Bafta

Whishaw has replaced Sacha Baron Cohen - reports the BBC -  who pulled out of playing the late Queen star because of creative differences with the band. He wanted to portray every facet of Mercury’s life included the more debauched and unsavoury times, as well as the creative entertainment powerhouse that he was. The remaining Queen members on board, though, wanted a family friendly exposition of his life, and ties were cut.

Continue reading: Tonight Matthew, I'm Going To Be Freddy Mercury - Ben Whishaw

The latest stage version of William Shakespeare's historic epic Henry V is currently playing to packed-out audiences at the Noel Coward Theatre on London's West End, with critics being particularly taken by lead man Jude Law, who portrays the embattled monarch in Michael Grandage's take on the show.

Jude Law is being roundly praised for his depiction of Henry V

The last instalment of the Michael Grandage Company’s season on the West End, it may also be the best too, thanks largely to the star performance from its lead performer. After a successful 15-month season, consisting of five plays each performed at the Noel Coward Theatre, Henry V marks the end of Grandage's triumphant run, but he couldn't have ended things on higher note. Whilst praise has been distributed to the direction and stage design for the show, it is Law's lead performance that has captured critics and audiences alike, as the Dom Hemingway actor continues his good run of form as a critically acclaimed acting talent.

Continue reading: Jude Law As 'Henry V' Is (Probably) The Best Acting Performance Of 2013

'Fifty Shades' Saved: The movie adaptation of the bestselling erotic trilogy has been beset by issues, not least the walk-out of frontman Charlie Hunnam. After plenty of speculation in the media, Irish The Fall actor  has stepped in and it looks as though the movie's ready to begin filming with Dornan and Dakota Johnson from November. Learn more about Jamie Dornan.

A Future King Christened: All eyes were on the UK's royal family once again for the christening of Prince William and Duchess Catherine's three month old baby, Prince George. The tiny ceremony was attended by just 22 guests, which included the highest members of the royal family, Kate's family and George's 7 godparents. Find out who was picked.

Continue reading: A Week In News: Jamie Dornan To '50 Shades' Rescue, A Royal Baptism & Pearl Jam Rock To Top Of Charts

Brian May has opened up about Sacha Baron Cohen's departure from the planned Freddie Mercury biopic, which it seems is almost certainly going to be a sugar-coated love letter to the late Queen singer.

Cohen walked away from the project in July after spending months honing his vocals for the role, however, reports suggested he fell out with may and Roger Taylor of his planned portrayal of Mercury.

Now, speaking with UltimateClassicRock.com, Brian May explained, "In the end, we felt that his [Cohen's] presence in the movie would be very distracting.

Continue reading: Brian May: Sacha Baron Cohen "Distracting" In Freddie Mercury Biopic

Actor Ben Whishaw has reportedly stepped in to play legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury after the recent departure of Sacha Baron Cohen. The 33 year-old Skyfall actor has landed the role in the upcoming biopic charting the fame of the 'Bohemian Rhapsody' rocker, The Mail on Sunday claims to have confirmed.

Ben Whishaw Is The Queen Favourite For The Role.

Baron Cohen dropped out over the summer over quarrels with the remaining Queen members regarding the film's plot. Sacha was said to be gunning for a bare-all, gritty portrayal of the singer who died in 1991 whereas the band preferred a more family-friendly storyline that celebrated Queen's music.

Continue reading: Ben Whishaw Lands Freddie Mercury Role, Replaces Sacha Baron Cohen

The planned biopic of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury's life has been in discussion for three years now, with comic actor Sacha Baron Cohen in line to star as the late singer since the very beginning of the project. The biopic was thrown into disarray in the summer however, when it was reported that Cohen had been booted from the project, with little explanation for his exit. This week, Queen guitarist Brian May looked to shed some light on what happened.

Freddie Mercury is revered as one of the finest rock frontmen of all time

"It's quite difficult to talk about because we owe Sacha a lot," May told Classic Rock in it's latest issue. He went on to say, "He had so much enthusiasm for the project and it really helped us kick it into the start position. But in the end we felt that his presence in the movie would be very distracting."

Continue reading: Brian May Explains Why Sasha Baron Cohen Was Wrong For Freddie Mercury Biopic

The biopic of Queen frontman Freddy Mercury is now targeting British actor, Ben Whishaw for the lead role.

'Ali G' star, Sasha Baron Cohen, was closely attached to the film since it was announced back in September 2010 but the remaining members of Queen, who are producing the film, thought his presence would be "very distracting" in the lead role.

Legendary guitarist, Brian May, recently spoke to Classic Rock magazine about Baron Cohen leaving the project, "in the end we felt that his presence in the movie would be very distracting," May said.

Continue reading: Ben Whishaw Targeted For Freddy Mercury Role But What Happened To Sasha Baron Cohen?

Ben Wheatley has been handed the enviable task of helming the first two episodes of the new Dr. Who series, which will feature a new Timelord in the shape of Peter Capaldi, who was unveiled as the new Doctor when Matt Smith hung up his Sonic Screwdriver. The director – known for his feature films – has worked on TV, and with the BBC before.

Ben Wheatley has been a big fan of the sci-fi series

He directed 14 episodes of the Johnny comedy Ideal. He was also behind The Editors’ music video for Formaldehyde, but it was his movies, Down Terrace, Kill List and most recently, the critically acclaimed A Field in England, that thrust him to prominence.

Continue reading: Ben Wheatley To Usher In Peter Capaldi's Dr Who Generation With First 2 Eps

Shown last summer on BBC2, the spectacular, four-part, historical drama series, The Hollow Crown will be available to buy on DVD and to digitally download at the end of this month. The episodes began being broadcast in June 2012 and were brought to life by Skyfall director Sam Mendes who executively produced the episodes for the BBC channel.

The drama series features four of Shakespeare's plays, or the 'Henriad' as they are often collectively known: Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2 and Henry V. Across the four episodes star Ben Whishaw as King Richard II, Jeremy Irons as King Henry VI, Tom Hiddlestone as King Henry V and Patrick Stewart as John of Gaunt.

Continue reading: 'The Hollow Crown': Shakespeare 4-Play Miniseries Out Soon On DVD

The new Doctor Who will be revealed in a special live show on Sunday (August 4, 2013) with 'The Thick of It' star Peter Capaldi the clear favourite with the bookmakers.

According to the BBC, the half-four show will be presented by Zoe Ball and is set to feature an interview with the current Doctor Who Matt Smith and executive producer Steven Moffat. The casting remains shrouded in secrecy, with only a handful of those working on the long-running BBC show privy to the selection.

"The decision is made and the time has come to reveal who's taking over the Tardis," Moffat said. "For the last of the Time Lords, the clock is striking twelve."

Continue reading: Peter Capaldi To Be Announced As 'Doctor Who' In Special Live Show?

Rupert Grint, AKA Ron Weasley, will be putting his Potter days behind him as he makes his stage debut on the West End. The prestigious theatre circuit will be a baptism of fire for the 24 year-old actor who has never performed on stage before, having captured the attention of the Warner Bros. producers when he submitted a rap, aged 11, proclaiming how much he wanted the part of Harry Potter's best friend, Ron.

Grint: Eyeballing A West End Role.

It has been confirmed to BBC News that Grint will star alongside Ben Whishaw (Skyfall, The Hour) in a gritty play entitled Mojo that was originally performed at the Royal Court in 1995, followed by a film adaptation in 1998. Opening at the Harold Pinter theatre in October, black comedy Mojo will be set in a seedy 1950s Soho nightclub with Grint playing 'Sweets' who has a penchant for amphetamines and dark humour. The Thunderpants actor will star alongside Whishaw, Downton Abbey's Brendan Coyle and Made in Dagenham's Daniel Mays.

Continue reading: Rupert Grint To Make West End Debut Alongside Ben Whishaw

Ever fancied yourself behind the controls to the TARDIS? This could be your chance: the audition script used by the BBC on the hunt for a new timelord has been published in Doctor Who magazine, giving us a glimpse of life after Matt Smith.

The BBC Are On The Hunt For A Matt Smith Successor.

It could be safe to say that producers aren't on the lookout for a female Doctor Who. Although no indication is given whether the regenerated doctor's gender is the same or not, Jenna Lee Coleman's Clara's lines aren't half as surprised as they would have been had producers planned for the Doc to reappear with boobs and the Doctor doesn't react to a more feminine sounding voice. Sorry Olivia Colman and Helen Mirren; it's probably not going to be you.

Continue reading: Calling All Timelords! Doctor Who Audition Script Released By Steven Moffat

Ben Daniels is the latest name to become the favourite to inherit the role of Doctor Who in the long-running BBC series. Very soon there'll be very few British male actors who haven't been rumoured to be taking over the controls to the TARDIS as the Merlin actor now has the most favourable odds at 6/1. With previous odds of 16/1, Chiwetel Ejiofor (Salt, American Gangster) now closely follows Daniels at 7/1.

Could Ben Daniels Take Over From Matt Smith As The New Doctor?

However, chances are the new Who may not be a male actor at all; there have been calls for the new Doctor to be female, which would mark a first for the series which has run since 1963.

Continue reading: Ben Daniels Is New Favourite For 'Doctor Who' Job: Could He Be The One?

Rory Kinnear, 35, has apparently been offered the titular role in BBC's long-running sci-fi drama Doctor Who,causing betting agents Ladbrokes to close down bets after an influx of bets caused his odds to rise to 2/1.

The Telegraph have stoked the flames of this most recent rumour, reporting that their insider DW source confirmed Kinnear has been offered the role and is quoted saying "he is the perfect choice" to follow current Doctor, Matt Smith - who is soon to retire.

Will Rory Kinnear Be The Next Doctor Who?

Continue reading: Rory Kinnear, A Time Lord? Apparently He's Been Offered Doctor Who Role...

Skyfall star Ben Whishaw, who plays a youthful incarnation of gadget expert Q in the latest Bond film, has hinted that the follow-up to the massively successful 007 movie may be ready to begin filming as early as this year.

Speaking to The Radio Times, the actor revealed that the next instalment of the Bond franchise could begin filming in as little as 'about ten months’ from now, should everything continue to go to plan. Whishaw was quick to cover his tracks though, should things fall behind schedule with the film, adding, ‘Well, hopefully. Let’s hope so!’

Whishaw and 007 himself, Daniel Craig, have confirmed their place in the follow-up Bond film, with Craig signed on to appear in at least three more Bond films. One person who is yet to commit to the follow-up, but has voiced interest, is Skyfall director Sam Mendes, who admitted at last weeks BAFTAs that he would 'certainly consider' stepping behind the camera again, but wont commit until he has seen a script.

Continue reading: Skyfall Star Ben Whishaw Insists: 'New Bond To Film This Year'

Ben Whishaw, who plays MI6 technical expert Q in Skyfall, has managed to relight the 007 fire just a week before The Oscars are set to celebrate the franchise’s 50 year anniversary, by hinting at a filming date for the 24th Bond film.

Speaking to The Radio Times, who were keen to find out if he had been in touch with Daniel Craig, Wishaw said, "we know that we'll probably be back together again in about ten months." Then, realising he’d possibly let the cat out of the bag, he quickly said, "Well, hopefully. Let's hope so!" Too late Ben, too late. Whishaw also talked about the reality of Craig doing more Bond films: "I know that he’s doing the next three so I’m not thinking beyond that. We’ve got to just get through those first," he said before opening up his character as the infamous Q. "Well obviously I would like just for him to be in it more!" he joked.

Lots of talk has surrounded Craig’s return as Bond, with some reports suggesting he wouldn’t be happy with a quick turnaround to make another film. Idris Elba was then mooted to take over as 007, becoming the first black James Bond in the process. As for the director, it looks as if Mendes has done enough to stay in the driver’s seat. He recently indicated he would be open to a second Bond film, saying: "we would want to make a better movie next time around".

BBC Two has decided against renewing newsroom drama The Hour for a third series, the corporation has confirmed. The show, starring Dominic West and Ben Whishaw, followed the lives of fictional BBC journalists at the Old Lime Grove studios in London, and despite showing early promise in its first run, failed to pull in the viewers for its sophomore season. Whishaw's performance as idealistic reporter Freddie Lyons was no doubt instrumental in his casting of Q in Sam Mendes' James Bond movie Skyfall.

The show, penned by Shame and The Iron Lady writer Abi Morgan, received multiple award nominations and drew around 2.2 million viewers for its first season. However, its second run pulled in just 1.47 millions on average, despite getting nods at the BAFTAs, Emmys and the Golden Globes. Broadcast magazine reported that Jane Fatherstone - chief executive of Kudos which produced the show - was "sad and disappointed," by the decision, as the original aim had been to produce three series. A BBC spokeswoman said, "We loved the show but have to make hard choices to bring new shows through."

Though it's bad news for The Hour cast and crew, it's hard to conceive its lead stars will be short of work in the near future. In fact, it was recently announced that Dominic West would play Welsh acting legend Richard Burton in a BBC Four drama charting his relationship with Elizabeth Taylor. Whishaw recently completed filming Terry Gilliam's computer hacker drama The Zero Theorem with Christoph Waltz and Matt Damon.

Continue reading: On Borrowed Time: BBC Two Axes Dominic West Starring 'The Hour'

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.