"DA VINCI'S DEMONS" TO BE AIRED IN 200 COUNTRIES! STARZ MAKING "VLAD DRACULA" SHOW & "INCURSION" SF SERIES! NEW SYFY SHOW "HIGH MOON"! ABC TO MAKE "ROMEO & JULIET" SHOW!

Good news for all you epic show lovers: one of our most anticipated epic series DA VINCI'S DEMONS, which will be aired at Starz in eight episodes next year, will also be simultaneously aired on stunning 200 channels

 around the world thanks to Fox International. It will beat the record of THE WALKING DEAD which is aired in about 130 countries within same week. The tentpole series portrays a young Leonardo da Vinci in Renaissance Florence as a brilliant 25-year-old artist, inventor and swordsman. Produced by famous David Goyer, the fantasy historical series will have Tom Riley playing the inventor and stunning British actress Laura Haddock as Lucrezia Donati, the mistress of Lorenzo Medici and lover of Leonardo da Vinci. That, isn't the only future project at Starz, beside a number of epic shows which are in production currently (Read more about them in our special spotlight - Michael Bay's pirate show BLACK SAILS, exotic HAREM and adventurous MARCO POLO), they are also preparing a sf show INCURSION from

the creator of SPARTACUS Steven S. DeKnight. Thea sci-fi action thriller will revolve around a group of soldiers caught in a war against a hostile alien race. Each season of the potentialseries will be fought on a new, exotic planet as humanity inches deeper into enemy territory.

VLAD DRACULA

Starz is also preparing VLAD DRACULA (not to be mixed with NBC's DRACULA show which will have Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the lead role), described as a unique spin on the classic tale and a blending of historical facts of the 15th century Prince of Wallachia with the fictional character Dracula. The potential series would trace the character's evolution from a revered ruler to the world's most feared vampire and his slow downfall as he struggles to hold on to his humanity, wife and kingdom. The project is produced by J. Michael Straczynski who wrote THOR, UNDERWORLD and BABYLON 5.

SHORT TV HEADLINES

In other TV news, "The Hollywood Reporter" writes that SyFy has ordered a pilot from PUSHING DAISIES scribe Bryan Fuller. Titled HIGH MOON, the 90 minute pilot centers on a future where the countries of the Earth establish colonies to mine the Moon's resources, only to see chaos erupt when new forms of life are discovered. The story is the adaptation of John Christopher novel "The Lotus Caves".

Meanwhile, beside a number of ROMEO AND JULIET movie projects, we will get a TV one too: according to "Vulture" McG (TERMINATOR SALVATION) is preparing ROMEO AND JULIET primetime show for ABC that will focus on two feuding families in Venice, California.

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CILLIAN MURPHY IN BBC'S GANGSTER SERIES "PEAKY BLINDERS"! COLIN O'DONOGHUE IS "ONCE UPON A TIME" CAPTAIN HOOK! RACHEL NICHOLS IN SF SERIES "CONTINUUM"

 Yet another movie star to move to the TV world is Irish actor Cillian Murphy (THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY, BREAKFAST ON PLUTO, IN TIME) who will take the lead role in BBC's drama PEAKY BLINDERS. The six-part gangster drama follows ruthless mobster Tommy (Murphy), whose family control the "lawless post-war slum neighbourhoods" of Birmingham in 1919. Tommy's family are known as the 'Peaky Blinders' due to their practice of sewing razor blades into the peaks of their caps. The plot unwinds when a cop challenges his rule.

 ONCE UPON A TIME UPDATE

After casting TEEN WOLF's Sinqua Walls as sir Lancelot, SUCKER PUNCH's Jamie Chung as Mulan, Sarah Bolger as the Sleeping

 Beauty or princess Aurora, and PRETTY LITTLE LIARS' Julian Morris as her prince Phillip, fantasy show ONCE UPON A TIME has signed Colin O'Donoghue as Captain Hook. The Irish actor was seen in THE TUDORS next to the above mentioned Sarah Bolger, and he was also one of the contenders for the new Superman. ABC worldwide hit show will see the characters combining their two natures, the fairy tale and the realistic one, in the new fight for their destinies when the second season starts this Autumn.

SF CONTINUUM

The only trailer I have for you today is for Canadian sf series CONTINUUM which is aired at Showcase. The show has gorgeous Rachel Nichols (CONAN THE BARBARIAN, GI JOE) fighting for the future of humanity. The story follows Kiera Cameron (Nichols),

a regular cop from 65 years in the future who finds herself trapped in present day Vancouver. There she realizes that the key to her return ticket home lies in the hands of a group of ruthless terrorists who

travelled back in time alongside her in an effort to alter the course of the future forever. The cast of the ten episode show also includes hunky Victor Webster from THE SCORPION KING.

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NEW PICTURES FROM "GREAT EXPECTATIONS" WITH HELENA BONHAM CARTER, RALPH FIENNES! "NOBODY WALKS" TRAILER WITH JOHN KRASINSKI, DYLAN MCDERMOTT! DREW BARRYMORE TO HELM APOCALYPTIC FILM "THE END"

 Although she is much more known for her acting, Drew Barrymore is also a director, and is about to helm a new movie for Warner Bros. Titled THE END, it will be an apocalyptic film intended to take an uplifting look at the end of the world, weaving several plot threads about different people coming to accept their fates. According to "The Hollywood Reporter" these include a tenacious British radio DJ who will not stop broadcasting until the end, a teenage couple in the US being pulled apart by their families and a man fighting his way across Tokyo to be with his wife and child. Drew is also in line to direct HOW TO BE SINGLE, a bestselling novel which charts the love lives of a group of women in New York over a decade.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS PICS

In the visual department I can offer you today some new pictures from the new movie adaptation of famous Charles Dickens novel GREAT EXPECTATIONS. Directed by Mike Newell (HARRY PLOPPER,

 PRINCE OF PERSIA), the new, visually obviously very unique take on the old story, will have a rather stunning cast including always crazy Helena Bonham Carter as Miss Havisham, young Jeremy Irvine from Spielberg's WAR HORSE as the main hero Pip (the role was

 originally meant for Alex Pettyfer), Ralph Fiennes as the criminal Magwitch and THE BORGIAS beauty Holliday Grainger as Estella, alongside Jason Flemyng and Robbie Coltrane in supporting roles. As you know, the story follows a humble orphan who suddenly becomes

a gentleman with the help of an unknown benefactor.The film should hit cinemas in Europe later this November and we are expecting a trailer soon.

NOBODY WALKS TRAILER

The only trailer I have for you today is for sexually charged drama NOBODY WALKS in which the story follows a family which takes in a young artist into their home bringing sexual revelations and tensions to their lives. I must admit the cast is rather unusual for such type of film and includes always brilliant John Krasinski, Rosemarie Dewitt from UNITED STATES OF TARA, Dylan McDermott, young hunks Rhys Wakefield and Blaise Embry.and Olivia Trilby who always seems like a bad choice for all possible roles if you ask me.. Check out the trailer and tell me what do you think? Watch it or not?

 PS don't forget to visit the site of my dear friend Anne O'Leary who is interviewing me on some very serious and some very sweet issues today. 

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AUGUST 2012 INSPIRIING FILMS: "360" WITH ANTHONY HOPKINS, RACHEL WEISZ, JUDE LAW, "THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN", "HOPE SPRINGS" WITH MERYL STREEP, TOMMY LEE JONES, "SPARKLE" WITH JORDIN SPARKS, WHITNEY HOUSTON

 I'm sure that in the sea of sf and superhero blockbusters this summer, you will find some time to watch a few smaller movies with deeply inspirational stories. Here's HOLLYWOOD SPY's selection:

WEAVING LOVE IN 360

 First, here's an unusual drama by Oscar nominated director Fernando Meirelles (THE CONSTANT GARDENER). Titled 360, the film will open in cinemas August 3rd featuring a rather stunning cast

 lead by Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins, Oscar Nominee Jude Law, Oscar winner Rachel Weisz and young Ben Foster.  Inspired by Arthur Schnitzler's classic "La Ronde", screenwriter Peter Morgan and director Fernando Meirelles' 360 combines a modern and dynamic roundelay of stories into one, linking characters from different cities and countries in a vivid, suspenseful and deeply moving tale of love in the 21st century. Starting in Vienna, the film beautifully weaves through Paris, London, Bratislava, Rio, Denver and Phoenix into a single, mesmerizing narrative. If I got it right the film weaves together the stories of an array of people from disparate social backgrounds through their intersecting relationships.

TIMOTHY GREEN

Opening August 15th is THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN You can check out the interestingly intriguing trailer for this

enchanting, inspiring, and magical story about a happily married couple, Cindy and Jim Green (Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton), who can't wait to start a family but can only dream about what their child would be like. When young Timothy (CJ Adams) shows up on their doorstep one stormy night, Cindy and Jim, and their small town of Stanleyville, learn that sometimes the unexpected can bring some of life's greatest gifts. The cast of Disney's drama also includes Dianne Wiest, Ron Livingston and rapper Common.

HOPE SPRINGS

 Yet, another of the inspiring films hitting cinemas August 10th is HOPE SPRINGS in which Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones

 play Kay and Arnold, a devoted couple: decades of marriage have left Kay wanting to spice things up and reconnect with her husband. When she hears of a renowned couple's specialist (Steve Carell) in the small town of Great Hope Springs, she attempts to persuade her skeptical husband, a steadfast man of routine, to get on a plane for a week of marriage therapy. Just convincing the stubborn Arnold to go on the retreat is hard enough - the real challenge for both of them comes as they shed their bedroom hang-ups and try to re-ignite the spark that caused them to fall for each other in the first place.

SPARKLE

I'm sure you will agree with me that musical films are always great inspiration and on August 17th you will be able to check out SPARKLE in cinemas. Featuring the last role of Whitney Houston ever, and set in the 1960s, the story of the film follows three sisters who form girl group and soon become Motown sensations, but fame becomes a challenge as the close-knit family begins to fall apart. The lead role in the movie is played by amazing music star and huge talent Jordin Sparks. Another music star Cee Lo is also in the cast of the film.

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IS RUSSELL CROWE NEW LEAD IN STEPHEN KING'S SF SAGA "THE DARK TOWER"? LUCAS TILL IN "WOLVES"! OSCAR WINNER OCTAVIA SPENCER HAS "BAGGAGE CLAIM"!

According to "The Hollywood Reporter", young Lucas Till, whom we've watched in X-MEN: FIRST CLASS as Havoc, has got the lead

role in WOLVES, a fantasy action written by David Hayter, who wrote the scripts for X-MEN, WATCHMEN, THE SCORPION KING, and will now have a directorial debut. Lucas Till, who is currently working on PARANOIA with Liam Hemsworth, Gary Oldman and Harrison Ford, will play a young man who transforms into a werewolf after he is falsely accused of murdering his parents. He goes on the run and discovers a small town named Lupine Ridge, where he discovers secrets about his true identity.

HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES

One of our favourite Oscar winners Octavia Spencer has joined BAGGAGE CLAIM in which  Paula Patton will star as Montana

Moore, a single flight attendant who is the oldest, unmarried woman in her family. She goes on a cross-country trek to find a husband in 30 days, before her younger sister gets hitched. As you remember, Octavia will also be seen in SNOW PIERCER next to Chris Evans, Jamie Bell and Tilda Swinton, in which the story takes place aboard the titular train as it travels around the apocalyptic ice setting in an endless circle, filled with the remnants of humanity after a devastating war. There are separate sections for the separate classes, and obviously all is not harmonious within.

THE DARK TOWER

Some of you have recently asked me what is going onex production (it was supposed to have three films a with the doomed movie adaptation of Stephen King's THE DARK TOWER sf saga which was cancelled due to money problems and overly complnd two TV show seasons in between). Javier Bardem has left the project and the lead

 role, but according to today's news from "Deadline" Akiwa Goldsman is about to turn in the new script to the studio who will decide what to do with the project after they hear whether the new choice for the lead role, Russell Crowe, is interested in taking the gig. The sf saga follows Roland Deschain, the last in a long line of futuristic gunfighters, who journeys to The Dark Tower in a last-ditch effort to save humanity.

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TRAILER FOR "MERLIN" SEASON 5! "ENEMY OF MAN" NEW MACBETH VERSION WITH RUPERT GRINT & JAMES D'ARCY! CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON IN "THOR: THE DARK WORLD"! PAZ VEGA & NICOLE KIDMAN IN "GRACE OF MONACO"

 Yet, another foreign film to be shot in Serbia's capital Belgrade, after recent shooting of LOCKDOWN with Guy Pearce, THERESE RAQUINN with Jessica Lange, RAVEN with Luke Evans and John Cusack and CORIOLANUS with Gerard Butler and Ralph Fiennes, is ENEMY OF MAN, a new British drama. The film is being described as the new adaptation of Shakespeare's famous play MACBETH about a war hero and the lure of ambition and descent into hell. To be directed by great British actor Vincent Regan (300, TROY, CAMELOT, SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN), the

film will see Rupert Grint as Rosse, French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg as Lady Mackbeth, and James D'Arcy as Banquo. It is interesting that Regan played in sf action LOCKDOWN which was also shot in Belgrade.

 HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES

In today's casting news, biographical drama GRACE OF MONACO, in which Nicole Kidman (believe it or not) will play the famous actress

 Grace Kelly after she becomes the princess of Monaco and tries to prevent a coup when Monaco and France get in conflict, has added Paz Vega, who will play famous opera singer Maria Callas also known for her love affair with famous millionaire Onassis. Deadline reports today that DR. WHO's Christopher Eccleston has joined THOR: THE DARK WORLD sequel as Malekith the Accursed who is the leader of the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim, who clashed many times with the mighty Thor played again by Chris Hemsworth.

MERLIN SEASON 5 TRAILER

Your clip for today is the first trailer announcing the fifth season of BBC fantasy show MERLIN which

is the series watched in the biggest number of countries around the world. Starring amazing Colin Morgan as Merlin and Bradley James as King Arthur, the new season will have ten episodes and will feature a much stronger, focused and powerful Merlin than before. The fifth series, to be aired later this September on BBC, will be more focused on the legends that the main characters will later on become and will see them three years after the time in which the fourth season ended. The exciting trailer  features swordplay, epic battles, dragons and sorcery to the tune of Muse's 'Knights of Cydonia'.

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"THE WORDS" CLIP WITH BRADLEY COOPER, OLIVIA WILDE, JEREMY IRONS! MARK STRONG IN US "LOW WINTER SUN" REMAKE! JAMES FRANCO & JASON STATHAM IN "HOMEFRONT"! "PROMETHEUS" SEQUEL! BRENDAN FRASER IN "SPLIT DECISION"

 According to "Digital Spy" Mark Strong, whom we've seen earlier this year in sf blockbuster JOHN CARTER, will reprise his role in the US remake of LOW

WINTER SUN British mini series. Set this time over at AMC, the story will again see him playing a cop whose life is turned upside down when he helps to kill a corrupt fellow police officer. The new show will transpose the original's story of police corruption from Edinburgh to Detroit! Crime will be seen in SPLIT DECISION too, in which Brendan Fraser will play a father struggling to protect his children from a pair of murderous brothers after he witnesses a killing. Dominic Purcell will play one of the brothers.

HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES

After we've heard yesterday that THE HOBBIT will get third part as well, Ridley Scott has announced today that his sf hit PROMETHEUS will get a sequel in three years time. The search for a writer is currently on, and Michael Fassbender will return in the sequel. Meanwhile, "Variety" reports that James Franco has joined Jason Statham in HOMEFRONT, in which the story, written by Sylvester Stallone, centres on Phil Broker (Jason Statham), a former DEA agent who moves his family to a quiet town to escape his past. However, he discovers the town is overrun by a dangerous meth distributor named Gator (James Franco).

THE WORDS TRAILER

Your video for today is the second trailer (not as good as the magnificent first was) for interesting dramaTHE WORDS which opens up in cinemas this September. The story of the movie revolves around an aspiring writer (played by Bradley Cooper) who claims another man's long lost work as his own only to find there are steep consequences when ambition is valued above life's most fundamental, impassioned three words. The other man is played by Jeremy Irons, but there are other famous faces in the cast too: Olivia Wilde, Zoe Saldana, John Hannah, Ben Barnes and Dennis Quaid.

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