Update: Trailer for Tulip Fever

A while ago, I told you about the upcoming movie Tulip Fever, here's the trailer!

Coming Soon in 2016: Emperor

Official Synopsis

Emperor is a sweeping 16th century epic action adventure with a contemporary twist.  It charts the rollercoaster journey of feisty and daring 21 year-old Johanna who infiltrates the court of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V to avenge the death of her beloved father.  Academy Award-winner Adrien Brody (The Pianist, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Third Person) stars as brilliant strategist Emperor Charles V who is trying to hold together a fragmented empire in a world of wealth, debauchery, intrigue and treason. Johanna is played by hot young newcomer, Sophie Cookson, who will soon be seen as the female lead opposite Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Caine and Colin Firth in Matthew Vaughn’s The Secret Service: Kingsman.  Cookson was also named one of Screen International’s UK Stars of Tomorrow.


Emperor is directed by Lee Tamahori and also stars Thomas Kretschmann, Bill Skarsgård, Paz Vega, Oliver Platt... The score is written by Abel Korzeniowski ( Romeo and Juliet, Penny Dreadful, A Single Man). The film should be released around Autumn this year.

Sophie Cookson and Adrien Brody

Michaël Pas, Adrien Brody and Götz Otto on set in Ghent

Paz Vega as Mary of Hungary

Sophie Cookson, mostly known for her role in Kingsman: The Secret Service

Here's an interesting post on the illustrator who made the portrait of Charles V used in the film and also shows some great set pictures.

Here you can see some amazing pictures and information on the production of several other props like e.g. banners, leaflets... made by Barbara Sandberg.

An of course, as usual, the obligatory discussion of the costumes. 

I had the luck to be an extra on the Belgian set in Ghent for five days. I'm not allowed to tell you much or show anything about that experience yet, but some youtube videos and other pictures have surfaced on the internet.

Another video made on set in Ghent can be found here.

Several more hq set pictures in Gent like this one (watch out for spoilers!)

I'm definitely looking forward to see the scenes I was present in on the big screen...

Sources: corsan.be, alamy.com

My favourite 2015 period dramas: Far From The Madding Crowd

Hello everyone!

2015 was a great year for period drama, and Far From The Madding Crowd has become an all time favourite of mine... 

Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) is a strong-willed, passionate, but rather naïve young woman who inherits a farm estate and attracts the attention of three men: sheep farmer Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts), military officer Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge) and the rich William Boldwood (Michael Sheen). Far From the Madding Crowd takes us on the personal learning experience of this modern-like heroine who thinks herself too independent to marry. The darker edge to the story - Thomas Hardy’s novel has often been described as a ‘rural tragedy’ - ensures the film transcends more traditional period dramas like Pride and Prejudice.

Director Thomas Vinterberg established himself as an innovative storyteller with Jagten (2012), a drama about a teacher wrongly accused of child abuse, and proves his skills afresh. cinematographer Charlotte Bruus Christensen achieves in this picture, both in interior and landscape scenery, luscious and alluring imagery. Powerful visual motives throughout the film, like Bathsheba appearing out of the dark, make Christensen’s work even more impressive. The well-known swordplay scene is even more remarkably shot than in John Schlesinger’s adaptation of 1967 as it accomplishes to mesmerize the viewer and in this way conveys perfectly how Batsheba is enticed by the dashing Troy. Noteworthy is the imposing screen presence of Troy’s red military jacket which I think serves perfectly as a symbol for his seductive qualities and as a blatant warning for his dangerous character. Costume designer Janet Patterson deserves every praise for her superb costume design proving why she deserved the Oscar nomination for her work on Bright Star (2009). Be sure to check out this interesting blogpost on the costume design.

Adding to this Craig Armstrong’s wonderful score and you get an overall vivid viewing experience.

Carey Mulligan manages to bring fragility to the independent Bathsheba  with her pixie-like and energetic appearance. While the viewer might question some of Bathsheba’s decisions, Mulligan makes sure she remains sympathetic as we take part in her personal growing experience. To me, Michael Sheen is the only actor to rival her performance as the neighbouring tenant who develops a consuming crush on Batsheba. He brings a complexity to a character that could have been very one-dimensional. Sometimes both frightening and endearing, Sheen even managed to make me shift on my chair with uneasiness. Schoenaerts is charming as Gabriel  (and really quite gorgeous in his costumes) but is quite lacking compared to Mulligan and Sheen. Sturridge makes for a solid acting job, but I think he lacks the screen time to truly make his performance last.

I believe Far From the Madding Crowd makes for the most compelling and refined period drama of the past year. 

Source: Variety A Fashion History

In Development: Adaptation of The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

About a year ago, I read The Miniaturist. The novel firstly attracted me because of its gorgeous cover, but then there were also the raving reviews and the several prizes (e.g. 2014 Waterstones "Book of the Year" winner) the book won.

On my copy this summary can be found:

On an autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives at a grand house in Amsterdam to begin her new life as the wife of wealthy merchant Johannes Brandt. Though curiously distant, he presents her with an extraordinary wedding fit: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. It is to be furnished by an elusive miniaturist, whose tiny creations ring eerily true. As Nella uncovers the secrets of her new household she realizes the escalating dangers they face. The miniaturist seems to hold their fate in her hands - but does she plan to save or destroy them? 

I loved the visual take and the magical realism of the book and thought it would be interesting to see this translated to the screen.  At the same time I found out the book was actually going to be adapted for tv by Company Pictures, known for the tv-production of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall.
It will be exciting to see seventeenth century Amsterdam come to life, though I'm sure similarities with The Girl With The Pearl Earring and Tulip Fever, stories both taking place in the historical prime time of The Netherlands, will put the series to scrutinous comparisons.

Writer Jessie Burton will be the consultant for the adaptation: "Company TV's passionate, creative vision for The Miniaturist impressed me from the beginning, and I am thrilled they have secured the rights." 

Burton herself is an actress and will appear in the adaptation: “This is how to get a job as an actress, spend four years writing a book. Hopefully I can play a small part, a sugar seller or crone in the market place.”

While no production images have been released or even a release date announced, here's a book trailer that gives a glimpse of what the television production might look: 

Source: Picador; Independent.co.uk

Coming Soon in 2016: The Kaiser's Last Kiss

Lily James (Cinderella, Downton Abbey) and Jai Courtney are to star in the upcoming WWII-drama The Kaiser's Last Kiss. Other cast members are Christopher Plummer (as the Kaiser), and Janet McTeer. Simon Burke adapted Alan Judd's original novel for the silver screen. Courtney (Spartacus, Divergent, Suicide Squad) plays the role of a German soldier trying to found whether the Dutch resistance has a spy in Kaiser Wilhelm's home in The Netherlands during the war. A Jewish girl (James) catches his eye during his task. This is David Leveaux' directorial debut for the big screen but he is well known and awarded for his direction of several plays. The Kaiser's Last Kiss is completely recorded in Belgium (probably due to tax advantages) and I had the luck to play a small part in this production as an extra.  I'm very curious to see the result on the big screen in 2016.

First official image of James and Courtney in The Kaiser's Last Kiss

This video gives a glimpse of the set in Lier, where a village scene was shot, and even Lily James can shortly be spotted in the background.

Coming soon in 2016: Tulip Fever

I'm very much looking forward to the adaptation of Deborah Moggach's novel Tulip Fever. The drama is described as followed on IMDB:

"An artist (Waltz) falls for a young married woman (Vikander) while he's commissioned to paint her portrait during the tulip mania of 17th century Amsterdam."

Alicia Vikander and Christoph Waltz in the first official image

With a 17th century Dutch setting and actors like Alicia Vikander and Christoph Waltz attached, this project is surely something I'm very curious about. Cara Delevigne and even Cressida Bonas ( famous for her relation with Prince Harry) also play a part in this upcoming feature which is sure to make a buzz in Hollywood.

Cressida Bonas in Tulip Fever

The cast further includes Dane DeHaan, Jack O’Connell, Holliday Grainger, Dame Judi Dench and Matthew Morrison. While Jude Law and Keira Knightley were first attached to star, this cast is as spectacular. Director Justin Chadwick earlier directed the period dramas The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) and miniseries Bleak House (2005). With writer Tom Stoppard, known for his work on e.g. Shakespeare in Love (1998), and composer Danny Elfman, Tulip Fever has all elements to be a succes.

Behind the scenes

A kind of similar film is The Girl With The Pearl Earring (2003) which is also an adaptation of a novel, features The Netherlands in the 17th century and focuses on the relationship between a painter and his muse. Scarlett Johansson played the title role.

Source: IMDB, dane-dehaan.org, The Hollywood News, Image of Scarlett Johansson in The Girl With The Pearl Earring, Image of Cressida Bonas

Now Airing on BBCOne: War & Peace

An up-to-date version of Tolstoy's classic novel, the first episode of the six-part TV-miniseries aired the 3rd of January. While receiving some mixed reviews, it sure is a luscious and grand undertaking. 

Paul Dano (Pierre Bezukhov), Lily James (Natasha Rostova) and James Norton (Andrei Bolkonsky) are set at the center of the story of love and war.

Main Characters

Lavish ballroom scenes are a part of every War & Peace-adaptation

Jack Lowden as Nikolai Rostov seems to be a viewer's favourite

As often, in these lavish period dramas, the costumes are the subject of discussion. The costume design so far has been criticised for its lack of historical correctness, and even, some viewers suggest, not being pretty enough to justify this as, for example, was the case in the most recent adaptation of Anna Karenina. War & Peace's costume designer, Edward K. Gibbon, whose only experience with these kind of productions is as assistant costume designer for The Virgin Queen (2005) may yet prove his skills in the remaining episodes. This blogpost is a good example of a "costume rant" on the series.

Costumes by Jacqueline Durran in Anna Karenina (2012)

Aisling Loftus, known for her role in Mr. Selfridge,  as Sonya Rostova in War & Peace

Music by Martin Phipps, who wrote the memorable score for 2005's North and South, is responsible for the brooding and atmospheric soundtrack. 

                                                    

An older adaption of War and Peace, dating back to 2007, is one of my personal favourite period dramas, and also featured some especially remarkably beautiful music. I have to confess, I've never seen the Audrey Hepburn-version. But Martin Phipps, I hope you can top this!

   

Clémence Poésy and Alessio Boni as Natasha Rostov and Andrej Bolkonsky made for compelling performances in the 2007-adaptation.

I sure am looking forward to the next episodes and hold my judgement until I've seen the entirety of the series. For now, the trailer is full of promises of what's to come.

                                             

Source: Section of Randomness IMDB