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