Stephen Frears Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

How do you capture Jenne Casarotto? She was at the intersection of theatre, film and television. It all, seemingly, swirled around her.

Jenne Casarotto, who co-founded leading British talent agency Casarotto Ramsay & Associates in 1989 and repped some of the nation’s greatest talents, died Thursday following complications from a short illness. She was 77.

Alex Ritman Jenne Casarotto, co-founder of the London agency Casarotto Ramsay & Associates which represents some of the leading names working behind the camera, died on Feb. 29. She was 77.

Todd Longwell Over the course of his long career, Martin Scorsese has amassed scores of producing credits on projects ranging from “Uncut Gems” to “Once Were Brothers” and “Vinyl” in addition to his own work on films such as Oscar and PGA nominee “Killers of the Flower Moon.” His love of cinema and preservation of it is well established, making him a more than worthy recipient of the PGA’s David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures.

Annette Bening still likes to swim, despite the brutal eight hours a day she spent in the water for her Netflix film Nyad. Bening stars as Diana Nyad, who, at 64, became the first person ever to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. Bening trained for a year to perfect her stroke, and got to know Nyad herself, with Jodie Foster alongside her, starring as Nyad’s real-life friend and coach, Bonnie Stoll. “I swim all the time, it’s become part of my staying sane,” Bening says now, adding that she learned from Nyad that pushing oneself beyond what you thought you could do is “a way to know yourself, and that’s a way to expand your own idea about yourself in the world, and also increase your joy, and increase your appreciation.” Here, Bening looks back over some favorite moments in her career, from The Grifters, to American Beauty and beyond.

Ahead of what looks to be a certain – at the time of writing – best actor win for his work on Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy leads this absorbing drama from Belgian filmmaker Tim Mielants; a story about a working-class father who has questions about the local convent who has more than a hold on a small town in Ireland.Based upon the 2021 novel of the same name by Claire Keegan (whose previous work, Foster was adapted into The Quiet Girl to international acclaim), and from a screenplay by Enda Walsh, the film is set in the mid-eighties, specifically during the lead-up to Christmas. Murphy is Bill Furlong, owner of a small coal and fuel firm in the harbour town of Wexford on the southeastern coast of Ireland.

When Kate Winslet works with HBO on a limited series, magic happens. Don’t believe us? Look at the actress’ last two series for the network and all the awards and critical acclaim they pulled in.

Maya Hawke is a young actress on the rise, but is she a leading lady yet? “Wildcat” will change that, as Hawke plays novelist Flannery O’Connor. But “Wilder & Me” will solidify the position for the actress, arguably her biggest role yet.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Pathe U.K., the London-based division of the venerable French film and TV company, is folding its theatrical division to focus on premium scripted television content. Cameron McCracken, the celebrated head of film at Pathe UK who exec produced movies such as Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winning “Slumdog Millionnaire,” Ava DuVernay’s “Selma” and Stephen Frears’ “The Queen,” will step down and retire at the end of the year. Three key executives working for the division — Lee Bye, Lloyd Vanson and Michael Guerrero — will depart the company.

EXCLUSIVE: Sally Hawkins, the Golden Globe-winning British actress best known for roles in Guillermo Del Toro’s The Shape of Water and the Paddington franchise, has returned to Creative Artists Agency for representation.

EXCLUSIVE: Longtime IFC Films and Cinetic Media PR colleagues Laura Sok and Kate McEdwards are launching new PR and strategy firm, Track Shot.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Beta Cinema has closed further presales for “The Offing,” which will star Helena Bonham Carter, and will be directed by Jessica Hobbs, an Emmy Award-winner for “The Crown.” New deals include Spain (Beta Fiction), Portugal (Nos Lusomundo), Switzerland (Pathé Films), former Yugoslavia (Discovery) and the Middle East (Front Row). CineSky Pictures has picked up worldwide airline rights. A multi-territory deal with Curzon, Cineart and Madman for U.K./Ireland, Benelux and Australia/New Zealand was revealed in April. “The Offing,” which is based on the novel by Benjamin Myers, is set on the northeast English coast shortly after World War II. It tells the story of shy, 16-year-old Robert, and the hard-drinking, foul-mouthed, bohemian recluse Dulcie Piper, played by Bonham Carter, and their unlikely friendship.

‘Philomena’ Writer Martin Sixsmith Sets Next Project

unveiling of the Max streaming service Wednesday, showcases a tense confrontation between Winslet and an American diplomat (Martha Plimpton) who attempts to convince the chancellor the U.S. would like to help “enhance” Winslet’s authority in the region — a goal that was, evidently, not pressing enough that the President could attend the meeting.“All we are doing is realizing our dream, our dream of a new Europe, without limits, without cruelty,” the chancellor says as she engages in, shall we say, less dignified actions to get her point across, including punching an unknown victim.

HBO and Warner Bros. Discovery dished out lots of news, teaser trailers, and other info at their press event today about rebranding HBO Max to Max.

After the success of “Mare of Easttown” and all its Emmy success—16 Emmy nominations and four key wins, including most of the main cast—it became clear that HBO loved Kate Winslet and Winslet loved HBO. While a season two of ‘Easttown’ never materialized—series writer/creator Brad Ingelsby thought the story had been told—that did not deter Winslet from chasing down other projects on the premiere cable channel.

HBO has dropped the official teaser for limited series The Regime (fka The Palace), starring Oscar winner Kate Winslet. It was released today during Warner Bros. Discovery’s unveiling of the Max streaming service in Los Angeles. Watch the teaser above.

William Earl Kate Winslet is returning to HBO, but she’s a long way from Easttown. The Oscar-winning actor is leading the upcoming HBO limited series “The Regime,” which was teased during the April 12 Warner Bros. Discovery streaming press event. The lush teaser is filled with mystery and political intrigue, and the official logline doesn’t give too many clues, simply saying that the series “tells the story of one year within the walls of the palace of a modern European regime as it begins to unravel.” The cast includes Matthias Schoenaerts, Guillaume Gallienne, Andrea Riseborough, Martha Plimpton, Hugh Grant, Danny Webb, David Bamber, Henry Goodman, Stanley Townsend, Louie Mynett, Rory Keenan, Karl Markovics and Pippa Haywood.

Beta Cinema has closed its first presales on period drama The Offing starring Helena Bonham Carter. Curzon, Cineart and Madman have joined forces to acquire all rights for UK/Ireland, Benelux and Australia/New Zealand in what is described as a competitive situation. The distributors will work on an aligned campaign across the markets. Beta first launched The Offing at the EFM in February. Filming is lined up for later this year.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor Brooke Shields came pretty close to starring in Stephen Frears’ 1988 period drama “Dangerous Liaisons” alongside John Malkovich, Glenn Close, Michelle Pfeiffer and Keanu Reeves. “They told me it came down to me and someone else,” Shields tells me. “They said the other person was this girl not many people knew about. It was Uma Thurman. At that time and that age, it felt so personal, but I’ve learned over time not to take it personally because ‘no’ outweighs ‘yes’ extensively in this business.” Released by Warner Bros., “Dangerous Liaisons” went on to be nominated for seven Oscars, eventually taking home the awards for adapted screenplay, costume design and production design. Christopher Hampton adapted the screenplay from his 1985 play “Les Liaisons dangereuses.” The $14 million film grossed $34.7 million at the box office.

EXCLUSIVE: British visual effects outfit Union is launching its first international studio in Montreal, Canada, as it looks to expand the services it offers its clients in feature film and high-end television. 

The pace of arthouse /smart-house releases accelerated this weekend as wide-for-specialty openings like The Good Person and The Lost King joined a handful of solid single-theater openings from distributors Greenwich Entertainment, Sideshow/Janus Films, Mubi, Abramorama and Cinema Guild – all set for some expansion.

Much maligned Richard III finally gets the royal treatment in Stephen Frears’ The Lost King as amateur historian Philippa Langley unearths the monarch’s five century-old remains in a parking lot in Leicester, England in 2012. Two books and a documentary later, IFC Films presents the feature film version in 750+ theaters.

Casey Bloys wants Kate Winslet to be venerated in the States.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Miami Dade College’s Miami Film Festival marks its 40th edition, running March 3-12, with a full-blown return to the in-person festival experience with a sidebar of only 10 titles available online.  “We’re celebrating the human connection and getting back into cinemas again,” says programming head Lauren Cohen who in her first year flying solo at the helm, is putting her personal stamp on the festival with female-centric topics dominating the Master Classes.  “It’s our 40th anniversary, which is such a milestone for us, we want it to be bigger and better than ever,” she continues. 

Leave it to Stephen Frears to make another project about recent British history. But in fairness, “The Lost King” looks like a lighter romp than the likes of “A Very English Scandal” and “The Queen.” It’s not like every film has Sally Potter hallucinating a long-deceased monarch, right? READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2023 Based on Phillippa Langley‘s 2013 book “The King’s Grave: The Search For Richard III,” “The Lost King” traces the discovery of Richard III’s grave under a car park in Leceister, and how the Langley’s amateur research led up to it.

When Kate Winslet and HBO team up, great things happen. Don’t believe it? Well, there’s “Mildred Pierce” and “Mare Of Easttown” as evidence, which won five and three Emmys respectively, with Winslet winning Best Lead Actress for both.

HBO has released the first image of Oscar winner Kate Winslet in The Palace (wt) its upcoming limited series from Succession duo Will Tracy and Frank Rich and The Queen director Stephen Frears. Production is currently underway in Austria and will continue in the United Kingdom.

EXCLUSIVE: John Cusack has signed with APA for representation after less than half a year with Gersh. 

English actress Sylvia Syms has passed away in the UK aged 89, according to her family.

The Palace intrigue continues: Martha Plimpton (The Good Wife) has joined the cast of the HBO limited series that stars Kate Winslet, Matthias Schoenaerts, Andrea Riseborough and Hugh Grant.

Brian Tufano, the veteran British cinematographer who lensed films such as Trainspotting, Shallow Grave, and Billy Elliot, has died. He was 83.

The Palm Springs Film Festival has unveiled the lineup for its 34th annual edition, announcing that Paramount Pictures’ 80 for Brady will world premiere as its opening night film on January 6, with IFC Films’ The Lost King closing it out on January 15.

Hugh Grant has received a royal invitation to join The Palace for HBO.

EXCLUSIVE: Andrea Riseborough, who is coming off an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her lead role in To Leslie, has been cast opposite Kate Winslet and Matthias Schoenaerts in HBO’s limited series The Palace, from Succession duo Will Tracy and Frank Rich and The Queen director Stephen Frears.

Pierre Choderolas de Laclos’ 1782 epistolary novel “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” has proven to be incredibly malleable over the last few decades. In addition to the 1988, Stephen Frears-directed Christopher Hampton adapted “Dangerous Liaisons,” we’ve gotten the stately “Valmont” and even the glorious camp of “Cruel Intentions.” Needless to say, the world was perhaps not clamoring for another look into the backstabbing lives of the Marquise de Merteuil and her sometimes lover/enemy, Valmont.