Screen 2024

All ‘guaranteed bangers’ according to The Guardian. Its Must See TV List for 2024 begins with a show that could not have caused more of a stir. Despite being one of the biggest miscarriages of justices in history, the British Post Office scandal in which nearly a thousand sub-postmasters were privately prosecuted for theft or fraud in error, has only now gained the public traction it deserves. Watch Amy Cudden as solicitor Izzy Hogg in Mr Bates vs The Post Office streaming now on ITVX. We finally get to see Masters of the Air; the Spielberg/Hanks second world war extravaganza featuring EBA clients Jakob Diehl, Benjamin Dilloway and Robert Hands which will be streaming on Apple TV from January 26th. Jakob Diehl can also be seen as the mysteriously titled Professor in Apple’s The New Look, a drama about how Christian Dior and Coco Chanel created modern fashion from the embers of the second world war, streaming in February. Russel T Davies is back in charge of Doctor Who and whilst we are sworn to secrecy, we can promise some spectacular drama featuring EBA clients in guest roles. Michelle Bonnard will be returning to House of the Dragon on Sky Atlantic in the summer as Madame Sylvie and in what is described as his biggest show yet, Joe Barton’s (Girl/Haji and The Lazarus Project ) new political thriller, Black Doves for Netflix will feature Thomas Coombes.

Other must see shows include James Doherty in Sexy Beast, a prequel series to Jonathan Glazer’s 2000 crime film of the same name, which is set to arrive on Paramount+, late January; Jodie McNee in Breathtaking, Jed Mercurio’s real time drama about being on the on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic on ITVX; Alex Blake in Joan, a new crime drama about notorious jewell thief Joan Hannington also for ITV X; Derek Hutchinson in The Way about a civil uprising that begins in Wales, written by James Graham and directed by Michael Sheen. Sophie Stone who has filmed the comedy horror series Generation Z for Channel 4 and finally Jake Cecil makes his professional debut as Gustave in Season 2 of Interview With A Vampire later this year.

In film news, Josie Walker stars in Kneecap opposite Michael Fassbender, directed by Rich Peppiatt which will receive its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on 18th January whilst Gavin Spokes will next be seen in upcoming thriller Cold Storage, directed by Jonny Campbell and expected to be on Studio Canal’s 2024 slate of releases. Happy New Year!

2023 Preview

Steven Spielberg’s Masters of the Air marks the completion of a trilogy two decades in the making following Band of Brothers and The Pacific. This second war drama, about the air force this time, includes EBA clients Jakob Diehl, Robert Hands and Benjamin Dilloway and will premiere on Apple TV+ . All the Light We Cannot See is another World War II drama and follows the lives of two teenagers Marie-Laure, a blind girl and Werner Pfennig, a German boy whose paths cross in occupied France. Jakob Diehl this time plays Nazi Colonel Mueller in a 4 part adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel adapted by Steven Knight for Netflix. Rain Dogs is written by Cash Carraway, described as a “wild and punky tale of a mother’s love for her daughter, of deep-rooted and passionate friendships, and of brilliance thwarted by poverty and prejudice”. Starring Daisy May Cooper and featuring Thomas Coombes, it will be shown on the BBC. We can’t wait to see Thomas too in the highly anticipated Luther: The Fallen Sun, a feature film adaptation of the TV show which is scheduled to premiere on Netflix in March. Watch out too for Jodie McNee in Culprits, a new comedy heist drama for Disney Plus, John MacKay in Nolly, ITVX’s big launch show about Crossroads legend Noele Gordon and Gavin Spokes in Better, BBC’s new crime thriller from the creators of Spooks and Humans.

Returning dramas we can’t wait to catch up with in 2023 include Warrior Season 3 for HBO Max which will see Andrew Koji back as Ah Sahm in San Francisco’s 19th Century China Town. Also, Oliver Dench is returning as Lucian in Hotel Portofino , the lavish period drama set in a hotel on the magical Italian Riviera during the ‘Roaring 20s’ and set against the rise of Fascism in Mussolini’s Italy. The second season of Hotel Portofino is set to premiere in 2023 on ITVX in the UK and on PBS in the US whilst Season 1 will be shown on ITV. There are returns too for Sophie Stone as forensic pathologist Ashley Wilton in The Chelsea Detective and Nicholas Lumley will reprise his role of Larry in the 2nd season of Screw to be broadcast later this year

BBC Films have a busy release schedule this year including two features in which Josie Walker takes leading roles. Naqqash Khalid’s debut feature In Camera is set in Manchester and follows the life of an aspiring actor and Knockers explores the strange hinterland between childhood and adolescence in a Britain set in the early 90’s ; written and directed by Lucy Cohen. Also on BBC Films slate is Starve Acre; dark and sinister forces are at work in this upcoming feature where Melanie Kilburn plays the mystic Mrs Forde opposite Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark. Natalie Radmall Quirke plays Eileen Gray in a biopic of the architects life titled Life is Everything – directed by Christoph Schaub for Das Collective with an autumn release anticipated. Described as a dystopian fever dream action thriller, we can’t wait too to see Andrew Koji star opposite Bill Skarsgard in Boy Kills World due for release later this year with Moritz Mohr directing.

Summer TV

TV

Andrew Koji begins filming season 3 of martial arts crime drama Warrior this month for HBO Max. He returns as prodigy Ah Sahm who emigrates from China to San Francisco in search of his sister, becoming hatchet man for one of the most powerful “tongs” in Chinatown. Also returning to filming is Oliver Dench as Lucian Ainsworth in Season 2 of Brit Box original series Hotel Portofino. Set in the late 1920s, this beautiful period drama sees Lucian as a First World War survivor battling both his inner demons, a complicated family life and the rise of Mussolini’s fascism in Italy.

Gavin Spokes remains busy with Slow Horses next on his slate, Apple TV’s spy thriller series based on Mick Herron’s novels and starring Gary Oldman. Jakob Diehl joins an all star cast in The New Look, a biographical drama about Christian Dior set in post World War 2 Paris also for Apple and George Parker has been cast in the lead role of Henry Ashe in new Netflix drama Bodies. John Mackay has completed filming on both Steve Knight’s adaptation of Great Expectations for the BBC and ITV’s Nolly, Russell T Davies take on the legendary Noele Gordon with Helena Bonham Carter.

Other guest roles shooting over the summer include Jodie McNee in brand new comedy drama Mrs Sidhu Investigates, Ben Dilloway in hit German streaming show Das Boot, Joe Sims in The Ballad of Renegade Nell and Lily Beau who joins Welsh drama The Lighthouse

Autumn Shoots
Part I

TV

Latest casting news has been announced on HBO’s much anticipated Game of Thrones prequel ‘House of the Dragon’ and we’re thrilled to confirm that Gavin Spokes is playing the role of Lord Lyonel Strong, Master of Laws to King Viserys and Lord of Harrenhal.  Filming will continue for the rest of this year. Amy Cudden joins the cast of The Midwich Cuckoos playing the regular role of Sarah McLean as David Farr teams up with Sky to adapt John Wyndham’s original sci-fi novel based in a sleepy English village with Alice Troughton directing. 

Eugene O’Hare is filming Season 2 of HBO’s Industry and Robert Hands will appear in Noughts & Crosses 2 for Mammoth Screen before going on to film Masterpiece/ ITV’s new remake of the classic Tom JonesBen Dilloway, meanwhile, will play the role of Col Bill Airing in the epic Whirlwind: Masters of the Air for Apple TV with Dee Rees directing his block.

Also filming this autumn is Joseph  May in the return of Toast of Tinseltown with Michael Cumming directing for Objective /BBC, Aleksandar Mikic in Stay Close with Lindy Heyman directing for Red Productions, Guy Rhys in The Witcher: Blood Origins with Sarah O’Gorman directing for Netflix and Alex Blake as Father Augustin in Dangerous Liaisons with Leonora Lonsdale directing for Starz.  Kate Fahy will play the mother of Kim Philby in a new ITV drama centred around the Cold War’s most infamous spy in A Spy Among Friends and Olwen May is currently filming the second season of Miss Scarlett and the Duke for PBS. Charlie Field has been filming a guest lead role in Season 3 of Amazon’s Jack Ryan Series and Hywel Morgan films a new 6 part drama Tell Me Everything for ITV exploring the mental stress on today’s teens . Jimmy Walker  plays Mr A in the Amazon Originals Series The Devil’s Hour from the creators of Sherlock whilst Lochlann O’Mearain joins the cast of Holding, Graham Norton’s successful novel that is being adapted for the screen and directed by Kathy Burke,  filming on location in Ireland. Sara Powell joins the cast of Murder In Provence, Britbox’s first US and global commission and Sally Scott completes filming on The Tower which Jim Loach directs for Mammoth. Jack Sandle joins season 2 of BBC’s The Capture. Kate Maravan guests in The Split 3 for Sister Pictures/BBC and Emma Handy plays new regular Mrs Cook in the popular revival of The Beaker Girls with John McKay directing for BBC. Look out as well for Roger Sloman who returns to the BBC in Mandy written and directed by the brilliant Diane Morgan and for Cosima Shaw who will be returning to the screen in German/CBS co-production Ze Network. More to follow.

Film


On film Lochlann O’Mearin has just wrapped Joyride opposite Olivia Colman and directed by Emer Reynolds. Josie Walker shoots Netflix feature The Wonder adapted from the acclaimed novel by Emma Donoghue and directed by Sebastian Leilo and plays Sister Michael with Florence Pugh in the leading role. Eugene O’Hare shoots Lady Chatterley’s Lover, the first film collaboration between Netflix and Sony Pictures with Emma Corrin and Jack O’ Connell in the title roles and Leah Gayer has just filmed The Prizefighter with Russel Crowe.  Graham Turner films  The Last Voyage of the Demeter with Andre Ovredal at the helm and Thomas Coombes films Living for Number 9 Films in an adaptation of the Ishiguro novel.

Autumn Shoots

Peaky Blinders returns and we are delighted to confirm that Andrew Koji will play a guest lead over 2 episodes filming this autumn. Eugene O’Hare is currently shooting Dublin Murders for the BBC; adapted by Sarah Phelps this 8 part crime drama will come to our screens next year with Eugene playing series regular Detective Quigley. Oliver Dench joins the cast of Noughts and Crosses, Mammoth/BBC’s adaptation of the Malorie Blackman books now filming in Cape Town with Kibwe Taveres directing; Jordan Mifsúd plays the recurring role of Krzystof in new Tall Story Pictures/ ITV drama The Bay set in Morecambe with Lee Haven Jones directing whilst Max Fowler will join the regular cast of The Affair for the 5th and final season of the acclaimed drama from Showtime. Jospeh May will play Brett across the new series of Dark Money, a timely and evocative new drama around child abuse written by BAFTA winner Levi David Addai for BBC/The Forge. Gary Oliver, David Nellist and Rocky Marshall have all been cast in The Confession penned by Jeff Pope (Little Boy Blue, The Moorside) which details the investigation behind the disappearance of Sian O’Callaghan in 2011, Paul Andrew Williams directs. Richard Teverson will portray Colin Tenant in the much anticipated Season 3 recast of The Crown for Left Bank Pictures/Sony/Netflix whilst Joe Sims joins the Netflix Original and Emmy Winning Free Rein for Season 3. Graduate Lion Russell Baumann makes his screen debut as Prince Sigmund in Mammoth /ITV’s Victoria. Aleksandar Mikic and Robert Hands film guest roles in Paramout’s Berlin Station; Chris Harper returns to ITV screens in the ever popular Endeavour, Rebecca Johnson joins the cast of Good Karma Hospital this season playing the returning role of Lesley McConnell and Robert Cavanah will play the role of Gilbert Benson across Season 5 of BBC’s Shetland.

Comedy shoots this autumn include Melanie Kilburn in new Sky comedy Brassic; Carol Macready and Kate Fahy currently filming new BBC comedy drama Don’t Forget The Driver, written and directed by Toby Jones and set in the post Brexit world of Bognor Regis; Cosima Shaw in Home a new comedy series for Ch 4 written and starring Rufus Jones and Sophie Stone will be playing a guest lead in the next series of BBC comedy Two Door Down.

In film news Ben Dilloway shoots Rare Beasts, Billie Piper’s directorial debut, Thomas Coombes and Sally Scott film Summerland, Jessica Swale’s first feature and Robert Cavanah portrays Joe Boyle in historical drama Queen Marie of Romania.

2018 – Stage

Ben Dilloway in Frost/Nixon at the Crucible, Sheffield

Gavin Spokes returns to the West End playing Charles Ingram, ‘the coughing major’ in James Graham’s new play Quiz. Directed by Daniel Evans, the Chichester Festival Production opens for a limited season at the Noel Coward Theatre from 31 March 2018. (click to watch trailer) Anita Reynolds joins the cast of Absolute Hell at the National Theatre with Joe Hill Gibbons directing and Laura Rogers plays the leading role of Kay Summersby in the London premier of Pressure opening at the Park Theatre. Other openings include Ben Dilloway as Jack Brennan in The Sheffield Crucible’s production of Frost/Nixon directed by Kate Hewitt, Christopher Harper in ATG’s Strangers On A Train which tours until April and Daniel Rabin in the West End transfer of Robert Ike’s critically acclaimed Mary Stewart playing at The Duke of Yorks Theatre. Josie Walker and Tamsin Carroll, meanwhile, continue in acclaimed new musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie whose run has been extended at the Apollo Theatre until Christmas 2018 (click to watch trailer).
Sandy Foster returns to the RSC as Joan in a new play about the life of Joan Littlewood, also for the RSC Graham Turner reprises his Fool in King Lear for a New York transfer whilst Kate Fahy reprises her role as Maggie Thatcher in the US premiere of Handbagged opening in Washington DC. George Caple plays Alex in A Clockwork Orange and Patrick Brennan Iago in Othello both for Liverpool Everyman, Nicholas Lumley joins the NT touring production of This House whilst Molly Logan plays Ethel in Lucy Bailey’s production of Love From a Stranger, also on tour.

2018 – Screen

Viewing

The Sky Atlantic premier of British historical period drama Britannia written by Jez Butterworth and featuring Jodie McNee as Willa tx from January 18th. Also on Sky Atlantic Thomas Coombes plays regular Michael “Goz” Gozdecki in Save Me a thriller from the producers of Line of Duty written by and starring Lennie James. On Netflix and E4 catch Pooky Quesnel and Hayley Carmichael in the eagerly anticipated Kiss Me First an innovative and emotional 6 part thriller written by Skins creator Bryan Elsley. On the BBC Daniel Coonan plays murdered detective Alex Butler and Sam Alexander Father Michael in new crime drama Hard Sun from the creators of Luther. The fifth and final season of Episodes will air in February with Joseph May reprising his regular role of Andy Button.

Filming

Andrew Koji is currently shooting The Innocents for Netflix and then continues filming on the first series of Warrior for HBO. Hayley Carmichael heads to Serbia to shoot Undergods a collection of darkly humorous, kafkaesque tales about failed societies and the people who inhabit them written and directed by two times winner of the Cannes Lions, Chino Moya. John Mackay plays the role of Dirk Schreiber in writer/director Hugo Blick’s new BBC/Netflix drama The Forgiving Earth a drama concentrating on the prosecution of international war crimes whilst Sarah Malin films 2 episodes of Jed Mercurio’s latest drama Bodyguard, a political thriller that follows the lives of the royal protection branch, tx this summer. Meanwhile Ken Bones joins the cast of A Discovery of Witches an 8 part adaptation of Deborah Harkness’ historical fantasy novel for Sky 1, Anton Saunders has been cast in the role of Godric in the third series of the BBC drama The Last Kingdom and Ben Dilloway shoots the TV adaptation of the Royal Court’s Wanderlust by Nick Payne for BBC/Netflix