StarzPlayUK are hosting an exclusive red carpet event for world premiere of S6 of their hit TV show Outlander at the Royal Festival Hall (Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX) on Thursday, 24 February 2022.
Tickets are free but you will have to be quick to snag one up when registration opens as a special Valentine’s gift on Monday, 14 February 2022 at 10:00 am (GMT). For more information click to this link (this is also where you’ll register for tickets on Monday).
For the first time ever in London, “Outlander” fans can enjoy the newest season at the red carpet premiere event filled with the series stars and accompanied by the Philharmonia Orchestra and Philharmonia Chorus Choir. The screening will be followed by a live and virtual panel with cast and executive producers.
Season 6 of hit TV series Outlander will return after a long “droughtlander” period to our screens on 6 March 2022. The new episodes will be based in parts on Diana Gabaldon’s 6th novel A Breath of Snow and Ashes (other parts of the book had already been covered in the previous season).
It is yet unknown which of these episodes will see the #BonnieComeback but we can’t wait to see Andrew Gower reprise his role as Bonnie Prince Charlie in the upcoming season.
Andrew Gower as “Bonnie Prince” Charles Edward Stuart
Andrew Gower is a guest at the latest episode of The Blue Room Podcast. The Blue Room is an independent website for Andrew’s favourite football team Everton.
In the episode hosts Matt Jones and Rob Vera reflect on Andrew’s work and love of the Toffees (which is the nickname for Everton fans) before they discuss the latest match.
He also reveals that he’s currently developing a feature length version of his short film Humpty Fu*king Dumpty, which he filmed in February 2019 and premiered on 8 May 2020. Fellow Outlander alumni Stephen Walters is back as the film’s writer/director with Michael Knowles (Running Naked) producing. They are hoping to shoot the feature version in early 2022 depending on the progress of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
We have an update for you about the first UK screening of Running Naked in front of a live audience!
It will now take place on Thursday, 21 October 2021 at 7:00pm at the MitchellArts Centre in Stoke-on-Trent (UK). The screening will be followed by a Q&A with producers Andy Paton and Michael Knowles.
The “feel good buddy dramedy” about cancer survivors Ben (Andrew Gower) and Mark (Matthew McNulty) is also available on iTunes (UK, USA & Canada), Amazon Prime (UK & USA), Sky (UK) and several other streaming platforms in the USA.
Two years after the cast of Carnival Row came together in Prague to start filming Season 2 of the Amazon Prime series, it is finally a wrap!
The second installment of the neo-noir drama was first officially announced on 27 July 2019, more than a month before Season 1 premiered on the streaming platform but producton suffered some severe delays due to a change in showrunners, the Covid-19 pandemic and Orlando Bloom’s paternal leave following the birth of his daughter Daisy Dove with singer/actress Katy Perry.
Bloom, who is also one of the show’s executive producers, announced in an interview with entertainment website Collider that Season 2 would be split into 2 parts.
“To keep the momentum of the show moving forward […] they are going to release the first half of the season and add one [episode].”
“We would like to go back and polish it off a little bit. I managed to get in and out and get some stuff done so we could close out that first half of the second season…”
Season 2.1 wrapped after a short re-shoot in August 2020 and cast & crew returned to Barrandov Studois in the Czech Republic in May 2021 to film the remaining 5 episodes of Season 2.2.
On 9 September 2021 several cast & crew members took to social media to celebrate the final wrap of Season 2. Amazon Prime hasn’t confirmed a release date for any of the new episode but speculation points to early 2022 for the first half and 2023 for the second.
Judging by Andrew Gower‘s filmography on his agent’s website, it seems like he’ll reprise his role as Bonnie Prince Charlie in the upcoming 6th season of Outlander which is currently in post-production and rumoured for a release in early 2022.
Season 6 of the historical drama series is based on the 6th book of Diana Gabaldon‘s Highland saga A Breath of Snow and Ashes which is set just before the American Revolutionary War. Time-travelling WW2 combat nurse Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and her 18th century Highland warrior husband Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) now live in the American colonies and try to build a life for their extended family and a number of Scottish refugees, who used to fight alongside Jamie in the Jacobite Rising of 1745 under the “Young Pretender” Prince Charles Edwad Stuart (Andrew Gower).
In August 1774, Claire and Jamie are invited to a barbecue at River Run, the plantation of Jamie’s wealthy Aunt Jocasta (Maria Doyle Kennedy). Guest of honour for the occassion is none other than the “Heroine of the Highlands” Flora MacDonald, who famously helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape Government troups by dressing him up as her Irish maid Betty Burke.
When Claire meets Flora at the party she reminisces about what became of the Prince after the Battle of Culloden where his Highland army was devastatingly defeated by British forces led by Prince William, Duke of Cumberland (also known as “Butcher Cumberland”).
“Bonnie” Prince Charles Edward Suart and Flora MacDonald
Odd, that it should have been the defeat of Charles Stuart, and his ignominious flight, that made a heroine of Flora MacDonald and united these Highland exciles in a way that they could never have achieved – let alone sustained – had he actually won.
It struck me suddenly that Charlie was likely still alive, quietly drinking himself to death in Rome. In any real way, though, he was long since dead to these people who had loved or hated him. The amber of time had sealed him forever in that one defining moment of his life – Bliadha Tearlach; “Charlie’s Year,” it meant, and even now, I heard people call it that.
(Source: Diana Gabaldon – A Breath of Snow and Ashes, Chapter 54 “Flora MacDonald’s Barbecue”)
It is possible that the TV adaption will use this encounter with Flora MacDonald for a brief flashback to show the Prince’s flight from Scotland in 1746 or maybe it will give us a glimpse at the aged Prince, “quietly drinking himself to death in Rome” as the novel says.
Either way, it’ll definitely be a scene worth seeing – and dare we hope for a final (and 18th) “mark me”?
Andrew Gower as Bonnie Prince Charlie in S2 of Outlander (middle), with the Prince dressed as Betty Burke (left) and Charles Edward Stuart in 1775 (right)
On 30 August 2021, it will have been exactly two years since the first season of fantasy-noir drama series Carnival Row premiered on Amazon Prime. At that point season 2 was already in pre-production, the renewal having been confirmed a month prior to the release date of season 1.
So what’s the current status of season 2, when can fans expect to see it and what else do we know?
To try to answer some of our burning questions, we’ll take a look at the production timeline of season 1 in comparison to season 2. For further information on the “Evolution of Carnival Row” from a blacklisted spec script to being devolped into an Amazon Prime series, see our post here.
9 January 2015: Amazon signs a development deal ordering 3 scripts to be co-written by Guillermo del Torro, René Echevarria and Travis Beacham based on the latter’s spec script A Killing on Carnival Row.
6 June 2016: The production is given a pilot order.
10 May 2017: Carnival Row is given a series order. Guillermo del Torro is replaced by Paul McGuigan as director, pre-production starts at Barrandov Studios in Prague
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October 2017: Principal photography starts in the Czech Republic
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10 November 2017: Paul McGuigan is replaced by Jon Amiel
David Gyasi, Tamzin Merchant, Cara Delevingne, Orlando Bloom & Travis Beacham at San Diego Comic Con 2019
It seems like both seasons followed a similar production schedule and had it not been for the production hiatus following the change in showrunners, principal photography could have wrapped before the Covid-19 pandemic forced it to halt. At least parts of post-production could have been done during lockdown and S2 released in the fall of 2021.
Production could have resumed in the Czech Republic as soon as May 2020 but – with the exception of a quick re-shoot – the decision was made to wait another year, presumably to allow lead actor and executive producer Orlando Bloom time to be with his pregnant fiancée Katy Perry and (later) their newborn daughter. Instead S2 will be split in two parts with the first one being in post-production since August 2020.
When can fans expect to see the first 5 episodes of S2? Please bear in mind that the following is pure speculation at this point!
With Wheel of Time, Amazon Prime has another highly anticipated fantasy series coming out this year (rumoured to be in November 2021) and it’s not unlikely that they will team up both shows to gain more viewers for both shows. Considering that Carnival Row will only have 5 new episodes, adding it to Wheel of Time‘s 6 episodes sounds like a good idea.
The question remains which series will be the lead-in: Will we see Carnival Row or Wheel of Time first?
Only time will tell, but today’s news that actor Jamie Harris (Sergeant Dombey on Carnival Row) has been promoted to series regular might indicate that more news are to follow very soon. We are ready to see more of Andrew Gower as Ezra Spurnrose and find out what happened to his sister Imogen and her fae lover Mr Agreus!
Sadly, Running Naked Film on Facebook had to announce the following this morning:
“Due to unforeseen circumstances the screening of Running Naked has been postponed. We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused. When the new dates for the festival are released we will let everyone know. We are all looking forward to seeing you all at the public screening and hope to see you all soon.”
“Due to unforeseen circumstances the screening of Running Naked has been postponed. We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused. The new date for the screening is 4th October. We are all looking forward to seeing you all at the new date. Thanks for your patience.”
The film, which launches the Stoked Film Festival at the Mitchell Arts Centre on Monday 23 August 2021 at 7:00pm, was made in conjunction with the MA in Feature Film Production at Staffordshire University and successfully brought together a crew of industry professionals who mentored students throughout the shoot.
It rejoins Mark and Ben twenty years after their friendship develops. After receiving a dramatic piece of news, the film charts the friends as they embark on an adventure that will change both their lives.
Course Leaders Andy Paton and Mike Knowles produced the film which is directed by Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Victor Buhler. Written by Victor with Mike and his wife Jennifer Knowles, the heartfelt story draws on Jennifer’s personal experience as a cancer survivor.
Andy Paton, Senior Lecturer in Film Production, explained: “We believe that it is incredibly important for students to get hands-on experience working on a professional film shoot.
“We wanted to make an independent British film with a heart and hope that Running Naked brings a positive and hopeful message to anyone whose life has been touched by the cancer.
“The project is an amazing example of how the University’s resources can be used to create a professional feature film which is now being distributed across the world – something that is invaluable to our students as they forge their careers in the industry.”
Funding came from private equity and more than 60 postgraduate and undergraduate students worked on Running Naked which was shot over 20 days in summer 2018. However, the film’s release was delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Head of Department of Media and Performance Dr Rob Marsden said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Mitchell Arts Centre on Stoked Film Festival which we hope will become an annual event in our cultural calendar and an opportunity to screen both the professional and graduate work coming out of the city.”
“It’s a big night for Running Naked as it’s the first time is has screened out of lockdown and shows off the talent we have here at Staffordshire University as well as showcasing our city as a fabulous location for contemporary film. We hope people will feel confident to come out and celebrate the return of cinema to our city.”
Tickets for Running Naked (15) are £7 which includes a free drink and a free screening of Student Short Films will also be taking place on Wednesday 25 August 2021 at the earlier time of 6pm. For full programme and booking visit Stoked Film Festival.
Interested in studying a course in Film? Find out if you are eligible for an offer through Clearing by using our offer calculator, have a ‘live chat’ with Clearing experts at http://www.staffs.ac.uk/clearing/ or call our Clearing hotline on 0800 590 830.
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