Hello, and welcome back to Week in Review, our roundup of industry-wide news. From stage to screens big and small, we’ve got you covered. It’s everything you need to know and all you can’t afford to miss.
Rami Malek reveals condition that Bond terrorist is ‘not driven by religion’
Rami Malek revealed last week that he took on the role of the villain in Bond 25 on the condition that he wouldn’t be portrayed as a religious terrorist. Speaking about his role in 007’s latest outing, Malek said his villain is a “great character” but that he laid down conditions with director Cary Fukunaga before joining the project. “I said, ‘We cannot identify him with any act of terrorism reflecting an ideology or a religion. That’s not something I would entertain, so if that is why I am your choice then you can count me out.’ But that was clearly not his vision. So he’s a very different kind of terrorist.” Malek’s comments come as the film industry is under increasing pressure to show portrayals of Muslims and Arabic people, including from study group The Riz Test who tweeted their support of Malek’s decision.
READ: Bond 25 Film Reveals Release Update
Writers go public after being ‘bullied’ off project and ‘silenced’
Two writers removed from Idris Elba musical Tree went public last week, alleging they were “bullied and silenced” and offered money to not speak out about their role in the project. Sarah Henley and Tori Allen-Martin published details of how they allegedly worked for four years on the musical but lost control after Young Vic artistic director Kwame Kwei-Armah came onboard. Sparking outrage online, the pair claim that the current production, billed as a creative collaboration between Kwei-Armah and Elba, is based on a show they conceived and have been denied credit for. The producers of Tree strongly deny this.
Calling for better treatment of women in the industry, Henley and Allen-Martin said the experience was “devastating proof of the way doors are shut on women, and on the underdogs.” They added: “We became completely disposable because we’re not famous or important enough. We were expected to shut up, lie down, and take it.” Responding on Twitter, Kwei-Armah said he understood the pain of being “released” from a project but refuted their claims. He added: “I will let my record at the YV [Young Vic] and in America speak for itself when it comes to supporting women directors and playwrights.” Read more here.
Netflix sets up its first production base in the UK
Netflix has found a home in the UK, settling on Pinewood’s Shepperton Studios as a base after shopping around for almost a year. The new production hub at Shepperton will see Netflix take over a 14-stage studio space which has until now been rented to Marvel and Disney for films including Dumbo and Mary Poppins Returns. The streaming giant’s first project to shoot there will be fantasy adventure film The Old Guard, starring Charlize Theron and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
The deal with Pinewood sees Netflix secure almost exclusive use of Shepperton and, with the agreement apparently lasting until 2029, is a statement of intent from the company who made more than 40 original productions involving 25,000 cast and crew last year. Netflix’s Ted Sarandos said: “Shepperton had been synonymous with world-class film for nearly a century,” adding that the company is “incredibly proud to be part of that heritage.”
Netflix’s investment is great news for performers and below-the-line talent, all of whom stand to benefit from their aggressive expansion into producing original content in Europe and the wider boom in production across the UK. And it makes Equity’s first deal with Netflix timely, as the union is now set up to protect performers cast in the increasing number of Netflix original productions shooting here.
READ: Netflix Creates Major UK Production Hub at Shepperton Studios
Southbank Centre apologises for a ‘clumsy’ understudy tweet
London’s Southbank Centre has apologised for a “clumsy” tweet suggesting audiences might want to change their tickets after an announcement that an understudy would be playing a lead role. Performer Dove Cameron was replaced by understudy Molly Lynch last week, playing the role of Clara in musical The Light in the Piazza. Announcing the news on Twitter, Southbank Centre said those who “wish to change your tickets for an alternative performance” should contact the venue. After being called out by singer and author Carrie Hope Fletcher, who argued the announcement was disrespectful, the venue apologised and deleted the tweet. Fletcher added that venues “should NOT be enforcing this idea that understudies aren’t as worth watching as the people they’re understudying.”
Game of Throne’s Maisie Williams heads to Sky
Sky has announced that Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams is to front new six-part comedy series Two Weeks to Live. Williams plays misfit Kim, who was raised in the deepest countryside and taught bizarre survival techniques by her mother in the wake of her father’s mysterious death. The series sees Kim pursue the truth about her father before becoming embroiled in a fight to save a pair of brothers from a murderous gangster. Written by Gaby Hull (Cheat, Benidorm), the series shoots later this year.
READ: What Is Sky TV + Why Does it Matter to Actors?
Cineworld U-turns on Robert the Bruce showings in Scotland
Cineworld this week U-turned on a decision not to show new film Robert the Bruce in Scotland, buckling to an online campaign and pressure from cast members and showing that filmmakers and cinemagoers can successfully stand up against the business. Figures including former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond argued the cinema chain was effectively “burying” the film about the Scottish hero, which had its world premiere in Edinburgh at the recent film festival. Originally stating that “commercial reasons” would keep Robert the Bruce from playing in Scotland, Cineworld will now show the film in select locations across the country. Robert the Bruce’s writer and star Angus Macfadyen (who also played the Scottish leader in Mel Gibson-led epic Braveheart) thanked supporters on Twitter, saying the “well-orchestrated campaign” reminded him of the battle of Bannockburn, in which Robert triumphed over English forces. Read more here.
Christmas at Wilton’s Music Hall
East London venue Wilton’s Music Hall is to stage a version of A Christmas Carol with a twist as part of their autumn and winter season. Featuring a female Scrooge, the adaptation of Dickens’ much-loved Christmas tale reimagines the story from the point of view of Ebenezer Scrooge’s sister and is set after the original character has died and left his money-lending business to her. Written by Piers Torday and directed by Stephanie Street, Christmas Carol: a Fairy Tale opens on 29 November. Casting is to be announced.
For more from Backstage UK, check out the magazine.
