Neil Cross's Blog, page 3

NBC releases Crossbones trailer

The trailer to Neil’s NBC show Crossbones is now available to view:

Learn more about the series, and follow its progress at NBC.com‘s official show site, on Facebook  and Twitter.

‘Crossbones’ Star John Malkovich Previews NBC’s Pirate Drama Miniseries

John Malkovich is coming to TV this summer with NBC’s “Crossbones” (premieres Fri., May 30 at 10 p.m.), which is being touted as “the new legend of Blackbeard,” the revolutionary pirate, writes Yahoo TV.

Yahoo TV has the first interview Malkovich has given on this fascinating career turn as Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard:

Nominated for two Oscars (both Best Supporting Actor nods for 1985′s “Places of the Heart” and 1994′s “In the Line of Fire“), Malkovich’s career is defined by its indefinability, from the obscure (playing Peter the Clown in Woody Allen’s little known “Shadows and Fog”) to the blockbusters (most recently “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” “Red” and “Red 2″). Malkovich has made a few visits to the small screen with miniseries and TV movies, but this is his first leading role in a network show. Why now?

“I thought it was very well-written,” Malkovich said to Yahoo TV. “It made me slightly worried because I sort of had to commit to it having only read two of the [10] scripts, but I was really impressed by the quality of Neil’s writing, and I thought, ‘Why not?’”

Neil being writer and executive producer Neil Cross, creator of BBC’s “Luther.” “Neil is a very clever writer. He’s very clever about doing interaction and behavior.  Because there are quite a few big, or large-ish, characters in this, it’s a nice kind of ensemble to balance off of. Neil is very good at characterization.”

Read more at Yahoo TV.

Crossbones premieres in the States on May 30

The action adventure series about the golden age of pirates starring John MalkovichCrossbones will go out on NBC at 10pm on Fridays on NBC.  Neil is writer and executive producer for the the show.

From NBC:

It’s 1715 on the Bahamian island of Santa Campana, the first functioning democracy in the Americas, where the diabolical pirate Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard (John Malkovich), reigns over a rogue nation of thieves, outlaws and miscreant sailors. Part shantytown and part marauder’s paradise, this is a place like no other on Earth – and a mounting threat to international commerce.

Teach/Blackbeard has set his sights on the world’s first longitude chronometer, a device that will change society, sea-trade and global business. In a massive attack on an English vessel, Blackbeard attempts to steal the device; however, Tom Lowe, an English spy working undercover as the ship’s surgeon, destroys the chronometer before it can fall into his hands. Taken as prisoner to Santa Campana Island, Lowe must find a way to reassemble the precious device, all while trying to unfold Blackbeard’s plan… a plan that includes a threat to the English throne even worse than pirates.

From the award-winning creator of “Luther,” Neil Cross, and award-winning executive producers Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald (“Gladiator,” “Men in Black”) comes an extraordinary action adventure with an unexpected moral center where one can’t be sure whether the pirates or the British crown are the villains.

Idris Elba wins for Luther at Britain’s Royal Television Society Awards

Idris  picked up one of the top prizes at Britain’s recent Royal Television Society Awards in London. He took the Male Actor for his role as DCI John Luther in his third series in 2013.

Read more about the 2013 award winners and watch highlights from the ceremony here.

An evening with

Join Neil on June 29 as he talks about writing Doctor Who, his collaborations with Guillermo Del Toro, being lead writer on BBC spy drama Spooks, creating the iconic crime thriller Luther – and his award-winning novels:

Saturday June 29, from 7pm

Ilott Theatre, Wellington Town Hall

Tickets available through Ticketek (www.ticketek.co.nz or phone 0800 TICKETEK)

 

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An evening with Neil Cross

 

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Doctor Who: Rings of Akhaten screens this Saturday

Neil’s first episodes of Doctor Who will screen on BBC One this Saturday.

The Rings of Akhaten is the second episode in the current series. Here, the Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith and his new companion Jenna-Louise Coleman introduce the episode:

The introduction, this trailer and an episode preview can be found on BBC’s Doctor Who web pages.

Here is what executive producer Steven Moffat revealed about this episode in Doctor Who magazine in December:

This is Neil Cross’ second script, but the first one you’ll see. All shot now and we’ve just seen the first cut from [director] Farren Blackburn, and I’ll think you’ll laugh and cry and airpunch. Glorious. The brief, for Neil, was this. “You know how the doctor always promises amazing, awesome wonders to his companions, then gets them stuck down a tunnel beiung attacked by mutant slugs. Let’s deliver some awesome and amazing!”

Hide, Episode 4 in the series, screens later in April. Here is what Steven Moffat revealed in Doctor Who magazine in December:

Neil Cross’ first script, but the second one you’ll see. And you won’t be in any doubt about why we rugby tackled him on the way out the door, and cranked another story out of him. Spooky and clever and even a little bit romantic, with some gorgeous work from new-to-Who director Jamie Payne, this one is finished. No, hang on, it isn’t. We’ve got a shot to pick up. Damn! Damn!!

Watch the 2013 full series trailer here:

Guillermo del Toro & Jessica Castaine speak of Mama

Ahead of its January 18 opening, new behind-the-scenes video material has been released for Mama, the horror movie executive produced by Guillermo del Toro and scripted by Neil.

Mama, which stars Jessica Chastain and Game of Thrones star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, expands on director Andy Muschietti’s terrifying 2008 Spanish-language short. Neil rewrote an original script by Andy and Barbara Muschietti.

“Look Inside” Mama is available to view on iTunes and features commentary by del Toro, Chastaine and Coster-Waldau. More information about the movie can be found at the official movie site.

Doctor Who

Neil has written two episodes of the forthcoming series of Doctor Who, which will begin screening on BBC One in April of 2013.

Here is what executive producer Steven Moffat revealed about Neil’s episodes in Doctor Who magazine in December:

Episode 2 [aka Episode 707]

This is Neil Cross’ second script, but the first one you’ll see. All shot now and we’ve just seen the first cut from [director] Farren Blackburn, and I’ll think you’ll laugh and cry and airpunch. Glorious. The brief, for Neil, was this. “You know how the doctor always promises amazing, awesome wonders to his companions, then gets them stuck down a tunnel beiung attacked by mutant slugs. Let’s deliver some awesome and amazing!”

Episode 4 [aka Episode 709]

Neil Cross’ first script, but the second one you’ll see. And you won’t be in any doubt about why we rugby tackled him on the way out the door, and cranked another story out of him. Spooky and clever and even a little bit romantic, with some gorgeous work from new-to-Who director Jamie Payne, this one is finished. No, hang on, it isn’t. We’ve got a shot to pick up. Damn! Damn!!

Watch the 2013 series trailer here:

Luther Series 3

Sienna Guillory (Resident Evil, Inkheart, Love Actually, Eragon) has been cast to play Luther’s new love interest in series three of Neil Cross’s critically acclaimed drama series, which began filming in November.

Luther is back under intense pressure, with two conflicting crimes to investigate and a ruthless ex-copper determined to bring him down.

Luther’s life is his job; that is, until love crosses his path and offers him a chance of happiness. Guillory plays Mary, who works in a vintage clothes shop. She meets Luther in a chance encounter.

Guillory says: “You realise why Luther is so good when you read Neil Cross’s scripts, and then you meet Idris and understand what ‘untamed’ means. There is no other set I’d rather be on, and I love the disastrous fun of being Mary Day, the right girl in the wrong place.”

Idris Elba, playing Luther, adds: “I want to thank the fans for waiting so patiently for the new season. We’re thrilled to deliver it to you. Here comes John!”

Warren Brown (Good Cop) returns as DS Justin ‘Ripley’, Nikki Amuka-Bird as DS Erin Gray, Dermot Crowley as DSU Martin Schenk and Michael Smiley as Benny Deadhead. Further guest stars include Lucian Msamati (Game of Thrones) and Ned Dennehy (Parade’s End, Tyrannosaur).

The third series of Luther is a 4 x 60-minute series for transmission on BBC One in 2013. Luther is a BBC and BBC America co-production distributed by BBC Worldwide.

Luther was commissioned by Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning and Danny Cohen, Controller, BBC One. The BBC Executive producer is Phillippa Giles and the producer is Claire Bennett.

(BBC Media Centre)

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