From where I’m sitting, The Night Manager might be the thing that really pushes Tom Hiddleston’s Dragonflies over the edge. He wears suits and leather jackets. He looks posh and deadly. He takes a swim and there are lingering shots of damp, shirtless Hiddles. He’s pulling a long con as an agent in her majesty’s government. He’s basically a more realistic and less violent James Bond. It’s very Dragonfly-baity. Even I’m into it, which is saying something. Anyway, the BBC finally released a proper trailer for The Night Manager and it looks really good. The most disconcerting thing for me is hearing Hugh Laurie’s real British accent – as an American who watched House regularly, I’m not used to hearing his real accent. Oh, and it seems like Laurie is the one chewing the scenery with the “showy” role, while Tom is all deeply contemplative and secret-agenty.
Elizabeth Debecki is the girl. It seems like she’s Hugh Laurie’s girlfriend but Tom’s character falls for her and then it all goes to hell. Debecki has been skirting around becoming a more well-known talent for several years now, and honestly, I think she’s due for a major breakthrough. I loved her in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. where she acted circles around Alicia Vikander. Anyway, The Night Manager looks really, really good. British Celebitches get to see the miniseries first, next month I think. Americans won’t get to see until April 19, a Tuesday. There are six episodes in the miniseries, so we’ll probably be talking about it around the same time we discuss Game of Thrones (huzzah, I mean, HODOR). Hopefully, we’ll know by then if Tom really did Cumberbatch the situation with Elizabeth Olsen (“to Cumberbatch” = to knock up a less-than-official girlfriend).
Photos courtesy of Getty, AMC.
Oh, Kaiser, I do love the feel of your bait in my mouth.
There are new pics of EO grocery shopping (all she does except follow TH around) in LA, and she’s as flat as a board…face and stomach.
Looking forward to TNM.
And she finally has a job. With Jeremy Renner. The other guy she was reportedly having an affair with.
I just wrote the same thing but Lilac beat me to it. EO’s new project starts filming in March, so i doubt ittle Dragonflies will be hatched this year.
F*** all this jibber jabber, that’s Olivia Colman in that cast shot!!!! ::flapping hands excitedly::
YES! Olivia is all!!
Tom’s bday is Feb. 9, followed by the Cumberbatch’s anniversary formerly known as Valentine’s Day, followed by Lizze’s bday on Feb. 16. A trifecta of romantic opportunity. If she doesn’t travel to Oz to see him during that week, I would say we could drop the THEO rumors. And we’re good at dropping rumors on this site, aren’t we?
Well now she has another job in the offing she may not need Tom anymore. Or am I being a real bitch?
No sightings = no gossip. Works for me.
Poor Renner isn’t gonna know what hit him. Though he’d probably be into that fake relationship thing. 😉
@spidey, the best and most entertaining kind!
Two projects to be exact. She would be wise to stay baby free in this, er working relationship.
Mercy! The gray henley. The gray henley of sex. Tom and I are going to be spending the day putting the gray henley on and taking it off. While riding about on an Animall. Summon Colin if you need something.
Oh yes, a very sexy henley to be true. We don’t ever get to see him in that. I hope they allowed him to keep it, and we might get another bestowing of this blessid shirt. After all the shirt he’s wearing on the Animall looks like the shirt in the first scenes of the trailer.
Some one else is thinking along the same lines about the henley.
https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/tom-hiddleston
If a man had directed TNM, we would get promos showing a scantily clad Elizabeth Debicki undulating towards us. But fortunately, a woman directed TNM and we get the gray henley of sex.
…and there, in a nutshell, is the double standard.
Cast to die for. Tom Hollander. Yay!
I’m left uninspired by the trailer, though. This seems to be a current trend with Auntie. All her recent trailers have been worse than the actual series.
Those of us brought up on A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Blackadder and Jeeves and Wooster *still* find the House accent just plain weird, no matter how many times you USans tell us how accurate it was!
For me, Laurie will always be Bertie Wooster, not House.
For me, he’s Lieutenant George!
My favourite Laurie will always be the hilariously gormless numkskull Prince Regent, with his ridiculous beauty patches etc. However, by way of those icy blue eyes, Hugh also does a very good heartless cold blooded, villain, as can the sublime Tim McInnerny. Let’s face it, the man can play ANYTHING, and more than holds his own with any young whippersnappers he is cast with. Take lessons!
Bertie Wooster forever!!!!
Or, my personal favorite, his stirring rendition of the classic standard “Where Is The Lid?” https://youtu.be/lccMNQxCmOc
I’ve honestly never watched House but I’ve seen Black Adder and Fry and Laurie. His accent doesn’t surprise me because of different exposure as well.
Me too Jammy. Only seen bits of it. Just didn’t have the patience for an ongoing hospital drama even with a cranky, eccentric, genius doctor. Truthfully I’m more interest in his other works aside from House. I liked him in Flight of the Phoenix where he plays an american there too. He’s so good in many things not just acting either. Aside from being really intelligent, as witty as hell, he’s also a good musician. His last blues cd was very good, and I think he even tours a little with his band.
Same. Never watched House but grew up with Blackadder and love it!
@Cranberry, same. I can’t imagine watching a medical drama for 8 seasons. I just can’t do it.
Yes, THE HENLEY OF SEX. Lordy, I thought he looked good in deep Vs and red plaid, but then the double popped Henley is brought out of the arsenal. Have Mercy.
American Celebitches can watch this on BBC iPlayer in Feb, if they use a geo-unblocking service. I’ve been catching up British shows this past week with no issues.
I keep meaning to say to you, beware the iPlayer. It’s not like Netflix – more of a catch up service. So things disappear very quickly!
Yes, my watchlist is based on the expiry dates!
Also, despite having really good internet service, I don’t seem to have the bandwidth to watch it on line. I have to download it to the player in order to watch it.
But after catching up on Luther series 4 and And Then There Were None, I’m a happy lady. War & Peace next!
Don’t forget Dickensian, which isn’t what you’d call highbrow, but is good fun. Worth it all for Pauline Collins as Mrs Gamp having such fun that she’s on the verge of corpsing at every line! And then go to Walter Presents at the Channel 4 website for some extra-superduper-fandabbydozy world drama.
Nutballs, if you download it I think you get longer to watch it too.
Sixer, so much to watch!! I’l added Dickensian and Walter Presents, which had me at the opening screen of the trailer: “WARNING: This Contains Nudity And Adult Themes”. Yeeah!
Spidey, I didn’t notice a difference in the expiry dates when I downloaded them, but if that happens I won’t complain.
Sorry Nutballs, it used to be you could watch things on iplayer for one week but if you downloaded them it was 30 days. It may be 30 days for both now.
I may not be over the edge yet but I’m bloody well teetering….
He’s good looking but not attractive at all to me. Something about his mouth? I’m sure he cries himself to sleep over it.
This made me LOL.
Pretty sure that he can do magical stuff with that mouth. *cough* As for the Trailer: I loved it. I really did. It looks like a damn cool show and I really really hope that Hiddles finally gets his “chance” to shine more in the USA.
“Pretty sure that he can do magical stuff with that mouth.”
Oh yeah @xxxxx, like in CP when he “almost” went oral on Edith. I don’t know why, but I believe that model story that disclosed he was very good in that department. I think it’s because Tom’s always wanting to please, ya know. 😉
@Nicole, you never know with Tom Hiddleston. A few years ago, I remember thinking “I get why other people think he’s attractive and he has a lot of qualities that tick my boxes–tall, lanky, blue-eyed, blondish, British, sexy voice, etc–but I don’t find him attractive. His lips are too thin and his eyes are too deep-set (yes, I’m that critical).” But then all of a sudden a switch flipped and none of those things mattered anymore and now–for me–he is the ne plus ultra man of my fantasies Not saying that this will happen to you, but beware. .
I am not a good connoisseur of posh, but I don’t think Hiddles looks posh in the trailer. Anyway, Jonathan Pine is not. His father is a soldier/spy and his mother is described simply as a German beauty. Roper has, as far as I remember, a public school accent. I suspect that Tom might feel quite happy when he could play a character who is NOT a royal, aristocrat, or posh in a BBC drama. Oh, he managed to wear jeans, of course.
I think the trailer is okay. It looks like a solid adaptation and I came to think pregnant Angela Burr is a good change to update the story. I hope that they made Jed a more interesting character.
I think Coleman is a great actress which is good thing because I find her childish giggling irritating in interviews and watching her suck up to Wienstien on the Norton show was awful.I like British actresses like Helen Mirren who have wit and intelligence,
I was not impressed by her in Broadchurch because I just found her so unprofessional as a policewomen.
She was great in Hyde PARK HUDSON as the Queen Mother and is very much a critics darling so she is always on the Bafta list.One year the press went mad saying she had won 2 Bafta’s that year and completely overlooked Peter Capaldi who had also one two in more complex roles.
I liked her on the Norton show. I didn’t really think she was sucking up to Wienstien although she did want the record clear that she could keep a secret. I think Marvel would appreciate that.
Love the trailer.
Hugh Laurie forever. He’s my jam.
Having him and Tom is perfect casting -Laurie can put across innate nastiness without going over the top
Having Tom and Laurie is my dream team.Tom is great at moral angst and Laurie can embody innate nastiness.Tom has played across some great actors this year and it has been good to see him stretching his acting skills
I love that they chose the middle east and the Arab Spring as the background for the series, should make it much more interesting.
And with that cast you really can’t go wrong, I can’t wait!
Hope it won’t be as boring as War and Peace. I was so looking forward to that and fell asleep during the first episode.
I’m not feeling Tom as a secret agent, somehow. I don’t know why. Hopefully the series will change my mind.
I did love the new BBC adaptation of Agatha Christie though. Now Aidan Turner would make a fine, fine secret agent, yum!
P.S. Olsen doesn’t look pregnant, lol, but she looks lovely without makeup
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3403067/Elizabeth-Olsen-goes-laid-grocery-run-s-announced-ll-join-Jeremy-Renner-new-drama-helmed-Sicario-writer.html
Has anyone suggested that is her PR people countering the “pregnant” stories?
And I agree with you, loved The Agatha Christie, only suvrived one episode of War and Peace.
Think TNM should be pretty good.
So I probably shouldn’t try watching War & Peace after an obnoxiously long run, I presume. I’m already on the verge of falling asleep in my burrito bowl.
After watching the Agatha Christie mini-series, I now get the fuss about Aidan Turner. I can’t bring myself to watch Poldark… it just looks too soap opera-y for me!
Nutballs, please, please, please, watch Poldark. If you are an Aidan fan you will just love it, I promise you. If you don’t you can bop me over the head, but do give it a chance. I loved the original with Robin Ellis, and Angharad Rees (aging myself), but this one is almost as good. Eleanor Tomlinson is wonderful as Demelza too, and it has the ever watchable Phillip Davis, and Beatty Edney who is the daughter of Sylvia Syms, veritable thessie royalty!
I never quite caught the Poldark bug, and I’m not sure why. Usually period English dramas are catnip for me, but I tried to watch a couple of times and lost interest after just a few minutes each time.
Ok antipodean, I’ll add it to my ever-growing list of shows in my queue. We’ll see if I make it through…
Add it! It’s great! It doesn’t hurt that I’ve had a huge hard on for AT since Being Human.
Well give War and Peace a go and form your own opinion, but be prepared for mind-blowing boredom. I was really looking forward to it and what-in-the-actual-F I couldn’t believe how disappointing it was.
As for Poldark, DEFINITELY give it a try, it is a historical family saga, but the story moves along fast, the cast is wonderful all around, the scenery beautiful, and there’s only 8 episodes, so it’s not actually dragged out like your typical soap opera.
And holy mother of God, is Turner hot in it, I actually felt bad for objectifying him so much, but the man really has a beautiful face. And after Agatha Christie, I think he’d make a terrific James Bond. For real.
@Nutballs, @Dara
I couldn’t get into Poldark either. I know he’s good looking, but It felt a little soapy to me too.
Did anybody watch The Last KIngdom? I liked that a lot, pretty large scale, and thought David Dawson stole the show as King Alfred – for me at least.
I found Poldark cheesy but I never liked the original either. The series where I noticed Turner was The Romantics. Love it.
@Cranberry
I watched The Last Kindgdom and liked it. A bit slow at times, but good overall. Yes, loved Alfred and Leofric in particular. Uhtred’s not bad looking either 😉
I watched part one and really loved it.I have read it several times and this is the first film version which comes close to being good.I am a big fan of older Russian writers and hope they do more
Really? I felt bad for giving up, I think I’m gonna wait for all 6 episodes to come out and then try to watch the other 5 in one go. Maybe it’ll pick up speed later on.
“Damp” what an accurate description.
Check the Kong stars shop in style article:
http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/
Love it! I think of all the cast, John C. Reilly might the one I’d like to party with the most. He seems up for anything.
It also occurred to me that I was once seriously bummed that JK Simmons and Keaton had dropped out of this film. I thought losing Oscar nominees/winner from the cast was a bad sign. Turns out, the new cast has more nominations than before – Sam Jackson (who should have won btw), John C. Reilly and now Brie, who might just bring home the little gold guy.
Dara, I’m loving that fact that John C Reilly is in this. I bet he brings a lot of humor to the set.
Love John C. Reilly. He’s a hoot. Always start to giggle inside when I see him. He and Steve Coogan are going to be playing Laurel and Hardy in a biopic. He’s going to be Hardy.
At this point, I just want a documentary of the making of this film because that seems a great deal more fascinating than the giant monkey. They have played laser tag, gone go-karting, roller skating, sung karaoke, and possibly gotten tattoos together.
Tom looks very out-of-place riding a large stuffed angry bird. He needs to back to Shakespeare, and soon.
“riding a large stuffed angry bird” well that produces interesting images in my mind. 🙂
@ Twilly: Seriously. And he looks really over it. Can’t honestly blame him. TNM should put him over the top.
twilly and MI6 can you explain that, he seems to be to be having a good time.
Anyone else as excited about Olivia Colman in TNM as I am?
She was my favorite thing in Broadchurch.
Me! I love her. She’s great in dramas but she’s super funny too, she was excellent in Peep Show, Rev and Twenty Twelve. And do watch Tyrannosaur, her performance was utterly astonishing.
I adored Olivia in Broadchurch. What else of her work should I be watching UK Celebitches?
Rev as Tina says. Stuff I’ve particularly liked her in: Accused; Run; W1A as well as Twenty Twelve; The 7.39.
Green Wing!
Ooo… I keep forgetting about Rev. Coleman and Hollander! I need to send my kids away for a couple of weeks so I can binge on everything in my watchlist!
Definitely Twenty Twelve. She and Hugh Bonneville are glorious in that.
Olivia is one of my all time favs. SO very good in everything.
@MI6 there are pics of him with a huge smile on his face too. They all look like they’re having a whale of a time together.
I love Hugh Laurie. This looks interesting and it is winter. why not give it a go?1 The Hid looks hot.
This looks fantastic, but every time I read the title I mentally change it to “The Night Porter” which I would LOVE to see Hiddleston in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Yi6UMuXodw
The Night Porter was one of my earliest “grown up” movies, and Dirk Bogarde was the epitome of the tortured man, which I feel is something akin to what the Hid is going for! Charlotte Rampling, as ever, was beyond captivating in her part. I have to confess that I am so hoping that she will get her Oscar this go round, she so deserves it, and always has.
High Rise will be available on demand through Amazon Video April 28th and theaters on May 13th.:
http://www.magnetreleasing.com/highrise/
Glad to see they’re offering a streaming option just like Beast of No Nation.
Unfortunately, by not releasing same day and date as BoNN was, they are entirely giving up on any Oscar eligibility. Guess they figured AMPAS voters wouldn’t get it…but even the odd nom would have been beneficial.
“A film is ineligible if its first public exhibition/distribution is not as a theatrical motion picture release; in other words, a film-festival debut is OK, but a launch online isn’t.”
Unless they figure that the film festival releases *this* year cover them, and as long as it gets theatrical distribution it’s okay?
But then I saw this on another site discussing eligibility:
“4. A MOVIE MUST NOT BROADCAST IN NON-THEATRICAL FORMAT BEFORE RELEASING IN L.A.
Here’s one that caused a bit of trouble during the Academy’s assessment of eligibility for films released in 2014 (specifically The Babadook). A film cannot release on television, on DVD, on Video on demand/Pay-per-view, or via legal release on the Internet prior to its qualifying Los Angeles County run.”
What do my fellow CBers think?
Well, it has appeared at several film festivals. And isn’t it releasing in Europe in March? Although that doesn’t get around the Los Angeles requirements.
Based on the way BoNN was shut out of the Oscars, I’d say it going to be awhile before AMPAS voters will recognize a film that streams online prior to the 90-day window after release.
I would not have expected HR to get any recognition from the AMPAS anyway, due to the demographic of the voters and the way they lean in their choices. I wonder if it’s less expensive to distribute a niche film like HR online and if it generates more revenue than showing it in art house cinemas and limited release. Perhaps it’s the the better choice for independent films that don’t anticipate a wide audience.
It is not a material for the AMPAS. I guess it never wanted to be. Even Crimson Peak didn’t get recognition for costume and production design even though it was produced by Legendary.
I haven’t watched HR but it seems that the film has its own artistic integrity and the director ambitiously shows off his vision. I am happy for that.
@spidey. Wasn’t that the line of rationale behind the way The Snow Piercer was handled? I know there was quite a bit of disappointment.
Weinstein tried to bury Snowpiercer because he and the director couldn’t agree on the editing and Harvey has to have things his way.
Sorry did you mean that for me or someone else?
Ohhh Hugh and Hiddleston! I like it!
Ummmmm, go to the website thejokersfilms and click on the High-Rise link. There are new pictures from the film, one of which is sunbathing Laing (and that pesky magazine) shot from above. This is not a drill. I repeat, THIS IS NOT A DRILL.
Oh now that’s not even FAIR. That’s just shameless marketing.
I wonder if it pisses Tom off that he has to sell all of his movies by getting naked…?
To be fair, this particular bit of nakedness was in the book. But yes, they certainly jumped on the opportunity to use it for marketing! (Which I am 100% ok with, to be clear.)
Yes, it’s in the book and Amy Jump seems to be quite faithful to the original novel. Laing’s nude sunbathing clearly shows his repressed side and he has trouble with his neighbors in the earlier part of the book. I would say the nude scene has every right to be in the movie besides marketing purposes.
@ Ennui and @ Gingerly
I was aware of the sunbathing; I have read the book. But this just seems like baiting to me.
Oh hell, what am I complaining about? Look at him. Wowza.
@kate, hmm, it may be baiting, and then again it may be appropriate to the story. I just can’t be sure. There’s just no way around it — I’m going to have to study it for a few more hours before I can arrive at a verdict. 🙂
Once they sold the distribution right, they have no say on what promo the distributors do for the movie. This is all Joker’s doing. The French probably didn’t think this is anything special.
@Anon222
Aside from the nudity I wonder how HR will go over in France. I would think they’d like it, more than the US, but I’m no expert on the French.
Ooh la la…God bless the French! That’s all I got. After those photos, my brain is apparently incapable of rational thought, except for a feeling of profound regret at passing up the chance to see the film on a big screen a few months ago. Damn.
It’s a delight on the big screen!
Damn! It’s like it’s still Christmas, thanks Ennui. What a gift and so pleasingly ‘un’wrapped too.
“This is not a drill. I repeat, THIS IS NOT A DRILL”
Ahahahahah
Hey, no one can say they weren’t warned.
“Welcome” indeed!
That sunbathing picture… nnnnnniiiiiicccceeee….. 😀
Drooling.. that picture… hum hum… Thank you sir, for welcoming us… 🙂
I did enjoy that it’s not actually a magazine at all; it looks like it’s the welcome brochure for the high rise. That’s a nice touch.
He can welcome me like that anywhere, anytime.
A very nice touch. Too nice. I think Ben Wheatley is cruelly and deliberately trying to torturing us 🙂
I love his sense of humor. I have no doubt HR will be a hell of a ride.
So, um – for those that haven’t seen it yet, Torrilla has posted on her Weibo a photo from High-Rise that’s ah… quite the thing. Should be making the rounds on tumblr shortly. (I’d link it, but those never seem to work from my phone. Also, virtual nekkidness.)
Nooo! I waited too long to click on this and now I can’t see the promo. Oh poo!
It sounds really good. 🙂
The Night Manager looks excellent. Even my husband is looking forward to it. Hugh Laurie, Tommy and Olivia Coleman? Yes. please.
I know that I am going to lose my Dragonfly cred for this, and someone will probably be coming by to take my official membership club card, but I, for one, think that our dragonfly king needs to leave his clothes on. The pool shot isn’t bad, but that High Rise sunbathing shot is not working for me. I know it is a matter of personal taste, but he’s pale and freckly and I just don’t think he’s the guy I’m dying to see naked.
That said, as The Night Manager trailer proves. he looks so hot in clothes. I mean like eye popping wow.
I think in motion he looks fine. For a while I had zero desire to see him naked, but now, lord help me. But I agree, he looks divine in good clothes.
@jammypants
Maybe that is why I like the pool scene in TNM preview more than the sunbathing in High Rise. Motion might be the key.
It’s all good–I like him clothed AND unclothed. But I do love this pale and freckly long drink of nude water. 🙂
TotallyB, you and I think alike. He looks just as good in clothes as he does without. And I like em kinda pale too. A little sun and freckles are fine too but not too much.
@ Abby
I think it is a matter of personal taste. I prefer his type over real muscly or stocky body. I like long taunt muscles. I don’t like too much bulge except for one particular muscle ;-P
Cranberry, behave yourself. 🙂
Actually, I agree – I find big muscly men a real turn off. A Tom type body is much more appealing. And the face helps too!
@Cranberry
I agree 100% that it is subjective. I’m not really into the hugely muscly guys either, especially when they are weirdly top heavy like Chris Evans. Balance is a good thing!
Maybe I am just so impressed with how beautiful he looks in clothes that all that pale is shocking.
That said, my own husband is a pale freckly blonde and having experience with him, I just want to cover poor Hiddles up or at least put sun screen on him, because he doesn’t need to be tanning himself in the sun. He’ll burn! 🙂
Admit it Abby, it’s nothing to do with sun tanning – just the chance to rub your hands all over that body.
” long drink of nude water”
@TotallyB
This gives me all sorts of tactual sensations. I find myself trying to swallow while there’s nude images of pale skin, legs and dongs (rhymes with long) bouncing around in my head. You’ve confused my brain.
“the chance to rub your hands all over that body.”
ahhahahaa
I was going to say maybe there’s a mommy complex there. lol
@Abby, I know. I’m always wanting to tell him to wear sunscreen. And yes, all that pale gave me a little jolt too, but I think I enjoyed it.
@Spidey
I can’t help myself. 🙂
@Abby J, not to worry. I carefully covered every inch of my dear husband Tom’s long, lovely body with sun block. And I closely inspected and recorded every mole and freckle. For health purposes. I’m particularly fond of that vein on his left hip.
As for TNM, as I said above, it is very obvious that a woman directed that series.
Gray Henley of sex!
I love how long he looks, all stretched out like that.
And I definitely like pale and freckly.
He looks very seventies, too – before the body-building craze, when guys didn’t generally have a six-pack.
Pale, long and stretchy.
Works for me 😛