British actor and filmmaker, knighted in 2012
Film at Lincoln Center has unveiled its main slate for the New York Film Festival, promising a mix of international cinema and high-profile premieres. Gray's Paper Tiger opens the festival, with Behemoth center stage, and Ava DuVernay's 14th closing the lineup. Other veteran and rising directors feature prominently.
The Royal Shakespeare Company has opened The Mad King, a Game of Thrones prequel, in Stratford-upon-Avon. The 3h45m production brings younger versions of familiar figures to the stage with a 36-strong cast and innovative puppetry. Reviews are mixed on pace and poetry, but the project aims to broaden GoT’s reach beyond devoted fans.
Carly Simon has announced her first album in years, Comes in Waves, while revealing a Parkinson’s diagnosis and skin cancer treatment. The collection revisits defining moments of her life and career, with songs touching on love, loss and renewal. Readers are invited to explore the full context of her career and health as she moves forward.
The Harry Potter TV series has replaced Nicholas Hoult with Kit Harington to play Gilderoy Lockhart in the second season, adapting The Chamber of Secrets. The change follows scheduling conflicts and comes after fan backlash to Rowling’s involvement. Other cast updates include Paapa Essiedu as Snape and John Lithgow as Dumbledore.
The Guardian reports on multiple cultural releases this week, including new sci-fi and horror films, a romcom, and live events across the UK. The pieces highlight a mix of big-name talent and emerging artists, with festival announcements and gallery shows in major cities.
A review roundup of genre fare, from a high-octane Australian liver-delivery caper to a retro-styled Cold War bromance, and a TV legal drama adaptation that leaves critics divided. The slate features Runner’s gory, gamey camp; Knightfall’s retro charm; Mayday’s action mischief; and The Rainmaker’s courtroom soap — each casting a different light on how thrillers and legal tales move in the streaming era.
A new film about James Stagg, the meteorologist guiding Dwight Eisenhower before D-Day, has sparked praise for Andrew Scott’s restrained, intense performance. The drama, drawn from a stage play, emphasizes data-driven judgment under extreme pressure and the cost of uncertainty in wartime planning.
The gWest estate at Blackford, Perth and Kinross, known as Scotland’s ghost course, has been offered for sale. The 639-acre site includes an unfinished 18-hole course, a domed clubhouse shell, and planning consent for up to 170 homes, a hotel and spa. Buyers face a legacy of delayed development tied to the global financial crisis, Brexit, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Knight Frank warns the asset could reposition Scotland’s luxury tourism, with global interest anticipated.
Auditor General reports ScotWind revenues have been drawn down to £96m with £507m expected by 2031; government promises transparency as developers’ long-term leases determine future income and public value.