THE FAMOUS FIVE Trailer (2024) Nicolas Winding Refn

THE FAMOUS FIVE Trailer (2024) Nicolas Winding Refn

THE FAMOUS FIVE Trailer (2024) Nicolas Winding Refn
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So what’s Nicolas Winding Refn been up to lately, besides advocating for WGA and SAG guild members to “burn it all down”? He’s hard at work in the UK shooting his next TV series after “Copenhagen Cowboy.” And it’s a strange project for Refn to do, to say the least. The Danish director is adapting Enid Blyton‘s “The Famous Book” children’s book series for the BBC. NWF making a show for kids? That’s about the last thing one would expect from the enfant terrible.

READ MORE: ‘The Famous Five’: Nicolas Winding Refn Working As Creator & Producer On Upcoming Children’s TV Series

But according to World Of Reel, Refn couldn’t be more excited about the series. “All my life I’ve fought vigorously to remain a child with a lust for adventure,” Refn said in a statement about the show. “By reimagining the “Famous Five,” I am preserving that notion by bringing these iconic stories to life for a progressive new audience, instilling the undefinable allure and enchantment of childhood for current and future generations to come.”

For those unfamiliar with Blyton’s novels and short stories, the book series follows four kids and their trusted canine on treacherous and action-packed adventures around the Cornish coast. All told, there are 21 novels and a handful of short stories Blyton’s series, so one surmises Refn doesn’t plan on adapting them all. BCC ordered the show for three 90-minute episodes.

And in another intriguing bit of news, The Guardian reports that “The Famous Five” sees “Game Of Thrones” actor Jack Gleeson return to acting after nine years away. The Irish actor retired from the screen and stage after finishing his lauded performance as Joffrey Baratheon on the HBO series. Gleeson also has an upcoming role in the Irish thriller “In The Land Of Saints And Sinners,” with Liam Neeson and Kerry Condon. Other cast for “The Famous Five” includes Diana Babnicova, Elliott Rose, Kit Rakusen, Flora Jacoby Richardson, and Kip, a Bearded Collie Cross, playing Timmy the Dog. Also starring in the BBC series: Ann Akinjirin, James Lance, and Diana Quick.

A good chunk of filming for the series has already been completed, with episode one director and executive Tim Kirkby happy with the proceedings. “Our brilliant young cast are mind-blowingly talented and, along with Kip (playing Timmy), they are already bringing these gorgeous characters to life in a fresh and modern way,” he said in a statement. “Together with the brilliant Jack, Ann, James, and Diana we can’t wait to bring these glorious, action-filled, epic, family adventures to the screen.” BBC co-produces “The Famous Five” with the German studio ZDF. Refn serves as executive producer on the series with Kirkby and Matthew Read.

While no one expected Refn to follow up “Copenhagen Cowboy” with TV adaptation of a kids’ book series, it’s exciting that the Danish director is still working. Let’s see if his style comes through at all in a project that assuredly won’t have ample opportunities for neon lighting and ultra violence.
Casting for the beloved “Famous Five” stories of Enid Blyton, which are being reimagined for the BBC and ZDF by Nicolas Winding Refn, has been revealed.

Diaana Babnicova is playing the role of George, alongside Elliott Rose as Julian, Kit Rakusen as Dick, Flora Jacoby Richardson as Anne, playing George’s cousins who come to stay at Kirrin Cottage.

Making up the fifth member of the “Famous Five” is Kip, the Bearded Collie Cross playing Timmy the dog. The cast also includes Jack Gleeson (“Game of Thrones”), Ann Akinjirin (“Moon Knight”), James Lance (“Ted Lasso”) and Diana Quick (“Father Brown”).

The 3 x 90′ series is based on the 21 “Famous Five” novels and short stories Blyton wrote between 1942 and 1963. The series follows five daring young explorers as they encounter treacherous, action-packed adventures, remarkable mysteries, unparalleled danger and astounding secrets. It is created for television and executive produced by Winding Refn (byNWR) and Matthew Read (Moonage Pictures), in co-production with ZDF in Germany.

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The first episode is directed by Tim Kirkby (“Fleabag”), Asim Abbasi (“Churails”) will direct the second episode and Bill Eagles (“Beautiful Creatures”) will direct the third episode. BBC Studios, who have a minority stake in Moonage, will oversee international distribution and has presold the series to France’s TF1.

Filming is currently underway across the southwest of the U.K.

TRADE DEAL
ITV and U.K. producers’ body Pact have revealed a new terms of trade deal designed for the streaming era. Under the new terms, producers continue to own the underlying IP to their ideas, while benefiting from a more favorable net position, streamlined processes and enhanced tariffs – particularly for independent producers new to ITV. The terms are also designed to help maximize exposure for producers’ programs by giving ITV the flexibility to improve their availability and discoverability across ITV1 and ITVX, including premiering on ITVX without the need to negotiate rights separately, show by show.

The new terms will allow ITV to enhance ITVX with flexible windowing, improved series stacking and increased box set availability – delivering all previous series of a title on ITVX and allowing viewers to catch up from the beginning in its entirety before a new series starts. The new terms apply to programs with an intended transmission on ITV1.

COMMITTEES
Anna Higgs, managing director of Casarotto Ramsay & Associates, has been re-elected as chair of BAFTA’s Film Committee, having held the position of chair for the previous two years, and deputy chair two years prior. Higgs will serve alongside Emily Stillman, senior VP at Warner Bros. Studio Leavesden, who has been newly elected deputy chair. Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning at UKTV, has been newly elected as chair of BAFTA’s Television Committee. Christine Healy, COO of Keshet Productions U.K., has been newly elected deputy chair. As previously announced, Sara Putt was appointed by the board as chair of BAFTA in June. Tara Saunders continues as chair of the Games Committee, alongside deputy chair Des Gayle.

THAILAND IN MEXICO
Thai auteur Apichatpong Weerasethakul will deliver a masterclass at the Cineteca Nacional de México on July 29. The masterclass will be followed by a screening of Weerasethakul’s “Memoria,” after which he will participate in a Q&A. After the public events, Weerasethakul will begin a lab (Aug. 2-11) with 50 emerging talents from 25 different countries, who will develop a short film each under a methodology created by Abbas Kiarostami, adapted by Werner Herzog and now revisited by the Thai auteur. The methodology will be implemented in an environment designed by the PlayLab Films team.

AWARD
The Zurich Film Festival (Sept. 28 – Oct. 10) will honor the German composer Volker Bertelmann, Oscar winner for “All Quiet on the Western Front,” with its career achievement award. He will receive the award on Sept. 30 during the 11th International Film Music Competition at which he is this year’s jury president.

COUNCIL
Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, co-founder of U.K. Black Pride and Tunde Banjoko, founder of Making The Leap and the U.K. Social Mobility Awards, have joined the Sky Diversity Advisory Council. Announced in January 2021, the council consists of diversity and inclusion leaders who advise Sky’s leadership on the development and implementation of inclusion initiatives impacting corporate governance, workforce, and supplier diversity.

STREAMING
Season 2 of Amazon Prime Video‘s hit, International Emmy nominated Indian series “Made in Heaven” will premiere Aug. 10. Set against the canvas of lavish Indian weddings, the seven-episode series features returning cast Sobhita Dhulipala, Arjun Mathur, Jim Sarbh, Kalki Koechlin, Shashank Arora, Shivani Raghuvanshi and Vijay Raaz with the new additions of Mona Singh, Ishwak Singh and Trinetra Haldar. It is directed by Alankrita Shrivastava, Neeraj Ghaywan, Nitya Mehra, Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar, and produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Media & Entertainment and Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti’s Tiger Baby.

RELEASE
Indian auteur Anurag Kashyap will present the theatrical release of Splendid Films’ U.S.-India-U.K. film “Goldfish,” which premiered at Busan in 2022. The film will be released theatrically in India and the U.S. on Aug. 25. Set in London and directed by Pushan Kripalani, the film follows Anamika (Kalki Koechlin), the child of a mixed marriage, who returns home to her estranged mother Sadhana (Deepti Naval) because she is suffering from the onset of dementia. Anamika returns to a neighbourhood she barely remembers, to a woman who sometimes doesn’t remember her.

SAUDI MENTORSHIP
Pioneering Saudi director Haifaa Al Mansour (“Wadjda,” “The Perfect Candidate”) and U.K. production company Vertigo Films (“Monsters”) have joined Saudi Arabia’s Film AlUla program to mentor emerging female Saudi filmmakers.

The program, called AlUla Creates, was unveiled during the Cannes Film Festival where it was announced that Katie Holmes is also involved. Vertigo, Al Mansour and Holmes will jointly select and support three emerging Saudi female filmmakers. Submissions for the program are open until August 31.
The BBC has released a first-look photo for the upcoming adaptation of The Famous Five, which is coming from Drive director Nicholas Winding Refn.

This will be a three-film TV adaptation of Enid Blyton’s super popular adventure book series and the plan is to develop them as 90-minute features. This sounds like it’s going to be a very fun project! I’m digging the vibes from the image above.

The Famous Five follows “Julian, Dick, Anne, George and their dog Timmy – daring young explorers as they encounter treacherous, action-packed adventures, remarkable mysteries, unparalleled danger and astounding secrets in an odyssey that evokes the power of camaraderie between young heroes.”

The cast for the series was also announced and that cast includes Diaana Babnicova as George, Elliott Rose as Julian, Kit Rakusen as Dick, Flora Jacoby Richardson as Anne playing George’s cousins who come to stay at Kirrin Cottage.

Joining the five are Jack Gleeson (Game of Thrones) as Wentworth, Ann Akinjirin (Moon Knight) as Fanny, James Lance (Ted Lasso) as Quentin and Diana Quick (Father Brown) as Mrs. Wentworth.

There are 21 books in the children’s novel series, and Refn, who will create and executive produce the films, said in a statement: “All my life I’ve fought vigorously to remain a child with a lust for adventure. By reimagining The Famous Five, I am preserving that notion by bringing these iconic stories to life for a progressive new audience, instilling the undefinable allure and enchantment of childhood for current and future generations to come.”

BBC Children’s Director Patricia Hidalgo added: “These stories are loved around the world and bringing families together is a key part of our strategy so we hope it introduces a new generation of viewers to these wonderful adventures.”

Tim Kirkby is a director and executive producer on the project. The first film is written by Matthew Read, The second movie is written by Priya K Dosanjh, with the third one being written by Matthew Bouch and Matthew Read.
When you think of films and TV series by filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn, you think of dark, gritty stories. These are stories where anyone can die at any moment and the lines between good and bad are awfully blurry. What you probably don’t imagine from the filmmaker is a TV series aimed at children about fun adventures. Well, it appears that’s what Refn is working on next with “The Famous Five.”

READ MORE: Nicolas Winding Refn Says His Spy Script With Famed ‘Bond’ Writers Is The “Endeavor Of His Soul” & “Grand Finale Of His Life”

According to THR, Nicolas Winding Refn is serving as creator and producer of a new TV series, “The Famous Five,” which is being made for the BBC and German public broadcaster ZDF. “The Famous Five” is based on the classic children’s novel series by author Enid Blyton. Each story follows four children, Julian, Dick, Anne, and George, and their dog Timmy as they find themselves caught up in various adventures. There are 21 novels written by Blyton about the group of children, released between 1942 and 1963.

“All my life I’ve fought vigorously to remain a child with a lust for adventure,” Refn said. “By reimagining ‘The Famous Five,’ I am preserving that notion by bringing these iconic stories to life for a progressive new audience, instilling the undefinable allure and enchantment of childhood for current and future generations to come.”

READ MORE: Nicolas Winding Refn Calls Hollywood “A System Falling Apart Desperately” That Needs To Reinvent Itself

Refn, of course, is probably best known for his film work on features such as “Drive,” “The Neon Demon,” and “Only God Forgives.” Most recently, he’s been working in TV, with series like “Too Old to Die Young” and his most recent project, “The Copenhagen Cowboy.”

The new series is co-written by Matthew Read, Priya K Dosanjh, and Matthew Bouch. Tim Kirkby is directing the series. The filmmaker is probably best known for directing Mike Myer’s comedy series, “The Pentaverate,” as well as films such as “Last Looks” and “Action Point.”

It’s unclear when we might see “The Famous Five” on TV. However, production is said to be underway now, so it looks like the series is coming sooner rather than later.