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An adaptation of the classic novel, Lord of the Flies, has officially begun filming. The BBC production recently revealed the cast for the upcoming series, as well as the first set photo of the iconic island the youngsters find themselves trapped on.

Per Deadline, filming on Jack Thorne's Lord of the Flies series is currently underway in Malaysia. The upcoming series is an adaptation of the iconic William Golding novel of the same name, which centers around a group of young boys who are stranded on a remote island and their struggles to create a sustainable society for themselves. The BBC reportedly cast many unknown actors to play the many memorable characters from the novel, some without any prior acting experience. The series stars David McKenna as Piggy, Winston Sawyers as Ralph, Lox Pratt as Jack, Isaac Talbut as Simon, Thomas Connor as Roger, Cornelius Brandreth as Maurice, Tom Page-Turner as Bill,...

With Lost back in the air for its 20th anniversary, and the wait for Yellowjackets Season 3 stretching on, you might be looking for your next desert island TV fix. And the BBC has picked up your message in a bottle: the broadcaster (along with Australian streamer Stan) is preparing to strand a cast of kids on a faraway shore in a new four-part series take on Lord Of The Flies. William Golding’s novel is being adapted by none other than the perpetually-busy Jack Thorne, with director Marc Munden behind the camera. While the series was announced last year, new details are emerging now that it's started filming in Malaysia.

Most notably, Hans Zimmer has signed on to provide a score – along with Kara Talve – meaning this take on the castaway tale should sound suitably epic. “Hans has already shared his first sketches for the score, which are hugely inspiring.

BBC is producing a new TV adaptation of Lord Of The Flies from Jack Thorne and Hans Zimmer is set to provide the score. More on the series and its cast below.

Word has reached the Film Stories newsdesk that the BBC is working on a new TV adaptation of Lord Of The Flies. The series will consist of four episodes, each an hour long, and Jack Thorne is scripting the whole thing.

Deadline has revealed the series’ cast, all young actors with no previous experience. David McKenna will play Piggy while Winston Sawyers is on board as Ralph, Lox Pratt as Jack, Isaac Talbut as Simon, and Thomas Connor as Roger. Noah and Cassius Flemyng will play twins Sam and Eric, Cornelius Brandreth as Maurice, and Tom Page-Turner will appear as Bill. There will also be roughly 20 other actors playing the rest of the stranded boys.

Marc Munden is...

The BBC and Stan have unveiled a cast of up-and-comers for Jack Thorne’s Lord of the Flies adaptation, with Hans Zimmer set to do the score.

The networks said they cast following an open call with many actors who don’t have previous experience. David McKenna will play Piggy alongside Winston Sawyers as Ralph, Lox Pratt as Jack, Isaac Talbut as Simon, and Thomas Connor as Roger. Noah and Cassius Flemyng have been cast as the twins Sam and Eric, with Cornelius Brandreth as Maurice, and Tom Page-Turner as Bill, alongside an ensemble of more than 20 other boys playing the desert island camp’s “big ‘uns” and “little ‘uns”.

Zimmer, who has also scored upcoming BBC drama Virdee, will do the music with Kara Talve (Tattooist of Auschwitz, Prehistoric Planet) for Bleeding Fingers Music.

Lord of the Flies is an iconic 1950s story from William Golding of a group...

Amanda Burrell and Susan Downey hint at a rich future for The Sympathizer, with focus on character depth and narrative possibilities. Robert Downey Jr. emphasizes the need to perfect season 1 before exploring sequels, drawing on past experiences for caution. The potential for The Sympathizer to continue past season 1 is fueled by critical acclaim and audience response.

Amanda Burrell and Susan Downey, the producers of HBOs adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyens Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Sympathizer, recently shared updates on the potential for a second season. The series, a collaborative effort between HBO and A24, has garnered attention for its nuanced storytelling and star-studded cast, including Hoa Xuande and Robert Downey Jr., under the directorial guidance of Park Chan-wook.

During their interview with TheWrap, Burrell and Downey's excitement were evident. Burrell expressed a profound connection to the series characters and the narrative possibilities that lie ahead. She highlighted the ongoing passion of Nguyen for his characters,...

Quick Links What Major Aspects of The Sympathizer Remained the Same? What Are the Differences Between The Sympathizer Show and the Novel? What Difference Benefits The Sympathizer TV Series? The Sympathizer is a faithful adaptation, balancing realism and humor for an engaging historical fiction experience. The series follows Hoa Xuande's dual identity as a Communist spy in the South Vietnamese police force. Non-linear storytelling adds depth to characters like the General and re-education sequences, enhancing thematic impact.

As a whole, HBO's The Sympathizer is a faithful adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer Prize for Fiction-winning novel. A complex tale of deception, hollow allegiances, and political intrigue, it's one of the better historical fiction novels of the 2010s. It also excels in being as realistic as it is humorous, allowing for a balance that makes the 400+ page novel a breeze to read through.

Park Chan-wook's limited series isn't much different,...

The Sympathizer presents Vietnamese culture with a primarily Vietnamese cast speaking their native tongue. Stars Fred Nguyen Khan and Duy Nguyn researched extensively to time-travel into the late 1970s setting, finding inspiration in music. Interestingly, the two actors were already friends well before being cast in the show, which further helped them capture the close bond between their characters.

The Vietnam War is being told through a unique new lens with The Sympathizer. Based on Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, the HBO thriller is set near the end of the Vietnam War, following a group of refugees as they escape from the country and head to America to build new lives. Amid the refugees is the Captain, a spy for North Vietnam who had been working undercover in the South Vietnam army and continues his mission while on the other side of the world.

Not long after winning an Oscar for Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, Robert Downey Jr. is starring in perhaps his most challenging project to date: another high-profile one. The Iron Man star, 59, is starring in a new HBO Max series called The Sympathizer, in which, he is playing four antagonist roles combined.

In addition to playing a CIA agent, Downey Jr. portrays a professor, a congressman, and a film director (who was influenced by Francis Ford Coppola). Meanwhile, Hoa Xuande plays The Captain (a Vietnamese spy) in the HBO series, which is based on the critically acclaimed book of a similar title by Viet Thanh Nguyen.

Hoa Xuande and Robert Downey Jr. in The Sympathizer

Behind The Sympathizer is Park Chan-wook, a renowned filmmaker best known for movies like Oldboy, and The Handmaiden. In a recent interview, the South Korean director and former film critic expressed his disappointment and regret at...

Robert Downey Jr. takes on four unique roles in the challenging and prestigious new series The Sympathizer on HBO Max. Park Chan-wook directs the show (along with Marc Munden and Fernando Meirelles), aiming to have Downey represent different faces of America in a non-cartoonish way. The risk-taking nature of the production promises a compelling adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, with a big reveal in episode seven.

Hot off his Oscar win for Oppenheimer, Robert Downey Jr. is starring in another prestige project, one that might be his most challenging yet. The Iron Man actor is starring in the new HBO Max series, The Sympathizer, and like Oppenheimer, it's another supporting performance — actually, four of them. Based on the acclaimed book by Nguyễn Thanh Việt, Hoa Xuande stars as a Vietnamese spy named The Captain who heads to the United States after the Vietnam War and continues gathering intelligence and reporting to the Viet Cong.

Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook’s last foray into the television medium was for an adaptation of a John Le Carré novel, so it should come as no surprise that his next venture is also a spy thriller adaptation. The Sympathizer is an incredibly involved miniseries with many moving pieces, but thanks to an incredible team behind and in front of the camera, the pieces mostly come together in spectacular fashion.

Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, The Sympathizer tells the story of a North Vietnamese plant in the South Vietnamese army who flees to the United States as a refugee, kicking off a web of lies and deceit. Although it has the premise of an espionage thriller, there’s so much more here, and the result is thoroughly entertaining.

The show does struggle to explore some of its themes with the depth they deserve. There are...

On September 15, Robert Downey Jr. will almost certainly take home his first Emmy as best supporting actor in a limited series for HBO’s The Sympathizer.

It will be the latest coronation in a year of coronations for a star who is undisputedly one of our finest, and it will be difficult to begrudge; what Downey does in The Sympathizer hits that sweet spot between “ridiculously entertaining” and “a whole lot of acting” that award-givers love.

But two things can be true: Downey’s performance in The Sympathizer can be saluted as a dexterous feat of actorly gymnastics. At the same time, it’s the misplaced fulcrum that too often causes this seven-episode adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel to lose its tonal and narrative balance.

This version of The Sympathizer is still substantive and audacious, a slab of satire and deeply felt human tragedy that’s worthy of conversation and consideration,...

Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar’s The Sympathizer is a post-Vietnam War tale about a man struggling to be two things at once: Vietnamese and American, capitalist and communist, solider and friend. Ironically, the eight-part miniseries itself achieves a similar duality, succeeding as both an almost academic inquisition into the nebulous nature of racial identity and a raucous spy tale, as well as a high-speed comedy and a dark, biting drama.

Adapted from Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, The Sympathizer revolves around a character known simply as the Captain. Played by Hoa Xuande, the Captain is a half-French, half-Vietnamese spy and self-described “man of two faces.” By all appearances, he’s a member of South Vietnam’s secret police and an ally to the Americans. In truth, the Captain is an agent of the communists, working undercover to ensure their revolution is a success—or,...

HBO has released the official trailer for its seven-episode limited series The Sympathizer, which will premiere on Sunday, April 14 (9:00-10:00 p.m. Et/Pt). In addition to premiering on HBO, the series will be available to stream on Max.

Based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, The Sympathizer is an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his new life as a refugee in Los Angeles, where he learns that his spying days aren’t over.

Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar co-showrun and executive produce the show, which comes from A24.

The series stars Hoa Xuande, Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Phanxine, Vy Le, Ky Duyen, Kieu Chinh, Duy Nguyen, Alan Trong, Emmy winner Sandra Oh, and Academy Award nominee Robert Downey Jr., who plays multiple roles.

Robert Downey Jr. may newly be wearing the title of Oscar winner, but the “Oppenheimer” star is shedding all semblance of self for Park Chan-wook’s “The Sympathizer.”

Downey is a chameleon in multiple roles for the HBO seven-episode limited series, co-showrun by Park and Don McKellar who both executive produce. “The Sympathizer” is based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name and is at once an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy (Hoa Xuande) during the final days of the Vietnam War. As he starts his new life as a refugee in Los Angeles he learns that his spying days aren’t over.

“The Sympathizer” cast also includes Sandra Oh, Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Phanxine, Vy Le, Ky Duyen, Kieu Chinh, Duy Nguyen, and Alan Trong. The series is a co-production between A24 and HBO,...

Warner Bros. Discovery has announced the movies, TV shows, and live sports that will be available on the Max streaming service in April. The Max April 2024 lineup includes the HBO original limited series The Sympathizer, the Max original unscripted series Conan O’Brien Must Go, and the HBO original comedy special Alex Edelman: Just for Us.

The April schedule also includes the HBO original documentary series The Jinx – Part Two and The Synanon Fix, the HBO original documentaries Brandy Hellville & The Cult Of Fast Fashion and An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th, season four of HBO original We’re Here, And A24’s The Zone of Interest.

Sports fans will be able to watch live games from the 2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and studio coverage airing on TBS, TNT, and truTV. The coverage will include the 2024 NCAA Men’s Final Four National Semifinals and the 2024 Men’s National Championship.

War, spy games, political intrigue, social commentary, and plenty of 1970s style -- all wrapped up into one exciting limited series.

In July 2021, HBO announced it had ordered The Sympathizer as a series, with Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar signed on as co-showrunners.

The Sympathizer is based on Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a communist spy during the Vietnam War and his eventual life in the United States.

In 2021, Nguyen announced his novel was optioned by production studio A24. Robert Downey Jr. soon joined as a producer and costar.

The Sympathizer will be executive produced and directed by filmmaker Park Chan-wook, who also worked on Snowpiercer, Oldboy, and The Little Drummer Girl.

Other directors for the show include Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles, known for City of God, and English director Marc Munden, known for Utopia and National Treasure.

Notable writers for The Sympathizer include Mark Richard (The Man in the High Castle...

HBO has released a new trailer and announced a premiere date for The Sympathizer, infiltrating the network’s Max streaming service on April 14. The limited series based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel looks like a must-watch event for spy thriller fans who enjoy infiltration with a comedic edge. Today’s The Sympathizer trailer is a hoot and a half. Try to spot all the incarnations of Robert Downey Jr. before the reveal at the end!

The series is an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his resulting exile in the United States. Hoa Xuande leads the series, with Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Vy Le, Alan Trong, Vy Le, Ky Duyen, and Sandra Oh. Robert Downey Jr. pops up in multiple roles, but could they all be the same character in disguise?...

HBO has just dropped the trailer for its much-anticipated limited series, ‘The Sympathizer’, and it’s creating quite the buzz. While they’ve kept the exact release date under wraps, we do know it’s set to premiere in mid-April. This espionage thriller is not just any series; it’s a seven-episode journey that promises to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Leading the charge are Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar, who have put their creative genius into co-showrunning and executive-producing this masterpiece. The cast is nothing short of spectacular, with talents like Hoa Xuande, the ever-talented Sandra Oh, and the versatile Robert Downey Jr., who isn’t just playing one, but multiple intriguing roles.

Based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, ‘The Sympathizer’ takes you into the life of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy caught in the turmoil of the Vietnam War’s last days.

Oscar frontrunner Robert Downey Jr. stars alongside newcomer Hoa Xuande as well as Emmy nominee Sandra Oh, Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Phanxine, Vy Le, Ky Duyen, Kieu Chinh, Duy Nguyen, and Alan Trong – and then also Downey, Downey, and Downey again – in the new series “The Sympathizer.” The limited event from acclaimed director Park Chan-wook (“Oldboy”) and Don McKellar debuts on HBO beginning April 14.

About the Downey of it all: The “Oppenheimer” star, who is widely expected to win his first Oscar for the film during the Academy Awards on March 10, plays four roles in “The Sympathizer,” with each distinct character representing a form of American imperialism.

“I was astounded by how quickly he was able to come up with a very different performance—he’d do a different improv for each and every take,” Park told Vanity Fair in an interview published Thursday to coincide with the new...

In The Sympathizer, Robert Downey Jr. is everywhere.

HBO released a new trailer for the espionage thriller on Thursday showcasing executive producer Downey Jr. playing multiple characters. The upcoming limited series adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel will premiere on Sunday, April 19 at 9 pm Et.

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With Park Chan-wook (The Handmaiden, Joint Security Area) and Don McKellar (Michael: Every Day) serving as its co-showrunners,...

You know what I love? I love seeing actors act. That sounds incredibly obvious laid out like that, but I swear it makes a weird amount of sense when it comes to Robert Downey, Jr. Nobody could ever doubt the man's talent or ambition, pulling himself up by his bootstraps to go from persona non grata in Hollywood to one of the biggest stars on the planet. But even the biggest fans of his performances as Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe would have to admit that he hadn't exactly been given the most challenging material in the years since he starred in David Fincher's "Zodiac". But now that his superhero tenure is behind him, Downey, Jr. has been free to deliver powerhouse performances like in last year's blockbuster "Oppenheimer" or, even more intriguingly, the upcoming HBO series "The Sympathizer."

And to think that he's not even the biggest draw.

HBO has released a new trailer and set a premiere date for The Sympathizer — a date will allow the show to just make it under the wire for Emmy eligibility.

The limited series, based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, is part spy thriller and part satire. It follows the Captain (Hoa Xuande), a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy through the final days of the Vietnam War and in his new life as a refugee in Los Angeles, where he learns that his spying days aren’t over. It’s scheduled to premiere April 14, which would put its seventh and last episode on May 26, a few days before the eligibility window for the 2024 Emmys closes.

Ordered to series in July 2021, The Sympathizer is a co-production of HBO, A24 and Rhombus Media, in association with Moho Film and Cinetic Media. Don McKellar (Sensitive Skin, Last Night) and Park Chan-wook (Oldboy...

Syfy has announced its spring and summer slate of television series, including “Chucky” and “Reginald the Vampire.”

The network revealed the dates during NBCUniversal’s portion of the TV Critics Assn. winter press tour in Pasadena. The second half of Season 3 of “Chucky” will premiere April 10 at 10 p.m. Et/Pt. Season 2 of “Reginald the Vampire” will premiere May 8 at 10 p.m. and Season 2 of “The Ark” will arrive in the summer. Additionally, the horror drama “SurrealEstate” has been renewed for Season 3.

In Season 3 of “Chucky,” the murderous doll finds himself in the White House. Meanwhile, “Reginald the Vampire” follows a man who “finally got his life together when he was turned into a vampire.”

“The Ark” is set “100 years in the future when planetary colonization missions have begun as a necessity to help secure the survival of the human race. The first of these missions on a spacecraft known...

Whilst terminal illness and imminent death might not be the obvious source for a delightful surreal comedy, Yasmin Afifi has built a humorous and affecting world within those parameters in BAFTA nominated short Jellyfish & Lobster. It’s a touching and very personal project created as her graduate film at the National Film and Television School, which follows two non-conformist, unapologetic patients of a care home who refuse to let their illnesses or age define them. One of ten shorts that we highlighted as favourites in our Nfts Graduate Showcase recommendations at the start of the year, Jellyfish & Lobster rides on a surreal Cocoon-esque premise as a swimming pool becomes a vehicle for the anarchic pair to escape their reality and immerse themselves in the draw of past youthful vibrancy. Afifi delicately balances real and magical elements on screen, rendering the well-honed script all the more powerful and recently spoke...

HBO Max has launched a teaser trailer for the espionage thriller ‘The Sympathizer.’

Based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the series will be an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his resulting exile in the United States.

Robert Downey Jr. is set to play multiple supporting roles as the main antagonists across the series – all representing a different arm of the American establishment.

Sandra Oh, Kieu Chinh, Ky Duyen, Hoa Xuande, Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Vy Le, Alan Trong, Duy Nguyen, Kayli Tran and VyVy Nguyen star.

Director Park Chan-wook is on board as co-showrunner, along with Don McKellar. Park, Marc Munden (“Utopia”) and Fernando Meirelles (“The Two Popes”) share directing duties on the project.

Park, McKellar, Downey, Susan Downey, Niv Fichman, Kim Ly, Ron Schmidt, Viet Thanh Nguyen,...

Among the many HBO announcements earlier today was the first official teaser trailer for The Sympathizer, an original limited series which features Robert Downey Jr. in what appears to be multiple roles. You can check out The Sympathizer teaser above!

The Sympathizer is based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. The series is an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his resulting exile in the United States. Hoa Xuande leads the series, with Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Vy Le, Alan Trong, Vy Le, Ky Duyen, and Sandra Oh also starring. As you can see in The Sympathizer teaser trailer, Robert Downey Jr. pops up in multiple roles, but could they all be the same character in disguise?

Related The Sympathizer: Robert Downey Jr’s new...

HBO has released the official teaser and a new photo for the original limited series The Sympathizer. Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar co-showrun and executive produce. The new footage introduces the cast led by Hoa Xuande, Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Ky Duyen, and Sandra Oh and reveals star and executive producer Robert Downey Jr., who plays multiple roles. The teaser was shown today exclusively during Warner Bros. Discovery’s unveiling of the Max streaming service on the Warner Bros. lot in Los Angeles.

Logline: Based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, The Sympathizer is an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his resulting exile in the United States.

Cast: Hoa Xuande, Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Vy Le, Alan Trong, Vy Le, Ky Duyen, with Sandra Oh,...

HBO debuted the first trailer for “The Sympathizer,” a new limited series from acclaimed filmmaker Park Chan-wook that the network will debut in 2024.

Based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, the show “is an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his resulting exile in the United States,” per a logline provided by HBO.

Hoa Xuande plays the lead role, with Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Ky Duyen, and Sandra Oh providing support. Robert Downey Jr., an executive producer on the project, plays multiple supporting parts in the project as teased in the trailer.

“Working with Robert — he’s such an amazing actor and such an energetic man and a joy to be around. It’s been really great to be working with him,” Park said in an interview last year with Variety.

You like one Robert Downey, Jr., yes, but what about several of them? That seems to have been the pitch behind "The Sympathizer," HBO Max's -- sorry, make that Max now, per Warner Bros. Discovery's new rebranding effort -- new limited series from acclaimed South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook. The explosive story is based on author Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name and is led by "Cowboy Bepop" star Hoa Xuande as a North Vietnamese spy hiding in plain sight in the United States. Set during the waning days of the Vietnam War, the politically charged thriller promises to retain all the potency of the original novel. Oh, and Downey, Jr. shows up to portray several different characters in wildly different getups, representing various elements of U.S. bureaucracy.

As part of a special presentation earlier today, Warner Bros. Discovery unveiled the new...

Ready to sympathize with “The Sympathizer,” the miniseries adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen starring Hoa Xuande and Robert Downey, Jr.? Well, the first trailer for the series from Park Chan-wook and A24 is here. And it’s a doozy. Watch it above.

HBO described the series as “an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese Communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his resulting exile in the United States.” The show also stars Fred Nguyen, Toan Le, Duy Nguyễn, Vy Le and Alan Trong, with Sandra Oh, Kieu Chinh, Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen and Robert Downey, Jr. in several roles. And it looks wild. HBO head Casey Bloys highlighted the series at an event Wednesday unveiling the new Max streaming service from Warner Bros. Discovery.

The series comes from Park Chan-wook, who serves as co-showrunner, executive producer,...

Robert Downey Jr. is a master of disguise in the trailer for “The Sympathizer,” a new spy series coming in 2024 to HBO’s rebranded Max streaming service.

Based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “The Sympathizer” stars Hoa Xuande (“Cowboy Bebop”) as a spy for North Vietnam who becomes embedded in L.A.’s refugee community. Headed by Park Chan-wook, who serves as co-showrunner, executive producer, writer and director, “The Sympathizer’s” official logline describes the show as “an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his resulting exile in the United States.”

Downey Jr., who is as an executive producer on the project alongside his wife Susan Downey, takes on several roles in the show. Each of Downey Jr.’s characters have their own distinct look, as depicted in the trailer,...

“Decision to Leave” director Park Chan-wook is headed to television.

HBO has released the official teaser and a new photo for the original limited series “The Sympathizer.” Park and Don McKellar co-showrun and executive produce the series based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name.

The new footage introduces the cast led by Hoa Xuande, Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Ky Duyen, and Sandra Oh and reveals star and executive producer Robert Downey Jr., who plays multiple roles as the main antagonists. The teaser was shown today exclusively during Warner Bros. Discovery’s unveiling of the Max streaming service on the Warner Bros. lot in Los Angeles.

Per the official HBO logline, “The Sympathizer” is an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his resulting exile in the United States.

FX is no longer moving forward with its series adaptation of “Never Let Me Go,” Variety has learned exclusively.

The show was originally picked up to series by FX back in October and was meant to air exclusively on Hulu. It had originally been reported as being in development at FX in May 2022. According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, production had not yet begun before the decision to scrap the series was made.

The drama series was inspired by Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2005 science fiction novel of the same name, which was previously adapted into a film in 2010. The film was written by Alex Garland, directed by Mark Romanek, and produced by Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich.

Per the logline for the series, it followed “Thora (Viola Prettejohn), a rebellious teenage clone who escapes from the boarding school where she and her fellow clones are kept hidden from society.

FX has decided to ignore the advice of its own series title and let go of the TV adaptation of "Never Let Me Go" before the show could ever air or even go into production. We first reported last May that the network was developing a new adaptation of Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro's novel for television, with director Mark Romanek ("One Hour Photo") having previously adapted the book into a 2010 film starring Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, and Andrew Garfield. Originally meant to stream on Hulu, the "Never Let Me Go" series received the official green light from FX last October, but now, it is no longer happening, according to Variety.

Viola Prettejohn ("The Nevers") was set to star in "Never Let Me Go" as Thora, described in the series logline as "a rebellious teenage clone who escapes from the boarding school where she and her fellow clones are kept hidden from society.

A series adaptation of Never Let Me Go, the Kazuo Ishiguro novel that was adapted as a film starring Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield, is no longer moving forward at FX, sources close to the project have confirmed to Deadline. Production had not yet begun.

The project, from The Nevers writer Melissa Iqbal, was announced as in development at FX in May 2022 and was ordered to series at FX in October 2022 to air on Hulu.

The series was to star Viola Prettejohn (The Nevers) in the lead role.

The series would have followed Thora (Prettejohn), a rebellious teenage clone who escapes from the boarding school where she and her fellow clones are kept hidden from society. As she starts living undercover in the outside world, she unwittingly sets in motion events that will spark a revolution and test the boundaries of what it means to be human.

Cast also included Tracey Ullman,...

Exclusive: Marc Munden (Utopia) and Fernando Meireilles (The Two Popes) have been tapped to direct episodes of The Sympathizer, a drama series adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, produced by and co-starring Robert Downey Jr. The HBO/A24 series also has added three new cast members, Duy Nguyen, Kayli Tran and VyVy Nguyen.

The Sympathizer is an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his resulting exile in the United States.

Described as a “blistering exploration of identity and America, a gripping spy novel and a powerful story of love and friendship,” the novel is hailed as a new classic of war fiction and has been compared to the works of Kafka, Orwell, and le Carré.

Munden will direct episodes 5,6, and 7 and Meirelles will direct episode 4.

Duy Nguyen will play Man,...

Mick Jagger, P.J. Harvey and “Heartstopper” casting director Daniel Edwards are among the nominees at this year’s Royal Television Society (Rts) Craft & Design Awards 2022.

Jagger was nominated alongside Daniel Pemberton for writing the opening music to “Slow Horses,” the Apple TV+ show which stars Gary Oldman, while Harvey was nominated in the same category alongside Tim Phillips for their work on Sharon Horgan’s “Bad Sisters.”

“Heartstopper” casting director Daniel Edwards was nominated for his work on the hit Netflix show.

The BBC garnered most noms with 35 nods, followed by Sky with 13 and ITV with 11 nominations.

The awards will take place in London.

Check out the full list of nominees below:

Casting Award

Daniel Edwards, “Heartstopper” – See-Saw Films for Netflix

Aisha Bywaters, “The Baby” – Sister in association with Proverbial Pictures for Sky Atlantic

Rachel Sheridan, “In My Skin” – Expectation for BBC

Costume Design – Drama

Tom Pye & Nadine Clifford-Davern, “Gentleman...

Viola Prettejohn to star in ‘Never Let Me Go’ (Photo Credit: Aaron Crossman)

Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2005 novel Never Let Me Go is being adapted at FX, with the network confirming they’ve given the adaptation a series order. Melissa Iqbal is on board as the showrunner and executive producer. In addition, Iqbal wrote the pilot which executive producer Marc Munden will direct.

Author Kazuo Ishiguro, Alex Garland Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, and Maria Fleischer of DNA Productions are also involved as executive producers. Garland adapted Ishiguro’s novel for the 2010 feature film directed by Mark Romanek and starring Carey Mulligan and Andrew Garfield.

“Never Let Me Go is a modern science fiction classic that Melissa Iqbal and the creative team have brilliantly adapted for FX as a drama exploring timely and unsettling themes on life and the ethics of technology,” stated Gina Balian, President, FX Entertainment. “We...

Tracey Ullman, Kelly Macdonald, and Viola Prettejohn will star in FX‘s series adaptation of Never Let Me Go, which will air exclusively on Hulu in the United States. Based on the Kazuo Ishiguro novel of the same name, the sci-fi thriller “is a modern science fiction classic that Melissa Iqbal and the creative team have brilliantly adapted for FX as a drama exploring timely and unsettling themes on life and the ethics of technology,” said Gina Balian, President, FX Entertainment. “We are honored to partner with Andrew and Allon at DNA Productions, Searchlight Television, Alex Garland, Marc Munden, Kazuo Ishiguro, and the incredible cast on this exciting new project.” The show stars Prettejohn as a rebellious teenage clone named Thora, who “escapes from the boarding school where she and her fellow clones are kept hidden from society, but as she starts living undercover in the outside world, she unwittingly...

Kazuo Ishiguro’s sci-fi tearjerker “Never Let Me Go” is heading to the small screen. FX has officially ordered an adaptation of Ishiguro’s novel, set to air exclusively on Hulu.

Published in 2005, “Never Let Me Go” is one of Ishiguro’s — a Nobel Prize-winning author also known for “The Remains of the Day” — most popular and critically acclaimed novels. Set in Britain during the ’90s, the book focuses on three childhood friends: Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth. Raised at the mysterious Hailsham boarding school, the three are clones created for the purpose of growing up healthy and donating their organs to science. Resigned to their fates, the three grow up close, but interpersonal conflicts between them lead to mistakes that haunt them for the rest of their short lives.

The novel was previously adapted into a 2010 film directed by Mark Romanek, with a screenplay by Alex Garland; Carey Mulligan, Kiera Knightley,...

FX has greenlit “Never Let Me Go,” a drama series inspired by Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2005 science fiction novel of the same name.

The thriller series will follow Thora (Viola Prettejohn), a rebellious teenage clone who escapes from the boarding school where she and her fellow clones are kept hidden from society. As she starts living undercover in the outside world, she unwittingly sets in motion events that will spark a revolution and test the boundaries of what it means to be human.

Along with Prettejohn, the cast includes Tracey Ullman, Kelly Macdonald, Aiysha Hart, Spike Fearn, Shaniqua Okwok, Gary Beadle, Kwami Odoom, Susan Brown, Keira Chanse and Edward Holcroft.

This is the second screen adaptation of the book, as a movie starring Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield came out in 2010 from Searchlight Pictures. The film was written by Alex Garland, directed by Mark Romanek and produced by Andrew Macdonald Allon and Reich.

FX has ordered a new one-hour drama series based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s science fiction novel “Never Let Me Go,” Gina Balian, president of FX Entertainment, announced today. The show of the same name will premiere exclusively on Hulu and has set its main cast.

Produced by DNA Productions, with FX Productions and Searchlight Television, the thriller stars Viola Prettejohn (“The Witcher”), Tracey Ullman (FX’s “Mrs. America”), Kelly Macdonald (“Boardwalk Empire”), Aiysha Hart (“Line of Duty”), Spike Fearn (“The Amazing Mr. Blunden”), Shaniqua Okwok (“Small Axe”), Gary Beadle (“Wheel of Time”), Kwami Odoom (BBC’s “Death in Paradise”), Susan Brown (“It’s a Sin”), Keira Chanse (“Come Away”) and Edward Holcroft (“Kingsman: The Secret Service”).

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“Never Let Me Go” follows Thora (Prettejohn), a rebellious teenage clone, who escapes from the boarding school where she...

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FX has greenlit a series based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s acclaimed novel Never Let Me Go.

The drama, which will stream on Hulu in the United States, comes from writer and showrunner Melissa Iqbal (HBO’s The Nevers) and counts filmmaker Alex Garland — who wrote the script for a 2010 feature based on the novel — as an executive producer. Viola Prettejohn, Tracey Ullman and Kelly Macdonald head the cast.

DNA Productions will produce the series along with FX Productions and Searchlight Television; DNA and Searchlight were behind the 2010 film as well. Iqbal will executive produce with Marc Munden, who directed the pilot; Garland; Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich and Maria Fleischer of DNA Productions; and Ishiguro. Garland and DNA previously collaborated with FX and Hulu on the limited series Devs.

“Never Let Me Go is a modern science fiction classic that Melissa Iqbal and the...

Viola Prettejohn, Tracey Ullman and Kelly Macdonald will star in the series adaptation of Never Let Me Go, which has been handed a series order by FX to air on Hulu.

Earlier this year, Deadline revealed that the Kazuo Ishiguro novel adapted as a film starring Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield was being turned into a TV series from The Nevers writer Melissa Iqbal.

The sci-fi thriller is now moving forward with Viola Prettejohn, who starred in The Nevers, in the lead role.

She plays Thora, a rebellious teenage clone who escapes from the boarding school where she and her fellow clones are kept hidden from society. But as she starts living undercover in the outside world, she unwittingly sets in motion events that will spark a revolution and test the boundaries of what it means to be human.

Ullman (Mrs. America) and Macdonald (Line of Duty) will...

The end of the final full day of the 2022 Banff World Media Festival saw the Canadian confab reward barrier-breaking projects and honor a departed genius.

Tonight’s Rockie Awards Gala handed out the Program of the Year Award and the Grand Jury Prize to CBC sitcom Sort Of and Channel 4’s Jodie Comer-Stephen Graham pandemic TV movie Help, respectively. As was previously announced, the Jully Black-hosted Banff ceremony also posthumously awarded the Canadian Award of Distinction to Jean-Marc Vallée. The Montreal-born Dallas Buyers Club, Wild and Big Little Lies director died late last year.

‘Dune’ Production Designer Patrice Vermette Pays Tribute To Late Jean-Marc Vallée In Oscar Speech

Back for an in-person festival up in the stunning Alberta mountains for the first time since 2019, Banff honored Netflix Global TV boss Bela Bajaria with the Rockies’ Impact Award and Vivica A. Fox with the 2022 Inclusion Award. See...

‘Landscapers’ earned seven nominations, whilst Help and ’Time’ received six.

Russel T Davies’ It’s A Sin leads the nominations for this year’s Bafta Television and Bafta Craft awards.

The drama, produced by Red Production Company for UK broadcaster Channel 4, earned 11 nominations, including mini-series, leading actor for Olly Alexander, actress for Lydia West, director: fiction for Peter Hoar, writer: drama for Davies and three supporting actor nods for Callum Scott Howells, David Carlyle and Omari Douglas.

Drama Landscapers, produced by Sister for Sky Atlantic, earned seven nominations including mini-series and leading actor for David Thewlis.

Jack Thorne’s...

‘Landscapers’ earned seven nominations, whilst Help and ’Time’ received six.

Russel T Davies’ It’s A Sin leads the nominations for this year’s Bafta Television and Bafta Craft awards.

The drama, produced by Red Production Company for UK broadcaster Channel 4, earned 11 nominations, including mini-series, leading actor for Olly Alexander, actress for Lydia West, director: fiction for Peter Hoar, writer: drama for Davies and three supporting actor nods for Callum Scott Howells, David Carlyle and Omari Douglas.

Drama Landscapers, produced by Sister for Sky Atlantic, earned seven nominations including mini-series and leading actor for David Thewlis.

Jack Thorne’s...

[This post originally appeared as part of Recommendation Machine, IndieWire’s daily TV picks feature.]

Where to Watch ‘Help’: Acorn TV (It aired on Channel 4 in the UK last September.)

There’s a constant question of how soon after a historical event — one both traumatic and significant — is the appropriate amount of time to wait to dramatize it.

When the feature-length “Help” was presented on Channel 4 at the beginning of last fall, we weren’t even a year and a half out from when the bulk of the story takes place. So for a fictional telling with so much emotional volatility (on the part of characters and potential audience members alike), finding performers who can manage that heavy, delicate lifting is a key task.

Fortunately, “Help” has twin pillars in the form of Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham, who anchor this look inside a Liverpool-area care home in the months leading up to and after the onset...

Acorn TV have unveiled an exclusive North American cut of their trailer for “Help,” the film written by Jack Thorne (“His Dark Materials”) starring “Killing Eve’s” Jodie Comer as a care worker caught up in the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and Stephen Graham (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”) as one of her patients.

“It started as a provocation from Stephen Graham, write something for me and Jodie, write something about Liverpool,” Thorne says of the film. “As it grew so we all took authorship of it, and we all grew together, inspired by the firsthand stories we were hearing. I am immensely proud of what we all made.”

In “Help,” which is set in Comer and Graham’s native Liverpool, Comer plays Sarah, a newly-trained care home worker who develops a bond with patient Tony (Graham), who is suffering from young-onset Alzheimers. As the Covid pandemic hits in...

British television dominated the European Broadcasting Union’s prestigious Rose d’Or TV awards on Monday evening.

Among the shows that picked up gongs at the ceremony, which honors international television and audio production outside the U.S., were “Strictly Come Dancing,” the Davina McCall-fronted series “Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace” and “Help,” a drama about the pandemic starring “Killing Eve’s” Jodie Comer.

Meanwhile ITV News correspondent Robert Moore, who fronted the widely praised “Storming the Capitol: The Inside Story” won in two categories: news and current affairs as well as the Golden Rose.

Outside the U.K., French comedy “Call My Agent” and Spanish soap “Two Lives” (“Dos Vidas”) were also among the winners.

“On behalf of all of us at ITV News, can I just say how privileged and honoured we are to receive this award,” said Moore upon receiving his awards. “What happened 11 months ago on Capitol Hill,...