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Exclusive: Extraordinary star Máiréad Tyers has joined the cast of Obituary as cameras roll on season two of the dark comedy crime drama. The series, from Apc Studios (UK) and Irish indie Magamedia, is for Irish pubcaster RTÉ and Hulu in the U.S. Bafta-nominated Tyers will star alongside returning lead actress Siobhán Cullen (The Dry).

The show plays on Netflix in the UK. It follows Elvira (Cullen), a young woman obsessed with death who writes obituaries for a local newspaper. Without enough bodies to fill the required column inches, she resorts to murder.

Season 2 will film in County Donegal. It sees Elvira struggling with the death of her beloved father. Again, she seeks relief in killing, but is beaten to the act by a mysterious new murderer in town. A local cop, Detective Rose (Noni Stapleton), suspects Elvira of the crime, which in this case she hasn’t committed.

After airing on Rte in Ireland last September, all six episodes of the darkly comedic crime drama Obituary made their way over to the Hulu streaming service in November. Now, Variety reports that Obituary season 2 has been given the greenlight and, like its predecessor, is expected to consist of six episodes.

Written by Ray Lawlor (Le Ceangal) and directed by John Hayes (Dublin Murders) and Oonagh Kearney (Vardy vs. Rooney), Obituary has the following synopsis: 24-year-old Elvira Clancy is feeling a little unfulfilled, although she adores her new job writing obituaries, but when her newspaper falls on hard times and her boss cuts her salary, she finds herself being paid per obituary overnight. When she “accidentally” kills a nasty piece of work in the town, she discovers she might have a previously untapped bloodlust!

She relishes using ever more crafty methods to kill off the town’s unpleasant residents while making them look like accidents.

Irish comedy “Obituary” is prepping for a second season, Variety has learned.

The popular black comedy, which features Siobhán Cullen as an underpaid obituarist who turns to murder, is written by Ray Lawlor.

The plan is for Season 2 to run to six episodes, Variety understands, with Lawlor returning to helm the script. The show’s original producers — Magamedia and Apc Studios — are once again involved, while Hulu is contributing funding.

Casting hasn’t yet been confirmed but it seems unlikely the show would return without lead star Cullen, who has also recently appeared in “The Dry” and Netflix series “Bodkin.”

The first season of “Obituary,” which aired on Irish network Rte, followed Cullen as obituary writer Elvira Clancy, who takes matters into her own hands when her work begins drying up. Soon a crime correspondent at the local paper starts investigating the murders — and falling for Clancy.

Michael Smiley (“Bad Sisters...

Netflix’s House of Guinness has brewed its cast.

James Norton and Jack Gleeson have been named among the cast for Steven Knight-penned Guinness factory drama series.

Joining them are Niamh McCormack, Anthony Boyle (Masters of the Air, Manhunt), Louis Partridge (Pistol, Enola Holmes), Emily Fairn (The Responder, Black Mirror: Demon 79), Fionn O’Shea (Normal People, Dance First), Seamus O’Hara (Blue Lights, An Irish Goodbye), Dervla Kirwan (True Detective: Night Country, Smother), Michael McElhatton (Game of Thrones, The Long Shadow), Danielle Galligan (Shadow and Bone, Obituary), David Wilmot (Station Eleven, Bodkin) and Hilda Fay (The Woman in the Wall, Spilt Milk).

The series, from Banijay UK’s Kudos, is billed as an epic story inspired by The Guinness family, a European dynasty made famous by the drink they brew.

Foxtel/Binge Topper Amanda Laing Exiting

Foxtel and Binge’s Chief Commercial and Content Officer Amanda Laing has resigned and is exiting later this year. She joined the Australian TV giant in 2018 and has overseen the launch of streamer Binge, which is behind worldwide comedy hit Colin From Accounts. No word on her next move, but in a statement Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany paid tribute to Laing, saying she has “led dozens of negotiations with US studios for content and channel acquisitions, as well as supported the business as a leading executive on our sports rights deals.” Laing said it had been “privilege to work across both sport and entertainment.” She will remain with the company until September to ensure “a smooth transition of leadership.”

Hulu’s Irish Comedy-Drama ‘Obituary’ Travels

Dark Irish comedy-drama series Obituary has landed on a host of networks around the world. The six-part RTÉ series,...

Cillian Murphy took home the award for lead actor in a film for his performance in Oppenheimer while That They May Face The Rising Sun clinched the best film prize at the Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTAs), that took place on Saturday (April 20).

As well as taking the best actor prize, Cork-born Murphy also collected the best international film prize on behalf of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.

Pat Collins’ best film award winner That They May Face The Rising Sun was adapted from John McGahern’s novel about life in rural Ireland, and premiered at BFI London Film Festival.

Twofour Hires ‘007: Road To A Million’ Producer & ‘Circle’ Exec

UK producer Twofour has made a pair of hires and promoted several execs in and around its senior management. Karen Hudson, whose credits include 007: Road to a Million and The Grand Tour, has been named Head of Production. Dan Gray will be Executive Producer, Reality and Entertainment, having previously worked on the likes of The Circle and UK versions of the Real Housewives franchise. Elsewhere, Creative Director David Clews has been upped to Chief Creative Director, with exec producer Nic Patten stepping up to Creative Director. Shireen Abbott has been promoted to Director of Production and Operations. Twofour is notable for being the first producer in the ITV Studios stable to land an unscripted series on Apple TV+, The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy, and Itvx’s first reality order, Loaded in Paradise.

Cineflix Brings Kurt Cobain Doc To...

Earlier this month, Nick Cave paid tribute to his longtime friend, The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan, by performing a cover of “A Rainy Night in Soho” at MacGowan’s funeral. Now, Cave has honored the late Irish songwriter again by penning an obituary for The Guardian, published on Thursday, December 21st.

After explaining how he and MacGowan first met — a “summit” organized by NME to bring the two writers, plus The Fall’s Mark E. Smith, together — Cave touched on the early days of the two’s friendship. “I was excited [to meet him] because I was a fan, completely in awe of Shane’s songwriting,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, it was my first day out of rehab, and it probably wasn’t the greatest idea to spend the day with two people who were not known for their moderation… Not the most auspicious start to a friendship, but Shane and I did become close friends soon afterwards.

Sepultura are calling it quits. The Brazilian thrash-metal legends have revealed that they will hit the road on an 18-month farewell world tour, which will include a just-announced Fall 2024 UK/European outing and a previously announced Spring 2024 Latin American run.

In a statement from the band, Sepultura thanked fans for their continued support. They also announced that they plan to record 40 songs live in 40 cities for an upcoming compilation.

For the UK/European run, Sepultura will be joined by a stacked bill of Jinjer, Obituary, and Jesus Piece. The outing kicks off October 30th in Paris and runs through a November 23rd show in Prague, with tickets available for select dates here.

Sepultura’s full farewell statement reads as follows:

“Sepultura has reached the end of the road and has chosen to depart via a conscious and planned death.

Throughout the next 18 months we will celebrate 40 years of existence together...

Dark comedy is not everyone’s cup of tea. If executed well, any show or film based on this branch of humor leaves a lasting impression on the audience. Physical, Succession, Barry, Bad Sisters, and the very famous After Life are some of the prominent examples. Obituary is a brand-new Irish comedy series that flirts with dark comedy for most of its runtime. This six-episode show is a Hulu original released on November 21, 2023, written and created by Ray Lawlor.

The show is about small-time journalist Elvira Clancy, who writes obituaries for the local newspaper ‘Kilraven Chronicle’. Elvira lives with her unemployed father, Ward Clancy, in the small town of Kilraven, Ireland, and she is not happy with the pay she receives from her employers. The newspaper has a low circulation rate, and she ends up being paid based on the number of obituaries she writes instead of a steady monthly income.

"If my purpose in life is to kill, I think I'll make some rules." Hulu has unveiled an official trailer for an Irish crime comedy series called Obituary, created by the Irish writer Ray Lawlor from a small West of Ireland town. It'll be out to watch streaming in the US this November. Obituary is a dark comedy in which a small town newspaper falls into hard times and 24-year-old Obituarist Elvira Clancy learns she'll now be paid per obituary. When deaths trickle to a halt and her work dries up, she soon discovers that by murdering the residents of her small town, she will not only earn more money but also discover an untapped bloodlust. Her plans are shaken when she falls for the new crime reporter. "This is a fun, darkly twisted drama that proudly allows me to transport some of the wit and characters I encounter every...

Home to lethal characters such as Lady Facesmasher, The Sufferer, and The Obituary Machine, the city of Colonia is a haven for all manner of macabre murderers in Scott Bryan Wilson and Max Alan Fuchs' new comic book series Kill More. With Kill More #2 due out on October 25th from Idw Originals, the carnage is just getting started as other killers emerge into the blood-splattered spotlight, and we're thrilled to exclusively reveal a new killer who will debut in the second issue: the enigmatic Antemortem!

Below, you can check out an exclusive look at Antemortem's first appearance in Kill More #2, and we also have development art from Max Alan Fuchs that offers more insights into Antemortem's perilous psyche, including how you should never insult his favorite sports team...

Here's what Max had to say about Antemortem's unique killer instincts in Kill More:

"Antemortem is one of the most psychologically fascinating serial killers in the book,...

Christina Hendricks and “House of the Dragon’s” Paddy Considine have been tapped to lead “Small Town, Big Story,” a new Sky Studios drama from Chris O’Dowd

O’Dowd (“State of the Union”) created and will direct the six-part dramatic comedy, which tells the story of the effect on a small Irish village when a Hollywood production begins shooting on its doorstep and rattled residents struggle to keep a long-buried secret under wraps.

The series is an Equity production, which is being shot in the U.K. and Ireland, but Sky has emphasized that all cast agreements comply with SAG-AFTRA rules in light of the ongoing actors strike. The cast were contracted before the strike.

In the series, “Mad Men” star Hendricks is set to play Wendy Patterson, a hot-shot L.A. producer who grew up in the fictional Irish village of Drumbán while Considine stars as local doctor and community stalwart Seamus Proctor.

Over 23.5 million viewers in 3 years can’t be wrong. Michael Joy / Joyhorror Entertainment – Marketing Macabre has teamed with Hart Fisher’s American Horrors Channels to create an opportunity for independent horror filmmakers. This is your chance to book an ad, movie trailer, or fundraising campaign and get seen by the horror public.

All Night. All Day. Everyday with American Horrors Newest 24/7 linear streaming horror Roku Channel! Now You can tune into the Bloodiest, Scariest Horror Movie Marathon from the VHS Age of Horror that is totally free to watch worldwide featuring uncut critically acclaimed bleeding edge short horror films, bloody cult feature films, exclusive in-house generated tv series, banned tv commercials from yesteryear, uncensored music videos from Danzig, Doomed & Disgusting, Obituary, Slayer, Awake for Days, Snovonne, The Designs, Witch Taint & More all hosted by legendary horror creator & 1st amendment champion, Hart D. Fisher!

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Ghost have announced a Summer 2023 US tour featuring support from fellow Swedish act Amon Amarth. The outing has been dubbed the “Re-Imperatour,” following last year’s “Imperatour,” and will see the two bands playing mostly amphitheaters.

The tour kicks off August 2nd in Concord, California, and makes its way east before returning to the West Coast for a final September 11th date in Los Angeles. A Citi cardmember pre-sale starts Tuesday (February 14th) at 10 a.m. local time, as does an artist pre-sale via Ticketmaster with the code Darkness. A Live Nation pre-sale begins at the same link on Wednesday (February 15th) at 10 a.m. local time using the code Chorus, while general ticket sales launch on Friday (February 17th). Fans can also pick up tickets via StubHub.

Heavy Consequence caught Ghost’s show at the Ubs Arena in New York this past September, when Mastodon and Spiritbox provided support.

Exclusive: Bad Sisters star Michael Smiley has boarded Hulu dark comedy Obituary, as the show sets the rest of its cast and enters principal photography in Ireland.

Smiley will play lead Elvira Clancy’s (Siobhán Cullen) protective and troubled father Ward Clancy in the Apc/Magamedia-produced six-parter that was first revealed by Deadline late last year.

Smiley, whose past credits include the BBC’s Bloodlands and who played well-meaning-but-troubled-neighbor Roger Muldoon in Sharon Horgan’s Apple TV+ hit Bad Sisters, is joined by Ronan Raftery (The Rook), Danielle Galligan (Shadow and Bone) and David Ganly (Moon Knight) as the show rounds out cast and enters principal photography in County Donegal.

Obituary, which has been pre-bought by Irish network RTÉ, follows an unpaid obituarist working at a small town newspaper. When she ‘accidentally’ kills a nasty piece of work in the town, she discovers she might have an untapped bloodlust...