1ST PIC OF CHRISTIAN BALE IN RIDLEY SCOTT'S EGYPTIAN EPIC 'EXODUS'! JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2014 EPIC & FANTASY MOVIES: 'THE ADVENTURER:CURSE OF THE MIDAS BOX' WITH IOAN GRUFFUDD, SAM NEIL, LENA HEADEY, 'POMPEII' WITH KIT HARINGTON, EMILY BROWNING

  1ST PIC OF CHRISTIAN BALE

IN RIDLEY SCOTT'S 'EXODUS' 
Before we continue what we started yesterday - spotlighting January and February 2014 epic and fantasy movies - you can check out the first picture of Christian Bale as Moses in Ridley Scott's upcoming  historical epic EXODUS! Sigourney Weaver and John Turturro play Egyptian rulers, Joel Edgerton is Pharaoh Rhamses while Aaron Paul plays Joshua!

 THE ADVENTURER

THE CURSE OF THE MIDAS' BOX

The tenth of January also brings us THE ADVENTURER: THE CURSE OF THE MIDAS' BOX.  In this fantasy adventure, seventeen-year-old Mariah Mundi’s (Aneurin Barnard) life is turned upside down when his parents vanish and his younger brother is kidnapped. Following a trail of clues to the darkly majestic Prince Regent Hotel, Mariah discovers a hidden realm of child-stealing monsters, deadly secrets and a long-lost artefact that grants limitless wealth – but also devastating supernatural power. With the fate of his world, and his family at stake, Mariah will risk everything to unravel the Curse of the Midas Box! Michael Sheen, Sam Neil, Lena Headey and Ioan Gruffudd also star!

  POMPEII

 NO WARNING, NO ESCAPE!

But the real heat awaits us in February, not because of sweet and hot St. Valentines kisses, but because POMPEII will erupt in cinemas. Set in the days leading up to the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, the historical epic adventure film will see GAME OF THRONES' Kit Harington playing a slave on a ship heading for Naples who works to get home to save the woman (Emily Browning) he loves and his best friend, a gladiator trapped inside the city's coliseum! As the city is slowly buried in volcanic ash, he also comes face-to-face with the murderer of his family. Kiefer Sutherland and Carrie Anne Moss play Emily Browning's parents!

 HAPPY NEW 2014

FROM YOUR HOLLYWOOD SPY
And I won't leave you today without wishing you the happiest next year which arrives tonight! Hope 2014 will bring you love, money and lots of success. If you're going to a wild party tonight have fun, or if you're like poor little me, good luck in choosing the comfiest pyjamas to spend the evening in tonight! 

HILARIOUSLY ADVENTUROUS TRAILER FOR ASIAN EPIC COMEDY FANTASY MOVIE 'JOURNEY TO THE WEST' FROM STEPHEN CHOW

  JOURNEY TO THE WEST

DIRECTED BY STEPHEN CHOW

It's a very poor postfestive week in movie news business, people, so the only thing I have for you this weekend is the new trailer for Asian epic adventure JOURNEY TO THE WEST which will come to US theatres in March next year. Directed by Stephen Chow, whom you know from his previous Asian hits SHAOLIN SOCCER and KUNG FU HUSTLE, this epic fantasy comedy adventure revolves around a demon hunter Xuan Zang (Zhang Wen), who goes on a journey with three demons to atone for his sins.

  THE STORY OF THE JOURNEY

FIGHTING DEMONS WITH LOVE

This is a world plagued by demons, who cause its human inhabitants unspeakable suffering. Young demon hunter Xuan Zang, fearlessly guided by his belief in "giving himself for the greater cause," risks his all and conquers a water demon, a pig demon and the demon of all demons, Sun Wukong. He embraces them as his disciples, and melts them with love. Meanwhile, Xuan Zang discovers the true meaning of Greater Love himself. In order to atone for their own sins and save the common people, the four of them embark on a journey to the West that's full of challenges...

SPOTLIGHT ON BBC'S NEW HISTORICAL ADVENTURE TV SERIES 'THE MUSKETEERS' WITH LUKE PASQUALINO, SANTIAGO CABRERA, PETER CAPALDI, HUGO SPEER! FIRST TRAILER AND NEW PICTURES!

 THE MUSKETEERS

BBC'S NEW EPIC ADVENTURE TELEVISION SERIES

January is usually a very poor month in television and movie business, people,  with mostly nothing to watch,  but this year, beside the naughty pirates of BLACK SAILS which will sail into the small screens over at Starz, we shall also see legendary  THE MUSKETEERS swording their way into BBC ONE in the first month of 2014! The British channel has just released the first trailer for their upcoming historical adventure series which you can check out below the spotlight. The ten-part TV drama, based on the classic novel by famous Alexandre Dumas, will see 'Skins' hunky star Luke Pasqualino playing D'Artagnan, 'Merlin's heartthrob Santiago Cabrera playing Aramis and 'Doctor Who's' Peter Capaldi playing Cardinal Richelieu.

  THE MUSKETEERS' STORY

ALL FOR ONE, ONE FOR ALL

Set on the streets of seventeenth century Paris, where law and order is more an idea than reality, the series follows MUSKETEERS Athos, Aramis and Porthos. They are far more than King Louis XIII’s personal bodyguards. They stand resolutely for social justice, for honor, for valor, for love – and for the thrill of it. D’Artagnan (Luke Pasqualino), a skilled fighter from rural Gascony, meets the three Musketeers while on a mission to right the wrong of his father’s death. Although he meets the men in unfortunate circumstances, he finds kindred spirits in the other soldiers. Athos (Tom Burke), who has rejected his noble roots to become a Musketeer, has a past shrouded in mystery. He quickly befriends D’Artagnan, but is prone to getting in trouble. Porthos (Howard Charles) is a larger than life character, who has come from humble beginnings to become a soldier in the most elite regiment in the land, finding a family in the other Musketeers. Never short of admirers, Aramis (Santiago Cabrera) has an effortless charm which leads him in and out of love. Despite this, he is a shrewd pragmatist who is ferocious in battle and commands a key place in the brotherhood. Constance Bonacieux (Tamla Kari) leads a dull but comfortable life married to a cloth merchant, but her life is turned upside down when D’Artagnan tumbles into her life, and she becomes involved with The Musketeers. Cardinal Richlieu (Peter Capaldi), while striving to  achieve his vision of a thoroughly modern France, is a shadowy character who will stop at nothing to achieve his objectives. Milady (Maimie McCoy) is the Cardinal’s secret weapon, the most mysterious and beautiful of villains whose motives are often concealed. The King relies on the advice of The Cardinal, his shrewd wife Queen Anne and also Captain Treville (Hugo Speer), the brave and respected commander of The Musketeers who keeps an eye on the soldiers to ensure they stay out of trouble. The series bursts with

escapism, adventure and romance and is set to thrill audiences with cracking stories!

 THE MUSKETEERS' TIDBITS

RICHLIEU WHO? 

With the cast also including Alexandra Dowling as Queen Anne and Ryan Gage as King Louis XIII, THE MUSKETEERS will also air over at BBC America later next year. It is still not known whether the role of Richlieu will be recast if the show gets second season given the fact that after the shooting of the opening season, Peter Capaldi got the lead role in DR. WHO.

  THE MUSKETEERS

 WHAT HAPPENS IN 1ST EPISODE?

In the first episode, the brightest musketeers of the King’s Regiment – Athos, Porthos and Aramis – are dispatched by Captain Treville to find a missing musketeer carrying important letters on behalf of King Louis. But Cardinal Richelieu has plans to increase his political power and seeks to sabotage the good reputation of the musketeers. Meanwhile, d’Artagnan travels from his family farm in Gascony to Paris to petition the king, but his peaceful plans are turned upside down when he is forced to find the Musketeers and seek vengeance for the brutal murder of a loved one. Will d’Artagnan bring the murderer to justice, and can the Musketeers protect king and country? Or will the Cardinal triumph with the help of the beautiful and dangerous Milady?

SPOTLIGHT ON ENCHANTING FANTASY ROMANCE 'WINTER'S TALE' WITH COLIN FARRELL, RUSSELL CROWE, JESSICA BROWN FINDLAY, WILL SMITH, MATT BOMER!

  WINTER'S TALE BRINGS

ENCHANTING ROMANTIC FANTASY!

One of the enchanting magical movies ready to spellbind your late winter at the beginning of February around St. Valentines is fantasy drama and romance WINTER'S TALE with Colin Farrell, Russell Crowe and Jessica Brown Findlay. The directorial debut of Academy Award Winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (A BEAUTIFUL MIND), who also wrote the script for this $50 million romantic film, is based on a novel of the same name written back in 1983 by Mark Helprin. Set in a mythic New York City and spanning more than a century, WINTER'S TALE is a story of miracles, crossed destinies, and the age-old battle between good and evil.

  THE TALE OF WINTER'S TALE

THIS IS NOT A TRUE STORY, THIS IS TRUE LOVE!

Back in 1916, New York City is subsumed in arctic winds, dark nights, and white lights, its life unfolds, for it is an extraordinary hive of the imagination, the greatest house ever built, and nothing exists that can check its vitality. One night in winter, Peter Lake (Colin Farrell), orphan and master-mechanic, attempts to rob a fortress-like mansion on the Upper West Side. Though he thinks the house is empty, the daughter of the house is home. In an unexpected turn of events this event starts the love between Peter, a middle-aged Irish burglar, and Beverly Penn (Jessica Brown Findlay), a young girl, who is fatally ill and is dying. Peter believes that his love could save her. At the same time Lake is saved from the Irish insane gangster Pearly Soames (Russell Crowe), for whom he used to work and is now running from, and his gang of thugs by Athansor, a mysterious white horse who becomes his guardian angel. But when Pearly finally catches up with our hero and he seems doomed, something strange happens: he shows up in present-day Manhattan having lost his memory and befriends Virginia (Jennifer Connelly), who helps him explore his past.

  WINTER'S TALE TIDBITS

WILL SMITH IN A SHORT ROLE
In the star studded cast Colin Farrell stars as Peter Lake, Russell Crowe as Pearly Soames, DOWNTON ABBEY's Jessica Brown Findlay as Beverly Penn, Jennifer Connelly as Virginia Gamely, William Hurt as Isaac Penn, Eva Marie Saint as adult Willa, Will Smith as Judge, Matt Bomer as Peter's father, Lucy Griffiths as Peter's mother! Kevin Durand, Graham Greene and Fin Wittrock are also starring. Tom Hiddleston and Lily Collins were originally wanted for the roles (what a magnificent cast that would've been), and in the case that Colin Farrell hadn't accepted the lead role Akiva Goldsman also had in mind Welsh star Luke Evans, Liam Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker and Aaron Johnson! Oscar winner Hans Zimmer is composing the music for the movie.

HOLLYWOOD SPY'S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE! IN THE DAYS OF WARMTH AND ABUNDANCE DON'T FORGET THOSE IN FREEZING POVERTY

  MERRY CHRISTMAS

FROM YOUR HOLLYWOOD SPY

To all of you who are celebrating today around the world, HOLLYWOOD SPY wants to wish happy holidays, lots of love and warmth and positivity.

  And while you are enjoying the festive days in your cosy homes surrounded with family and delicious food, here are some things I don't want you to forget:

Don't forget the unprotected ones!

Don't forget those who have nothing!

Don't forget to be kind!

Don't forget to share what you have!

Don't forget the little ones!

Don't forget the loving ones!

Don't forget to be human! 

Have warm holidays and we return tomorrow with movie news!

SPOOKY FIRST TEASER FOR 'SALEM' 17TH CENTURY TV SERIES! JEFFREY DONOVAN & MATTHEW FOX IN 'WELCOME TO HARMONY' APOCALYPTIC THRILLER. CAST PHOTOS FROM SYFY'S NEW 'HELIX' ARCTIC SF THRILLER SHOW

WELCOME TO HARMONY

JEFFREY DONOVAN & MATTHEW FOX IN NEW THRILLER MOVIE

Since apocalyptic projects are very trendy these days, here's the latest one from the genre: LOST star Matthew Fox and BURN NOTICE's Jeffrey Donovan will lead the cast in WELCOME TO HARMONY horror thriller movie. In the English-language big screen début for Spanish director Miguel Angel Vivas the two hunky television stars will play two men living in a remote village who are mysteriously spared from the effects of a worldwide infection together with a young girl. The horror film will probably start with production next February in Serbia or Bulgaria. Jeffrey Donovan has recently played Robert Kennedy in J.EDGAR, while Matthew Fox has played in WORLD WAR Z (you haven't seen him if you blinked) and in war drama EMPEROR.

  'HELIX' CAST PICTURES

SYFY'S ARCTIC SET SF SHOW
In TV news, you can first check out new character and cast photos from SyFy's upcoming polar set thriller sf series HELIX which will freeze its spot on the small screens on January 10th! HELIX is an intense thriller about a team of scientists from the Centre for Disease Control who travel to the high-tech research facility, Arctic BioSystems, to investigate a possible disease outbreak, only to find themselves pulled into a terrifying life-and-death struggle that may hold the key  to mankind’s salvation or total annihilation. However, the lethal threat is just the tip of the iceberg, and as the virus evolves, the chilling truth begins to unravel. Mark Ghanime stars as Sergio Balleseros, Hiroyuki Sanada as Hiroshi Hataki, Meegwun Fairbrother as Daniel Aerov, Kyra Zagorsky as Julia Walker, Billy Campbell as Alan Farragut, Neil Napier as Peter Farragut, Jordan Hayes as Sarah Jordan, Catherine Lemieux as Doreen Boyle! The thirteen episode series will also have STAR TREK star Jeri Ryan playing Constance Sutton, the chief operating officer of Ilaria Corporation, owner of Arctic Biosystems, charming and savvy, used to getting her way at any cost.

FIRST 'SALEM' TEASER

 17TH CENTURY WITCHES SERIES

One of the historical TV series that we can expect in 2014 is SALEM for which WGN America has just released the first spooky teaser. Set in the volatile world of 17th century Massachusetts, it explores what really fueled the town’s infamous witch trials and centres on Mary Sibley (Janet Montgomery), the beautiful, ruthless but vulnerable wife of an ancient, ailing but very wealthy Salem town Selectman. STAR TREK'S Brannon Braga is producing with the cast which also includes Seth Gabel, Shane West, Ashley Madekwe, Xander Berkeley, Tamzin Merchant and Elise Eberle.

'TRANSCENDENCE' TRAILER WITH JOHNNY DEPP, PAUL BETTANY, CILLIAN MURPHY, MORGAN FREEMAN! REECE RITCHIE IS PHARAOH IN 'HIEROGLYPHS' ANCIENT EGYPT SHOW! 'FINDING DORY', 'HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 3' & 'ICE AGE 5' TO BATTLE IN SUMMER 2016!

REECE RITCHIE IS PHARAOH

IN 'HIEROGLYPHS' ANCIENT EGYPT FOX SHOW

Earlier this year I announced that Fox is preparing Ancient Egypt epic TV series HIEROGLYPHS and now we have the first casting choice. 'Deadline' reports that Reece Ritchie (10,000 BC, HERCULES, LOVELY BONES, PRINCE OF PERSIA) will play the Pharaoh in the 13 episode historical adventure set in ancient Egypt, where fantasy and reality intertwined. It follows a notorious thief who is plucked from prison to serve the Pharaoh, navigating palace intrigue, seductive concubines, criminal underbellies and even a few divine sorcerers. Reece Ritchie’s Shai is the young, handsome Pharaoh who rules with an iron fist and fully trusts no one. He is obsessed with maintaining power over his kingdom, which he’ll do by any means necessary. Peter Chernin (TERRA NOVA) is producing!

2016 SUMMER BATTLE OF ANIMATED SEQUELS

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 3 VS FINDING DORY VS ICE AGE 5
Speaking of ancient Egypt, ICE AGE 5 has just been given the release spot in July 2016 which previously belonged to another of Fox Animation animated films ANUBIS. The same summer, June 2016 will also see the battle of other two animated sequels Pixar's FINDING DORY and Dreamworks' HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 3!
'ANUBIS' ANIMATED MOVIE
ANUBIS, which has now been pushed to 2018, follows Dr. George Henry, who finds himself condemned to the Egyptian Underworld after succumbing to an ancient Mummy curse. The doctor's son Henry sets off on an adventure to free his father, and must battle various monsters of all shapes and sizes as he plunges through the depths of this fantastical Underworld.

1ST 'TRANSCENDENCE' TRAILER

 JOHNNY DEPP, PAUL BETTANY, CILLIAN MURPHY, MORGAN FREEMAN, KATE MARA

Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp) is the foremost researcher in the field of Artificial Intelligence, working to create a sentient machine that combines the collective intelligence of everything ever known with the full range of human emotions. His highly controversial experiments have made him famous, but they have also made him the prime target of anti-technology extremists who will do whatever it takes to stop him. However, in their attempt to destroy Will, they inadvertently become the catalyst for him to succeed - to be a participant in his own transcendence. For his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) and best friend Max Waters (Paul Bettany), both fellow researchers, the question is not if they can... but if they should. Their worst fears are realized as Will's thirst for knowledge evolves into a seemingly omnipresent quest for power, to what end is unknown. The only thing that is becoming terrifyingly clear is there may be no way to stop him. Coming to cinemas next April the film also stars Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy and Kate Mara.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH SHAUN SMITH RENOWNED MAKE-UP & EFFECTS EXPERT FROM '300', 'CONAN THE BARBARIAN', 'CHRONICLES OF NARNIA', 'I AM LEGEND', 'THE MONKEY KING'

  EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH

SHAUN SMITH, MOVIE MAKE-UP & EFFECTS EXPERT

Today at HOLLYWOOD SPY we are joined by Shaun Smith, make-up and effects expert who worked on many visually stunning movies such as 300, CONAN THE BARBARIAN, I AM LEGEND, THE MONKEY KING and CHRONICLES OF NARNIA! Shaun Smith has over 20 years experience working on make-up, special make-up effects, puppets and props for feature films, television and commercials and he was kind enough to sit down and have a chitchat with your Hollywood Spy.

  SHAUN, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT DOES THE WORK OF A MAKEUP SUPERVISOR CONSIST OF? WE KNOW IT INVOLVES MUCH LEARNING, INSPIRATION AND CREATIVITY. YOU ORGANIZE AND SUPERVISE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOPS....

Yeah, I love it, love the intensity of it. It’s like a big puzzle and its fun to figure it out. There is something about the collaboration process that keeps me excited. I basically work out the details and the look with the director and other people on the team. I then do a budget and schedule for the job, hire the team, coordinate the shop build, apply and oversee make-up applications and most importantly make sure we stay under budget and on time.

  WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH THE BIGGEST VISUAL GENIUS IN MODERN FILM - ZACK SNYDER - ON THE GROUNDBREAKING EPIC "300"? ANY CHANCE OF WORKING WITH HIM AGAIN?

I feel fortunate I worked with Zack on his first two films “Dawn of the Dead” and “300”. Both successful movies with a ton of make-up. Zack’s a lot of fun.  And like I said, we did two successful films together so you never know. I really like Zack so working with him again would be cool.

  YOU ALSO WORKED ON ANOTHER EPIC FILM "CONAN THE BARBARIAN" CREATING SOME TRULY MEMORABLE LOOKS. THAT GENRE IS PROBABLY A HEAVEN FOR MAKE UP ARTISTS.

I’m a huge fan of the Conan comics and the 1982 Milius film! So yeah, working on a Conan movie was unbelievable. I was totally engrossed in the process. We had a pretty small crew for a job that size. When I look back at all the makeup and hair work in that film…I am really proud of what we produced.

  CREATURE EFFECTS IN WILL SMITH'S POST APOCALYPTIC FILM "I AM LEGEND" WERE ALSO YOUR JOB?

We worked out the original make-up test with director Francis Lawrence. We imagined the Hemocytes covered in white ash because in the original script the city was going to be on fire and ash was everywhere like snow, hence the white caked make-up. The theory was that they smeared an ash concoction over their skin to protect it and give some relief to the raw and translucent skin underneath. Ultimately they decided to go digital for the infected humans (Hemocytes). I believe I ended up being credited as the Creature Effects Supervisor on the film.

 AND ALSO IN "CHRONICLES OF NARNIA" AND "FOUR BROTHERS"?

I supervised both “Chronicles” and “Four Brothers” for another company since I enjoy running shows for other people and I treat it with the same passion as if it were my own. For “Four Brothers” we built a mechanical Rottweiler that attacks Mark Walberg and Tyrese Gibson. For “Chronicles” we did eight Mechanical Deer, four white and four brown puppets. The build time was really short so I came up with the idea of building just four mechanical bodies where we could switch out the head and skin depending on which colour deer we needed for the shot.

  WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR WORK ON UPCOMING ASIAN ADVENTURE "THE MONKEY KING". NEW TRAILER SHOWS SOME REALLY OUTSTANDING MASKS AND MAKE-UP!

Thanks! Yeah, lots of fun makeup on that film. It is rumored to have cost $100 million dollar and I believe it’s one of the biggest make-up effects shows ever done in China. It is probably the most mentally challenging film I’ve ever done. It was about a year and a half stretch of crazy travel and nonstop work. We had to build a shop from the ground up and probably had close to 100 people working on hair suits and makeup effects! We made 80 full haired monkey suits or as I like to call them, Mankey suits, all hand tied, one hair at a time on to Spandex suits... Each suit had two heads and multiple faces. Plus we built a ton of other characters. Desire Soto was my Right Hand on that project! The key to surviving these huge jobs is to surround yourself with good people and have awesome interpreters who understand both cultures.

  WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON CURRENTLY?

Currently I am in pre-production on a Breck Eisner film starring Vin Diesel ”The Last Witch Hunter”! Some really cool stuff on that and I’m super excited. Earlier this year, I worked on the new season of “Eagleheart”. I also completed work on Director Jesse Johnson’s latest fan film short “Lobo” with two time World Kickboxing Champion Jerry “Golden Boy” Trimble.

  ANY ADVICE FOR ASPIRING MAKE-UP ARTISTS?

The field is saturated with aspiring artists so make sure it’s what you really want to do before you drop $10,000 or more on make-up school! Be prepared to work your way up. Learn to live frugally because starting pay can be low. And please, always be respectful of the people who came before you and learn the history. At least know who Dick Smith is. Then… practice, practice, practice!