Role Call: Summer Thrills and Chills

by · May 9, 2016

Welcome back to MuggleNet’s weekly Casting News column! This week, we continue to adore David Tennant in all his geeky glory, get our first bit of news surrounding the return of Peaky Blinders, go behind the stage curtain with Alfie and Afshan, and join a prehistoric adventure with Eddie Redmayne. All that and more in this week’s Role Call!

While not slated to be released until the end of the year, Mad To Be Normal has been updating its Facebook page fairly regularly. The film, which stars Potter cast members David Tennant (Barty Crouch Jr) and Sir Michael Gambon (Albus Dumbledore), underwent a name change earlier this year from Metanoia to the current title. Check out the synopsis and a still from the film below, courtesy of the film’s Facebook page, which also has some behind-the-scenes photos from filming.

‘Mad To Be Normal’ (previously titled ‘Metanoia’) is the story of controversial Scottish psychiatrist R.D. Laing and the infamous anti-psychiatry experiment he ran at Kingsley Hall — a medication-free sanctuary which made headlines around the world.

 

 

Tennant also starred in the second series of Very British Problems, which is narrated by fellow Potter actress Julie Walters (Molly Weasley). The second series premiered May 9 on Channel 4 in the UK. Tennant is no stranger to the series, having starred in the Christmas special last year. It was confirmed via the series’s Twitter account that he will also appear in the second episode, slated to air May 16. Take a look at a brief bit starring Tennant from the premiere episode:

Tennant continues his global reign by hosting Have I Got News For You, which was also hosted last year by Daniel Radcliffe. You can view Tennant’s episode below:

 


David Hosting News by tennantcom

It appears that Timothy Spall (Peter Pettigrew) is heading back into the supernatural thriller genre. He previously starred in the miniseries The Enfield Haunting and will now star in The Changeover. While no information about his role is yet known, Deadline did provide readers with a synopsis of the film, which is an adaptation of the YA novel written by Margaret Mahy. Take a look below!

The story centers on 16-year-old Laura Chant, who lives in a low-rent suburb on the edge of earthquake-scarred Christchurch with her mother and 4-year-old brother, Jacko. When an ancient spirit attacks Jacko and slowly drains the life out of him, Laura discovers her true identity and the supernatural ability within her, which she must harness to save her brother’s life.

If you have Netflix, now is the time to get caught up on Helen McCrory’s (Narcissa Malfoy) gangster series, Peaky Blinders! CultBox announced via Twitter exactly what fans of the series can expect, and let me tell you – we are all sorts of excited!

Helen plays Polly Gray, treasurer of the gang and the aunt to Thomas Shelby, who runs the Peaky Blinders. Currently, the first two seasons of the series are available on Netflix, while the third season is airing in the UK. For a complete schedule of when each episode will air, check out the episode guide from CultBox here.

Alfie Enoch (Dean Thomas) has been keeping busy while not filming for ABC’s How To Get Away With Murder. How do we know? Just take a look at the photos his pal and fellow Potter cast member Afshan Azad (Padma Patil) posted after he wrapped his stage performance as Edgar in Shakespeare’s King Lear!

 

You’re not alone, Afshan – we #LoveHim, too!

Congratulations are in order for Cursed Child co-writer Jack Thorne, who won two BAFTA Television Awards this week! Thorne took home the iconic awards for his involvement in This is England ’90 (Best Mini-Series) and Don’t Take My Baby (Best Single Drama). A full list of BAFTA winners can be found here. Congrats, Jack!

Director Mike Newell, who helmed Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, has just signed on for a new project. Newell is joining forces with Disney to adapt The One and Only Ivan. Here’s a bit more on the Newbery Medal-winning book, which perhaps hints at what we might expect when the film is released:

Published by HarperCollins in 2011, the book centers on a silverback gorilla named Ivan who lives in a cage in a shopping mall along with an elephant named Stella and a stray dog called Bob. Ivan does not remember life before the mall, but when a baby elephant enters and Ivan finds himself taking care of her, he begins to rediscover his previous life and concocts a plan to take the baby elephant away from their abusive owner.

Finally, Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander) keeps slipping further back in time! After tackling Newt in the roaring ’20s, the actor has signed on to voice Dug in Early Man. Take a look at the Instagram photo of Eddie with his new character:

The film, a prehistoric comedy, features Redmayne as Dug, a caveman who joins forces with his best friend, Hognob, to unite their caveman tribe against the dangers of the Bronze Age. The film is slated for a release sometime in 2018, according to Variety.

That wraps up the Casting News for this week. Join us next week as we bring you all the latest and greatest projects and appearances of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts cast members. Don’t forget to also check out our new podcast, SpeakBeasty, where our witty hosts attempt to unearth all they can about the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film!