Under the direction of award-winning filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama (the “Blade Runner: Black Lotus” and “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex” TV series), the talented voice cast is led by Brian Cox (“Succession”) as Helm Hammerhand, the mighty King of Rohan; Gaia Wise (“A Walk in the Woods”) as his daughter Héra; and Luke Pasqualino (“Snowpiercer”) as Wulf. Miranda Otto, who delivered an unforgettable, award-winning performance in “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, reprises her role as Éowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan, who serves as the tale’s narrator. The voice ensemble also includes Lorraine Ashbourne (Netflix’s “Bridgerton”), Yazdan Qafouri (“I Came By”), Benjamin Wainwright (“World on Fire”), Laurence Ubong Williams (“Gateway”), Shaun Dooley (“The Witcher”), Michael Wildman (“Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw”), Jude Akuwudike (“Beasts of No Nation”), Bilal Hasna (“Sparks”) and Janine Duvitski (“Benidorm”).

Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg—a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.

With Kamiyama at the helm, the original feature is being produced by Oscar winner Philippa Boyens, from the screenwriting team behind “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” Trilogies, alongside Jason DeMarco and Joseph Chou, who, in addition to their many separate animation projects, collaborated on the “Blade Runner: Black Lotus” series. The executive producers are Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson, Sam Register, Carolyn Blackwood and Toby Emmerich. The screenplay is by Jeffrey Addiss & Will Matthews and Phoebe Gittins & Arty Papageorgiou, story by Addiss & Matthews and Boyens, based on characters created by J.R.R. Tolkien. The team of creative collaborators returning from “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy also includes Oscar winners Alan Lee and Richard Taylor, along with esteemed Tolkien illustrator John Howe.

A New Line Cinema Presentation, a Warner Bros. Animation / Sola Entertainment Production, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim”, will be distributed theatrically worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, released in cinemas nationwide on December 12, 2024.
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Filmed across Victoria, “The Clearing” is an emotional and psychological thriller that follows the nightmares of a cult and a woman who’s forced to face the demons from her past in order to stop the kidnapping and coercion of innocent children in the future.

The series burrows under the skin and inside the mind, blurring the lines between past and present, reality and nightmare in a truly unnerving way.

Teresa Palmer (Discovery of Witches), Miranda Otto (The Unusual Suspects, Homeland) and Guy Pearce (Jack Irish, Mare of Easttown) lead a stellar line-up of Australian talent including Hazem Shammas (Safe Harbour), Mark Coles-Smith (Mystery Road), Kate Mulvany (The Twelve) and rising star Julia Savage (Blaze, Mr Inbetween)

“The Clearing” is directed by Jeffrey Walker (Young Rock, Lambs of God) and Gracie Otto (Seriously Red, Bump, Deadloch). The series is created and written by Elise McCredie (Stateless) and Matt Cameron (Jack Irish), with co-writer Osamah Sami (Ali’s Wedding).

Director Jeffrey Walker said: “The Clearing is a haunting psychological thriller, featuring some of Australia’s finest talent in front, and behind, the lens.”

“An extraordinary senior cast in Teresa, Miranda and Guy, are supported by breakthrough young actors, Julia and Lily. The atmosphere and mood of this piece is so unique, I truly hope that it captivates, enthralls and thrills the audience,” he continued.

Kylie Watson-Wheeler, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of The Walt Disney Company in Australia and New Zealand said: “We’re proud this Australian story The Clearing debuts globally on Disney+ under our Star entertainment banner on May 24. This is our first Australian produced scripted series and there’s more to come.”

“The Clearing” is produced for Disney+ by Wooden Horse’s Jude Troy (The Other Guy 1 & 2), with Wooden Horse’s Richard Finlayson and Egeria’s Elizabeth Bradley serving as executive producers alongside Jeffrey Walker, Jude Troy, Elise McCredie and Matt Cameron.

“The Clearing” – a Star Original series – will debut with a two episode premiere on 24 May 2023 on Disney+.
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During the holiday, Pete Staunton (Ferrell) when faced with a potentially dangerous situation, acts in a cowardly fashion. His motives or the cause of this digression is never fully explained, either through backstory or in the ongoing storyline. A previous family tragedy is mentioned but never fully explained. The gap this causes is quite noticeable.

Even though Ferrell plays someone who seems emotionally damaged, his wooden and reserved delivery gives very few clues as to why. His wife Billie (Louis-Dreyfus) becomes even more distant and the two seem to share very little common ground as a couple or as the loving parents of their two young boys. This situation seems to have existed long before the holiday got underway.

Not having seen the Swedish, French, Norwegian film, Force Majeure, that Downhill attempts to recreate, it’s open for debate if that experience might have helped provide the necessary information to aid in deciphering the character’s actions and motivations. As it is, those omissions prevent one from being fully immersed in the actions and trajectory of the players in this new version.

Rob Hudson
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Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Will Ferrell, Zach Woods, Zoë Chao, and Miranda Otto, Downhill is directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash from a screenplay written by Jesse Armstrong and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash inspired by the Swedish Film Force Majeure by Ruben Östlund. The film is produced by Anthony Bregman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Stefanie Azpiazu.

Downhill opens in Australian cinemas on March 5, 2020.
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The Chaperone takes place amid the backdrop of the tumultuous times of the early 1920’s. The life of a Kansas woman (Elizabeth McGovern, Downton Abbey) is forever changed when she chaperones a beautiful and talented 15-year-old dancer named Louise Brooks to New York for the summer. One of them is eager to fulfil her destiny of dance and movie stardom;  the other hopes to unearth the mysteries of her past.

The Film reunites the writer, director and star of Downton Abbey TV Series. The Chaperone, based on Laura Moriarty’s best-selling book, is scripted by Julian Fellowes, directed by Michael Engler, and stars Elizabeth McGovern, who played Lady Grantham in the hit series.

The Chaperone is in Australian cinemas April 25.
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To enter this great competition simply fallout the form below. Please note – these tickets are for a specific event only and can not be exchanged or refunded. The winners will need to be available on Tuesday April 23 at 6:30pm in Brisbane to be able to attend this event at Palace Barracks.

The Chaperone Competition

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Competition will be drawn 19 April 2019, winners will be notified by email.

One of them is eager to fulfil her destiny of dance and movie stardom; the other hopes to unearth the mysteries of her past.

The Film reunites the writer, director and star of Downton Abbey TV Series. The Chaperone, based on Laura Moriarty’s best-selling book, is scripted by Julian Fellowes, directed by Michael Engler, and stars Elizabeth McGovern, who played Lady Grantham in the hit series.

The Chaperone is in Australian cinemas April 25, 2019!
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