Dark Council DioramaCollectors can look forward to a pretty realistic looking diorama coming soon from Sideshow Collectibles titled “‘Dark Council’ – Theoden and Grima Wormtongue.” From the looks of the piece, the sculptors have perfectly captured the likeness of Brad Dourif as Grima and Bernard Hill as the possessed Theoden. If Sideshow follows their regular schedule, we can expect this item to pre-order next week around 6pm PT. And if you are a Cate Blanchett fan, check out the Sideshow/Weta Polystone Statue of Galadriel, now listed at 35% OFF. [Dark Council Diorama] [The Lady Galadriel Statue]

cate_blanchett.jpg Catherine Élise “Cate” Blanchett (born May 14, 1969) is an Academy Award- and Golden Globe Award-winning Australian actress and stage director. She has won various other acting awards, most notably two SAGs and two BAFTAs, as well as the Volpi Cup at 64th Venice International Film Festival. Blanchett came to international attention in the 1998 film Elizabeth, directed by Shekhar Kapur, in which she played Elizabeth I of England. She is also well known for her portrayals of the elf queen Galadriel in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator, a role which brought her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She and her husband Andrew Upton are currently artistic directors of the Sydney Theatre Company.

nullBBC Drama Production today announced the key cast for Little Dorrit, Andrew Davies’ major adaptation of Dickens’ novel to be broadcast on BBC One this autumn. Recent newcomer Claire Foy (Being Human) will star as Amy Dorrit, also known as Little Dorrit, the kind sweet girl at the centre of the story. Andy Serkis (Lord Of The Rings, King Kong) plays the dastardly French villain Rigaud. The 15-part drama series began filming last week and will film throughout the summer in locations in and around London, Buckinghamshire, Kent and Herefordshire. Little Dorrit will play out in soap opera format with 14 half-hour episodes following an initial hour-long episode. Read More

Christopher Lee Dracula StampAccording to the Times Online, Christopher Lee will make British History next month when he becomes one of the first living non-royals to be portrayed on a British stamp:

“The 85-year-old actor will appear as Dracula on a set of commemorative stamps next month marking the 50th anniversary of the Hammer horror and Carry On films. The stamps, which break more than 80 years of convention, will be released on June 10. Buckingham Palace said new designs were personally approved by the Queen.”

Thanks to message board member diedye for the scoop. Read More

ianmckellen.jpgEmpire Magazine caught up with Sir Ian McKellen at the UK Premiere of Speed Racer at which he had this to say:

“Yes, it’s true,” he said. “I spoke to Guillermo in the very room that Peter Jackson offered me the part and he confirmed that I would be reprising the role. Obviously, it’s not a part that you turn down, I loved playing Gandalf.”

The other great tidbit of news is that we have a timeline for the script development – about 6 weeks. Make sure to read the full story and intereview at EMPIRE! (Thanks to Mr. Platt for the heads up!) [Read More]