THE WITCHER: BLOOD ORIGIN ADDS 10 TO CAST: Netflix‘s live-action prequel The Witcher: Blood Origin, is growing its cast. Henry Cavill stars, and now 10 others are joining him. Mirren Mack will play Merwyn; Lenny Henry will play Balor; Jacob Collins will play Eredin; Lizzie Annis will play Zacaré; Huw Novelli will play Callan “Brother Death;” Francesca Mills will play Meldof; Amy Murray will play Fenrik; Nathaniel Curtis will play Brían; Zach Wyatt will play Syndril; and Dylan Moran will play Uthrok One-Nut. Principal photography begins soon; Season 2 of the main The Witcher will debut December 17th.
CHRIS EVANS SETS MIDDLE EAST SERIES: Chris Evans‘ civic media organization founded with Mark Kassen and Joe Kiani, A Starting Point, has set a six-part series that will explore America’s past, present and future in the Middle East. Dubbed Influence and Power in the Middle East, CIA Operative and Texas Congressman Will Hurd will host. Several foreign policy pros will be interviewed, including Former UN Ambassador John Bolton, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Former Saudi Arabia Ambassador Joseph Westphal and Former Yemen Ambassador Barbara Bodine. The series debuts August 30th on astartpoint.com.
AFGHAN FILMMAKER ISSUES DESPERATE PLEA: Sahraa Karimi, the Afghan filmmaker and director of the company Afghan Film, is begging for help amid the Taliban insurgency. The Taliban took control of Afghanistan over the weekend. Karimi posted a statement on Twitter addressing “all the film communities in the world.” She wrote: “It’s a humanitarian crisis, and yet the world is silent…They will ban all art. I and other filmmakers could be next on their hitlist.”
MAGNOLIA RENEWS 9 SERIES: A month following its launch, Chip and Joanna Gaines‘ Magnolia Network has renewed nine series, including: Family Dinner, First Time Fixer, Homegrown, Inn the Works, The Lost Kitchen, Point of View: A Designer Profile, Restoration Road With Clint Harp and Super Dad. Flagship series Magnolia Table With Joanna Gaines has also been picked up for a fourth and fifth season.
