Rogue Agent (2022)

Rogue Agent by #DeclanLawn and #AdamPatterson starring #GemmaArterton and #JamesNorton, "stylishly photographed, sharply directed and often quite terrifying", Now reviewed on MyOldAddiction.com

DECLAN LAWN, ADAM PATTERSON Bil’s rating (out of 5): BBBB United Kingdom/Germany/USA, 2022. Anhinga Media, Great Point Media, Night Train Media, Rabbit Track Pictures, Split Prism Media, The Development Partnership. Screenplay by Michael Bronner, Adam Patterson, Declan Lawn, based on the article Chasing Agent Freegard by Michael Bronner. Cinematography by Larry Smith. Produced by Michael Bronner,…

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IFC Films and AMC+ have snapped up the U.S rights to Freegard from directors Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn.

The pic will see a theatrical release, PVOD and streaming debut on AMC+ later this summer.

The project is inspired by the chilling true story of conman Robert Freegard (James Norton) and Alice Archer (Gemma Arterton), the woman who brought him down. A master manipulator, Freegard kidnapped countless victims, convincing them he was undercover MI5. A tale of lies, loyalty, gaslighting, fear, hope, and the investigation and high-stakes manhunt, which saved the life of Freegard’s final victim.

Patterson and Lawn co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Bronner (The Mauritanian) based on the article Chasing Agent Freegard by Bronner. The pic also stars Shazad Latif (Star Trek Discovery), Marisa Abela (Industry), Edwina Findley (The Wire), Sarah Goldberg (The Dark Knight Rises), Jimmy Akingbola (Ted Lasso), and Julian Barratt (The Mighty Boosh).

Freegard is produced by Kitty Kaletsky, Norton, Robert Taylor, Gina Carter, Michael Bronner and Night Train CEO Herbert L Kloiber. EPs are Harold van Lier, Olivia Pahl, Jim Reeve and Robert Halmi. The film is co-produced by Rabbit Track Pictures, Night Train Media and The Development Partnership.

The deal for Freegard was negotiated by SVP of Acquisitions and Productions for IFC Films, Scott Shooman, and WME Independent on behalf of the filmmakers. Night Train Media fully funded the film and owns global rights.

James Norton (Happy Valley) and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones) are set to star in the new CBS Studios period drama series King and Conqueror from creator Michael Robert Johnson (Sherlock Holmes). The series is based on the 11th-century figures Harold of Wessex (Norton) and William of Normandy (Coster-Waldau) and is set to begin production in 2024.

King and Conqueror is the story of a clash that defined the future of a country – and a continent – for a thousand years, the roots of which stretch back decades and extend out through a pair of interconnected family dynasties, struggling for power across two countries and a raging sea. Harold of Wessex and William of Normandy were two men destined to meet at the Battle of Hastings in 1066; two allies with no design on the British throne, who found themselves forced by circumstance and personal obsession into a war for possession of its crown.

“We are thrilled to partner with James, Nikolaj, Baltasar and the entire creative team on King and Conqueror, a truly groundbreaking series with world-class talent and global reach,” Lindsey Martin, senior vice president of international co-productions and development at CBS Studios said in a statement. “Michael’s scripts offer a bold and fresh take on a story that has endured for nearly 1,000 years, and yet, the themes are as contemporary and relevant as ever. We are incredibly proud of what the team has achieved so far and can’t wait to see it all come to fruition on screen with our star-studded cast.”

The series is created and executive produced by Michael Robert Johnson. Also serving as executive producers are James Norton and Kitty Kaletsky for Rabbit Track Pictures, Baltasar Kormákur for RVK Studios, Robert Taylor for The Development Partnership, Dave Clarke and Richard Halliwell for Shepherd Content, Ed Clarke, Robert Jones, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and CBS Studios’ Lindsey Martin.

Kormákur will direct the premiere episode and, as executive producer, will steer the creative across the series. The BBC has acquired broadcasting rights for the series on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the United Kingdom. The series will be distributed outside of this market by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Norton is represented by The Artists Partnership, WME and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole; Coster-Waldau is represented by UTA abd Sloane Offer Weber

Dört bölümlük dizi, JP Delaney'nin aynı adlı romanından Grace Ofori-Attah (Malpractice) tarafından uyarlandı ve dört bölümün tamamı Kate Hewitt tarafından yönetildi.Bilgilerinizi girerek şunları kabul etmiş olursunuz: Şartlar ve koşullar Ve Gizlilik Politikası. Aboneliğinizi istediğiniz zaman iptal edebilirsiniz.Rabbit Track Pictures adına Kitty Kaletsky ve James Norton şunları söyledi: "Rabbit Track'i piyasaya sürdükten sonra tercih ettiğimiz ilk kitap Güzel Oynamaktı ve dönüştüğü projeden son derece gurur duyuyoruz."ITV, StudioCanal, muhteşem Grace Ofori-Attah, vizyoner Kate Hewitt, inanılmaz oyuncu kadromuz ve yapım ekibinin geri kalanıyla çalışmak büyük bir ayrıcalık. Heyecanlıyız ve çok heyecanlıyız."Güzel Oynarken James Norton. ITVÖzete göre dizi, "korkunç bir ikilemle karşı karşıya kalan iki çifti konu alıyor: yetiştirdikleri ve sevdikleri oğulları ellerinde mi kalacak, yoksa biyolojik çocuklarını geri mi alacaklar?"Şöyle devam ediyor: "Uyanıkken bir kabus yaşayan Pete (James Norton) ve Maddie (Niamh Algar), diğer çiftin; Miles (James McArdle) ve Lucy'nin (Jessica Brown Findlay) dünyasına fırlatılırlar."İlk başta dördü de bir çözüm üzerinde anlaşmış gibi görünüyor, ancak çok geçmeden işin arkasında gizli nedenler olduğu ortaya çıkıyor."Her çift, çocuklarının gerçek ebeveynlerine, hatta birbirlerine ne kadar güvenebilir? Pete ve Maddie kırılma noktasına geldikçe, ailelerini bir arada tutmak için her şeyden vazgeçmeyeceklerini fark ederler."Buna benzer daha fazlaGüzel Oynarken Niamh Algar. ITV ITVDizi hakkında konuşan Ofori-Attah şunları ekledi: "JP Delaney'nin sürükleyici romanını beyazperdeye uyarlamak mutlak bir ayrıcalıktı. Rabbit Track ve StudioCanal'ın yanı sıra inanılmaz oyuncu kadromuz ve yapım ekibimizle çalışmaktan heyecan duyuyorum."Ayrıca ikinci drama dizimde ITV ile tekrar ortak olacağım için heyecanlıyım ve Playing Nice'in gelecek yıl TV ekranlarına çıkması için sabırsızlanıyorum."Gösterinin diğer oyuncu kadrosu henüz açıklanmadı.İzleyecek bir şey mi arıyorsunuz? Neler olduğunu öğrenmek için Drama kapsamımıza göz atın veya TV Rehberimizi ve Yayın Rehberimizi ziyaret edin.Guadeloupe'deki Death in Paradise mekanlarını indirimli ziyaret etmek ister misiniz? Radio Times, seyahat sitesi Expedia üzerinden bir sonraki tatil rezervasyonu yapan kayıtlı kullanıcılara %7'ye varan indirim sunuyor. Özel Radio Times Expedia tatil indiriminizi şimdi talep edin.Radio Times dergisini bugün deneyin ve yalnızca 10 £ karşılığında 10 sayı edinin – şimdi abone ol ve Doctor Who'nun 60. yılını Radio Times'ın özel sayısıyla kutlayın. TV'nin en büyük yıldızlarından daha fazlası için dinleyin Radyo Times Podcast'i.

Dört bölümlük dizi, JP Delaney'nin aynı adlı romanından Grace Ofori-Attah (Malpractice) tarafından uyarlandı ve dört bölümün tamamı Kate Hewitt tarafından yönetildi.Bilgilerinizi girerek şunları kabul etmiş olursunuz: Şartlar ve koşullar Ve Gizlilik Politikası. Aboneliğinizi istediğiniz zaman iptal edebilirsiniz.Rabbit Track Pictures adına Kitty Kaletsky ve James Norton şunları söyledi: "Rabbit Track'i piyasaya sürdükten sonra tercih ettiğimiz ilk kitap Güzel Oynamaktı ve dönüştüğü projeden son derece gurur duyuyoruz."ITV, StudioCanal, muhteşem Grace Ofori-Attah, vizyoner Kate Hewitt, inanılmaz oyuncu kadromuz ve yapım ekibinin geri kalanıyla çalışmak büyük bir ayrıcalık. Heyecanlıyız ve çok heyecanlıyız."Güzel Oynarken James Norton. ITVÖzete göre dizi, "korkunç bir ikilemle karşı karşıya kalan iki çifti konu alıyor: yetiştirdikleri ve sevdikleri oğulları ellerinde mi kalacak, yoksa biyolojik çocuklarını geri mi alacaklar?"Şöyle devam ediyor: "Uyanıkken bir kabus yaşayan Pete (James Norton) ve Maddie (Niamh Algar), diğer çiftin; Miles (James McArdle) ve Lucy'nin (Jessica Brown Findlay) dünyasına fırlatılırlar."İlk başta dördü de bir çözüm üzerinde anlaşmış gibi görünüyor, ancak çok geçmeden işin arkasında gizli nedenler olduğu ortaya çıkıyor."Her çift, çocuklarının gerçek ebeveynlerine, hatta birbirlerine ne kadar güvenebilir? Pete ve Maddie kırılma noktasına geldikçe, ailelerini bir arada tutmak için her şeyden vazgeçmeyeceklerini fark ederler."Buna benzer daha fazlaGüzel Oynarken Niamh Algar. ITV ITVDizi hakkında konuşan Ofori-Attah şunları ekledi: "JP Delaney'nin sürükleyici romanını beyazperdeye uyarlamak mutlak bir ayrıcalıktı. Rabbit Track ve StudioCanal'ın yanı sıra inanılmaz oyuncu kadromuz ve yapım ekibimizle çalışmaktan heyecan duyuyorum."Ayrıca ikinci drama dizimde ITV ile tekrar ortak olacağım için heyecanlıyım ve Playing Nice'in gelecek yıl TV ekranlarına çıkması için sabırsızlanıyorum."Gösterinin diğer oyuncu kadrosu henüz açıklanmadı.İzleyecek bir şey mi arıyorsunuz? Neler olduğunu öğrenmek için Drama kapsamımıza göz atın veya TV Rehberimizi ve Yayın Rehberimizi ziyaret edin.Guadeloupe'deki Death in Paradise mekanlarını indirimli ziyaret etmek ister misiniz? Radio Times, seyahat sitesi Expedia üzerinden bir sonraki tatil rezervasyonu yapan kayıtlı kullanıcılara %7'ye varan indirim sunuyor. Özel Radio Times Expedia tatil indiriminizi şimdi talep edin.Radio Times dergisini bugün deneyin ve yalnızca 10 £ karşılığında 10 sayı edinin – şimdi abone ol ve Doctor Who'nun 60. yılını Radio Times'ın özel sayısıyla kutlayın. TV'nin en büyük yıldızlarından daha fazlası için dinleyin Radyo Times Podcast'i.

It’s a testament to Norton’s excellence that we don’t question the casting for an instant. He plays John with quiet and very affecting dignity and restraint, keeping his emotions under wraps at even the most fraught moments. His Belfast accent is spot on too.

[...] They were only allowed to work with Daniel for four hours a day. Strict rules were in place to make sure the child actor was not exploited. Norton was fascinated by Daniel’s approach. “To begin with, he really didn’t understand what it was to step into another person. He didn’t know the difference between rehearsal and filming. Half way through the shoot, he turned to his mum and said, ‘When do we start the film?’ It was amazing to see him over these four and a half weeks learn this process of filmmaking, acting and storytelling.”  

Soon, the child actor was able to respond whenever Pasolini called “action” and, as Norton puts it, “to go into this other head space, this character Michael”, learning he is about to lose his father. Then, when Pasolini called “cut”, Daniel would immediately turn straight back into the mischievous, loveable little boy who had caught the casting directors’ attention in the first place. “He didn’t even know what he was doing. It was completely extraordinary to witness. I don’t know how he did it.”

[...]  As ever, Norton has multiple projects in the pipeline. He is half way through shooting Joss Whedon’s new HBO TV sci‑fi drama, The Nevers. No, he jokes, he doesn’t play a window cleaner. His character, Hugo Swan, is a “crazy, pansexual posh boy who runs Satanic orgy clubs”. He has also recently set up his own production company, Rabbit Track Pictures, which he is running with producer Kitty Kaletsky. Their first project, Chasing Agent Freegard, stars Norton himself in the true story of British barman Robert Hendy-Freegard, who posed as an MI5 agent. It could therefore be very useful practice for Bond. However, if Norton really wants to continue appearing in offbeat, naturalistic dramas like Nowhere Special, I wonder if it might be wiser to avoid 007.

McMafia and War & Peace star James Norton is officially launching London-based film and TV production firm Rabbit Track Pictures with former Black Bear head of TV Kitty Kaletsky.

The company will option, develop and produce projects and team up with third parties. Norton will also star in select projects. Kaletsky, who relocated to London this summer from LA, will serve as head of film and TV at the firm, which is expected to make additional hires in coming months.

As previously revealed, the slate includes crime feature Chasing Agent Freegard, which is in the works with UK firms Great Point Media and The Development Partnership. Norton will star in the film and serve as an executive producer. That project comes from Captain Phillips co-producer Michael Bronner, and is based on the story of Robert Hendy-Freegard, who masqueraded as an MI5 agent and fooled several people into going underground for fear of assassination by the IRA.

Kaletsky spent two years as head of TV at Teddy Schwarzman’s (The Imitation Game) LA-based Black Bear Pictures. Before that she was a development executive at Kris Thykier’s PeaPie and Archery Pictures, working on movies including Ali And Nino and Trash. She also set up production company Midnight Road Entertainment with Vincent Sieber (The Hive) and John Michael-Powell (Dear White People).

Norton told us, “We are very excited to be introducing Rabbit Track Pictures. In the ever-changing landscape of film and tv, we want to build a distinct and dynamic company that champions brave storytellers, interested in character driven narratives. I couldn’t be happier to be working alongside Kitty Kaletsky, who after her years as a development exec at Archery and Head of TV at Black Bear in LA, is the perfect person to head up this venture.”

Kaletsky added, “I’m thrilled to be working with James at Rabbit Track, and for this brilliant opportunity to celebrate unique voices and create compelling and unexpected stories, across film and television.”

Munich-based Night Train Media, the company launched last year by former Tele Munchen Group MD Herbert Kloiber, is making its first movie investment in thriller Freegard, starring James Norton, Gemma Arterton and Shazad Latif.

Production starts May 31st in London on the feature, which will also star Marisa Abela, Edwina Findley and Julian Barratt.

Based on true events, the movie will chart the story of career conman, Robert Freegard, played by Norton, with Gemma Arterton as the woman who brought him down. Freegard was a master manipulator who convinced countless victims he was undercover MI5 in order to extort and kidnap them. Initially falling for his charms, Arterton’s character became the architect of his downfall and her actions led to his conviction and arrest.

Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn will direct from a script by Michael Bronner, Patterson and Lawn, based on the article Chasing Agent Freegard by Bronner.

Freegard is a Rabbit Track Pictures and The Development Partnership production. Night Train Media is fully financing, controls worldwide rights and has come on board as co-producer. The film is produced in association with Great Point Media with support from Split Prism Media and Anhinga Media. Great Point Media also funded development of the title.

The movie is the first out of the gate for Rabbit Track, the London-based film and TV production company headed up by actor Norton and former LA-based Black Bear head of TV, Kitty Kaletsky.

Night Train CEO Herbert Kloiber said of the company’s first narrative feature: “We are incredibly excited to start our expansion into feature films with this incredible project and group of individuals. Everyone loves a compelling true crime con-artist story and I believe this one can become an instant classic”.

"James Norton is something you don’t encounter much in showbusiness these days: he’s proper, old-school charming. In an age of political polarisation and rancorous debate, Norton is the antithesis to all that anger and unpleasantness. He makes you feel you can have a conversation with him and be listened to; that if you recognised him in the street he’d be as approachable as if you were an old friend – only with sharper cheekbones and brighter blue eyes."

"Talking to him is like getting to know a politician from another era (a Bobby Kennedy, perhaps) or a suave, charismatic Bond villain from the Pierce Brosnan era. You’re charmed, of course, but you can’t shake the feeling that there must be something darker bubbling away under the surface – if only you could uncover it."

"Unlike other celebrities whose personalities have been media-trained into near oblivion – and Bond villains, of course – Norton doesn’t hide his motives: about Brexit, about climate change, about Trump. "

‘I have an opinion and I don’t think that because I have a small public profile, that opinion should in some way be stifled. I’m not a politician, I never want to be one, but at the same time I don’t think it’s wrong to voice an opinion if you believe in it.’

"This opinionated streak and wish to avoid being pigeonholed also extends to his approach to film."

‘I want to be able to mix it up as much as I can. And I would hate to be defined as a TV actor, or be typecast in any way. As an actor you want to be considered for all sorts [of roles]. You don’t want to be seen as the guy who always plays the nice guy. You want to be playing the nasty pricks as well.’

"Unsurprisingly, it’s the more complex characters like Stephen Ward that hold the most fascination for Norton."

‘Stephen Ward was an enigma – an enigma to himself. And that’s so fascinating because it’s like a puzzle. It’s like sitting down with someone in an interview and going “who the fuck are you”, and never really finding an answer.’

"He found working on telling the real-life story of Gareth Jones particularly compelling, especially following the film’s glowing reception from journalists at the Berlin Film Festival."

‘Sometimes you can do something in a very small way, and there are moments when you can feel proud of what you do.’

"Norton has just launched his own production company, Rabbit Track Pictures, alongside TV and film executive Kitty Kaletsky."

‘We want to champion women and men, and different ethnicities and ages, and genders and sexualities. We want all stories to be heard. '

"Before he left we took a picture on my phone. When I look back at the selfie, I notice that I appear slightly dazed; bowled over by the force of his charm, but perhaps not really closer to finding out the real man beneath it all. If anyone has mastered the art of hiding in plain sight, it’s Norton. "

Read the whole interview by Amy Wakeham, photos by Charlie Gray

‘McMafia’ Star James Norton Launches Film & TV Firm Rabbit Track Pictures With Former Black Bear Exec Kitty Kaletsky

Link: https://deadline.com/2019/09/james-norton-mcmafia-launches-film-tv-company-rabbit-track-kitty-kaletsky-1202743192/