We do hope lots of you managed to enjoy a family Christmas and sparkling New Year celebrations, despite learning a new Greek letter late on in December. It's still nippy outside, but here's our hot inside scoop on castings in January 2022.
🎥 1,083 projects in pre-production or development in the UK 🎥
(📈 +26 since December)
In the wake of Christmas' box office hits, 2022 has started with more films in pre-production or development in the UK than we've seen for some time. Here's what we've plucked out this month:
Robin Hood (II) – very early rumblings of a forthcoming Robin Hood outing from Disney, now in development. This'll be a great one for actors with British accents.
Hurricane – named, we presume, after the WWII fighter plane, this is likely to be another all-British ensemble. Now in pre-production. Time to invest in some Brylcreem, gents.
Borderland – join John Boyega and Felicity Jones in this forthcoming thriller, in pre-production. Dan Jackson's handling the casting.
Treason – this has all the trappings of a very good spy drama – a TV series based around the relationship between an MI6 agent and a Russian spy. Early days, but worth keeping an eye on.
And, in case you missed them between energetic fistfuls of mince pies and Celebrations, here are some of our top picks from December:
Wonder Woman 3 – due to film in Warner Bros' UK studios, join Gal Gadot and Lynda Carter in the sequel to Wonder Woman 1984, this time set in the 2020s. Currently in development.
The Acolyte – on the subject of franchises, this new series, set in the Star Wars universe, is now in pre-production. Become a star in a galaxy far, far away.
The 39 Steps – an intriguing mini series, currently in pre-production. Benedict Cumberbatch is already cast as the lead in what looks like a globe-trotting thriller.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame – the latest in the Disney back catalogue to get the live-action treatment, this one's in early development with no set release date.
📣 Open Casting Calls on FlairBox 📣
Time to hop over to the FlairBox app to view our latest UK casting calls. We've got plenty you might be eligible for, including a feature film, some TV roles, and a theatrical production:
🐦 Casting Tweet Sheet 🐦
We've scurried our way through Twitter to draw out some January highlights. Here's what we found:
Are you a scriptwriter? The lovely people at Complete Fiction Pictures are recruiting. If you're an early career deaf, disabled or neurodivergent creative, do check out this traineeship opportunity.
Oh, by the way, the BFI's Short Film Fund opens to applications in March. It's worth preparing for it in advance if you'd like a shot at the funding. And if you work front of house in a theatre or cinema, a journalist is looking to chat to you about how you've coped during the pandemic. Meanwhile, Equity would love to speak to and understand the challenges faced by anyone who's performed on a cruise ship.
And below are some of the most exciting casting opportunities we've come across so far this month:
We missed this open call from Jina Jay last month – worth getting in touch with her ASAP if you think you're a fit.
Sonia Allam's put out an open call for a male-identifying role with a limb difference.
A very exciting opportunity for a young performer here – on a Disney production shooting later this year.
A slightly older actor is required for a micro-budget feature film from Olissa Rogers and Matt Sheppard.
And finally, a fabulous opportunity here from Shaheen Baig.
📙 Last month in FlairBox Magazine 📙
Moments before the fireworks went off to welcome 2022, we published our review of the year – which we know has been topsy turvy for all of you, but also bears significant hope and opportunity for performers.
Elsewhere, we heard from a Senior Lecturer at the University of Huddersfield, who's deftly picked apart what's meant by "method acting" – and why Hollywood's understanding of the term is pretty wide of the mark.
And, following the stratospheric success of Squid Game, we've looked into the Korean boom in film and TV, and what it means for performers in the UK and around the world.
Until February, then. And if January's getting to you, remember – the longest night of the year is behind us. Brighter days lie ahead.