Latest news with #Invasion
Cision Canada
3 days ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
BOAT ROCKER AND BLUE ANT PROVIDE TRANSACTION UPDATE; BLUE ANT FINAL ORDER RECEIVED
TORONTO, June 18, 2025 /CNW/ - Boat Rocker Media Inc. (TSX: BRMI) (" Boat Rocker" or " BRMI") and Blue Ant Media Inc. (" Blue Ant") today announced the receipt by Blue Ant of the final order of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List) dated June 18, 2025 (the " Final Order") with respect to the previously-announced plan of arrangement pursuant to which Blue Ant will go public by way of a reverse take-over of BRMI (the " RTO"). Concurrently with the RTO, (i) Boat Rocker will sell its Boat Rocker Studios business to a privately owned company (" IDJCo") controlled by Boat Rocker's co-founders and co-Executive Chairmen, David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg, and Boat Rocker's CEO, John Young, and (ii) Boat Rocker will sell its minority investment in a U.S. talent management business to Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (collectively with the RTO, the " Transactions"). Each of the Transactions are cross-conditional. In addition to the Final Order received today, requisite Boat Rocker and Blue Ant shareholder approvals (see Boat Rocker Media Announces Transaction Shareholder Approval at Special Meeting of Shareholders), Competition Act approval, CRTC approval and Toronto Stock Exchange (" TSX") conditional approval have also been obtained. With all substantive regulatory and shareholder approvals in hand, the closing of the Transactions is anticipated to occur in July 2025. Completion of the Transactions remain subject to customary closing conditions. In connection with the Transactions, BRMI will be renamed "Blue Ant Media Corporation" (the " Resulting Issuer") and, subject to final approval of the TSX, the Resulting Issuer's subordinate voting shares will continue to be listed and trade on the TSX under a new ticker symbol "BAMI". Further details regarding the Transactions are set out in the management information circular of Boat Rocker dated May 9, 2025 (the " Circular"), the news release of Boat Rocker dated March 24, 2025, the arrangement agreement dated March 23, 2025 between Boat Rocker and Blue Ant, and the share purchase agreement dated March 23, 2025 between Boat Rocker and IDJCo, each of which are available under Boat Rocker's SEDAR+ profile at About Boat Rocker Media Inc. Boat Rocker (TSX: BRMI) is the home for creative visionaries. An independent, integrated global entertainment company, BRMI's purpose is to tell stories and build iconic brands across all genres and mediums. With offices around the world, BRMI's creative and commercial capabilities include Scripted, Unscripted, and Kids and Family television production, distribution, brand & franchise management, a world-class animation studio, and talent management through a minority stake in The Initial Group, a new company launched by TPG. A selection of BRMI's projects include: Invasion (Apple TV+), Palm Royale (Apple TV+), Video Nasty (BBC Northern Ireland, BBC Three, Virgin Media One, WDR), This Is the Tom Green Documentary (Prime Video), Orphan Black: Echoes (AMC), American Rust: Broken Justice (Prime Video), Beacon 23 (MGM+), Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (Hulu), Downey's Dream Cars (Max), BS High (HBO), Orphan Black (BBC AMERICA, CTV Sci-Fi Channel), Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry (Apple TV+), The Next Step (BBC, Corus, CBC), Daniel Spellbound (Netflix), and Dino Ranch (Disney+, Disney Junior, CBC). For more information, please visit About Blue Ant Media Inc. Blue Ant is an international production studio and rights business and channel operator. The company's studio creates and distributes a premium slate of programming, in all content genres, for streaming and broadcasting platforms around the world. Blue Ant also operates free streaming and pay TV channels under several media brands internationally, including Love Nature, Cottage Life, Smithsonian Channel Canada, BBC Earth Canada, HauntTV, Homeful, Total Crime, Declassified and Love Pets. Blue Ant is headquartered in Toronto, with operations in Los Angeles, New York, Singapore, London, Washington and Sydney. Cautionary Note – Forward Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this news release contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "estimates" or "intends", or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "have potential" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking information and statements are not based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and projections about future events, and are therefore subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information and statements include, but are not limited to, information and statements regarding the Transactions, the timing and ability of Boat Rocker and Blue Ant to complete the Transactions (if at all), the timing and ability of each of Boat Rocker, Blue Ant and other parties to the Transactions to satisfy the conditions precedent to completing the Transactions (if at all) and the final approval for the Resulting Issuer subordinate voting shares to be listed and posted for trading on the TSX. Although Boat Rocker and Blue Ant believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, such information and statements involve risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements. Material factors or assumptions that were applied in formulating the forward-looking information contained herein include, without limitation, the expectations and beliefs of Boat Rocker and Blue Ant, and their respective management and board of directors, as of the date hereof. Boat Rocker and Blue Ant caution that the foregoing list of material factors and assumptions is not exhaustive. Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within its control, and there is no assurance that they will prove correct. Consequently, there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments anticipated by Boat Rocker and Blue Ant will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences for, or effects on, Boat Rocker and Blue Ant, their current respective shareholders, or the future results and performance of Boat Rocker (or the resulting issuer after the Transactions) or Blue Ant. For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements made in this news release concerning the Transactions, see the Circular available on SEDAR+ ( under Boat Rocker's issuer profile. Readers, therefore, should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that the Transactions will be completed or that they will be completed on the terms and conditions contemplated in this news release. The Transactions could be modified or terminated in accordance with their terms. Further, the forward-looking information and statements in this news release are based on beliefs and opinions of Boat Rocker and Blue Ant at the time the statements are made, and there should be no expectation that these forward-looking statements will be updated or supplemented as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise, and Boat Rocker and Blue Ant disavow and disclaim any obligation to do so except as required by applicable law. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to be a forecast, projection or estimate of the future financial performance of either Boat Rocker (or the resulting issuer after the Transactions) or Blue Ant. SOURCE Boat Rocker Media Inc.
Cision Canada
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cision Canada
GameTV partners with Paramount+ in Canada to Greenlight Original Canadian Miniseries HATE THE PLAYER: THE BEN JOHNSON STORY from New Metric Media in Association with Bay Mills Studios
John Wick 4 's Shamier Anderson stars as Ben Johnson and serves as an Executive Producer of the six-episode series Created by (The Office), HATE THE PLAYER starts production on June 20, 2025, in Toronto TORONTO, June 18, 2025 /CNW/ -- Award-winning comedy entertainment studio and 360-degree brand marketing leader New Metric Media, in association with Bay Mills Studios, is excited to announce that new original comedic miniseries HATE THE PLAYER: THE BEN JOHNSON STORY is off the blocks and running. Anthem Sports & Entertainment 's linear network GameTV has commissioned the six-episode series and will be its exclusive cable home in Canada, while Paramount+ in Canada, which developed the series with New Metric, will be its exclusive streaming platform in the country. Shamier Anderson (John Wick 4, Invasion) stars as Ben Johnson and will also serve as an Executive Producer for Bay Mills Studios. HATE THE PLAYER: THE BEN JOHNSON STORY is Canadian sprinter Johnson's definitely-not-biased account of the doping controversy that rocked the 1988 Olympics when he tested positive for banned steroid use, going from hero to zero in 9.79 seconds in what some called "The Dirtiest Race in History". The series takes a revealing and satirical look at the events surrounding the legendary race and the scandal behind the scandal. New Metric Media identified and put the project together, entering into development on the series with Paramount+ in Canada in 2023. The series is created by BAFTA-winning and Emmy-nominated writer Anthony Q. Farrell (The Office, Shelved, Run the Burbs), who serves as showrunner and Executive Producer. New Metric Media CEO Mark Montefiore (Letterkenny, Shoresy, Children Ruin Everything) and director R.T. Thorne will also executive produce, alongside Anderson and Stephan James for Bay Mills Studio. Lana Maclin and Max Wolfond serve as Producer and Supervising Producer, respectively, for New Metric. Thorne (The Porter) and Cory Bowles (Trailer Park Boys) are set to direct. Series star Shamier Anderson can currently be seen in the massively successful John Wick 4, as well as Simon Kinberg's Invasion on AppleTV+, which will launch its third season later this year. He also starred opposite Paul Walter Hauser in IFC Films' The Luckiest Man in America, which premiered at TIFF 2024. "Everyone thinks they know the story of Ben Johnson and the scandal that has followed him since the 1988 Olympics, but they won't know what hit them with HATE THE PLAYER," said Shamier Anderson. "For me, this hits differently. I grew up in Scarborough, where Ben trained, where his name still echoes. He was a hometown legend. Yes complicated, but also someone people rooted for. Being able to step into his shoes, especially with a lens that blends comedy and Ben's point of view, means a lot. And getting to do it alongside New Metric Media, who've been killing it in comedy, is a real honour, not just as an actor, but as an executive producer with my company, Bay Mills Studios." Anderson is represented by OAZ, Mosaic, CAA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman. Farrell is represented by Sheree Guitar Entertainment, Ambition Talent and Jonathan Shikora (LGN Law). "From the outset, we knew two things to be true. One, people knew what Ben Johnson did to the world, but not what the world did to Ben Johnson. And two, if we were lucky enough to tell this story, that Shamier Anderson had to play Ben. Full stop," said New Metric Media CEO Mark Montefiore. "Anthony's take on the story is inventive, hilarious, completely irreverent and we are proud to be working with GameTV and Paramount+, who have shown nothing but giant cajónes in supporting this project." "This marks an exciting milestone for GameTV, giving us the unique opportunity to present a major original Canadian program offering on our network," said Maria Donatelli, Vice President of Programming, GameTV. "HATE THE PLAYER embodies the bold, genre-busting storytelling we're proud to champion. It's a fearless, fast-paced comedy that dares to reimagine a moment in Canadian sports history with sharp wit and wild energy, we look forward to sharing it with our viewers." "From announcing the development of New Metric's HATE THE PLAYER at Banff in 2023 to now partnering with Anthem Sports & Entertainment's GameTV for the greenlight, we're excited to see this bold, comedic take on an iconic Canadian story move to production," said Vanessa Case, Vice President of Content at Paramount+ and Pluto TV Canada. "Paramount+ is proud to have championed this project from the start, and this collaboration marks an exciting and innovative model for us — a streamer joining forces with a linear broadcaster to deliver compelling Canadian content to even broader audiences and providing another sustainable model for the Canadian production community." Set to debut on GameTV and Paramount+ in Canada simultaneously in early 2026, HATE THE PLAYER: THE BEN JOHNSON STORY is being produced with participation from Ben Johnson and is inspired by extensive research conducted by Canadian author and journalist, Mary Ormsby. Principal photography begins on June 20, 2025, at Dark Slope Studios in Toronto. New Metric Media is distributing the miniseries internationally. ABOUT NEW METRIC MEDIA Based in Toronto, New Metric Media is an award-winning independent entertainment studio specializing in building comedy brands across tv production, live entertainment, distribution, merchandising and licensing. Recipient of Playback's 2022 Production Company of the Year award and the Banff World Media Festival's 2018 Innovative Producer Award, the company's slate of programming includes the hit Crave/Hulu original comedy Letterkenny, the Crave/Hulu Letterkenny spinoff series Shoresy, the CTV/CW/Roku half-hour comedy Children Ruin Everything and half-hour Crave comedy series Bria Mack Gets a Life. New Metric Media is recognized as a leader in 360-degree brand marketing and its success with Letterkenny and Shoresy off-screen extensions, including beer, collectible merchandise, the sold-out Letterkenny Live stage show and the Shoresy Fall Classic hockey event, set to land in five NHL arenas later this year. ABOUT BAY MILLS STUDIOS Bay Mills is a cutting-edge production company founded by actors, producers, and brothers, Shamier Anderson and Golden Globe Nominee Stephan James. Bay Mills is focused on showcasing an eclectic and inclusive lineup of diverse stories from feature films, scripted and unscripted TV, short-form, digital media, and a panoply of other platform-agnostic content. Shamier and Stephan combine their creative expertise and ability to engage global audiences to create groundbreaking content that pushes the boundaries, all while being rooted in entertainment. ABOUT GAMETV GameTV is a Canadian channel specializing in game-related programming such as game shows, competition-based shows, reality series and movies. The channel is available in over 6+ million homes in digital basic on IPTV, cable and satellite systems throughout the territory. GameTV is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp., a leading global sports media company. Follow GameTV on @GameTVCanada on X and Instagram @gametvnetwork. ABOUT ANTHEM SPORTS &ENTERTAINMENT INC. Anthem Sports & Entertainment Inc. is a global multi-platform media company that owns and operates sports and entertainment brands that super serve passionate communities. Anthem's entertainment group includes AXS TV, the ultimate destination for music; HDNet Movies and Hollywood Suite, featuring blockbuster and popular films from the 70s to today; and GameTV, featuring classic and current game shows. Anthem's Sports Group owns iconic wrestling promotion TNA Wrestling; the all-female MMA organization Invicta Fighting Championships; Fight Network, the world's premier combat sports channel; and the North American sports hub Game+. For more information, visit ABOUT PARAMOUNT+ Paramount+ is a global digital subscription video streaming service from Paramount that features a mountain of premium entertainment for audiences of all ages. Internationally, the streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including SHOWTIME®, BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel™, in addition to a robust offering of premier local content. The service is currently live in Australia, Austria, Canada, the Caribbean, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latin America, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S.
Cision Canada
4 days ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
BOAT ROCKER MEDIA ANNOUNCES TRANSACTION SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL AT SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TORONTO, June 17, 2025 /CNW/ - Boat Rocker Media Inc. ("BRMI" or the "Company") (TSX: BRMI) is pleased to announce that, at the special meeting (the "Meeting") of the holders (the "Shareholders") of subordinate voting shares and multiple voting shares of the Company, the Shareholders of the Company voted in favour of the resolutions approving, among things, (i) the reverse take-over of BRMI by Blue Ant Media Inc. ("Blue Ant"), a privately owned company controlled by Michael MacMillan; (ii) the management buyout of Boat Rocker Studios by BRMI Co-Founders and Co-Executive Chairmen, David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg, and BRMI CEO John Young; and (iii) the sale of the Company's interests in The Initial Group Global, LLC, a U.S. talent management business, to Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (collectively, the "Transaction"), all as further described in the management information circular dated May 9, 2025 in respect of the Meeting (the "Circular"). Pursuant to the Transaction, BRMI will acquire all of the shares of Blue Ant in exchange for shares of BRMI on the basis of an exchange ratio of 1.25 shares (prior to the 10:1 share consolidation included in the share capital reorganization noted below and described in the Circular, and 0.125 shares on a post-consolidation basis) of BRMI for each share of Blue Ant (the "Exchange Ratio"). The Exchange Ratio implies a valuation of C$1.80 per BRMI share (pre-consolidation), representing a premium of approximately 125% to the March 21, 2025 closing price of BRMI's shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX"), the last trading day prior to the announcement of the Transaction, and a premium of approximately 145.1% to the 30 trading day volume weighted average trading price per BRMI share on the TSX as at that date. The approval of the resolutions in respect of the Transaction were voted as follows: The completion of the Transaction is subject to certain conditions, including the approval of Blue Ant's lenders, the final order of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List), and other closing conditions customary in transactions of this nature. Requisite approval of the shareholders of Blue Ant, approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, and the approval under the Competition Act (Canada) have been obtained. About Boat Rocker Media Inc. Boat Rocker (TSX: BRMI) is the home for creative visionaries. An independent, integrated global entertainment company, BRMI's purpose is to tell stories and build iconic brands across all genres and mediums. With offices around the world, BRMI's creative and commercial capabilities include Scripted, Unscripted, and Kids and Family television production, distribution, brand & franchise management, a world-class animation studio, and talent management through a minority stake in The Initial Group, a new company launched by TPG. A selection of BRMI's projects include: Invasion (Apple TV+), Palm Royale (Apple TV+), Video Nasty (BBC Northern Ireland, BBC Three, Virgin Media One, WDR), This Is the Tom Green Documentary (Prime Video), Orphan Black: Echoes (AMC), American Rust: Broken Justice (Prime Video), Beacon 23 (MGM+), Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (Hulu), Downey's Dream Cars (Max), BS High (HBO), Orphan Black (BBC AMERICA, CTV Sci-Fi Channel), Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry (Apple TV+), The Next Step (BBC, Corus, CBC), Daniel Spellbound (Netflix), and Dino Ranch (Disney+, Disney Junior, CBC). For more information, please visit Forward-Looking Information / Cautionary Statements Certain information contained in this news release may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "foresee", "could", "estimate", "goal", "intend", "plan", "seek", "will", "may", "would" and "should" and similar expressions or words suggesting future outcomes. These forward-looking statements reflect material factors and expectations and assumptions of the parties. These forward-looking statements include the assumptions: that the transaction is able to be completed on the timelines and on the terms currently anticipated; that all regulatory and other required approvals can be obtained on the timelines and in the manner currently anticipated; that the anticipated benefits of the transaction are able to be achieved; that the businesses of both BRMI and Blue Ant will continue to operate in a manner consistent with past practice; and that the parties' transition plans are effective. The parties' estimates, beliefs and assumptions are inherently subject to uncertainties and contingencies regarding future events and, as such, are subject to change. Risks and uncertainties not presently known to the parties or that they presently believe are not material could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Additional information on these and other factors that could affect events and results are included in the Circular and other documents and reports that will be filed by BRMI with applicable securities regulatory authorities and may be accessed through the SEDAR+ website ( Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect the parties' expectations only as of the date of this press release. The parties disclaim any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by law. U.S. Securities Matters None of the securities to be issued pursuant to the Transaction have been or will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws. The resulting issuer securities to be issued in the Transaction are anticipated to be issued in reliance upon available exemptions from such registration requirements pursuant to section 3(a)(10) of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable exemptions under state securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Breaking Baz: ‘Bring Her Back' Star Billy Barratt Says He Performed Best In The Horror Pic After Being Locked Alone In A Room Without His Phone
EXCLUSIVE: Billy Barratt, star of Danny and Michael Philippou's grippingly intense, dark and twisted Bring Her Back, was able to get into the mood for horror by being locked alone in a room, he reveals. Brit actor Barratt, 17, who also plays Casper Morrow, one of the few humans able to communicate with the alien invaders in the Apple TV+ drama Invasion, tells Deadline: 'There were moments where Danny would basically lock me in a room by myself, and he goes, 'Just try and get in character.' He shut the door, I'm not allowed to leave. I ended up just sitting there with no phone, no nothing — which is great, by the way. I just sat there for ages, and then when I came back outside of that door, back into the scene … you just feel like you are there are in it.' More from Deadline Horror Twins Danny & Michael Philippou On The Evil That Lies Beneath In Their Latest 'Bring Her Back' – Crew Call Podcast 'Bring Her Back' Review: Sally Hawkins Gaslights Kids & Channels Grief Into Terror In The Philippous' Trauma-Soaked Sophomore Feature 'Lilo & Stitch' Still Rich With $60M-$64M Second Weekend, 'Mission Impossible 8' Near $27M, 'Karate Kid: Legends' Looks To Punch $21M+ - Box Office Update It was funny at first, but then he found it freaky and scary. However, he adds, being shut away for half-hour stretches at a time was useful. 'Seeing the effect it had actually helped me so much, not just in the script but in future projects as well. So thank you, Danny,' he says with gratitude. Bring Her Back is a horror film underpinned by a solid tale involving siblings Andy and Piper, who is vision-impaired, played by Barratt and Sora Wong, respectively. Following the death of their father, they're fostered by Laura, a seemingly — at first glance, at least — kindly, grieving mother whose daughter has died, played by two-time Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins. 'It's more emotion than just jump scares and gory things,' Barratt says with a dramatic shiver. This isn't a spoiler, because it's in all the trailers, but Hawkins scares the living daylights out of those kids – and the audience. There's a third kid involved in the story called Oliver, played with macabre relish by Jonah Wren Phillips. I saw the A24 picture on a recent morning at a screening kindly set up by Sony at its HQ in Paddington, London, and it left me shaken for the rest of the day — and night. Hawkins fully immerses herself in her role. Barratt recalls chatting to her at the wrap party. 'She said to me, 'We should meet up in London because I haven't actually got to meet you as me yet properly.' And I was like, 'Oh, OK. Cool. Right. So you were really Laura in that!'' He makes clear that the actress wasn't 'terrifying' the whole time. 'It only clicked for me when she said that. And I was like, 'Oh, so you were fully immersed the whole time?'' It can be 'quite handy' to stay in character all day, he says, and go the full Daniel Day-Lewis. There were three weeks of pre-production in Adelaide, Australia, the Philippous' home state, which he says, 'actors at my level aren't usually involved in.' Ordinarily, 'you just sort of show up on the first day, they've done their pre-production, and then you just start. Here, everyone felt so involved. Me especially. It actually helped me and Sora to have that sort of brother-sister relationship, which is hard to get until you actually hang out with them. Those first three weeks of pre-production were fun for sure, because it felt like the whole thing was a great big icebreaker.' Barratt studied acting and music at Sylvia Young's drama school in London, and he was cast in several TV shows, films and one musical. That was with Kelsey Grammer in the musical Big Fish, which I happened to have caught. His breakthrough came when he was 12 in director Nick Holt and writer Sean Buckley's Responsible Child , the 2019 Kudos and BBC TV drama that won him the International Emmy for Best Actor, followed by two seasons of Invasion. He's already filmed a third season, possibly coming to screens later this year. There's a genuine brother-and-sister warmth between the Andy and Piper characters in Bring Her Back — and plenty of sibling bickering too. He's always holding her hand, and the relationship doesn't seem at all feigned. 'And also the fact that I'm not sure how much she could see,' Barratt tells me, because like Piper, Sora is partially blind, though she could see more than her character. 'Anywhere we'd go,' he gently adds, 'we'd end up just sort of linking arms. And so I explained to her what I could see, what was going on, and just sort of paint an image for her. Andy's whole thing is he wants to make the world look like a better place for his little sister.' Hawkins' Laura does a bunch of things that I can't spoil here, though as we discuss them, the word that Barratt and I kept repeating was 'weird.' I'd go so far to say, wonderfully weird. Maybe terrifyingly weird is more appropriate. And as Barratt points out, 'Piper cannot see what's going on.' It's a whole mind game and such great writing from Danny Philippou and Michael Hinzman, who wrote Talk to Me. Barrett didn't meet with any psychologists or social workers whilst preparing for the film, but he tells me that he was introduced to Miranda Harcourt, the distinguished dramaturg and acting coach who often works with the likes of Nicole Kidman. 'She helped me and Sora … and also just how to approach certain scenes and just gave options and different exercises to do before a scene to get you real wound up,' he explains. He says that the crew 'were also my therapy.' How so, I ask. 'Because anytime that it was like a sad scene or a really happy scene or whatever, they would match the vibe on set all day. And it was just so a 'We are one' sort of thing.'' For instance, if he had to do a really sad scene, 'everyone would be really quiet for the whole day.' Reviewing Barratt's performances from Responsible Child, through two seasons of Invasion and now Bring Her Back, there is a discernible deeper progression in his acting. I mean, he's growing up. He's not a little kid anymore; he's gained confidence in front of the camera as he's gotten older. It's not something that he's noticed himself, though he notes that there's 'definitely a feeling of being more comfortable on set' that first day when you don't know anyone. 'It's nerve-wracking, and all you can really think about is the scene, but then at the same time, are they going to like it? Am I doing the right thing? There's still time to pull me out of the movie. But that's just what goes through my mind, at least.' Reflecting on Invasion, he points out that he's been on the set with his castmates since he was 13, 'and I'm turning 18 next month.' Shaking his head, he adds, 'It's just been a mad trip, a mad drive, especially through Covid and everything.' There were stops and starts during the pandemic, though there was a period where they had to stop shooting 'for ages.' But when they resumed 'we'd all grown up by that point and all the growth spurts had happened.' The plus factor is that he made lifelong friends through his involvement with Invasion. He took Cassius, his younger brother, to the set while shooting the final episode of Season 2. 'He was acting a little bit before this and then stopped. And then when I took him to that set, he was so amazed by all the lights and the lasers. It was a mad thing to see. He was like, 'I want to start acting again.' There's video on YouTube of the 2020 International Emmy ceremony done remotely. Barratt's at home with his family, and when he's announced as the winner, he turns to Cassius, now 13, and says, 'Man, I love you,' rubs his brother's head affectionately and says, 'That'll be you next.' It's a telling moment. Also in Bring Her Back there are aforementioned moments with Wong, and in certain scenes in Invasion, there's a sort of inherent caring gene that he has that comes through the screen. The matter is not something he's, thought about or is aware of, obviously, but Barratt acknowledges there's something in what I'm suggesting. 'I think that's what freaks me out when I'm watching myself back. Is it too much like me or have I actually got the character down or have I just half-assed that? Because I'm seeing parts of me in there. But then I also think on the flip side of that, I think it's quite important to have a little bit of you in there because that's what makes it natural.' During the Bring Her Back shoot, he says that he saw a lot of his brother in Sora because they're a similar age 'and they have fights and that sort of thing.' He adds: 'It's just siblings, there's a real deep love in it. I definitely saw a lot of my brother in Sora's character.' We spent a long time chatting, and it's clear, at least to me, that Barratt's in it for the long haul. 'I'd love to be involved in every aspect of a film from the moment it started right up to when it comes out,' he says. 'I think there's moments that I miss because as an actor it's just not your job to be involved in those certain scenarios. And I wish I could be involved in that. And I look at some really big actors who will sit next to the director and have a say in what happens. And I don't know if that's because they're able to produce as well or whatever. 'I am not like, massive. You say to anyone: 'What's his name?' I dunno,' he shrugs. 'I'm definitely new. I'm definitely starting, even though I've been doing it for about 11 years now, almost. I'm a new actor, I guess.' Every actor arrives in some shape or from, I suggest. Leonardo DiCaprio didn't arrive fully formed, nor did Timothée Chalamet or Tom Cruise. Taking issue, Barratt argues that 'Leonardo DiCaprio did come fully formed. I love him. And I think every single film I've seen him in from when he was younger than me in these films like Basketball Diaries or What's Eating Gilbert Grape he's just incredible in all of it. I just think there's just some people that have just got it straight away, and I don't class myself with one of those people, I'm still learning, for sure. And I think that's what I mean when I say an 'actor at my level' — someone that doesn't understand a lot of it but really wants to. Wants to be involved in all of it.' We order French fries, a Coke for him and more piping-hot tea for me. Making Responsible Child, about a 12-year-old boy accused of helping to kill his abusive stepfather who was tried in court the same as an adult in England and Wales, opened his eyes to the power of film. After it came out, he realized 'how much of an impact' it had had, with changes made in how police and courts handle such cases. He remembers reading about it and thinking: 'Oh, shit! It's not just sitting down and watching something on Netflix. It can change people's lives.' Certainly, Responsible Child hold is one of those films that stay with you. There are a bunch of movies that have stayed with him too. Like David Fincher's Fight Club, Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island and Christopher Nolan's Inception. He's a big fan of Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation as well. And Michael Curtiz's Casablanca! He likes Francis Coppola's The Godfather, and now — having watched the Paramount+ series The Offer, about producer Albert S. Ruddy's experience of making The Godfather — he wants to see the whole trilogy. He'd like to work with the Philippou brothers again and admires what he calls their 'genius' way of working. They'd work a full day in the studio and then home and be up until the early hours editing the footage of the day and 'be back at 7 in the morning.' They shot with the same crew and used the same studio they filmed Talk to Me in. It was once an insane asylum. The Babadook was shot there. Apparently, he regales, the studio's haunted on one particular floor. 'We went up to have a little look around,' he recalls, 'This one room was so scary, and there was a pile of dead bees. A lot of bees bang in the center of the film. And people had told stories of cleaners quitting and a security guard going up there and in his ear he could hear whispering. He left and never came back. I would never come back. That's terrifying,' he says, pausing to add, 'a great place to shoot a horror movie.' Season 3 of Invasion was shot in Canada, with Barratt's scenes being shot before and after working on Bring Her Back. 'My hair was really long, and then I went to shoot Invasion, they cut my hair really short. And then I went back out to Canada, and my hair was still short. So then they a wig. But the wig, it just didn't look like it did before. I don't blame anyone for that. I just think it just didn't fit me correctly. It just wasn't right. I've actually watched it back on the cameras, and it looked good. But me actually walking around, it just didn't work.' He's not allowed to give anything away about Season 3 of Invasion, but he does let slip that … Oh, no! I realize that it's way too much of a spoiler to impart. Whatever happens to his Casper Morrow in Invasion, Billy Barratt's in for a long and fruitful career. 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Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Which writer does Jeremy Vine think has been unfairly cancelled?
What book... ...are you reading now? I'm into Frank Gardner. It's a little strange, because Frank is a BBC colleague I've known for years. I vividly remember in 2004 being in a devastated huddle with other Newsnight colleagues when we heard he had been shot and left for dead in Riyadh (Frank survived but his cameraman, a lovely guy called Simon Cumbers, died). Frank's books are as gripping as anything. I started with the first, Crisis, and am now on the latest, Invasion. International espionage set in the near future. And on Audible, read by my friend himself! ...would you take to a desert island? I would attempt, for the second time, The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon. With six volumes, 1.5 million words and eight thousand footnotes (some of them jokes in Latin!) it defeated my father, who died before finishing it, and it defeated me at the first attempt, after I made it my vainglorious mission to honour my dear dad's efforts! A desert island would be the place to try again. I remember Gibbon saying most Caesars died violently, on average after 13 years – such a great Roman Empire stat. ...first gave you the reading bug? Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I remember him shooting into the sky in the glass elevator on the final page so well; I reckon I was nine years old when I read it. I couldn't imagine how he could end the book on the next page and then he did. I find the rewriting and near-cancellation of Roald Dahl 35 years after he died a silent abomination. Okay, he was not a very nice person but when was that ever the test of a great writer? ...left you cold? No writer likes to answer this question, but I regularly read prizewinning books (e.g. The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida) and don't quite get them. Probably the most drastic example of a classic that I felt guilty about not enjoying was Dune by Frank Herbert. It was just so dense and unbelievable, and the print was tiny, and I got to the end and realised I hadn't really touched the surface. This led me to the realisation that I'm not very good with science fiction. I find the appearance of any spaceship destroys it for me. Sorry, sci-fi fans.
