David Tennant - Around The World In 80 Days

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David Tennant - Around The World In 80 Days David Tennant will star as Phileas Fogg in the television adaption of Around The World In 80 Days. It is a new television adaptation of the Jules Verne novel and is a France Televisions co-production as part of Alliance which is a partnership with RAI and ZDF which aims to to develop international projects. It is also co-produced by Slim Film and Television in London. The eight episode series is being shot in English and filming started on Monday 24th February 2020. Filming has/is taking place in South Africa and Budapest (4 episodes in each location). Due to the pandemic filming was halted for several months but restarted in October 2020. The drama is now expected to premiere in late 2021. Originally Ahmed Sylla was announced to play the role of Passepartout and that was later changed to French comedian and actor Ibrahim Koma. Journalist Abigail Fix will be played by Leonie Benesch. Other stars include Jason Watkins as Bernard Fortescue (who is Fix’s father and a prolific newspaper owner) and Peter Sullivan as Fogg’s childhood friend Nyle Bellamy with whom he strikes up the outrageous bet that sets the story in motion. Also Lindsay Duncan, Dolly Wells, Richard Wilson, Faical Elkihel, Anthony Flanagan, Gary Beadle and Giovanni Scifoni will take guest roles. The series is being adapted by writers including Ashley Pharoah (Life On Mars) and Caleb Ranson (Child Of Mine). Steve Barron (The Durrells) will be lead director with Charles Beeson (The Mentalist) directing a number of episodes. It will air on the BBC in the UK with France's Federation Entertainment handling distribution rights to the drama which will also air on France Televisions, Germany's ZDF, Italy's RAI and on Channel 7 in Australia. In the US it will be shown on PBS Masterpiece. The budget for each episode is €3 million. Link to posts related to Around The World In 80 Days on Blogger.com. (Usually with more detail.) January 2021 An article in Variety reported that 'with a bit of luck, shooting will be completed in the next four weeks' on Around The World In 80 Days. After shutting down filming in March 2020, it resumed in mid-November. Updated 20/1
December 2020 David Tennant is named Best Male Actor Of 2020 by readers of Digital Spy for Des. The link includes a video of David accepting the award on the set of Around The World In 80 Days. Updated 26/12
November 2020 A new photo of David Tennant on the set of Around The World In 80 Days has been posted online. Updated 27/11 A message from David Tennant about Headway Essex's latest fund raising campaign has been posted online. The video was filmed on the set of Around The World In 80 Days. Updated 23/11 A new photo of David Tennant from the set of Around The World In 80 Days has been posted online. Updated 19/11 It's been confirmed Around The World In 80 Days will be shown on PBS Masterpiece in the US. New cast members announced are Jason Watkins as Bernard Fortescue (who is Fix’s father and a prolific newspaper owner) and Peter Sullivan as Fogg’s childhood friend Nyle Bellamy with whom he strikes up the outrageous bet that sets the story in motion. Also Lindsay Duncan, Dolly Wells, Richard Wilson, Faical Elkihel, Anthony Flanagan, Gary Beadle and Giovanni Scifoni will take guest roles. Updated 10/11 A new photo of David Tennant from the set of Around The World In 80 Days (with young actor David Braps) in Romania has been posted online. Updated 4/11
October 2020 The first photo since filming restarted of David Tennant on the set of Around The World In 80 Days was posted online by one of the actors. He later removed the photo so, out of respect, we deleted our tweet too. Updated 28/10
September 2020 Variety has reported that Around The World In 80 Days will restart production next month in Romania before moving to South Africa. The article also has a slightly different production photo. Updated 25/9 The first photo (and poster) of David Tennant from Around The World In 80 Days has been posted online. It was announced today that filming will resume in South Africa in 'one month.' Updated 16/9
July 2020 Variety reports the broadcast of Around The World In Eighty Days 'has now been put back a year to Christmas 2021.' The article also says: 'One episode (of eight) is in the bag and there are, theoretically, choices about which territory the globe-trotting drama returns to, with Romania, France and Italy among the scheduled locations of its episodically-planned shoot. However, despite the countryā€™s intensive lockdown due to many densely populated areas, producer Simon Crawford Collins reckons it has to be South Africa, where cameras first rolled at Cape Town Film Studios in February. "There are so many unknowns everywhere else. Weā€™re already relying on the goodwill of a big Netflix show going into the studio after us that uses the same construction manager. The cost of shutting down has been in the millions ā€” weā€™ve had 24-hour security guards on our sets since February." The series has more than 100 speaking parts and Slim Film+TV is in regular talks with the cast, including lead David Tennant, about their welfare and availability. According to Crawford Collins the one upside is that having enjoyed the experience prior to lockdown, everyone has a real determination to get back.' Updated 17/7 At the Serie Series festival in France today it was announced that filming will soon resume on Around The World In 80 Days. It was also announced that the broadcast of the 8 episode series will be delayed until 2021 (previously it was scheduled for late 2020). Updated 2/7
June 2020 BBC Sounds has audio of the David Tennant and Dame Judi Dench interview about the future of theatre, All Around The World In Eighty Days and Good on last nightļæ½s Coronavirus Newscast. David's part starts at 17 minutes. Updated 26/6 David Tennant revealed on Coronavirus Newscast that they had filmed one and a half episodes of Around The World In 80 Days before lockdown started. He did not give any update on his forthcoming play Good. Performances for that are scheduled to start in October. Updated 25/6 David Tennant and Dame Judi Dench will discuss the future of theatre on tonightļæ½s Coronavirus Newscast on BBC News Channel at 9.25pm. The show is repeated on BBC One at 11.45pm. Updated 25/6
April 2020 TVInside has a new (short) interview with David Tennant which is mainly about Deadwater Fell. David was also asked about how different shooting Around The World In 80 Days (which he was filming in South Africa at the time the interview was conducted). David's reply was 'Today, we were on the Atlantis dunes in Cape Town, which are these endless rolling vistas of white sand. We've had camels. We've had things exploding. So far, it's been enormous fun. But yes, very different.' Updated 4/4
March 2020 Deadline reports that, not surprisingly, filming on Around The World In 80 Days has suspended its South Africa shoot as a precaution against the Coronavirus crisis. Updated 17/3
February 2020 Filming is scheduled to start today on Around The World In Eighty Days. But who will play Passepartout? Originally Ahmed Sylla was announced to play the role of Passepartout and that was later changed to French comedian and actor Ibrahim Koma. However his name is now no longer linked to the show and no replacement has yet been announced. Updated 24/2
January 2020 Filming on Around The World In 80 Days is scheduled to start on Monday 24th February according to a press event in France today. The 8 episode series will be filmed in Budapest (Hungary) and South Africa - 4 episodes in each place. Previously it was announced that some filming would take place in Romania as well as South Africa. Updated 21/1
December 2019 More details have been announced about David Tennant starring in Around The World In 80 Days. Updated 4/12
June 2019 Programme-tv.net reports that at the press conference today for France Tļæ½lļæ½visions, it was officially announced that David Tennant will star as Phileas Fogg in the television adaption of Around The World In Eighty Days. It will be shot in English and will consist of 8 episodes. Filming is scheduled to start in January 2020. Updated 18/6 The Times has confirmed that David Tennant will star in Around The World In Eighty Days for broadcast in 2020. Updated 18/6 It's not confirmed but the French newspaper Le Figaro reports David Tennant will play the part of Phileas Fogg in a new television adaptation of the Jules Verne novel Around The World In Eighty Days. It is a France Tļæ½lļæ½visions co-production as part of Alliance which is a partnership with RAI and ZDF which aims to to develop international projects. If true, production is scheduled to start in January 2020. Updated 15/6