Brian Cox has received not one but two Laurence Olivier awards, the highest honour in British theatre, presented by the Society of London Theatre, for the plays ‘Rat in the Skull’ (1984) and ‘Titus Andronicus’ (1988). Consequently, it is easy to comprehend his popularity as a stage actor. But this is only half the story. His filmography stretches over four decades and includes films such as ‘Braveheart,’ ‘Rushmore,’ ‘Succession,’ ‘Manhunter,’ ‘Coriolanus,’ ‘Deadwood,’ ‘The Minus Man,’ and ‘Nicholas and Alexandra.’
Cox has also appeared in films such as ‘Rob Roy,’ ‘Pope John Paul II,’ ‘The Autopsy of Jane Doe,’ ‘Red,’ ’25th Hour,’ ‘Zodiac,’ ‘The Bourne Identity,’ and ‘X2’ (the second installment of Bryan Singer’s ‘X-Men’ trilogy). His portrayal of self-made billionaire Logan Roy in ‘Succession’ earned him a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild nomination, three Emmy nominations, and a BAFTA Scotland nomination. These are only a few of his honours. The prolific actor is still active at age 77, with an extensive list of upcoming projects. They are here!
Glenrothan (TBA)
“Glenrothan” marks Brian Cox’s début as a feature film director. The Lionsgate-Nevision family drama was conceived by the Scottish actor and writer David Ashton, who co-wrote it with Jeff Murphy (“Hinterland”). The film tells the tale of two brothers who reunite after 40 years to save the family whisky distillery in the Scottish Highlands, the Glenrothan Distillery. The last time they spoke and saw each other was at their mother’s funeral, when the younger brother departed for the United States following a violent argument with their father.
‘Glenrothan’ was presumably inspired by The Glenrothes Distillery in Rothes, Scotland, which was founded in 1879 by a man named James Stuart and is famous for its single malt Scotch whisky. In addition to Cox, who will also star in the film, no other cast members have been disclosed. The project has been in its development stage since November 2021 and further updates about its production and a potential date of release are awaiting.
Gramercy Park (TBA)
The historical series ‘Gramercy Park’ is set in New York in 1883 and tells the tale of Kate Donovan, an Irish immigrant who becomes a prostitute to earn money and care for her younger sister Maureen after the death of their parents. Eventually, the two sisters put their pasts behind them. While Kate becomes the concubine of some of Wall Street’s most powerful men, Maureen adopts a new identity and marries into one of America’s most powerful families, becoming a New York darling in the process. When Osgood Plimpton, a mediator and attorney, discovers the “secret” of the two sisters, however, their lives are in danger.
The screenplay for ‘Gramercy Park’ is written by Janet Dulin Jones and directed by Mike Newell (‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ and ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’) and Scott Winant (‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Fargo’, respectively). Millie Brady, who is likely to portray Kate Donovan, Gabriel Byrne, who will play Osgood Plimpton, and Brian Cox and Mira Sorvino in undetermined roles round out the cast. Additional information regarding the AMC series is anticipated.
Little Wing (TBA)
“Little Wing” is an Academy Award-nominated coming-of-age athletics drama film written by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter John Gatins. It is based on Susan Orlean’s article of the same name for The New Yorker magazine. Kaitlyn, a 13-year-old girl, plots to steal a pigeon in order to solve her family’s financial problems and prevent her parents’ impending divorce. In the process, she establishes a bond with the elderly pigeon racer Jaan and develops an appreciation for the sport. The ensemble also includes Jeanine Jackson, Lowell Deo, Parker Hall, Ina Chang, and Peter James DeLuca. Additionally, Cox functions as executive producer. The film is currently in production and will debut on Paramount+. Awaiting information about a release date or year.
Skelly (2023)
A coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Matt Greene-Delanghe, ‘Skelly’ tells the story of a young boy whose father sends him on a journey (likely a metaphorical one) to comprehend mortality after the passing of the latter’s father (the boy’s grandfather). As the boy and his companions construct their annual haunted house, this occurs. Along with Jacob Saxton, John Palladino, Andy Comeau, John Pasquale, Sarah Villegas, and Judah Abner Paul, the cast includes Brian Cox as the grandfather and Torrey DeVitto as the small boy’s mother. The film is scheduled for release in 2023. A specific date has not yet been announced.
The Electric State (2024)
After ‘The Grey Man’ (2022), the Russo Brothers (Anthony and Joe) return to the director’s throne with ‘The Electric State,’ a science-fiction action-adventure drama. The script was adapted by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely from the same-titled graphic novel by Simon Stlenhag. The story is set in an alternate future and follows the journey of a teenage girl named Michelle, her companion robot (sent by her missing brother), and a mysterious drifter across the American West in pursuit of her brother. During their travels, they discover a vast conspiracy buried beneath a world shared by humans and automata.
The Russo brothers have always given us large-scale films, and ‘The Electric State’ sounds like it will be no different. The cast includes Millie Bobby Brown as Michelle, and Chris Pratt as Keats, along with Ke Huy Quan, Brian Cox (voice), Stanley Tucci, Jason Alexander, Jenny Slate (voice), and Anthony Mackie (voice) among others. The Netflix film that has finished photography and is currently in post-production is also produced by the Russo Brothers. It will be released in 2024, although specific information regarding the release date is anticipated.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
Kenji Kamiyama is the director of the forthcoming animated film ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.’ It is written by Jeffrey Addiss and Arty Papageorgiou and is based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s celebrated novel ‘The Lord of the Rings.’ The film focuses on Helm Hammerhand, King of Rohan, and her daughter Hera 183 years before the events of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ film trilogy. Hera must lead a strong resistance against Wulf, a ruthless Dunlending nobleman seeking vengeance for his father’s death, if she is to prevent the destruction of their last stronghold, Hornburg AKAHornburg Helm’s Deep.
Cox voices Helm Hammerhand, Wise Hera, and Pasqualino Wulf in the Warner Bros. production, which also features Miranda Otto, Lorraine Ashbourne, Yazdan Qafouri, Benjamin Wainwright, Laurence Ubong Williams, Shaun Dooley, Michael Wildman, and Jude Akuwudike. The film is currently in post-production and is scheduled to debut on December 13, 2024.
The Parenting (TBA)
‘The Parenting’ is an R-rated horror comedy written by ‘Saturday Night Live’ writer Kent Sublette and directed by Craig Johnson (‘The Skeleton Twins’). It follows a gay couple who rent a cosy country house to host a “meet the parents” weekend getaway, only to discover that the house is plagued by a 400-year-old poltergeist (a supernatural entity capable of causing noises and other physical disturbances). How this impacts their hosting is what we must determine. The combination of the director and the writer guarantees that the film will be a riot of laughter (though not suitable for minors). Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Dean Norris, Edie Falco, Parker Posey, Brandon Flynn, Vivian Bang, and Kate Avallone comprise the ensemble of ‘The Parenting’. The movie Max is presently in post-production, and its release date has yet to be determined.
Unsinkable (TBA)
“Unsinkable” is an aural production created by Misha Crosby and John Mawson, the project’s showrunner and director, respectively. Written by Mawson, the project was greenlit in 2020 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the salvage of the British cargo ship MV San Demetrio on November 5, 1940 (World War II). The crew abandoned the ship after it was set ablaze by a German cruiser during the longest military campaign of the conflict, the Battle of the Atlantic.
However, after two days of meandering in the ocean, one of the three lifeboats returned, and the 16-man crew, including Second Officer Arthur G. Hawkins and Chief Engineer Charles Pollard, re-boarded her at dawn on November 7. They were able to extinguish the fire, repair the ship just enough to start the engines, and return to Ireland seven days after being escorted to River Clyde and docking on November 16. The crew completed the seven-day voyage without any navigational instruments by estimating their course based on sun glints. The narrative of the MV San Demetrio is regarded as one of the most significant maritime events of World War II.
Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Second Officer Arthur G. Hawkins and John Malkovich as Chief Engineer Charles Pollard provide their voices for the production, along with Cox (Robert Dodds), Nathalie Emmanuel, Craig Robert Young, John Altman, Blair Redford, Harry Hamlin, and Timothy Blore. The project is currently in post-production, and we have not yet received information regarding a release date or platform.
Wittgenstein’s Poker (TBA)
Based on the 2001 book of the same name by David Edmonds and John Eidinow, both of whom are BBC journalists, ‘Wittgenstein’s Poker’ is a 10-minute animated short that depicts the actual conversation/debate between philosophers Sir Karl Popper and Ludwig Wittgenstein at the Cambridge University Moral Sciences Club on October 25, 1946. Bertrand Russell, a British mathematician, was also present at the meeting presided over by Wittgenstein. Thus, the moniker ‘Wittgenstein’s Poker’ derives from his use of a fireplace poker to emphasise his arguments.
Karl Markovics portrays Sir Karl Popper, Richard E. Grant portrays Ludwig Wittgenstein, and Cox portrays Bertrand Russell. Since 2020, the project has been stalled in post-production, and updates regarding its release date and location are eagerly anticipated.
