Shot in New Zealand, the new series is full of unbridled debauchery and violence as viewers get to see the deeper layers of Asher’s character. Given the chance to experience power, love and respect, once a slave, he’s gifted the Gladiator school, which was once owned by Batiatius and rewrites history in this new season.

The Upcoming had the pleasure of speaking to DeKnight about writing the script for this new story and the way in which females are given agency.

We spoke to Tarabay about playing the role of Ashur and how he felt coming back into this fifth instalment. He also chatted about preparing for the physicality of the role and how he got into the mindset of his character this time round.

Tenika Davis chatted to us about her role as the first female gladiator, how she used Taekwondo to get her ready for the physical challenges of the role as Achillia and what it was like working so closely with Tarabay on set.

Jamaica Vaughan spoke about playing Hilara and what attracted her to the role. She also revealed what it was like playing out the intimate scenes on screen and the way female characters take centre stage in this new spin-off.

We spoke to Jaime Slater about working on this new project, how enjoyable she found the whole process to be on the incredible set, and working with such a brilliant ensemble cast.

Leigh Gill revealed to us the incredibly tough physical scenes he filmed in the series and working with DeKnight.

As India Shaw-Smith enters the series clouded in grief, she spoke about the onscreen challenges of regaining her strength, the relationship with her on-screen parents, and the wonderful storylines that played out for her character.

Claudia Black spoke about the way her character faced the reality of ageing in the Roman Empire, and how she tried to salvage her daughter from her grief and give her a brighter future. 

Ezelle Alblas

Spartacus: House of Ashur is released on 6^th December 2025.

Watch the trailer for Spartacus: House of Ashur here:

When Uncle Travelling Matt gives Gobo the chance to travel to the human world, which the Fraggles refer to as Outer Space, he starts to reignite his musical passion when he meets new human friends, has a magical time and even writes some songs with acclaimed singer LeLe Pons (who makes a cameo appearance), also facing her own writer’s block. The two of them join forces and reimagine a classic duet called Our Melody from the original Fraggle Rock series, and this newfound creativity puts Gobo in a better headspace upon his return, where the season soon kicks off with heartfelt celebrations and reawakened joy.

The Upcoming had the pleasure of speaking to Gobo about all the fun he had in the human world, the fun traditions the Fraggles have and the way he learnt to take inspiration from the simple things in life.

Ezelle Alblas

The First Snow of Fraggle Rock is released on Apple TV+ on 5^th December 2025.

Watch the trailer for The First Snow of Fraggle Rock here:

The Upcoming had the chance to chat to Luke Smallbone about the crafting of World on Fire, the emotional process of making their documentary and his approach to storytelling through both music and film to connect with people in all corners of the globe on a message of hope.

Sarah Bradbury

KING + COUNTRY: A Drummer Boy Christmas LIVE is released on Prime Video on 1^st December 2025.

Watch the trailer for KING + COUNTRY: A Drummer Boy Christmas LIVE here:

Directed by Julian Farino and Alice Seabright, the flamboyant reimagining of this story also allows viewers to delve into the complex relationship Mozart had with his wife Constanze (Gabrielle Creevy) after he moved to Vienna during the 18^th Century to compose for the Imperial Court. The layers of this relationship are also tinged with grief when their newborn son passes away from an untreatable fever, and tragedy starts to take its toll on the gifted musician. Throwing himself into his work, his popularity starts to rise amongst the court and, in turn, evokes an obsessive envy in Salieri that leads to murder.

The Upcoming had the pleasure of speaking to the writer Barton about what made him want to tell this tale in a modern reimagining, how he chose his cast and what he hoped viewers would like about the storylines.

Sharpe spoke about his role as Mozart and the way in which he approached the role from Barton’s script.

We spoke to Creevy about preparing for her layered role as Mozart’s wife, Constanze, and the moments on set working with Sharpe that helped forge their emotional connection.

Olivia Mai Barrett talked about her role in the series and the dynamics between all the sisters in the story.

We chatted to Nancy Farino about coming on board with this project, the humour injected into the story, and the set and costumes that helped build an immersive narrative.

Jessica Alexander spoke about the intimate moment she shared with Sharpe on set, the brilliance of the female characters and how amazing it was to work with Creevy as Constanze.

Starring as Queen Elizabeth, Viola Prettejohn unveiled what it was like to step into that character and work closely with Sharpe and Bettany as they alternated their roles on screen as her piano tutor.

Hugh Sacks spoke about his role in the series and the complicated relationship between the two brilliant composers, Mozart and Salieri.

We spoke to Jyuddah Jaymes about his role as Franz, the excitement he felt when he was auditioned for the role and got it, and the way in which it felt like an immersive experience on set.

Ezelle Alblas

Amadeus is released on Sky on 21^st December 2025.

Watch the trailer for Amadeus here:

The Upcoming caught up with Zach Aguilar, the English voice actor for Tanjiro. Aguilar is known in the anime sphere for his work as Genos in One Punch Man, Slaine Troyard in Aldnoah. Zero and as Riku in the sequel series to the fan favourite anime Inuyasha, Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon. Aguilar spoke to us about the importance of adapting the climactic Infinity Castle arc as a film and the pressure of creating that cinematic experience for longtime fans of the anime. He expressed great love for the character of Tanjiro and detailed the techniques he learned in terms of preserving his voice when dubbing a character with plenty of nuanced emotions. The actor also spoke about the life lessons he learned in his journey with Demon Slayer. Aguilar commented on the growing popularity of anime and the importance of recognising it as an art form. Finally, he finished off our conversation with praises for Channing Tatum, who took on the role of Keizo in the English dub, for his performance.

Mae Trumata

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle is released nationwide on 12^th September 2025.

Watch the trailer for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle here:

There’s a meta element to proceedings as our protagonist, Brad Mac, is played by American actor Kiefer Sutherland, who may or may not have discovered the concept of British pantomime for the first time himself on jumping on board with the project. Certainly, this is the first time we see the veteran 24 actor take on a comedic role, and it’s one is does with total abandon and unexpected skill.

The film follows the arrogant Brad as his erstwhile career as action hero implodes and his fed-up agent (an always reliably hilarious Katherine Ryan) carts him off to a theatre job in the UK…which, to his chagrin, turns out to be the role of Buttons in a local Northern panto of Cinderella. From there, much festive chaos and hilarity ensues, with an all-star ensemble bouncing off each other, including Rebel Wilson, donning a pitch-perfect (pun intended) Yorkshire accent, leading a genuinely brilliant staging of a xmas panto. Like all Yuletide movies worth their salt, beneath the cheesy one-liners and Christmas jingles are heartwarming messages of the importance of community, connection and fatherhood – as well as the beauty of local theatre in bringing people together.

The Upcoming were invited down to the UK premiere at Vue Leicester Square to hear from the cast and creatives. Wilson told us all about what she loves about panto, but what she loves less about the chilly British North where the movie was shot.

Ryan, with her trademark wit, spoke about how panto shouldn’t be overlooked as “low brow” and how she drew on her experiences of working with US agents for her character.

Alice Eve admitted she shared some of her character’s hesitations about panto but loved how it brings communities together, and told us some of her tricky moments on set, including being ridiculed for her running…

Ray Fearon spoke about how much he loves being in Christmas movies, this one being his fifth and the fun he had on set with his fellow cast.

Matilda Firth chatted about playing the daughter of Brad, where her character ended up being the more “adult” one in the relationship.

Producer Ava Aashna Chopra told us about wanting to make a new classic British Christmas movie and joy of seeing Sutherland in a comedic role.

We we also treated to a brief chat with iconic popstar Robbie Williams, who likened the Tinsel Town premiere to an extravagant school nativity, expressing pride and affection for his daughter taking on her first screen role.

Sarah Bradbury

Tinsel Town is released on Sky on 5^th December 2025.

Watch the trailer for Tinsel Town here:

House of Ashur sees the return of Nick E Tarabay to the role of Ashur, this time donning the name of Dominus. Joining him is Tenika Davis playing Achillia. The two have electric chemistry on-screen, amplifying the drama and tension of House of Ashur. The Upcoming caught up with these two and DeKnight to discuss the much-anticipated release. We first spoke to Davis, who expressed her love for Spartacus long before being cast. She talked about the audition process in which DeKnight initially reached out to her for a specific role in mind. Davis also touched on her journey of coming into a male-dominated space and how that experience helped her relate to Achillia.

We talked to Tarabay about his decision to come back, especially after all the years away from the character of Ashur. He explained the parallels between Ashur and Achillia, their roles as outsiders – how he tapped into the darkness within Ashur to capture the intensity between the two characters during their combat sequences. Tarabay also emphasised the wealth of content provided by the historical context that allowed the Spartacus universe to continue, and the limits broken by doing a what-if scenario in the new series.

Finally, DeKnight also popped in for a quick conversation on what made Ashur the perfect choice for the spin-off, especially the anti-hero angle to his story. He also commented on people’s affinity for outsiders, and their fascination with underdogs – seeing those underdogs rise to the occasion and surpass people’s expectations. DeKnight dissected the new timeline created by House of Ashur, things it changed, and the precedent it set for the rest of the world he’s building for the Spartacus franchise.

Mae Trumata

Spartacus: House of Ashur is released on 6^th December 2025.

Watch the trailer for Spartacus: House of Ashur here:

The Upcoming spoke to the filmmaker about juggling these different elements within the same narrative. As Christy marks Sydney Sweeney’s most transformative role to date, we were interested to learn about the key elements to Michôd’s casting choices as well as the involvement of the real people in the creative process. Further, the director discussed choreographing the fight scenes to match the emotional trajectory of the happenings beyond the ring.

Selina Sondermann

Christy is released nationwide on 28^th November 2025.

Watch the trailer for Christy here:

Out of this year’s cohort of 20 from across directing, writing, performance, production, costume design, composing and games design, are Akinola Davies Jr, director and co-writer of My Father’s Shadow, Laura Carreira, director and writer of On Falling, and Liverpool-born actor and writer Ellis Howard, the breakout star of critically acclaimed BBC series, What It Feels Like for a Girl.

Adapted by Paris Lees from her memoir, the gritty, provocative eight-part series delves into themes of identity, rebellion and self-discovery against the backdrop of the vibrant but messy 2000s club scene, with Howard in the lead as Bryon. Other recent work includes the BBC horror Red Rose and a West End debut in To Kill a Mockingbird at the Gielgud Theatre, which was nominated for five Olivier Awards, including Best Play.

The Upcoming had the chance to chat to Howard about what it means to be selected for the programme, particularly as someone from a working-class background. He reflected on his career so far, most notably the experience of making such a groundbreaking show in the form of What It Feels Like for a Girl. He shared his drive to challenge stereotypes and seek out provocative storytelling, and the significance of the community he found through drama. The actor also expressed his excitement for what could lie ahead, his aspiration for varied roles and new connections, and a determination to keep pushing boundaries.

Sarah Bradbury
Image: Courtesy of BAFTA Breakthrough

What It Feels Like for a Girl is released on BBC iPlayer on 3^rd June 2025. Watch the series here.

Watch the trailer for What It Feels Like for a Girl here:

Ahead of the series’s premiere on Sky, Huffman and Ecker spoke to The Upcoming about the expanded scale of the new season and the potential it holds for their characters. Huffman shares she enjoyed playing a woman who is complex and flawed, while both actors hinted at where their stories might go in future chapters.

Christina Yang

Doc season two is released on Sky on 25^th November 2025.

Watch the trailer for Doc season two here: