El Housani is one of the past year’s breakout British filmmakers — according to the British Independent Film Awards and the Evening Standard British Film Awards — but she’s also “Welsh and Egyptian,” she reminds us. “So I can really empathize and understand perspectives from all sides.”
Her first feature, “My Brother the Devil,” does just that. Six years in the making and visually inspired by Terrence Malick and Gus Van Sant, the independent labor-of-love follows two Arab brothers in London’s lower-class projects. While familiar gritty issues such as drugs and violence erupt, the movie defies conventions, focusing more on “how the bonds of brotherhood can overcome prejudice,” she says.
El Housani got her start working on British TV docs set in the Middle East such as “Inside Sadaam’s Iraq” (“it was a great film school,” she says) and then script editing on BBC’s “House of Saddam.” As a production coordinator on British indies, she says she took notes on what not to do, such as coercing actors and wasting time and money.
Currently, she’s developing two new projects: a drama with Killer Films about Americans abroad based on a true story from the 1970s, and a BFI-backed “visually ambitious” movie set in London. The diversity of the two projects suits El Housani. “I see myself as an international person, and I’d love to make movies all over the world, whether Afghanistan or the U.S. or South America,” she says. “I’d love to make films about all kinds of people. And I’d love every film to be different from the last.”
—Anthony Kaufman
In a few short years since graduating from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 2009, the actor has seen his career take off, thanks to a series of modest but effective roles in films and TV productions, both local and international. They include the BBC’s “United” and Channel 4 miniseries “Pillars of the Earth,” and the features “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” and “Snow White and the Huntsman.”
Of course, all that success now pales in comparison to the global superstardom promised by his latest role – that of heroic heartthrob and fan favorite Finnick Odair in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” due out in November.
The 27-year-old Brit reportedly beat out such higher-profile names as Taylor Kitsch and Armie Hammer for the plum part of the tall, toned, blond and tan Odair, despite, he’s admitted, showing up for his audition with “very pale English skin, long brown hair, and, to be honest, out of shape.” Claflin, whose fast-growing resume now includes “The Quiet Ones,” “Love, Rosie” and the next installment in the “Hunger Games” franchise, quickly hit the gym and hair dye to achieve, as he’s wryly described his transformation, “a semblance of that perfection” fans are expecting.
–Iain Blair
The London-based actress-turned-director made a splash earlier this year with “Lotus Eaters,” her directorial debut that she shot in black and white (“as it’s a mood piece, and to reference those great sixties London films”) for just $450,000. The film, starring McGuiness’ old friend Antonia Campbell-Hughes and rocker/actor Johnny Flynn, casts an unsparing eye on the jaded jet set lifestyle of moneyed and vapid young Londoners, and managed to cram in over 50 locations, several car crashes and an inordinate amount of music – two dozen songs and live performances by cutting-edge bands A Hundred Lovers and Vengeance and the Panther Queen – all in under 80 minutes.
McGuinness’ love of music is in her DNA, says the daughter of longtime U2 manager Paul McGuinness. She cut her teeth “shooting fashion shorts and lots of musicvideos” after graduating from the London Film School in 2009. “But clearing all the music was more work than anything – a real labor of love,” says the 28-year-old, who had to pull in “loads of favors” and who promises music will take “more of a back seat” in future projects. Those include “Imperfect,” a thriller set in Berlin, and a script she’s writing, “about a honeymoon from hell set in Texas.”
–Iain Blair
With his screenplay “Powell,” Whitworth staked his claim as a surveyor of world events as seen through the lens of individual players — in this case, Gen. Colin Powell. “Powell” tells the behind-the-scenes story of how the then-Secretary of State addressed the U.N. and made the case for war in Iraq. Forest Whitaker is to star in the pic and produce.
According to Whitworth, it’s a tragic story in which his protagonist “ended up doing this thing that he now seemingly regrets and was clearly a huge mistake.”
His follow-up screenplay, “Reykjavik,” on which he shares credit with Kevin Hood, is no less fraught with global political issues. Starring Michael Douglas and Christoph Waltz as Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, respectively, the film, currently in pre-production, details the leaders’ failed 1986 disarmament talks in Iceland’s capital.
Next up for Whitworth are a “political dramatic thriller” about a leading figure of the Arab Spring and an MI6 spy movie with Colin Firth attached. What seems clear is that whatever project the one-time classics student takes on, it will be bear the mark of his curiosity about the world stage and the players on it.
–Andrew Schenker
Blagden feels entirely comfortable doing shows about the past. After all, he’s been in the TV series “Vikings” and the feature “Les Miserables.” “I love that kind of genre,” he says. “It’s most interesting to play 18th century revolutionaries or 8th century monks. You don’t often get to walk down streets with muskets and frilly shirts.”
Blagden, who attended Guildhall School of Music & Drama (where Daniel Craig also studied), most recently played in the upcoming feature “The Philosophers,” set for release in December. That will give him a leg up on cracking more contemporary material.
His role career role model is fellow Brit Eddie Redmayne.
“I saw him onstage at the Donmar Warehouse playing Richard II, then on TV in ‘Bird Song’ and then worked with him in ‘Les Miserables’” notes Blagden. “I thought that by the time I got to his age (Blagden is 23, Redmayne is 31), if I was working in all those different mediums at that level, I’d be a happy man.”
Right now “Vikings” is keeping him busy – Blagden even researched his role as a monk by visiting a monastery on Lindisfarne, a tidal island off the coast of Northumbria, a part of England steeped in medieval history.
“If the tide comes in while you’re there, you have to stay overnight,” adds Blagden. “Luckily there’s a hostel that hands out blankets to people when that happens.”
–Lisa Carroll
Growing up in an artistic household, King seemed destined for a career in show business. Indeed, her self-described “very crazy, very loud, musical, strange upbringing” led to a career in acting and now has the budding thespian also eyeing the director’s chair.
She had a brief stint working in a cheese shop, but then landed a role in the 2006 BBC miniseries “Jane Eyre,” which led her to take on more and more high-profile parts, including a starring role in the U.S. sitcom “The New Normal” and co-starring in the ensemble romantic comedy “Austenland.”
“I was such an awkward fangirl of (director Jerusha Hess). It was just dreamy,” she says of working with the helmer. But with all her success in front of the camera, King hasn’t given up her dreams of directing. In fact, she’s just completing a Kickstarter campaign to fund her latest short film, “Your Hands,” which sees her not only directing, but writing, producing and starring as well.
Whatever direction her rising career takes on, King is excited to embrace it. “I think my main goal is to keep doing stuff that’s unusual and unexpected and varied,” she says. “I just enjoy the variations so much.”
–Andrew Schenker
“I’m a very cheerful person,” says Mbatha-Raw, “but I do enjoy the tragedy in stories.”
You can see Mbatha-Raw’s serious side in her choice of roles. The half-South African thespian — her first name is short for Gugulethu, which means “our pride” in Xhosa — is shooting Gina Pryce-Bythewood’s “Blackbird,” in which she plays a pop princess whose troubled life reveals the dark underbelly of the music industry. Her starring role in Fox Searchlight’s upcoming “Belle” focuses on a woman who helped overturn slavery laws in late 18th century England.
“What unites Belle and Blackbird is themes of identity,” she says. “They’re totally different worlds, but they do share a common story: they are both about young women trying to find their place in the world.”
After studying acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art — she calls the intensive three-year course “a baptism by fire” — her most formative early roles include Juliet at the Royal Exchange in Manchester opposite Andrew Garfield’s Romeo. “It was a great training ground, technically and emotionally,” she says. Another early influential role was on Channel 4’s “Fallout,” in which she played a poor teenage girl with a violent boyfriend. “It was the first time that I got to play a layered, conflicted woman,” she says. “It’s something I really look forward in all my roles.”
Indeed, her dream parts include Cleopatra and Billie Holiday — the latter of whom she’s drawn to because of the ill-fated singer’s “dark and soulful journey,” she says.
–Anthony Kaufman
Along with actor, writer and director, Harry Treadaway can list cowboy on his resume. Treadaway, who has appeared in films such as “Control,” “City of Embers” and “Cockneys vs. Zombies,” was a cowboy on “The Lone Ranger.”
He says he enjoyed working on a big-budget film with iconic Hollywood names such as Johnny Depp and Jerry Bruckheimer: “It was just a real privilege to be surrounded by such talented people and going on such an incredible journey. You’re living out some sort of incredible childhood fantasy and calling it a job.”
Treadaway also has stage chops; he appeared in Mark Ravenhill play “Over There” with his twin brother, Luke, at the Royal Court Theatre in 2009.
Upcoming projects include Jeff Buckley biopic “Mystery White Boy.” He recently finished shooting “Honeymoon,” with Rose Leslie (“Game of Thrones”). Treadaway also has aspirations to move behind the camera, as he wants to direct films, and recently directed a musicvideo for band Tribes. He’s also writing a short film.
As for the direction of his career, he wants it moving “forward, and ever so slightly upward,” he says. “I feel like I’ve been really lucky working with amazing people and if I keep doing that, I’ll be happy.”
–Alex Stedman
Being the scion of rock and roll royalty can always provide a stumbling block for a young aspiring musician — for every Albert Hammond Jr. or Rosanne Cash, there are plenty of Julian Lennons and Kelly Osbournes. Yet Lauren Harris has gradually built up a head of steam both with and without the help of her father, longtime Iron Maiden bassist Steven Harris.
Though she’s toured with her father’s band as an opening act, as well as hitting up major Euro rock fests like Germany’s Rock Am Ring, Harris was discovered by venerable hard-rock songwriter Russ Ballard, who caught her singing in a London bar. Harris released her debut, the classic rock-infused “Calm Before the Storm,” in 2008, which featured covers of vintage metal songs by U.F.O. and Gun, and has spent the intervening years touring and readying a more mainstream effort scheduled to drop in January, with single “Crying in the Disco” out this fall.
Roping in a diverse array of collaborators, the 29-year-old Harris’ unnamed next project with band Kingdom of I features songwriting contributions from former Eurythmics guitarist Dave Stewart and Kara DioGuardi, who was a judge on seasons 8 & 9 of “American Idol.” Production duties are being handled by Alain Johannes, who spent years as a member of hard-rock standard-bearers Queens of the Stone Age. If there seems to be little obvious common ground between a synth-rock maestro, a clean-cut pop hitmaker and an analog rock traditionalist, perhaps that’s exactly the point.
–Andrew Barker
Middleton has built a strong resume in a short time. Her credits include Danny Boyle’s “Trance,” BBC miniseries “Spies of Warsaw,” BBC TV movie “The Lady Vanishes,” which also aired in the U.S. on PBS’ “Masterpiece Theater,” and edgy 2010 pic “Chatroom.”
The Bristol native’s upcoming projects are equally intriguing. They include “Jupiter Ascending,” with Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis, directed by Lana and Andy Wachowski.
“It’s a sci-fi (film) with lots of weird and wonderful characters and landscapes in it, as you’d expect, and all I can say is I had lots of fun with my character,” says Middleton.
The actress with the unusual first name has several other upcoming projects, including “Love Punch,” and the screen adaptation of Nick Hornby’s novel “A Long Way Down,” which was filmed in Majorca.
“All my scenes were with Aaron Paul, which was icing on the cake, as I, along with the rest of the world, am currently dealing with a ‘Breaking Bad’ addiction!” she adds.
–Lisa Carroll
Variety’s 10 Brits to watch were photographed by British photographer Misha Gravenor at Heathrow Airport on British Airways A380 serving LA to London.
