(The group in question, posted with kind permission! I smiled a lot when I opened this picture, I can’t even pretend otherwise.)

The artist, Talitha Sherman, writes, “They are made, as is only right, entirely from things I had laying around,” which I could not love more. (I also really dig the very early-Gothic icon-y Alec against the sweep and movement of the wings – just awesome!)

Thanks to Talitha, Shannon, and the whole book club for pretty much making my week!

I’m taking a break from stuffing my face to report that, in a move I can only assume is a Thanksgiving present made exclusively for me, the BBC has announced the full cast lineup for its four-movie Shakespeare cycle airing next year, encompassing Richard II, Henry IV (Parts I and II) and Henry V.

I had known about some of the cast (Ben Whishaw, Jeremy Irons, and Tom Hidleston as the kings, alongside Michelle Dockery, Lindsay Duncan, and David Suchet, among others), but the full cast announcement has just been made, and I’m slapping it here because there’s too many names I like to even bother with excerpts.

Take a look under the cut for some Awesome Actor Camp Gladiatorial Games!

From here:

Featuring some of the greatest Shakespearean actors and directors of our time, all four films have been commissioned by BBC Two for their Shakespeare season in 2012 as part of the BBC’s contribution to the London 2012 Festival and the Cultural Olympiad. The films were commissioned by Ben Stephenson, Controller BBC Drama Commissioning and Janice Hadlow, Controller BBC Two.

Set in the medieval period, these bold adaptations of four of Shakespeare’s most acclaimed history plays will produce some of the most ambitious television of recent years. As principal photography begins on Henry V, the previously announced Kings – Ben Whishaw, Jeremy Irons and Tom Hiddleston – will be joined by a phenomenal ensemble cast.

Richard II

In the first film of the cycle, Ben Whishaw (The Hour) will play King Richard II with Rory Kinnear (The NT’s Hamlet) as his challenger, Bolingbroke. John of Gaunt will be played by Patrick Stewart (The RSC’s Merchant of Venice), with David Suchet (Poirot) as The Duke of York and David Morrissey (South Riding) as Northumberland. Tom Hughes (Silk) will play Aumerle and Mowbray will be played by James Purefoy (Rome). Clemence Poésy (Harry Potter) will play the role of Queen Isabella and Lindsay Duncan (Alice in Wonderland) will play The Duchess of York. Other confirmed cast members include Lucian Msamati (The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency) and David Bradley (Harry Potter).

Completing the confirmed cast of Richard II are Isabella Laughland, Daniel Boyd, Finbar Lynch, Richard Bremmer, Harry Hadden Paton, Ferdinand Kingsley, Samuel Roukin, Tom Goodman-Hill, Adrian Schiller, Peter De Jersey, Simon Trinder and Rhodri Miles.

Richard II Production designer is Andrew McAlpine (An Education, The Piano), with Danny Cohen (The King’s Speech) as Director of Photography and Odile Dicks Mireaux (The Constant Gardner) as Costume Designer.

Richard II is directed by Rupert Goold who also adapted the play with Ben Power, Associate Director of the National Theatre. Richard II completed filming in July 2011 and is currently in post-production.

Henry IV (Parts I and II)

The second and third films will see Jeremy Irons (The Borgias) playing Henry IV, supported by Tom Hiddleston (Thor) as Prince Hal. Simon Russell Beale (Spooks) will play Falstaff and Julie Walters (Mamma Mia, Mo) will play Mistress Quickly. Hotspur will be played by Joe Armstrong (Robin Hood) and Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey) is to play Lady Percy alongside Maxine Peake (Criminal Justice) as Doll Tearsheet. Lady Northumberland will be played by Niamh Cusack (A Touch of Frost) with Alun Armstrong (New Tricks) as Northumberland. Reece Shearsmith (The League Of Gentlemen) will play the role of Davy, Tom Georgeson (Notes on a Scandal) will play Bardolph, Pistol will be played by Paul Ritter (Friday Night Dinner) and Douglas Henshall (South Riding) will play Mowbray. Iain Glen (Downton Abbey) will play Warwick and Geoffrey Palmer (As Time Goes By) will play Lord Chief Justice.

Completing the confirmed cast of Henry IV are Henry Faber, James Laurenson, David Hayman, Robert Pugh, Alex Clatworthy, Stephen McCole, David Dawson, Ian Conningham and Nick Jones.

Henry IV Production Designer is Donal Woods (Downton Abbey, Cranford). Director of Photography is Ben Smithard (Cranford) with Annie Symons (Gideon’s Daughter, The Crimson Petal and the White) as Costume Designer.

Henry IV is directed and adapted for the screen by Richard Eyre (Notes on a Scandal, Iris). Filming on Henry IV will begin in January 2012.

Henry V

Tom Hiddleston (Thor) will play Henry V in the final film. John Hurt (Merlin, Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy) will play The Chorus and Julie Walters (Mamma Mia, Mo) will play Mistress Quickly. Lambert Wilson (The Matrix) will play the King of France with Mélanie Thierry (Babylon A.D) as his daughter, Princess Katherine. Anton Lesser (The Hour) will play Exeter, Paterson Joseph (The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency) will play York and Edward Akrout (The Borgias) will play Louis, The Dauphin. Stanley Weber (Borgia) will play the Duke of Orleans, Owen Teale (Game of Thrones) will play Fluellen and Richard Griffiths (The History Boys) will play the Duke of Burgundy. Tom Georgeson (Notes on a Scandal) and Paul Ritter (Friday Night Dinner) return as Bardolph and Pistol.

Completing the confirmed cast of Henry V are Malcolm Sinclair, Nigel Cooke, James Laurenson, Richard Clothier, Tom Brooke, George Sargeant, Gwilym Lee, John Dagleish, Paul Freeman, Geraldine Chaplin, Thomas Dennis, Philippe De Brougada, Maxime Lefrancois and Jeremie Corvillault.

Henry V has been adapted by Ben Power, Associate Director of The National Theatre. Production Designer is Alan MacDonald (The Queen). The Director of Photography is Michael McDonough (Winter’s Bone) with Annie Symons (Gideon’s Daughter, The Crimson Petal and the White) as Costume Designer.

Henry V is directed by the acclaimed theatre director Thea Sharrock (Equus, The Misanthrope). Filming on Henry V begins in late November 2011.

I am still reeling a little, but I gotta say, news like this has a way of making one’s morning.

(That is an actual thought I had at Launchpad, while we were learning about the most common substances in the universe. It’s easy to dismiss Moby for everything after Play – not only easy, but probably a good idea – but the dude got some factual information about science at some point, that much is clear.)

Meanwhile, the Hubble, which is determined to show us how much we’ll regret letting it just fall apart in space, is taking pretty pictures just to spite us.

Dear Earth,

You know what? I am just taking pictures out here because it’s pretty and I feel like it. Don’t think this is about you, Earth, you hear me? Because I am over you. I don’t want you to worry about me, or feel guilty about just giving up on me forever, or anything like that, because I could not care less. You have fun with your James Webb Space Telescope, okay? Because I don’t even know what I ever saw in you, and I’ve got better things than you coming up.

No love,
HST

P.S. SEE ATTACHED, SUCKERS.

(Not pictured: filename “neenerneener.jpg”)

Also, yes, I have probably turned into one of Those Kids Who Won’t Shut Up About How Fun Camp Was*, and you’ll be regularly hearing about astronomy alongside movies and costuming. (Uh, fair warning for those who hate the night sky, I guess?)

As a kid I loved staring at whatever stars I could see (mmm, suburban light pollution), and I knew the mythology of the various constellations without having a sense of their real scope (or, let’s face it, knowing where many of them were). Launchpad really filled in some of the handwavey places in my brain and rekindled that little-kid love affair with the sky. It’s like I’m a kid again, only now I’m a really tall kid who knows terms like “visual binary” and pays taxes and has realized planes are not actually fun to be on like your parents always said they were!

* To be fair, I have not, nor will I ever, like an actual camp. I was out on Vedauwoo for less than three hours and I managed to wound myself and have an allergic reaction. The best thing about astronomy is that you can do it anywhere where you can look up, like penthouses with skylights. This will involve making new friends who have skylights in their penthouses, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

(This did not happen. Wyoming has no marshmallow trees, as they only thrive in the Pacific Northwest.)

1. First, fiction news! My short story “The Zeppelin Conductors’ Society Annual Gentlemen’s Ball” is up at Lightspeed Magazine!

2. I saw Inception opening weekend. I had to wait until I was in New York to do it – I dropped my suitcase at my apartment and went straight from there to the theatre – but I saw it. I will be writing more (a lot more) about this movie later, but for now, my SPOILERY review is up at Tor.com. SPOILERS. It says so in the cut-tag, but I’m direct-linking, so SPOILERS. SO MANY SPOILERS. THE TITANIC SINKS. DARTH IS LUKE’S DAD. SO MANY SPOILERS.

3. Launchpad was great. I wrote up an intro post here, with some handy links, and followed it up with Four Fun Things About the Universe, for values of “fun” that include the knowledge that if you get close to a black hole you’ll be torn to shreds by gravity. Whee!

Tomorrow I should be caught up and ready to blog again. I hope. (I might just go home and sleep 12 hours. It’s reverse altitude sickness!)