Yep, That's Joseph Fiennes as Michael Jackson in the 'Urban Myths' Trailer
Any other day, seeing Ron Weasley as "Hitler's friend" -- with a "Game of Thrones" star playing Hitler -- would be the most eyebrow-raising thing in a trailer. But nope! That honor goes to "Shakespeare in Love" star Joseph Fiennes as Michael Jackson in the new British comedy series "Urban Myths."
Sky Arts in the U.K. recently released a promo for "Urban Myths," which aims to tell "True...ish Stories" about the famous. According to The British Comedy Guide, the eight one-off 30-minute episodes will "look at remarkable stories from well known historical, artistic and cultural figures, which may or may not have happened in real life..."
The recently deceased Carrie Fisher reportedly appears in one of the episodes, too.
You probably heard about the controversial casting of Joseph Fiennes as Michael Jackson in a replay of the (rumored) story that Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor (Stockhard Channing), and Marlon Brando (Brian Cox) took a road trip together shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
You can see a flash of Fiennes's Jackson in this trailer. But that's not all. We also see "Game of Thrones" alum Iwan Rheon as Adolf Hitler -- Ramsay to Hitler, he's typecast now -- plus Rupert Grint of "Harry Potter" fame as "Hitler's friend."
Here's the promo:Yes, that's another "Game of Thrones" star -- Aiden Gillen, aka Littlefinger -- as Timothy Leary.
According to The British Comedy Guide:
"The films include Bob Dylan and Dave Stewart hanging out in Crouch End; an 18 year-old Adolf Hitler attempting to get into art school; Cary Grant and Timothy Leary taking LSD; Salvador Dali summoning Alice Cooper to sit for him; Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson and Marlon Brando going on a road-trip; Samuel Beckett driving Andre The Giant to school; Muhammad Ali saving a suicidal man; and The Sex Pistols and the story behind the infamous expletive-filled TV interview which announced the arrival of punk rock."
The Bob Dylan one appears to air first, on January 19 in the U.K. The Michael Jackson one is said to be in the second batch of episodes probably not airing until April. Head here for more details and dates.
News of the Jackson/Taylor/Brando segment came out around this time last year, billed as "Elizabeth, Michael & Marlon." At the time, Fiennes described the role as a "challenge" but a "fun, light-hearted tongue in cheek road trip of what celebrity of that kind is like. But also it's rather beautiful and poignant about their relationships as well." Sky Arts reacted to controversy over the white actor's casting, saying, in a statement:
"'Elizabeth, Michael & Marlon' is a Sky Arts comedy which takes a light hearted look at a reportedly true event; Joseph Fiennes is cast as Michael Jackson. It is part of a series of comedies about unlikely stories from arts and cultural history. Sky Arts puts the integrity of the creative vision at the heart of all its original commissions and we believe in giving producers the creative freedom to cast roles as they wish, within the diversity framework which we have set."
[via TVLine, British Comedy Guide]
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