‘I crave dark humour’: Backstage with… Elle Fanning on season three of The Great
Elle Fanning has graced film screens since the age of three, when she played the younger version of her sister Dakota in I Am Sam.
Since then, Elle has made a name for herself in Hollywood portraying Aurora in Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent, Michelle Carter in The Girl From Plainville and Catherine, Empress of Russia, in The Great.
Nicholas Hoult (L) plays Peter III of Russia. Pic: Lionsgate
Her portrayal of Catherine The Great has earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination in 2022 as well as multiple nods from the Screen Actors Guild, Golden Globes and Critic’s Choice Awards.
Now in its third season, we see Catherine and Peter, played by British star Nicholas Hoult, attempt to make their marriage work after some seemingly irresolvable issues between the couple.
Speaking to Sky’s Backstage podcast, Elle Fanning commended the show’s creator, Tony McNamara, who wrote and executive produced the series.
“What is he going to come up with next? His brain. He’s so genius. He’s so dark as well. Like, Tony, you’re twisted. But he really that’s what it blends so perfectly. He’s such a genius.”
What makes the series stand out compared to other historical dramas is its use of dark humour, allowing storylines to transition from comedic scenes to bloodshed and violence in the blink of an eye.
“I crave that humour,” says Fanning.
“It’s like when there’s a really kind of funny, crazy moment, always turning it on its head and making the audience question and feel something and get emotional about something like right after. So, it’s a balancing act, for sure. But it’s real.”
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This is one of the first times, since appearing in Daddy Day Care when she was four, that Fanning has been able to lean into a more comedic side of acting.
“Living in the comedy space is really fun for me, which was kind of it was different. And now I feel like I’ve settled in and gotten used to that space.”
The Great is very loosely based on the lives of Catherine The Great, Empress of All Russia and her husband Peter III of Russia, who was famously overthrown by his wife and died in captivity.
Fanning with Belinda Bromilow who plays Aunt Elizabeth. Pic: Lionsgate
The previous two seasons picked moments from history as inspiration for the series – and ignored others – so there is a chance that Peter could survive in the fictitious retelling.
Fanning says: “I think this season is also about destiny and fate. A lot of our seasons have been, but maybe this one more so than others.”
Hulu, the production company behind The Great, hasn’t confirmed if there will be a season four of the show, which raises the question for fans of a potential spin-off in its place.
Nicholas Hoult and Elle Fanning in The Great. Pic: Lionsgate
But Fanning doesn’t think it’s likely: “Amongst the cast, we’ve talked about this like, I don’t think it would happen.
“I think I would like to see Marial [Catherine’s friend played by Phoebe Fox] or Aunt Elizabeth [played by Australian actress Belinda Bromilow]. I don’t know. All the women maybe.”
The Great season three is available to stream now on Lionsgate+.
Hear more about it on the latest episode of Backstage – the film and TV podcast from Sky News.
Entertainment
Snoop Dogg becomes co-owner and investor of Swansea football club saying it’s ‘an underdog just like me’
Police are taking no further action over Kneecap’s performance at Glastonbury.
Officers said they had investigated “comments about a forthcoming court case made during Kneecap’s performance” at the festival on 28 June.
However, after Crown Prosecution Service advice, they decided there is not enough evidence “to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence”.
The Avon & Somerset force started investigating the Irish group’s show last month, as well as comments by punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.
It said they were looking at a possible public order incident.
Police said on Friday that the investigation into Bob Vylan’s performance was ongoing.
The London duo were widely criticised – and caused a BBC crisis – after leading on-stage chants of “death to the IDF” (Israel Defence Forces).
Kneecap’s Liam Og O Hannaidh appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in June. Pic: PA
Kneecap posted a photograph on Instagram, which the group said was an email from police announcing the case was being dropped.
They said their packed Glastonbury gig was a “celebration of love and solidarity” and reporting used “wildly misleading headlines”.
Fears over what Kneecap might do or say during the performance had prompted the BBC not to show it live.
The group said: “Every single person who saw our set knew no law was broken, not even close… yet the police saw fit to publicly announce they were opening an investigation.”
“There is no public apology, they don’t send this to media or post it on police accounts,” they added.
The police statement on Friday said they had informed Kneecap of their decision to drop the case.
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One of the group’s members appeared in court in June charged with a terror offence.
Liam Og O hAnnaidh is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK, at a gig last year.
He was released on unconditional bail ahead of a second court appearance in August.
Entertainment
Tomorrowland: ‘Devastating’ blaze destroys main stage at major festival – two days before it was due to begin
A huge fire has destroyed the main stage of a major festival in Belgium – two days before it was due to begin.
Tomorrowland is a dance music event as big as Glastonbury – and David Guetta was due to perform.
Footage showed flames and thick plumes of black smoke engulfing the stage and spreading to nearby woodland on Wednesday.
The fire gutted the main stage
Fire crews attempt to bring the blaze under control
The annual festival in the town of Boom, north of Brussels, is one of the biggest in Europe and attracts about 400,000 people over two consecutive weekends.
It is famous for its immersive and elaborate designs and attracts big names within dance music – including Guetta, best known for tracks When Love Takes Over and Titanium.
Dutch DJs Martin Garrix and Charlotte de Witte were also due to perform, along with the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz and Alok.
Black smoke could be seen rising into the sky
The festival’s website described the creative elements which went into the elaborate main stage.
The theme, described as Orbyz, was “set in a magical universe made entirely out of ice” and “full of mythical creatures”.
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Organisers said no one was injured in the blaze but confirmed “our beloved main stage has been severely damaged”, adding they were “devastated”.
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen added: “We received some truly terrible news today. A fire broke out on the Tomorrowland site … and our main stage was essentially destroyed there, which is truly awful.
“That’s a stage that took years to build, with so much love and passion. So I think a lot of people are devastated.”
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen told reporters ‘a lot of people are devastated’
Despite the fire, Tomorrowland organisers said they were still expecting 38,000 festivalgoers at DreamVille, the event’s campsite.
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