In 1995 Braveheart told the story of Scottish hero William Wallace and featured Angus MacFadyen as a young Robert the Bruce, heir to the Scottish throne. Now, 25 years later, MacFadyen reprises his role as Robert the Bruce in a new movie of the same name.
Robert the Bruce is a direct sequel to Braverheart and continues the saga of the Wars of Scottish Independence from King Edward II and England. In episode 53 and 54 of the podcast we talked about the Robert the Bruce, the Battle of Bannockburn and Scottish Independence. If you need a refresher on the subject you can listen to the episodes below.
Robert the Bruce made it’s world premiere at the Edinburgh Film festival in 2019 and released in cinemas in the United Kingdom on 28 June 2019. It was scheduled for release in the United States in April 2020, but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently you can buy the movie on DVD in the UK and USA.
Crackle, the online streaming platform, announced they have the exclusive rights to stream Robert the Bruce. Crackle is a free service and Robert the Bruce will be available to stream for free as well. Robert the Bruce will be available for streaming starting on 01 October 2020.
*Press Release*
Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Announces Historical Drama ‘Robert the Bruce’ Comes to Crackle as AVOD Exclusive October 1 The epic drama that picks up the historical timeline of Braveheart joins the free streaming platform’s growing original and exclusive content library COS COB, Conn., Sept. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE), one of the largest operators of streaming advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) networks, today announced that historical action-drama Robert the Bruce will be exclusively available for free on Crackle beginning Thursday, October 1. The film stars Angus Macfadyen as the title character and explores events in Scotland following the action seen in Mel Gibson’s Oscar-winning film Braveheart where Macfadyen first played the Scottish king. Jared Harris (The Crown) co-stars as Robert the Bruce’s nemesis John Comyn, alongside Anna Hutchison (The Cabin In The Woods), Patrick Fugit (Gone Girl), Zach McGowan (Black Sails), Gabriel Bateman (American Gothic), Talitha Eliana-Bateman (Geostorm), Emma Kenney (Roseanne), Shane Coffey (Pretty Little Liars), and Kevin McNally (Pirates Of The Caribbean). As one of the only AVODs continually adding original and exclusive programming that uplifts, entertains, and inspires audiences, Crackle adds Robert the Bruce alongside original and exclusive titles, including Spides, Corporate Animals, Anything Is Possible - The Serge Ibaka Story, Cleanin’ Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters, The Clearing, and Going From Broke, recently picked up for a second season. Robert the Bruce is distributed in the United States by Screen Media, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment company, and the supplier of exclusive and original content for Crackle Plus. “This Crackle AVOD Premiere of Robert The Bruce is the perfect example of how our close relationship with our sister company, Screen Media, is fast-tracking our ability to offer recent premium content to our audience,” said Philippe Guelton, president of Crackle Plus. In 14th century Scotland, King Robert the Bruce finds himself abandoned, wounded and on the run from the English army. Suffering a disastrous defeat, he takes shelter with a former soldier’s wife (Hutchison) and her children who save his life and nurse him back to health. He becomes a part of their family, and they become the first soldiers in his new army as he sets out to claim the long-awaited freedom of Scotland. Directed by Richard Gray, Macfadyen produced and co-wrote the film with Eric Belgau. “This year marks the 25th anniversary of Braveheart,” said Macfadyen. “It’s been pretty special to reprise the role in Robert the Bruce bringing such a powerful story to life, and Crackle’s audience will see some deeper motivations and new insights into this historical character.” “The inspiring story told in Robert the Bruce is more personal,” said Gray. “Viewers will see how Robert learns more about who he is and what he is fighting for.” “The real-world account of Robert the Bruce freeing Scotland from British rule details one of the most dramatic events in history, and this epic story is made all the more exciting by the elevated scale and level of filmmaking involved in the production,” said Richard De Croce, senior vice president of programming for Crackle Plus. Crackle is available in the U.S. and can be accessed on 26 devices and services including Amazon FireTV, RokuTV, Apple TV, Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Vizio), gaming consoles (PS4 and XBoxOne), Plex, iOS and Android mobile devices and on desktops at Crackle.com. Crackle is also available in approximately 500,000 hotel rooms in the Marriott Bonvoy chain. ABOUT CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL ENTERTAINMENT Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE) operates streaming video-on-demand networks (VOD). The company owns a majority stake in Crackle Plus, a company formed with Sony Pictures Television, which owns and operates a variety of ad-supported and subscription-based VOD networks including Crackle, Popcornflix, Popcornflix Kids, Truli, Pivotshare, Españolflix and FrightPix. The company also acquires and distributes video content through its Screen Media subsidiary and produces original long and short-form content through Landmark Studio Group, its Chicken Soup for the Soul Originals division and APlus.com. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment is a subsidiary of Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC, which publishes the famous book series and produces super-premium pet food under the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand name. ABOUT CRACKLE PLUS Crackle Plus is a video-on-demand (VOD) joint venture formed by Sony Pictures Television and Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE). The company’s consumer facing ad-supported VOD (AVOD) channels include Crackle (US and Canada), Popcornflix, Popcornflix Kids, Truli, Popcornflix Comedy, Frightpix, and Espanolflix. It also owns subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) platform Pivotshare. Crackle Plus reaches over 40 million monthly visitors making it one of the largest AVOD streaming platforms in the U.S. Its content library includes over 79,000 hours of programming. ABOUT SCREEN MEDIA VENTURES, LLC Screen Media Ventures, LLC, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Nasdaq: CSSE) company, acquires the rights to high quality, independent television series and feature films for the US and Canada. Screen Media Ventures acquires worldwide rights for distribution through theatrical, home video, pay-per-view, free, cable and pay television, video-on-demand, and new digital media platforms. The company acquires AVOD rights for third party networks and is the main supplier of content for Crackle Plus and other Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment properties. With a library of over 1,500 television series and motion pictures, Screen Media Ventures is one of the largest independent suppliers of high-quality TV series and motion pictures to U.S. and international broadcast markets, cable networks, home video outlets and new media venues. For more information, visit: www.screenmedia.net
