Boy, that Armitage is a busy guy! There are so many projects coming out that that I really want to watch or listen to. The problem is, though, that this is also my busiest time at work. Home has been pretty hectic too, with driving to hockey, homework issues, and an out-of-town guest. And then, for some reason I thought this would be a good time to re-start my diet (5 pounds down so far!) and contribute to a related blog, try out a gym, see a bunch of movies, and also start on a small writing project! What was I thinking! And then last week I also got a summons for potentially two months of jury duty! Luckily, the court has excused me due to my very real work obligations at the time of the trial. Not to mention the loss of income… they pay less than minimum wage… only $20/day for the 1st 10 days and $60/day for remainder of a two-month trial! Phew!

So, here is a prompt to myself (with some handy info for other Canadian fans) on all those Armitage projects I’m currently missing or will potentially miss when they come out (from oldest to newest):

Sleepwalker (Released October 10, 2017):

This movie sounds like something I would really enjoy, and not just for the Armitage eye candy. Ahna O’Reilly stars as a woman plagued by sleepwalking and nightmares who checks into a sleep clinic under the care of sleep researcher, Scott White (Armitage). The line between reality and dreams is blurred, and the synopsis describes the chain of events as Twilight-Zone-esque. I’ve been trying to figure out how to watch it in Canada since it didn’t come to theatres and it isn’t on any Canadian site that I can see. However, apparently it is available for download on Amazon US and on iTunes US for $12.99 USD ($16.34 CAD). (It’s possible to temporarily change the store associated with your iTunes account to purchase and download an item in the US store.)

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (Released October 24, 2017):

This Armitage narration of the famous Robert Louis Stevenson book was released by Audible just in time for Halloween. I’m quite interested in hearing this one. Again, one of the things that prevented me from listening to it at the time was the difficulty in finding it easily on Canadian sites. Choices in Canada that I’ve found are:

• Purchase from Audible UK for £19.99 ($34.79 CAD) or Audible US for $21.31 USD ($26.81 CAD).
• Sign up for a 30-day free trial with one of the above sites, giving you one free audiobook and after which you can cancel. Or you can continue with a subscription, giving you to one credit per month, for a monthly fee of £7.99 ($13.90 CAD) or $14.95 USD ($18.99 CAD), depending on the site. (There is a Canadian Audible site, but it does not have this Armitage narration.)
• Purchase from iTunes US for $14.95 USD ($18.99 CAD). (Again, the Canadian iTunes site does not have the Armitage narration.)

Looks like the best bet would be the free trial or the iTunes US purchase. (I wonder if you can get a free trial on more than one Audible site. Although I would assume that one site is the limit.)

Wanderlust (Released February 2, 2018):

I’m not really into the romance genre, although I do read some women’s fiction. This one seems to be modern romance with a fair bit of steamy sex (some solo; some couple) thrown in. An American woman (narrated by Grace Grant) goes to Paris to work on a perfume formula and works at close quarters with her British translator (narrated by Richard Armitage). Based on the various reviews I’ve seen on Armitage blogs (such as Perry’s review on Armitage Agonistes) and on the preview of one of Blakely’s other books that I read myself, I’m pretty sure I won’t find this gripping. But I may want to take a listen just because it is so unlike anything Armitage has done before. For the record, Audible UK has it for £28.09 ($48.88 CAD) and Audible US for $29.95 USD ($37.68 CAD). This one actually is available from Audible Canada, but strangely it costs $40.26 CAD, more than on the US site! But it seems like the best deal is on iTunes Canada for $25.95 CAD.

The Martian Invasion of Earth (Released February 8, 2018):

This is a radio play type of adaptation of HG Wells’ War of the Worlds, scripted by Nicholas Briggs. Armitage plays Herbert, the narrator, with Lucy Briggs-Owen playing his wife, Amy. The excerpt I heard on the Big Finish podcast (at about 1:13) sounded quite interesting and I’m looking forward to a good old-fashioned radio play! This one is only available on the Big Finish website, but the download price is quite reasonable at $12.99 CAD.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz (Coming February 20, 2018):

Australian Heather Morris wrote this novel based on the true story of Lale Sokolov, also known as the Tattooist of Auschwitz, and his wife Gita, who he met in the concentration camp as he tattooed her number on her arm. I’m not sure I am really interested to hear this narrated — it might be better as a print book if I read it at all. But, just in case, it will be available on Audible UK for £34.99 ($60.88 CAD) or Audible US for $37.30 USD ($46.93 CAD). Too rich for my blood as a one-off purchase! This one also is not available on the Canadian site. [ETA: Now available at Audible Canada for $47.83 CAD.]

Wolverine: The Long Night (Coming March 12, 2018):

I am so, so excited about this — Richard Armitage as Logan/Wolverine (the Marvel role made famous by Hugh Jackman) in a police drama radio play. People are dying violently in Burns, Alaska, and it may be that the man who runs with the wolves and is suffering from amnesia is responsible. The preview sounds amazing! The podcast will be on Stitcher Premium, which is free for the first month with the code MARVEL. Not sure whether all the episodes drop at once or whether a subscription beyond the month would be needed. The subscription cost is $4.99/mo or $34.99/yr USD.

Ocean’s 8 (Coming June 8, 2018):

A star-studded cast of women lead by Sandra Bullock is bringing us a new instalment of the Ocean’s heist franchise, this time focusing on Danny Ocean’s sister, Debbie. Armitage plays an art dealer who seems to be the mark and/or unwilling helper in the caper. Looks like this will be a lot of fun — and for the first time in a long time, one of Armitage’s movies is going to appear in North American theatres! Can’t wait!

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So, lots to catch up on and look forward to, if I ever have the time. Oh, and I also have a copy of the 2005 thriller, Frozen, on a Region 2 DVD coming from Amazon. So, that will be a new-to-me Armitage role, in a movie that again sounds right up my alley, with a mysterious disappearance and a portal to the afterlife that may or may not be real.