Legacies Season 2 Interviews: Aria Shahghasemi and Peyton Alex Smith Talk Landon and Rafael

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September 23, 2019

According to Legacies stars Aria Shahghasemi and Peyton Alex Smith, we can expect to see more time spent exploring the classes offered at the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young and Gifted when the series returns for its second season. Teamed up to discuss the new season at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, on-screen BFFs Shahghasemi and Smith showed the friendship in the series carries over off-screen as well.

The CW’s set an October 10, 2019 premiere date for season two. New episodes will air in the 9pm ET/PT timeslot following Supernatural.

What can we expect from season two?

Aria Shahghasemi: “A lot of new, a lot of old. It’s mostly just extrapolating on what we’ve established. We’re going to dive deeper into the school stuff, all the classes. The fun parts of Harry Potter, you know? There’s obviously the story and seeing them in Charms was a lot of fun. We get to do that more.”

Peyton Alex Smith: “We have a lot of new characters coming. Some old from The Vampire Diaries kind of world. Some characters are brand new. That’s going to be exciting.”

Will we see Landon get a little darker after everything that happened at the end of season one? Will he be a little different than he was before?

Aria Shahghasemi: “Certainly. You’re definitely going to see him dealing with the repercussions of what happened. But obviously, he doesn’t know what happened. You’re going to be seeing a lot of Landon just trying to stay above the water.”

Can we expect them to show us more backstories for the characters in season two?

Peyton Alex Smith: “Yeah, definitely. That was something that we asked them. And so, with the 20 episodes we have now, we have more time. Because in the first season, we had a short amount of time to tell his story, my story, Jenny’s story. So now that we have a little more time, I think we’ll be taking our time this season and going through and letting people have an arc.”

Aria Shahghasemi: “They keep teasing us about it. They just keep telling us that they’re going to go into it more and they’re going to explore more. We’ve only gotten four scripts; we’re still getting back for the new season and figuring out what’s going on for the rest of the season. We don’t know necessarily what direction they’re going to go.”

Peyton Alex Smith: “I know that for some characters, they’re going to be different love interests. They’re going to mix things up a bit. We’ll see what happens with that.”

So, even more love triangles?

Aria Shahghasemi: “More knots are tied.”

Peyton Alex Smith: “There’s going to be just new love interests, too. Some of the people who are going to be coming into the school, some of the characters might fall for them and do something with them.”

Aria Shahghasemi: “As people start coming into their own person – Rafael, Landon, Lizzie, and Josie – as everybody grows up, they’re slowly starting to realize what they need and should expect from a relationship because they’re almost adults now.”

Peyton Alex Smith: “As kids, they have no idea what they want.”

Aria Shahghasemi: “They’re filled with all this emotion, but they have these ideas of what it’s supposed to be. It’s complicated.”

After playing Rafael and Landon for one season, what is it you love the most about these guys?

Peyton Alex Smith: “My character is so complex. Like right off the bat, we just had to have such a strong relationship. So, like on the first day on set I’m meeting him and I was like, ‘Julie…’”

Aria Shahghasemi: “His first day on set was like our third day of filming.”

Peyton Alex Smith: “Yeah, I had just flown in from New York. I hadn’t really read the script yet. (Laughing) There was Spanish in it and I was like, ‘No!’ And then I was like, ‘Dude, just take me to the guy who’s supposed to be my brother and my best friend.’ We met and then after that, just going through the journey as we’re growing with the characters, our bond’s growing as well. So that’s kind of been a fun thing to do. It’s kind of helped the acting out a lot.”

Aria Shahghasemi: “I think my favorite part of Landon is how the only strength he has is his emotional connections to everybody. I like that about him that he works so hard to maintain those relationships. He never gives up on Raf; he never gives up on Hope or all the people that he knows in his life.”

Is there anyone in season two you’re hoping you get to play around with a little bit more?

Aria Shahghasemi: “I would love more scenes with Chris (Lee) – Kaleb.”

Peyton Alex Smith: “Same!”

Aria Shahghasemi: “He’s one of our closest friends on set.”

Peyton Alex Smith: “And every time we have a scene together, it’s just a different dynamic just because he’s such a good actor. He’s got this alpha presence and then I’m an alpha male in there so it’s just like… I think we had one scene in, I think, episode five where I stand up and I’m mad. He just stood up there and we had a face-off. That wasn’t even in the script. Different things like that to play around with. That was a lot of fun.”

Legacies Season 2 — Aria Shahghasemi as Landon and Kaylee Bryant as Josie in ‘Legacies’ season 2 (Photo: Quantrell Colbert © 2019 The CW Network)

Are we going to see Rafael get more into being with the werewolves in season two?

Peyton Alex Smith: “It’s interesting because after the last episode, I’m still in werewolf form. I’m running around and I don’t know how long I’ll be in that. I don’t know what my mindset, my psyche, is going to be like when I come back from that.

We’ll have to see if I still want to be an alpha or if I become a bad alpha…or whatever they chose to do with that. I’m excited to see what they have in store for me.”

What went through your mind when you read the first script for season two?

Peyton Alex Smith: “We’re back! I like that they started playing around more with the school aspect, kind of building those relationships.”

Aria Shahghasemi: “I think we can tease this…I think. The first episode is set during the summer after the first year that we saw on the TV show. So, it’s over the course of that summer. And then the second episode is at the beginning of the school year. We basically kind of get to see all of the things that are going on at the Salvatore School when it’s not the Salvatore School necessarily. When I was reading it it feels like you’re watching these secrets that you’re not necessarily supposed to see about these characters, you know? It’s kind of cool.”

Peyton Alex Smith: “You kind of get to see the human side of the supernatural.”

Aria Shahghasemi: “Because they’re not fighting the Malivore monsters yet.”

Peyton Alex Smith: “We just had the big bang and now it’s the first sort of aftermath.”

Aria Shahghasemi: “Like, the whole season starts with the hero/villain question and now that the hero and the villain are gone what are we left with? It’s just us.”

Peyton Alex Smith: “Nobody knows what’s going to happen. Am I coming back? Is Hope coming back? Who’s coming back and going to run the school?”

Aria Shahghasemi: “Do we remember anything? How are we going to remember everything? There’s so many questions that are left unanswered at the end of the first episode. It basically establishes and reinforces the things that we need to get.”

Frozen 2 Trailer Introduces New Characters from the Sequel

By

Rebecca Murray

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September 23, 2019

Walt Disney Animation Studios is celebrating the first day of fall with the release of a new action-packed trailer and new photos from Frozen 2. The lengthy trailer reveals more of the story from the much-anticipated sequel, and the new photos introduce characters who’ll be showing up alongside Elsa and Anna.

Disney’s set to release Frozen 2 in theaters on November 22, 2019.

Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff, and Josh Gad are back as the voices of Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf. The Oscar-winning team of Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck returned to direct the sequel, and Peter Del Vecho is back as a producer. New songs specifically for the sequel were written by Oscar winners Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.

Here’s the scoop on the new characters:

KING AGNARR – The son of King Runeard, King Agnarr is married to Queen Iduna, and is Anna and Elsa’s father. King Agnarr loves his family, and would do anything to ensure his daughters’ wellbeing and safety. Alfred Molina lends his voice to King Agnarr.
YELANA – The unspoken leader of the nomadic Northuldra. She is fiercely protective of her family and community but is known to soften when people show an understanding of nature and their environment. Martha Plimpton was called on to bring Yelana to life.
HONEYMAREN – A member of the Northuldra, Honeymaren is a true free spirit and wants nothing more than to bring peace to the enchanted forest. She is bold and brave, with a reverence for the magic of nature. Rachel Matthews provides the voice of Honeymaren.
RYDER – Eager and fun, Honeymaren’s brother Ryder embraces life with optimism. Ryder’s love of reindeer might just rival Kristoff’s – but unlike Kristoff, Ryder has never roamed the great plains outside of the Enchanted Forest. He longs to embrace the world and venture beyond the magical mist. Jason Ritter lends his voice to Ryder.
BRUNI – Curious and cute, this salamander inhabits the Enchanted Forest. Though shy at first, Bruni can’t help but be drawn to Elsa’s icy magic and enjoys the cool snowflake treats she creates.

The Plot:

“Why was Elsa born with magical powers? The answer is calling her and threatening her kingdom. Together with Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven, she’ll set out on a dangerous but remarkable journey. In Frozen, Elsa feared her powers were too much for the world. In Frozen 2, she must hope they are enough.”

Honeymaren, Ryder and Yelana in ‘Frozen 2’ (Photo © 2019 Disney)

Emmy Winners 2019: Game of Thrones, Fleabag Win Top Prizes

By

Rebecca Murray

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September 23, 2019

Game of Thrones Emmys — Alfie Allen, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage, Gwendoline Christie, Maisie Williams, Carice van Houten, Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington and Sophie Turner from ‘Game of Thrones’ (Photo © 2019 Fox Media LLC)

The hostless 2019 Emmy Awards was a failed experiment that shouldn’t be repeated. Nor should whoever is producing the 2020 Emmy Awards repeat the annoying voice-overs. The only thing that saved this year’s Emmys from being an unwatchable disaster were the terrific (and moving) acceptance speeches of the winners.

HBO’s Game of Thrones received the Outstanding Drama Emmy for the show’s final season, with sentimentality propelling it to a win over better shows including Better Call Saul, Killing Eve, Ozark, Pose, Succession, and This Is Us. On the comedy side, it was a Fleabag sort of night. Fleabag was named Outstanding Comedy and its creator picked up Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Emmy. Harry Bradbeer took home the Outstanding Directing on a Comedy Series Emmy for his work on the critically acclaimed show.

Among a night of memorable speeches, the thank yous delivered by Michelle Williams (Fosse/Verdon), Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Billy Porter (Pose), and Patricia Arquette (The Act) stood out.

Alex Borstein thanked the women involved in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as well as her mother and grandmother. “They are immigrants — they are Holocaust survivors,” said Borstein. “My grandmother was in line to be shot into a pit. She said, ‘What happens if I step out of line?’ He said, ‘I don’t have the heart to shoot you, but somebody will,’ and she stepped out of line. For that, I am here and my children are here. So, step out of line, ladies. Step out of line!”

Patricia Arquette took the opportunity to speak about her sister, Alexis. “In my heart I’m so sad I lost my sister Alexis and that trans people are still being persecuted. I’m in mourning every day of my life, Alexis, and I will be the rest of my life for you until we change the world so that trans people are not persecuted.

And give them jobs. They are human beings. Let’s give them jobs. Let’s get rid of this bias that we have everywhere,” said Arquette.

Billy Porter, the first openly gay black man to win an Emmy as the lead actor in a drama, began his speech by saying he was overwhelmed and overjoyed. “It took many years of vomiting up all the filth that I had been taught about myself and halfway believed before I could walk around this earth like I had the right to be here,” said Porter, quoting James Baldwin. He added, “I have the right. You have the right. We all have the right.”

Michelle Williams used her time on the Emmy stage to campaign for equal pay for equal work.

“Thank you so much to the television academy for this and to the incredible cast and crew who have worked so hard to make this TV show, especially you Sam Rockwell. I know how hard you worked.

I see this as an acknowledgment of what is possible when a woman is trusted to discern her own needs, feel safe enough to voice them, and respected enough that they’ll be heard. When I asked for my dance classes, I heard ‘yes.’ When I asked for more voice lessons, I heard ‘yes.’ A different wig, a pair of fake teeth not made out of rubber, ‘yes.’

And all these things, they require effort and they cost more money, but my bosses never presumed to know better than I did about what I needed in order to do my job and to honor Gwen Verdon.

And so I want to say thank you so much to FX and to Fox 21 Studios for supporting me completely and for paying me equally because they understood that when you put value into a person, it empowers that person to get in touch with their own inherent value and then where do they put that value? They put it into their work.

And so the next time a woman, and especially a woman of color – because she stands to make 52 cents on the dollar compared to her white male counterpart – tells you what she needs in order to do her job, listen to her. Believe her. Because one day she might stand in front of you and say thank you for allowing her to succeed because of her workplace environment and not in spite of it.”

The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards aired on September 22, 2019 on Fox.

71st Primetime Emmy Awards Winners:

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Fleabag

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jodie Comer as Villanelle in Killing Eve

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
Ozark • Reparations, directed by Jason Bateman

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Billy Porter as Pray Tell in Pose

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Julia Garner as Ruth Langmore in Ozark

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
Succession • Nobody Is Ever Missing, written by Jesse Armstrong

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister in Game Of Thrones

OUTSTANDING VARIETY TALK SERIES
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SERIES
Saturday Night Live • Host: Adam Sandler, directed by Don Roy King

OUTSTANDING VARIETY SKETCH SERIES
Saturday Night Live

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY SERIES
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES
Chernobyl

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Michelle Williams as Gwen Verdon in Fosse/Verdon

OUTSTANDING TELEVISION MOVIE
Bandersnatch (Black Mirror)

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Jharrel Jerome as Korey Wise in When They See Us

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Chernobyl, written by Craig Mazin

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Ben Whishaw as Norman in A Very English Scandal

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Chernobyl, directed by Johan Renck

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES
Patricia Arquette as Dee Dee Blanchard in The Act

OUTSTANDING COMPETITION PROGRAM
RuPaul’s Drag Race

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Fleabag in Fleabag

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Bill Hader as Barry in Barry

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
Fleabag • Episode 1, directed by Harry Bradbeer

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
Fleabag • Episode 1, written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alex Borstein as Susie Myerson in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Tony Shalhoub as Abe Weissman in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Miranda Lambert Announces “The Wildcard Tour” Dates

By

Rebecca Murray

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September 20, 2019

Miranda Lambert just announced she’ll be on the road in 2020 with her “The Wildcard Tour.” The tour will be in support of her seventh studio album dropping on November 1, 2019.

Lambert’s currently entertaining fans with her “Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars Tour” which will wrap up this fall. (Dates listed below.)

“The Wildcard Tour” will feature special guests Cody Johnson & LANC. Randy Rogers Band & Parker McCollum will join tour on select dates.

The 27 date tour kicks off on January 16, 2020 in Tupelo, Miss. Stops include Denver, Spokane, Vancouver, Kansas City, and San Diego. The tour concludes on February 27th at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, CA.

“The essence of a wildcard is always having something up your sleeve, in whatever capacity that means to you,” said Lambert. “It is universal. Which is why I’m excited to kick off this tour with an incredible group of talented artists. We’re going to have a blast!”

Tickets for “The Wildcard Tour” go on sale on September 27th at 10am local time. Citi cardmembers can participate in a presale beginning September 24th at 12pm local time.

The official tour announcement confirmed Miranda Lambert will once again be helping out homeless pets while on the road. Per the announcement:

“The tour will feature the return of Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation campaign, Fill the Little Red Wagon presented by Tractor Supply Company. Fans are encouraged to help shelter pets in each tour city by donating dog food, treats, supplies and cash at each venue’s entrance prior to the show. Dog-loving supporters who complete a sign-up form at the donation point will also be entered to win a meet & greet with the Country icon for themselves and a guest.”

“The Wildcard Tour” Dates:

Remaining 2019 “Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars Tour” Dates:

GLOW Will Return for a Fourth and Final Season

By

Rebecca Murray

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September 20, 2019

GLOW Season 3 — A scene from ‘GLOW’ season 3 (Photo Credit: Netflix)

GLOW fans will have one final season to enjoy the award-winning series. Today, Netflix confirmed the Emmy Award-winning drama has been renewed for a fourth season. Unfortunately, the fourth season is also confirmed to be the show’s last.

GLOW creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch are set to return to guide the series for its final season as showrunners, writers, and executive producers. Jenji Kohan, Tara Herrmann, and Mark Burley are also on board to executive produce.

Also returning for the final season are Alison Brie as Ruth Wilder aka Zoya the Destroya; Betty Gilpin as Debbie Egan aka Liberty Belle; and Marc Maron as Sam Sylvia.

The popular drama’s earned 15 Emmy nominations over its first three seasons, winning three. GLOW‘s also picked up seven Screen Actors Guild Award nominations (winning once), two Golden Globe nominations, five Critics’ Choice Award nominations, and three Writers Guild Award nominations.

GLOW Description, Courtesy of Netflix:

“Inspired by the short-lived but beloved show from the 80s, GLOW tells the fictional story of Ruth Wilder (Brie), an out-of-work, struggling actress in 1980s Los Angeles who finds one last chance for stardom when she’s thrust into the glitter and spandex world of women’s wrestling.

In addition to working with 12 Hollywood misfits, Ruth also has to compete with Debbie Eagan (Gilpin) a former soap actress who left the business to have a baby, only to be sucked back into work when her picture-perfect life is not what it seems. And at the wheel is Sam Sylvia (Maron), a washed-up, B-movie director who now must lead this group of women on the journey to wrestling stardom.”

A Look Back at Season 3:

“Season 3 follows the ladies of GLOW as they take the Vegas strip by storm. Now headliners at the Fan-Tan Hotel and Casino, the women quickly realize Sin City is much more grind than glitter. Ever the team cheerleader, Ruth’s passion for the show begins to take a backseat to her growingly complicated personal life.

Debbie is making headway as a producer, but continues to be consumed with guilt over the distance between her and her son. As their residency wears on, the lines blur between performance and reality, and the cast find themselves struggling with their own identities both in and outside of the ring.”

Matt Davis ‘Legacies’ Season 2 Interview May or May Not Be Full of Spoilers

By

Rebecca Murray

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September 20, 2019

Matthew Davis may or may not have divulged a lot of Legacies season two spoilers during our interview at the San Diego Comic-Con. Will Hope be free from the Malivore pit by the end of episode one? Maybe. Will Alaric be replaced at the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young and Gifted? Maybe. Will any of what Matt Davis laid out in our interview play out during Legacies‘ first two episodes of season two? Most definitely.

The CW’s Legacies season two is set to premiere on October 10, 2019. Episodes will air on Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT after Supernatural.

What excites you the most about the new season?

Matt Davis: “I love this new season for a number of reasons that I think are really exciting. There are going to be a whole bunch of new characters. I love the dynamic we find Alaric in. Alaric has been voted off the island, so to speak, and I think he’s been betrayed by the vote. He’s been sort of spending his summer growing a beard and growing his hair out, and just feeling somewhat resentful about the whole experience.

So, we kind of pick up with the new school year. The students are coming back from their summer hiatus. Alaric is still sort of circling and orbiting the school talking to Dorian because he’s trying to put together the mystery of who the missing person is. We know somebody is missing but because our memories have been completely wiped of this person, we don’t know who it is. We sort of are trying to put the pieces back together as to who is missing.

Cut to Hope in Malivore trying to get out.

She may or may not get out of Malivore by the end of the first episode. And she may or may not come back to Mystic Falls as a total stranger that no one recognizes. And so, she may or may not find herself having to navigate people who don’t know her that she knows intimately well. Alaric may or may not become the principal of Mystic Falls High School. And there may or may not be a new headmaster for the Salvatore School, a replacement found by Caroline…maybe. I don’t know! We’ll see.

This may or may not inflame a new rivalry between Mystic Falls High School and the Salvatore School because this may or may not enrage Alaric that he has a competitive counter character in the headmaster at the Salvatore school.

Alaric may or may not meet somebody who’s a beautiful woman who may or may not be the new sheriff of Mystic Falls. Maybe. I don’t know. We’ll see.

Let’s see…what else? His daughters may or may not be pressing him to answer some questions he might be hiding from them about their whole merge. He may be keeping a big secret from them because the answer to the questions that they seek might be a key that could unlock a door to a dimension that may or may not let somebody out that you don’t want out. This person may or may not be related to them.”

Does his name start with K and end with I?

Matt Davis: “I don’t know. I don’t know. So, monsters are still being belched out of the Malivore pit so we will immediately be confronted with the new monster. There are a whole new slew of characters in Mystic Falls High and the Salvatore School.

Hope may or may not get out of the Malivore pit by the end of episode one. Maybe. Maybe Hope and Alaric run into each other under bizarre circumstances hunting a monster and their paths may cross again with Alaric having no idea who she is, only that they clearly have a shared interest in hunting monsters.

They may or may not pair up again in spite of the fact he doesn’t remember her. Maybe.”

Legacies Season 2 Matt Davis — Kaylee Bryant, Matthew Davis, and Aria Shahghasemi in ‘Legacies’ (Photo: Quantrell Colbert © 2019 The CW Network)

How much trouble are you going to be in for maybe all these things that you’re telling us?

Matt Davis: “I don’t know! I was given permission to talk about what I know, so… They send you out to do these things and normally you just can’t talk about it. Like, what’s the point if you can’t talk about what we’re going to do? It’s the execution that matters.

I think that we’ve teed up a great season two. I think it’s going to be much more dynamic than season one, which I love. I thought we did a great job with that. I think you’ll see the relationships change and deepen.

Maybe Landon, since Landon has forgotten about Hope, Landon might be open to meet somebody new. He might start developing feelings for somebody else. Hope, who’s now maybe out of the Malivore pit might watch this from a distance and feel heartbroken because he doesn’t remember who she is. Maybe! I don’t know.”

Do you think Alaric will ever be content?

Matt Davis: “Alaric is definitely the embodiment of the tragic hero. He’s always in that cycle of almost attaining happiness, almost attaining stability, almost attaining love. It’s constantly being snatched out of his hands. He’s sort of like Sisyphus, the character who’s constantly rolling up the rock and it keeps rolling back down over himself. I’m hoping that pattern might get broken this season with this new character who might become his love interest…who’s a single mom with two kids.”

You’ve been teasing a lot of stuff. Will we possibly see some scenes where Alaric is training Landon?

Matt Davis: “Maybe. Maybe. I wouldn’t be surprised. But right now, everything I’ve teased as a possibility is just in the first two, maybe three, episodes.

We’re going to do 20 episodes this season, so we’ve got a lot of distance to cover. Right now, we’re coming out strong. We’re coming out swinging and I think we’re setting ourselves up for a really strong season two.”

Ad Astra Review: Brad Pitt Soars in This Sci-Fi Thriller

By

Kevin Finnerty

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September 20, 2019

“What is happening out there is a crisis of unknown magnitude and we’re counting on you to help us find him. Are you with us?” asks Lieutenant General Rivas (John Ortiz). “Yes, I am sir,” answers Major Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) who’s been chosen to try to make contact with his father, believed to be dead, in the sci-fi thriller, Ad Astra.

After surviving a horrific event, astronaut Roy McBride is selected for a top-secret mission. Powerful and deadly releases of antimatter are threatening to destroy the solar system. The antimatter seems to be coming from the last known coordinates of the Lima Project, a mission to find life on the outer edge of the solar system headed by Clifford McBride, Roy’s father.

16 years ago all contact from the Lima Project went dark and everyone, including Roy’s dad, were believed to have died. Now the top brass at Space Command believe Clifford (Tommy Lee Jones) could be behind the deadly surges. In order to provide answers and save the world, Roy’s tasked with traveling across a dangerous solar system to try to make contact with his father. Roy must find a way to stop the deadly surges by any means necessary.

Captivating and intriguing, Ad Astra is a space epic that focuses more on the space between people and relationships than the space between the planets and stars. It’s 2001: A Space Odyssey meets Apocalypse Now, an impressive film with a standout performance by its star, Brad Pitt.

Pitt delivers his career-best performance as astronaut Roy McBride who ends up questioning everything he believes about his father and how to live life while on this highly dangerous mission. Pitt’s voice-over dialogue lets the audience know exactly what Roy’s really thinking and feeling while his carefully controlled appearance masks his concerns and doubts to those around him. Pitt subtly displays Roy’s emotions of fear, regret, and anger while on the journey. It’s a truly a superb performance.

Cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema does an outstanding job and Ad Astra is visually breathtaking. The opening sequence with Roy on the space antenna and the surge attack is mesmerizing and thrilling. It’s a film that should be seen in IMAX to experience the full effect of the craftsmanship of the filmmaker.

One of the few weaknesses of Ad Astra is its pacing, most notably in the third act which becomes ponderous and tedious. It slows to a crawl and the surprise is predictable.

Still, with Pitt’s terrific performance and its captivating visuals, Ad Astra is an emotional and psychological space epic worth the journey.

GRADE: B

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for some violence and bloody images, and for brief strong language)

Running Time: 124 minutes

Release Date: September 20, 2019

Directed By: James Grey

Studio: 20th Century Fox

The Crown Season 3 Teaser Trailer: Olivia Colman Debuts as Queen Elizabeth

By

Rebecca Murray

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September 20, 2019

Netflix has released the first teaser trailer for The Crown season three, providing viewers with a first-look at Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II. The 30 second teaser features Colman as the Queen posing for photo that when placed next to a profile from her earlier years (brought to life by Claire Foy) will prompt the Queen to refer to herself as an old bat.

Season three of the critically acclaimed biographical drama was written by two-time Academy Award nominee Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon, The Queen). According to Netflix, the upcoming season will focus on Queen Elizabeth II’s life between 1964 and 1977.

In addition to Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II, the cast includes Golden Globe nominee Tobias Menzies (Outlander) as Prince Phillip and two-time Academy Award nominee and Emmy winner Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech, The Wings of the Dove) as Princess Margaret. Ben Daniels (The Exorcist) stars as Lord Snowdon, Josh O’Connor (The Durrells) is Prince Charles, Erin Doherty (Les Misérables) plays Princess Anne, Marion Bailey (Britannia) is The Queen Mother, Charles Dance is Lord Mountbatten, and Jason Watkins (Hold the Sunset) is Prime Minister Harold Wilson.

Season two of the award-winning series starred Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II, Matt Smith as Prince Phillip, John Lithgow as Sir Winston Churchill, Victoria Hamilton as the Queen Mother, Jared Harris as King George VI, Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret, and Dame Eileen Atkins as Queen Mary.

Netflix has set a November 17, 2019 premiere date for the third season of the critically acclaimed series.

The Crown Series Details:

The Crown tells the inside story of two of the most famous addresses in the world — Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street – and the intrigues, love lives and machinations behind the great events that shaped the second half of the 20th century. Two houses, two courts, one Crown.

The third season of The Crown sees a new guard sweep into Downing Street, as Queen Elizabeth (Colman) and her family struggle to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing Britain. From cold-war paranoia, through to the jet-set and the space age – the exuberance of the 1960s and the long hangover of the 1970s – Elizabeth and the Royals must adapt to a new, more liberated, but also more turbulent world.

Supernatural Season 15 Episode 1 Photos: Preview of “Back and to the Future”

By

Rebecca Murray

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September 20, 2019

Photos and plot details have arrived for The CW’s Supernatural season 15 episode one, the beginning of the series’ final season. Episode one was directed by John Showalter from a script by Andrew Dabb. The episode, “Back and to the Future,” will air on October 10, 2019.

Season 15 episodes will air on Thursdays at 8pm ET/PT.

The cast includes Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester, Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, Misha Collins as Castiel, and Alexander Calvert as Jack.

The “Back and to the Future” Plot – THE BEGINNING OF THE END – Picking up here we left off last season, Sam (Padalecki), Dean (Ackles) and Castiel (Collins) are left to defend the world after all the souls in hell have been released and are back on Earth and free to kill again.

Details on Supernatural Season 15, Courtesy of The CW:

“The epic journey of the Winchester brothers comes to a close as Supernatural enters its final season. Sam and Dean and the angel Castiel have conquered monsters, demons, Heaven and Hell, and in the show’s 14th season, the Winchesters grappled with the Archangel Michael possessing Dean.

In a valiant act, Sam and Dean’s surrogate son Jack destroyed his soul to redeem his adoptive father. But this proved to be a fatal error, leading to the accidental death of Mary Winchester. The 14th season also featured the return of John Winchester (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) for the show’s historic 300th episode.

Now, heading into their 15th season, Sam and Dean find themselves facing a threat beyond anything they’ve ever grappled with… anything they’ve ever imagined: God himself.”

Supernatural Season 15 Episode 1 — Jared Padalecki as Sam in ‘Supernatural’ season 15 episode 1 (Photo: Shane Harvey © 2019 The CW Network)

Stumptown Season 1 Episode 1 Photos: Preview of “Forget it Dex, It’s Stumptown”

By

Rebecca Murray

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September 19, 2019

ABC’s new drama Stumptown is set to premiere on September 25, 2019 with an episode titled “Forget it Dex, It’s Stumptown.” The network’s released details on what viewers can expect from the series which premieres with an episode directed by James Griffiths from a script by Jason Richman.

Richman, Ruben Fleischer, and David Bernad produce the series based on the Stumptown graphic novel series written by Greg Rucka and illustrated by Matthew Southworth and Justin Greenwood. Rucka, Southworth, and Greenwood are also involved as producers.

New episodes of season one will air on Wednesdays at 10pm ET/PT.

Cobie Smulders leads the cast as Dex Parios. Jake Johnson plays Grey McConnell, Tantoo Cardinal is Sue Lynn Blackbird, Cole Sibus is Ansel Parios, Adrian Martinez is Tookie, Camryn Manheim plays Lieutenant Cosgrove, and Michael Ealy is Detective Miles Hoffman.

The “Forget it Dex, It’s Stumptown.” Plot – Dex Parios – a strong, assertive and sharp-witted army veteran with a complicated love life, gambling debt and a brother to take care of – works as a PI in Portland, Oregon. With only herself to rely on, she solves other people’s messes with a blind eye toward her own, finding herself at odds with the police and in the firing line of criminals.