“All right, what’s the matter, partner?” asks Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). “It’s official, old buddy…I’m a has-been,” replies Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) after a meeting with a Hollywood producer has Dalton thinking his best days of acting are behind him in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
The year is 1969 and Rick Dalton, the former star of a popular Western television series, is struggling to reinvigorate his career by guest starring in TV pilots. He’s even considering going to Italy to make Spaghetti Westerns. His best friend, chauffeur, and stunt double Cliff Booth spends his days and nights driving Dalton to sets, running errands for him, and trying to keep his ego from hitting rock bottom.
Living next door to Dalton is film director Roman Polanski and his wife, the gorgeous actress Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) whose career is on the rise. Dalton confesses to Booth one evening as he’s being driven home that maybe one night he’ll be invited to one of Polanski’s parties and that would be it, career restarted.
As Dalton struggles on a set to play a villain in a popular TV show, Booth drives around in Dalton’s Cadillac Coupe DeVille. He picks up a cute young hippie hitchhiker (Margaret Qualley) who he’s seen – and smiled at – before. She asks him to take her to the Spahn movie ranch in Chatsworth where she lives with other hippies. She’s excited for Booth to meet her friend Charlie Manson but finds out he’s already off on a road trip.
Booth, who has a bad feeling about the group of people his new hitchhiker friend’s hanging out with, decides to check things out. He’s not there long before he makes a wise decision and takes his leave of the place.
As Dalton tries to save what’s left of his career under the watchful eye of his long-time best friend, he and Booth – along with Sharon Tate – are set on a collision course to a bloody and murderous night in Hollywood that will change their lives forever.
Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood uses revisionist history to create a love letter to the golden age of Hollywood. With skillful craftsmanship, incredible period costumes, and outstanding set design, Tarantino working in collaboration with production designer Barbara Ling and set decorator Nancy Haigh have managed to bring back to life 1969 Hollywood in all its glory. It’s a monumental achievement likely to earn technical year-end award nominations.
Leonardo DiCaprio delivers an effective, high-strung performance as Rick Dalton, a once promising TV action star whose career is now headed into a downward spiral fueled by self-doubt and desperation. DiCaprio’s Dalton is a whiny, self-absorbed, semi-talented man who’s starting to face the fact he will never be as good as he thought he would be.
Brad Pitt delivers one of his best performances to date as the cool, not quick to anger best friend and stunt double who wouldn’t have any kind of career in Hollywood if it wasn’t for his friendship with Dalton. Pitt’s Cliff Booth is the rock Dalton leans on both to keep him grounded and to get his ego boost when he needs it. Pitt and DiCaprio have solid chemistry together and come off as old best friends who are as close as brothers and just as loyal, always looking out for each other in difficult situations.
Margot Robbie shines as Sharon Tate, the sweet, bubbly, and very likeable wife of Roman Polanski whose acting career is just getting off the ground. Robbie perfectly captures Tate’s innocence and kind nature as well as her love of music and fun. One of the film’s weaknesses is that Robbie doesn’t get enough screen time as Tate.
Clocking in at around two and a half hours, the film does start to lose some of its momentum and interest early in the third act. Fortunately, Tarantino gets it back on track as it becomes suspenseful and intense while building to a climax.
With superb set and production design, engaging performances, and a fantastic soundtrack (a Tarantino trademark), Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood does a terrific job of entertaining the audience while paying tribute to an era in filmmaking and Hollywood that’s long since disappeared.
GRADE: B
MPAA Rating: R for language throughout, some strong graphic violence, drug use, and sexual references
Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally, and Sean Hayes star in ‘Will & Grace’ (Photo by Meghan Connor / NBC)
Bad news for fans of smart comedies… NBC announced Will & Grace will come to an end after its upcoming 11th season. The network confirmed the series starring Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally, and Sean Hayes will finish up with season 11 which is set to premiere in 2020.
“When NBC had the opportunity to reconnect this amazing cast and creative team, we jumped at the chance. The impact and legacy of Will & Grace simply can’t be overstated, both as a true game-changer in the portrayal of the LGBTQ community and as one of the finest comedies in television history. A huge thank you to Max, David, Jimmy and a cast that is second to none for their brilliance over an incredible run,” said George Cheeks and Paul Telegdy, Co-Chairmen, NBC Entertainment.
The award-winning half-hour comedy will have aired 246 episodes by the time the season 11 finale airs. The series has earned 91 Emmy Award nominations, winning 18. It’s also earned seven Screen Actors Guild Awards along with seven GLAAD Awards and a Directors Guild of America award.
Executive producers Max Mutchnick, David Kohan and James Burrows issued a lengthy statement about the decision to end the show after season 11:
“We think of the Will & Grace reboot episodes the way Karen Walker thinks of martinis – 51 is not enough, 53 is too many. That is why, after consulting with the cast, we all have decided this will be the final season of Will & Grace.
In 2016, Bob Greenblatt came to us with the idea of doing a 10-episode reboot of Will & Grace. They say you can’t go home again, but we did. And now, three seasons and 52 episodes later, we’re even more proud of something we never thought we’d get a chance to do again. We have had a once-in-a-lifetime experience twice. And for that, we owe a double debt of gratitude to NBC, this show’s supportive and caring home since day one.
It’s been the highlight of our careers to write for and direct four incredible artists who we consider to be the finest and funniest ensemble sitcom cast of all time – Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally, and Sean Hayes.
Of course, actors as brilliant as these four are only as good as the words they’re given. The Will & Grace writing room has been a dream team that has consistently lifted the show to heights we never could have achieved on our own with their collective humor, warmth, and humanity.
The hardest part about making this decision is saying goodbye to our outstanding production team and crew who, over two decades, brought passion and artistry to every department. If we had just one more season, we would have learned their names. So, thank you Handlebar Mustache, Cheese Lady, and Cargo Shorts #1 – #12. We will always think of you as family.
And finally, our deepest gratitude goes to each and every Will & Grace fan across the world. It was a privilege to make you laugh.”
Ashleigh Cummings, Zachary Quinto, Joe Hill, and Jami O’Brien at the ‘NOS4A2’ Comic-Con press conference (Photo Credit: Rebecca Murray / Showbiz Junkies)
AMC hosted a press conference for season one of NOS4A2 at the the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con. Cast members Zachary Quinto (“Charlie Manx”) and Ashleigh Cummings (“Vic McQueen”) were joined by novelist Joe Hill and showrunner Jami O’Brien to discuss the show’s first season run and to tease what might be coming in season two. Although the official announcement that the show had been renewed wasn’t made until after the press conference concluded, it was fairly obvious the series would be sticking around from the hints dropped by the NOS4A2 gang.
Season one is currently airing on Sundays at 10pm ET/PT. AMC hasn’t set a premiere date for the just-announced second season.
Is there a character who’s become more of a breakout character than you expected them to be?
Joe Hill: “Wow, way to hit me with a really tough question at the start! I mean, I wouldn’t want to play favorites with the performances because I think everyone really poured their heart and soul into it and it shows on the screen. We have a complete newcomer in Jahkara Smith who plays Maggie Leigh, and Maggie Leigh is a little bit of a fan favorite from the book. I think Jahkara brought so much fun to the role and is so exciting. Her scenes with Ashleigh play like Butch and Sundance. So, that kind of feels like…because it’s her first thing, you know…that kind of feels a little bit like a breakout sort of performance.”
The relationship between Charlie and the Wraith is fascinating. Will we find out more about what it is that established the connection?
Zachary Quinto: (Laughing) “For me, the Wraith is the real breakout performance this season – temperamental lady that she is, actually. It was fun to work with that car. Challenging in some ways. But yeah, if we get a chance to tell more stories I think the relationship between Charlie and the Wraith is a great source of really interesting narrative possibilities. You know, Joe in addition to writing NOS4A2 the novel also wrote a graphic novel called The Wraith which is really all about Charlie’s relationship with the car and the backstory. You learn a lot about Charlie in that book in particular. The two pieces were really companions for me as I was getting ready to shoot and sort of diving into who the character is.
The car is an extricable part of who Charlie is and Charlie is an extricable part of who the car is. And so I joke but it actually is a kind of character in its own right.”
Did you do any of your own stunt work, Ashleigh?
Ashleigh Cummings: “Nope.”
Did you want to?
Ashleigh Cummings: (Laughing) “Yep.”
Joe Hill: “That’s not quite true. Now, episode nine and 10 run real hard and Ashleigh took a beating filming those last two episodes. She got burnt and busted before it was over. She half-blinded herself and pulled her arm out of her socket.”
Zachary Quinto: “The exciting thing to be working with Ashleigh right now is like she’s at this moment in her career here in the States where she’s really emerging in such an incredible way. And to watch her passion for what she does and to see… I’ve been around the block and to see somebody so young and fresh and stepping into themselves in such a powerful way is such a great part of this experience.
She has The Goldfinch coming out in October and just has a lot of really exciting and interesting things happening right now, and is so committed to her work and to her life as an actress – and to her life just as a person. The balance in someone as young as she is is really impressive. So, she’s been remarkable to work with and to watch work. I know she really, really wanted to ride that dirt bike throughout the first season and there were some insurance hurdles that we couldn’t quite clear. But she’s really the kind of young actress who will literally throw herself at or into anything that she’s allowed to. It’s really cool to be a part of that with her.”
Ashleigh Cummings as Vic McQueen and Zachary Quinto as Charlie Manx in ‘NOS4A2’ (Photo Credit: AMC)
What was your favorite part about playing Charlie?
Zachary Quinto: “I haven’t done an adaptation like this before and so I really loved the process of working on the character from the perspective of the book. And, as I said, not just NOS4A2 but also The Wraith. And then seeing how that was filtered through Jami’s point of view. The scripts were all really complex and compelling and interesting.
I was a little resistant at first. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go down this road again of playing this sort of archetypal supernatural villain. I have done it a couple of times in the past, and I think this will probably be the last time for me to do it for a while after I’m done with this run on NOS4A2. But it was an interesting kind of bookend, right, starting with Sylar and going through Thredson and now coming to this. They’re each very different but also there’s echoes.
Anyway, all of that stuff was interesting to me. I felt like it was part of the continuum. And the transformation of the character – the physical and vocal transformation – was a way that I was able to explore a whole other dimension of the character that I’ve never explored, no matter where they’ve fallen on an ethical spectrum. Those were the hallmarks of what made this really appealing to me. And, the people. It’s such a great group of people, really. Everybody is incentivized to do their best work and with a really good attitude. We have a great crew, great cast, and it’s just a great vibe on the show.”
Was there anything in particular in Vic’s personality you really enjoyed delving into?
Ashleigh Cummings: “Yeah, great question. I think I’m not a very combative person and Vic isn’t initially in our series. We kind of get to a point where she starts to find her voice and she uses it the best way she knows how to. Whilst I don’t feel that I’ve become combative as a result of playing Vic…my boyfriend might disagree…but I do feel that I’ve gotten my own voice in a different way.
I think prior to the show I was someone who…I’ve been raised to engage my empathy wherever I can. I think sometimes what I didn’t do was hold people accountable because I would always look towards their backstory and they’re a product of their nature or nurture and how can you really blame someone for the things they do. It’s finding the root cause of why people do the things they do and why they are the way they are. But what I learned is you can be empathetic and you can love someone and appreciate where they come from but still hold them accountable. That’s something that has been an enormous lesson for me throughout the show. I do feel like I’ve gained an inner strength through playing Vic. As an actor you do grow and evolve through your characters.”
Can we expect to see more Christmasland?
Jami O’Brien: “My hope is that we get more seasons and if we do, I think that we will see probably a lot more Christmasland. Fingers crossed.”
What was one of the things you were excited to see come to life from the book?
Joe Hill: (Laughing) “Christmasland.”
Jami O’Brien: “Christmasland. The bridge I was really excited about. I thought it was so vividly drawn in the book and I thought that our production designer did a phenomenal job of designing it and building it. He got some help from the VFX team on it as well. I just couldn’t be prouder of how it turned out. All of the kind of fantastical worlds I think were really fun for us – the dark tunnels, Jolene’s world was really fun. I love the car.”
Joe Hill: “The moon. I love that big crazy Charlie moon. It throws the big wink and I thought that was cool. I always wanted to see that.”
Jami O’Brien: “The Scrabble bag I think is really cool.”
The series is very dark and creepy. How do you deal with the young actors on the set?
Zachary Quinto: “First of all, because I deal with the kids a lot in a creepy setting and scenario, it was super important to me that the kids were well tended to and taken care of. I have to say as a real testament to our producers and to the production in general, the well being of those kids was like number one priority.
I think making sure that they were very clear about the differences between reality and imagination, that they had the opportunity to come by the makeup trailer while I was getting ready. They got to feel like they were part of the process. […] And then for some of the more intense or gruesome stuff that happens later in the season there was a child psychologist that was brought in to work with all the kids, talk to all the kids. I had a lot of respect for the way that was handled on our show. I feel like it’s a real testament to the integrity of our producers and to the nature of AMC to make sure that the environment is safe and that the most vulnerable participants in any aspect of any season of a show are taken care of and they feel engaged and looked out for.”
Jeff Bridges will star in ‘The Old Man’ (Photo Courtesy of FX)
Oscar winner Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart) has committed to starring in FX’s The Old Man, an upcoming dramatic series based on the Thomas Perry novel. According to the network, production on The Old Man will begin this fall. FX has not announced a targeted premiere date.
Jon Steinberg and Robert Levine are adapting Perry’s novel and will executive produce with Jeff Bridges, Warren Littlefield, Dan Shotz, and David Schiff. Steinberg, Shotz, and Levine previously collaborated on Starz’s pirate action-adventure series, Black Sails.
“Jeff Bridges is an iconic, extraordinary actor, and to have him as the star of this series is an incredible moment for FX,” stated Nick Grad, Co-President, Original Programming, FX Entertainment. “Jon Steinberg and Robert Levine have delivered an amazing pilot script and Jeff is perfect for the role of Dan Chase. We’re also happy to be working with Warren Littlefield, with whom we’ve had such a terrific partnership on Fargo, along with our partners at Fox 21.”
“Jeff Bridges is one of the most important actors of his generation. John Landgraf, Eric Schrier, Gina Balian, Nick Grad and their team at FX have built a home for content of unparalleled quality. Bert Salke and his team at Fox 21 have developed a sterling track record for generating said content. And Warren Littlefield has forgotten more about making great television than we will ever know. To call this a project a dream opportunity for us is almost certainly a gross understatement,” said writer/executive producer Steinberg.
The Old Man is a Fox 21 Television Studios production in association with The Littlefield Company.
Jeff Bridges’ notable film credits include The Fabulous Baker Boys, The Last Picture Show, Hell or High Water, Bad Times at the El Royale, and the iconic role as “The Dude” in The Big Lebowski.
The Plot:
“Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Thomas Perry, The Old Man centers on ‘Dan Chase’ (Bridges) who absconded from the CIA decades ago and has been living off the grid since. When an assassin arrives and tries to take Chase out, the old operative learns that to ensure his future he now must reconcile his past.”
The much-anticipated, long-awaited Zombieland sequel, Zombieland: Double Tap, has just released an official trailer and poster along with a handful of photos. The original zombie comedy arrived on October 2, 2009 and grossed $24 million over its first weekend in theaters, domestically. The R-rated horror comedy went on to ring up $102 million worldwide before exiting theaters.
The Zombieland sequel will hit theaters on October 18, 2019, a decade after the first film.
Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer (Venom) returns, reuniting with screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Deadpool). Gavin Polone produces and Fleischer, Wernick, Reese, Rebecca Rivo, and David Bernad executive produce. Fleischer’s behind the scenes team includes director of photography Chung-hoon Chung, editor Dirk Westervelt, production designer Martin Whist, and costume designer Christine Wada.
Returning cast members include Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, and Emma Stone. Rosario Dawson, Zoey Deutch, Luke Wilson, Thomas Middleditch, and Avan Jogia join the zombie hunters for the 2019 sequel.
The Plot:
In the sequel, written by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick and Dave Callaham, through comic mayhem that stretches from the White House and through the heartland, these four slayers must face off against the many new kinds of zombies that have evolved since the first movie, as well as some new human survivors. But most of all, they have to face the growing pains of their own snarky, makeshift family.
Madison (Zoey Deutch), Wichita (Emma Stone), Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) and Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) in Columbia Pictures’ ‘Zombieland: Double Tap’ (Photo by Jessica Miglio)Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), Wichita (Emma Stone), Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) and Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) in Columbia Pictures’ ‘Zombieland: Double Tap’ (Photo by Jessica Miglio)Tallahassee (Woody Harrelso) and Nevada (Rosario Dawson) in Columbia Pictures’ ‘Zombieland: Double Tap’
The penultimate episode of CBS’s summer action adventure series, Blood & Treasure, is set to air on Tuesday, July 30, 2019 at 10pm ET/PT. Titled “Legacy of the Father,” season one episode 12 was directed by Steve Boyum from a script by Matthew Federman and Stephen Scaia (story by David Jurmain).
Episode 12’s guest stars include David Paetkau, John Sargeant, Jon McLaren, Paniz Zade, Said Michailidis, Catherine Berube, Annick Bourassa, Olivier Rousseau, Koumba Ball, and Massimo Ruggiero.
The cast is led by Matt Barr (Valor) as Danny McNamara and Sofia Pernas (The Brave) as Lexi Vaziri. Michael James Shaw is Aiden Shaw, Katia Winter is Gwen Karlsson, James Callis is Simon Hardwick, Oded Fehr is Karim Farouk, Alicia Coppola is Dr. Anna Castillo, and Mark Gagliardi plays Father Chuck. Antonio Cupo, Tony Nash, and Mohamed El Husseini play recurring roles in season one.
The “Legacy of the Father” Plot – As Hardwick helps Danny and Lexi try to outmaneuver the Brotherhood, Danny learns shocking revelations that shatter everything he thought he knew about his past.
The Season 1 Plot, Courtesy of CBS:
“Blood & Treasure is a globe-trotting action-adventure drama about a brilliant antiquities expert and a cunning art thief who team up to catch a ruthless terrorist who funds his attacks through stolen treasure. Danny McNamara is a former FBI agent specializing in stolen arts and antiquities. Lexi Vaziri is a resourceful art thief who is haunted by the tragic loss of her father, which she blames on Danny. When terrorist Karim Farouk absconds with a priceless artifact and kidnaps Danny’s mentor, Dr. Anna Castillo, Danny recruits Lexi to help him bring Farouk to justice and rescue Anna.
As they chase down Farouk, they encounter unscrupulous individuals who may either be useful allies or dangerous enemies, including Aiden Shaw, an arms dealer who acts solely in his self-interest, and Simon Hardwick, an expert at procuring pilfered artifacts. Danny and Lexi are assisted by Father Chuck, a childhood friend of Danny’s who works at the Vatican Foreign Ministry in Rome.
Their hunt draws the attention of Interpol agent Gwen Karlsson, who wants Farouk brought to justice, but won’t allow Danny and Lexi to break international laws in the process. As they crisscross the world hunting their target, Danny and Lexi unexpectedly find themselves at the center of a 2,000-year-old battle for the cradle of civilization.”
CBS All Access’ upcoming dark comedy series Why Women Kill has just released an official trailer and three gorgeous character posters. The new posters feature series stars Lucy Liu (Elementary), Ginnifer Goodwin (Once Upon a Time), and Kirby Howell-Baptiste (The Good Place).
Season one’s cast also includes Jack Davenport (Next of Kin), Sam Jaeger (Tell Me a Story), Reid Scott (Vice), Alexandra Daddario (When We First Met), Sadie Calvano (Melissa & Joey), Leo Howard (Santa Clarita Diet), Alicia Coppola (Blood & Treasure), and Katie Finneran (The Looming Tower).
Why Women Kill comes from Marc Cherry (Desperate Housewives, Devious Maids) and is executive produced by Cherry, Imagine’s Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo, and Acme Productions’ Michael Hanel and Mindy Schultheis. Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer, The Amazing Spider-Man) directed the series premiere and also executive produces.
The comedy/drama will premiere on August 15, 2019, with new episodes arriving on Thursdays.
The Plot:
Why Women Kill details the lives of three women living in three different decades: a housewife in the ‘60s, a socialite in the ‘80s and a lawyer in 2019, each dealing with infidelity in their marriages. The series will examine how the roles of women have changed, but how their reaction to betrayal…has not.
Lucy Liu stars as Simone, a woman described as elegant, stylish, and effervescent. She’s the picture of urbane confidence, moving through the world as if it were a delightful movie starring herself. Smugly superior, a woman for whom appearances mean everything, she thrives on shopping and throwing parties, seemingly happily married to her indulgent husband, Karl, who thinks she is simply fabulous. However, despite nagging premonitions, Simone is devastated, her world upended, when she learns that Karl has been cheating on her.
HBO has confirmed the television adaptation of Watchmen will arrive on the premium service in October 2019. Season one of the drama will kick off with an episode directed by Nicole Kassell and written by series creator Damon Lindelof (Lost, The Leftovers). Emmy Award winner Lindelof and Kassell also executive produce.
The Watchmen series is adapted from what’s considered to be one of the greatest graphic novels ever penned. The award-winning, groundbreaking graphic novel was written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. The series is produced by White Rabbit in association with Warner Bros. Television. Tom Spezialy, director Stephen Williams, and Joseph Iberti serve as executive producers.
Season one will feature Oscar winner Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk) as Angela Abar, who wears two masks; one as a lead detective in The Tulsa Police Force and another as wife and mother of three. Oscar winner Jeremy Irons (Reversal of Fortune) plays the aging and imperious Lord of a British Manor. Golden Globe winner Don Johnson (Miami Vice) is Tulsa Chief of Police Judd Crawford and Emmy Award winner Jean Smart (Samantha Who?) stars as FBI Agent Laurie Blake.
Tim Blake Nelson stars in season one as Detective Looking Glass. Oscar winner Louis Gossett Jr. (An Officer and a Gentleman) is Will Reeves; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays Cal Abar, and Tom Mison is Mr. Phillips. Frances Fisher plays Jane Crawford, Sara Vickers is Ms. Crookshanks, and Hong Chau is mysterious trillionaire Lady Trieu. Andrew Howard, Jacob Ming-Trent, Dylan Schombing, and James Wolk also appear in season one.
The Plot:
“Set in an alternate history where masked vigilantes are treated as outlaws, Watchmen, from executive producer Damon Lindelof, embraces the nostalgia of the original groundbreaking graphic novel of the same name, while attempting to break new ground of its own.”
Regina King stars in ‘Watchmen’ (Photo by Mark Hill / HBO)
Fox’s bizarre What Just Happened??! With Fred Savage half-hour series is one of the summer’s most meta comedies. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to name a single series released in the past couple of years to which the “meta” label so perfectly applies.
The series features Fred Savage as the host of a Talking Dead-type aftershow that focuses on a non-existent series, The Flare. The aftershow pulls in members of The Flare cast as well as recognizable guest stars to share their thoughts on the series that, again, doesn’t actually exist.
Savage was joined by The Flare actors Shiri Appleby, Tyler Ritter, and Kevin Zegers at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con where they did their best to explain how they approached their characters.
Shiri Appleby described the pitch for the show as Fred calling and asking to meet for coffee. He didn’t even need to describe the series for Appleby to agree to What Just Happened??!. She initially wasn’t sure what she was getting herself into, but now says the series is her dream job. “I didn’t really know what was going on and I got to wear my own clothes – and it was pretty mellow,” said Appleby.
“Shiri was in the pilot for us and to build a show on the foundation of a show that doesn’t exist, that foundation has to be as solid as you can make it,” explained Savage. “We needed to get someone for that show who was a phenomenal actress, someone who instantly brings credibility and gravitas to a project, and someone who you’re just genuinely fans of. And Shiri just checked all those boxes.”
Appleby was the first person Savage and the creative team thought of when casting the series. “I just couldn’t believe she agreed to do it,” said Savage. “She was our first yes, and that just sent us on our way.”
The make-believe series The Flare has a lot of fans among viewers and among the What Just Happened??! cast. “We really want to make The Flare. We really want the show The Flare to be its own show, but that’s what’s been so fun about it is you can just put stakes into it and commit to it and you didn’t have to shot the last 30 minutes,” said Appleby, laughing.
“Doing one scene at a time allows you a lot of freedom. Things don’t necessarily have to track,” confirmed Savage. He also revealed an added benefit is it means they can be super flexible with actors’ work schedules.
Because there aren’t any real specific beats to hit, the actors aren’t always sure what their lines mean. “You’re like saying lines like, ‘Wake up,’ and you’re like, ‘Wake up from what? Why is he sleeping? What do I need him to wake up for?’ It could be anything. The possibilities are endless,” explained Appleby.
When casting the series, pulling in guest stars, and gathering the behind the scenes team, Fred Savage’s mantra was, “I want people we don’t deserve. In front of the camera, behind the camera, people that we can’t get…people that you’d say you’re crazy to ask them to come do it. But that’s what I wanted. That was the mantra.”
Savage has nothing but compliments for the cast and their dedication to the project and to delving into the world without the normal amount of information on their characters. “For any other actors in lesser hands, they probably wouldn’t care what the shows about, show up and read lines, fake it. But all of these characters have really found – sometimes we write it in the scenes – but a lot of times the homework was left to them to figure out why.”
Check out the video featured above for the complete interview with Fred Savage and Shiri Appleby. They discuss more about The Flare, the guest stars, and having Avengers: Endgame spoiled before it was released. (It ties into What Just Happened??! since the running gag is that Savage’s host character always has upcoming episodes spoiled.)
EPIX’s Pennyworth delves into the life of Alfred Pennyworth (played by Jack Bannon) in the decades before he became Batman’s butler. The series explores Alfred’s introduction to Thomas Wayne, Bruce’s dad, and fills in details as to how Alfred learned to defend himself and what his world was like prior to his employment with the Waynes.
The series is set in London in the 1960s, but it’s a very stylized, reimagined version of the place and time period. Series creator Danny Cannon says part of the reason he was so interested in telling this story was the opportunity to set it in London, which had never had a DC do-over.
“Everything in the design of this show is slightly different,” explained Cannon. “If you looked at what reality was and then said, ‘What if this happened in history?’ What if these things had happened? What if there was still an armed police force, etc?’ All of that look came from there, just trying to be different, again, and create a world people would want to go to, almost like our ideal London.”
When asked what makes Jack Bannon the perfect Alfred Pennyworth, Cannon replied, “Myself and Bruno (Heller) were working on this for a year before anybody came in to cast, and it’s an impossible thing for any actor to walk into that room. I think he walked into it five times. I think he was auditioning for five months, basically, because the lead character needs to inhabit that part. That part needs to go to him because he knows it better than you. So I think that was just a question of getting to know somebody for a long time, because so much of what we rely on now is what Jack is.
I mean, when we were trying the costumes on for the first time – and it had been a long, arduous journey for him – but he put that suit on and we pushed his hair back, and then he walked from the wardrobe racks to the camera. I said, ‘Put the camera on him now,’ and I opened the stage door where we were. He did the walk and he looked like Caine, and the suit made him walk better. I said to him, ‘Confidence, confidence, confidence, whatever happens.’ I said, ‘That calming nature of someone whose shoulders are always down and the way that you could talk to a gardener or the Queen exactly the same way, that’s him. And that shot that I did of him in that test is in the main titles at the end when he walks towards it. I stole that and then animated it.”
Cannon added, “That’s how much we love him.”
In our interview with Jack Bannon at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, he discussed finding his way into the character and what he latched onto in playing Alfred Pennyworth. Pennyworth is set to premiere on July 28, 2019.
Danny Cannon said during the costume fitting you developed a walk. Did you feel internally you were getting there with Alfred Pennyworth at that point?
Jack Bannon: “Yeah. I mean, it’s all part of the process, isn’t it? I was trying to find him, and Bruno’s script was a great starting point. But the great thing about when you’re doing the first season of something…especially something like this…we created the world so, yes, it’s London back in 1962 but it’s a DC London and it’s weirder and darker. It’s sexier and strange. And part of that is the physicality of the people – the clothes, the music, the smells almost, the whole kind of thing. So, yeah, I was definitely… You know when you put on different clothes, they make you move differently anyway, so these camera test days are long and boring for us anyway because it’s just like you change your clothes all the time. But I was like, ‘This is as much time for you as it is for them to start finding something.’
But, yeah, physicality I always find helpful. The script and the lines and the words are probably the first thing and then the next thing is the physicality. (Laughing) I mean, I wish he’d told me he thought I found it that early because I was still going for a few weeks after that.”
What about his personality did you latch onto and really delve into?
Jack Bannon: “What about Alfred’s personality? I think it was, you know, his moral compass. He always does the right thing, even if that means he has to do something bad or violent to get to the thing that he believes is right and good. I admired that within him. And this show challenges the idea of good and evil. You know, good people do bad things and vice versa. And Alfred’s always trying to stay two steps ahead and second guess. But people constantly surprise him – villains, good people, his family.”
What kind of journey would you say he’s on this season?
Jack Bannon: “Well, when we see him in the pilot he’s just out of the army and he’s a young boy, almost. He’s trying to shake off…it’s that strange age. He’s 26 and I think throughout your early 20s you’re sort of working out who you are as a person and what’s important to you. But by the end, he goes on a journey through loves, loss, the trauma and stress of his time in the army we explore in depth. That almost completely derails him. He grows up fast.”
