Syfy’s Krypton season two continues with episode six airing on Wednesday, July 17, 2019 at 10pm ET/PT. Photos, plot details, and a trailer have arrived for the new episode titled “In Zod We Trust.”
The cast is led by Cameron Cuffe (The Halcyon) as Seg-El and includes Georgina Campbell (Broadchurch) as Lyta-Zod, Shaun Sipos (The Vampire Diaries) as Adam Strange, and Colin Salmon (Arrow) as General Dru-Zod. Ann Ogbomo (World War Z) play Jayna-Zod, Aaron Pierre (Britannia) is Dev-Em, Rasmus Hardiker (Your Highness) is Kem, Wallis Day (Will) is Nyssa-Vex, Blake Ritson (Da Vinci’s Demons) is Brainiac, and Ian McElhinney (Game of Thrones) plays Val-El.
The “In Zod We Trust” Plot – In the wake of tragedy, Seg helps Nyssa rescue their son, while alliances on Wegthor fracture.
Krypton Series Details, Courtesy of Syfy:
“What if Superman never existed? Set two generations before the destruction of Superman’s home planet, Krypton follows Seg-El (Cuffe), the legendary Man of Steel’s grandfather, as a young man who fights to save his home planet from destruction. Season 2 brings us back to a changed Kandor, locked in a battle over its freedom and its future.
General Dru-Zod (Salmon) is now in control. He’s on a ruthless mission to rebuild Krypton according to his ideals and to secure its future by conquering the universe. Faced with a bleak outlook, our hero, Seg-El, attempts to unite a dispersed group of resisters in an effort to defeat Zod and restore hope to their beloved planet. Their chance at redemption is threatened however, by their opposing tactics, shifting alliances and conflicting moral boundaries – forcing each of them to individually determine how far they’re willing to go in pursuit of a better tomorrow.”
Cameron Cuffe as Seg-El in ‘Krypton’ season 2 episode 6 (Photo by: Steffan Hill/SYFY)Colin Salmon as Zod in season 2 episode 6 (Photo by: Steffan Hill/SYFY)Blake Ritson as Brainiac in season 2 episode 6 (Photo by: Steffan Hill/SYFY)Colin Salmon as Zod in “In Zod We Trust” (Photo by: Steffan Hill/SYFY)
Karolina Wydra, Maximilian Osinski, and Briana Venskus guest star in season six episode 10 of ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Episode 10 titled “Leap” was directed by Garry A. Brown from a script by Drew Z. Greenbeg and will air on July 19, 2019 at 8pm ET/PT.
Season six stars Clark Gregg as Sarge, Ming-Na Wen as Melinda May, Chloe Bennet as Daisy ‘Skye’ Johnson, Iain De Caestecker as Leo Fitz, Elizabeth Henstridge as Jemma Simmons, Henry Simmons as Alphonso ‘Mack’ Mackenzie, Natalia Cordova-Buckley as Elena ‘Yo-Yo’ Rodriguez, and Jeff Ward as Deke Shaw.
The “Leap” Plot – The party’s over, and now the team must trust each other in order to face impending doom and an enemy that’s closer than they think.
Season Six Details:
“Last season, the team leaped forward in time to a dystopian future they soon realized must be prevented. While facing multiple timelines and new enemies from faraway planets, they found family, friends, teammates and the courage to pull off their biggest challenge yet.
Their next challenge? Coming to grips with the knowledge that bending the laws of space and time may have saved the planet, but it couldn’t save Fitz or Coulson.”
Natalia Cordova-Buckley, Chloe Bennet, Max Osinski, and Henry Simmons in ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ season 6 episode 10 (ABC/Mitch Haaseth)Max Osinski in season 6 episode 10, “Leap” (ABC/Mitch Haaseth)Jeff Ward and Matthew Law in season 6 episode 10 (ABC/Mitch Haaseth)Henry Simmons in “Leap,” season 6 episode 10 (ABC/Mitch Haaseth)
Taron Egerton passes the torch to Harris Dickinson as the star of the third film of the The Kingsman franchise, The King’s Man, which just debuted a trailer, poster and new photos. Matthew Vaughn, director of 2014’s Kingsman: The Secret Service and 2017’s Kingsman: The Golden Circle, returns to direct the third entry in the action adventure series.
In addition to Harris Dickinson (Trust), the cast includes Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, and Tom Hollander. Daniel Brühl, Djimon Hounsou, and Charles Dance also star in The King’s Man.
The film franchise is based on The Secret Service comic book by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons. Matthew Vaughn, David Reid, and Adam Bohling produce. Vaughn’s behind the scenes team includes director of photography Ben Davis, editors Jason Ballantine and Robert Hall, production designer Darren Gilford, and costume designer Michele Clapton.
20th Century Fox and Disney are targeting a February 2020 theatrical release.
The Plot:
In 2020, they will become kings.
As a collection of history’s worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man must race against time to stop them. Discover the origins of the very first independent intelligence agency in The King’s Man.
Ralph Fiennes and Harris Dickinson star in ‘The King’s Man.’Rhys Ifans in a scene from ‘The King’s Man’Harris Dickinson as Conrad in the third ‘Kingsman’ filmTeaser poster for 2020’s ‘The King’s Man’
The initial promotional pieces tagged the 2019 The Lion King as a “live-action” adaptation. The live-action description was ultimately dropped in favor of promoting the remake/reimagining as utilizing pioneering filmmaking techniques and photo-real digital imagery to bring the beloved animal characters to life.
While the filmmaking technique is unarguably groundbreaking, the story never strays from the original animated classic. Just as with the original film, the 2019 version begins with King Mufasa (James Earl Jones) and Queen Sarabi (Alfre Woodard) introducing their bouncing baby boy, Simba (JD McCrary), to the residents of Pride Rock backed by a rousing rendition of “Circle of Life.”
Mufasa’s proud of his young cub and eager to teach him the ways of the world. Along with his trusted right-hand man – or, more accurately, right-hand bird – Zazu (John Oliver), Mufasa imparts important life lessons to the young cub who is destined to be king.
Simba’s a curious little guy who’s unaware of the threat to the kingdom posed by his Uncle Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor in full-on acid dripping from his tongue villain mode). Tricked by Scar into luring his father to his death, a guilt-ridden Simba leaves Pride Rock and strikes out on his own.
Believing his family and friends would hold him responsible for Mufasa’s passing, Simba ventures into unfamiliar territory where he becomes the third musketeer to a farting warthog named Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) and Timon (Billy Eichner), a wisecracking meerkat.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before…
Time passes, songs are sung, and Simba grows into a handsome (vegetarian) lion. Meanwhile, Pride Rock has suffered under the rule of Scar and his hyena minions. The herds of animals that roamed the kingdom under Mufasa’s rule have either been eaten or fled, and even the ground has transformed from luscious greenery to barren earth.
Nala (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter) is eventually forced into action, sneaking away in the dead of night to find help. Much to her shock and delight, she discovers Simba is alive and well. Sparks fly as Nala and Simba reunite, and Simba finally realizes it’s up to him to save his family and his father’s kingdom.
The Lion King’s at its best when it focuses on the young Simba. JD McCrary is terrific at conveying Simba’s inquisitive nature, the range of emotions he goes through in dealing with the horrific death of his father, and his joy as he tackles new adventures and relationships. When Donald Glover takes over as the adult Simba, the energy level is tamped down. The same can be said to a lesser degree comparing the voice work done by Shahadi Wright Joseph as the young Nala to that of Beyonce as the adult Nala.
Director Jon Favreau’s packed the supporting voice cast with a formidable ensemble of actors. The standouts among the group include James Earl Jones, once again lending his unmistakable bass voice to Mufasa as he reprises his role from the 1994 animated blockbuster. John Oliver’s terrific as the agitated, by-the-book Zazu and Chiwetel Ejiofor sends shivers down your spine as Scar.
But it’s Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner who walk/prance/dance away with the film as the Hakuna Matata-loving Pumbaa and Timon. The oddball warthog and meerkat friends (originally voiced by Ernie Sabella and Nathan Lane) were the surprise stars of the 1994 animated production, and remain fan favs decades after that film’s theatrical release. This 2019 version should also have kids bugging their parents for stuffed versions of the goofball characters.
The new version’s nearly a beat-for-beat remake with a few added shots of scenery and a couple of new songs. Truly, it’s all about the visuals with this remake and those visuals are spectacular. The new techniques utilized in 2019’s The Lion King have solved the creepy dead eyes problem that ruins most CGI characters. The eyes catch the light and the fur/feathers move realistically. The backgrounds are gorgeously rendered and inviting, so much so that it’s possible to forget this isn’t a nature documentary at times.
Disney’s been mining their animated films for remakes with mixed success. This year alone they’ve released live-action versions of Dumbo and Aladdin, and now The Lion King gets a photo-real version. Do we need these new takes on classic stories? No, not really. These remakes are blatant attempts to wring more cash from beloved tales and feel a little lazy.
Dumbo was a big miss, with the emotional heart and soul of the original absent from the remake. Aladdin fared much better as it used the basics of the original plot but added cool, updated touches to reinvigorate the story. The Lion King played it super safe, opting for a note-for-note recreation of the original. The story hasn’t been updated to reflect the strides taken in empowering females on screen, so don’t expect Nala and Sarabi to suddenly become warrior figures. Also, don’t expect to be humming the original songs written for this remake.
New audiences just being introduced to Simba and his friends will find a lot to enjoy about 2019’s The Lion King. Those of us who can still remember the words to “Circle of Life” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” might have a more difficult time understanding the point of this remake.
GRADE: B
MPAA Rating: PG for sequences of violence and peril, and some thematic elements
Release Date: July 19, 2019
Running Time: 1 hour 58 minutes
Ariana DeBose stars as Anita in ‘West Side Story’ (Photo Courtesy of 20th Century Fox)
20th Century Fox and Steven Spielberg released the first official West Side Story photo of Ariana DeBose in character as Anita. Rita Moreno won the Best Actress in a Supporting Role Oscar for playing Anita in the 1961 feature film.
Moreno returns for the 2020 musical in the role of Valentina and also serves as an executive producer.
The cast of the 2020 West Side Story is led by Ansel Elgort as Tony, Rachel Zegler as Maria, David Alvarez as Sharks leader Bernardo, and Mike Faist as the leader of the Jets, Riff. Corey Stoll’s on board as Lietenant Schrank, Brian d’Arcy James is Officer Krupke, Curtiss Cook stars as Abe, and Ana Isabelle plays Rosalia. Ezra Menas is Anybodys, Ben Cook plays Mouthpiece, Sean Harrison Jones is Action, Patrick Higgins is Baby John, and Julius Anthony Rubio is Quique.
Ricardo Zayas is Chago, Josh Andrés Rivera is Chino, Sebastian Serra is Braulio, and Carlos Sánchez Falú plays Pipo.
Oscar winner Steven Spielberg directs and Oscar nominee/Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner adapted the screenplay from the 1957 Broadway musical. The original musical was written by Arthur Laurents, with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.
Tony winner Justin Peck is choreographing the 2020 film adaptation. Kevin McCollum and Kristie Macosko Krieger are producing, and Gustavo Dudamel is charged with conducting Bernstein’s score. Oscar nominee David Newman (Anastasia) is arranging the score and Tony winner Jeanine Tesori is assisting the cast on vocals. Grammy nominee Matt Sullivan (Chicago, Beauty and the Beast) is the film’s executive music producer.
20th Century Fox and Disney will release the latest take on the classic musical love story on December 18, 2020.
The Plot:
“An adaptation of the original Broadway musical, West Side Story explores young love and tensions between rival gangs the Jets and the Sharks on the streets of 1957 New York.”
ABC’s summer drama Reef Break continues to make waves, with episode three’s viewership up a notch over episode two. Up next, season one episode four titled “Welcome to the Jungle” airing on Thursday, July 18, 2019 at 10pm ET/PT. Ken Sanzel directed from a script by Sian Davies.
The cast of season one is led by Poppy Montgomery (Without a Trace, Unforgettable) as Cat Chambers. Montgomery also serves as an executive producer. The series is based on a story idea by Montgomery and Sanzel.
Season one also features Ray Stevenson (Black Sails, Rome) as Jake Elliot, Desmond Chiam (The Shannara Chronicles, Now Apocalypse) as Wyatt Cole, Melissa Bonne (Home and Away, Pulse) as Ana Dumont, and Tamala Shelton (Nowhere Boys, Cleverman) as Petra.
The “Welcome to the Jungle” Plot – When a man from Cat’s past becomes instrumental in helping the Governor, Cat and Ana Dumont find themselves in a dangerous situation.
Season 1 Details:
“When former thief Cat Chambers returns home to the Pacific island paradise known as The Reef, she finds herself in the center of a kidnapping, when the daughter of the island’s most prominent resident goes missing. Cat’s less-than-perfect past gives her an instinctive gift for understanding crime and criminals, as she becomes enmeshed in the first of many fast-paced, high-octane island adventures.”
Poppy Montgomery and Melissa Bonne in ‘Reef Break’ season 1 episode 4 (ABC/Scott Belzner)Melissa Bonne in season 1 episode 4 (ABC/Scott Belzner)Melissa Bonne and Poppy Montgomery in season 1 episode 4 (ABC/Scott Belzner)Louisa Wall in season 1 episode 4 (ABC/Scott Belzner) Melissa Bonne in season 1 episode 4 (ABC/Scott Belzner)
NBC’s The InBetween‘s first season run continues with episode six airing on July 17, 2019. New episodes of the cop drama with a twist air on Wednesdays at 10pm ET/PT.
Harriet Dyer stars as Cassie, Justin Cornwell is Damien Asante, Anne-Marie Johnson is Lt. Swanstrom, and Cindy Luna plays Det. Maria Salinas. Chad James Buchanan is Will and Arrow‘s Paul Blackthorne plays Tom Hackett.
The drama comes from writer/executive producer Moira Kirland (Castle, Madam Secretary). David Heyman, Nancy Cotton, and Matthew Gross executive produce, and Charlotte Sieling directed/executive produced the pilot.
“The Length of a River” Plot – When a serial killer strikes again, Cassie (Harriet Dyer) allows her visions to lead Tom (Paul Blackthorne) and Damien (Justin Cornwell) toward the killer, leading to an unexpected twist in the investigation. Cassie also helps an old friend search for peace after the death of a loved one.
The Season 1 Plot:
“Cassie Bedford was born with a rare ability.
She has visions … whether she likes it or not. Sometimes Cassie sees events that have previously occurred or will happen in the future. In addition, sometimes she encounters unsettled spirits who need her help.
When her father, Det. Tom Hackett, and his new partner, former FBI Agent Damien Asante, need assistance solving a dark and puzzling murder, Cassie reluctantly agrees to use her abilities and helps solve some of the city’s most challenging cases.”
Harriet Dyer as Cassie Gallagher in ‘The InBetween’ season 1 episode 6 (Photo by: Sergei Bachlakov/NBC)Paul Blackthorne as Tom Hackett in season 1 episode 6 (Photo by: Sergei Bachlakov/NBC)Paul Blackthorne as Tom Hackett and Justin Cornwell as Damien Asante in season 1 episode 6 (Photo by: Sergei Bachlakov/NBC)Justin Cornwell as Damien Asante, Paul Blackthorne as Tom Hackett, and Harriet Dyer as Cassie Gallagher (Photo by: Sergei Bachlakov/NBC)Paul Blackthorne as Tom Hackett and Justin Cornwell as Damien Asante in season 1 episode 6 (Photo by: Sergei Bachlakov/NBC)Cindy Luna as Det. Maria Salinas and Paul Blackthorne as Tom Hackett in “The Length of a River” (Photo by: Sergei Bachlakov/NBC)
Director Jon Favreau and the voice cast provide a look behind the scenes at Disney’s new version of the classic The Lion King tale. The Mouse House released a new two-minute video featuring snippets of interviews with cast members including Donald Glover, John Oliver, JD McCrary, Billy Eichner, and Eric Andre. The new video also shows the cast recording their characters’ voices and clips of the finished film.
Donald Glover (Atlanta, Solo: A Star Wars Story) and Beyoncé (Dreamgirls) provide the voices of Simba and Simba’s friend and love interest, Nala. James Earl Jones (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) is Mufasa, Simba’s father. Jones also voiced the role in the 1994 animated film.
Chiwetel Ejiofor (Twelve Years a Slave, Doctor Strange) provides the voice of the film’s villain, Scar. Alfre Woodard (Luke Cage) gives voice to Simba’s mother, Sarabi, and JD McCrary (Tyler Perry’s The Paynes) took on the job of voicing Young Simba. Shahadi Wright Joseph (Broadway’s The Lion King) is the voice of Young Nala.
The colorful cast of animals who help Simba on his journey include John Kani (Captain America: Civil War) as Rafiki and John Oliver (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver) as Zazu the hornbill. Seth Rogen (Neighbors) is Pumbaa the warthog and Billy Eichner (American Horror Story) portray’s Pumbaa’s best friend, Timon the meerkat. Florence Kasumba (Emerald City) is Shenzi, Eric André (Man Seeking Woman) is Azizi, and Keegan-Michael Key (Friends From College) is Kamari.
The Lion King will open in theaters on July 19, 2019.
The Plot:
“Disney’s The Lion King, directed by Jon Favreau (The Jungle Book), journeys to the African savanna where a future king is born. Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub’s arrival. Scar, Mufasa’s brother—and former heir to the throne—has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba’s exile. With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba will have to figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.”
The “On the Scent” guest cast includes Danny Binstock, Liz Carey, Joe Tippet, Kate Shindle, and Michael Bryan French. Michael Sibery, Armando Acevedo, Carlos Gómez, Carol Halstead, Rachael Holmes, Kario Marcel, Pamela Dunlap, Nathaniel Stampley, and Alyson Lange also guest star in episode nine.
The cast of Elementary is led by Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Joan Watson. Aidan Quinn is Captain Tommy Gregson, Jon Michael Hill is Detective Marcus Bell, and James Frain plays Odin Reichenbach. Virginia Madsen and Jordan Gelber appear in recurring roles as Paige and M.E. Hawes.
“On the Scent” Plot – Holmes and Watson work to determine if a long dormant serial killer has resurfaced in the wake of a sculptor’s murder in New York City. Also, Watson suspects Holmes is keeping something from her regarding tech billionaire Odin Reichenbach.
The Elementary Plot:
“Elementary stars Jonny Lee Miller as Detective Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson in a modern-day drama about a crime-solving duo that cracks the NYPD’s most impossible cases. Initially sober companion and client, Holmes and Watson’s relationship evolved into a symbiotic professional investigative partnership. Once the top homicide consultants for Captain Thomas Gregson, they worked regularly alongside Detective Marcus Bell before Holmes’ false confession to a murder he did not commit forced them to move to London.
Holmes and Watson forge new careers in England as consultants for Scotland Yard until they receive news that a member of their inner circle has been gravely wounded in the United States. As Holmes’ stateside legal trouble threatens to keep them from returning to New York, their greatest foe to date, tech billionaire Odin Reichenbach waits on the horizon to test their limits.”
Prepare for a superhero series unlike anything else on television with the arrival of Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys. Season one of the genre-skewering series premieres on July 26, 2019, pitting a ragtag group of vigilantes known as The Boys against narcissistic superheroes who abuse their powers.
The adult drama based on the comics by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson features a talented ensemble and some of the best action stunts on the small screen. Laz Alonso stars as Mother’s Milk and Karen Fukuhara is the sole female member of The Boys (and the fiercest fighter). Teaming up for interviews at the New York Comic Con, Alonso and Fukuhara discussed their roles in the much-anticipated Amazon series.
What was the appeal of The Boys? What caught your eye?
Karen Fukuhara: “I think that the best part about The Boys is that we’re not afraid to go there. I know that the comics is pretty shocking for most first-time readers, myself included. But there’s lots of things in the material that you would think, ‘Oh, that can’t be aired. That can’t be shot,’ and sure enough, a lot of it is. There’s a lot of tweaks, but I think we kept to the foundation of what was written in the original comics and then made it our own.”
Laz Alonso: “Yeah. I mean, for me it was getting back to working on stuff that I’m excited about. And that when people – the audience that watches something that I’m in – that they’ll be excited about. Last year I really made an effort to really be picky and selective over the next thing that I do. A lot of times as actors we can just, ‘All right, one job finishes…what’s the next job?’ And we forget why we got into this was to be excited and make other people excited. So, last year I really just dialed it back. I decided to work less and really just focus on doing things that I really, really feel passionate about. And when I read this script, I was like, ‘I got to do this show.’
Now, I wasn’t a fan of the comics before I auditioned for this, so my interpretation was my interpretation of the material I was given. It just so happens afterwards when I got the part and I started reading the comic, I realized (there are) so many similarities between me and this character. It was almost freaky in a way. I don’t want to tell Eric (Kripke) that he’s paying me to play myself a lot on camera, you know? But it’s rewarding as hell. I love it.”
Karen Fukuhara: “It was so funny you mentioned that because while we were filming one of the scenes…you know, Mother’s Milk is very OCD like you said…he wants his papers a certain way, stacked a certain way, the pens a certain way. And then at one point I think Connie came by and she had to brush dirt on my shoes to make it dirty.”
Laz Alonso: “Connie is the on-set wardrobe person that gets us ready.”
Karen Fukuhara: “Yeah, yeah. And so, she had to put fake dirt on my shoes for continuity. And she accidentally put a little bit on his shoes which were pristine and white and beautiful.”
Laz Alonso: “Yeah, coconut white.”
Karen Fukuhara: “He starts going, ‘Connie, no! No, you can’t do that!’ And I wasn’t sure if it was the character or yourself.”
Laz Alonso: (Laughing) “It was me, yeah. She’s on all fours and she’s got this little bag of dirt. And she’s slamming it on the ground and I’m like doing a Macarena, like, ‘Connie! No! Get off my shoes!’ She’s like, ‘Give me your f*cking shoes!’ (Laughing) She got me. She got my shoes.”
Karen Fukuhara: “I’m like, ‘Connie, it’s for me.’”
Laz Alonso: “The whole set’s like, ‘Connie, no!’”
Karen Fukuhara in season 1 of ‘The Boys’ (Photo by Jan Thijs / Amazon Prime Video)
Do you find yourself relating to this character at all?
Karen Fukuhara: “Yes and no. I think when actors play characters there’s always a part of the character that is within ourselves. And so, yeah, I connect with her in certain ways but definitely not in her violent ways.
In the comics she’s ripping people’s heads off and it’s very violent. She has this urge to kill. For our version we’ve created a reason for her to do the things that she’s doing, and it’s not really a natural instinct or a hungry feeling to murder someone.”
Is there something that you’re particularly looking forward to audiences actually seeing?
Karen Fukuhara: “I mean for me, we’ve been talking about how this show is two different shows. The Supes and The Boys, and then they’re kind of married into one entity. I haven’t personally been able to see any of the dailies for the Supes and so, you know, as a viewer, as an audience member, I’m so excited to see the Deep scenes, the Homelander scenes, what Starlight is doing.”
Laz Alonso: “I’m excited for this to get out there because it’s a real big f*ck you to superhero culture. And thematically it’s a f*ck you to anybody that’s powerful and abuses their powers, just takes their power for granted. It’s a big f*ck you to that.”
