Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns for its sixth season on May 10, 2019, with a seventh already on the way. Fans have waited a year to find out if Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) will reunite. And in the year that’s passed, Thanos snapped half the universe out of existence!
Elizabeth Henstridge was joined by executive producer Jeffrey Bell for Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. roundtables at WonderCon this weekend. Henstridge spoke to the reunion everybody’s waiting for while Bell had some news to offer on the show’s Stan Lee tribute and handling a post-Thanos MCU.
Are you going to have any kind of homage to Stan Lee in this season?
Jeff Bell: “You know, we had the ‘In Memory Of’ at the end of our first episode. There is an ‘In Memory Of’ him. Anything beyond that we would be just going down, and we did acknowledge it. And you got to do a scene with him.”
Elizabeth Henstridge: “Yeah, unbelievable. The whole show is an homage to him. It wouldn’t be in existence without him. So, it’s just extremely heartbreaking to have lost him but he’s given us so much.”
Jeff Bell: “We should all have such a great life.”
Elizabeth Henstridge: “Oh my gosh, he was so just beyond brilliant to work with. Just quick and funny and kind. […] He was the best.”
Jemma’s harder than she used to be.
Elizabeth Henstridge: “Isn’t it fun?”
Jeff Bell: “Now you’re seeing the real Elizabeth Henstridge, what we have to put up with every day.”
What was it like trying to get into that mindset?
Elizabeth Henstridge: “Super darker! It was fun. I’m determined. She’s still human but she just has to find him so the stakes for her couldn’t be higher. And she can’t fit anything else in her head. She can’t fit in too many doubts or too many other people’s feelings just yet, which is kind of how I feel as Elizabeth. Let’s get Iain back!”
Jeff Bell: “We’re still questioning whether FitzSimmons should have a daughter who has a son named Deke.”
Elizabeth Henstridge: (Laughing) “We’re on the fence.”
Elizabeth Henstridge as Jemma Simmons in ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ (ABC/Matthias Clamer)
Clark Gregg directed season six’s first episode. What was it like working with him as a director?
Elizabeth Henstridge: “It was awful! No, he’s brilliant. He’s directed before – he’s directed us in season five.”
Jeff Bell: “And he’s done features.”
Elizabeth Henstridge: “Oh yeah, and he’s so wonderful at it. And he’s always been such a leader for us as a cast and someone we can always go to for advice and help with a scene or character moments. So, it was such a natural role for him to be in anyway. He’s so brilliant at it. He knows all the characters so well. It was lovely. I would love him to direct all the episodes.”
Is there anything that we can look for in Avengers: Endgame that affects this coming season?
Jeff Bell: “I mean, we’re on after it so you’ll get to see that actually Fitz evaporated into smoke and Deke obviously disappeared, and now they’re back. But other than that, no.” (Bell’s obviously joking as Marvel’s keeping a tight lid on any possible spoilers.)
Will Jemma get back to more science and lab time this season?
Elizabeth Henstridge: “Honestly, I can’t remember. Does she? On the move…”
Jeff Bell: “In the back half there’s some pretty cool science stuff that they have to figure out. So, yes.”
Elizabeth Henstridge: “She’ll always have that skill set and she’ll always be able to bring that to the table to help solve issues.”
Jeff Bell: “Right now it’s out in space but there are science-y things they need to figure out. I think she does.”
Obviously, Fitz and Simmons have to reunite. Can you give us a word or a phrase that might describe their reunion?
Elizabeth Henstridge: “Trip…”
Jeff Bell: “Did you say trip?”
Elizabeth Henstridge: “I was going to say trippy. Can I say that?”
Jeff Bell: “Sure. You can say whatever because it’s out of context.”
Elizabeth Henstridge: “Yeah, I’d say trippy. It’s very trippy.”
Focus Features’ The Dead Don’t Die is advertised as having “the greatest zombie cast ever disassembled,” a bold claim but one that’s nearly impossible to argue with. Writer/director Jim Jarmusch (Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Broken Flowers) has put together a first-rate cast to play members of the walking dead and those who are out to put an end to their rise from the grave.
The trailer features clips of the ensemble but focuses on Bill Murray, returning to the undead world after his cameos in 2009 Zombieland and its upcoming sequel, 2019’s Zombieland: Double Tap. Adam Driver also stars as a cop who puts his minor league baseball background to good use batting down zombies.
The ensemble also includes Tilda Swinton, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, Sara Driver, RZA, Selena Gomez, Carol Kane, Austin Butler, Luka Sabbat and Tom Waits.
Jim Jarmusch’s behind the scenes team includes director of cinematography Frederick Elmes, production designer Alex DiGerlando, and costume designer Catherine George.
Focus Features will release The Dead Don’t Die in theaters on June 14, 2019. In addition to releasing the official trailer, Focus just unveiled the zombie-filled poster for the zombie comedy.
Poster for the zombie comedy ‘The Dead Don’t Die’ (Photo Credit: Focus Features)
Octavia (played by Marie Avgeropoulos) will have a lot to atone for when The CW’s sci-fi action drama The 100 returns for its sixth season. Season five was a wild one for Octavia as she enforced brutal rules to keep those in the bunker as safe as possible. Season six will find Octavia dealing with the repercussions of her actions and the fallout from fracturing relationships.
Marie Avgeropoulos took part in the 2019 WonderCon where she did her best not to give away spoilers during our roundtable interview. The sixth season of The 100 debuts on The CW on April 30, 2019.
Murphy’s been described as the cockroach in the series. How would you describe your character as an animal or insect?
Marie Avgeropoulos: “If I were to describe Octavia as an animal, I would describe her as a butterfly because she starts in a disgusting cocoon and then she flies. But she always, you know, might not land in the greatest places.”
Octavia went through a lot last season, and there was obviously tension between her and Bellamy. Will we see that resolved or will that be a running storyline throughout the season?
Marie Avgeropoulos: “It was challenging between Octavia and Bellamy, of course, because Bellamy poisoned Octavia and then Octavia, which was at the end Blodreina, threw Bellamy into the fighting pits. So, it’s kind of unforgivable acts on both ends and it’s to the extreme of brother and sister rivalry too. So, it’ll be interesting for the fans to see in season six how they come together and what the outcome is.”
How did it feel to see the fan reaction to the screening of season six episode one?
Marie Avgeropoulos: “Well, I hadn’t seen it either, so I kind of was like enjoying to hear the fan reaction to the very beginning and all the way throughout to the end because I was trying to compartmentalize it between them and me. I was like, ‘Oh my god!’ because you know when you’re filming you don’t see the other actors’ performances if you’re not in those scenes. So, it was amazing for me to see all my cast and my co-stars and my friends throughout their most amazing performances too. I just felt proud.”
Did anything feel particularly different heading back into this season?
Marie Avgeropoulos: “Other than I’m in my 30s now and I started this in my young 20s? Yeah, I’m just so thrilled to be a storyteller that fans are still into the story that we’re telling. I’m just incredibly grateful.”
Octavia’s been the leader so what kind of role will she have on this new world?
Marie Avgeropoulos: “Well how do I tell you this without telling you anything at all? It’s always the hardest. They’re like, ‘Don’t tell them anything but talk to them, okay?’ As you tiptoe in and try not to lose your job.
What can you expect from Octavia this year? Well, you can expect that you know when you hit rock bottom there’s only one way to look and that’s up. With Blodreina she had to make a lot of really tough decisions. A lot of those decisions, you know, came from like Abby explaining about cannibalism. That was such a crazy, awful, unfathomable idea to even do but she says, ‘If everybody doesn’t eat the guilt is going to happen and then there will be chaos. Do it.’ So, Octavia had to shoulder a lot of these choices, you know what I mean?
So yeah, I played a villain, but Octavia had to do it because otherwise there would have been chaos in the bunker because it was a bunch of clans that hated each other trying to survive together. It was a really complicated mindset because she was never born a leader and she was forced to lead. So, Octavia’s got somewhere to go next season to heal her heart, heal relationships, and she spends a lot of it alone and in her own head.”
It’s heartbreaking because even with the people who are loyal to her like Indra, she’s not sure where she stands.
Marie Avgeropoulos: “Indra trained Octavia to become a warrior and I just love Adina Porter, like I just looked up to her as a mentor in real life. She’s such a great actress and woman. Hi, Adina, if you’re watching this.
Anyways, but yeah it was challenging for Octavia to hear from Indra that she had lost her way. And Blodreina knew that but she had to keep on going just to survive until that moment when they came through and broke through the roof of the bunker and Bellamy came down. But otherwise, yeah, Octavia did get lost in the lust of power. She probably loves that. She was like Trump or something.”
That’s a theme that’s going to continue?
Marie Avgeropoulos: “Or, she finds her heart again and tries to mend relationships. It could go either way.”
There’s a popular fan theory that Johnny Lawrence was the tragic hero of The Karate Kid, that Daniel LaRusso (played by Ralph Macchio) was the bully who stole Johnny’s girlfriend and cheated to win the karate tournament with an illegal kick. Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother believes that too, and Cobra Kai seems to be the answer to those theories.
William Zabka returns as Johnny to star in Cobra Kai season two, showing there’s a lot more to Johnny Lawrence than the nemesis who tried to sweep the leg in the 1984 classic. Season two of Cobra Kai will find Johnny trying to teach his students better than he was taught, but that’s no easy task when John Kreese (played by Martin Kove) is back in the dojo.
What does it feel like to continue the story with a season two?
William Zabka: “It’s awesome. I mean, when they came and approached me for Cobra Kai season one my mind was really blown at the idea of rebirthing Johnny Lawrence today. So, the whole idea of even doing it was very cathartic. It took a long time for me to process it to kind of accept the fact that I was going to do this. But they wrote it right and it was a lot of fun and very challenging to get into the character of Johnny, especially the way they wrote him today being a degenerate, drinking his beer and kind of isolating him in his apartment. He’s not the Johnny I would have imagined being today…maybe he was a doctor or running some camp somewhere.
So, they took his legs out but they kind of made him an underdog in a way. I love that. I love that Johnny has a chance to intervene into this child’s life and forms a bond and then goes ahead and opens up Cobra Kai, which I said at the beginning and which is really happening now in season two, is by opening Cobra Kai again, Johnny’s opening up Pandora’s Box. This is the snake that bit him. This is his past.
His intentions are to do it right but change things. So, at the end of the first season you see that he led his cavalry into victory, but he has a lot of conflict because they used tactics on his own son that he suddenly doesn’t agree with. Enter sensei Kress in his world, the man that taught him everything about this and now he has his kind of father figure/sensei/mentor stepping back into his life which complicates things even more.
So, I love telling the story of Johnny. I love going deep within and seeing his backstory. He’s kind of stuck in his past in many ways and that’s a lot of fun. It’s a thrilling time to play him in this modern day.”
How are we going to see the relationship develop between Johnny and his son?
William Zabka: “The heart of Johnny, when I read the script and when I heard the story, is his son and the fact that he’s estranged from his son and he feels like he failed him. So, he’s still throwing the lifeline out to his son hopefully to earn a spot back in his life. But Robby, his son, has a lot of right to not trust that because Johnny wasn’t there. When somebody comes back into your life when you’re 16, 17-years-old and says, ‘I want to be your dad now,’ it’s not easy for him to accept that. So, there’s a lot of conflict and especially since Robby’s been taken under the wing of his arch enemy Daniel LaRusso it doesn’t make things very easy for Johnny. So, it’s cool.”
The movie was two hours and set him up as the villain. Have the places season one went and where season two is going allowed you to explore a lot more dramatic territory for Johnny?
William Zabka: “A lot more. I mean, like you said in a movie you have two hours to button it all up in the Karate Kid formula. There’s a victory at the end, you feel good, and the bad guy’s down. In a show like this that can go on and on in long form, we can really explore many levels and depths. I love what they’re writing to in my strengths in my action, in my comedy, and in the drama. So, it’s really a great buffet of writing they do for me which I’m very thankful for.”
What’s been the most challenging dramatic moment so far?
William Zabka: “There are a few scenes in season two that were particularly difficult to play because I feel Johnny in my blood and my instincts as Billy I would take things in a different direction. Johnny’s different so he would go a different way. I’m like, ‘Oh man, maybe not do that or say that,’ but because he’s boxed into the situation it compresses your emotions and your feelings and you live that. I experienced some real emotion in it doing the show that it’s taken a while to actually come home and detach from this character.”
Since the new show is kind of redeeming your character, has that changed fans’ reactions to you?
William Zabka: “Yeah, of course. You know the Karate Kid fans…I’ve got all my life, ‘I hated you! You’re the biggest a**hole!’ And then there were the guys, always the yahoos on my side and they’re like, ‘Cobra Kai, dude! You should have killed them anyway.’ I’m like, ‘No, you kind of missed the point of the movie.’
But yeah, I don’t know. I imagine from the outside it might be like your high school bully and running into him 30 years later and seeing that he’s having a tough time and actually not that bad a guy. And now you’ve grown up and you realize maybe he wasn’t all bad. I think getting to know Johnny is kind of like therapy in a way. Like, ‘Oh, he’s not so bad. I don’t have to be afraid of this guy. I don’t have to hate him.’
He’s not perfect, for sure. He’s working his inner demons out in front of everybody. But, yeah, the response to the character has been very favorable. I hear a lot of young adults, men mostly, who can relate to him. They’re trying to make it work in their apartments eating bologna and drinking beer and trying to figure out what went wrong. It’s great, and then to see Johnny trying to do something right, you know, there’s something about that, about living vicariously through a character that can actually inspire you in real life. I’ve heard a number of those stories of guys who say, ‘Hey, man, that’s me.’ I love hearing that.”
Did you see the other side of Johnny when you played him in Karate Kid?
William Zabka: “Yeah, I think very much so. In fact, any interview I did from then to now I never, ever saw him as the bad guy. He was the antagonist of the film; he was the villain in a sense. But the only way I was able to play him and for him to fit so well on me was the two parts of the script that I hung onto which was the first one when he says I’m an ex-degenerate and the second one when he hands Daniel the trophy after Kreese says, ‘Sweep the leg.’ When I read those two parts in the script, I’m like, ‘Oh, he’s not just all bad.’
At the end of the movie if Danny would have kicked him in the face and Johnny would have come at him with a baseball bat, then he’s unredeemable. But I saw, ‘Okay, he’s got a conscience.’ Because of that I was able to play all the other colors. So, I always saw him through his own story of he was justified almost in everything he did because he was trained a certain way to respond a certain way. And here’s, from his point of view, a stranger coming in from out of town who gets in his business, takes his girlfriend, and then takes this title. He wipes out his identity.
To me, that was the story. But it was a story, for me as an actor and you have to always have your story and then the big picture…for me the story was a story of a kid waking up a little bit. And that crane kick actually liberated Johnny Lawrence and set him free. But, you know, then all his foundation for those 18 years and all his training goes out the window and now what do you have? He can’t reach back to that. So, he’s been a lost kind of soul for this many years and now he’s finally getting to the point where he’s going to try and make some changes and grow up. I think there’s something about that that people relate to.”
If Johnny had had a Mr. Miyagi do you think he would have turned out differently?
William Zabka: “Oh, yeah. I always say that. Ralph and I joke about that all the time. If Johnny would have stumbled into the South Seas apartments and made a bonsai tree, he would have turned into Daniel LaRusso. And if Johnny wasn’t at Cobra Kai the day he peeked his little head in there… Remember when he comes to the dojo and wants to learn karate and Johnny’s there? Danny was this close away from getting into the clutches of Kreese. So, it could have gone either way. We could have a whole different story. But that’s like life, you know? You’re affected by who you run into and who takes over your life and who you give power to.”
Ian McShane and Ricky Whittle in ‘American Gods’ season 2 episode 4 (Photo Credit: Starz)
Starz’s season two of American Gods episode four begins with a young boy’s game of Pong interrupted to practice piano. His father stands nearby, hoping his love of music and appreciation for its beauty and meaning will have an impact on his son. A few years later the same boy, now a teenager, stops playing Game Boy to listen as his father plays a record. It’s a composition by Bach and his dad relates the story that even though Bach had just learned his wife died, the music shattered his own rules as the joy came through the notes.
In college, the now young adult man is writing a computer program when he hears Bach from another room. He’s inspired to write a new program that will allow the computer to write original songs that mimic Bach’s cantatas. He gives his program permission to shatter the rules and the result is a beautiful piece of music. He plays it for his father who’s overjoyed his son composed a piece that honors Bach.
The young man explains the computer wrote it, and his father’s devastated. Can you die of a broken heart? It appears so, as the next scene is of the father’s funeral. As the music plays, we see Technical Boy (Bruce Langley) emerging into focus behind the coffin during the church service. The man, it turns out, is Tech Boy’s first worshipper.
Fast-forward to current events and thunder roars as Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) has a restless night. A woman appears in his room and although he warns her Laura will kill her, they begin passionately kissing and making love. Shadow jerks forward in mid-sex, confused and concerned but unable or unwilling to stop.
Lovemaking complete, the woman tells him to rest and let “her” go. He falls asleep, waking the next morning to a cat meowing. He examines his body and finds scratch marks.
Mr. Ibis (Demore Barnes) is preparing to perform an autopsy on a dead body when Shadow Moon begins his day. Shadow can’t adequately describe his night, so he remains mute. He asks if this is a coroner’s office and is given an explanation of his work by Mr. Ibis. As Mr. Ibis speaks, the cat joins them and meows.
Shadow finally asks if there’s anyone else around and is told Laura’s not there. Wednesday (Ian McShane) arrives but watches from the doorway, silently indicating Mr. Ibis should deny knowing Laura’s whereabouts. Mr. Ibis warns Shadow dead people who return are different. Laura isn’t who she was when she was alive.
Wednesday finally makes his presence known, telling Shadow it’s time to hit the road. It’s obvious by Wednesday’s references to someone licking Shadow’s wounds that he knows Shadow had a visitor during the night. He also continues to assure Shadow that he doesn’t need to be with his wife any longer. Monogamy is a thing of the past.
They’re off to St. Louis to gather Money and after they pull away, Bilquis (Yetide Badaki) enters Mr. Ibis’ funeral home. She’s searching for Shadow Moon and a woman mourning the death of her mother apologizes for her loss, misunderstanding Bilquis’ presence. They discuss the woman’s faith and Mr. Nancy (Orlando Jones) interrupts, quoting Maya Angelou: “A woman’s heart should be hidden in God so that a man has to seek Him just to find her.”
Nancy reminds Bilquis of her shifting allegiances in this upcoming war, and she reveals World’s murder of Zorya Vechernyaya tipped the scale toward the Old Gods at this point.
Meanwhile, New Media (Kahyun Kim) believes she and Technical Boy need each other, but he only laughs in response. She confesses she can still feel Media inside of her and wonders if future versions will be able to also feel the past versions of Media. Tech Boy attempts to explain that, unlike this new version, the other version of Media understood she’s a god.
They fall silent as Mr. World (Crispin Glover) arrives. He summoned them to discuss the death of Argus and when Tech Boy tries to label it a setback, Mr. World describes his current situation as “blindness” and demands his sight be restored. Tech Boy whimpers as Mr. World sinks his fingers into his eyes, begging Mr. World to trust that he’ll provide an upgrade to fill the void.
Wednesday and Shadow arrive in St. Louis and during lunch in a diner, Wednesday uses a one-dollar bill to describe what they’re after. The $1 is only a piece of paper that’s importance comes from the story attached to it. We use this paper to get what we want, and what Wednesday wants now is to get Money on their side in the impending war. Calling Money “the greatest story ever told,” Wednesday is sure they can beat Mr. World and the New Gods with Money’s help.
Shadow’s surprised to see Mama-Ji (Sakina Jaffrey) serving them coffee, but she explains she works at every Motel America. Wednesday reveals Mama-Ji and her followers own half the motels in America. They discuss past skirmishes as Wednesday tries to get her to admit she yearns for more battles.
Tech Boy tries to redeem himself with a visit to the now mature young man who wrote the Bach program. Tech Boy tells the man, who we only know as CEO, it’s “time to get back in the game.”
Back at the funeral home, Mr. Ibis lavishes compliments on Bilquis. Nancy isn’t as friendly, calling her out on her switching alliances. Nancy asks why Mr. Ibis didn’t ride the carousel and he explains he prefers peace. “I am old as dirt and I’ve seen things, as you have. Why do you bring this rage to my doorstep?” asks Mr. Ibis.
Peace is an imperfect idea, and Nancy asks Bilquis what the New Gods are giving and what they’re taking away. She doesn’t answer his question so Nancy continues, calling out the worst behaviors of humans (slavery, human trafficking, the Alt-Right). Nancy describes the snatching of young girls with colored skin once every 30 seconds, and the pipeline that’s been built to “take our children from school to prison quicker than a cut can bleed.”
He adds that those who are lucky go from the school to the NFL where they’re not allowed to even take a knee. He speaks of their programming from birth with bad schools, corrupt police, and gun violence. Those with melanin in their skins are subjected to trauma after trauma. (Orlando Jones is fabulous in this scene.) Mr. Ibis and Bilquis understand and each feel this shared pain, but Mr. Ibis still doesn’t believe war is the answer.
Nancy asks Bilquis if over all these years she’s seen any progress. he reminds them there are three African gods in this room and they are quite powerful, yet two of these gods campaign for restraint. Nancy says Wednesday would not avenge their deaths, but he is avenging Zorya’s – a white woman. Bilquis is moved by Nancy’s words, knowing he and Mr. Ibis see her for the goddess she is – unlike contemporary men. She kisses him and asks what he proposes. Mr. Ibis interrupts, proposing they have a drink. As they walk away, Nancy whispers, “A king needs a queen.”
Crispin Glover and Bruce Langley in ‘American Gods’ season 2 episode 4 (Photo Credit: Starz)
Tech Boy explains that while Argus had a lot of eyes, courtesy of his disciples he now has eyes everywhere. Tech Boy needs CEO (Andrew Koji) to help but CEO wants a demonstration. Mr. World surprises Tech Boy with his presence. Mr. World believes Tech Boy has argued a case for his own obsolescence and commands Tech Boy to show CEO what he asked. When Tech Boy won’t, Mr. World steps in and provides a demonstration. Tech Boy loses his first worshipper and he’s confused by what took place. “It looks like he’s forgotten about you,” says Mr. World, matter-of-factly.
Tech Boy races through the building next to walls that repeat the word “delete” as he passes by. The exit won’t open and he’s absorbed into the system.
Mr. World walks past the reception area and the three Girl Scout types (known in the series as Penny Girls) are seated in the waiting area. They ask if he wants to buy candy and he claims he doesn’t need to. “I retired a god today,” he explains. “Access granted,” they chime in response.
At the diner, Wednesday also speaks with the Penny Scouts. He introduces himself as Odin and introduces Shadow Moon. Unfortunately, Shadow Moon is denied access to Money because that’s not the name on his birth certificate. He also has never established credit and doesn’t have an ATM card. Wednesday wonders how that can be, and Shadow says it’s because Laura took care of all that.
Both Shadow and Wednesday are denied a meeting with Money. Wednesday, frustrated, demands Shadow try to buy some candy but the girls ignore him. Shadow’s had enough of this and once again asks Wednesday why he chose him as his bodyguard/traveling companion. Wednesday angrily asserts it was because Shadow meant nothing to anyone, dead or alive. No one cared if he lived or died. “You have no value, no worth, in this world or the next,” says Wednesday.
Shadow confesses he’s been trying to figure it out since they met and the only thing that makes sense is that he does have value to Wednesday. He doesn’t understand why Wednesday doesn’t want to tell him the truth.
Mr. World pops into the Motel America café and has a face-to-face with Mr. Wednesday. Mr. World apologizes for killing Zorya and reminds Wednesday that he should have expected consequences from gathering the Old Gods to go to war. “Mess with my people, expect disproportionate consequences,” warns Wednesday.
Mr. World asks Wednesday if he realizes it’s no longer cash or gold that rules the world, it’s zeroes and ones – digitized and encrypted. Wednesday snarls, “Money loves profit, and war is always profitable. It also moves people more than anything else.”
Mr. World tells Wednesday his kind are dying, and at that point Money (William Sanderson, reuniting with his Deadwood co-star Ian McShane) – who has been quietly sitting in a booth in the diner – tells them he’s heard enough. He doesn’t make emotional investments because there’s too much risk and not enough opportunities. Money will not join either side in this war.
After Money leaves, Wednesday assures Mr. World he’s going to win this war because people like him more. Mr. World grins and says he prefers to be feared. Before leaving he tells Wednesday he’s not his enemy.
The diner in the Motel America returns to normal, filled with customers eating and employees hard at work. The episode wraps up without a sign of Mad Sweeney, Laura Moon, Salim, or The Jinn.
AMC’s upcoming supernatural horror series NOS4A2 will premiere on Sunday, June 2, 2019 at 10pm ET/PT. The announcement was made during the show’s panel at WonderCon which also featured the debut of the series’ official trailer along with appearances by cast members and executive producers.
NOS4A2 will air in the time slot immediately following season five of Fear the Walking Dead, also premiering on June 2nd.
“Fear remains one of the most successful dramas on cable with a passionate fanbase who we think will love NOS4A2, a suspenseful and electrifying character drama set against the back drop of supernatural horror. We anticipate the audience overlap will be strong,” stated Sarah Barnett, President of AMC Networks Entertainment Group. “Showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg brilliantly reinvented Fear in its fourth season to much critical acclaim and we can’t wait to share with those fans what they have in store for Season 5. Likewise, NOS4A2 showrunner Jami O’Brien and her incredible writing team have created something we didn’t know we needed until now – a perfectly unmissable intertwining of horror and Christmas.”
The cast of season one includes Zachary Quinto (the Star Trek films) as Charlie Manx, Ashleigh Cummings (The Goldfinch) as Vic McQueen, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Lady Dynamite) as Bing Partridge, Virginia Kull (The Looming Tower) as Linda McQueen, Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Punisher) as Chris McQueen and Jahkara Smith (aka Sailor J) as Maggie Leigh.
The new series is based on the bestselling book by Joe Hill, with Hill serving as an executive producer along with Lauren Corrao, co-president of Tornante Television. Jami O’Brien (Fear the Walking Dead, Hell on Wheels) created the series and is the showrunner as well as an executive producer.
Zachary Quinto as Charlie Manx in ‘NOS4A2’ season 1, Episode 5 (Photo Credit: Zach Dilgard / AMC)
The Plot:
“Based on Hill’s 2013 best-selling novel of the same name, NOS4A2 follows Vic McQueen, played by Cummings, a gifted young woman who discovers she has a supernatural ability to find lost things. This ability puts her on a collision course with the evil and immortal Charlie Manx, played by Emmy®-nominee Quinto. Manx is a supernatural villain who feeds off the souls of children then deposits what remains of them into Christmasland – a twisted place of Manx’s imagination where every day is Christmas Day and unhappiness is against the law. Vic strives to defeat Manx and rescue his victims – without losing her mind or falling victim to him herself.”
New Line Cinema’s official trailer for Annabelle Comes Home shows what happens when you touch the haunted/possessed items housed in Ed and Lorraine Warren’s home. The latest film of The Conjuring universe finds the horrifying doll set free to terrorize new victims.
The 2019 horror film marks the directorial debut of screenwriter Gary Dauberman (The Nun, It films, Annabelle films). Dauberman also wrote the screenplay, and original The Conjuring director James Wan produced along with Peter Safran. Michael Clear and Michelle Morrissey served as executive producers.
The behind the scenes team includes director of photography Michael Burgess (The Curse of La Llorona), production designer Jennifer Spence (Annabelle Creation, The Nun), and costume designer Leah Butler (Annabelle Creation).
Annabelle Comes Home opens in theaters on July 3, 2019.
The Plot:
“Determined to keep Annabelle from wreaking more havoc, demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren bring the possessed doll to the locked artifacts room in their home, placing her “safely” behind sacred glass and enlisting a priest’s holy blessing. But an unholy night of horror awaits as Annabelle awakens the evil spirits in the room, who all set their sights on a new target—the Warrens’ ten-year-old daughter, Judy, and her friends.
The film stars McKenna Grace (The Haunting of Hill House, Captain Marvel) as Judy; Madison Iseman (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween) as her babysitter, Mary Ellen; and Katie Sarife (Youth and Consequences, Supernatural) as troubled friend Daniela; with Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring, Insidious films, Aquaman) and Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring films, upcoming Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Bates Motel) reprising their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren.”
Khalid announced the dates of his first North American headlining tour which will kick off on June 20, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. The upcoming tour is in support of Khalid’s sophomore album, Free Spirit, set to drop on April 5th.
The “Khalid Free Spirit World Tour” will stop in cities including San Diego, Orlando, Toronto, Houston, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta before finishing up on August 17th at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami. Singer/songwriter Clairo will join the tour as special guest.
Ticket sales for the general public open on April 5th at 12pm local time via LiveNation.com. Citi®/AAdvantage® cardmembers will have early access to a presale beginning on Tuesday, April 2nd at 10am local time through Thursday, April 4th at 10pm local time.
Khalid Free Spirit World Tour 2019 North American Dates:
Thursday, June 20, 2019 – Phoenix, AZ at Gila River Arena
Saturday, June 22, 2019 – Las Vegas, NV at MGM Grand Garden Arena
Sunday, June 23, 2019 – San Diego, CA at Pechanga Arena San Diego
Tuesday, June 25, 2019 – Los Angeles, CA at STAPLES Center
Friday, June 28, 2019 – Oakland, CA at Oracle Arena
Saturday, June 29, 2019 – Sacramento, CA at Golden 1 Center
Monday, July 01, 2019 – Portland, OR at Moda Center
Thursday, July 04, 2019 – Edmonton, AB at Rogers Place
Sunday, July 07, 2019 – Tacoma, WA at Tacoma Dome
Tuesday, July 09, 2019 – Spokane, WA at Spokane Arena
Friday, July 12, 2019 – Denver, CO at Pepsi Center
Sunday, July 14, 2019 – Dallas, TX at American Airlines Center
Tuesday, July 16, 2019 – San Antonio, TX at AT&T Center
Thursday, July 18, 2019 – Houston, TX at Toyota Center
Friday, July 19, 2019 – Oklahoma City, OK at Chesapeake Energy Arena
Sunday, July 21, 2019* – Kansas City, MO at Sprint Center
Tuesday, July 23, 2019 – St. Paul, MN at Xcel Energy Center
Thursday, July 25, 2019 – Chicago, IL at United Center
Friday, July 26, 2019 – Columbus, OH at Nationwide Arena
Sunday, July 28, 2019 – Detroit, MI at Little Caesars Arena
Monday, July 29, 2019 – Pittsburgh, PA at PPG Paints Arena
Wednesday, July 31, 2019 – New York, NY at Madison Square Garden
Saturday, August 03, 2019 – Washington, DC at Capital One Arena
Sunday, August 04, 2019 – Hartford, CT at XL CENTER
Tuesday, August 06, 2019 – Toronto, ON at Scotiabank Arena
Thursday, August 08, 2019 – Montreal, QC at The Bell Centre
Saturday, August 10, 2019 – Boston, MA at TD Garden
Sunday, August 11, 2019 – Philadelphia, PA at Wells Fargo Center
Tuesday, August 13, 2019 – Charlotte, NC at Spectrum Center
Wednesday, August 14, 2019 – Atlanta, GA at State Farm Arena
Friday, August 16, 2019 – Orlando, FL at Amway Center
Saturday, August 17, 2019 – Miami, FL at AmericanAirlines Arena
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” Poster (Photo by: NBC)
With the announcement of a 21st season order, NBC’s popular dramatic series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has taken over the top spot in the record books. Law & Order: SVU is now the longest running primetime live-action series in history, passing up the record of 20 seasons set by Gunsmoke when it finished its run in 1975. Mariska Hargitay’s character Lt. Benson has also become the longest-running female character in a primetime live-action series.
“We tip our cap to Dick Wolf, Mariska Hargitay and the amazing cast and crew of SVU, who now all go into the record book,” said Paul Telegdy and George Cheeks, Co-Chairmen, NBC Entertainment. “This incredible run is an example of what happens when producers, writers and actors all come together and create a show that, year after year, speaks to its audience in a powerful way. We couldn’t be more proud of this remarkable achievement.”
“As SVU moves into its third decade, Mariska has become an iconic figure as a star, advocate and crusader for women,” stated creator/executive producer Dick Wolf. “She is an enduring champion of the movement to end sexual violence, and dozens of episodes have dealt with the very same issues that have shifted into the spotlight in this country in the past two years. Mariska is a delight as #1 on the call sheet and, to me, a true friend.”
“I’m deeply proud to be a part of this groundbreaking show, and humbled to make television history today,” added Hargitay. “The longevity and continued success of SVU is a testament not only to the show’s powerful storytelling and ability to connect with viewers, but to its necessity. We have told important stories for 20 years, and we will continue to tell them.”
In addition to Hargitay, the cast of the critically acclaimed drama includes Ice T as Sgt. Odafin “Fin” Tutuola, Kelli Giddish as Det. Amanda Rollins, Peter Scanavino as Det. Sonny Carisi, and Philip Winchester as Asst. District Attorney Peter Stone. Dick Wolf created the series and serves as an executive producer with Hargitay, Michael Chernuchin, Julie Martin, Alex Chapple, Arthur Forney, and Peter Jankowski.
The current 20th season has been averaging 7.6 million viewers.
ABC’s The Rookie season one episode 18 is set to air on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 10pm ET/PT and features guest stars Shawn Ashmore as Wesley Evers and Michael Beach as Commander Percy West. The episode was directed by April Mullen from a script by Bill Rinier and Natalie Callaghan.
The season one cast is led by Nathan Fillion as John Nolan and includes Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez, and Richard T. Jones as Sergeant Wade Grey. Titus Makin plays Jackson West, Mercedes Mason is Captain Zoe Andersen, Melissa O’Neil is Lucy Chen, Afton Williamson plays Talia Bishop, and Eric Winter is Tim Bradford.
The “Homefront” Plot – When one of their colleagues is arrested by Internal Affairs for lying on the witness stand, it leads to the release of three felons whose cases he worked on and the team being asked to check in on them now that they are free. Meanwhile, Officer Nolan finds out he is being sued by a man who claims he used excessive force which led to an injury.
The Season One Plot:
Starting over isn’t easy, especially for small-town guy John Nolan (Fillion) who, after a life-altering incident, is pursuing his dream of being a Los Angeles police officer. As the force’s oldest rookie, he’s met with skepticism from some higher-ups who see him as just a walking midlife crisis. If he can’t keep up with the young cops and the criminals, he’ll be risking lives including his own. But if he can use his life experience, determination and sense of humor to give him an edge, he may just become a success in this new chapter of his life.
Afton Williamson in ‘The Rookie’ season 1 episode 18 (ABC/Tony Rivetti)Afton Williamson in season 1 episode 18 (ABC/Tony Rivetti)Charles Baker and Caleb Castille in season 1 episode 18 (ABC/Tony Rivetti)Lee Coc and Afton Williamson in season 1 episode 18 (ABC/Tony Rivetti)Caleb Castille and Afton Williamson in season 1 episode 18 (ABC/Tony Rivetti)
