Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, and Shailene Woodley in ‘Big Little Lies’ season 2 (Photo: Jennifer Clasen/HBO)
HBO’s released details on the first three episodes of Big Little Lies season two. In addition to brief plot descriptions, the network also confirmed episode titles and air dates.
The cast of season two is led by Reese Witherspoon as Madeline Martha Mackenzie, Nicole Kidman as Celeste Wright, Shailene Woodley as Jane, Laura Dern as Renata Klein, Zoë Kravitz as Bonnie Carlson, and Meryl Streep as Mary Louise Wright. Adam Scott, James Tupper, Jeffrey Nordling, Douglas Smith, Kathryn Newton, and Iain Armitage also star in season two.
Robin Weigert plays Dr. Amanda Reisman, Crystal Fox is Elizabeth Howard, Martin Donovan is Martin Howard, Denis O’Hare is Ira Farber, Poorna Jagannathan plays Katie Richmond, Sarah Sokolovic is Tori Bachman, and P.J. Byrne plays Principal Nippal.
The critically acclaimed award-winning hour long drama was created by David E. Kelley, based on Liane Moriarty’s bestselling novel. Andrea Arnold directed all seven episodes and David E. Kelly wrote the scripts. Kidman, Witherspoon, Kelley, Jean-Marc Vallée, Bruna Papandrea, Per Saari, Gregg Fienberg, Nathan Ross, Andrea Arnold, and author Liane Moriarty serve as executive producers.
Season two will consist of seven episodes and is set to premiere on June 9, 2019. New episodes air on Sundays at 9pm ET/PT.
The Season 2 Plot:
“On the surface, in the tranquil seaside town of Monterey, California, everything seems the same. The mothers continue to dote, the husbands support, the children remain adorable and the houses are just as beautiful. But the night of the school fundraiser changed all that, leaving the community reeling, as the ‘Monterey Five’ – Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata and Bonnie – bond together to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.”
Big Little Lies June 2019 Episodes:
Season 2, episode 1: “What Have They Done?”
Debut date: SUNDAY, JUNE 9 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Following first-day-of-school events, Madeline (Reese Witherspoon) is worried by Bonnie’s (Zoë Kravitz) behavior and, later, is shocked when Abigail (Kathryn Newton) says she doesn’t want to go to college. Mary Louise (Meryl Streep), Celeste’s (Nicole Kidman) mother-in-law, offers her unvarnished assessment of Madeline’s character. Jane (Shailene Woodley) learns from her new coworker, Corey (Douglas Smith), that she’s known in town as one of the “Monterey Five.”
Teleplay by David E. Kelley; story by David E. Kelley and Liane Moriarty; directed by Andrea Arnold.
Season 2, episode 2: “Tell-Tale Hearts”
Debut date: SUNDAY, JUNE 16 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Renata (Laura Dern) faces an uncertain future when Gordon (Jeffrey Nordling) lands in legal trouble. Corey (Douglas Smith) asks Jane (Shailene Woodley) out on a “practice” date. After a challenging therapy session with Dr. Reisman (Robin Weigert), Celeste (Nicole Kidman) opens up to Mary Louise (Meryl Streep) about her relationship with Perry. Bonnie’s (Zoë Kravitz) mom, Elizabeth (Crystal Fox), arrives. Ed (Adam Scott) confronts Madeline (Reese Witherspoon) about her secrets.
Teleplay by David E. Kelley; story by David E. Kelley and Liane Moriarty; directed by Andrea Arnold.
Season 2, episode 3: “The End of the World”
Debut date: SUNDAY, JUNE 23 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Mary Louise (Meryl Streep) tries to get closer to Jane (Shailene Woodley). Rather than address her troubles at home, Renata (Laura Dern) focuses her wrath on Principal Nippal (P.J. Byrne). Madeline (Reese Witherspoon) is forced to confront her issues at a couples therapy session with Dr. Reisman (Robin Weigert). Celeste (Nicole Kidman) remains conflicted by her memories of Perry.
Teleplay by David E. Kelley; story by David E. Kelley and Liane Moriarty; directed by Andrea Arnold.
“The first step of not being afraid is acting like you’re not afraid,” says Rooster (voiced by Harrison Ford) to Max (voiced by Patton Oswalt) as the farm dog tries to teach the city dog not be afraid of everything in the country in the animated sequel, The Secret Lives of Pets 2.
The little terrier Max and his best friend Duke (voiced by Eric Stonestreet) love their life with owner Katie. However, when she gets married and has a child it changes things. Max isn’t happy with having a baby in their apartment and worse yet the infant plays roughly with the little furry guy.
A few years later things once again change drastically when the young boy hugs Max and says he loves him. After that, Max becomes all about playing with Liam and keeping his two-legged sibling safe from the big bad world.
Max and Duke get another surprise when Katie and her hubby decide to go to the country to visit their in-laws on the farm. Max asks Gidget (voiced by Jenny Slate) to watch over his favorite toy while he’s away, and she happily agrees to since she’s still head-over-tail for the adorable terrier.
When Max and Duke arrive at the farm, they’re shocked to learn they have to sleep outside away from Katie and Liam. And worse yet – everything in the country from frogs to the crazy turkey that likes to chase them has poor Max trembling with nerves.
Meanwhile, Gidget loses Max’s favorite toy which ends up in an old lady’s apartment filled with cats. Poor Gidget’s forced to try to figure out a way to rescue Max’s toy so as not to disappoint the love of her live.
Catching up with the hyper bunny Snowball (voiced by Kevin Hart), we learn he’s become obsessed with playing superhero. Snowball gets sought out by a new dog, Daisy (voiced by Tiffany Haddish), to go on a rescue mission to free a white tiger cub from a mean circus trainer.
Back on the farm, Max and Duke meet Rooster, a gruff farm dog with valuable lessons to impart to the city hounds. Rooster takes it upon himself to teach Max that always trying to protect Liam will keep him from learning life lessons and that he needs to stop being afraid of everything and dig down deep to find the courage Rooster knows he as in him because he’s a dog.
Max (voiced by Patton Oswalt) in ‘The Secret Life of Pets 2.’
The Secret Life of Pets 2 is a cute, charming, and fun sequel to the 2016 original. The sequel continues the secret adventures of Max, Duke, Snowball, and Gidget as they go about their days when their sweet but clueless owners aren’t watching. The voice talents are spot-on including franchise newcomer Patton Oswalt (taking over for Louis C. K.) who voices the nervous but always well-meaning Max. This time around it’s all about Max finding his inner courage and Oswald nails that challenge.
Kevin Hart is back as Snowball, the confident rabbit about to find out the difference between playing superhero and trying to really be a hero. Jenny Slate returns as Gidget, the adorable, quirky Pomeranian ball of white fur determined to save Max’s ball from the apartment of eerie, creepy, and hilarious cats. Gidget’s subplot is so well written and entertaining it almost upstages Max’s main story.
A great addition to the sequel is the casting of Harrison Ford as the wise farm dog Rooster who becomes a mentor to Max. In his first voice performance in an animated film Ford’s deep, gruff, instantly recognizable voice is perfect for bringing the no time for nonsense farm dog to life. The scenes with Rooster and Max are some of the best in the film.
The animation’s bright and colorful, as it is with all Illumination Entertainment’s films. And the humor and physical antics are mixed together perfectly to entertain both children and adults, much in the same way the classic Looney Tunes animated shorts used to back in the day.
Fetching, funny, and adorable, The Secret Life of Pets 2 is a worthy sequel sure to entertain anyone who’s ever owned a pet. It’s a purrfect, tail-wagging good time.
The good news: Netflix just released the full trailer for season three of Marvel’s Jessica Jones. The bad news: season three will still be the critically acclaimed series’ final season.
The two minute trailer asks viewers to consider whether Jessica is a hero or a fraud. It also features Jessica warning Jeri Hogarth not to cozy up to maniacs because that will only lead to people around her getting hurt. Along with the full trailer Netflix unveiled the official poster for the new season.
Season three is made up of 13 one-hour episodes starring Krysten Ritter in the title role. The cast of the final season also includes Rachael Taylor (Finding Steve McQueen) as Trish, Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix Trilogy) as Jeri Hogarth, Eka Darville (Empire) as Malcolm Ducasse, and Benjamin Walker (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter).
Jeremy Bobb (Russian Doll), Sarita Choudhury (Homeland), Tiffany Mack (Hap and Leonard), Jessica Frances Dukes (The Good Wife), Aneesh Sheth (New Amsterdam), and Rebecca DeMornay (The Hand that Rocks the Cradle) also star in season three of the comic book-inspired series.
Melissa Rosenberg (Dexter, Twilight screenwriter) serves as showrunner and executive producer, with Marvel’s Head of Television Jeph Loeb (Marvel’s Daredevil, Marvel’s Luke Cage, Marvel’s The Punisher) also executive producing. Marvel’s Jessica Jones is produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Studios for Netflix.
Season three arrives on Netflix on June 14, 2019.
Details on Season 3:
“When Jessica (Krysten Ritter) crosses paths with a highly intelligent psychopath, she and Trish (Rachael Taylor) must repair their fractured relationship and team up to take him down. But a devastating loss reveals their conflicting ideas of heroism, and sets them on a collision course that will forever change them both.”
Poster for the third and final season of ‘Marvel’s Jessica Jones’ starring Krysten Ritter (Photo Courtesy of Netflix)
CBS’s action adventure drama Blood & Treasure continues its season one run with episode 5, “The Brotherhood of Serapis.” Episode five was directed by Tawnia McKiernan from a script by Javier Grillo-Marxuach and will air on June 11, 2019.
Season one’s new episodes occupy the Tuesdays at 10pm ET/PT timeslot.
Episode five guest stars include Karl Graboshas as Lt. Heinz, Elia Pierschmann as Wehrmacht Captain, Ali Hassan as Taj, and Chuck Shamata as Sharif Gazal. Massimo Ruggiero, Hasna Moumni, and Maxime Paradis also guest star in the June 11th episode.
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 Brotherhood of Serapis” Plot – An unlikely ally reveals to Lexi that an Egyptian official has files which could lead her to Farouk. But in order to get to the information, she must enlist Danny in a dangerous plan while lying to him about the source of her lead. Also, Farouk takes a risk to get back the items he stole from the Pyramids, which he needs in order to fund his operations.
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.”
Sandra Dee in Gidget (Courtesy of Columbia Pictures / Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
If you love teen movies of the 1960s, then you must remember Sandra Dee. She was the queen of teen films. Although under contract to Universal Studios, Columbia Pictures borrowed her in 1959 to make the classic teenage beach comedy Gidget, co-starring 23-year-old James Darren and a long-in-the-tooth Cliff Robertson at 36. Directed by Paul Wendkos, the picture also starred a young Doug McClure and pretty Yvonne Craig. The movie was a huge smash and put Sandra Dee on the Hollywood map.
But Dee didn’t start out as a star. She was born with the questionable name of Alexandra Zuck, whose last name could be a disaster by changing just one letter. Bayonne, New Jersey is where she was born April 23, 1942, at the height of World War II. She was an adorable little girl and her parents introduced her to modeling at the age of 4. She also got into commercials. She became a very successful model at age 14 in New York City and was earning top dollar.
She and her family moved to Hollywood in 1957 so she could get into films. After graduating from University High School, she was “discovered.” She was cast in director Robert Wise’s MGM war film, Until They Sail. Filmed in New Zealand, the movie was about sisters looking for men when the Marines landed. Starring with Dee were Joan Fontaine, Jean Simmons, Piper Laurie, Paul Newman, and Charles Drake. Dee won a Golden Globe Award as the most promising newcomer of the year.
MGM was happy with her performance in Until They Sail, and they cast her in The Reluctant Debutante (1958) with handsome newcomer John Saxon, age 23 (b. 1935). Dee was a luscious 17 at the time. Also in the cast were stage and screen star Rex Harrison (My Fair Lady), Kay Kendall (Les Girls), and Angela Lansbury (Broadway’s Mame). This comedy romance has Dee playing the American-raised daughter of Brit Harrison, who visits London during the debutante’s ball.
Luckily for Sandra Dee, the moguls at Universal Studios noticed her performances. Hollywood legend has it that producer Ross Hunter always said he had originally discovered her in New York when she was 12! The golden-haired little teen was signed to a long-term contract by the studio in 1958, and her career was off to the heavens. Hunter then cast her again with John Saxon and Theresa Wright in The Restless Years (1958), and then in 1959 in A Stranger In My Arms with June Allyson, Jeff Chandler, Mary Astor and Virginia Grey.
The year 1959 was a watershed time for Sandra Dee. Ross Hunter cast her in the major tearjerker and glamour film, Imitation of Life. Starring as Dee’s mother was the glamorous blonde star from MGM, Lana Turner. The film became Universal’s highest grossing film to that time and was a world-wide sensation. It catapulted Dee into a household name, much like Turner’s persona. Newcomer John Gavin played Turner’s love interest. And also that year, Dee was borrowed by Columbia Pictures for the aforementioned Gidget smash.
Warner Bros. wanted to get in on some of that money-making star so they borrowed Dee as well for another hit movie, A Summer Place (1959) with then blonde heart-throb Troy Donahue, 23, as her love interest. Donahue quickly became washed up, an alcoholic and addict, and died in 2001 at age 65.
Back at Dee’s home studio of Universal, producer Ross Hunter once again made a lavishly costumed epic for star Lana Turner in Portrait in Black in 1960. Dee was reunited with handsome John Saxon once again, and another hit was notched on her belt. By this time she was voted seventh biggest star of 1960.
The following year she was cavorting in the romantic comedy Romanoff and Juliet with, surprisingly, handsome John Gavin playing her love interest even though he was a bit old for Dee at age 30.
Debbie Reynolds (1932-2016) starred in Tammy and the Bachelor (1957), the first of the four features that were about the title character. It was a gigantic hit for Reynolds, and she also had a number one hit record titled “Tammy.” Dee was next in line to play Tammy in Ross Hunter’s 1961 version Tammy Tell Me True, again with co-star John Gavin with Virginia Grey. She was perfect for the role and the film was another big hit for Dee.
Dee, being a ripe and luscious young lady, also had a personal life. When on location in Italy for the comedy Come September, she met and fell in love with singer Bobby Darin (“Mack the Knife”), who had a part in the movie. With gorgeous co-stars such as Rock Hudson and Italian bombshell Gina Lollobrigida to inspire them, the couple got married December 1, 1960 after the film was completed. The couple subsequently added to their family with little son Dodd, who was born in December 1961. Alas, the Darins divorced in 1967.
After making another film for producer Ross Hunter in 1962 with then-husband Darin called If a Man Answers, featuring legendary Cesar Romero (The Joker on TV’s Batman), Sandra Dee finished off the Tammy series with Tammy and the Doctor (1963) with Peter Fonda and comedienne Alice Pearce. Dee held her own in Hollywood by being named the 8th biggest and most popular star in America. Audiences still loved her.
Dee went over to Twentieth Century Fox studios in 1963 to star with mega-star James Stewart in another comedy, Take Her, She’s Mine, co-starring TV favorite Jim Nabors (Gomer Pyle), another giant hit. She was still on top of the heap.
Producer Ross Hunter loved Dee and cast her in yet another comedy, this time with musical stars Andy Williams and Robert Goulet, plus the added comedy touch of hilarious Rip Taylor. It was titled I’d Rather Be Rich (1964). It was time for another pairing with Bobby Darin, and the film was That Funny Feeling (1965) with the wonderfully talented Donald O’Connor (Singin’ In The Rain) and funny lady Kathleen Freeman. Dee plays a maid who cleans Darin’s apartment, falls in love with him, and tries to pretend that his apartment is hers. It’s all a funny mix-up of course.
Universal had Dee under contract for only one more movie in 1966. They cast her opposite James Garner, Greece’s Melina Mercouri, and Italian-American Anthony Franciosa in the spy comedy, A Man Could Get Killed. Shot in Portugal and Rome, the visuals were stunning.
With the movie business changing and with studios no longer wishing to have stars under long-term contract, Dee was dumped by the studio. She was now on her on, a fish out of water, and no studio to protect her, nearly a washed up ingenue at 24.
She had been suffering from anorexia her whole life and she also fell into a depression because of her divorce from Bobby Darin. This led her to indulge in drinking alcohol a little too much. This did her kidneys no good.
She still worked on occasion; she did another film for Ross Hunter called Rosie in 1967 with screen legend Rosalind Russell (Auntie Mame), TV’s Audrey Meadows, and that wicked witch, Margaret Hamilton. Dee plays Russell’s granddaughter Daphne. Dee’s character saves Russell’s Rosie from being declare insane by her evil children who want her money. It turned out to be a box-office flop.
MGM still wanted her and starred her in the comedy Doctor, You’ve Got To Be Kidding (1967) with charming George Hamilton, Celeste Holm, Dwayne Hickman and Bill Bixby. MGM was the last major studio where Dee worked.
Her health deteriorated further and she became seen less and less around the Hollywood crowd. She remained off-screen for more than three years. Most people had forgotten who she was, and for an actor that can be career death. She took a part in a grade Z studio production of The Dunwich Horror in 1970 as a student caught up in an occult plot.
The 1970s saw Dee turning to television to get acting roles. She did such shows as Night Gallery and Love, American Style. She was hit hard by Darin’s sudden death in 1973 from heart failure.
There was a three-year gap between Houston, We’ve Got a Problem in 1974 and Fantasy Island in 1977. She was drinking heavily and her kidneys were severely damaged. After her appearance on Police Woman in 1978 there was a five-year drought until her role on Fantasy Island in 1983. Her last feature film was a low-budget stinker called Lost, shot in Colorado. It was a box-office bomb.
The sad conclusion to what had been a stellar career as a top star ended when Sandra Dee died of kidney disease on February 20, 2005 at only 62.
Comic book-inspired films were on a hot streak, what with Captain Marvel, Shazam!, and Avengers: Endgame knocking the socks off audiences and critics alike. But alas, all winning streaks must come to an end – just ask Jeopardy! champ James Holzhauer. The superhero genre’s run of first-rate entertainment just hit a brick wall, and an “X” marks the spot of the accident. The final entry in the current X-Men series arrives with Dark Phoenix, a misfire of epic proportions.
If not for the lack of a compelling story, character development, and chemistry among the cast, Dark Phoenix might have soared. It’s an incredible disappointment and a sad send-off to a franchise that, in all honestly, was made up of more misses than hits.
Dark Phoenix kicks off with a brief flashback showing young Jean on the day of her parents’ horrific car accident. She blames herself for their deaths and when Professor Charles Xavier takes her in, she warns him she’s broken and can’t be fixed.
He waves off the warning and for years it seems Jean fits in with the other mutants-in-training who are being mentored by Raven/Mystique and Hank McCoy/Beast. However, an emergency with the space shuttle Endeavor leads to Jean absorbing some bizarre space energy that turns her from mostly under control into a darker, more violent, incredibly powerful mutant with no impulse control that not even Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto wants fighting by his side.
Enter mysterious creatures from space who want what Jean’s got flowing through her veins. One thing leads to another, lines are crossed, and sides are taken. Throw in a few entertaining/confusing action sequences and by the time the X-Men finish up battling aliens and themselves, the best that can be said is it all happened in less than two hours.
Sophie Turner stars as Jean Grey in ‘Dark Phoenix’ (Photo Credit: Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox)
Game of Thrones’ Queen in the North Sophie Turner handles the title role. Turner’s a fine young actress, but she never quite grabs hold of Jean Grey/Phoenix. You can almost feel her circling the character and looking for an entry point. It doesn’t help that she’s given very little to work with in the script.
If there was a Golden Raspberry Award for the single worst line of dialogue in a feature film, it would go to a ridiculous speech delivered by Jennifer Lawrence’s Raven. There’s a scene in Avengers: Endgame that was criticized for its female empowerment moment that felt wedged in and out of place to some critics. (I applauded its inclusion and felt it was about damn time for an “I am woman hear me roar” moment in the Avengers franchise.) Dark Phoenix attempts to do that Avengers moment one better and in doing so completely jumps the shark.
James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are their usual fine selves, and Nicholas Hoult is always fun to watch in Beast-mode. Evan Peters gets very little screen time as Quicksilver in this send-off which is too bad as Peters can nail a scene and channel a mood even without decent material to work off of.
Divulging any details no matter how seemingly insignificant about Jessica Chastain’s new character would get into spoiler territory. Suffice it to say what you learn about her character, Vuk, in its first few minutes on screen will be all you’ll ever learn about Vuk. It’s the sort of role Tilda Swinton would have chewed up and spit out, but Chastain plays it super low-key and understated. In this case, that’s not a compliment.
The biggest disappointment is that Dark Phoenix fails to tell an interesting story. There’s a fair share of dazzling action scenes but when it comes to actual character development and intrigue, the plot fizzles when it needs to sizzle.
GRADE: D+
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action including some gunplay, disturbing images, and brief strong language
Season two of Starz’s Sweetbitter, the half-hour series based on the bestselling book by Stephanie Danler, is set to premiere on July 14, 2019. With the new season just a little over a month away, Starz has just released the official full trailer for the drama starring Ella Purnell.
The minute and a half trailer begins with Jake (played by Tom Sturridge) telling Tess (Purnell) she’s different. He can’t describe what he means other than to say, “Than you were before.” The trailer reveals Tess may be different but she’s retained her curiosity about life and about her new city.
Season two also stars Caitlin FitzGerald (Masters of Sex), Paul Sparks (The Girlfriend Experience), Evan Jonigkeit (X Men: Days of Future Past), Eden Epstein (In Between Men), Jasmine Mathews (Blue Bloods), and Daniyar (Claws).
Season two will air on Sundays at 9pm ET/PT.
Author Stephanie Danler created the series and serves as an executive producer. Stuart Zicherman (The Americans) returned to guide the series as showrunner and also executive produces.
Evan Jonigkeit, Eden Epstein, Daniyar, Ella Purnell, and Jasmine Mathews in ‘Sweetbitter’ season 2 (Photo Credit: Starz)
The Sweetbitter Plot:
“What comes after being new? Tess (Ella Purnell) has the job, and she’s ready to invest in it. She’s all in, but soon realizes she won’t survive at the restaurant if she doesn’t play the game. Tess finds her appetite awakened. She’s starving for knowledge but investing in this life means more than knowing the difference between wine from Bordeaux and Burgundy. Tess discovers that knowledge alone is not enough: she needs to be able to use it, to move from her head to her body. She needs experience.
Tess’s appetite carries her through a sexual awakening, a discovery of her voice, and, ultimately, a recognition of her own power. However, not everyone shares this hunger. Simone, Jake and Howard are all trapped, by both the restaurant and each other, leaving Tess to question what she wants from the restaurant, and what it wants from her.”
The official trailer’s arrived for Cold Blood – not to be confused with the 2005 or 2008 films of the same title. Or, for that matter, with 1967 or 1996’s In Cold Blood. However, it can be confused with Cold Blood Legacy which is how this 2019 thriller’s listed on IMDB, complete with an identical poster but with “Legacy” tacked on the title.
The action thriller starring Jean Reno has a The Professional vibe and features Reno once again playing a hit man, a role he’s become quite adept at tackling. In addition to Jean Reno, the cast of the thriller includes Sarah Lind (The Exorcism of Molly Hartley), Joe Anderson (Across the Universe), David Gyasi (Troy: Fall of a City), François Guétary (Lost), and Samantha Bond (Downton Abbey).
Cold Blood was written and directed by Frédéric Petitjean. Petitjean’s behind the scenes team includes director of photography Thierry Arbogast (La Femme Nikita, The Fifth Element), editor Viktor Onysko (Storozhova zastava), and casting director Kelly Valentine Hendry (The Last Kingdom, Broadchurch).
Screen Media has set a July 5, 2019 release in theaters and On Demand.
The Plot:
“Cold Blood is the story of Henry (Jean Reno), a legendary hitman enjoying the isolation of his lakeside cabin deep within the vast wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. When the solitude of his well-earned retirement is shattered by the arrival of a young woman (Sarah Lind), the survivor of a dramatic snowmobile accident, Henry must decide whether to risk his own life to save hers.”
Jean Reno stars in Screen Media’s action thriller, ‘Cold Blood.’
20th Century Fox has just unveiled the official trailer and poster for the sci-fi drama, Ad Astra. The 2019 release stars Brad Pitt as an astronaut following in his father’s footsteps.
Ad Astra was written and directed by James Gray (The Lost City of Z, We Own the Night), with Ethan Gross co-writing. Gray, Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Anthony Katagas, Rodrigo Teixeira, and Arnon Milchan served as producers.
In addition to Brad Pitt, the cast of the drama includes Oscar winner Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive), Oscar nominee Ruth Negga (Loving), Liv Tyler (Harlots, The Leftovers), and Donald Sutherland (Trust, Measure of a Man).
Writer/director James Gray’s behind the scenes team includes director of photography Hoyte Van Hoytema, editors John Axelrad and Lee Haugen, production designer Kevin Thompson, and costume designer Albert Wolsky.
Walt Disney Studios will release the 20th Century Fox production on September 20, 2019.
The Plot:
“Astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father and unravel a mystery that threatens the survival of our planet. His journey will uncover secrets that challenge the nature of human existence and our place in the cosmos.”
Poster for 20th Century Fox’s ‘Ad Astra’ starring Brad Pitt.
Season one of CBS’s The Code continues with episode nine airing July 1, 2019. The episode titled “Smoke-Pit” was directed by Ron Fortunato from a script by Kaycee Felton-Lui.
Season one airs on Mondays at 9pm ET/PT.
Episode nine’s guest cast includes Alexander Koch as Bard, Justine Cotsonas as Alex Hunt, Aaron Tveit as Matt Dobbins, Lilli Cooper as Addison Carver, and Brian O’Neill as Lt. Col. Talley. Andrew Burnap, Sofia Bryant, Gregory Abbey, Melle Powers, Daniel Sovich, Steve Cirbus, Oge Agulue, Sharon Washington, and Chase Del Rey also guest star.
The cast is led by Luke Mitchell as Captain John “Abe” Abraham, Anna Wood as Captain Maya Dobbins, Ato Essandoh as Major Trey Ferry, Phillipa Soo as Lieutenant Harper Li, Dana Delany as Colonel Glenn Turnbull, and Raffi Barsoumian as Warrant Officer Rami Ahmadi.
The “Smoke-Pit” Plot – Abe and Harper’s investigation into a Marine recruiter’s alleged misconduct may be derailed when the key witness refuses to testify.
The Code Season 1 Plot:
“The Code is a drama about the military’s brightest minds, who tackle the toughest legal challenges facing the U.S. Marine Corps. As prosecutors, defense lawyers, and investigators, these Marines work together to serve their country with integrity while often putting aside their personal ideals for the sake of justice.
Operating out of Judge Advocate General Headquarters in Quantico, Captain John ‘Abe’ Abraham is a driven prosecutor for whom becoming a Marine is a longstanding family tradition and a responsibility he treats with devotion and passion. His colleague and friend, Captain Maya Dobbins, is the fearless lead defense attorney who is never hesitant to go up against one of her own, but is also a team player if it means finding the truth. Major Trey Ferry is Abe’s eloquent and wise superior officer working for the prosecution who pursues suspects with ferocity.
Commanding officer Colonel Glenn Turnbull, one of the highest-ranking female officers in the Judge Advocate Corps, demands excellence of herself and her staff, while inspiring intense loyalty. Assisting the team is Lt. Harper Li, a highly capable lawyer who is eager to take on bigger cases, and tech-savvy, efficient Warrant Officer Rami Ahmadi, the Marine equivalent of a paralegal. These active duty Marines are attorneys who have chosen to serve their country in pursuit of military justice at home and abroad.”
