‘Outlander’ Season 5: Caitriona Balfe Interview on Aging Claire and American History

By

-

February 12, 2019

Outlander Season 4 Episode 3 Recap — Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe in ‘Outlander’ season 4 episode 3 (Photo Credit: Starz)

Caitriona Balfe was on Starz’ Fiercely Female panel for the Television Critics Association. She was joined by Outlander EP Maril Davis, and casts and creators from Vida, Power, Sweetbitter and American Gods.

After the panel, Balfe spoke with reporters more specifically about Outlander. She’s about to shoot season five, and she also reflected on the show’s portrayal of sensitive sexual situations.

Are you in the middle of season five now?

Caitriona Balfe: “We have not started shooting yet. We are going to start in a couple of weeks so I’m here for the rainy season of Valet and then I’ll go back to a rainy season in Glasgow.”

Have you seen any of the scripts yet?

Caitriona Balfe: “I’ve seen some outlines but no scripts as yet.”

What makes you excited about the new season?

Caitriona Balfe: “I think I’m looking forward to a lot in this next season. I think there’s a lot of interesting things that we’re going to get to explore in terms of family, in terms of loyalties, especially in politics. It’s very new to me, all of this kind of time in American history. To understand the intricacies of what was going on in America in that time during its infancy, the people that were coming into the country, who their allegiances were lying with. It’s all really interesting stuff and it’s very new so that makes it really exciting.

It’s very different to Scottish politics and Scottish history, so I find that really interesting. It’s also exploring the life of an older woman I’m finding really, really interesting and trying to learn and appreciate where she’s at, what her values are, what things become important to her. It’s new territory as well for me because I’m not that old yet.”

How old is she?

Caitriona Balfe: “She is well into her 50s actually, so she’s like 53, 54 at this point which I’m not.”

Are you hoping to hold up as well as she has?

Caitriona Balfe: “She does pretty well. I have to imagine something happens going through the stones, but it’s really interesting. She’s a grandmother this season which I think is a really interesting time in a woman’s life. It’s great to be able to explore that and have an extended family be around and also to deepen this marriage and this relationship in new ways because their life now is very new. This is a new role they’re taking on. It’s a new place and they’ve settled into this new community, so I think it’s really interesting.”

You didn’t grow up here and neither did Claire. The scene where you meet George Washington…

Caitriona Balfe: “The significance in that was slightly lost on me. I was like what is this cherry tree thing, really? And everyone was like everybody in America knows about it. This is the fun thing about how Diana wove these stories through real life historical events. We get to include these great historical figures into the show, whether it was with Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy before and different people, King Louis and all those things. It’s nice to be able to do that in America as well and I think maybe going forward there might be a few more, so it’s good.”

Have you read all the way through?

Caitriona Balfe: “No, I have just started on book six. So I’m in and out at the moment.”

They haven’t gotten to Philadelphia yet?

Caitriona Balfe: “No.”

Is there something from the fifth book you’re really excited to act out?

Caitriona Balfe: “Yeah, there’s a lot. I still don’t know exactly what is going to end up in the show but like I said, there’s a lot of also Claire as last season, her doctor side in some ways is put to one side. We got to see little glimpses of it. I think now that they’re going to settled in Fraser’s Ridge, it’s a real opportunity to establish herself in getting that kind of professional side of her life back in an order that is very fulfilling for her. So I think that’s exciting too.”

Is this the season where she discovers how to make ether?

Caitriona Balfe: “She discovers how to make penicillin which is very important.”

She sets everything on fire?

Caitriona Balfe: “She hasn’t done that one yet.”

Why is it important to tell realistic stories about both sexual violation and sexual pleasure? And we talk about safe spaces. What is it like as actors?

Caitriona Balfe: “First of all, telling Claire’s sex life through this female gaze or the sex that Jamie and Claire have, it’s very important to who they are as a couple. And that’s an important, I think, aspect of the story. I think the sexual violence is also an important part of the storytelling if you’re going to tell the real life story of what was going on in that time in that place. We have a responsibility I think to try and do it in a responsible way and to try and give agency to the characters that are being victimized. And I think we’ve done a pretty good job in not just showing the act but then in the repercussions. I think that was so important in Briana’s story this season that we get to see the long lasting effects of what happens when you’ve been raped and how that affects not just the person, but also the family.

So yes, it’s definitely a part of the book series and so therefore it’s a part of our show. It’s in the DNA of that but I think we all spend an awful lot of time trying to do it in the right way. As actors, from very early on, Ron Moore was very clear that he wanted to do this in a different way. He didn’t want to do your typical TV sex and he wanted to make it from a female perspective so that automatically puts you in a much safer space. And then it’s a continuation of conversations and making sure that every time one of these scenes come up, it’s not just like oh, well, you guys do that so we’re just going to do the same thing again. Every single time is a new conversation because how you feel about yourself and your body and where you’re at, it changes from day to day, month to month. You have to constantly make sure that everybody’s comfortable and okay with something that’s going to live on the internet or in pictures or on video for the rest of your life.

We’re very lucky that we have an open dialogue with our producers and our writers. It’s very important to keep that open and keep it a strong conversation.”

Can you do female gaze even if the director is male?

Caitriona Balfe: “Yes, of course. I think there’s this kind of idea that only women can tell women’s stories, only men can tell men’s stories. That’s complete rubbish. We’ve had some male directors who have been far more sensitive and far more in tune with their sensitivity and their emotional sensitivity than some female directors, but I don’t think it runs down the line of your sex. I think it’s about respect and it’s about sensitivity, and I think all people have the capacity for that.”

‘Tolkien’ Trailer: Nicholas Hoult Stars as Author J.R.R. Tolkien

By

Rebecca Murray

-

February 12, 2019

Fox Searchlight just unveiled the first trailer for Tolkien, a biopic about the author of the classic The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings novels. The film explores J.R.R. Tolkien’s creation of those iconic fantasies.

Nicholas Hoult (Warm Bodies, Mad Max: Fury Road) leads the cast as J.R.R. Tolkien and Lily Collins (The Last Tycoon, Rules Don’t Apply) plays his wife, Edith. Colm Meaney (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Craig Roberts (Red Oaks), Anthony Boyle (The Lost City of Z), Patrick Gibson (The OA), Tom Glynn-Carney (Dunkirk), Genevieve O’Reilly (The Legend of Tarzan), Laura Donnelly (Outlander), Pam Ferris (Holmes and Watson), and Derek Jacobi (Murder on the Orient Express) also star in the 2019 drama.

Dome Karukoski (Tom of Finland) directed from a script by David Gleeson (The Front Line) and Stephen Beresford (Pride). Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, David Ready, and Kris Thykier produced.

Tolkien‘s behind the scenes team includes director of photography Lasse Frank Johannessen, editor Harri Ylönen, production designer Grant Montgomery, and costume designer Colleen Kelsall.

Fox Searchlight will release Tolkien in theaters on May 10, 2019.

The Plot:

Tolkien explores the formative years of the orphaned author as he finds friendship, love and artistic inspiration among a group of fellow outcasts at school. This takes him into the outbreak of World War I, which threatens to tear the “fellowship” apart. All of these experiences would inspire Tolkien to write his famous Middle-Earth novels.

‘Yesterday’ First Trailer and Poster: A Bizarre World Without The Beatles

By

Rebecca Murray

-

February 12, 2019

Oscar winner Danny Boyle teaming up with Oscar nominee Richard Curtis for a film filled with The Beatles music and featuring Kate McKinnon? Say no more – I’m in. Universal Pictures just released the first trailer and poster for Yesterday, a romantic comedy filled with classic hits from the greatest rock band ever.

In addition to Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live, Ghostbusters), the cast includes Himesh Patel (BBC’s Eastenders), Lily James (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again), and Ed Sheeran.

Boyle directed, Curtis wrote the screenplay, and both produced along with Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Bernie Bellew, and Matthew James Wilkinson. Nick Angel and Lee Brazier served as executive producers.

Yesterday will open in theaters on June 28, 2019.

The Plot:

Yesterday, everyone knew The Beatles. Today, only Jack remembers their songs. He’s about to become a very big deal. From Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting, 28 Days Later) and Richard Curtis, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually and Notting Hill, comes a rock-n-roll comedy about music, dreams, friendship, and the long and winding road that leads to the love of your life.

Jack Malik (Patel) is a struggling singer-songwriter in a tiny English seaside town whose dreams of fame are rapidly fading, despite the fierce devotion and support of his childhood best friend, Ellie (James). Then, after a freak bus accident during a mysterious global blackout, Jack wakes up to discover that The Beatles have never existed … and he finds himself with a very complicated problem, indeed.

Performing songs by the greatest band in history to a world that has never heard them, and with a little help from his steel-hearted American agent, Debra (McKinnon), Jack’s fame explodes. But as his star rises, he risks losing Ellie — the one person who always believed in him. With the door between his old life and his new closing, Jack will need to get back to where he once belonged and prove that all you need is love.

‘Manifest’ Season 1 Episode 15 Recap: “Hard Landing”

By

Fred Topel

-

February 12, 2019

Manifest Season 1 Episode 15 — Josh Dallas, Matt Long, and J.R. Ramirez in ‘Manifest’ season 1 episode 15 (Photo by: Peter Kramer/NBC/Warner Brothers)

“I can’t help but think that we’re on the verge of discovering something awful,” says Dr. Saanvi Bahl (Parveen Kaur) to Ben Stone (Josh Dallas) as a dangerous stranger enters the mix of people who receive callings but weren’t on Flight 828 in season one episode 15 of NBC’s Manifest.

Season one episode 15 begins with a flashback to the heist of a bank’s cash as it’s being loaded into an armored vehicle. Three masked men neutralize the guards using tasers and put the money in a nearby van. One of the robbers shoots the other two dead and drives off.

Flash-forward to present day and the robber, who should be dead, is pulled from the van after it plunged into the river. He’s been trapped inside for days but somehow emerges in decent shape.

Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh) calls Ben about the man surviving and says she wants his help, asking her brother to meet her at the hospital. Ben explains to Grace (Athena Karkanis) and Zeke (Matt Long) that he needs to back up Michaela and Zeke wants to come along, too.

Jared (J.R. Ramirez) shows up at the hospital wanting Michaela to fill him in. He helps get Ben and Zeke into the hospital, past the reporters and security guards. While that’s going on, Dr. Bahl calculates how long the robber, who has been identified as James Griffin (Marc Menchaca), was underwater. It was exactly 828 minutes.

While the ER nurses and doctors are treating Griffin, he receives a calling. He screams out details of what he hears, saying there are flames everywhere and people are dying including children.

A little later, Michaela tells Ben and Zeke about Griffin’s calling. She believes she’s supposed to help Griffin understand what he sees and determine where the explosion is going to take place.

Jared meets Zeke for the first time and immediately doesn’t trust him. His opinion is confirmed when he learns Zeke was in the cabin with Michaela and somehow they’re connected. Michaela warns Jared to stop with the jealousy.

Michaela talks to Griffin and reveals what he experienced is something she’s labeled a calling, basically a vision of the future. “How is that possible?” asks Griffin. Michaela answered by reminding him he should be dead from being in the water for so long but instead has a second chance – just like her. She goes over her own story of surviving Flight 828 and ultimately receiving callings. (Seriously, Griffin is a career criminal and killer. Wouldn’t it be better to trick him into thinking he’s going to save himself by revealing what he remembers about the vision?)

Ben checks in with Grace by phone and tells her about Griffin and his vision.

Griffin’s transferred to the police station and as he’s being transferred from the hospital, he confesses to Michaela that he thought he was crazy. He knows where a bomb is going to go off and that knowledge is his get out of jail card.

At the precinct, the FBI and Michaela’s boss are looking into getting Griffin a deal. There has actually been chatter of a terrorist attack, so they believe he has valuable information. Michaela asks her boss to let her talk to Griffin while they work on the deal. She thinks she might be able to get him to give up the bomb’s location. Jared backs her up, telling the captain to trust Michaela’s gut on this.

Michaela calls Ben and tells him she screwed up and now Griffin is trying to get immunity for what he knows about the bomb. She asks him to research Griffin and text her the information while she interrogates him. Of course, Ben agrees.

Ben fills Grace in on what’s going on and she suggests they all help. Ben’s hesitant to get Olive (Luna Blaise) involved, but Grace points out who better to help them search the internet than a teenager. So, the investigation of James Griffin is now a Stone family project.

While doing research Grace comes across Cody’s website informing his followers a criminal is now part of the passengers of 828 and they must rise up against them. Ben discovers Griffin was a foster kid since age five.

Michaela brings up his childhood and being a foster kid but it doesn’t faze Griffin. She asks about not having parents or a family and he tells her there are all kinds of families. His is just as strong as what she has.

Olive discovers online that Griffin had a brother named Devon Carrick and that he died in 2004. Ben texts the information to Michaela, hopefully providing her with more ammunition.

Ben finds an Angela Graham who runs a food bank and at one point was a foster mother to Griffin. He’s ready to take off and talk to her but Grace alters his plans, suggesting she should go. Angela might open up to her easier, mother to mother.

Michaela brings up Devon to Griffin and it bothers him. He asks how she got the name.

Meanwhile, Zeke has gone for a stroll and stops outside a house. He begins to look for the key to the front door. Two cops notice him and take him in as he’s trying to pick the lock.

Sannvi’s collecting herself as she continues to struggle with being taken a hostage just a day ago when a colleague enters her office saying he noticed she doesn’t seem herself. He wonders if she needs to talk, but she assures him she’s fine and thanks him for his concern.

Back at the precinct, Jared wants to book Zeke for attempted burglary but Michaela intervenes. Jared asks if she’s just going to trust everyone who has callings, like Griffin and Zeke, and Mic responds angrily. She assures him Zeke is nothing like Griffin. Jared doesn’t trust Zeke but Michaela asks him to just leave Zeke in a cell until she can talk to him. She doesn’t want him booked.

Michaela returns to the interrogation room with Griffin and reveals she knows about Devon. He’s uncomfortable with her bringing Devon up, and Michaela shows him the file that indicates he went to jail for killing a man during a robbery. Michaela calls Griffin out, aware Griffin took a deal and lied that Devon shot the man. Griffin doesn’t want to talk about it and is rescued when Michaela is interrupted by her boss.

Michaela steps outside the room and the captain informs her the higher-ups are going to give Griffin his deal: no jail time in exchange for the location of the bomb. The captain warns Michaela if she’s going to break him, she has to do it soon. They’re almost out of time.

Grace finds Angela Graham who explains Devon was like a brother to Griffin. Griffin was the one person Devon ever trusted. They ended up in juvenile detention and she never saw them again. Graham confesses to Grace that Griffin was always bad. She doesn’t believe he deserves a second chance.

Ben visits Saanvi who’s noticeably unnerved from the kidnapping. She admits in her mind she knows what’s wrong with her but she can’t stop herself from going through it. Ben explains she’s having PTSD and to give herself a break; it’s only been a day since her traumatic event. He sits close to her and reminds her she’s not alone, assuring her he and Michaela are there for her.

Saanvi confesses she’s afraid everything they’ve been working together to discover about the calling and what happened to them on Flight 828 could be awful. She also tells him she tested Griffin’s blood to see if he has the same marker as the rest of the people on Flight 828 and Zeke. He does.

Back in the interrogation room, Michaela shows Griffin a photo of Devon and asks him to do the right thing to help her save lives. Michaela’s boss enters with the FBI agent and tells her the higher-ups have arrived to give Griffin his deal. “Nice chatting with you, detective,” says Griffin as Michaela steps out.

Michaela talks to Zeke in his cell, offering him a cup of coffee. He confesses he went to see how his mother was doing. She wonders why he didn’t just knock and he explains he’s given her too much heartache already.

Michaela cuts Zeke loose and sends him off to see his mom the right way this time.

Jared becomes upset Michaela let Zeke go, but she suggests he drop it. After Michaela walks away, Jared fetches Zeke’s coffee cup out of the trash can and sends it off to be tested for prints and DNA.

Ben returns home and asks Grace if it’s possible what they’re doing is all wrong. He really, justifiably, wants to know what they are a part of. Grace suggests it’s about how a person chooses to use the calling.

Griffin gets his deal. On his way out, Michaela warns him the callings are not to be abused. Griffin reveals he’s taking them to a whole new level.

Later in Times Square, the bomb squad is able to locate the bomb in a hot dog stand. They deactivate it as Michaela and Jared watch from a distance. They should be safe, however, Michaela hears snarling and turns to see the same wolf that Zeke and Cal (Jack Messina) saw in their vision. The wolf runs off and Jared, noticing Michaela’s reaction, assures her the bomb has been deactivated and they’re good. “No, we’re not,” replies Michaela.

More on Manifest:

The Chainsmokers “World War Joy” North American Tour Dates Announced

By

Rebecca Murray

-

February 12, 2019

Details have just been released for The Chainsmokers’ upcoming “World War Joy” North American tour. The Grammy-winning artists will be headlining the fall tour and will be joined by 5 Seconds of Summer and opening act Lennon Stella on all the dates. The Chainsmokers and 5 Seconds of Mars just combined talents on the single “Who Do You Love” which was released last week.

The “World War Joy” tour will kick off in Cincinnati, OH on September 25, 2019. Among the cities scheduled on the tour are Buffalo, Atlanta, Nashville, New Orleans, and San Diego. All told, the North American tour will hit 41 cities before wrapping up on December 6th in Vancouver, BC.

Tickets will go on sale on Friday, February 15th at 10am local time via LiveNation.com. VIP packages will be available for each concert.

The Chainsmokers “World War Joy” Tour Dates:

December 6 – Vancouver, BC Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena

More on The Chainsmokers, Courtesy of LiveNation:

Grammy-winning duo The Chainsmokers have developed some of the biggest breakthrough songs over the last two years including Multi-Platinum certified hits “Roses,” featuring Rozes, “Don’t Let Me Down” featuring Daya and “Closer,” featuring Halsey, which went on to become the longest-running #1 single of 2016 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The group’s debut album, Memories…Do Not Open, has been certified Platinum. The album debuted at #1 in the U.S. on the Billboard 200 chart and produced Multi-Platinum certified smash hits “Paris” and “Something Just Like This” featuring Coldplay.

Released late last year, the duo’s building album Sick Boy has generated over 1 Billion worldwide streams to date and features hit single “This Feeling” featuring Kelsea Ballerini. Alex and Drew will continue releasing music and touring across the globe throughout 2019 and beyond.

Tim Meadows Exclusive Interview on ‘Schooled’ and ‘Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story’

By

Fred Topel

-

February 12, 2019

Schooled star Tim Meadows — Tim Meadows in ‘Schooled’ (ABC/Richard Cartwright)

ABC’s The Goldbergs launched a new spinoff at the beginning of this year. Schooled sees Lainey Lewis (AJ Michalka) return to William Penn Academy as a teacher. Mr. Glascott (Tim Meadows) has become the principal and Schooled is set in the ‘90s, as opposed to The Goldbergs in the ‘80s.

Meadows was hanging out at the ABC party for the Television Critics Association and I couldn’t resist talking to him. Mainly because Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is one of my favorite movies and Meadows has my favorite line. He told me about this week’s “Rent” episode on Schooled and a little more about The Goldbergs’ ‘90s spinoff. Schooled airs Wednesdays at 8:30pm ET/PT on ABC after The Goldbergs.

I really just want to talk about Dewey Cox. I quote “You don’t want no part of this shit” in all life situations even though I don’t do drugs.

Tim Meadows: “That’s funny.”

I truly believe that was not only a brilliant satire of the biopics, but it is legitimately the American hero’s journey.

Tim Meadows: “Yeah, it sort of makes fun of those kinds of movies. Honestly, it was one of the most fun shoots I’ve ever been on. I became friends with Chris Parnell. Even though we worked together at SNL, we didn’t really hang out that much. So I got to know Chris on that shoot and I got to know Matt Besser a lot better on that shoot. John C. Reilly and I became friends.”

So are you doing both The Goldbergs and Schooled right now?

Tim Meadows: “Mainly Schooled. I did a bunch of episodes in the beginning of the season for Goldbergs. They’re basically trying to mix the two shows so it’s a bit of an overflow from our show to their show, back and forth. Mainly now my focus has been on Schooled.”

They scheduled it so you could focus on Schooled but still have a presence on Goldbergs?

Tim Meadows: “Yes, because they will still have storylines on Goldbergs that took place at the school. They wanted to keep the characters alive in the Goldbergs fandom world. We aired at the beginning of the year, it would be like, ‘Oh yeah, we just saw them on The Goldbergs last week and we haven’t forgotten who he is.'”

Did you create a backstory for the years between Mr. Glascott in the ‘80s and ‘90s?

Tim Meadows: “I did not create backstory because the character is based on two real people. So the stories I knew would be coming from Adam [F. Goldberg] and Mark [Firek]. So, I wasn’t really that concerned about doing an actory thing because I didn’t want to make the wrong choices. Everything I’m learning about the character I’m learning as I get new scripts. There hasn’t been any ‘I don’t know if he would say that or do that’ moments for me. It’s been more about ‘Why am I saying this’ or ‘Why am I doing this?’ I don’t have much of a bio on him yet.”

Schooled Season 1 Episode 1 — AJ Michalka and Tim Meadows star in ‘Schooled’ (ABC/Eric McCandless)

What funny stuff is coming up on Schooled?

Tim Meadows: “We have an episode that deals with the musical Rent. The kids are going to be putting on a performance of it and we learn that a lot of our athletes are also musical theater nerds. They’ve been hiding. They’ve been not talking about it. So it turns out they’re all into the musical. The show is sort of about a conflict between the jocks, Coach Mellor, and the musicians and artistic people in the school. It’s a really good show. It’s like a combination of Rent and West Side Story.”

Does Mr. Glascott get to sing?

Tim Meadows: “No, he doesn’t. Thank God.”

You were on SNL in the’ 90s. Would the characters of Schooled be watching SNL and would there be any overlap?

Tim Meadows: “I think there would be an overlap. I don’t think my character would watch SNL but I think the kids in high school would be watching SNL during the ‘90s. It was one of the most popular decades for the show was during that period.”

Would Lainey and her friends know The Ladies Man?

Tim Meadows: “I think Lainey and those guys might, but we’ve had no discussion about doing that kind of stuff.”

Anything after the Rent episode?

Tim Meadows: “We did 13. I don’t know what order they’re going to be aired but that’s another good one. There’s an episode where I’m trying to teach my niece how to drive and I’m sort of starting to question my ability as a role model.”

Does it feel similar to doing The Goldbergs?

Tim Meadows: “No, not really. It’s different especially for me because on The Goldbergs, I come in, shoot for one day, maybe two days. They give me a bunch of great jokes and then I leave. With this show, I’m there every day so that’s the biggest difference.”

Schooled Guide: Details on the Plot and Cast List

‘Ransom’ Season 3 Episode 1 Preview: “Justice” Photos and Plot

By

Rebecca Murray

-

February 12, 2019

CBS’s dramatic thriller Ransom returns on February 16, 2019 for season three. The new season will air on Saturdays at 8pm ET/PT and kicks off with an episode featuring guest stars Laurent Combalbert and Marwan Mery. Combalbert and Mery are the real-life hostage negotiators who inspired the series and they’ll be playing themselves in the season premiere.

Season three episode one titled “Justice” was directed by James Genn from a script by series creator/executive producer Frank Spotnitz. The episode’s guest stars include Natalie Brown as Kate Barrett, Alicia Dea as Dawn Eastman, Karen Glave as Jasmine Miller, and Conrad Coates as Detective Roger Beks. Eddie Eyre is Rob Cooper, K.C. Collins is NJay, Montel Douglas is Andre Miller, Oliver Rednall is Officer Calahan, and Miklós Béres.

Season three stars Luke Roberts as Eric Beaumont, Brandon Jay McLaren as Oliver Yates, Nazneen Contractor as Zara Hallam, and Karen LeBlanc as Cynthia Walker. The series is executive produced by Spotnitz, David Vainola, Julia Sereny, Jennifer Kawaja, Jocelyn Hamilton, and György Rajnai.

The “Justice” Plot – Eric and the Crisis Resolution team are brought in to negotiate a blood money payoff when a man is murdered and his wife is threatened to be next on the third season premiere.

The Series Plot:

Ransom follows crisis and hostage negotiator Eric Beaumont and his elite Crisis Resolution team who work to balance the demands of their personal lives with their careers as negotiators who handle high-pressure kidnappings and hostage situations. Eric uses his insight into human behavior to resolve the most difficult kidnap and ransom cases but must live with the emotional weight of recently taking out his arch enemy. Despite the stakes, Eric refuses to resort to violence, even when confronted by some of the most dangerous criminals in the world.

While Eric’s considerable powers of manipulation make him the best at what he does professionally, they often complicate his relationships with family, friends and colleagues. His team consists of psych-profiler Oliver Yates, ex-cop Zara Hallam and the newest member of the team, Cynthia Walker.

Ransom Season 3 Episode 1 — Nazneen Contractor and Luke Roberts in ‘Ransom’ season 3 episode 1 (Photo: Dávid Lukács © 2019 Ransom Television Productions Inc.)

‘The Enemy Within’ TV Show Preview: Photos, Cast, and Plot Details

By

Rebecca Murray

-

February 12, 2019

NBC’s set to premiere the new dramatic series The Enemy Within on February 25, 2019. The midseason drama created by Ken Woodruff joins the network’s primetime lineup in the Mondays at 10pm ET/PT time slot.

The cast is led by Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter, Limitless) as Erica Shepherd and Morris Chestnut (Rosewood, Goliath) as Will Keaton. Cassandra Freeman (Marvel’s Luke Cage) plays Jacquelyn Pettigrew, Kelli Garner (The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe) is Kate Ryan, Raza Jaffrey (Lost in Space) is Daniel Zain, and Noah Mills (The Brave) plays Jason Bragg.

Creator Ken Woodruff executive produces with Matt Corman, Chris Ord, and Charles Beeson. Woodruff’s credits include Fox’s Gotham and being a writer/producer for six seasons on CBS’s The Mentalist.

Mark Pellington (Blindspot, Cold Case) directed and executive produced the show’s first episode. Vernon Sanders also executive produced the pilot.

The Plot:

The Enemy Within is a character-driven investigative thriller set in the world of counterintelligence. It focuses on former CIA agent Erica Shepherd (Jennifer Carpenter), the most notorious traitor in modern history and most hated woman in America, who is brought out of a federal supermax prison by the FBI’s Agent Will Keaton (Morris Chestnut) to help stop some of the most dangerous acts of espionage threatening the United States today.

The Enemy Within Episode 1 — Jennifer Carpenter as Erica Shepherd and Morris Chestnut as Will Keaton in ‘The Enemy Within’ (Photo by: Will Hart/NBC)

‘The Curse of La Llorona’ New Trailer: Creepy Weeping Woman Terrorizes a Family

By

Rebecca Murray

-

February 11, 2019

A terrifying apparition haunts a young family in the trailer for New Line Cinema’s The Curse of La Llorona. The new trailer finds the Weeping Woman creeping up behind a young girl in the bathtub. The girl has no idea the person helping wash her hair is actually a ghost until she turns to find there’s no one in the room…

The cast of the 2019 horror film includes Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz, Patricia Velasquez, Marisol Ramirez, and Sean Patrick Thomas. Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen and Roman Christou also star in the R-rated supernatural thriller.

James Wan (Saw, The Conjuring, Aquaman), Gary Dauberman (writer, It, Annabelle), and Emile Gladstone (Army of One) produced, with Richard Brener, Dave Neustadter, Walter Hamada, Michelle Morrissey and Michael Clear executive producing.

First time feature film director Michael Chaves was at the helm, and Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis wrote the script. The behind-the-scenes team includes director of photography Michael Burgess, production designer Melanie Jones, editor Peter Gvozdas, and costume designer Megan Spatz.

New Line Cinema has set an April 19, 2019 theatrical release date.

The Plot:

La Llorona. The Weeping Woman. A horrifying apparition, caught between Heaven and Hell, trapped in a terrible fate sealed by her own hand. The mere mention of her name has struck terror around the world for generations.

In life, she drowned her children in a jealous rage, throwing herself in the churning river after them as she wept in pain.

Now her tears are eternal. They are lethal, and those who hear her death call in the night are doomed. La Llorona creeps in the shadows and preys on the children, desperate to replace her own. As the centuries have passed, her desire has grown more voracious…and her methods more terrifying.

In 1970s Los Angeles, La Llorona is stalking the night—and the children.

Ignoring the eerie warning of a troubled mother suspected of child endangerment, a social worker and her own small kids are soon drawn into a frightening supernatural realm. Their only hope to survive La Llorona’s deadly wrath may be a disillusioned priest and the mysticism he practices to keep evil at bay, on the fringes where fear and faith collide.

Beware of her chilling wail…she will stop at nothing to lure you into the gloom. Because there is no peace for her anguish. There is no mercy for her soul. And there is no escape from the curse of La Llorona.

‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 14: Julianne Hough, Gabrielle Union Join the Judging Panel

By

Rebecca Murray

-

February 11, 2019

America's Got Talent Season 14 — Howie Mandel, Gabrielle Union, Simon Cowell, Julianne Hough and Terry Crews on board for ‘America’s Got Talent’ season 14 (Photos Courtesy of NBC)

Julianne Hough and Gabrielle Union will be joining the judging panel for season 14 of America’s Got Talent. Hough (Dancing with the Stars, Rock of Ages) and Union (Bring It On, Bad Boys II) will be checking out the acts alongside returning judges executive producer Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel.

NBC also announced Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Sorry to Bother You) will host season 14. Crews is currently hosting the America’s Got Talent: The Champions edition.

“One of the many secrets to the success and longevity of America’s Got Talent is its fearless drive to reinvent itself,” stated Meredith Ahr, President, Alternative and Reality Group, NBC Entertainment. “The next evolution of the format brings in fresh expert eyes to join Simon and Howie on the panel. Gabrielle and Julianne are two of the most aspirational women in the business, on top of being electric entertainers with talent across disciplines. I am excited to see how their knowledge, compassion and sheer joy enhance the experience for acts and viewers alike.”

“Our millions of longtime viewers have already embraced Terry as the host of AGT: The Champions, and we are excited to welcome Gabrielle and Julianne to the AGT family,” said Trish Kinane, President of Entertainment Programming, Fremantle North America. “They are ready to bring a new level of expertise, energy, entertainment, and fun to our judging panel.”

America’s Got Talent season 14 auditions are currently underway. Auditions are still being accepted online at AGTauditions.com. The process closes on Monday, March 4, 2019 at 12am ET.

The ratings giant was created by Simon Cowell. Cowell serves as an executive producer with Sam Donnelly, Jason Raff, Trish Kinane, and Richard Wallace. AGT continues to rank first among all alternative shows during the summer season. According to NBC, last summer’s season averaged 14 million viewers.

ShowbizJunkies

‘Outlander’ Season 5: Caitriona Balfe Interview on Aging Claire and American History

‘Tolkien’ Trailer: Nicholas Hoult Stars as Author J.R.R. Tolkien

‘Yesterday’ First Trailer and Poster: A Bizarre World Without The Beatles

‘Manifest’ Season 1 Episode 15 Recap: “Hard Landing”

The Chainsmokers “World War Joy” North American Tour Dates Announced

Tim Meadows Exclusive Interview on ‘Schooled’ and ‘Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story’

‘Ransom’ Season 3 Episode 1 Preview: “Justice” Photos and Plot

‘The Enemy Within’ TV Show Preview: Photos, Cast, and Plot Details

‘The Curse of La Llorona’ New Trailer: Creepy Weeping Woman Terrorizes a Family

‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 14: Julianne Hough, Gabrielle Union Join the Judging Panel

Trending

Outlander: Blood of my Blood Season 2 Episode 2 Recap: The Veil of Time

Dolly Parton Tribute: Disney Bringing ‘9 to 5’ Back to Theaters

A Man on the Inside Season 3 Adds Nick Offerman, Bernadette Peters & More