Three more of CBS’s new shows have picked up early full season orders. All three – God Friended Me, The Neighorhood, and Magnum P.I. – have increased ratings in their time slots over last year’s numbers, prompting the decision to announce an early increase in their episode numbers.
CBS previously announced freshman drama FBI has earned a full first season.
According to the network, the biggest improvement over the 2017-2018 fall primetime season numbers came from the reboot of Magnum P.I.. The action drama has been pulling in an average of nine million viewers, up 50% over last year’s Mondays at 9pm ET/PT ratings.
The Neighborhood has been showing a 14% increase over 2017’s Kevin Can Wait‘s numbers during the same Mondays at 8pm ET/PT time slot. More than eight million viewers have been tuning into the half-hour comedy since it debuted on October 1, 2018.
God Friended Me‘s 10 million viewers have earned the show the #1 spot among Sunday’s scripted series. Airing Sundays at 8pm E/PT, God Friended Me has increased CBS’s viewership over last year in the same time period by 8%.
The cast of God Friended Me is led by Brandon Micheal Hall and Violett Beane. Suraj Sharma, Javicia Leslie, and Joe Morton also star in season one of the series which is executive produced by Steven Lilien, Bryan Wynbrandt, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Marcos Siega.
The Neighborhood stars Cedric the Entertainer, Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs, and Tichina Arnold. The cast also includes Sheaun McKinney, Marcel Spears, and Hank Greenspan. Cedric the Entertainer pulls double duty as executive producer along with Jim Reynolds, Aaron Kaplan, Dana Honor Wendi Trilling, and Eric Rhone.
The remake/reboot of Magnum P.I. finds Jay Hernandez taking on the titular role originated by Tom Selleck. Joining Hernandez in season one are Perdita Weeks, Zachary Knighton, Stephen Hill, Tim Kang and Amy Hill. Peter Lenkov, Eric Guggenheim, Justin Lin, John Davis, John Fox, and Danielle Woodrow executive produce.
Paloma Faith joins the cast of ‘Pennyworth’ (Photo Courtesy of Epix)
Singer-songwriter Paloma Faith has signed on to the cast of Pennyworth which is set to begin filming at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden on Monday, October 22, 2018. According to Epix and Warner Horizon Scripted Television, Faith will be playing Bet Sykes, “a spirited, sadistic and sharp-tongued villain.”
Paloma Faith will be a series regular. She joins previously announced cast members Jack Bannon as Alfred Pennyworth, Ben Aldridge as Thomas Wayne, Ryan Fletcher as Dave Boy, and Hainsley Lloyd Bennett as Bazza. Dave Boy and Bazza are described as lifelong friends of Alfred’s.
The new series is based on the DC characters created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger. Season one’s expected to consist of 10 one-hour episodes.
Pennyworth comes from executive producer/writer Bruno Heller (Gotham, The Mentalist, Rome) and executive producer/director Danny Cannon (Gotham, the CSI series).
The Pennyworth Plot:
The drama follows Bruce Wayne’s legendary butler, Alfred Pennyworth (Bannon), a former British SAS soldier in his 20’s, who forms a security company and goes to work with a young billionaire Thomas Wayne (Aldridge), who’s not yet Bruce’s father, in 1960s London.
The Characters:
Alfred Pennyworth is a boyishly handsome, cheerful, charming, clever young man from London. Honest, open-faced and witty; you’d never take him for an SAS killer. Alfred doesn’t know how to reconcile the kind-hearted boy he used to be with the cold, calculated killer he was forced to become. He’s a man on the make, who doesn’t know what to make of himself yet.
Thomas Wayne is a young, fresh-faced billionaire hailing from the east coast of the United States. Confident and extremely disciplined, this young aristocrat meets an unlikely business partner in Alfred Pennyworth.
Dave Boy, a haggard Highland Scotsman who is slowly drinking himself to death since leaving the army, is a close ally of Alfred and Bazza and also the most unpredictable of the trio.
Bazza, a posh Bajan playboy, is highly proficient at logistics and a valued member of Alfred’s team.
Sheaun McKinney and Katie Aselton in ‘Room 104’ season 2 (Photo: Tyler Golden / HBO)
Season two of HBO’s anthology series Room 104 kicks off on Friday, November 9, 2018 at 11:30pm ET/PT with an episode titled “FOMO.” With the series a month away from its new season premiere, HBO’s released details on all 12 episodes including brief plot descriptions and air dates.
The second season, which features a cast that includes Mahershala Ali, Judy Greer, Michael Shannon, and Rainn Wilson, will finish up on December 14th.
Season two also stars Joel Allen, Stephanie Allynne, Katie Aselton, Frank Birney, Josephine Decker, James Earl, Marlene Forte, Abby Ryder Fortson, Ginger Gonzaga, Brian Tyree Henry, Anita Kalathara, Jennifer Lafleur, Tom Lenk, Phil Matarese, Sheaun McKinney, Natalie Morales, Kent Osborne, Zane Pais, Leonora Pitts, Mark Proksch, Pia Shah, Onur Tukel, Dolly Wells, Mary Wiseman, Charlyne Yi, and Katya Zamolodchikova.
The series was Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass, with the filmmaking brothers serving as executive producers along with Sydney Fleischmann and Mel Eslyn. Tyler Romary is the season two producer.
The Season Two Plot:
Room 104 “tells a different story of the assorted characters who stay in the room in each episode, ranging from dark comedy and horror to poignant drama and musical romance. Filled with twists and surprises, ROOM 104 offers a new discovery from one episode to the next, telling tales of everyday people striving for connection and meaning inside a single room.”
Room 104 Season 2 Episodes Preview:
Episode #13: “FOMO”
Debut: FRIDAY, NOV. 9 (11:30 p.m.-midnight ET/PT)
Grace (Charlyne Yi) and her friends (Tom Lenk and Pia Shah) take a weekend trip to celebrate Grace’s 30th birthday, only to be surprised by the arrival of her uninvited sister (Jennifer Lafleur).
Written by Mark Duplass; directed by Ross Partridge
Episode #14: “Mr. Mulvahill”
Debut: FRIDAY, NOV. 9 (midnight-12:30 a.m.)
Jim (Rainn Wilson) reunites with Mr. Mulvahill (Frank Birney), his third-grade teacher, and challenges him to admit to an incident from the past that left Jim forever changed.
Written by Mark Duplass; directed by Ross Partridge
Episode #15: “Swipe Right”
Debut: FRIDAY, NOV. 16 (11:30 p.m.-midnight)
A powerful Russian political technologist (Michael Shannon) arranges an internet first date with a veterinary nurse (Judy Greer), who tries to figure out the truth behind his shifting identity.
Written and directed by Liza Johnson
Episode #16: “Hungry”
Debut: FRIDAY, NOV. 16 (midnight-12:30 a.m.)
Two strangers (Mark Proksch and Kent Osborne) meet to fulfill an unusual mutual fantasy.
Written by Mark Duplass; directed by Patrick Brice
Episode #17: “The Woman in the Wall”
Debut: FRIDAY, NOV. 23 (11:30 p.m.-midnight)
Plagued by a host of ailments, Catherine (Dolly Wells) is comforted by a disembodied woman’s voice (Leonora Pitts).
Story by Esti Giordani; teleplay by Mark Duplass; directed by Gaby Hoffmann
Episode #18: “Arnold”
Debut: FRIDAY, NOV. 23 (midnight-12:30 a.m.)
After waking up soaking wet and with no memory of the previous night, Arnold (Brian Tyree Henry) tries to piece together the events that got him to Room 104.
Written by Mark Duplass & Julian Wass; directed by Julian Wass
Episode #19: “The Man and the Baby and the Man”
Debut: FRIDAY, NOV. 30 (11:30 p.m.-midnight)
A couple (Josephine Decker and Onur Tukel) hoping to conceive makes a video of their emotionally-charged night for their future child.
Story by Josephine Decker; teleplay by Josephine Decker & Onur Tukel; directed by Josephine Decker
Episode #20: “A Nightmare”
Debut: FRIDAY, NOV. 30 (midnight-12:30 a.m.)
A woman (Natalie Morales) finds herself trapped in increasingly terrifying versions of the same nightmare.
Written by Mark Duplass; directed by Jonah Markowitz
Episode #21: “The Return”
Debut: FRIDAY, DEC. 7 (11:30 p.m.-midnight)
Grieving the death of her father months earlier in Room 104, a young girl (Abby Ryder Fortson) returns with her mother (Stephanie Allynne) in hopes of being able to communicate with him.
Written by Mark Duplass; directed by So Yong Kim
Episode #22: “Artificial”
Debut: FRIDAY, DEC. 7 (midnight-12:30 a.m.)
A reporter (Sheaun McKinney) looks to uncover the truth about a woman (Katie Aselton) who claims to be a hybrid robot warning of an impending AI takeover.
Written by Mark Duplass; Directed by Natalie Morales
Episode #23: “Shark”
Debut: FRIDAY, DEC. 14 (11:30 p.m.-midnight)
A charismatic pool shark (Mahershala Ali) tries to convince his reluctant cousin (James Earl) to stay in the hustling game.
Written and directed by Mark Duplass
Episode #24: “Josie & Me” (Season finale)
Debut: FRIDAY, DEC. 14 (midnight-12:30 a.m.)
A woman (Mary Wiseman) asks her slightly-younger self to recreate the events of one night at a college frat party.
Written by Lauren Budd; directed by Lila Neugebauer
Fox has just increased the first season order for the half-hour comedy, The Cool Kids. The new comedy, created by Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Paul Fruchbom, currently airs on Friday nights at 8:30pm immediately after the resurrected comedy, Last Man Standing.
The Cool Kids‘ first season order increased by nine additional episodes.
According to Fox, the pairing of Last Man Standing and The Cool Kids have given the network its best Friday night ratings in 10+ years. Friday’s block of Last Man Standing and The Cool Kids are ranked #1 on that night among all networks.
“Charlie Day has given us a show that delivers the goods – hilarious stories and impeccable timing and chemistry between its stars, David Alan Grier, Vicki Lawrence, Martin Mull and Leslie Jordan,” said Michael Thorn, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. “On top of that, it has the perfect lead-in with Tim Allen and Last Man Standing. The Cool Kids…are just that…and we’re thrilled they’re going to be on FOX for a full season.”
The cast of The Cool Kids includes David Alan Grier as Hank, Martin Mull as Charlie, Leslie Jordan as Sid, and Vicki Lawrence as Margaret. The series is executive produced by Charlie Day, Patrick Walsh, and Nick Frenkel. Don Scardino (30 Rock, 2 Broke Girls) directed the series’ pilot.
The Plot:
The Cool Kids is a multi-camera comedy about a rowdy, rag-tag group of friends living in a retirement community who are willing to break every rule in order to have fun – because, at their age, what do they really have to lose?
Hank (Grier) is the leader of this motley crew, a gruff, opinionated, 21st century Archie Bunker who will go to any lengths to have a good time. His loyal, but less than helpful, friends include Charlie (Mull), a bumbling wanderer who constantly goes off on tangents about some bizarre, barely believable episode from his life; and Sid (Jordan), a fun-loving hedonist with a flair for the melodramatic. Complicating matters is Margaret (Lawrence), a brash, confident woman who forces her way into their group and refuses to leave because she’s not going to take crap from anyone – especially not these three.
But what unites them all is their shared belief that they’re not done yet – not by a long shot. Growing old with dignity is for chumps. These self-proclaimed “cool kids” are determined to make the third act of their lives the craziest one yet.
Alan Ritchson’s no stranger to action-heavy roles. His resume includes The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, starring as Raphael in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films, and a role as a UFC fighter in the upcoming film, Shadow Girl. Now he’s taking on the part of Hank Hall / Hawk in DC Universe’s Titans.
During our interview at the 2018 New York Comic Con, Ritchson described the process of suiting up to play Titans‘ Hawk and his knowledge of the character prior to signing on to the series.
Titans debuted on October 12, 2018 and is based on the popular Teen Titans comics.
Not everyone can make a superhero costume work, but you do.
Alan Ritchson: (Laughing) “With a thick enough wetsuit I think anyone can look like a superhero.”
What was your take on that costume when they first gave it to you?
Alan Ritchson: “Uh, get this thing off of me, I think. It was so uncomfortable building that thing. I mean, the process that that team took… They really poured their heart and souls into it, but I had to be the mannequin. It was like a lot of hours and hours of pushing and pulling and bolts digging in. They really built that thing from the ground up.
For a long time I couldn’t see it; it couldn’t envision it. You just saw like foam things shooting off the back. It just wasn’t worth the trouble at the time. When I finally got up here and it was finished, and I put it on for the first time, I was like, ‘Man, this is pretty cool!’ So, it was interesting seeing that come to life.
I hated it and then when I saw it all put together I was like, ‘This is cool!’ And now I can’t pee for the entire day, so it’s a love/hate relationship with that thing.
But, no, I think they did a great job honoring the comics. It’s really hard to translate what you can draw on a page to our dimension. I think they did a fantastic job.”
How comfortable is it now?
Alan Ritchson: “It’s super uncomfortable. It just doesn’t like to move. They’ve removed all the bolts. It used to be put together with bolts because the cape is so heavy. The cape’s like 30 pounds or something, so the wings have steel rods in them to keep them from moving in a way that they shouldn’t move. It was all so heavy that it was bolted and screwed together. I’d take it off at the end of the day and my chest would be bleeding. There would be bruises all over from it. If I’d punch somebody, it’s like (digging into me). I’d feel it happening. It was awful. They’re like, ‘Okay, we’ve got to fix this.’
They’d get super Velcro manufactured for them, it’s like stronger than any Velcro. It works now. I’m not bleeding at the end of the day, but it’s just not the most comfortable thing. It takes like four people to put it on.”
Hawk and Dove have had many different iterations in the comic books. Is there one that you took a deep dive into to get into the character?
Alan Ritchson: “I’m going to say this with some shame. I wanted to do that kind of research. Geoff Johns had called me and pitched me on the part. I was like, politely, ‘I’ve done the DC thing, respectfully. I think I want to keep trying new things.’ He was like, ‘No. Let me tell you why this is different and why it has to be you.’
So, he pitched me and I was like, ‘Okay. I’m in. If it’s what you say it is, I’m in. Why don’t you send me some literature and I’ll read it and start getting to know this guy the way you think I should get to know him.’ And so, a box shows up and it’s one comic. I was like, ‘I guess there’s not much…’ I thumbed through that and I’m done. I think I know this guy.
I get to set and I meet Minka (Kelly) and we’re getting to know each other. I’m like, ‘So, did you read it?’ ‘What?’ ‘The comic book.’ She’s like, ‘What? Like one comic book? I read them all.’ I was like, ‘Well, what happened?’ She was like, ‘I called Geoff Johns and he sent me like 80.’ ‘Wait, how many?’ She said, ‘I read like 80 comic books.’ I’m like, ‘Well shit. Now I’m like the idiot who doesn’t know what he’s doing!’
But he only sent me one – that wasn’t my fault! So, I don’t know who’s to blame there. But, I’ve only read one.”
How does the action in this compare to the action that you’ve done in your other projects?
Alan Ritchson: “It’s pretty similar. I mean, I think one of my favorite things about this business is getting to learn different trades and crafts that I wouldn’t otherwise. When I was in The Hunger Games, I hardly spent any time on screen but they had me in training for four months on a dagger so I’d look like I know what I was doing.
I’d come home and at night I was like in the living room flipping these daggers. Then I’d start throwing them. I got to where I could hit a rubber training dagger, I could peg it through a rubber training mat. We have it on camera, too. It was insane what I could do with those daggers.
And then immediately I go from that to Ninja Turtles with a scythe and 87Eleven, the stunt team that was on Hunger Games was there. Danny Hernandez, my trainer – I showed up for training for Raphael and it was him. I was like, ‘What?’ He goes, ‘I guess we’re just switching to a scythe.’ So now I know the scythe really well.
That stuff is really cool. It takes a lot of work, but I mean who gets to learn new crafts like that?
Much of what I’ve done is action. I’ve always played somebody who has to fight. Raphael or whoever. So, it’s just a slightly different version of those kind of martial arts. I actually did a movie immediately before this that isn’t out yet called Shadow Girl where I play a UFC fighter. I spent four months training MMA and then a month with Tito Ortiz because he was like the antagonist in the movie. We fought each other a bunch in the ring, and that is actually the style that we used for this guy. So, I rolled off that movie right into this.
Thank god I had five months of that kind of jiu-jitsu training. That prepared me for this. But it all kind of helps, in my world at least.
(Laughing) I mean, I’d love to do a movie where I play piano and I’m a librarian and I read a lot. Maybe someday.”
Participants have to find the clues that will lead to their escape or die, so says the new official trailer for Escape Room. The trailer sets up the film and shows strangers receiving mysterious little black boxes. Inside each box is a note that reads: “This serves as an entry voucher for Minos Escape Rooms. Be the first to escape our most immersive room yet and win a million dollars.”
The trailer further reveals these strangers weren’t chosen arbitrarily, and whoever is behind the room knows all their secrets. Creepy!
The cast of the psychological thriller includes Taylor Russell (Lost in Space), Logan Miller (Guardians of the Galaxy TV series), Deborah Ann Woll (The Defenders, Daredevil), Jay Ellis (Insecure), Tyler Labine (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency), Nik Dodani (Murphy Brown), and Yorick van Wageningen (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo).
Adam Robitel (Insidious: The Last Key) directed from a screenplay by Bragi Schut and Maria Melnik. Neal H. Moritz and Ori Marmur produced, with Rebecca Rivo serving as an executive producer.
The behind the scenes team includes director of photography Marc Spicer, editor Steve Mirkovich, production designer Edward Thomas, costume designer Reza Levy, set designer Tracy Perkins, and art director Mark Walker. The film’s music was done by John Carey and Brian Tyler.
Columbia Pictures is set to release Escape Room in theaters on January 4, 2019.
The Escape Room Plot:
Escape Room is a psychological thriller about six strangers who find themselves in circumstances beyond their control and must use their wits to find the clues or die.
Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) prepares to confront Michael Myers (Jim Courtney) in ‘Halloween’ (Photo Credit: Ryan Green/Universal Pictures)
The original Halloween freaked out horror fans when it opened in theaters on October 27, 1978. Written and directed by John Carpenter (and co-written by Debra Hill), Halloween was made for less than half a million dollars and went on to gross $47 million during its theatrical run. The 1978 horror film was so successful that it launched a series of sequels (mostly forgettable) and made Michael Myers into a horror icon. It’s also credited as being the launchpad for decades of slasher films.
Now, 40 years later, what’s being called a direct sequel to the original film arrives in theaters. Also titled Halloween, although as a sequel Halloween 2 would make much more sense, this 2018 addition to the franchise asks fans to forget every other entry in the series other than the 1978 film. Forget that Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) had a teenage son (played by Josh Hartnett) in Halloween H20. Forget every time Michael escaped from jails, hospitals, or mental institutions. Forget Halloween II, released in 1981 and also considered a direct sequel as it picked up exactly where the first film left off.
Fortunately, this erasure of all the Halloween films in between 1978 and 2018 means we can forget Halloween III: Season of the Witch ever existed. We can also slap aside any thoughts of Halloween 4 and its introduction of Danielle Harris as Jamie Lloyd, Laurie Strode’s daughter. The already-forgotten Halloween 5 continued Michael Myers’ obsession with Jamie and had the serial killer surviving being shot and falling into a mine before ultimately landing once more in police custody.
Things got truly twisted in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers which introduced the idea that Michael Myers was being forced into killing one particular family as part of the Curse of Thorn. (That one had a young Paul Rudd playing a key role.) It didn’t make much sense and wasn’t memorable to begin with, so doing away with it isn’t much of a loss. Critics and audiences alike cursed The Curse, and it currently registers a 6% rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Laurie Strode was resurrected from the dead for Halloween H20 to put an end to Michael once and for all by decapitating him. Yeah, right… Toss the events of that film, which featured Michelle Williams in a supporting role, into your mental trash can because, according to Halloween 2018, it does not exist.
Not that it matters per the new Halloween, but Laurie didn’t actually decapitate Michael and had to face him once again in 2002’s Halloween Resurrection.
Perhaps it’s because none of the Halloween sequels left lasting impressions that it’s all right to wipe the slate clean and release a direct sequel to the first film that erases four decades-worth of history between Laurie Strode and Michael Myers. Halloween (the sequel) finds Laurie Strode now a grandmother who lives down an isolated road in a fortified house that would turn any Doomsday Prepper green with envy.
Never far from a firearm, Laurie remains obsessed with Michael Myers. However, as is pointed out in one of the film’s most clever bits of writing, everyone else has moved on from worrying about that mask-wearing freak. After all, he only killed a couple of people – a tally that’s nothing compared to today’s mass shootings or serial killing sprees.
Laurie has spent 40 years preparing for the moment when Michael Myers will escape from prison and seek his revenge. She’s alienated her only child, Karen (Judy Greer), but has a decent although secretive relationship with her granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak).
It’s revealed Karen was taken away by child services after spending her formative years being trained for the inevitable face-off with Michael Myers. It took a psychological toll on Karen and she’s never forgiven her mother. That explains Karen’s justified reaction to her mother’s preparation for the possibility of a slicing-and-dicing Michael on the loose being one of skepticism rather than alarm.
Michael, of course, does break out of prison and once more stalks the streets of Haddonfield on Halloween. (Why anyone thought transferring him to a different prison on that particular holiday was a great idea is never explained.) He more than doubles his original body count before he squares off against the person whose death he’s likely envisioned every single night of his 40 years of incarceration.
The Bottom Line
2018’s Halloween doesn’t hold a candle to the scares provided in the original film. There are surprisingly few jump scares over the course of the nearly two-hour running time. And unlike the first film, there’s not a single supporting player you’ll be sad to see come to a bloody end the way you were when P.J. Soles bit the dust in 1978’s Halloween.
As with most horror films, characters react in the stupidest ways possible. Laurie’s meticulously planned for this inevitability, yet all of the house’s possible safe rooms are quickly forgotten about once Michael is actually on the property.
What made the first Halloween into a horror classic was the unrelenting feeling that Michael could be around any corner, poised and ready to attack. This 2018 sequel doesn’t capture that feeling of both dread and anticipation. As the body count piles up, the shock value diminishes.
Sure, 2018’s Halloween is a better film than Halloween 2 through Halloween 8. But in setting itself up as a direct sequel, this reboot of the franchise only left itself with the 1978 original for comparison purposes. John Carpenter established the franchise with a film that still holds up and is still a Halloween holiday staple. The 2018 sequel, while decent, won’t have the same lasting impact.
There’s a scene in which the police and Michael’s psychiatrist are attempting to get people to take the situation seriously and lock their doors. The psychiatrist says something to the effect that he’s a doctor and everyone needs to go inside their homes. He’s standing with cops, yet he announces he’s a doctor and tells people to go home. Why would people listen to a doctor they don’t know telling them to go home if they’re not going to listen to actual armed law enforcement officers? I’m being nitpicky but there are too many little moments like that in the new Halloween, too many jarring instances that snapped me out of the film.
The little missteps and lack of interesting supporting players could be forgiven if the film was genuinely scary. Unfortunately, it’s not.
GRADE: C
MPAA Rating: R for horror violence and bloody images, language, brief drug use and nudity
The CW’s The Vampire Diaries launched the spinoff The Originals back in 2013. When The Vampire Diaries finished up its eight season run in March 2017, at least fans of the supernatural characters still had The Originals to turn to for vampire shenanigans. And now that The Originals wrapped up its five seasons in August 2018, fans of the franchise will be able to tune into the new spinoff, Legacies.
Legacies follows the adventures of Klaus Mikaelson (Joseph Morgan) and Hayley Marshall’s (Phoebe Tonkin) daughter, Hope (Danielle Rose Russell), as she handles high school life at The Salvatore Boarding School for the Young and Gifted. The Vampire Diaries series regular Matt Davis co-stars, reprising his role as Alaric Saltzman.
The first season’s cast also includes Jenny Boyd as Lizzie Saltzman, Kaylee Bryant as Josie Saltzman, and Quincy Fouse as Milton Greasley / MG. Aria Shahghasemi is Landon Kirby and Peyton Alex Smith plays Rafael Waithe.
Season one episode one is titled “This is the Part Where You Run” and airs on October 25, 2018 at 9pm ET/PT. The episode was directed by Chris Grismer from a script by Julie Plec.
The “This is the Part Where You Run” Plot: SERIES PREMIERE — Under the guidance of headmaster Alaric Saltzman (Davis), the next generation of supernatural beings at The Salvatore Boarding School for the Young and Gifted — including tri-brid Hope Mikaelson (Russell), Alaric’s twins Lizzie (Boyd) and Josie (Bryant), high-energy vampire MG (Fouse), newly-triggered werewolf Rafael (Peyton Alex Smith) and the mysterious Landon (Shahghasemi) — come of age in the most unconventional way possible, nurtured to be their best selves…in spite of their worst impulses.
The official poster’s been unveiled for the dramatic film, Outlaw King, starring Chris Pine. The period drama finds Pine playing Robert the Bruce and marks the reunion of Pine with his Hell or High Water director David Mackenzie.
Mackenzie not only directed the action drama but also wrote the script along with Bash Doran (Boardwalk Empire), James MacInnes, Mark Bomback, and playwright David Harrower. Gillian Berrie and writer/director David Mackenzie served as producers. The behind the scenes team includes director of photography Barry Ackroyd, production designer Don Burt, costume designer Jane Petrie, and editor Jake Roberts.
Outlaw King was shot in Scotland. In addition to Chris Pine (the Star Trek films, Wonder Woman), the cast includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals), Florence Pugh (Lady Macbeth), Tony Curran (Sons of Anarchy), Stephen Dillane (Game of Thrones), Billy Howle (Dunkirk), James Cosmo (In Darkness), and Sam Spruell (The Bastard Executioner).
Netflix has set a November 9, 2018 release date in limited theaters and on the streaming service. The film had its world premiere as the Opening Night Film at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6th.
The Outlaw King Plot:
“Outlaw King tells the untold, true story of Robert the Bruce who transforms from defeated nobleman to outlaw hero during the oppressive occupation of medieval Scotland by Edward I of England. Despite grave consequences, Robert seizes the Scottish crown and rallies an impassioned group of men to fight back against the mighty army of the tyrannical King and his volatile son, the Prince of Wales.”
Minka Kelly plays one half of the superhero duo Hawk and Dove on DC Universe’s Titans. The new live-action series debuted on DC Universe’s new streaming service on October 12, 2018 and is based on the popular Teen Titans franchise.
Minka Kelly joined her fellow Titans stars at the 2018 New York Comic Con to discuss the first season of the dark and gritty drama. In our roundtable interview, Kelly talked about getting into the character, Dove’s fighting style, and wearing the wings.
Alan Ritchson mentioned you did a deep dive and read 80 comic books to prepare to play Dove.
Were there any particular storylines or moments that stayed with you or that helped inform the character?
Minka Kelly: “Yeah. We really stayed true to a lot of that, too. In episode 10 is Dawn and Hank, it’s their origin stories. It’s before they’re Hawk and Dove, and you get to see them when they meet. And true to the books, there’s a little resistance from Hank to her becoming Dove because it was her brother. I was so excited. I was like, ‘I read this! This is in the books! I’m so excited!’
That was a really fun episode to do. Akiva Goldsman and Geoff Johns wrote that episode and Akiva directed it. It’s beautiful. Every episode is beautiful. Each one is a little movie.
It’s just been so much fun. I’m so drawn to the world that Akiva and Geoff have been able to create, the balance between making it the most grown-up, real, raw, violent version of a superhero show you’ve ever seen while also still keeping the superhero aspect of it. I think they’ve done such a beautiful job and I feel so lucky to be on board and be able to bring this character to life for the first time.”
Hawk and Dove are a tight unit before the team meets. The Titans are known as a big family, so where do they fit within the family dynamic?
Minka Kelly: “That’s a good question. They do feel a bit isolated a lot of the time. But, there’s a history between Hawk and Dove and Robin. When they were kids they used to fight together. They were a team, so we reunite and find our way again. We flow in and out of the Titans team.”
Minka Kelly as Dove in DC Universe’s ‘Titans.’
Alan was saying the costume was pretty rough on him.
Minka Kelly: (Laughing) “Oh, is it rough on him?”
How is the costume treating you?
Minka Kelly: “His rig of wings, he’s probably got six wings which probably weighs 10 pounds. So, yeah, it’s rough on him.
Mine are about 30 pounds. We have supersuit teams that come in and will lift up and hold the weight of the wings for us. I wear a huge harness underneath my suit that can hold and distribute the weight of the wings, so I can fight with them and use them as my shield.
Yeah, it’s fun though. As soon as you put it on you’re like, ‘Wow, I’m ready to fight!’”
Speaking of those fights, did they give you a different style to learn as Dove?
Minka Kelly: “Yeah. That’s also what’s so great about this show. They’ve given each of us our own particular, specific way of fighting. So, my character’s history is she was a ballerina, she was in jiu-jitsu, and she was a gymnast. Her fights are more that of a dance.
Hawk is a brute and just blows stuff up. And, Robin has his cape and his staff. Everyone has their own specific way to do things, which I think is really cool. But it’s frustrating in the rehearsals because he gets his choreography in 10 minutes. He’s just throwing a bunch of punches. I’m like ducking and diving and dancing and throwing legs, but it’s so much fun.
Our stunt coordinators are incredible, and I have an amazing stunt double. She teaches me how to fight. I insist on doing all of it…it’s mostly her, but I do my part.”
Do you have a favorite fight moment or move?
Minka Kelly: “Yeah, my favorite so far is in episode two when Hawk uses Dove. I love it when we fight together, and he uses me and throws me around.”
Like a figure skater.
Minka Kelly: “Exactly. I think that’s so cool. When they brought that to us and they’re like, ‘This is what we’re going to do,’ I was like, ‘That’s so cool! I can’t believe this is my job!’ It’s so fun. I just thought it looked so cool.”
How was the show originally pitched to you? Did you know how dark it was going to be?
Minka Kelly: “That’s exactly what they said it would be. They said it was going to be different from any other superhero show you’ve seen. It’s going to be more real and more dark and more grounded. I think they’ve stayed pretty true to that.”
