While nearly everything about The CW’s Riverdale is dark, gritty, and dangerous, apparently being locked up in Juvenile Detention Center is none of those things. The new nearly two minute music video released in support of the October 17, 2018 episode features Veronica (Camila Mendes), Josie, and Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) along with the rest of the River Vixens performing Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock” to entertain Archie and the other inmates.
According to The CW, the “choreographed routine takes place during a clean, fair football game designed by Archie to bring together the Ghoulies and the Serpents. Both Warden Norton and Veronica’s father, Hiram Lodge, are less than pleased by Veronica’s attempt to bolster Archie’s spirits, leaving her to find a new way to visit Archie at the Juvenile Detention Center.”
The video has a real Cry-Baby-ish vibe. For those not up on their John Waters films (or too young to get the reference), 1990’s Cry-Baby starred Johnny Depp as a jailbird and Amy Locane as his gorgeous girlfriend from the better side of the tracks. The 1990 release featured a lot of singing and dancing by those incarcerated and those outside the jail’s walls.
The October 17, 2018 episode (season three episode 2) with the “Jailhouse Rock” number is titled “Chapter Thirty-Seven: Fortune and Men’s Eyes.” The episode was directed by Jeff Woolnough from a script by Michael Grassi.
The cast of Riverdale season three includes KJ Apa as Archie Andrews, Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge, and Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones. Madelaine Petsch is Cheryl Blossom, Marisol Nichols is Hermione Lodge, Mӓdchen Amick is Alice Cooper, and Luke Perry is Fred Andrews. The third season also stars Ashleigh Murray as Josie McCoy, Casey Cott as Kevin Keller, Mark Consuelos as Hiram Lodge, Skeet Ulrich as FP Jones, Charles Melton as Reggie Mantle, and Vanessa Morgan as Toni Topaz.
Riverdale is based on the Archie Comics and was created by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Aguirre-Sacasa, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Jon Goldwater are the executive producers.
Josh Dallas as Ben Stone and Parveen Kaur as Saanvi Bahl in ‘Manifest’ season 1 episode 4 (Photo by Craig Blankenhorn/NBC/Warner Brothers)
“There was a stowaway on Flight 828,” says NSA Director Vance (Daryl Edwards) as he’s investigating the 20 passengers and crew who were present when the plane exploded. Those particular passengers have been labeled persons of interest by NSA in the first season’s fourth episode of NBC’s Manifest.
Season one episode four begins with a flashback to the plane still in the air and the cheerful flight attendant, Bethany (Mugga), checking with the pilot about being diverted to another airport for landing. She then heads to the rear of the plane and starts going through a bag while checking to see if anyone is watching her.
Back to present day and Dr. Saanvi Bahl (Parveen Kaur) is working at the hospital when she has a vision of a gray woman made of stone walking through the hospital leaving wet footprints.
Over at the Stones’ house, Ben (Josh Dallas) is spending more time with Grace (Athena Karkanis). He offers to take Olive (Luna Blaise) on a driving lesson since her grandfather is spending the day with Cal. Olive turns him down, but Grace is supportive of his efforts. She tells him to hang in there with Olive.
At the police station, Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh) is teamed up with her ex-fiancé, Jared Vasquez (J.R. Ramirez), to assist the ATF on an undercover bust.
Back at the hospital, Saanvi shows her brain scans to the head of neurology, claiming they’re a patient of hers. He reveals the scans are similar to the scans of a patient down the hall who has advanced schizophrenia. When she walks down the hall to check on the patient, she finds him trying to run away while yelling for Bethany.
Saanvi reaches out to Ben and tells him what she’s found, and he reveals that he created a database of most of the people on board Flight 828. So, she should be able to track down Bethany. As they’re talking, Ben gets a call from Grace telling him to come home.
Michaela is on the stakeout with Jared and they start to reminisce about her favorite Italian restaurant. She gets uncomfortable and asks him to get her a coffee. When Jared gets a text on his phone, Michaela looks to see who it’s from.
Ben arrives home to find Grace upset. It seems she got a letter from the insurance company and they want what she collected on Ben’s life insurance back…half a million dollars! Ben asks how much of it is left and she tells him it’s all gone because she used the money to pay off the house and start up her business. Ben tells her not to worry, assuring her he’ll figure it out.
Back at the stakeout, Michaela starts to fight with Jared over his text about family planning. She’s interrupted when she sees a gray woman and hears a voice saying, “Save him.” Thinking it’s the undercover cop that’s in need of saving, Michaela tells Jared they need to go in now and not wait for the signal. Jared hesitates but agrees to do it and they rush in ahead of the ATF to discover they just blew the operation. The ATF wants to know who gave the call to go in and Jared takes the blame.
Melissa Roxburgh and J.R. Ramirez in ‘Manifest’ season 1 episode 4 (Photo by Craig Blankenhorn/NBC/Warner Brothers)
Olive is trying out new makeup at a store and tries to shoplift it but gets caught.
Saanvi tracks down Bethany about the crazy guy in the hospital and learns his name is Thomas and he was a stowaway on the flight. He’s the boyfriend of Bethany’s cousin and was in serious danger in Jamaica because he’s gay. Her cousin was able to get out but Thomas (Sheldon Best) couldn’t obtain a passport. When the plane landed he was hiding in the cargo hold and ran away without being noticed. Now he’s incredibly confused and doesn’t understand why it’s five and a half years later. He also doesn’t know that his boyfriend died a few years ago.
While trying to figure out how to pay back the half a million, Ben comes across photos of Grace and her lover, Danny. Grace comes in and Ben quickly puts away the photos, telling her he thinks he’s figured out a reasonable payment plan which should work. Grace, amazed and relieved by Ben’s plan, starts passionately kissing him. Of course, that’s when Olive calls asking for her to come to the store. Ben volunteers to go.
While driving, Ben gets a call from Michaela who tells him what happened at the stakeout and how Jared covered for her and is now in a jam at work. She wants to tell Jared what’s going on, but Ben reminds her if she does, Jared will have to lie to the NSA and anyone else who’s watching them. He also tells her to go see Saanvi because she had a similar vision.
Ben enters the store to retrieve Olive and finds she already called Danny, who the store manager says was introduced as Olive’s dad, to come and get her. Ben thanks Danny and tells him he has it from here.
On the drive home, Ben remembers back to when Olive was 10 and he turned her broken glider into a boat, cheering her up. When they get home Ben asks Olive if she’s ever shoplifted before. She hasn’t and swears she won’t do it again. Ben confesses that when he was 15 he shoplifted, too. She asks why and he says to feel as though he was in control. Ben tells Olive her grandmother gave him a pass saying everyone deserves at least one. Olive starts crying, admitting she doesn’t deserve a pass. She also tells her father she isn’t the sweet little girl he remembers.
Ben hugs Olive and tells her no matter what she does he’ll always be there for her and she can count on him. Olive apologizes for calling Danny, explaining he’s familiar with all her nonsense. Olive asks if they can keep this just between them and not tell Grace because she has put her through enough. Ben reluctantly agrees.
Saanvi and Bethany go to see Thomas and discover he’s escaped and the hospital is going into lockdown. They run outside, fortunately just as Michaela drives up. Spotting NSA Director Vance arriving at the hospital, Saanvi and Bethany hop in Michaela’s car and head out to search for Thomas.
Saanvi believes Vance will use Thomas as a guinea pig since he doesn’t have any family and isn’t up to speed about their situation of losing five and a half years. Bethany realizes that Saanvi and Michaela’s shared vision is of the gray woman is actually the Angel of the Waters statue which was featured prominently in Bethany’s cousin’s favorite play, “Angels in America.” They drive to the statue and find Thomas. He’s scared, but they quickly bring him up to speed on the plane’s bizarre time jump. They convince him to let them hide him so Vance won’t find him.
Michaela takes Thomas and Bethany to the boiler room of the abandoned mini-mall Kelly used to own to keep him safe.
Grace arrives home and she’s obviously upset about Olive. Ben tells her she’s upstairs in her room and she yells at him for not telling her about the shoplifting. He asks how she knows and then guesses Danny called her. Ben’s angry she and Olive both seem to be having a problem letting Danny go. But then he stops and admits he might not have the right to ask her to do that anymore. He backs away, saying he’s going out for air and leaving a surprised and upset Grace.
Ben calls Michaela and tells him what happened with Thomas. Ben isn’t sure listening to the voices and doing what they say is a good thing, but Michaela tells him she believes they don’t really have a choice.
The last scene finds Michaela going back to the angel statue. She looks up at it and asks, “What do you want from me?”
Manifest Season 1 Episode 4 Review:
Answering less questions than it adds, episode four titled “Unclaimed Baggage” furthers the mystery around what’s happening to those special 20 passengers and crew from Flight 828. The episode suggests they may be forced to give up their own plans for happiness for the salvation of others.
Once again it’s Melissa Roxburgh who steals the show with her portrayal of Michaela, a passenger who’s more inclined to do what the voices tell her to do even before she really knows what or who the voices are referring to. The last scene where she asks the statue what it – or whatever is talking to them – wants from her is powerful. Roxburgh perfectly displays Michaela’s search for knowledge while seeming to be truly lost.
Josh Dallas delivers another strong performance as Ben, a husband and father who’s starting to realize his wife loves the memory of him and the life they had but is still in love with her former lover.
With the voices seeming to be here to stay and Michaela ready to do their bidding, life for the passengers of Flight 828 is sure to get even more complicated.
Titus Makin, Melissa O’Neil and Nathan Fillion in ‘The Rookie’ (ABC/Tony Rivetti)
Nathan Fillion is back on TV. Well, after Castle ended, he kept busy doing guest spots on American Housewife, Santa Clarita Diet, and The Big Bang Theory, but now he’s back on his own show. Nathan Fillion IS The Rookie.
John Nolan decides at age 40 to become a police officer. At 40, he’s the oldest rookie on the LAPD. Fillion spoke with reporters after ABC’s panel for the Television Critics Association. The Rookie premieres on October 16, 2018 at 10pm ET/PT on ABC.
Nathan Fillion: “That presented some challenges. Being a disembodied head, you’re not allowed to move at all. Apparently, moving my head while I’m acting is my crutch. Something I rely heavily on. It’s hard to hold still.”
Did you think about doing a half-hour comedy after Castle?
Nathan Fillion: “I’ve thought about a lot of things but it’s not about I’m ready to do a half hour comedy, I’ll pick up the phone and start doing one. That’s not really how it works. As you know, jobs come and opportunities come when they come. I recognize an excellent opportunity when it comes my way, and this was one I just couldn’t say no to.”
When did you realize Nathan Fillion was a personality you could play in other guest spots?
Nathan Fillion: “You know what’s interesting was when we started Castle, we were a one-hour drama. When Castle began to air, it was apparent that we were a comedy. There wasn’t a dramedy category when we started. Castle and shows like it now are their own genre. They’re not Castle-esque programs. It was a fantastic engine that managed to keep the show running for eight years. That’s hard.”
As a producer on The Rookie, do you have notes about your character’s potential romantic relationships?
Nathan Fillion: “You know what? I think one of my strengths as a producer is knowing when to keep my hands out of the pie. I leave that to story guys. Alexi (Hawley) is a fantastic storyteller. I like to think of myself as pepper. He makes the meal. I come in with some pepper. I’m not changing the menu, just a little pepper. That’s all.”
Having spent 25 years in the business, could you relate to this guy who wanted a fresh start later in life?
Nathan Fillion: “Good question. I am so fortunate that the job I’ve chosen to do, I am still managing to be relevant and uniquely important. I have not yet had to have that resurgence. I haven’t had to do the flip yet. I’m still riding a fantastic wave. Fingers crossed, I hope for the best and plan for the worst.”
How are you going to celebrate 25 years in the business?
Nathan Fillion: “Probably a hot bath and a glass of wine.”
Did The Big Bang Theory come to you?
Nathan Fillion: “I had run into those guys. The ones who write that show are like-minded nerds like myself so they have an affinity for the nerd culture and nerd things. Of course, I’ve had my finger in that pie sometimes. So, when they make Firefly references, Firefly jokes, Nathan Fillion vs. Ryan Reynolds for Green Lantern, they’re just touching on stuff that we all talk about in nerd culture. I ran into those guys at a party. They said, ‘We’d love to have you on this show.’ I said I would love to be on it.”
Does that happen often for you when people don’t believe you’re Nathan Fillion?
Nathan Fillion: “That has happened to me. People often say to me, ‘You sound like Nathan Fillion but you don’t look like Nathan Fillion.’ People often are shocked that I’m tall. People ask me if anybody ever told me I look like Nathan Fillion. Then again, I’m also often mistaken for Jason Bateman.”
How was the One Life to Live reunion?
Nathan Fillion: “Fantastic. Again, that show, those people, I mean, if you’re going to learn the ropes, learn them from the best. And I was there working with people who have been in the business for 15, 25, 35 years. You can’t argue that kind of experience. They’ve done it all, they’ve seen it all or they heard about it. So, I’ll never speak poorly about daytime drama. I had a fantastic experience with those people. Not just on the show but personally. They took care of me. I nurtured relationships there that I maintain to this day. There is no one on that show I wouldn’t give a giant hug to if I saw them. A lot of them I’m still in touch with.”
The cast of ABC’s ‘The Kids are Alright’ (ABC/Richard Cartwright)
Well, The Walking Dead never lasts forever, not even for Andrew Lincoln. So, Abraham Ford’s days came to an end, but now Michael Cudlitz is back on the family comedy, The Kids Are Alright, playing the father.
Based on creator Tim Doyle’s childhood, The Kids Are Alright is set in the ‘70s with the Cleary family. Cudlitz plays Mike Cleary who has eight kids with his wife, Peggy (Mary McCormack). Cudlitz spoke with reporters after a Television Critics Panel about the show. The Kids Are All Right premieres on October 16, 2018 at 8:30pm ET/PT on ABC.
You’ve played a lot of very intense characters. Have you gotten to play many dads?
Michael Cudlitz: “Not really, not yet. I’m sort of coming into that age. I think a lot of that has to do with getting to that age. It’s part and parcel of maturing as an actor and moving forward in your career.”
What does Mike Cleary do for a living?
Michael Cudlitz: “He works in the Jet Propulsion, the equivalent of a JPL. He grew up in Glendale. That is actually something different. I don’t think his dad was in the aerospace industry, and he’s a machinist.”
Will we see scenes of you fixing the plumbing like Tim’s dad?
Michael Cudlitz: “Probably. Probably, he’s very, very handy and expects that from his kids.”
Do you have any nostalgia for your own childhood?
Michael Cudlitz: “Yeah, I mean, I grew up in New Jersey in the ‘70s. I was born in ’64 so ‘60s, early ‘70s. For me, it was wonderful. No lack of, I wouldn’t call it parental supervision. I always knew my parents were there. I always knew they loved me but physically they weren’t always there. You grow up differently. I see it in my kids. There’s pros and cons to each. I think my kids actually are able to hold onto their childhood a little bit longer because they weren’t forced to grow up and, in a way, when you don’t have that parental supervision, you’re forced to grow up, forced to deal with things in a way that you wouldn’t necessarily have to had they been there.”
Would you go out on your back and not come back until late?
Michael Cudlitz: “Absolutely. It was like, ‘Hey, I’m going out ‘til whatever.’ And you’d take off, I’ll see you tonight. No real question. ‘I’m going to the beach.’ We lived a bike ride or a moped ride 20 minutes away from the beach.”
No cell phones.
Michael Cudlitz: “No, no cell phones, no helmets, no bike lanes, no airbags, no safety. Seat belts but you didn’t really use them. Steel dashboards, riding in the back of a pickup truck with your buddies. All these things are stuff that we all did. I’m not saying that all those things, we’re not glad that they’re around now because we are. It just made me grow up differently. We all do. We all feel that difference. We didn’t have helicopter parents, for better or for worse. It was just a different time.”
Having lived through that era, what is it like to recreate it on a daily basis?
Michael Cudlitz: “Awesome. We’ve been having a great time. Shooting the pilot was fantastic, a lot of fun. These kids are great. Mary’s hilarious. Tim’s writing really, really fun stories that have a lot of heart to them, so it’s been fantastic to come to work.”
How is the schedule compared to The Walking Dead location schedules?
Michael Cudlitz: “It’s not more abbreviated. It’s a single camera half hour and we have eight kids, so even if it’s a lighter day, that day is still just as long because the needs of the kids having to go to school and all that. It’s an abbreviated schedule in the sense that we shoot five days a week as opposed to eight for a typical one out, 8-12 depending what you’re shooting. We’ll shoot an episode a week.”
Is it more physically comfortable than Walking Dead?
Michael Cudlitz: “It’s more physically comfortable because it’s three minutes from my house. I keep calling it The Unicorn. It’s a half hour comedy in town shooting five minutes from my house.”
How soon did you know The Walking Dead was going to end for you?
Michael Cudlitz: “I got about six months prior. When I came on the show, look, I’ve gone from show to show to show. That’s what we do. That’s not the first show I died on. We knew five or six months before. We didn’t know if it was going to be at the end of six or the beginning of seven. They were deciding whether they could keep that secret, and then we found out just before that it was going to be at the beginning of seven. It would’ve been fine either way for me.”
Did you watch your final scene?
Michael Cudlitz: “I watched it once. It’s pretty brutal. It’s a pretty emotionally and visually brutal scene.”
What would you most like people to know about The Kids Are Alright?
Michael Cudlitz: “It’s funny as hell and it’s got a lot of heart.”
The CW’s Supernatural continues season 14 with a new episode directed by series fan favorite, Richard Speight, Jr. Season 14 episode two was written by Brad Buckner and Eugenie Ross-Leming and is set to air on October 18, 2018 at 8pm ET/PT.
The season 14 cast includes Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester, Misha Collins as Castiel, Alexander Calvert as Jack, and Samantha Smith as Mary Winchester. Jim Beaver plays Bobby Singer and Danneel Ackles is Anael.
The “Gods and Monsters” Plot: RICHARD SPEIGHT, JR. RETURNS TO DIRECT – Sam (Padalecki) finds a clue to Dean’s (Ackles) whereabouts, so he, Mary (guest star Samantha Smith) and Bobby (guest star Jim Beaver) set out to investigate. Castiel (Collins) imparts some sage advice on Jack (Calvert), who, still desperate to belong, seeks out a familial connection.
The CW’s Riverdale returned on October 10, 2018 to kick off what promises to be another wild and twisted season. During our interview at the New York Comic Con, series creator/executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa shared insights into this third season of the popular series including details on the season’s flashback episode featuring the parents as high schoolers.
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa also discussed balancing multiple storylines, potential breakout characters, and casting Gina Gershon to play Jughead’s mom.
Riverdale season three airs on Wednesdays at 8pm ET/PT.
What are the challenges of being able to get weird and strange with Riverdale without alienating viewers?
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa: “That’s kind of one of the big challenges of the show is now we’re entering our third season. We did a murder mystery season one, we did a serial killer season two, we did a Godfather-like story in season two. You don’t want to repeat yourself, but the show kind of needs a strong genre – crime or pulp or noir elements. It’s always figuring out what is that element and how is it different from earlier iterations.
As to how do we know when we’ve gone too far and it’s just too weird and gonzo, you know we just trust our guts a little bit on that. We’re always pushing forward and when there’s the safe choice or the risky choice, we almost always go for the risky choice. I think people really respond to that. It’s also kind of like once you start down that path, it’s hard to go back and just tell stories about Archie wanting to write a song.”
Who’s going to be the breakout character in season three?
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa: “That is a really good question. I think the Gargoyle King is going to be something that I hope people talk about. But in terms of characters, they’re all doing really good stuff. I people are really excited for Jughead’s family to come to town. I think they’ve got really good stuff.
Who was the breakout character do you think last year? Toni?”
Maybe.
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa: “Yeah, Toni, in terms of new characters. I think Toni and Cheryl, people are excited to see more of those two – and we will. Everyone’s got good stuff, I think.”
Living in this MeToo environment, will we learn more about the Hermione and Hiram relationship? There have been hints but it’s never been fleshed out the kind of abusive relationship they have.
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa: “Yeah, we’re definitely going to explore more about the Hiram / Hermione relationship. The question of is Hermione Hiram’s puppet and is she trapped in a marriage to a potentially violent guy. We’re definitely going to explore that. Or, is it something that we don’t even know yet or quite understand? It could be that, too.”
How would describe the storylines you’ll be exploring this season?
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa: “One thing that we’re doing is we’re launching two or three pretty big storylines in the first eight or 10 episodes. One is the Farm that Polly and Jason were going to go to comes to Riverdale, so we explore what the Farm is like. That’s a mysterious cult-like organization. Then there’s a pretty gruesome ritualistic death of two Riverdale High students that is a mystery we’re going to be exploring as well.”
You’ve said the actors are allowed to give you input into their characters. Can you cite anything in particular that they’ve contributed?
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa: “Yes, I can give you one very specific example. Madelaine (Petsch) told me that she wanted to do archery. So, the reason Cheryl got into archery is because she said she would like to do it. And she thought that I had forgotten about that but when the Black Hood went after her, she got her old bow out. So, that came directly from her.”
Can you tell us anything about a potential new musical episode this season?
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa: “I love musicals. My background is in theater and I think everyone loved that musical. I did too. We want to do one but I’m not going to lie, that was the perfect musical at the perfect point in the season. It linked up with the stories.
To me, it has to be the right show at the right time with the right characters or else it will just be a less-than version, in which case we won’t do it. But I’m hopeful. I love musicals.”
Are we looking at a full-fledged gang war this season?
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa: “When you pitch a show…I never thought that Riverdale was going to be a crime show or a gang show or a drug show or anything like that. It is all those things now. We are definitely going to see more stuff with the different gangs in Riverdale. Absolutely.”
And we’re also going to see the younger versions of the parents?
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa: “We do in a flashback episode. Episode four, really early on. It turned out really, really well. I think fans will be really excited for it.
We see the grownups when they were in high school. What’s interesting is we see them as they were, how and why they became friends, and then how and why they became the grownups we know today. It’s not like we see Alice as the preppie buttoned-down sweater-wearing. We see Alice as a Serpent. We don’t see FP as a Serpent. We see FP as the big man on campus who was hiding his Serpent past. I’m really excited for that episode. I think it’s special.”
With such a terrific ensemble, how do you make sure you weave each character into the story? Is there someone you’re hoping to work more into the storyline this season?
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa: “Yeah, it’s always the supporting actors. I think all of the cast on this show could be leads and could have their own show. We have a huge cast and it’s finding time and real estate to tell deep stories for all of them. I think we’re getting a little but that’s one of the core challenges of this show, I think.”
Are we going to get to go to Greendale at all?
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa: “That’s a very good question. Let me think… Through episode 10 not yet.”
Not yet? So, there is the potential?
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa: “Always.”
Are there any unusual or weird pairings that we might not expect for season three?
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa: “I think one of the weirder pairings is Veronica and Jughead. They haven’t really done much but we have a couple of strange team-ups between the two of them.”
Is Veronica now the only character who’s not a Serpent of the four? Does that change?
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa: “Yeah. Membership of the Serpents is going to go through…there are going to be some changes to the Serpent membership over the first 10 episodes.”
How difficult was it to find the right people to play Jughead’s family?
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa: “Very difficult. That’s why we kept putting it off. We were going to introduce them in the first episode and then we couldn’t find them. It’s like, ‘Okay, we’ll save them for the more middle section.’ You know when you’ve got Mark Consuelos and Madchen Amick and Luke Perry and Skeet Ulrich, it has to be somebody who can hold their own against all of them and hopefully tell part of the strange Riverdale story. Enter Gina Gershon who is that.
I love that she was in one of my favorite noir movies, Bound, and she was in Killer Joe which is another kind of neo-noir. Of course, Showgirls and stuff. But really for her crime movies she feels like she’s telling that story, which is really nice.”
Barnes and Noble Collectible Edition ‘Dracula’ by Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker’s classic horror novel Dracula is once again springing to life, this time as a mini-series. Sherlock‘s co-creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss are behind this incarnation of the iconic vampire tale, with BBC One and Netflix teaming up for the project.
Hartswood Films is producing the new mini-series with Moffat and Gatiss writing and executive producing. Sue Vertue of Hartswood Films and BBC’s Ben Irving are also executiving producing, and Larry Tanz is representing Netflix.
“Steven and Mark’s ingenious vision for Dracula is as clever as it is chilling,” said Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama. “In their talented hands the fans will experience the power of Bram Stoker’s creation as if completely anew. We are thrilled to be collaborating with them and the brilliant team at Hartswood on yet another iconic British series.”
Dracula will be a three part series, with each episode clocking in at 90 minutes. Per BBC and Netflix, “three feature length episodes will re-introduce the world to Dracula, the vampire who made evil sexy. In Transylvania in 1897, the blood drinking Count is drawing his plans against Victorian London. And be warned: the dead travel fast.”
Viewers in the UK will be able to watch Dracula on BBC One, with Netflix streaming the series outside of Ireland/UK.
Commenting on the mini-series, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss stated, “There have always been stories about great evil. What’s special about Dracula is that Bram Stoker gave evil its own hero.”
Charlotte Moore, BBC Director of Content, added, “Genius duo Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss turn their attentions to Dracula for unmissable event television on BBC One.”
“We can’t wait to bring Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss’ brilliant storytelling to our members around the world and we are eager to collaborate on yet another series with the BBC,” said Larry Tanz, Vice President, Content Acquisition, Netflix.
Ben Aldridge to star in ‘Pennyworth.’ (Photo Credit: Rachell Smith)
Hot on the heels of the news Jack Bannon has come on board to play Alfred Pennyworth, EPIX announced Ben Aldridge has joined the cast of Pennyworth. Aldridge has signed on to play Thomas Wayne, Bruce Wayne/Batman’s father, in the upcoming dramatic series.
Ben Aldridge’s acting credits include Skinny Dip, Paris Song, The Titan, and The Railman Man. He was also featured in the TV shows Reign, Fleabag, and Our Girl.
Filming will take place at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the United Kingdom starting on October 22, 2018. According to EPIX and Warner Horizon Scripted Television, the series’ first season will consist of 10 one-hour episodes.
Pennyworth is based on the DC characters created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger. The new comic book-inspired series comes from executive producer/writer Bruno Heller (Gotham, The Mentalist, Rome) and executive producer/director Danny Cannon (Gotham, CSI series). Gotham, which features Sean Pertwee as an older Alfred Pennyworth, will be coming to an end with its upcoming fifth season airing in 2019.
The Pennyworth Plot:
The series follows Bruce Wayne’s legendary butler, Alfred Pennyworth, a former British SAS soldier in his 20s, who forms a security company and goes to work with a young billionaire Thomas Wayne, who’s not yet Bruce’s father, in 1960s London.
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.
Columbia Pictures has released the full trailer for the canine-friendly family drama, A Dog’s Way Home. The new trailer pretty much gives the entire film away, so if you’re leery of spoilers you might want to skip watching the video. For those who want to know if the dog dies before heading to the theater, the trailer reveals the ending and answers that question. Although with the title A Dog’s Way Home, it’s fairly obvious the dog will make it home.
A Dog’s Way Home is based on the book by W. Bruce Cameron (also the author of A Dog’s Purpose). Cameron adapted his book for the screen with Cathryn Michon, and Charles Martin Smith directed. Martin Smith’s directing credits include one of the most beloved dog movies of all time, Air Bud. He’s also the filmmaker behind Dolphin Tale and its sequel, Dolphin Tale 2.
The cast of A Dog’s Way Home includes Bryce Dallas Howard, Ashley Judd, Jonah Hauer-King, Alexandra Shipp, Wes Studi, and Edward James Olmos (currently seen starring in FX’s Mayans M.C.).
Gavin Polone produced and Yu Dong, Jeffrey Chan, Robert J Dohrmann, T.D. Jakes, and Derrick Williams served as executive producers.
Columbia Pictures is planning a January 11, 2019 theatrical release.
The A Dog’s Way Home Plot:
“A Dog’s Way Home chronicles the heartwarming adventure of Bella, a dog who embarks on an epic 400-mile journey home after she is separated from her beloved human.”
Lucas (Jonah Hauer-King) and Bella (Amber) in Columbia Pictures’ ‘A Dog’s Way Home.’Poster for Columbia Pictures’ ‘A Dog’s Way Home’
Alex Honnold holds all of his climbing gear atop the summit of El Capitan in ‘Free Solo’ (National Geographic/Jimmy Chin)
The nominees for the third annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards have been announced and Free Solo tops the list with six nominations. Free Solo scored nominations in the Best Documentary, Best Directors (Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi), Best Sports Documentary, Most Innovative Documentary, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing categories. The documentary’s star, Alex Honnold, will also be honored at the awards show with Most Compelling Living Subject of a Documentary award.
Following hot on Free Solo‘s heels are Minding the Gap and Wild Wild Country, each earning five Critic’s Choice Documentary Awards nominations. Dark Money, Hitler’s Hollywood, and Won’t You Be My Neighbor? followed with four nominations, while Three Identical Strangers was nominated in three categories.
The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) will announce the winners during an awards gala on November 10, 2018. This year’s gala will be held in Brooklyn, New York, and will be hosted by science educator/television personality Bill Nye.
Special awards will be given to filmmakers Stanley Nelson and Michael Moore during the 2018 awards show. Nelson has been selected to receive the Critics’ Choice Impact Award. Moore will receive the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this year’s outstanding documentary work at the upcoming event,” stated Broadcast Film Critics Association President Joey Berlin. “The year 2018 has been called ‘The Year of the Documentary’ and we are so happy to give these films and shows the recognition and high praise that they deserve.”
The nominees for the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards* were determined by select members of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA).
Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards Nominees:
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Crime + Punishment – Director: Stephen Maing (Hulu)
Dark Money – Director: Kimberly Reed (PBS)
Free Solo – Directors: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (National Geographic Documentary Films)
Hal – Director: Amy Scott (Oscilloscope)
Hitler’s Hollywood – Director: Rüdiger Suchsland (Kino Lorber)
Minding the Gap – Director: Bing Liu (Hulu)
RBG – Directors: Julie Cohen, Betsy West (Magnolia Pictures, Participant Media)
Three Identical Strangers – Director: Tim Wardle (Neon, CNN Films)
Wild Wild Country – Directors: Chapman Way, Maclain Way (Netflix)
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? – Director: Morgan Neville (Focus Features)
BEST LIMITED DOCUMENTARY SERIES
America to Me (Starz)
Dirty Money (Netflix)
Elvis Presley: The Searcher (HBO Documentary Films, Sony Pictures Television)
Flint Town (Netflix)
One Strange Rock (National Geographic)
The Fourth Estate (Showtime Networks)
The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling (HBO)
Wild Wild Country (Netflix)
BEST ONGOING DOCUMENTARY SERIES
30 for 30 (ESPN)
American Masters (PBS)
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (CNN)
Frontline (PBS)
Independent Lens (PBS)
Making a Murderer (Netflix)
POV (PBS)
The History of Comedy (CNN)
BEST DIRECTOR
Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi – Free Solo (National Geographic Documentary Films)
Bing Liu – Minding the Gap (Hulu)
Morgan Neville – Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (Focus Features)
Kimberly Reed – Dark Money (PBS)
Rüdiger Suchsland – Hitler’s Hollywood (Kino Lorber)
Tim Wardle – Three Identical Strangers (Neon, CNN Films)
Chapman Way and Maclain Way – Wild Wild Country (Netflix)
BEST FIRST TIME DIRECTOR
Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster – Science Fair (National Geographic Documentary Films)
Heather Lenz – Kusama – Infinity (Magnolia Pictures)
Bing Liu – Minding the Gap (Hulu)
Stephen Nomura Schible – Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda (MUBI)
Amy Scott – Hal (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Rudy Valdez – The Sentence (HBO Documentary Films)
BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY
RBG – Directors: Julie Cohen, Betsy West (Magnolia Pictures, Participant Media)
Dark Money – Director: Kimberly Reed (PBS)
Fahrenheit 11/9 – Director: Michael Moore (Briarcliff Entertainment)
Flint Town – Directors: Zackary Canepari, Drea Cooper, Jessica Dimmock (Netflix)
Hitler’s Hollywood – Director: Rüdiger Suchsland (Kino Lorber)
John McCain: For Whom the Bell Tolls – Directors: George Kunhardt, Peter W. Kunhardt, Teddy Kunhardt (HBO)
The Fourth Estate – Directors: Liz Garbus, Jenny Carchman (Showtime Networks)
BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
Andre the Giant – Director: Jason Hehir (HBO)
Being Serena (HBO)
Free Solo – Directors: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (National Geographic Documentary Film)
John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection – Director: Julien Faraut (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Minding the Gap – Director: Bing Liu (Hulu)
The Workers Cup – Director: Adam Sobel (Passion River)
BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
Bad Reputation – Director: Kevin Kerslake (Magnolia Pictures)
David Bowie: The Last Five Years – Director: Francis Whately (HBO Documentary Films)
Elvis Presley: The Searcher – Director: Thom Zimny (HBO Documentary Films, Sony Pictures Television)
Lynyrd Skynyrd: If I Leave Here Tomorrow – Director: Stephen Kijak (Showtime Networks)
Quincy – Directors: Alan Hicks, Rashida Jones (Netflix)
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda – Director: Stephen Nomura Schible (MUBI)
Whitney – Director: Kevin Macdonald (Roadside Attractions, Miramax)
MOST COMPELLING LIVING SUBJECT OF A DOCUMENTARY
(ALL LISTED IN THE CATEGORY WILL BE HONORED AT THE EVENT)
Scotty Bowers – Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood (Greenwich Entertainment, Kino Lorber, Starz!)
Ruth Bader Ginsburg – RBG (Magnolia Pictures, Participant Media)
Alex Honnold – Free Solo (National Geographic Documentary Film)
Joan Jett – Bad Reputation (Magnolia Pictures)
Quincy Jones – Quincy (Netflix)
David Kellman and Bobby Shafran – Three Identical Strangers (Neon, CNN Films)
John McEnroe – John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Leon Vitali – Filmworker (Kino Lorber)
MOST INNOVATIVE DOCUMENTARY
306 Hollywood – Directors: Elan Bogarin, Jonathan Bogarin (PBS, El Tigre)
Free Solo – Directors: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (National Geographic Documentary Film)
Hitler’s Hollywood – Director: Rüdiger Suchsland (Kino Lorber)
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda – Director: Stephen Nomura Schible (MUBI)
Wild Wild Country – Directors: Chapman Way, Maclain Way (Netflix)
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? – Director: Morgan Neville (Focus Features)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
306 Hollywood – Cinematographers: Elan Bogarin, Jonathan Bogarin, Alejandro Mejía (PBS, El Tigre)
The Dawn Wall – Cinematographer: Brett Lowell (The Orchard)
Free Solo – Cinematographers: Jimmy Chin, Clair Popkin, Mikey Schaefer (National Geographic Documentary Film)
Minding the Gap – Cinematographer: Bing Liu (Hulu)
Pandas – Cinematographer: David Douglas (Warner Brothers)
Wild Wild Country – Cinematographer: Adam Stone (Netflix)
BEST EDITING
Dark Money – Editor: Jay Arthur Sterrenberg (PBS)
Filmworker – Editor: Tony Zierra (Kino Lorber)
Free Solo – Editor: Bob Eisenhardt (National Geographic Documentary Film)
John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection – Editor: Julien Faraut (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Three Identical Strangers – Editor: Michael Harte (Neon, CNN Films)
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? – Editors: Jeff Malmberg, Aaron Wickenden (Focus Features)
* – I’m a member of the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards committee.
