Jennifer Aniston in a scene from the comedy/drama ‘Dumplin’ from director Anne Fletcher. (Photo Courtesy of Netflix)
Netflix has just unveiled the first official poster for Dumplin’ starring Jennifer Aniston. In addition, Netflix also released three photos from the comedy/drama set to open in theaters and on the streaming service on December 7, 2018.
Dumplin’ was directed by Anne Fletcher (The Guilt Trip, The Proposal) and is based on Julie Murphy’s bestselling novel. Kristin Hahn adapted Murphy’s book for the screen and produced the film along with Michael Costigan (American Gangster, Brokeback Mountain), Mohamed AlRafi (Above Suspicion, Lying and Stealing), and Trish Hofmann (Gringo, Get On Up). Jennifer Aniston and Danny Nozell executive produced.
Jennifer Aniston’s co-stars include Danielle Macdonald (Bird Box, Patti Cake$), Odeya Rush (Lady Bird, Goosebumps), Dove Cameron (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Liv and Maddie, Descendants), and Harold Perrineau (Claws, Lost).
The behind the scenes team includes director of photography Elliot Davis, editor Emma E. Hickox, production designer Elizabeth J. Jones, and costume designer Bina Daigeler, with music by Jake Monaco.
Prior to the film’s release, Netflix will be dropping the Dumplin’ Original Motion Picture Soundtrack featuring songs by Dolly Parton’s including “Girl In The Movies” as well as her previously-released collaboration with Sia, “Here I Am.” The Dumplin’ Original Motion Picture Soundtrack will be available on November 30th.
The Plot:
Dumplin’ (Danielle Macdonald) is the plus-size, teenage daughter of a former beauty queen (Jennifer Aniston), who signs up for her mom’s pageant as a protest that escalates when other contestants follow her footsteps, revolutionizing the pageant and their small Texas town.
Jennifer Aniston stars in ‘Dumplin’ from director Anne Fletcher. (Photo Courtesy of Netflix)Danielle Macdonald stars in ‘Dumplin’ from director Anne Fletcher. (Photo Courtesy of Netflix)Poster for Netflix’s 2018 film, ‘Dumplin,’ starring Jennifer Aniston and Danielle Macdonald.
Brenton Thwaites in a scene from ‘A Violent Separation.’
Screen Media’s picked up the North American rights to A Violent Separation directed by the sibling filmmaking team of Michael Goetz and Kevin Goetz. The Goetz brothers previously directed the 2015 horror film Martyrs starring Troian Bellisario and the 2013 thriller Scenic Route with Josh Duhamel and Dan Fogler.
A Violent Separation stars Brenton Thwaites (Titans, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales), Alycia Debnam-Carey (Fear The Walking Dead, The 100), Ben Robson (Animal Kingdom, Vikings), Claire Holt (The Originals, 47 Meters Down), Francesca Eastwood (Heroes Reborn, Outlaws & Angels), Emmy Award-winner Gerald McRaney (This Is Us), and Ted Levine (The Alienist, Silence of the Lambs).
“We are thrilled to join forces with Screen Media to introduce A Violent Separation to North American audiences. Screen has a great team and we welcome their enthusiasm for this film. We are very excited for audiences to embrace the characters and story we worked hard to bring to life,” stated the Goetz brothers.
“Screen Media has made it its mission to work with great filmmakers and storytellers,” explained Seth Needle, SVP of Worldwide Acquisitions at Screen Media. “Kevin and Michael are exactly that, and their execution of A Violent Separation speaks for itself. Audiences are really going to enjoy this film.”
The crime thriller was written by first-time feature film writer Michael Arkof. Dan Clifton, Kevin Goetz, and Christopher Watkins served as producers. The behind the scenes team includes director of photography Sean O’Dea, editor Kindra Marra, production designer Frank Zito, and costume designer Dana Embree. Evan Goldman handled the film’s score.
The Plot:
“Set in a small Midwestern town, A Violent Separation centers around two brothers (Thwaites and Robson) who struggle with the terrible truth behind a tragedy that aims to tear three generations of family apart.”
John Stamos continues his guest starring role as Dr. Nicky on Lifetime’s You season one episode nine. The penultimate first season episode is title “Candace” and will air on Sunday, November 4, 2018 at 10pm ET/PT.
The cast of season one is led by Once Upon a Time‘s Princess Anna, Elizabeth Lail, and Gossip Girl‘s Dan Humphrey, Penn Badgley. Season one also features Luca Padovan (Super Wings!) as Paco, Zach Cherry (Our Cartoon President) as Ethan, Shay Mitchell (Pretty Little Liars) as Peach Salinger, Nicole Kang as Lynn, and special guest star John Stamos (Scream Queens) plays Dr. Nicky.
The “Candace” Plot: Beck (Lail) can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to the story of Joe’s lost former love, Candace. Determined to find out the truth, it’s Beck’s turn to go to shocking lengths to dig up the truth on Joe (Badgley). But she might have gone too far.
The Season 1 Plot:
“You is a 21st century love story that asks, ‘What would you do for love?’ When a brilliant bookstore manager crosses paths with an aspiring writer, his answer becomes clear: anything. Using the internet and social media as his tools to gather the most intimate of details and get close to her, a charming and awkward crush quickly becomes obsession as he quietly and strategically removes every obstacle – and person – in his way.
Season two will follow Joe Goldberg as his search for love takes him to Hollywood where dreams can be made or shattered.”
Elizabeth Lail stars as Beck in ‘You’ season 1 episode 9 (Photo Courtesy of Lifetime Copyright 2018)Penn Badgley as Joe in ‘You’ season 1 episode 9 (Photo Courtesy of Lifetime Copyright 2018)Elizabeth Lail as Beck and Luca Padovan as Paco in season 1 episode 9 (Photo by Courtesy of Lifetime Copyright 2018)Elizabeth Lail stars in Lifetime’s ‘You’ season 1 episode 9 (Photo Courtesy of Lifetime Copyright 2018)John Stamos guest stars in Lifetime’s ‘You’ season 1 episode 9 (Photo Courtesy of Lifetime Copyright 2018)Zach Cherry in a scene from season 1 episode 9 (Photo Courtesy of Lifetime Copyright 2018)
Season one of NBC’s medical drama New Amsterdam takes a two week break and will return on November 13, 2018 with episode seven. Titled “Domino Effect,” season one episode seven finds Dr. Goodwin continuing to attempt to balance work life with his illness.
The cast of season one includes Ryan Eggold as Dr. Max Goodwin, Janet Montgomery (Salem, This Is Us) as Dr. Lauren Bloom, Tyler Labine (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency) as Dr. Iggy Frome, and Jocko Sims (The Last Ship, Masters of Sex) as Dr. Floyd Reynolds. Freema Agyeman (Sense8, The Carrie Diaries) is Dr. Helen Sharpe and J Anupam Kher (The Indian Detective) plays Dr. Vijay Kapoor.
The “Domino Effect” Plot: With a big domino transplant procedure on the line, Max (Eggold) must decide if he can be present in the hospital while also dealing with his illness. Meanwhile, a bond with a patient makes Bloom (Montgomery) consider her personal life and Iggy (Labine) makes progress on a long-standing case.
The Season 1 Plot:
“Inspired by Bellevue, the oldest public hospital in America, this unique medical drama follows the brilliant and charming Dr. Max Goodwin (Eggold), the institution’s newest medical director who sets out to tear up the bureaucracy and provide exceptional care. How can he help? Well, the doctors and staff have heard this before. Not taking “no” for an answer, Dr. Goodwin must disrupt the status quo and prove he will stop at nothing to breathe new life into this understaffed, underfunded and underappreciated hospital — the only one in the world capable of treating Ebola patients, prisoners from Rikers and the President of the United States under one roof — and return it to the glory that put it on the map.”
Lisa O’Hare as Georgia Goodwin and Ryan Eggold as Dr. Max Goodwin in ‘New Amsterdam’ season 1 episode 7 (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)Jocko Sims as Dr. Floyd Reynolds and Janet Montgomery as Dr. Lauren Bloom (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)Freema Agyeman as Dr. Helen Sharpe (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)Ryan Eggold as Dr. Max Goodwin, Lisa O’Hare as Georgia Goodwin, and Freema Agyeman as Dr. Helen Sharpe (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)Lizzy DeClement as Jemma and Tyler Labine as Dr. Iggy Frome in season 1 episode 7 (Photo by: Francisco Roman/NBC)Lizzy DeClement as Jemma and Tyler Labine as Dr. Iggy Frome (Photo by: Francisco Roman/NBC)
Netflix just released the full two and a half minute trailer for the holiday film, The Christmas Chronicles. One day after Halloween and apparently it’s now officially okay to begin celebrating Christmas season.
The family-friendly, reindeer-filled holiday movie stars Kurt Russell as Santa Claus. Commenting on Russell as St. Nick, The Christmas Chronicles director Clay Kaytis said, “No one is better suited than Kurt Russell to bring our version of a rugged, charismatic, and hilarious Santa Claus to life. From our first meeting, he completely threw himself into this iconic role – and grew an impressive beard in the process. It has been a dream come true to work with Kurt in creating what I believe will be the new definition of Santa Claus for generations to come.”
In addition to Kurt Russell, the cast includes Darby Camp and Judah Lewis. Matt Lieberman wrote the script and Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe, and Michael Barnathan produce.
“Kurt is the definitive Santa Claus,” said producer Chris Columbus. “Charismatic, tough when needed with a wicked sense of humor. We’re really excited for audiences to see his performance onscreen and hope The Christmas Chronicles becomes a timeless classic.”
The Christmas Chronicles tells the story of sister and brother, Kate (Camp) and Teddy Pierce (Lewis), whose Christmas Eve plan to catch Santa Claus (Russell) on camera turns into an unexpected journey that most kids could only dream about. After staking out Santa’s arrival, they sneak into his sleigh, cause it to crash and nearly derail Christmas. As their wild night unfolds, Kate and Teddy work together with Santa – as you’ve never seen him before – and his loyal Elves to save Christmas before it’s too late.
Kurt Russell stars as Santa Claus in ‘The Christmas Chronicles’ (Photo Credit: Netflix)
Showtime is, wisely, dipping back into the world of Penny Dreadful. The network just announced a new chapter in the Penny Dreadful saga, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, will go into production in 2019. Showtime’s official announcement did not include any casting details or a targeted premiere date.
Original series creator John Logan returns to guide this new installment. Logan will write and executive produce City of Angels. Michael Aguilar (Kidding), Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Skyfall) and Pippa Harris (Revolutionary Road) are also on board to executive produce.
“We were so thrilled when John Logan came to us with this wildly original take on the Penny Dreadful mythology that explores both the human spirit and the spirit world here in California,” stated Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “Penny Dreadful: City of Angels promises to be an extraordinary saga of familial love set against the terrifying monsters that are around us and within us.”
Creator John Logan said, “Penny Dreadful: City of Angels will have a social consciousness and historical awareness that we chose not to explore in the Penny Dreadful London storylines. We will now be grappling with specific historical and real world political, religious, social and racial issues. In 1938, Los Angeles was facing some hard questions about its future and its soul. Our characters must do the same. There are no easy answers. There are only powerful questions and arresting moral challenges. As always in the world of Penny Dreadful, there are no heroes or villains in this world, only protagonists and antagonists; complicated and conflicted characters living on the fulcrum of moral choice.”
Showtime debuted Penny Dreadful in 2014. The series ran for three seasons and earned 13 Primetime Emmy nominations.
The Penny Dreadful: City of Angels Plot:
“A spiritual descendant of the Penny Dreadful story set in Victorian-era London, the next chapter opens in 1938 Los Angeles, a time and place deeply infused with Mexican-American folklore and social tension. Rooted in the conflict between characters connected to the deity Santa Muerte and others allied with the Devil, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels will explore an exciting mix of the supernatural and the combustible reality of that period, creating new occult myths and moral dilemmas within a genuine historical backdrop. This chapter is a bold new vision that will employ all new characters and storylines.”
ABC’s The Good Doctor season two episode six titled “Two-Ply (or Not Two-Ply)” is set to air on Monday, November 5, 2018 at 10pm ET/PT. The medical drama’s November 5th episode was directed by Tara Nicole Weyr from a script by Simran Baidwan.
Season two episode six guest stars include Sheila Kelley as Debbie Wexler, Teryl Rothery as J.L. and Supinder Wraich as Jas Kohli. David Shore, Daniel Dae Kim, David Kim, and Sebastian Lee serve as executive producers.
The season two cast includes Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy, Antonia Thomas as Dr. Claire Browne, Nicholas Gonzalez as Dr. Neil Melendez, and Hill Harper as Dr. Marcus Andrews. Richard Schiff is Dr. Aaron Glassman, Tamlyn Tomita is Allegra Aoki, Christina Chang is Dr. Audrey Lim, Fiona Gubelmann is Dr. Morgan Reznick, Will Yun Lee is Dr. Alex Park, and Paige Spara plays Lea.
The “Two-Ply (or Not Two-Ply)” Plot – Morgan and Shaun’s indecision on how to treat a young violinist who visits the ER with an infected finger could affect her future in more ways than one. Meanwhile, Lim, Claire and Park can’t figure out if their young patient is really ill or looking for attention.
The Good Doctor Season 2 Plot:
Dr. Shaun Murphy, a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome, relocated to San Jose, California, to join the prestigious St. Bonaventure Hospital’s surgical unit. Alone in the world and unable to personally connect with those around him, his only advocate, Dr. Aaron Glassman, challenged the skepticism and prejudices of the hospital’s board and staff by bringing him in to join the team. Shaun’s world has begun to expand as he continues to work harder than he ever has before, navigating his new environment and relationships to prove to his colleagues that his extraordinary medical gifts will save lives.
Fiona Gubelmann, Freddie Highmore, Nicholas Gonzalez, and Supinder Wraich in ‘The Good Doctor’ season 2 episode 6 (ABC/David Bukach)Caitlin Carmichael, Will Yun Lee, and Jewel Staite (ABC/David Bukach)Paige Spara and Freddie Highmore (ABC/Jack Rowand)Freddie Highmore in season 2 episode 6 (ABC/Jack Rowand)Caitlin Carmichael and Christina Chang in ‘The Good Doctor’ (ABC/David Bukach)
Julia Roberts and Stephan James in ‘Homecoming’ (Photo by Jessica Brooks / Amazon)
Amazon Prime Video’s intriguing new psychological thriller Homecoming premieres on November 2, 2018. The chilling and all-too-real drama is a slow build well worth investing time to watch unfold. The drama marks the first time Oscar winner Julia Roberts has taken on a starring role in a television series, and the 10-episode first season confirms she held out for the right project.
Homecoming was created by Mr. Robot’s Sam Esmail and for fans of his unique storytelling style, this conspiracy thriller will definitely fill the void as we impatiently await the debut of Mr. Robots‘ final season in 2019. Julia Roberts and Sam Esmail are the perfect team to flesh out Micah Bloomberg and Eli Horowitz’s podcast.
The series requires you pay attention to the details that unfold in each episode. (Don’t multi-task while binging it.) The dual timelines are relatively easy to follow, however small clues are dropped each episode that are critical but might be overlooked if you’re not devoting your full attention.
One timeline follows Heidi Bergman (Roberts) during her employment as a caseworker at the high security Homecoming Transitional Support Center in Florida. The facility’s mission is to help veterans through any emotional or mental issues stemming from their deployments overseas. Heidi’s dedicated to the mission and finds one veteran in particular who she connects with.
Walter Cruz (Stephan James) and Heidi develop a mutual respect for each other that transitions into a friendship during their therapy sessions. More so than any of the other troubled veterans at Homecoming, Heidi is determined to help Walter get his feet back under him so he can rejoin civilian life.
Heidi’s job is to hold sessions with the veterans and help deal with their PTSD. The veterans are also put through training sessions in which they role play interactions with friends from their civilian lives.
The second timeline is set four years later and also focuses on Heidi Bergman. In the future timeline, Heidi’s no longer employed at Homecoming. She lives at home with her mother (played by Sissy Spacek) and works as a waitress. She claims not to remember anything from the months she was working with the soldiers.
Bobby Cannavale co-stars as Heidi’s Homecoming boss, Colin Belfast. He’s obsessive, obnoxious, and driven to prove the methodology employed by the Homecoming staff to help veterans produces the intended results.
Boardwalk Empire’s Shea Whigham plays Department of Defense auditor Thomas Corrasco who’s charged with looking into a complaint made by Walter Cruz. Thomas interviews Heidi in 2022 and finds her so vague that he launches an investigation into the events that transpired in 2018.
Corrasco, and the series, focus on the key questions: What’s Heidi hiding and why is there a lengthy period of time where her memory appears to have been wiped clean?
Julia Roberts stars in ‘Homecoming’ (Photo Credit: Tod Campbell / Amazon)
Discussing the series, Esmail said, “The inspirations are Alfred Hitchcock and Brian DePalma— a throwback to character-based thrillers. It’s Baroque and Pastiche without actually throwing it back into the past.”
Series creator Esmail strove to make Homecoming feel intimate rather than cinematic, and he accomplished that via lengthy takes and dialogue-driven rather than action-heavy scenes.
Homecoming methodically unfolds the details as to why Heidi can’t recall her five months as a Homecoming employee, peeling back the layers in a deliberate, mesmerizing fashion. Mr. Robot fans will recognize Esmail’s visual style in Homecoming, and this podcast adaptation that leans heavily on providing key details via phone conversations fits snugly in Esmail’s wheelhouse.
It’s difficult to make a phone conversation between two individuals feel dynamic, yet Esmail accomplishes it with split screens and shot framing that engages the eye.
Julia Roberts is impressive in one of her juiciest roles in years. Roberts plays what’s basically two roles in the series since the Heidi of 2018 has little in common with the Heidi of 2022. 2018’s version is assertive, driven, and committed to her work. 2022’s Heidi has little ambition or desire to improve her situation despite the fact she’s unhappy with her circumstances.
Stephan James is equally terrific as the veteran who attempts to remain positive about his time in rehab while also understanding there’s something dark and devastating lurking not far beneath the surface.
Everything from the score to the talented ensemble of supporting actors (Dermot Mulroney, Jeremy Allen White, Alex Karpovsky, and Marianne Jean-Babtiste) to the production design is first-rate. Amazon’s built up an impressive stable of original series, and with Homecoming they’ve delivered an extraordinary series that will stimulate conversation (and generate awards nominations).
The CW’s The Flash season five episode four revealed why Nora doesn’t not get along with Iris. It also found XS attempting to kill The Flash only to be saved by Nora in the knick of time. In addition, episode four moved the search for the identity of Cicada along through detective work by the team of Sherloque and Ralph.
And for those wondering way Jesse L. Martin has been noticeably absent from much of the action this season, TVLine reports Martin’s recovering from a back injury that’s required this season of The Flash show him seated in most of his scenes. The network released a statement confirming the report: “Jesse Martin is taking a medical leave of absence from The Flash. We wish him a full and speedy recovery and look forward to his return as Detective Joe West.”
Up next, season five episode five titled “All Doll’d Up” airing on November 13, 2018. Episode five was directed by Phil Chipera from a script by Thomas Pound and Sterling Gates.
The Flash season five cast includes Grant Gustin as Barry Allen/The Flash, Tom Cavanagh as Harrison Wells, Danielle Panabaker as Caitlin Snow, Carlos Valdes as Cisco, Candice Patton as Iris West, and Jesse L Martin as Joe West. The cast also includes Hartley Sawyer as Ralph Dibny, Jessica Parker Kennedy as Nora West-Allen, and Danielle Nicolet as Cecile Horton.
The “All Doll’d Up” Plot: BARRY AND IRIS TEAM UP TO STOP A DANGEROUS META NAMED RAG DOLL — Nora (Parker Kennedy) lets something slip about the future that devastates Iris (Patton). In an attempt to distract his wife, Barry (Gustin) asks Iris to team up to stop a new meta, Rag Doll (guest star Troy James). Meanwhile, Caitlin (Panabaker) learns something about her father.
Stephen King’s on a hot streak when it comes to network’s snatching up his novels. The latest King novel to earn a television adaptation is Joyland, with Freeform putting a series based on the book into development.
According to Stephen King’s official site, the novel was inspired by the image of a boy in a wheelchair flying a kite. The image apparently stayed with King for 20 years before he wrote the book. “[…]The pieces didn’t fall into place until a connection was made with placing the story in an amusement park setting and the story soon followed,” per StephenKing.com.
“We are honored to be working with Stephen King – a master storyteller who understands the importance of culturally embedded tales that resonate with audiences on a deeply personal level,” stated Karey Burke, executive vice president, Programming and Development, Freeform. “We can’t wait for Joyland to become part of Freeform’s offerings and haunt our viewers as only Stephen can.”
The Joyland adaptation has Chris Peña (Jane the Virgin) and Cyrus Nowrasteh (The Stoning of Soraya M.) attached to write the pilot. Peña and Nowrasteh are also producing Joyland, and Bill Haber’s Ostar Productions (Valor) is on board to executive produce.
The Book’s Plot:
“After realizing his romantic life is not going in the direction he’d hoped, Devin Jones decides to take a summer job at an amusement park. There he makes friends with Tom Kennedy and Erin Cook, also summer hires at Joyland, which years before had been the scene of the murder of a young woman named Linda Gray whose ghost is said to be seen at the Horror House. He also befriends a young boy, named Mike Ross and his mother, Annie. Their lives all become entwined when Devin decides to investigate the mystery of Linda Gray’s unsolved murder by the ‘Carny Killer.'”
