The latest reimagining of the Lizzie Borden double murder case just released a new trailer and poster. Lizzie, starring Chloë Sevigny as Lizzie Borden and Kristen Stewart as housekeeper Bridget Sullivan, explores the events surrounding the still-unsolved double murder. The feature film theorizes the killings were a result of years of Lizzie’s father’s abusive behavior and that the murders were committed by Lizzie with Bridget’s knowledge. In truth, no one knows for sure whether Lizzie killed her parents in 1892, but no other person has ever been charged with the murders of Andrew and Abby Borden.
The cast also includes Kim Dickens (Gone Girl, Fear the Walking Dead), Denis O’Hare (American Horror Story), Jeff Perry (Scandal), Fiona Shaw (the Harry Potter films), and Jamey Sheridan (Homeland). Craig William Macneill (Channel Zero) directed from a script by Bryce Kass. Chloë Sevigny, Naomi Despres and Liz Destro produced the period drama, and Elizabeth Stillwell, Roxanne Fie Anderson, and Edward J. Anderson executive produced.
Saban Films and Roadside Attractions have set a September 14, 2018 theatrical release date.
The Plot: In 1892, Lizzie Borden, a seemingly proper young lady from an upstanding Massachusetts family, was accused of brutally murdering her father and stepmother. Although she was tried and acquitted by an all-male jury, no other suspect was ever located. More than a century later, the crime continues to fascinate, puzzle and repulse. Did Lizzie really kill her parents? If so, what drove her to commit such an unthinkable act? And if she didn’t, who did?
Lizzie delves deep into the circumstances surrounding the notorious unsolved murders, as Lizzie and her housemaid Bridget Sullivan inch their way into a forbidden romance that shocks the family and sparks an unthinkable act of violence. The film explodes some of the many myths that have grown up around Borden in a compelling snapshot of two passionate and unconventional women trapped in the constrained life of 19th-century New England.
This year’s trip to the San Diego Comic Con was an emotional one for AMC’s The Walking Dead cast. The upcoming season marks Andrew Lincoln’s final season and Lincoln shared how much he’ll miss being on the set and stepping into the character, Rick Grimes, during both a panel with fans and in the series’ press conference.
In addition to Andrew Lincoln, The Walking Dead‘s Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, Lauren Cohan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and executive producers Angela Kang, Scott M. Gimple, and Greg Nicotero made the trek to San Diego for the sold-out pop culture convention. During the press conference, the TWD gang discussed the time jump, evolving relationships between characters, and what Andrew Lincoln’s meant to his fellow cast members.
The Walking Dead season nine will premiere on October 7, 2018.
Is there a way for a character to leave this world without being killed off and would you want it that way?
Andrew Lincoln: “I think Lennie James is a perfect example of leaving without dying and doing rather well on it. I just saw him about five minutes ago and he looks incredibly healthy. He looks terrific. So, yes, there is that way. And then there is obviously the other way, which we’ve done quite a lot. And obviously I’m not going to tell you which way… I mean, I prefer the Lennie James of it all. But, I think what we have in store this season is truly remarkable. I’m very, very proud of the work we’ve done.”
Is saying goodbye to Rick difficult?
Andrew Lincoln: “I’ll tell you what, at the end of the panel it sort of hit me a little bit. I got kind of choked up. It’s been nine years of coming here; I love this place and I love seeing the fans, and you’ve been such a vital part of this experience. But, you know, as I said my relationship with Mr. Grimes is far from over.”
Can you talk about the relationships between the characters in the new season?
Greg Nicotero: “I will also say that the level of commitment from the actors…you know, there was a particular scene that Andy and Norman shot together and they rehearsed it over and over again. They spent so much time because we have these great opportunities to put these characters together that have great chemistry that we want to see where their relationships are going. This season so far, we’ve really had the opportunity to explore that.
So, we’re always on the phone talking about scenes and, ‘What do you think about this line? How about this? I love where this is going to go’. It feels like the level of collaboration, the level of dedication… I would walk past our screening room and him and Norman would be in there working on a scene and then it wasn’t shooting for a week but they were just really wanting it to be great. I mean, that was amazing to me to know that still after nine years, these guys care. They want it to be great. They want it to be great for you.”
Andrew Lincoln: “I will say Norman, when he’s not here, I’ll compliment him. He is a truly amazing, instinctive, brilliant actor. I came to America to work with actors like him and he is like the Paul Newman that I will never be. He’s the Steve McQueen. The work that he’s doing this season, along with Danai, Jeffrey, and all the rest of it and LC and the gang, it was a privilege. I got to do scenes with all of my favorite people this season and as a farewell it was the greatest present I could have got. And particularly working with Norman was a real thrill.”
Scott M. Gimple: (Norman arrives.) “Oh, he’s here.”
Andrew Lincoln: “He’s here? He’s a piece of shit and I’ve never liked him.”
When you’re performing the scene in which Michonne reads the letter from Carl wrote, what did you imagine was in the letter?
Danai Gurira: “I had actually written what I believed he would have written me. So, I was reading his words that I wrote. […] We preserved it. It’s that personal thing. Like, she wants Rick to have his personal moment with his letter.
It feels personal to share. I don’t know why. But it’s some of the things that you definitely hear him saying to her in those final moments more elaborated upon. Being the strength and remembering moments that he had with her that could keep him alive for her, though she doesn’t need help with that. But there are key moments that he mentions in the letter like the moments of walking up to Terminus together and re-finding each other. And the things he feels she’s done for his dad and how he needs her to be there for his dad in various ways.
So, there are a whole lot of things in there that really fuel her ability to confront [Rick] and really want him to make that connection again, understand his son’s legacy lives on in that letter in the sense of his final words really being elaborated on. And leaving us both with the same vision for how we step into the next phase and keeping that dream alive and the choices we start to make based on those things. So, I think there are things that paralleled in both the letters that allowed us to come to the same place.”
How long were you thinking about Rick’s exit and how is it to finally take the leap?
Andrew Lincoln: “Well, nine years I was thinking about it because that’s where we live. But, I suppose a lot to do with a conversation Scott and I had a few years ago – maybe in season four – about shape and finding some way to complete something that was never going to be completed. And then not obviously disturbing the mothership.
There was a certain sense that the story has been a man waking up and you’ve experienced this world through one man’s eyes and it opens up into the extended family. Now, what’s exciting for me is the fact that the narrative has been freed up. It’s already been freed up from the beginning of the season. You’ll see the trailer is a different tone.
It feels like the show I always thought we would head toward when we wrapped the pilot. And so, yeah, sure it was something that I started to think about as my children got older and less portable.”
Knowing Rick was leaving, did you feel the need to send him off with bigger and bolder stunts?
Andrew Lincoln: “I mean, they put us all on a horse which was quite formative. That was quite exciting. I don’t really know. I think we were just telling a story and trying to tell the best story we possibly can. I’m really, as everybody has said, Angela has been extraordinary this season and I’ve loved this season so far. I love working with all of my buddies. And as people have mentioned already, it’s a big collaboration.
It feels free again. It feels like it’s opened up the story and the performances are more nuanced I think because of this time jump. It’s been really exciting jumping two years and then having this history, this fractured, sort of fragmented peace. I love this season. I don’t think there’s any desire to try and make it anything but telling the best story possible and to continue the story.”
Danai Gurira: “I think the best way to honor Rick and Andy is to stay true to telling a really honest story and not to go some big, bold place that’s out of the realm of that tone that we’ve been trying to connect to since, he set the tone in the pilot. So, I think definitely the thing that was so exciting about what Angela brought as Andy’s mentioned is the fact that we were able to do that. To find those sort of connections through characters being connected in very different ways this year then we’ve experienced in the past. And go to that very key example that he and Lennie set in that first episode.”
With the time jump will we see Rick going up against Maggie in a power struggle of any sort?
Lauren Cohan: “We’re definitely going to see us in disagreements, but we’re still a family. But, we feel very differently about this. It’s definitely been a pleasure for all of us to work together in pretty deep, pretty powerful scenes. We haven’t all gotten a chance to do that.”
Do you think Negan could be rehabilitated? Can he function within this society?
Jeffrey Dean Morgan: “I think there is. I can’t say that we have shot anything near like that but I think there is. We’re going to find out there’s a very different side of Negan quickly as season nine starts. […] I’ve been given the chance, Negan’s given the chance, to kind of get rid of some people, people on the stage here which is kind of thrill for me. I think we’ll see a different side of him as the season goes on. Now is that a good thing or a bad thing? I don’t know. But I think there’s redemption to be had for Negan.”
Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon in ‘The Walking Dead’s season 9 episode 1 (Photo Credit: Jackson Lee Davis/AMC)
With Andrew leaving, will you be taking on a larger role?
Norman Reedus: “I think like Danai said, to stay true to Andy and to Rick we’re telling you the true story. The truth. We’ve had a season or two of some chest bumping, you know? Two guys chest bumping and shooting each other but nobody really killed each other. You know what I mean? And it’s the conflicts with that.
This is a very female-driven season right now. And it’s nice to have that happen. The stories are told in a different way. It’s less bravado and more real depth this year. It feels like we’re shooting a Western with feeling. I’m loving this season. But, I don’t know. You can’t take Rick’s place on the show. That’s not even possible. Everybody’s branching off and doing different things but everyone’s playing the same character. Nobody is like the lead now. I don’t think we talk like that on the show.”
What are your thoughts on the season eight finale and the characters turning on Rick?
Greg Nicotero: “You’ve got to remember where we left Maggie at the end of last season. They made a deal in the beginning of the finale that Negan was done. They were going to kill him. So, when Rick spared his life, and Maggie broke down, she broke down because all the sheer emotion of everything that he had done to Glenn and everybody around them, all the pain that Negan had inflicted on everyone. So, Maggie felt betrayed.
That last scene when the camera’s sort of creeping in on her and she’s kind of like, ‘Listen, I’m going to bide my time but that’s not what we agreed to. I’m not down with it.’ And then of course Daryl steps out of the shadows and says, ‘I’m not down with that either.’
If you look at season eight, Daryl was not a fan of Negan. So, clearly, that’s something we saw in the (new) trailer. Maggie relays to Rick one of those lines that we shot in the premiere last year which is Rick said, ‘One of these days, I’m going to be following you.’ And in the trailer we saw Maggie say, ‘You know, you said you were going to follow me but you’re not. You’re not letting me do what I believe in.’
Watch the trailer 60 times, you’re going to know the answer to a lot of these questions because I gave you guys a lot of information as to where people are emotionally. We jump forward in time a little bit and some people…they’re not at each other’s throats but they’re still not really down with the decisions their friends made. They’re still friends, but their friends may not have made the smartest decisions.”
Danai Gurira: “You know, it’s interesting though because I feel like there’s so much tension as a result of that. It’s not all-out grown men fighting each other in a pit with two sticks of whatever. It’s more fraught because it’s people who love each other and it’s people who want to be on the same page but really, really aren’t. And, it’s family. It’s a family feud so it’s actually much, in some ways, scarier. It feels much more volatile and dangerous.”
Norman Reedus: “Way deeper.”
The poster released prior to Comic Con featured fewer characters than past seasons. Is that any indication that the stories are going to narrow and focus on these characters’ relationships?
Angela Kang: “I think this season there were just some really exciting opportunities to feature this core cast that has such deep relationships that we’ve seen develop over years and years and that audiences were really invested in, and that we are invested in as storytellers. There’s this kind of instant emotional history when you see any of these actors in a scene together. This group is the group that has risen up as the leaders of these communities. So, a lot of the story that we’re talking about is how do you rebuild civilization. Like, how do you move on from war?
We’re telling a lot of stories between these people because they are having some differences of opinions. You know, they still love each other as people have said. But, how do you move forward when you really, just fundamentally disagree about how certain things should happen? So, yeah, we delve deeply into these core characters. The scope of the show is huge, it’s epic – just even the art direction alone blows me away. And of course, we’ve always tried to tell great stories for all of our characters. We have an amazing ensemble.
But, you will see a lot more screen time for some of these relationships like Daryl and Carol, and Rick and Maggie, and Michonne and Rick. It’s just really interesting triangulations that we just wanted to dive deep in to some of these relationships because there’s a lot of emotional weight to them.”
Will we ever find out what happened to Heath?
Scott M. Gimple: “The answer to that question is yes, if circumstances play out right.”
What can you say about Alpha and Beta?
Greg Nicotero: “We talked a little bit about the trailer today, knowing that Alpha has been cast. It’s probably safe to say Beta will be close behind. But, I think we’re just concentrating on the new group of people that you saw in the trailer, the new group of folks that are coming in.”
Norman, what’s the state of Daryl and Carol’s relationship?
Norman Reedus: “The two of those characters are so similar. They go on a journey that’s not about them. They interact with each other but it kind of goes down a rabbit hole into something else. It’s funny. When one of those characters goes to ask a favor of one character, the other character needs the favor too. They’re like two magnets; they connect.
It’s a complicated story and one of the episodes this year has a really sweet, heartfelt moment with them. It’s one of my favorite things we shot this season. Those two will forever have each other’s backs forever.
I’m glad we didn’t do an episode early on where we make out behind the bushes. You know what I mean? I’m glad we made it real. I think we played that the right way. We got a lot of heat in the beginning, like, ‘When are they going to hook up?’ But, I’m glad we played it real and it’s turned into a real relationship. She’s one of my best friends, just like all these guys. She’s an amazing actress, super talented and super honest. You can’t go wrong when you’re in a scene with Melissa.”
Can you guys talk about what is your favorite moment of Rick and Michonne’s relationship? And what can we look forward to in season nine?
Andrew Lincoln: “We touched upon it already the fact that we’ve got these combinations of characters together and because of the time jump as well it’s kind of interesting because we’ve had almost two years of peace since the end of the war and that has changed their dynamic, their relationship. And that was, for me, some of my most satisfying scenes with Michonne have been this season just because they’re much deeper, more grounded. It’s just in that new phase of a loving relationship and there’s so much knowledge of one another in it.
I was going to say, I rarely get happy a season. Once a season, I’ll drive home happy with the day’s work. But in the last two weeks of my filming, I drove happy four times. Which is just, I couldn’t believe it. That’s because I got to do scenes with all of these guys here – and Melissa McBride and a few other surprises. The reason I became an actor is to work with…I came to America to work with people like these people here. We don’t get actors like this in Europe. I’m not joking. There’s an ambition. There’s a kind of desire to keep changing and keep pushing themselves which I’ve learned so much in the nine years that I’ve been working with people like this.
Yeah, I love this relationship. Sarah Wayne Callies said that was the hardest thing for her, and I’m realizing it now, is when you put the job down and your deep, loving, friendships stand. They continue but the characters relationships on screen, that’s the depth that you regret.
That’s the bit I’m in shock about. I’m sort of still numb. But yet there’s some great stuff we got to do.”
How tough is it going to be to say goodbye to Andrew Lincoln?
Danai Gurira: “I would say this and I truly mean it and I say it to him as well. Though this is the only show I’ve worked on as a regular, I will say that I truly believe this is the best leading man on television. I do believe that he has made us all better. His leadership, his character, his discipline, his heart, his generosity, his kindness have really paved a path for all of us to understand how to carry on without him, even though it’s extremely painful to as he said, the death of the relationships that happen when Rick exits are very real but at the same time, he’s so equipped us to carry on. Which is what a great leader does.
I just couldn’t be thankful enough for the time I’ve gotten to work with him and learn from him and understand him. It’s been a true joy to get to explore my character’s growth. She grows basically in connection with him, really from the second she meets him. And, you know, saves his ass a bunch. Because she can see the goodness and the strength and the power in this man. How he takes on – this is Rick and Michonne now – how he takes on what he has to take on from a place of understanding what he must do versus any sort of ego or pride. Michonne respects that so much.
I love how nuanced we got to be, even more so in this season. Because of a time of peace, we were able to find moments that we hadn’t really been able to explore before. I’m excited for you all to see that. It’s all heartbreaking as Walking Dead always is, but this is a special kind of heartbreak. The biggest yet, really. It’s been an honor, sir.”
The CW’s new sci-fi action series The Outpost continues its first season with episode six set to air on August 21, 2018. Season one episode six is titled #The Book of Names” and was directed by John Lyde from a script by Jason Faller and Kynan Griffin.
The cast is led by Jessica Green (Ash vs Evil Dead) as Talon. Season one also features Jake Stormoen as Garret, Imogen Waterhouse as Gwynn, Anand Desai-Barochia as Janzo, Philip Brodie as Everit dred, Andrew Howard as Wythers, and Robyn Malcolm.
Kynan Griffin and Jason Faller created the series and serve as executive producers along with Dean Devlin (The Librarians), Marc Roskin, Rachel Olschan-Wilson, and Jonathan Glassner (Stargate SG-1). Faller and Griffin wrote all 10 episodes and John Lyde directed four, including episode one.
“The Book of Names” Plot: GWYNN’S REAL IDENTITY IS DISCOVERED – Talon (Green) promises to find the mysterious “Book of Names.” Gwynn’s (Waterhouse) true identity is revealed. Talon agrees to escort Janzo (Desai Barochia) to meet the Worm’s colipsum supplier outside the walls of the Outpost.
The Series Plot:The Outpost follows Talon, the lone survivor of a race called “Blackbloods.” Years after her entire village is destroyed by a gang of brutal mercenaries, Talon travels to a lawless fortress on the edge of the civilized world, as she tracks the killers of her family. On her journey to this outpost, Talon discovers she possesses a mysterious supernatural power that she must learn to control in order to save herself, and defend the world against a fanatical religious dictator.
Disney announced Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot will be voicing the character of Shank in the Wreck-It Ralph sequel, Ralph Breaks the Internet. Shank’s described as “a tough and talented driver in an intense and gritty online racing game called Slaughter Race.”
Disney introduced the character with a photo and a description of how Shank will interact with the film’s two lead characters, Ralph and Vanellope. “Ralph and Vanellope encounter Shank and her unusual cohorts when they venture to the internet in search of a replacement part for Vanellope’s game, Sugar Rush. Shank, a tough-as-nails street racer, takes her role and her tricked-out car very seriously and doesn’t like to lose. When Vanellope finds herself in a street race with Shank, her Sugar Rush driving skills are put to the test—and Shank is impressed.” – per Walt Disney Animation Studios.
“Shank is amazing at driving cars and has this bad-girl vibe to her,” explained Gadot. “But as the movie goes on you realize how fun, wise and warm she really is on the inside, which is what I like most about her.”
“She is the coolest character in this world of Slaughter Race,” stated director Rich Moore. “Shank’s lived a lot, she’s seen a lot, yet she’s got nothing but kindness in her heart—that’s the duality of that character.”
Moore added, “There’s so much texture to her voice and so much living in her voice. If Ralph is Vanellope’s big-brother figure, we wanted a big-sister figure. We wanted someone that Vanellope would look up to, and Gal is definitely someone kids—and a lot of adults I know—aspire to emulate. I can’t imagine anyone else embodying that part.”
Gad Gadot joins a voice cast that includes John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk, Ed O’Neill, and Taraji P. Henson. The sequel was directed by Rich Moore and Phil Johnston.
Ralph Breaks the Internet is set to open in theaters on November 21 2018.
The Plot:Ralph Breaks the Internet leaves Litwak’s video arcade behind, venturing into the uncharted, expansive and thrilling world of the internet—which may or may not survive Ralph’s wrecking. Video game bad guy Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) and fellow misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman) must risk it all by traveling to the world wide web in search of a replacement part to save Vanellope’s video game, Sugar Rush.
In way over their heads, Ralph and Vanellope rely on the citizens of the internet—the Netizens—to help navigate their way, including Yesss (voice of Taraji P. Henson), who is the head algorithm and the heart and soul of the trend-making site “BuzzzTube,” and Shank (voice of Gal Gadot), a tough-as-nails driver from a gritty online auto-racing game called Slaughter Race.
First look at Isabela Moner as Dora in the film ‘Dora the Explorer.’ (Photo Credit: Paramount Players)
Filming has just gotten underway on the live-action film based on Nickelodeon’s award-winning children’s animated series, Dora the Explorer. Production kicked off on August 6th in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia with Isabela Moner (pictured above) taking on the title role.
11-time Emmy and four-time BAFTA nominee James Bobin (The Muppets, Muppets Most Wanted, Flight of the Conchords) is directing the first live-action adaptation of Dora the Explorer. The Paramount Players, Nickelodeon, and Walden Media production is targeting an August 2, 2019 theatrical release.
In addition to Isabela Moner (Sicario: Day of the Soldado), the cast includes Eugenio Derbez (How to Be A Latin Lover) as Alejandro, a mysterious jungle inhabitant who tries to protect the teenagers from the marauders. Micke Moreno (Escobar: Paradise Lost) is playing cousin Diego; Nicholas Coombe (Spy Kids: Mission Control) is Randy, a fellow high schooler who develops an immediate crush on Dora; Madeleine Madden (Picnic at Hanging Rock) plays the school’s snooty class president, Sammy; Oscar nominee Adriana Barraza (Babel) is Dora’s grandma, Abuelita Valerie; and Temuera Morrison (Moana) is taking on the role of Powell.
Kristin Burr produces and John G. Scotti, Julia Pistor, and Eugenio Derbez executive produce. The behind the scenes team includes production designer Dan Hennah, costume designer Rahel Afiley, cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe, film editor Mark Everson, and VFX supervisor Andy Brown.
The Plot: Having spent most of her life exploring the jungle with her parents nothing could prepare Dora for the most dangerous adventure ever – High School. Always the explorer, Dora quickly finds herself leading Boots (her best friend, a monkey), Diego, and a rag tag group of teens on a live-action adventure to save her parents and solve the impossible mystery behind a lost Inca civilization.
Fox will be airing the two-hour special Inside the Manson Cult: The Lost Tapes on Monday, September 17, 2018. The crime special is set to air beginning at 8pm ET/PT and is narrated by Emmy nominee Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan). According to Fox, the special will include footage of the cult as well as new interviews with former Manson family members.
Simon Andreae, Hugh Ballantyne, Richard Dale, Allan Gaba, and Dean Egnater served as executive producers. Inside the Manson Cult is produced by Naked Television.
“The Manson murders are some of history’s most shocking and grisly crimes,” stated Rob Wade, President, Alternative Entertainment and Specials, Fox Broadcasting Company. “The Lost Tapes offers incredible insight into how such unsuspecting people fell under Manson’s demonic spell, and how so many of them committed such heinous acts.”
“Raw, candid and compelling, this extraordinary cache of material takes us right inside the Manson family home at the very time the crimes were committed,” said executive producer Simon Andreae. “The footage shows – in real time – how the cult members were brainwashed under Manson’s influence.”
Charles Manson’s mugshot (Photo Courtesy of Fox)
The Details: “Culled from more than 100 hours of footage, the two-hour special goes inside Spahn’s Ranch, where the Manson cult lived, to offer an intimate and terrifying look into America’s most murderous group. Airing 10 months after Manson’s death, the special will feature new and archival interviews with former Manson cult members, such as Catherine ‘Gypsy’ Share and Dianne ‘Snake’ Lake, as well as key people involved in the history of the Manson case, including prosecutor Stephen Kay and FBI criminal profiler John Douglas. The special also features an exclusive interview with Bobby Beausoleil from prison, where he is serving a life sentence for a murder he committed in association with the Manson family.
Fifty years ago, Charles Manson assembled a group of young followers, setting up a commune in Southern California. Mirroring the energy of the era, Manson was an aspiring musician who preached messages of peace and love, attracting seemingly innocent people into his inner circle. No one would have suspected that his followers would commit the most infamous series of slayings in U.S. history. During this period, one young filmmaker was given exclusive access to the Manson cult. In October 2016, he died, leaving a vast collection of footage, interviews and photos. Now, Inside the Manson Cult: The Lost Tapes presents the inside story of how a peace-loving commune turned into America’s most horrifying group of cold-blooded killers.”
Amazon Prime’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is treating fans to a new trailer for the upcoming second season which finds Midge heading to the Catskills. Check out the comments under the video on YouTube and it’s apparent fans love the trailer but don’t love the fact Amazon still hasn’t announced a season two premiere date. The trailer doesn’t confirm a date and only teases the new season is coming later this year.
The first season, which consisted of eight episodes, was released on November 29, 2017 to Amazon Prime subscribers.
The cast of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is led by Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee Rachel Brosnahan as Midge Maisel. The cast also includes five-time Golden Globe nominee and nine-time Emmy nominee (three-time Emmy winner) Tony Shalhoub (Monk) as Midge’s father Abe Weissman and Alex Borstein (Family Guy) as Susie Myerson. Michael Zegen (Boardwalk Empire) is Midge’s husband Joel Maisel and Marin Hinkle (Two and a Half Men) plays Midge’s mother, Rose Weissman.
The series is written and executive produced by Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino (Gilmore Girls).
Amazon’s critically acclaimed series just received 14 Emmy nominations, the most of any Amazon Prime series to date. The series picked up nominations in categories including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Rachel Brosnahan), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Tony Shalhoub), and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Alex Borstein). It’s already earned two Golden Globes, a Critics’ Choice Award, and the Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy award from the Producers Guild of America.
The Plot: In 1958 New York, Midge Maisel’s life is on track- husband, kids, and elegant Yom Kippur dinners in their Upper West Side apartment. But when her life takes a surprise turn, she has to quickly decide what else she’s good at – and going from housewife to stand-up comic is a wild choice to everyone but her.
‘The Deuce’ season one stars Pernell Walker, James Franco, and Maggie Gyllenhaal (Photo by Paul Schiraldi / HBO)
HBO’s set to kick off the second season of The Deuce on September 9, 2018 at 9pm ET/PT. With the new season premiere just weeks away, the network’s released details on the first four episodes of season two which takes a five year time jump from the end of season one.
Created by George Pelecanos and David Simon, the second season cast is led by James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Gary Carr, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Margarita Levieva, Dominique Fishback, Emily Meade, Lawrence Gilliard, Jr, Chris Bauer, Michael Rispoli, and Chris Coy also reprise their roles from season one.
New series regulars include Luke Kirby (Rectify) and Jamie Neumann (The Looming Tower). The season two guest stars are Zoe Kazan (The Big Sick), Ralph Macchio (The Karate Kid), Mustafa Shakir (Marvel’s Luke Cage), David Krumholtz (Living Biblically), Don Harvey (The Night Of), Cliff “Method Man” Smith (8 Mile), Daniel Sauli (House of Cards), and Sepidah Moafi (Falling Water).
The Season 2 Plot: Amid a city that is as culturally dynamic as it is dystopic, the show finds its protagonists living at the apex of the Golden Age of Porn, when the dream of a mainstream X-rated film business is suddenly a credible reality, and the culture of pornography and its blatant commodification of sex is finding increasing traction among more and more Americans.
Disco and punk are in full swing, and police corruption and political tolerance for New York’s midtown demimonde is at its height. And the Mafia, the early backer of pornography at the moment when courts declared for its legality, is now seemingly poised to reap great profits. A comparable – and, in some ways, more professional – porn industry is rising on the West Coast as well. But for now, New York is holding its own in a city flush with movies, music and art, as the drug-fueled party rages around the clock.
The Deuce September 2018 Episodes:
Episode #9 (season 2, episode 1): “Our Raison d’Être”
Debut date: SUNDAY, SEPT. 9 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Times Square, 1977. After his early successes managing the Hi-Hat and French Parlor, Vincent (James Franco) is now proprietor of a new mob-backed disco, Club 366, while his girlfriend Abby (Margarita Levieva) has brought the nascent punk-rock culture into the Hi-Hat. Vincent’s twin brother, Frankie (James Franco), remains a problem, “borrowing” money from Show Land, the sex emporium he manages, to pay off his debts. Candy (Maggie Gyllenhaal), now a “triple threat” as a porn actress, producer and director, is looking to make more artful, ambitious adult films, over the objections of her collaborator, Harvey (David Krumholtz). C.C. (Gary Carr) pulls a con on Bernie Wolf (Stephen Gevedon), the director of a porn film starring Lori (Emily Meade), to get her more money. Hoping to launch a more upscale gay nightclub, Paul (Chris Coy) looks to sever mob ties from his current bar. Alston (Lawrence Gilliard, Jr.), now a homicide detective, is approached by Gene Goldman (Luke Kirby), a civil servant appointed by Mayor Koch to clean up Times Square.
Written by David Simon & George Pelecanos; directed by Alex Hall.
Episode #10 (season 2, episode 2): “There’s an Art to This”
Debut date: SUNDAY, SEPT. 16 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Confronted with the changing realities of prostitution and porn, C.C. (Gary Carr) doubles down on his assets, while fellow pimp Larry Brown (Gbenga Akinnagbe) eyes a new opportunity. Growing creatively frustrated, Candy (Maggie Gyllenhaal) turns to Genevieve Furie (Dagmara Dominczyk), a onetime porn director who’s graduated to slasher films, for filmmaking advice. After a customer is mugged outside his bar, Paul (Chris Coy) is approached by Matty the Horse (Garry Pastore), a rival of Rudy’s (Michael Rispoli), who promises Paul the mob protection he deserves. Following a nostalgic road trip to Coney Island with Vincent (James Franco), Abby (Margarita Levieva) attends a meeting of activists, and recognizes a familiar face from Times Square.
Written by Richard Price; directed by Alex Hall.
Episode #11 (season 2, episode 3): “Seven-Fifty”
Debut date: SUNDAY, SEPT. 23 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Lori (Emily Meade) envisions a sunny future in LA after attending the AFFA Erotica Awards with Harvey (David Krumholtz) and Candy (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who’s looking to connect with west-coast producers who are willing to turn her fairy tale into reality. Paul (Chris Coy) and Kenneth (Michael Stahl-David) approach Vincent (James Franco) about a loan for a new nightclub, free from mob ties. Goldman (Luke Kirby) visits Alston’s (Lawrence Gilliard, Jr.) precinct to share the mayor’s vision for cleaning up the Deuce. Frankie (James Franco) wins a hand of poker, but risks losing his job. Back in NYC, Ashley (Jamie Neumann) pushes her reform agenda on Abby (Margarita Levieva), while trying to avoid C.C. (Gary Carr). Larry Brown (Gbenga Akinnagbe) and Darlene (Dominique Fishback) learn a bitter lesson about supply and demand. Rudy (Michael Rispoli) sends a message to his rivals, but invites retaliation.
Written by Chris Yakaitis; directed by Steph Green.
Episode #12 (season 2, episode 4): “What Big Ideas”
Debut date: SUNDAY, SEPT. 30 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Ashley (Jamie Neumann) and Abby (Margarita Levieva) resolve to track down the identity of a 16-year-old sex worker killed in a recent fire. Vincent (James Franco) is shaken after witnessing the brutal side of Rudy’s (Michael Rispoli) operation. Frustrated by the progress on her new film, Candy (Maggie Gyllenhaal) recruits new faces to help with the production. Frankie (James Franco) finds his dry-cleaning business a less-than-perfect fit. Larry Brown (Gbenga Akinnagbe) shows off his improvisational skills. Lori (Emily Meade) looks to forge a deal with Kiki (Alysia Reiner) while keeping C.C. (Gary Carr) in the loop.
Written by Anya Epstein; directed by Uta Briesewitz.
Scott M. Gimple, Lennie James, Ian Goldberg, Andrew Chambliss, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Maggie Grace, Colman Domingo, Danay Garcia, Jenna Elfman, and Garret Dillahunt from ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ at the 2018 San Diego Comic Con (Photo by Ari Perilstein / Getty Images for AMC)
AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead returns for the second half of season four on August 12, 2018. Cast members Colman Domingo, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Lennie James, Danay Garcia, Garret Dillahunt, Maggie Grace, and Jenna Elfman joined the series’ executive producers and showrunners for a panel at the 2018 San Diego Comic Con as well as a press conference to delve into the upcoming new episodes.
Season four part one saw series regulars Kim Dickens and Frank Dillane’s characters killed off, Lennie James arrive from The Walking Dead, and the addition of new cast members Maggie Grace, Garret Dillahunt, and Jenna Elfman. During the press conference both Colman Domingo and Alycia Debnam-Carey complimented the season four newcomers and confirmed that as actors they don’t worry about getting close with someone who might get killed off.
“I think we know it’s the nature of the show,” explained Domingo. “You get into it and you go full-hearted with everyone. That’s just the nature of it. You have basically welcome them on board and create new traditions with them and become a family.”
Fear the Walking Dead Season 4 Part B Press Conference:
What was it like to join an established show?
Maggie Grace: “Like moving into a new neighborhood where everyone brought you a three-tiered cake. It was so warm and friendly, and they just went out of their way. It was, I will say, a little shocking when we lost cast members very soon thereafter. I had no idea.”
Garret Dillahunt: “Yeah, it was great. It was exciting to be a part of it. It’s not the first show I’ve ever joined mid-process. That’s not really that unusual of an event. But I know this was a big change that went on. It’s one of the best introductions I’ve ever had on a show, I’ll tell you that. I’m having a blast.”
Jenna Elfman: “It’s been a really big learning curve for me just with the mythology and familiarizing myself with it and understanding it and wanting to do right by the fans who’ve been so invested for so long. As a newcomer, this is such a fan-based experience – that was really important to me is to make sure I really understood it so that I was in the same world with them. Just artistically it’s been really stimulating and has been a really great adventure.”
What’s the theme for the second half of season four?
Ian Goldberg: “I think there’s a few. We talked at the panel about the end of the first half of the season ended with these characters sitting around a campfire brought together by circumstances they couldn’t imagine and could not have imagined they’d end up with each other. There’s a lot to resolve, both within themselves, within the group, questions of who are they to each other, who will they be going forward, how will they carry on Madison’s legacy of hope, how will they bring light into this dark world. And I think redemption is a really big theme in the back half. It’s about making up for the things you’ve done. How do I go about doing that? That’s something we’ll see.”
Alycia Debnam-Carey and Lennie James in ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ season 4 episode 9 (Photo Credit: Ryan Green / AMC)
So much has happened to Alicia over the past seasons. How have the changes affected her?
Alycia Debnam-Carey: “It’s a been a really exciting journey for me because this character, I think, has had one of the major developments out of any character on this show. We’ve seen her go from a regular teenage girl to a fearless warrior in the apocalypse. She’s been destroyed by it and lost everyone she knows.
It’s interesting. All our characters have become versions of an orphan in the apocalypse. Everyone has lost everyone in their life, their family. And what’s unique about Alicia is you’ve seen the beginning of that journey right to the end. Her full story arc is playing out. If you thread it all together in one journey, it’s quite remarkable how much she’s changed.
This season’s obviously been really, really hard. I lost all the Clarks. I’m the only one left. That was hard. […] What’s great though is that we now get to see Alicia purely as her own character completely. She doesn’t have the same ties to her mother and her brother. It’s just about her as a woman now. That opens up new journeys and narratives for her to play out. I’m really excited about some of the stuff that’s coming up.”
When you came on board Fear the Walking Dead, did you sense any friendly competition with The Walking Dead over Morgan?
Lennie James: “My kind of thing is I try and do my best wherever I am and tell the story in the best way that we think it should be told. I don’t think there’d be any point in the crossover or all of the pomp and circumstance around it, if it wasn’t adding something or continuing the great work that was being done before, if it wasn’t broadening the storytelling. If it was just a gimmick, I’m not interested in being a gimmick. It’s got to be something that works for me and works for everybody else involved in it.
That was the thing that most interested me and most concerned me. I’m very protective and take a real responsibility for Morgan as a character. If it didn’t continue to tell his story in a way I want to tell his story, it wasn’t something that I would pursue. (Laughing) But if we end up kicking the other guys’ ass, that’s a bonus.”
This character allows you to really lean into the idea of a modern-day Texas gunfighter. How did you feel about that?
Garret Dillahunt: “It’s been a blast. I can’t say I wasn’t a little nervous about it, a guy walking around modern day with two guns on his hips and a cowboy hat. It was a thin line we walked but I think they did it really well. I sure loved that first episode. I don’t think I’ve ever had, in a long and busy career, such a great introduction to a series or a universe before and I’m grateful for it.”
Given the timeline in The Walking Dead, does that rule out further crossovers?
Scott M. Gimple: “It does not. That’s about all I’ve got to say. (Laughing) It does not but I wouldn’t expect it all the time – but things could happen. You never know who might pop up on Fear the Walking Dead. That includes not only The Walking Dead stuff but even potentially people in the past from Fear the Walking Dead.”
Is the natural disaster coming up on Fear the Walking Dead originally supposed to be on The Walking Dead?
Scott M. Gimple: “You know what? We had talked, things had bounced around in that area on the original show, but it was never more than talking about it. I think once we talked about some of the crazy imagery involved, Fear the Walking Dead is a show that is incredibly distinct on its own. This half season really establishes that it has such a tonal flexibility. It is a tonal elasticity. There are things that happen, there is this episode 10 that is so dark and so emotional, and so heartfelt. And then, as Lennie has said, within an episode we will see Morgan on a toilet. I would say it runs the gamut.”
Speaking of Morgan on the toilet…do zombies poop?
Scott M. Gimple: “I think there’s a fermentation process that could result in projectiles. I don’t mean to spoil this half of the season.”
Netflix just released the official trailer for the dramatic film, The Kindergarten Teacher, starring Maggie Gyllenhaal. The film will premiere on Netflix on October 12, 2018 and will also have a limited theatrical release.
The Kindergarten Teacher had a successful film festival run, snagging the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award at the Sundance Film Festival. It was also part of the Gala Presentation at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. The film currently sits at 92% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with Sharon Waxman from The Wrap saying, “Gyllenhaal offers a beautifully nuanced performance full of intelligence and desperation.”
In addition to Oscar nominee Maggie Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart), the cast includes Parker Sevak, Anna Baryshnikov (Superior Donuts), Rosa Salazar (Maze Runner: The Death Cure), Michael Chernus (Orange is the New Black), and Gael Garcia Bernal (Mozart in the Jungle). Sara Colangelo (Little Accidents) wrote and directed the 2018 release, based on a film by Nadav Lapid.
The Kindergarten Teacher was produced by Talia Kleinhendler, Osnat Handelsman-Keren, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Celine Rattray, and Trudie Styler. The behind the scenes team includes director of photography Pepe Avila del Pino, editors Lee Percy and Marc Vives, costume designer Vanessa Porter, and production designer Mary Lena Colston.
The Plot: Lisa Spinelli (Gyllenhaal) is a kindergarten teacher in Staten Island who yearns to live a life of art and intellectualism. She takes an evening poetry class but, despite her best efforts, her work is mediocre. When she overhears Jimmy (Sevak), one of her five-year-old students, reciting an original poem in her classroom, she is floored.
Convinced he is the equivalent of a young Mozart, she becomes obsessed with the child and embarks on a dangerous journey to nurture his talent. As Lisa continues down this increasingly desperate path, she seems ready to throw away everything to chase an impossible dream.
