Syfy’s Deadly Class hosted its first panel at the 2018 San Diego Comic Con, debuting the series’ trailer and discussing adapting the popular graphic novel by Rick Remender and Wes Craig for television. In addition to the panel, the Deadly Class cast and executive producers took part in roundtable interviews to provide a little insight into the series. Teaming up for interviews, Lana Condor (“Saya”), Luke Tennie (“Willie”), and María Gabriela de Faría (“Maria”) chatted about their roles and their knowledge of the source material.
The Deadly Class Plot: Set in a dark, heightened world against the backdrop of late ’80s counter culture, Deadly Class follows the story of Marcus, a teen living on the streets who is recruited into Kings Dominion, an elite private academy where the world’s top crime families send their next generations. Maintaining his moral code while surviving a ruthless curriculum, vicious social cliques and his own adolescent uncertainties soon proves to be vital.
Deadly Class Cast Interview
What’s your least favorite thing about your character?
Luke Tennie: “My least favorite thing? What I like doing in my life is meeting people and making friends. Willie doesn’t necessarily like doing that. But, I do enjoy playing him.”
Lana Condor: “My least favorite thing about Saya is her fear to let people in. I think it’s great to be independent and to only have to rely on yourself, but at some point you need to open your heart and let people in and become…have a group and have a team around you. I don’t think Saya’s like that. She’s working on it.”
María Gabriela de Faría: “I love everything about her, really, but if I have to pick something I would say I hate that she kills people wearing high heels. It’s so hard!”
Lana Condor: “Yes! Oh my god, I can relate. Same, same.”
Can you talk about the feel of the show? It’s set in the ‘80s so are you fans of the music and movies from that era? Are you into that?
María Gabriela de Faría: “Absolutely. We celebrated her 21st birthday in an ‘80s bar.”
Lana Condor: “Yes. We were like, ‘We can party and do character work at the same time.’ That’s what we did.”
María Gabriela de Faría: “I’m really into ‘80s music and after the show wearing the huge wig and the bandana and the eye-liner…”
Luke Tennie: “Also, Rick (Remender) has been so adamant about getting us the music of the times. He wants us to experience the music so that we can get better into our characters. Just the notes that you would hear around you, the lyrics, the sound, the feel of the instruments – it was totally different. And it was also dark, it was honest which is not necessarily something that the most famous musicians explore today. It’s something that people like to stay away from. But it’s great to get in that mindset and hear those tunes. It helps us understand what the ‘80s were like to Rick because that’s whose story we’re trying to tell.”
When you are developing your characters, did you dig into the graphic novel or just use the script?
Luke Tennie: “I’ve read the comics three times.”
María Gabriela de Faría: “Yes, same here.”
Luke Tennie: “I’m trying to be very well-versed with the original source material.”
María Gabriela de Faría: “Because that’s what the fans want.”
Luke Tennie: “We want to be true to that. I was scared about Willie because Willie’s drawn about the same size as Marcus (played by Benjamin Wadsworth) and I’m over 6’. I was a little insecure about the height and all that stuff until the writers told me, ‘No, we picked you because his size is something that we’re going to use throughout the series.’ So, then I learned they’re really trying to translate this comic into a realistic medium. If that’s the case, some things will change. But some things, the things the fans are really passionate about, they’re going to stay the same. We want to keep them.”
Lana Condor: “I think for me, when we did the pilot I had skimmed through the graphic novel but I’m guilty – I had not read it intensely because my prior thought going into it was like, ‘What if they don’t stick to the graphic novel?’ I don’t want to have that preconceived idea of what Saya should be. I want to develop it as I’m there. But after shooting the pilot and seeing how similar they’re trying to stick to the graphic novel, I read the rest of them because it’s a no-brainer. It seems like that’s where they’re going. They want to keep it as close to the source material as possible.”
‘Deadly Class’ stars Maria Gabriela de Faria, Lana Condor and Luke Tennie (Photo by Neilson Barnard / SYFY)
Netflix’s new dramatic series The Innocents has just unveiled a full trailer and poster. The two and a half minute trailer teases that “what you see isn’t really what you see.” It also reveals a world of shifters, including a mother and daughter who can easily slip into alternate physical appearances.
The cast includes Sorcha Groundsell (Clique, Iona, Sleeping Lions) as June, Percelle Ascott (Wizard vs. Aliens, The Weekend Movie) as Harry, and Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential, Memento, The King’s Speech) as Halvorson.
The series comes from Hania Elkington and Simon Duric, with first-time series creators Elkington and Duric writing and executive producing. Executive producer Farren Blackburn (Daredevil, Doctor Who, Holby City) directed six of the series’ eight episodes.
Chris Croucher is on board as a producer, with Elaine Pyke, Charlie Pattinson, and Willow Grylls serving as executive producers. UK-based New Pictures is producing the Netflix series.
Netflix has set an August 24, 2018 premiere date.
The Plot: When teenagers Harry and June run away from their repressive families to be together, they’re derailed by an extraordinary discovery – June’s ability to shape-shift. As the star-crossed lovers struggle to control this strange new power, a mysterious professor reveals that June is not alone: there are more shifters out there like her, and he promises to cure June and reunite her with the mother who deserted her three years ago. But as their journey becomes increasingly fraught with danger, Harry and June’s love for each other is tested to breaking point and they’re faced with a choice: keep their innocent dream alive, or embrace that their lives have changed and risk everything.
New poster for the Netflix original series, ‘The Innocents.’
Kevin Costner and Cole Hauser in ‘Yellowstone’ season 1 episode 7. (Photo Credit: Paramount Network)
The first season of Paramount Network’s Yellowstone continues with episode seven airing on August 8, 2018. The episode kicks off with John Dutton (Kevin Costner) spotting a busload of tourists out in a field, only a few dozen yards from a live bear. It’s most likely the bear that was about to attack Kayce in episode six. The tour guide won’t urge her group to leave, even when John informs them they’re all trespassing. The group argue John should be sharing his property and John finally has enough, sending them scattering by firing his rifle in the air.
As the tourists board the bus, John watches the bear paw at the earth.
The action moves to the operating table where, in graphic detail, we see the doctor cutting into Monica’s skull. Once the surgery’s complete, Kayce (Luke Grimes) is told Monica suffered an epidural hematoma. The doctor doesn’t sugarcoat the diagnosis, telling Kayce he doesn’t know if she’ll recover because it’s difficult to say with any certainty after brain surgery. The fact she survived the surgery and is young gives the doctor reason to hope there will be a positive outcome.
Kayce pays a quick visit to Monica (Kelsey Asbille), even though the doctor advises against it. A nurse watches over Tate (Brecken Merrill) who becomes agitated and screams that he wants to see his mom. Hospital personnel hold Tate down in the waiting room while he’s screaming and Kayce’s first instinct is to punch one when he sees his son in distress.
The doctor manages to calm the situation down a little but kicks Tate and Kayce out of the hospital until the situation settles down.
Elsewhere, John delivers a speech at the Stockman’s Dinner. He talks about his family’s history and how ranchers only want to break even and are dedicated to the land.
Back at his table, alone, John glances at the place cards bearing the names of his children who aren’t in attendance at the event.
Catching up with Jamie (Wes Bentley), he’s busy working with his new political aide, Christina (Katherine Cunningham), at his Attorney General campaign office. She warns him campaigning is going to be hell but that it’s worth it. He confesses he’s not an idealist and his goal is only obtaining more power. He just wants to protect his family and all of the families like his and stop the “hemorrhaging of Montana’s resources to people in other states.” She approves, and the sexual tension is pinging at hot.
At home, Kayce tries to cry quietly so as not to scare Tate.
Back at the ranch, John expresses his disappointment his children weren’t at the dinner. Jamie explains he’s preparing his campaign office, and John reminds him the people at the event are potential voters. John admits he felt a shift in the room and the Governor never bothered to talk to him.
Beth (Kelly Reilly) is otherwise occupied, bent over a grungy toilet smoking and having sex (not with Rip).
A flashback shows the family waiting for Beth so they can open their Christmas presents. John (played by Josh Lucas) warns the kids they can’t start until Beth shows up. Evelyn (Gretchen Mol) goes looking for her daughter and finds her crying in the bathroom. She’s upset because she started her period and is worried her mom will be angry. Evelyn runs a bath to help her with the cramps, and tells John to let the boys go ahead and start opening presents.
Beth soaks in the tub while her mom explains that boys will now be looking at her differently. She can expect to be treated like she’s weaker than them, but Evelyn reminds her she’s stronger than the boys who would never be able to handle the pain of childbirth. She tells her young daughter that from now on she’s going to hard on her, apologizing in advance that she’ll treat her roughly in order to make her into the “man” most men will never be. It’s the way Evelyn was treated and she’s passing it on to her daughter.
“I know my mother was right. It was the best gift she ever gave me. Now I have to give it to you,” says Evelyn.
Back to current events, and Beth is in an agitated state as she takes Kayce’s horse out and almost immediately falls off. She gets on him again and is once more thrown off. She’s given a lesson in how horses respond to tension, anger, and body language by the new ranch hand, Walker (Ryan Bingham). He explains the horse feels every emotion she puts out. Walker asks Beth to try again and this time let the horse know, with her body, that everything will be fine.
Beth actually listens and does as he suggests. It works, and Beth has a calm ride across the corral – without even using the reins.
John and Rip (Cole Hauser) watch from a distance, and John calls Walker a horse whisperer. John wants all the calves brought down from the pasture because of the bear.
Beth is overcome with emotion at the end of her ride.
Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham), Dan Jenkins (Danny Huston), and their people attempt to hammer the details of the deal into place. They can’t come to an agreement over some of the financing issues and Thomas leaves, telling Dan to let him know when he’s ready to truly become a partner in taking down John Dutton.
After Thomas leaves, Dan works with his advisors to figure out how to make his percentage of the profit become a percentage of the ownership of the casino. He learns the licensing board won’t approve that and suggests he’ll own the hotel while Thomas owns the casino to get around that issue.
Catching up with John, he’s getting an MRI and seems worried. Afterward, his doctor wants another colonoscopy within the next month, but John’s blood work looks good.
Kelsey Asbille in ‘Yellowstone’ season 1 episode 7. (Photo Credit: Paramount Network)
As John leaves his doctor’s office, he spots Tate in the waiting room. (John is unaware what’s happening with Monica.)
At the ranch, Jamie spots a man looking in the window. He holds him at gunpoint, believing the man is there to do harm to his dad. It turns out he’s there to serve court papers which he tosses at Jamie.
Rip, Walker, and Jimmy (Jefferson White) head out to find the bear. They spot him and then realize none of them brought a gun. They’re forced into “hazing” it which is explained as running right at it. They do, and it’s a disaster. The bear not only doesn’t flee, it charges them and Jimmy is thrown from his horse. He climbs a tiny tree which the bear then tries to push down. Walker ropes the bear and rides off with him, leading him away.
Jimmy’s rescued but his horse has hightailed it out of there.
Monica is surrounded by her family, including John, as the doctor asks her to wiggle her toes. She’s awake and speaking normally, however, she can’t feel anything when the doctor touches the bottom of her left foot. She can wiggle her toes and feel the bottom of her right foot. The doctor wants her to eat but she’s just not hungry.
The doctor’s encouraged Monica can talk and is aware of what’s going on. He believes she’s through the worst of it. However, her lack of motor skills is worrisome.
Kayce agrees the best thing to do is have Tate go back to the ranch with John, even though Tate wants to stay by his mother’s side.
Rip is back out in the forest and this time he has a gun. He spots the bear and gives chase. Instead of finding the bear, he finds two people stranded off the side of a cliff. They’re in a precarious position balancing on a skinny piece of wood and Rip explains to the female that if she grabs the rope he tosses down and climbs up, her boyfriend will plummet to the ground. The boyfriend doesn’t speak English and has no idea what’s happening. The woman doesn’t want her boyfriend to die, so Rip says she can choose to let her boyfriend grab the rope meaning she’ll be the one falling to her death.
He tosses down the rope and she wants to put it around both of them. Unfortunately, it’s too short and she must make a choice. She protests and the boyfriend now understands what’s going on. As the woman cries and struggles to place the rope around both of them, she falls and dies upon impact.
Rip tells the man to grab the rope with both hands, but he refuses. He lets go and also falls to his death.
Rip doesn’t have time to react to the deaths before he hears the bear nearby. He grabs his gun as it charges and shoots it once in the head. The bear is dead, as are the two tourists.
The action shifts to Monica’s school where Thomas is told it’s possible the boy involved in the fight that caused her injury could be charged with manslaughter if she dies. Otherwise, it’s at the very least assault.
Thomas asks to speak with the boy who hit Monica off the record. The boy’s sorry and claims he didn’t mean to do it. Thomas warns him he’ll be charged if she dies.
After leaving the school, Thomas admits none of this is what he expected. He had big ideas but now isn’t sure he’ll make any difference at all.
John and Tate arrive back at the ranch and John’s moving slowly. Still, it’s obvious he loves being with his grandson. John’s in tremendous pain as he opens the refrigerator and asks Tate to stay at the table for a minute.
Beth’s also at the ranch speaking on the phone, commanding whoever she’s talking to to bring her all the information they can find on Paradise Valley Development Holdings. She wants the info, along with her computer, brought to the ranch. John walks in and asks about Jamie, but she doesn’t know where he is. He asks her to watch Tate, but Beth gives her usual snide, negative reply. John, in pain, growls that he’s not asking.
Beth finally figures out her dad’s not doing well as she watches him head to his room.
Beth introduces herself to Tate as his aunt and admits the only thing she can make him eat is a cheese plate. That doesn’t sound appealing, so they head out to see what the ranch hands are eating.
John, alone, gets sick in the bathroom, sweating and throwing up blood.
At the hospital, Monica asks about Tate and is told he’s at the ranch. Only Kayce and Monica’s grandfather are in attendance as she tries to eat more pudding. She can’t make the spoon go into the cup, constantly missing as she attempts to dish some up. She makes a joke and then asks where Tate is again. She doesn’t remember she’s just asked for him less than a minute prior.
Rip makes it back to the ranch and calls for the sheriff. No one’s answering his calls.
John is bent over in pain. He talks to God, telling him he’s not ready to die. There’s still too much to be done.
Monica’s grandfather leaves to get coffee and Kayce holds Monica’s hand. The smile leaves her face and she withdraws her hand. She looks lost and confused. Kayce attempts to hold himself together.
The episode ends with a scene of the cowboys eating, listening to music, and relaxing after a hard day. Beth seems to relax a little while Rip is stone-faced and then leaves the room as the group continues to unwind.
CBS will be bringing Love Island to American audiences. The reality competition series is a hit in the U.K., wrapping up its fourth season with an episode that took the title as the most watched program in history on the ITV2 network.
The series is an ITV Entertainment production and has David George, Adam Sher and David Eilenberg as executive producers.
“Love Island has been a massive success overseas,” stated Sharon Vuong, Senior Vice President, Alternative Programming for the Network. “It’s currently seen, or about to premiere in several European countries as well as Australia, and we’re thrilled that ITV has partnered with us to bring their most successful show to American television. Having seen the reaction of audiences ‘across the pond’ and around the world to this most recent season, we expect American viewers will be captivated by this engaging format. Additionally, Love Island is more than a pop sensation; this series has generated compelling ‘sociological think pieces’ in major publications here and abroad.”
“As a format, Love Island breaks the mold with high levels of viewer interactivity and participation that influence the content of the show in a way that’s extremely addictive,” said David George, CEO, ITV America. “It’s a cultural phenomenon that builds anticipation with every episode and creates appointment viewing – a pretty hard thing to do in today’s TV landscape. We’re ecstatic the show has found a home at CBS and look forward to working collaboratively to engage its millions of viewers.”
The Plot: “Love Island sees a group of single “Islanders” come together in a stunning villa in a beautiful tropical location. They are on the lookout for romance, but as always, the road to love never runs smoothly, as they must not only choose their partner wisely, but also win the hearts of the public.
Challenges and dramatic twists abound as the Islanders form alliances, while relationships are made in an effort to win the ultimate prize. Viewers have the opportunity to shape events on screen as they watch the relationships develop, and ultimately crown one lucky couple as the winners who walk away with a cash prize.
Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker discuss ‘This Is Us’ season 3 (Photo by Paul Drinkwater / NBCUniversal)
NBC had a Television Critics Association panel of Drama Showrunners that included This Is Us executive producers Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker. After the panel, Berger and Aptaker spoke with reporters further about the upcoming third season.
Season two ended with Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Toby (Chris Sullivan)’s wedding. A flash forward showed Toby suffering from depression. A flash even further forward showed an older Randall (Sterling K. Brown) and grown-up Tess. A flashback showed Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) on his way to Vietnam.
Here are some hints about what’s coming up on This Is Us, returning on September 25, 2018 on NBC.
How are you going to deal with Deja bashing the car in the new season?
Isaac Aptaker: “That’s kind of an immediate question for Beth and Randall is what do you do with this foster child who you’ve fallen in love with deeply who does something pretty frightening like that. That’s one of the immediate things we’re picking up with in season three.”
Will we explore why she did it?
Isaac Aptaker: “Absolutely, yeah.”
How soon will we learn the circumstances of Toby’s depression?
Elizabeth Berger: “Sort of within the first half of our season. We’re going to be seeing Kate and Toby go through various challenges. Obviously we showed last season that sort of their journey to have a family, that’s a journey that we’re going to be continuing this season. There’s going to be the stresses of your first year of marriage, so it’s something that we’re going to sort of be building towards.”
Chrissy Metz and Chris Sullivan in ‘This Is Us’ season 2 (Photo by Ron Batzdorff / NBC)
Do they get a honeymoon phase at least before things get real?
Isaac Aptaker: “There’s definitely some lighter stories for them too.”
Elizabeth Berger: “Oh yeah, they’ll have some fun.”
Isaac Aptaker: “It’s not all angst.”
If you’re spending time with Jack in Vietnam will we see more past Rebecca?
Elizabeth Berger: “We’re all over. We’ll be spending some more time in that very romantic period where they first met each other which we’re really excited about. It’s sort of a lighter, more fun time period. We’re going to go back and be with our 10-12-year-old kids.”
Isaac Aptaker: “We just ran out of space in our hair and makeup trailer because we have now so many wigs for Rebecca that they had to create a new area to store them. That’s how many timelines we’ve invented and Mandy (Moore) is such a trooper about transforming herself and coming to set hours early every day to jump into a new decade.”
Will you delve into Miguel and Rebecca’s beginnings as well?
Isaac Aptaker: “Yeah, that’s going to be something we tackle a bit this year and also bigger picture on the series.”
Will Gerald McRaney be back?
Isaac Aptaker: “We hope so. It’s tricky because Dr. K was in their lives for such a finite period of time so it’s not like it’s the easiest to come up with a story where he is with our family. But we adore him so much and he’s a fan favorite, he’s one of our favorites so we’re always looking for ways.”
Elizabeth Berger: “Whenever he’s there, it’s always one of our best episodes. We’ll find a way to get him back.”
How much is Ron Cephas Jones on the show this season?
Isaac Aptaker: “He’s back a fair amount. We’re sharing him. He’s a regular on an Apple show but again, he’s like Gerald McRaney. We love him so much, so whenever we can.”
Will you continue the future storyline you touched on last year with Randall and Tess?
Isaac Aptaker: “Yeah, we’ll be revisiting the future this year. I can’t shed any light on it but we’re very aware that that’s something people want to know and we’re going to give answers.”
Elizabeth Berger: “We don’t like to withhold information for so long that it becomes frustrating so we’re very conscious of parsing it out and we will be giving some hopefully really satisfying answers this season.”
How are you going to break the rules this season?
Isaac Aptaker: “A typical episode of This Is Us kind of has three sibling storylines and then a past episode. Every now and then we’ll devote one solely to one character, but this season we’re really throwing everything out the window and saying all bets are off. So maybe we’ll do an episode where every act is a different time. Maybe we’ll have something that jumps five timelines in an episode. We’re just really pushing the limits of what people can comprehend.”
Are you delving into any characters’ backstories you haven’t before?
Elizabeth Berger: “We’re really excited. I think Sully, Chris Sullivan Instagrammed that we’re going to be going into his backstory which we’re really excited about. We’re going to be going into Susan [Kelechi Watson]’s backstory for the first time which we’re really excited about. The sort of pitfall of having such a brilliant cast is you’re always like, ‘Give them more, give them more.’ So we’re really excited to delve a little deeper into both of those characters this season.”
Did you have bigger plans for Sophie and can you still do them this season?
Isaac Aptaker: “We love Alex[andra Breckenridge] so much. That relationship was so much about Kevin revisiting something from his past and realizing that it ultimately wasn’t right for him given where he was at the moment. But I think he’ll always hold Sophie in his heart in a special way. There’s no saying whether or not she re-enters the picture.”
She was still a regular after they split up again, so I was wondering if you’d had more plans for her.
Isaac Aptaker: “No, that was the intended journey there. She’s just very in demand. You’ve got to lock her down.”
Apparently August isn’t too early to get into the holiday spirit as Disney’s just unveiled a new trailer for The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. The holiday film is inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s beloved story and is set to open in theaters on November 2, 2018.
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms was directed by Lasse Hallström (A Dog’s Purpose, The Hundred-Foot Journey) and Joe Johnston (Captain America: The First Avenger, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids) from a script by Ashleigh Powell, Tom McCarthy, and Simon Beaufoy. The cast is led by Mackenzie Foy (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Parts 1 and 2) as Clara and includes Keira Knightley (the Pirates of the Caribbean films) as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Morgan Freeman (Madam Secretary, Going in Style) as Drosselmeyer, Jayden Fowora-Knight (Ready Player One) as Phillip, and Helen Mirren (Woman in Gold, Eye in the Sky) as Mother Ginger.
Mark Gordon and Larry Franco produced, with Sara Smith and Lindy Goldstein executive producing.
The Plot: All Clara (Foy) wants is a key – a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a box that holds a priceless gift from her late mother. A golden thread, presented to her at godfather Drosselmeyer’s (Freeman) annual holiday party, leads her to the coveted key—which promptly disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world. It’s there that Clara encounters a soldier named Phillip (Fowora-Knight), a gang of mice and the regents who preside over three Realms: Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and Land of Sweets.
Clara and Phillip must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger (Mirren), to retrieve Clara’s key and hopefully return harmony to the unstable world. Starring Keira Knightley as the Sugar Plum Fairy and featuring a special performance by Misty Copeland.
Mackenzie Foy is Clara and Keira Knightley is the Sugar Plum Fairy in Disney’s ‘The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.’Helen Mirren is Mother Ginger in Disney’s ‘The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.’Poster for Disney’s ‘The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.’
The CW announced key Supergirl season four cast news at the 2018 San Diego Comic Con. The show’s stars, including Melissa Benoist, were part of this year’s panel at the Con, and they also took part in roundtable interviews in support of the upcoming season. During our interview, Benoist talked about the new members of the Supergirl cast and what fans of the series can expect from the new season.
Supergirl season four will premiere on October 14, 2018 at 8pm ET/PT.
Melissa Benoist Supergirl Interview:
What are the noticeable changes from season three to season four?
Melissa Benoist: “From the scripts that I’ve seen, the tone is very different in a really cool way. Last season was a lot of fire and brimstone and witchcraft and fantasy, which was great and an homage to Buffy the Vampire Slayer which I loved. And this season I think it’s going a little more topical and grounded in reality and the state of the world today. Kind of relating issues to what it would look like in National City.”
How is it jumping from filming a show to Broadway and back?
Melissa Benoist: “I’m having so much fun in New York. I just had a show last night and I’m kind of living out my childhood dream right now which is really fun.”
It’s really impressive how Supergirl touches on social issues without going overboard. Are you impressed by that and do you like how they’ve melded that into the stories?
Melissa Benoist: “Yeah, absolutely. I think our writers room handles things very deftly and with a lot of care because of the younger audience of the show. I think that doesn’t make it any less important that we touch on those issues. This season will be no different. I think they’re going to go even further with it.”
What opportunities are you presented with now that there’s different versions of Kara?
Melissa Benoist: “The doppelgänger that we saw at the end of season three is going to be a really cool experiment in nature versus nurture in the way that Red Son, the Superman comic, explored it showing how two people with the same abilities could be so different. What kind of heroes they would be, what their ideals and what their moral compass would be. I think that’s going to be really interesting to explore this season.
I haven’t shot anything in season four yet, but I’ve read a few of the scenes. It’s such a cool idea. The Red Son comic book is awesome so I’m excited to see what they do with it.”
Any plans for Kevin Smith to come back and direct?
Melissa Benoist: “Yeah, I think he’s slated to come back. All of us would be devastated if he didn’t. He’s kind of our favorite. We love all of our directors but Kevin’s so special.”
It’s like you’re working with a fan.
Melissa Benoist: “Yeah, absolutely. And we’re all fans of his.”
We heard about the new cast. What do you think about the new people who are joining your show?
Melissa Benoist: “I mean, I’m so excited about all of it. We’re really lucky on the show to have a really wonderful group of people. There’s not a bad egg in the bunch and we all love each other and get along. We’re so lucky that each new person is kind of exemplifying that. So, we’ve got Manchester Black (David Ajala) and Jesse Rath is joining us as Brainiac and he’s so funny. And Nia Nal (Nicole Maines) – I’m so excited about her. I’m so excited about what she’ll mean to people. I’m excited for these records she’s breaking and how important it’s going to be for young people to see that.”
AT&T Audience Network has released a new two-minute behind the scenes video from the upcoming season of Mr. Mercedes. The dramatic series is based on Stephen King’s Bill Hodges Trilogy (Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, End of Watch) and the new clip features two of the book and TV show’s lead characters, Detective Bill Hodges (Brendan Gleeson) and Brady Hartsfield (Harry Treadaway). The behind the scenes video also has writers and executive producers David E. Kelley, Jack Bender, and Dennis Lehane talking about what’s in store in this new season.
Season two is set to premiere on Wednesday, August 22, 2018 at 10pm ET/PT. The second season consists of 10 one-hour episodes.
In addition to Brendan Gleeson (Harry Potter) and Harry Treadaway (Penny Dreadful), the season one cast included Jharrel Jerome (Moonlight) as Jerome Robinson, Scott Lawrence (Avatar) as Detective Peter Dixon, Breeda Wool (Unreal) as Lou Linklatter, Justine Lupe (Francis Ha) as Holly Gibney, Nancy Travis (How I Met Your Mother) as Donna Hodges, and Holland Taylor (The Truman Show) as Ida Silver. They return for season two and are joined by new cast members Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire) as Brady Hartsfield’s physician, Dr. Felix Babineau; Tessa Ferrer (Grey’s Anatomy) as Dr. Babineau’s wife, Cora Babineau; and Maximiliano Hernandez (Sicario) as Assistant DA Antonio Montez.
The Mr. Mercedes Plot: Season 1 of Mr. Mercedes followed a demented killer Brady Hartsfield (Harry Treadaway) who taunts a retired police detective Bill Hodges (Brendan Gleeson) with a series of lurid letters and emails, forcing the ex-cop to undertake a private, and potentially felonious, crusade to bring the killer to justice before he is able to strike again.
The second season takes place a year after Brady Hartsfield’s thwarted attempt to perpetrate a second mass murder in the community of Bridgton, Ohio. Since the incident, Hartsfield has been hospitalized in a vegetative state. Retired Detective Bill Hodges has done his best to move on from his Brady obsession, teaming up with Holly Gibney to open Finders Keepers, a private investigative agency. But when unexplainable occurrences begin to affect hospital staff members attending to Brady, Hodges is haunted by the feeling that Brady is somehow responsible.
Harry Treadaway as Brady Hartsfield and Brendan Gleeson as Detective Bill Hodges in ‘Mr. Mercedes’ season 2.
Just days after season three of E! Entertainment’s Total Bellas wrapped up, the network’s given the reality series a fourth season order. Total Bellas starring WWE superstars Nikki Bella and Brie Bella will return for season four after posting the highest ratings to date with the show’s third season.
Season three of Total Bellas drew in almost 1 million viewers per episode which is a 22% increase over season two. The series is executive produced by Gil Goldschein, Russell Jay, Farnaz Farjam Chazan, and Kevin Dunn serving as executive producers. Series stars Nikki Bella and Brie Bella also executive produce Total Bellas.
“Nikki and Brie’s willingness to be open about their struggles and celebrate their triumphs with their fans is what makes Total Bellas such a hit with our audience,” stated Amy Introcaso-Davis, Executive Vice President, Development and Production, E! “The Bella Twins embody the strong, empowered women that we celebrate here at E!, and we are so excited to see what the future has in store for them next.”
“I’m so excited for another season of Total Bellas and hope our journey continues to inspire, motivate and connect with our Bella Army,” said Brie Bella.
Nikki Bella added, “I can’t wait for our fans to join me in the next step of my life. I promise that it will be a fun, real and heartfelt adventure.”
A Look Back at Season 3: Season three of Total Bellas saw Nikki make one of the most challenging decisions of her life in deciding to call off her high-profile wedding, Brie balancing being a new mom and a successful business woman with her sister, and Daniel Bryan’s sensational return to the WWE ring. The third season also gave viewers a glimpse into Nikki and Brie’s continued growth as entrepreneurs as they expand their businesses and launch new brands, from apparel to wine with Birdiebee and Belle Radici.
It’s official – Ruby Rose has signed on to star as Batwoman, joining The CW’s roster of costumed comic book-inspired superheroes. The character will first be introduced on a special DC Crossover Event airing in December 2018. Rose will also star in the Batwoman series which is currently in the development stage.
The network had been searching for an openly gay actress to take on the popular character in the new series. Batwoman has Caroline Dries (The Vampire Diaries, Melrose Place, Smallville) on board as a writer and executive producer. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Geoff Johns are also attached as executive producers. The series will come from Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.
Rose’s acting credits include Orange is the New Black, XXX: The Return of Xander Cage, Resident Evil: Final Chapter, John Wick: Chapter Two, and Pitch Perfect 3. She’ll soon be seen alongside Jason Statham and a massive CGI shark in the thriller The Meg opening in theaters on August 10, 2018.
In 2016, Ruby Rose won an Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Emmy Award as part of the Orange is the New Black cast. She’s also earned the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the 2016 GLAAD Media Awards which is given to “an LGBT media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equality and acceptance.”
The Batwoman Series Details: Armed with a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind, Kate Kane soars onto the streets of Gotham as Batwoman, an out lesbian and highly trained street fighter primed to snuff out the failing city’s criminal resurgence. But don’t call her a hero yet. In a city desperate for a savior, Kate must overcome her own demons before embracing the call to be Gotham’s symbol of hope. Based on the characters from DC.
