Rami Malek as rock icon Freddie Mercury in Twentieth Century Fox/New Regency film’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’
20th Century Fox has released new official photos from Bohemian Rhapsody starring Mr. Robot‘s Rami Malek. The film was among the batch of upcoming theatrical releases Fox was promoting at the 2018 CinemaCon in Las Vegas. Bryan Singer began production as the movie’s director but reportedly clashed with Malek on the set and eventually stopped showing up for work. Dexter Fletcher (Eddie the Eagle) took over and finished directing the project which delves into the world of Freddie Mercury and Queen, and apparently has the approval of Queen’s lead guitarist, Brian May.
“I’m thrilled with the way our Freddie film is shaping up. Much more than a documentary of someone’s life, it’s a piece of pure art, chiselled out of solid rock. It speaks of families and relationships and hopes and dreams, and heartache and disappointment, and ultimately of victory and fulfilment, in a way that everyone can connect to. It hasn’t been an easy journey – but all the most worthwhile journeys are like that! Rami and Lucy and the boys give monumental performances – more than worthy of the originals!!” – Brian May, per Fox.
In addition to Rami Malek, the cast includes Joseph Mazzello, Gwilym Lee, Aidan Gillen, Lucy Boynton, Ben Hardy, and Tom Hollander. Bohemian Rhapsody is set to open in theaters on November 2, 2018.
The film’s producer Graham King stated, “This film has been 8 years in the making but I truly believe that it’s been worth it, because I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished. The movie is a true celebration of Queen’s music and a tribute to one of the greatest frontmen of all time: Freddie Mercury. Breaking through stereotypes and expectations, Freddie dared to change everything – believing in himself and his music.
He and the band reached unparalleled success and Freddie became one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet, cementing a legacy that continues to this very day. Their music is played in sports arenas, countless films and commercials, and is heard reverberating around nearly every local bar and pub around the world. They inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers. And behind the music was a man who simply connected with people in a way only a handful of performers have ever done.
I’ve been lucky enough in my career to work with some of the greatest actors – Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, just to name a few. But the performance of Rami as Freddie rates up there with some of the best I’ve ever seen.”
About Bohemian Rhapsody, Courtesy of Fox: “Bohemian Rhapsody is the story of how Freddie Mercury and his fellow band members Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon formed Queen – one of the most iconic rock groups of all time. The film follows Queen as they produce hit after hit, topping the charts while constantly evolving their sound. Through disparate songs like ‘Killer Queen,’ ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ ‘We Are the Champions,’ ‘We Will Rock You’ and countless others, the band reaches unparalleled success and Freddie becomes one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet.
Behind that veil of success, however, Freddie struggles to reconcile his duality. Forever trying to determine where he fits in the world as a Parsi immigrant from Zanzibar coming to terms with a sexuality even he can’t define in a culture bound by stereotypes and expectations. Freddie dares to defy them all but also pays a price. Lured into excess and surrounded by darker influences, Freddie shuns Queen in pursuit of his solo career. What becomes an attempt to redefine himself as a solo artist, ends in disappointment and further isolation.
Having suffered greatly without the collaboration of Brian, Roger and John – his rock’n’roll family – Freddie comes to terms with the realization that the magic of Queen and their success lies in all of them working together, challenging one another. Freddie manages to reunite with his bandmates just in time for Live Aid – the biggest concert in history. But fate and past behaviors throw a devastating obstacle at him, one that forces him to confront then accept his own mortality. Pulling himself up from personal strife one more time to overcome the odds, the band puts on one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. Queen cements a legacy that continues to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day. On Freddie’s terms, not the rest of the world’s.”
Rami Malek (Freddie Mercury) and Gwilym Lee (Brian May) in Twentieth Century Fox’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (Photo Credit: Alex Bailey)Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Rami Malek and Joe Mazzello in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (Photo Credit: Alex Bailey, Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox)
Paramount Network’s just released a new trailer for the upcoming dramatic series, Yellowstone. The new two-minute trailer showcases Kevin Costner as a rancher who, it appears from the trailer, has more enemies than friends. “I don’t regret one sin I’ve committed. It’s the one I’m about to commit that worries me,” warns Costner’s character, John Dutton.
Yellowstone was created by Taylor Sheridan, Oscar nominated screenwriter of Hell or High Water. Sheridan wrote and directed the series’ first season which is set to premiere on June 20, 2018 at 9pm ET/PT. Season one will consist of 10 one-hour episodes.
In addition to Oscar winner Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves), the cast of season one includes Wes Bentley (American Horror Story), Kelly Reilly (True Detective), Luke Grimes (Fifty Shades Freed), Cole Hauser (The Lizzie Borden Chronicles), Kelsey Asbille (Splitting Up Together), Dave Annable (Red Band Society), Danny Huston (Magic City), Gil Birmingham (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Josh Lucas (The Mysteries of Laura), Jefferson White (The Alienist), Gretchen Mol (Mozart in the Jungle), Jill Hennessey (Shots Fired), Patrick St. Esprit (NCIS: Los Angeles), Ian Bohen (Teen Wolf), Heather Hemmens (If Loving You is Wrong), and Denim Richards. The drama was executive produced by John and Art Linson (Sons of Anarchy, Fight Club, Heat).
The Plot: Kevin Costner stars as John Dutton, a man who controls the largest contiguous ranch in the United States and is under constant attack by those it borders — land developers, an Indian reservation, and America’s first National Park. It is an intense study of a violent world far from media scrutiny — where land grabs make developers billions, and politicians are bought and sold by the world’s largest oil and lumber corporations. Where drinking water poisoned by fracking wells and unsolved murders are not news: they are a consequence of living in the new frontier. It is the best and worst of America seen through the eyes of a family that represents both.
Kevin Costner stars in ‘Yellowstone’ (Photo Credit: Kevin Lynch for Paramount Network)
The CW’s The Flash season four episode 19 welcomed back fan favorite character, Leonard Snart/Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller), as Team Flash continued to take on DeVoe. Snart not only assisted with the mission to keep Fallout from DeVoe, he also helped Barry give into the grieving process over the loss of Ralph Dibney.
Up next, season four episode 20 titled “Therefore She Is” airing on May 1, 2018. The episode is directed by Rob J. Greenlea from a script by Sterling Gates and Thomas Pound, with Jessica Camacho returning to guest star as Gypsy.
The “Therefore She Is” Plot: GYPSY RETURNS — Barry (Gustin) and Team Flash team up with Gypsy (guest star Jessica Camacho) to try to thwart Thinker’s plan. Meanwhile, Cisco (Valdes) and Gypsy have a heart to heart talk about their relationship.
Fox’s Lucifer season three episode 21 ended with Lucifer devastated as he watched Pierce propose to Chloe and heard his favorite detective say yes. Meanwhile, Amenadiel and Charlotte teamed up to try and find evidence Pierce is the Sinnerman in order to change Chloe’s feelings about the handsome lieutenant. With only a few new episodes left in season three, and with the show’s fate left hanging by Fox, hopefully the resolution of the Lucifer, Pierce/Cain, and Chloe romantic triangle won’t be this season’s big cliffhanger.
Up next, season three episode 22 titled “All Hands on Decker” airing on Monday, April 30, 2018 at 8pm ET/PT. The episode’s guest stars include Eric Nenninger as Frederick Hoffman, Billy Malone as Vincent Walker, and Victoria Platt as Dr. Valerie Haynes.
Season three stars Tom Ellis as Lucifer, Lauren German as Chloe, DB Woodside as Amenadiel, Lesley-Ann Brandt as Maze, Kevin Alejandro as Dan, Scarlett Estevez as Trixie, Rachael Harris as Linda Martin, Tricia Helfer as Charlotte, Aimee Garcia as Ella, and Tom Welling as Marcus Pierce/Cain.
The “All Hands on Decker” Plot: When Chloe takes some time off, Lucifer is forced to work with Dan on a murder case involving a dog show. Meanwhile, Charlotte and Maze have differing ideas for Chloe’s party and after a wild night, Chloe rethinks a life-changing decision in the all-new “All Hands on Decker” episode.
Tom Ellis and Kevin Alejandro in ‘Lucifer’ season 3 episode 22 (Photo Credit: Fox)Tricia Helfer as Charlotte and Lesley-Ann Brandt as Maze (Photo Credit: Fox)Lauren German, Tricia Helfer, Aimee Garcia and Rachael Harris in the “All Hands on Decker” episode of ‘Lucifer’ (Photo Credit: Fox)Kevin Alejandro and Tom Ellis in ‘Lucifer’ (Photo Credit: Fox)Lauren German, Tricia Helfer, Aimee Garcia, Rachael Harris and Lesley-Ann Brandt (Photo Credit: Fox)Tom Ellis as Lucifer Morningstar (Photo Credit: Fox)
“We’ve got one advantage, he’s coming to us. We have what Thanos wants, so that’s what we use,” says Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) to Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Peter Parker (Tom Holland), Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and a few other new allies as they get ready to try to take on the worst villain they’ve gone up against yet, Thanos (Josh Brolin), in the highly-anticipated superhero film, Avengers: Infinity War.
The Avengers were created to protect the world from threats the official authorities could not handle. This time it will not only take the Avengers but also a few new friends to work together to go up against the worst threat the world – and the universe – has ever faced. His name is Thanos, originally from Titan. Thanos is obsessed with keeping things in balance and he believes the universe needs to be put back into balance by wiping out half of it.
Gamora (Zoe Saldana) warns Quill and the other Guardians of the Galaxy that if Thanos gets hold of all six of the Infinity Stones (small artifacts of incredible power), he’ll be able to destroy the universe with the snap of his fingers. Tony Stark comes to the same realization when Dr. Strange and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) bring him up to speed about the Universe’s cosmic big baddy.
From all around the globe and even from space, the Avengers – old, new, and on the run – are joined by the Guardians of the Galaxy as well as T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and his army in Wakanda to battle Thanos and his loyal army. They must throw everything they’ve got into preventing Thanos from getting the Infinity Stones in order to save the earth and the universe from certain doom.
Epic, exhilarating, and at times humorous, Avengers: Infinity War is an extremely ambitious and enjoyable film. It gathers almost all the Marvel superheroes, as well as a few villains, into this one huge story that the Marvel franchise has been building up to for the last 10 years. The cast is pitch perfect and it helps that so many of the actors, including Robert Downey Jr., Scarlet Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, and Chris Evans, are reprising the characters they originated years ago when the franchise was just starting out. These performers have made the characters their own and make it impossible to imagine anyone else portraying these beloved heroes.
It’s Josh Brolin, however, who truly shines and dominates the film as the evil space lord Thanos bent on collecting the Infinity Stones. Even through all the CGI effects and make-up, Brolin brings to life on the screen a complex entity who believes his mission is pure, his quest is just, and death on a large scale is actually him showing mercy. Still, there’s a small amount of feeling and emotion in the character of Thanos, especially toward one of the characters, that Brolin brings alive subtly but believably.
The action scenes, which there are an abundance of, are fast-paced and impressive. Especially thrilling is the fight between Thanos and Team Iron Man, a team consisting of Iron Man, Spider-Man, Quill, Dr. Strange, and Drax (Dave Bautista). The special effects are excellent and the musical score by Alan Silvestri adds emotion and energy, truly enhancing the emotional impact of the scenes.
With stirring action, solid performances, witty one-liners, and a dark, ominous tone, Avengers: Infinity War is one of the best films in the Marvel series. It’s the Empire Strikes Back of the Marvel franchise. Don’t miss it.
GRADE: B+
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, language and some crude references
After taking a week off, Fox’s Gotham will return with a new episode on Thursday, May 3, 2018 at 8pm ET/PT. Season four episode 19 found the League of Shadows and Tabitha tricking Selina into convincing Bruce to help them bring back Ra’s al Ghul. Once he discovered how poorly Barbara’s handling her new power, Ra’s demanded she return it to him. Unfortunately, Barbara wasn’t willing to lose her new status.
Having mastered the Demon’s Head, Barbara watched as Ra’s carried out his threat to kill Tabitha. She then used her new skill to replay the moment and chose Tabitha’s life over keeping the Demon’s Head. Ra’s regained his power, however the female members of the League threw their allegiance behind Barbara because she chose to save Tabitha’s life over retaining her power.
Up next, season four episode 20 titled “A Dark Knight: That Old Corpse.” Episode 20 includes guest stars Cameron Monaghan as Jerome Valeska, Kelcy Griffin as Detective Harper, and Christian Alexander Rozakis as Jongleur.
Season four’s main cast features Ben McKenzie as Detective James Gordon, Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock, David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne, Morena Baccarin as Leslie Thompkins, Sean Pertwee as Alfred, Robin Lord Taylor as The Penguin, Erin Richards as Barbara Kean, Camren Bicondova as Selina Kyle/the future Catwoman, Cory Michael Smith as Edward Nygma/the Riddler, Jessica Lucas as Tabitha Galavan, Chris Chalk as Lucius Fox, Drew Powell as Butch Gilzean/Solomon Grundy, Alexander Siddig as Ra’s Ah Ghul, and Crystal Reed as Sofia Falcone.
The “That Old Corpse” Plot: Chaos erupts at the GCPD, sending Gordon on a wild goose chase for the culprit behind the mass takeover. Meanwhile, a friend of Bruce’s becomes paranoid, resulting in rash and destructive behavior in the all-new “A Dark Knight: That Old Corpse” episode.
Holly Taylor as Paige Jennings, Keri Russell as Elizabeth Jennings, and Margo Martindale as Claudia in ‘The Americans’ season 6 episode 5 (Photo by Eric Liebowitz/FX)
FX’s The Americans continues an incredibly intense final season with season six episode five airing on April 25, 2018. The episode begins with Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich) visiting a bakery and then the safe house where Sofia (Darya Ekamasova) is holed up now that she’s in protective custody. She’s worried about their next move which apparently will be to Oklahoma. Stan promises she’ll be safe and taken care of. They talk about Gennadi and she seems okay with the idea of him also moving to Oklahoma.
Claudia (Margo Martindale) shows Elizabeth (Keri Russell) photos which indicate a member of the Russian negotiating team, Fyodor Nesterenko, met in private with a CIA officer in the Soviet division. They try and figure out why this meeting took place, and Elizabeth admits she has a bad feeling about it. They need the next Breland tape now but unfortunately won’t get it until Kimmy returns from her vacation in Greece. They can’t wait that long because they need to know if their man is crooked before the Summit. Because of what happened during her Mexico meeting, it’s urgent Elizabeth find out what’s happening. Claudia and Elizabeth also confirm they need to locate the courier (Gennadi) who defected.
Paige (Holly Taylor) arrives and Claudia gives her a history lesson on World War II, from the Russian angle. She also reveals she lost most of her family during the war, including her parents.
Stan’s next stop is delivering a pizza to Gennadi (Yuri Kolokolnikov). They eat it while drinking beer and watching hockey. Gennadi’s in a fantastic mood.
Elizabeth’s driving with Paige when she admits to her daughter how frustrated she was when Paige was in 9th grade and the history books barely mentioned Russia’s involvement in WWII. Paige then reveals she learned some things from Brian the intern about his congressman’s defense department budget. Elizabeth tells her not to venture into that area of discussion with Brian if she really wants to date him. Elizabeth suggests she steer the conversation away when Brian brings up his work as an intern.
Stan finally leaves after many beers are consumed by Gennadi. There’s still an FBI agent stationed outside Gennadi’s place as Stan takes off for home.
Elizabeth arrives home and shares with Philip (Matthew Rhys) that they told Paige about Russia’s part in WWII. Elizabeth believes Paige really gets it. Elizabeth actually reaches out and caresses Philip’s face as they talk while he’s trying to balance the books. They kiss and for a while seem like their old selves. Elizabeth even laughs.
The next morning Philip finds Elizabeth outside, smoking, but she quickly stubs it out to come inside and enjoy a cup of coffee. She admits things aren’t going well at the Summit and that one of their negotiators is secretly meeting with a CIA agent. She needs Philip’s help and Philip appears stunned by this development. (Maybe he’s wondering if that’s why they had sex for the first time in months.)
Elizabeth needs Philip to go to Greece, meet up with Kimmy, and bring her to Bulgaria. There, they’d hold her for drug smuggling. They’ll use the fake arrest to blackmail Kimmy’s dad into telling them what they need to know. Elizabeth thinks this is the only option and everything she’s working on rests on this. “All you’d have to do is go on a trip,” says Elizabeth.
Philip doesn’t want to do this because Kimmy’s just a kid. Elizabeth thinks Kimmy will only be held for 24 hours before her dad agrees to their terms. After that, Philip would be completely free from ever being involved with Kimmy again.
That night, Paige has fun with her friends at a bar and then remains to talk to a cute guy named Vince after her friends take off to study. Paige listens to his stories about skydiving and then Vince’s friend, Tony, adds obnoxious comments and acts like a real jerk. Finally, Paige has had enough. She gets up to leave and Vince’s friend takes offense with her parting remark. He grabs Paige’s hand, calls her a b*tch, and stops her from leaving. She punches him, hard, and shockingly he punches her back. Paige goes into beast mode and kicks his butt in front of everyone in the bar. When Vince runs after her, Paige punches him right in the nose. (Go, Paige!)
Elizabeth sees Gennadi enter a store around the corner from the safe house. He’s walking back to the safe house when Elizabeth stops him, asking for a light. The FBI agent hustles up, stopping Elizabeth from carrying out her plan.
Philip apparently agreed to Elizabeth’s request for help and is in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with Kimmy. He lies and says he has a meeting in Rome and can meet her in Greece. Kimmy doesn’t want him to because she’ll be with her friends. She promises to see him when she gets home from vacation.
Julia Garner as Kimmy and Matthew Rhys as Philip in ‘The Americans’ season 6 episode 5 (Photo by Eric Liebowitz/FX)
Philip drives Kimmy home and as she’s about to step out of the car, he tells her he’s proud of her. He compliments her on growing into a smart, interesting woman. She smiles and says she’s happy to be his friend and hopes to see him over Christmas break. They kiss and Philip apologizes, asking if it was out of line. It wasn’t…and they kiss again which leads to sex in her bedroom.
Elizabeth’s back at her nursing assignment, and Erica (Miriam Shor) is in a horrible mood. She looks through Elizabeth’s drawings and is upset Elizabeth only has a few completed. Erica’s in a lot of pain but declines morphine.
Tatiana (Vera Cherny) meets up with Oleg Burov (Costa Ronin) after hearing he was in town. He confesses he thought about her all the time, and she understands why he left. They make small talk and then she admits it would help her a lot – and make things easier – if he just explained what he was doing back in America. She doesn’t believe he’s there to take classes. She promises not to hurt him if he tells the truth. She then admits she knows he told the Americans about her operation. He gets angry and yells at her, saying she almost got him killed. He swears he didn’t betray her. She still has the same job as she did for the last five years and she blames that on him.
Tatiana tells her boss to send a cable to Russia stating Oleg’s not in America for the GRU, he’s not there for them, and he’s not loyal.
Things are tense when Elizabeth returns home. Philip confirms he’s going to Greece to see Kimmy.
Paige arrives unexpectedly asking her mom if they can spar. She has a bad bruise over her eye and is obviously upset. Elizabeth and Paige spar and Philip watches from the sidelines. Finally, Elizabeth asks what’s going on and Paige reveals she was in a fight with two men. Paige explains how it happened and Elizabeth wants all the specifics – was the bar crowded, could a bouncer have stepped in, etc. Elizabeth gets Paige to admit she’s been to this bar before and they know her name. Elizabeth tells Paige she can never go back to that bar and can never draw attention to herself ever again.
Paige has had enough and tells her mom to back off, saying she’s not her boss and she’ll sleep with a guy she likes if she wants to. Paige leaves in a huff and Philip asks what Paige meant about sleeping with a guy if she wants to. Philip demands to know who Elizabeth told their daughter to sleep with, and Elizabeth corrects him and says she told Paige not to sleep with a boy.
Elizabeth finally reveals what’s happening with Paige and the intern. She also admits that Philip could be right; Paige might not be cut out for this.
Elizabeth heads back over to check on the safe house. She climbs up a fire escape and into Gennadi’s apartment. She didn’t realize Sofia and their son are also in the apartment, and quickly hides when Sofia enters the kitchen. Elizabeth’s forced to hide again just as she’s about to go out the window when Gennadi comes into the kitchen.
As he heads over to close the open window, Elizabeth attacks and stabs him in the throat. Sofia comes into the kitchen, sees Gennadi dead on the floor with Elizabeth, and tries to make a run for it. Elizabeth follows her into the hall and stabs her before slicing her throat. Elizabeth then spots the child watching TV and quietly backs up and leaves the way she came in.
Philip visits Paige at her apartment. Her roommate’s not home and he asks her how it felt to hit someone. She confesses she doesn’t think she’s the same as him, and that he’s not into what she and her mother do. She claims she’s into it, so Philip tells her to come at him. He wants her to show off what she learned. When she tells him they don’t have pads, Philip reminds her there aren’t pads in the real world.
Philip wants her to really hit him, assuring her he’ll be okay. He knocks away her jabs and then easily tosses her aside when she attacks again. For every one of her moves, he has a more effective counter move. He’s not even breathing heavy and she’s panting when he finally releases her and leaves the apartment. Lesson learned, the hard way.
The cops are all over the safe house when Stan arrives. Only the child survived.
Paige arrives at Claudia’s and her mom’s already there. They teach her to coat her stomach with a shot of olive oil before going out drinking so that she’ll be less drunk than whoever she’s drinking with. The threesome get drunk and talk about sex. Elizabeth remembers eating rats when she was starving and reveals she was much younger than Paige when she lost her virginity. Elizabeth tells a story about living in an apartment with no privacy and the boy was so scared he didn’t take her underwear off. He thought he was having sex but instead was “driving into the space between her and the couch.” They laugh about it and toast to the boy.
Stan pays a visit to Philip and asks for a beer. Stan admits he needs a drink because these two Russians he was working with just got killed. He says he was supposed to be protecting them and they were killed in front of their own seven-year-old boy. Stan says he’d just been watching a hockey game with the guy and now he’s dead.
Philip calls Kimmy and tells her he can’t meet her in Greece. He says she needs someone her own age, and even though he cares about her he can’t keep doing this – not even as friends. Kimmy’s upset but Philip assures her she’ll be okay. He claims he has to move on. He also warns her that if someone tries to get her to go to a communist country with them, she has to say no. She’s confused, but Philip reiterates, “Go to Greece, stay in Greece, and then come home. You hear me? Goodbye, Kimmy.”
Oscar nominee Hugh Jackman (Les Misérables), Zoe Saldana (the Guardians of the Galaxy films and the Star Trek franchise), and Zach Galifianakis (the Hangover film franchise) are confirmed for the next animated production from LAIKA. The upcoming fifth film from the award-winning production company is currently referred to as just “Film Five” and will be released by Annapurna Pictures.
LAIKA’s previous releases include Kubo and the Two Strings, The Boxtrolls, ParaNorman, and Coraline. 2009’s Coraline earned a Best Animated Feature Film Oscar nomination as well as Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, and BAFTA Awards nominations. 2012’s ParaNorman was also nominated for an Oscar and won the Spotlight Award from the National Board of Review. 2014’s The Boxtrolls continued LAIKA’s Oscar nomination streak and was also among the animated feature film nominees at the Golden Globes, BAFTA Awards, and Producers Guild of America Awards.
2016’s Kubo and the Two Strings featured the voices of Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey. The fourth film from LAIKA picked up Oscar nominations in the Best Animated Feature Film and Visual Effects Oscar categories.
Chris Butler (ParaNorman) is directing the untitled fifth film which has just begun production. No date has been set yet for the film’s theatrical release.
“Our next film represents an evolutionary shift for LAIKA,” stated LAIKA President and CEO Travis Knight. “It’s an exciting bridge to our future. Director Chris Butler and the wizards at LAIKA have crafted a moving work of art, layered with wit and imagination and soul. Plus it’s really, really funny. It’s a privilege to partner with Megan and her exceptional team at Annapurna to bring this beautiful original story to the world.”
“We’re excited for the opportunity to collaborate with Travis and the amazing team at LAIKA,” stated Megan Ellison, Founder and CEO of Annapurna Pictures. “We appreciate their trust and look forward to having some fun together.”
The studio didn’t issue an official synopsis for the fifth film. However, they did describe it as “bursting with humor, heart, and a profound message of acceptance and finding one’s place, the animation team at LAIKA is thrilled to be bringing this globetrotting comedy adventure to life.”
The CW’s sci-fi action drama The 100 returned on April 24, 2018 with season five episode one. The episode divided its time between Clarke’s time on Earth with only the company of her new young friend, Madi (Lola Flanery), and with the group up on the Ark. The development of Clarke’s relationship with Madi was explored as well as the new dynamics among the Ark passengers. It was revealed that Murphy’s on the outs with his group and he and Emori are no longer a couple. In a surprise turn of events, it was also revealed Bellamy has a new girlfriend: Echo. That development’s not going to go over well with Bellamy’s sister, Octavia, who Echo has already attempted to kill.
Up next, season five episode two titled “Red Queen.” Episode two is directed by P.J. Pesce from a script by Terri Hughes Burton and will air May 1, 2018.
The season five cast includes Eliza Taylor as Clarke Griffin, Paige Turco as Dr. Abigail Griffin, Bob Morley as Bellamy Blake, Marie Avgeropoulos as Octavia Blake, Lindsey Morgan as Raven Reyes, Christopher Larkin as Monty Green, Henry Ian Cusick as Marcus Kane, Richard Harmon as John Murphy, Luisa d’Oliveira as Emori, Chelsey Reist as Harper, and Tasya Teles as Echo.
The “Red Queen” Plot: GUIDANCE — Octavia (Avgeropoulos) is forced to take guidance from an unlikely ally when the future of the bunker and all those inside it is jeopardized.
The Season 5 Plot: Over the last four seasons The 100 have fought to survive against unimaginable odds, only to see the world end for a second time. Season five begins six years later, with our heroes still separated: Bellamy’s team in space, Clarke on the ground, and hundreds trapped in the bunker below. But when a massive prison ship descends upon the last survivable place on earth, The 100 must come together to reclaim their home.
As two armies converge on one valley, alliances will shift, friends will become foes, and the march to war threatens to destroy all that’s left of the human race. Can our heroes break the cycle, or is humanity doomed to repeat the past? In this epic battle for survival, one thing is certain: there are no good guys.
A24 and DirecTV just released the first trailer and poster for the dramatic film, Woman Walks Ahead. The Western is based on a true story and stars two-time Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty, The Help), Oscar winner Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), and Michael Greyeyes (The New World, Fear the Walking Dead).
Woman Walks Ahead will premiere on DirecTV on May 31, 2018 followed by a theatrical release on June 29, 2018.
The action drama was directed by Susanna White (Bleak House, Generation Kill, Jane Eyre TV mini-series) from a screenplay by Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, Taboo, Dirty Pretty Things). In addition to Chastain, Greyeyes and Rockwell, the cast includes Chaske Spencer (Sneaky Pete, the Twilight film series), Michael Nouri (American Crime Story, NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service), and Ciaran Hinds (Game of Thrones, The Terror).
Andrea Calderwood, Marshall Herskovitz, Erika Olde, Richard Solomon, and Edward Zwick served as producers, with Rory Aitken, Peter Hampden, Susan Kirr, Norman Merry, and Lisa Wolofsky executive producing. The behind the scenes team includes cinematographer Mike Eley, editor Lucia Zucchetti, production designer Geoffrey Kirkland, and costume designer Stephanie Collie.
The Plot: Based on true events, Woman Walks Ahead tells the story of Catherine Weldon (Jessica Chastain), a widowed artist from New York who, in the 1880s, traveled alone to North Dakota to paint a portrait of Chief Sitting Bull (Michael Greyeyes). Her arrival at Standing Rock is welcomed with open hostility by a US Army officer (Sam Rockwell), who has stationed troops around the Lakota reservation to undermine Native American claims to the land. As Catherine and Sitting Bull grow closer, and as their friendship—and his life—are threatened by imperious government forces, Catherine must contend with the violence that underlies her position.
Poster for the Western ‘Woman Walks Ahead’ (Photo Credit: A24, DirecTV)
