The two-minute teaser trailer for Warner Bros Pictures’ Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald begins with Professor Dumbledore (Jude Law) being questioned about Newt Scamander’s whereabouts. Smiling, Dumbledore replies, “If you’d ever had the pleasure to teach him, you’d know Newt is not a great follower of orders.”
The trailer also features the beloved professor warning Newt (Eddie Redmayne) that he must pick a side. “I can’t move against Grindelwald. It has to be you,” says Dumbledore.
“This November Who Will Stand Against the Darkness?”
Eddie Redmayne leads the cast that includes Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Jude Law, Johnny Depp, Zoë Kravitz, Callum Turner, Claudia Kim, William Nadylam, Kevin Guthrie, Carmen Ejogo, and Poppy Corby-Tuech. Harry Potter veteran David Yates directed Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald from a script by J.K. Rowling. David Heyman, J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves and Lionel Wigram served as producers on the much-anticipated 2018 journey into the world of wizards.
Warner Bros Pictures will release the second of five Fantastic Beasts films on November 16, 2018.
The Plot: At the end of the first film, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) was captured by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), with the help of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escaped custody and has set about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.
In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.
Jude Law and Eddie Redmayne star in ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’ (Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros Pictures)
Netflix’s upcoming new take on the classic science fiction series Lost in Space has just unveiled a new behind-the-scenes video featuring interviews with the cast. Toby Stephens (Black Sails), head of the family who becomes lost in space, says the series follows the characters as they react to this new alien world. “You’re crash-landing on this planet. You’re encountering alien species. You’re in Zero G,” says Stephens.
In Netflix’s latest video, the series’ youngest star, Max Jenkins, describes the show as a family adventure. “It includes space ships. It includes robots. It is action-packed,” says Jenkins.
“It’s 30 years in the future,” explains Molly Parker who plays Maureen Robinson. “It’s a family that has been going through some emotional stress and some disconnections.”
Netflix will premiere Lost in Space on April 13, 2018.
The Plot: Set 30 years in the future, colonization in space is now a reality, and the Robinson family is among those tested and selected to make a new life for themselves in a better world. But when the new colonists find themselves abruptly torn off course en route to their new home they must forge new alliances and work together to survive in a dangerous alien environment, light-years from their original destination.
Lost in Space stars Toby Stephens as John Robinson and Molly Parker as Maureen Robinson, the family’s parental leaders who are struggling with their estranged relationship in the midst of trying to keep their family safe. As the Robinson kids, Taylor Russell is the strong-willed and confident Judy, Mina Sundwell is the quick-witted and definitive middle-child Penny, and Max Jenkins is the curious and sensitive Will Robinson, the youngest and most vulnerable of the clan, who forms an unlikely and inexplicable bond with a sentient robotic alien being.
Stranded along with the Robinsons are two outsiders who find themselves thrown together by circumstance and a mutual knack for deception. The unsettlingly charismatic Dr. Smith played by Parker Posey is a master manipulator with an inscrutable end game. And the roguish, but inadvertently charming Don West, played by Ignacio Serricchio), is a highly-skilled, blue collar contractor, who had no intention of joining the colony, let alone crash landing on a lost planet.
Toby Stephens, Taylor Russell, and Mina Sundwall in ‘Lost in Space’ (Photo Courtesy of Netflix)
Part one of The CW’s iZombie season four’s “Brainless in Seattle” two-parter found Liv cooking up a romantic’s brains and then falling in love with “the one” multiple times. Season four episode three also included a fun montage of Ravi trying on different outfits and looks as he got ready to accompany Liv and Peyton to a club.
Season four episode four airing March 19, 2018 continues the storyline as Liv and Clive hunt for a killer. Season four episode four was directed by Michael Fields from a script by Heather V. Regnier.
The cast of season four includes Rose McIver as Olivia “Liv” Moore, Malcolm Goodwin as Clive Babineaux, Rahul Kohli as Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti, Robert Buckley as Major Lilywhite, David Anders as Blaine DeBeers, Aly Michalka as Peyton Charles, and Robert Knepper as Angus McDonough.
The “Brainless in Seattle, Part 2” Plot: LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING, PART 2 — Liv (Rose McIver) and Clive (Malcolm Goodwin) discover the murder they are investigating was the work of a serial killer. Meanwhile, Major (Robert Buckley) enters dangerous territory.
Tom Ellis and Aimee Garcia in ‘Lucifer’ season 3 episode 17 (Photo by Erik Voake / FOX)
Fox’s Lucifer writers rewarded Lucifans with a treat by creating an episode that once again allowed Tom Ellis to show off his singing voice. Season three episode 17 was set in the music world with Chloe (Lauren German) and her partner, who’s acting more bizarre than usual in this episode, attempting to keep a superstar singer safe.
The March 12, 2018 episode begins backstage at a packed concert with Axara (Skye Townsend) preparing to hit the stage wearing a mask. She’s surrounded by backup dancers and as the crowd gets into the number, an explosion occurs on stage. It turns out the diva isn’t dead; it was a dancer wearing Axara’s mask who bit the dust.
Over at Dr. Linda’s office, Lucifer tells his friend/therapist he’s done trying to help Cain and now he has time to buy the pet shark he’s always wanted. When she suggests he’s backing off because he’s worried about Chloe getting hurt, Lucifer fails to notice she’s actually referencing her dysfunctional relationships with Amenadiel and Maze. Lucifer thinks he understands her point and decides maybe he should stop poking the bear (his dad) for a while.
At the station, Marcus Pierce (Tom Welling) is strumming a guitar and singing “Dust in the Wind.” He sounds depressed and Ella (Aimee Garcia) arrives to cheer him up, wearing a Snow-Flakes T-shirt. She has a present – a compliment box – and inside are positive notes about him to cheer him up. When she pulls out the notes, they’re all compliments about his really nice arms.
After leaving his office, Ella commands Dan (Kevin Alejandro) cheer up Pierce. Dan knows Pierce isn’t a fan of his, but Ella gets him to agree to try anyway because she refuses to take no for an answer.
So, it turns out backup dancer Jill switched positions with Axara at the last minute, and they’d never switched positions before the attack. Ella determines a firework killed Jill and it was definitely meant for Axara. The backup dancers are concerned it’s too dangerous to continue the tour. While this discussion’s going on, Lucifer’s lost in his own world. He’s figured out that if he removes Chloe from his spotlight, then he can keep poking his dad without worrying about her getting hurt.
Next, Chloe and Lucifer talk to Axara’s bodyguard, Bob, who for some reason Lucifer calls Rob. Bob joins them to talk to Axara, and she informs them an ex-backup singer named Patrick might want to hurt her. She and her friend/assistant Cece (Jillian Rose Reed) reveal Patrick threatened her just last week.
Linda (Rachael Harris) arrives at Maze’s place with a gift for her former BFF. It’s a hatchet to bury the hatchet. She apologizes through the door, saying she broke up with Amenadiel because no man is worth losing their friendship. Maze (Lesley-Ann Brandt) doesn’t reply.
Chloe and Lucifer talk to Patrick in the interrogation room, and he’s accompanied by his lawyer. Chloe tells Patrick they know he had a backstage pass, but he claims he wasn’t fired. He hated working for Axara because she was a b*tch, and Lucifer does his mind trick and gets Patrick to admit he wanted to be a better version of Axara which couldn’t happen if Axara was dead. Patrick has a solid alibi since he was doing his own show at the time of the murder.
Chloe, Lucifer, and Ella look through Axara’s social media and Lucifer surprises Ella with a shirt that reads “World’s Greatest Forensic Scientist.” Ella loves it and Chloe just looks confused. Ella reveals there are a zillion suspects, but Chloe says the killer had to have an all-access pass. They discover the winner of a contest for a backstage pass the night of the murder was Benny Parker, an obsessed fan.
Lucifer and Chloe head over to question Benny, and Lucifer’s acting weird. Chloe thinks Lucifer’s realized the job is super dangerous and his fear of losing her is making him focus on other people. She’s fine with that if he needs to “reverse Oprah” her. Lucifer says he’s not afraid…he’s just spreading the love.
They try Benny’s door and discover he’s dead on the floor of his apartment.
Back at the station, Ella reads Benny’s suicide note. He claims to have lived for Axara and now he’s died for her. They believe it’s a murder-suicide since he had time to plant the firework that killed Jill.
Lucifer shows up at the station with a bunch of hats and T-shirts from Axara, plus an autographed photo for Ella. Axara’s thrilled they’ve solved the case and her show can go, and Lucifer even sings out like Axara while holding a bobblehead. Chloe informs him the case is definitely not closed yet.
Charlotte (Tricia Helfer) meets with Dr. Linda, but Linda’s sidetracked. Charlotte asks what’s on her mind and Linda admits she’s having a fight with a friend. Charlotte reminds her that mediating conflicts is her specialty. She’s super excited to help Linda, although part of the giddiness could be from the drinks at lunch.
Ella fills Chloe in on the news that Benny died before the firework exploded. His suicide was staged before the concert at the Bowl which means the killer is still out there. Lucifer’s continuing his celebration of everyone but Chloe, naming a temp Employee of the Month.
Dan and Marcus commiserate over beers at Lux. Dan tries to get Marcus to open up about what’s bothering him, admitting he’s in a much better place himself after opening up and talking about his problems. Marcus explains life is an eternal wasteland, a dark void, a beaten dog on the side of the road… Dan looks stunned and replies, “Maybe we all are just dust in the wind.”
Lauren German and Tom Ellis (Photo by Erik Voake / FOX)
Chloe and Lucifer visit Axara to inform her she can’t perform tomorrow night because the killer’s still out there. She’s getting acupuncture as they talk, and Lucifer declares, “I say we let Pinhead sing!” As they debate whether or not it’s too dangerous, bullets fly and Chloe covers Axara’s body to keep her safe.
The police hunt for the shooter while Lucifer comforts Axara. Chloe tells her there’s no show because she’s under 24-hour protection. Ella arrives with a gun and she’s going to head back to the station to check it out. Lucifer volunteers to stay with Axara, suggesting they keep her safe at his penthouse. Chloe agrees but tells him if she’s not safe then his duties are revoked. Lucifer laughs like a teenage boy at the word “duties.”
Axara practices with a dancer while bodyguard Bob watches over her in Lucifer’s penthouse. Lucifer arrives home with smoothie supplies and asks what he can do to help her. She wants to know if he can play the piano, and they sit down together on the piano bench to sing. She says his A Flat is out of tune and decides to take a break rather than sing off-key. Lucifer then volunteers to make her a smoothie without washing the vegetables and they get into a tussle over the blender, with both covered in smoothie as a result of their argument.
Chloe brings Axara’s manager to the station because it turns out the gun recovered at the shooting is his. He explains he has an insurance policy on Axara, but it doesn’t make sense that he would kill her. She’s worth more to him alive than dead. Despite his protests, Chloe places him under arrest.
Charlotte mediates a meeting between Linda and Maze. Maze is pissed Linda lied to her, and Linda wishes she could take it back and apologizes. She tells Maze she misses her. Charlotte wants to know if Maze has anything to apologize for, and she claims she doesn’t. Maze didn’t do anything, according to her, and Linda finally has had enough. She’s angry Maze called dibs on someone she didn’t even have feelings for. Maze counters with, “I’m a demon. What do you expect?” Maze refuses to admit she did anything wrong and thinks Linda forgot the hoes before bros rule. Linda reveals Amenadiel is the one man she cared about in a really long time and yet she gave him up because of their friendship. Maze responds, “Go to hell,” and Linda’s done with mediation.
After they change out of smoothie-covered clothing, Axara wants to have sex asserting it calms her down before a show. Lucifer doesn’t want to have sex and says he’s not in the mood. Axara doesn’t think he likes her and he admits he’s only helping her because he’s trying to take his mind off Chloe. Axara wonders why he’s trying to convince himself he doesn’t like Chloe, but Lucifer says it’s because of his father. He’s afraid his dad will come after who he cares about. Axara assumes his all-powerful dad works in politics and tells him no one would come between him and what he’s passionate about in life. He thanks her for the advice and makes them another drink. When he returns, she’s gone.
Ella delivers a toxicology report to Chloe, and it shows Benny was forced to eat vegetables along with the pills that killed him. He was fed kale and raw turmeric, and it sounds like the smoothie that Axara drinks. They decide the manager isn’t the killer.
Dan and Marcus continue to talk, and then he waves over Amenadiel. Dan had no idea Marcus and Amenadiel know each other, and Dan heads out to a food truck to give them time to talk. Amenadiel tells Marcus this ends now, he’s done letting him defy his father. Marcus agrees, saying he’s done trying to end his curse. Amenadiel is sort of happy since he passed his test, and Marcus wonders if that’s the case, why aren’t his wings back? Amenadiel thinks maybe it’s a multiple part test, and Marcus is amazed he can have faith and hope when he’s on a loop of endless suffering.
As they talk, Axara begins singing at the piano. Dan reminds Lucifer Axara’s supposed to be in lockdown, and Lucifer rushes to retrieve her. Axara doesn’t listen to Lucifer and drags him into a duet on “I Will Survive.” They wind up grabbing the mic from one another, trying to upstage each other. Someone hands Lucifer his own mic and they continue singing. (We have had entirely too little of Tom Ellis singing this season!)
Song over, Axara says no one will scare her from the spotlight. Axara’s friend Cece approaches with a knife, angry that Lucifer was supposed to keep Axara safe and instead she’s put herself back in the spotlight.
Cece can’t believe Axara won’t stop performing even after people have died. She’s upset Axara keeps adding more shows, and Cece’s tired of sharing her with the public. She reminds Axara they used to perform to Beyoncé when they were younger, just the two of them. Cece confesses she loves her, and Axara can’t believe Cece would try and trick her like this.
Chloe arrives, demanding Cece drop the knife. When Cece turns to attack Chloe, Lucifer smashes her to the floor. Lucifer has a knife in his shoulder, but he’s not even aware of the wound because he’s worried about Chloe. She tries to control the bleeding and Lucifer holds her hand against his chest.
Amenadiel and Marcus watch this and Amenadiel tells Marcus this is why he’s got to have faith. “If my brother, the Devil, can have that…” Marcus finishes his sentence, “Maybe I can too.”
Back at the station, Marcus is in a much better mood. He congratulates Chloe on solving the case. Chloe has VIP tickets to Axara’s concert as a thank you gift and Marcus invites himself to be her +1. Chloe agrees.
Lucifer arrives, all bandaged up and back to his normal self. He’s decided he can’t control the world around Chloe and then he notices she has tickets to Axara’s show. He wants to know when he’s supposed to pick her up, and she breaks the news Pierce is going with her. Lucifer, disappointed, walks away saying he’s heard Axara’s amazing live.
Lucifer watches Pierce flirt with Chloe at her desk before they walk out of the station together. He looks incredibly sad.
Maze unwraps Linda’s hatchet and breaks it in half.
Lucifer visits Dr. Linda and he’s devastated. ”I think I made a horrible mistake,” he confesses.
Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in a scene from ‘Casablanca’ (Photo Credit: Warner Bros.)
Does everybody come to Rick’s? Apparently so, in this classic Warner Bros World War II story of love, romance, desperation, gallantry, and double-crossing! Now celebrating its 75th anniversary, Casablanca has taken its place as one of the all-time greatest films ever made.
Based on the play Everybody Comes to Rick’s, a 1940 play written by playwright Murray Burnett and his co-writer Joan Alison, Warners assigned the screenwriting twin brothers Julius and Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch, to pen the shooting script. Also brought in to contribute to the screenplay was Casey Robinson. He would not take screen credit for his writing because he vowed never to acknowledge anything he didn’t write as sole screenwriter. This cost him an Oscar® when the statues were handed out.
Robinson was famous for writing a string of Bette Davis hits (Dark Victory, Now, Voyager, All This, and Heaven Too, The Old Maid, The Corn is Green), another Bogart hit (Passage to Marseilles), an Errol Flynn swashbuckler (Captain Blood), and a Ronald Reagan tearjerker (King’s Row), all at Warner Bros. He later left the studio for MGM and then 20th Century Fox.
The handsome Utah native (1903-1979) was married to premiere ballet dancer Tamara Toumanova. Ms. Toumanova made a name for herself in films by starring in several musicals (Invitation to the Dance with Gene Kelly at MGM, Tonight We Sing, Deep in My Heart, Torn Curtain, Billy Wilder’s The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes). Toumanova made her screen debut as Gregory Peck’s beautiful leading lady in Days of Glory in 1944. She was married to Casey Robinson from 1944 to 1955.
Humphrey Bogart was one of Warner Bros. biggest stars after appearing in several hits for the studio, such as The Petrified Forest (1936), Dark Victory (1939) with the bug-eyed Bette Davis, and The Maltese Falcon (1941). He was the only person who was right to play Rick. Jack Warner had originally had in mind future President Ronald Reagan to play Rick and Ann Sheridan to play the Ingrid Bergman part of Ilsa. Bad casting, one could say? Fortunately for the world, that casting fell by the wayside, and movie fans got the stars they wanted and loved.
On screen, Bogart and Bergman were equally matched. But as is always the case in Hollywood, nothing is what it seems. At only 5’-8” tall, Bogart was no match vertically with the gargantuan Bergman. The studio carpenters built elevated wooden blocks that could be attached to Bogart’s shoes to make him seem taller than Ms. Bergman in their clinches together! Sometimes they had to dig trenches for Bergman to walk in while Bogie towered over her above the trench. These scenes were shot from the waist up, of course, so that the Frankenstein soles on Bogie’s shoes did not show. A little lift never hurts.
Director Michael Curtiz, born in Hungary, cast the many parts of the film with refugees who fled Europe and the Nazis. A casual observation of the film’s actors will prove this. One part he did not cast with a refugee was the part Joy Page played (Annina Brandel, the young bride who may have to sleep with the corrupt Capt. Renault – Claude Rains – to get exit papers for her and her husband, played by Helmut Dantine.)
Ms. Page was the daughter of Ann Boyar who married studio mogul Jack Warner after she divorced her first husband, Joy’s father. Thus, Page was the stepdaughter of the infamous Jack L. Warner, the man who also signed her paycheck. Warner proved there was no nepotism involving his stepdaughter because he refused to sign her to a long-term contract or cast her in any further Warner Bros. films. She got back at her meanie stepdad by marrying William T. Orr, the man who ran Warner Bros television projects! Page died at 83 in 2008.
For me, the greatest actor in the film is Claude Rains who has the very best lines as the scoundrel Captain Renault. He holds the key to getting from Casablanca to Lisbon and subsequent freedom for those who are desperate to get the necessary papers for passage. Rains, born in Clapham, London, November 10, 1889 was a natural to appear on the stage because his father was an actor.
Rains made his debut at age 11. Rains was in New York in 1927 doing plays on Broadway when he was signed to a Universal Pictures contract for his first picture, The Invisible Man, in which he was a sensation using only his voice. By 1936 he moved across the San Fernando Valley to the Warner Bros. studio where he played a variety of roles, always stealing the picture from the star. One star he did not steal away scenes from was the formidable Queen of the Warner Bros. lot, fireball Bette Davis. They made four hit pictures together, Juarez (1939), Now, Voyager (1942), Mr. Skeffington (1944), and Deception (1946). But Rains is best remembered for his larcenous police Captain who is “Shocked! Shocked, to find gambling here!’ in Rick’s Casino as he picks up his winnings.
And yes, there are stellar performances by nearly every actor in the film. Paul Henreid was the third star of the film, playing Ilsa’s elegant freedom-fighting husband. Who can forget the slimy Ugarte, played by Peter Lorre (Fritz Lang’s 1931 horror film, M) who fled the real Nazis to become a star in the United States. The loveable S.Z. Sakall played Carl the waiter. He, too, had fled Europe only to become one of the most memorable and cuddly stars in many movies.
The despicable Major Strasser was played by former German film star Conrad Veidt. Ironically, he fled the Nazis only to end up playing Nazis in most of his American movies. And Sam, yes Sam, how can we not give him a special place in the annals of memorable characters? Without Dooley Wilson as Sam playing and singing the classic song “As Time Goes By” on the piano, Casablanca probably would not have become the classic it has been for 75 years.
Genre: Romance/ World War II Drama/ Adventure
Studio: Warner Bros.
Producers: Jack L. Warner, Hal B. Wallis
MPAA Rating: PG for mild violence
Our Rating: A
Running Time: 104 minutes
Format: Black and White
Budget: $950,000
Filming Dates: May 25, 1942 thru August 3, 1942
Crew:
Art Direction: Carl Jules Weyl
Assistant Director: Lee Katz
Cinematography: Arthur Edeson
Costumes: Orry-Kelly
Editing: Owen Marks
Makeup: Perc Westmore
Music: Max Steiner
Production Management: Al Alleborn
Set Decoration: George James Hopkins
Set Designer: Harper Goff
Sound: Francis J. Scheid, Edward Ullman (recordist)
Writing Credits: Julius & Philip G. Epstein (twins), Howard Koch, screenplay; Casey Robinson, uncredited screenplay; Murray Burnett, Joan Alison, original play
Director: Michael Curtiz
Cast:
Humphrey Bogart: Rick Blaine
Ingrid Bergman: Ilsa Lund
Paul Henreid: Victor Laszlo
Claude Rains: Captain Louis Renault
Conrad Veidt: Major Heinrich Strasser
Sydney Greenstreet: Signor Ferrari
Peter Lorre: Ugarte
S.Z. Sakall: Carl
Madeleine Lebeau: Yvonne
Dooley Wilson: Sam
Joy Page: Annina Brandel
Helmut Dantine: Jean Brandel
John Qualen: Berger
Leonid Kinsky: Sascha
Curt Bois: Pickpocket
Norma Varden: Wife of Pickpocketed Englishman
Marcel Dalio: Croupier
Dan Seymour: Abdul
Monte Blue: An American
Trude Berliner: Baccarat player
Chris Hardwick hosts ‘The Wall’ (Photo by: Chris Haston/NBC)
NBC’s popular game show The Wall has been renewed for 20 additional episodes. The series is executive produced by LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Andrew Glassman, and Chris Hardwick, with Hardwick hosting. Over the show’s 2017-2018 season, an average of 6 million viewers tuned in to check out the life-changing game show. The Wall‘s February 5th episode scored the season’s highest rating, pulling in 7.2 million viewers.
“Not only is The Wall intense, heartwarming and funny, but if the ball drops into a high-dollar slot, an entire family’s fortune can be completely changed for the better,” stated Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative & Reality Group, NBC Entertainment. “Huge congratulations to Universal Television Alternative Studio, Glassman Media and SpringHill Entertainment for producing a series that is not only compelling television but has the potential to be life-changing for our contestants.”
“We’re proud to see people connecting with The Wall both at home and around the world in a way you don’t usually see with game shows,” said Maverick Carter, executive producer and CEO of SpringHill Entertainment. “We created the format with the idea that families would all come together and root for these incredible stories, so to see that actually happening on a global scale is exciting and something we hope continues to grow.”
“This is the result of a dedicated team of people making The Wall their collective passion project from the very start,” added executive producer Andrew Glassman. “I’m thrilled to be continuing on and grateful to Paul, Meredith and NBC for helping us bring this game, and the positive stories it tells, to life.”
The Wall Details:The Wall offers a pair of teammates a chance at life-altering cash prizes. The rules are simple: Get a question correct and a green ball will fall down the wall and add the value of the slot to the players’ winning total. Miss a question and an ominous red ball will fall and deduct the value from the teams’ total. Teammates have to work together to build a huge cash prize.
The Wall has produced many heartwarming stories. In the Feb. 18 telecast, the father-daughter duo of Kirk and Brooke Spangler from Belfast, N.Y., won more than $1.4 million, which is the most amount of money a pair has ever won on the series. The Wall also celebrates local heroes. A recent episode featured a Purple Heart veteran as well as a New Jersey transit cop who saved a man on railroad tracks before he would’ve been hit by an oncoming train.
Netflix just unveiled the full trailer for the new comedy series, Alexa & Katie. The series follows best friends Alexa and Katie who are willing to do whatever it takes to support and uplift each other, no matter what life throws at them.
The comedy series was created by Heather Wordham (Hannah Montana, Reba) and stars Paris Berelc (Mighty Med, Lab Rats: Elite Force) as Alexa Mendoza and Isabel May as Katie Cooper. The cast also includes Tiffani Thiessen (White Collar, Saved By The Bell) as Lori Mendoza, Emery Kelly (Lab Rats, Best Friends Whenever) as Lucas Mendoza, Eddie Shin (The Man in the High Castle) as Dave Mendoza, Jolie Jenkins (Liv and Maddie) as Jennifer Cooper, and Finn Carr (Peanuts) as Jack Cooper.
Malcolm in the Middle‘s Matthew Carlson serves as the season one showrunner. Netflix has set a March 23, 2018 premiere date, with the first season set to consist of 13 episodes.
The Alexa & Katie Plot:Alexa & Katie is a funny and heartwarming show about two best friends eagerly anticipating the start of their freshman year of high school. Despite the fact that Alexa (Paris Berelc) is undergoing cancer treatment, her outgoing personality and enthusiasm for life never falter, especially with her loyal and awkwardly adorable best friend Katie (Isabel May) by her side. At times they’re left feeling like outsiders, during a period when what seems to matter most is fitting in. Tiffani Thiessen also stars as Lori, Alexa’s determined and protective mother.
The show’s star is Alexa and Katie’s friendship; whether it be at school, at home, or in the hospital, they are by each other’s side through thick and thin, serving as role models for modern-day female friendships.
A scene from ‘Alexa & Katie.’ (Photo Credit: Netflix)Poster for ‘Alexa and Katie.’ (Photo Credit: Netflix)
Annapurna Pictures has released the full trailer for the comedy film, Sorry to Bother You. The trailer teases a world in which a guy who’s struggling to earn money snags a job as a telemarketer. After getting some sage advice from Danny Glover, he turns his fortune around and is given entry to an exclusive club of high-earning telemarketers.
The cast is led by Lakeith Stanfield and includes Tessa Thompson (Thor: Ragnarok), Armie Hammer (Call Me By Your Name), Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead), Omari Hardwick (Power), Jermaine Fowler (Superior Donuts), and Danny Glover (Almost Christmas). Patton Oswalt, David Cross, and Tom Woodruff Jr are also part of the large ensemble cast.
First-time feature film director Boots Riley helmed the comedy. Rapper/producer Riley also wrote the screenplay. Sorry to Bother You had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and is currently sitting at an impressive 85% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Vulture’s Emily Yoshida describes the film as a “house party of a movie, some rooms more lively than others, some you wish you could spend more time in, some downright unforgettable in the best way.” New York Post’s Sara Stewart thinks not everything about Sorry to Bother You works, however she calls writer/director Boots Riley “one to watch.” And Film Journal International’s Tomris Laffly describes the film as a “relentlessly entertaining sociopolitical satire.”
Nina Yang Bongiovi, Forest Whitaker, Charles D. King, and George Rush produced the comedy. Annapurna Pictures is targeting a July 6, 2018 theatrical release date.
The Sorry to Bother You Plot: In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a macabre universe.
Lakeith Stanfield as Cassius Green and Armie Hammer as Steve Lift star in director Boots Riley’s comedy film, ‘Sorry to Bother You’ (Photo Credit: Annapurna Pictures)
Anna Paquin will star in ‘Flack’ (Photo Courtesy of Pop TV)
Oscar winner Anna Paquin is following up her starring role in WGN’s dramatic thriller Bellevue with a lead role in Pop TV’s Flack. The original series is described as a dramedy and was created by executive producer Oliver Lansley (Alice’s Adventures Underground). Paquin will also serve as an executive producer along with her husband, Stephen Moyer. Jimmy Mulville (Episodes), Helen Williams, Cerise Hallam Larkin, and Mark Larkin are also on board as executive producers.
Flack will consist of six hour-long episodes. The Full Monty‘s Peter Cattaneo is attached to direct, and filming is expected to begin later this month in London.
“Oliver Lansley has written six of the best scripts I’ve ever read,” stated Paquin, commenting on Flack. “He walks that fine line between intense character-driven drama and exceptionally intelligent humor. My character, Robyn, exists in a world where there are no moral absolutes and humor is used as a sharply executed defense mechanism to maintain the illusion of perpetual control. I am incredibly excited about tackling the creative complexities of Flack as an actress and for my company CASM’s collaboration with Pop.”
“Flack is extremely poignant, smartly exploring an age in which for better or worse, news happens in a breath,” said Justin Rosenblatt, EVP of Original Programming, Pop. “This series captures the often funny and sometimes damaging results that ensue, with Anna Paquin as the dream lead who brings it all to life.”
The Flack Plot: The world of high-stakes, celebrity-driven public relations is the subject of the original television dramedy. Flack is equal parts hilarity and heart, reflecting the brutal reality and complexities of modern life where problems can go viral in an instant. With PR serving as the perfect backdrop, Flack centers on an American PR executive living in London (Anna Paquin) who must figure out how to make the best of bad situations and somehow manage to get out unscathed.
Paquin stars as the sharp and witty publicity maven, Robyn, who’s an expert at her craft but a complete self-saboteur when it comes to her personal life. Robyn’s work as a crisis PR strategist is fast-paced and unpredictable, as she counsels high-profile personalities in entertainment, fashion and sports.
Paul Simon has confirmed the dates for the final leg of his Homeward Bound – The Farewell Tour which kicks off in Vancouver on May 16, 2018. The new dates include stops in New Orleans, Tampa, and Atlanta. Simon will finish up his final tour by performing four shows in places near and dear to his heart. The last leg of the tour will wind down with two concerts at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey followed by two performances at Madison Square Garden. Simon’s last concert will take place in New York City on September 22nd.
“I’ve often wondered what it would feel like to reach the point where I’d consider bringing my performing career to a natural end. Now I know: it feels a little unsettling, a touch exhilarating and something of a relief,” stated Paul Simon. “I love making music, my voice is still strong, and my band is a tight, extraordinary group of gifted musicians. I think about music constantly. I am very grateful for a fulfilling career and, of course, most of all to the audiences who heard something in my music that touched their hearts.”
Tickets will go on sale for the final leg of the Homeward Bound – The Farewell Tour on Friday, March 16 at 9am ET. For more details on purchasing tickets, visit PaulSimon.com.
Simon has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. He’s had 29 Top 40 singles over his lengthy career and in 2006 he made Time Magazine’s “100 People Who Shape Our World” list.
Paul Simon’s Homeward Bound Farewell Tour Dates
May 16 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
May 18 Seattle, WA Key Arena
May 19 Portland, OR MODA Center
May 22 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
May 23 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
May 25 Oakland, CA Oracle Arena
May 27 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena
May 28 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
May 30 Denver, CO Fiddler’s Green
June 1 Dallas, TX American Airlines Arena
June 2 Houston, TX Toyota Center
June 4 Austin, TX Frank Erwin Center
June 6 Chicago, IL United Center
June 8 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
June 10 Detroit, MI DTE Energy Center
June 12 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
June 13 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
June 15 Boston, MA TD Garden
June 16 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
June 19 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
June 20 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
June 30 Stockholm, SWEDEN Ericsson Globe
July 1 Oslo, NORWAY Spektrum
July 3 Copenhagen, DENMARK Royal Arena
July 5 Antwerp, BELGIUM Sportpaleis
July 7 Amsterdam, HOLLAND Ziggo Dome
July 8 Amsterdam, HOLLAND Ziggo Dome
July 10 Manchester, UK Manchester Arena
July 11 Glasgow, UK SSE Hydro
July 13 Dublin, IRELAND RDS Arena
July 15 London, UK Hyde Park, BST Festival
New Dates:
September 5 New Orleans, LA Smoothie King Center
September 7 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena
September 8 Ft. Lauderdale, FL BB&T Center
September 11 Orlando, FL Amway Center
September 12 Atlanta, GA Cellairis Amphitheatre
September 14 Washington, DC Capital One Arena
September 15 Newark, NJ Prudential Center
September 17 Pittsburgh PPG Paints Arena
September 20 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
September 21 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
September 22 New York, NY TBA
Paul Simon (Photo by Jessica Gilbert, Image Courtesy of Legacy Recordings)
