The entertainment website IMDB has announced its annual list of the top stars of the year, as well as the top 10 actors whose profiles increased throughout 2017. The lists are based on the activity of IMDB’s visitors, with the Top 10 Stars list topped by Wonder Woman‘s Gal Gadot reflecting the most visited celebrity profiles of the year. IMDB’s Top 10 Breakout Stars represents actors who made the Top 100 list for the very first time in 2017.
According to IMDB, 2017 marks the first year five of the Top 10 Breakout Stars also made the list of Top 10 Stars.
“It is no surprise that Gal Gadot is IMDb’s Top Star of 2017,” stated Keith Simanton, IMDb’s Senior Film Editor. “She is the embodiment of a superhero in Wonder Woman and Justice League, and has transformed from an actor of interest (she charted at No. 6 on IMDb’s Top 10 Stars of 2016 list) into her leading role as IMDb’s most viewed actress of the year. Gadot’s year-end chart performance is similar to the STARmeter trajectory of Jennifer Lawrence. Lawrence topped the IMDb Breakout Stars list in 2011 after appearing in X-Men: First Class and then skyrocketed to worldwide popularity as Katniss Everdeen in the The Hunger Games franchise, ranking No. 2 on the IMDb Top Stars of 2012 list, No. 1 in 2013, and No. 2 again in 2014. We expect Gadot to remain a top contender in our future year-end lists for some time to come.”
“Bill Skarsgård became a household name in 2017, terrifying audiences as Pennywise the clown in the blockbuster It, as well as appearing in Atomic Blonde,” Simanton said. “Skarsgård is doing double duty this year, ranking No. 1 on our year-end list of Breakout Stars and No. 5 on our Top 10 Stars list, indicating that his take on the iconic Stephen King character enthralled fans all over the world who turned to IMDb to learn more about the actor underneath the creepy clown makeup. The popularity of It also thrust newcomer Sophia Lillis into the No. 7 position on our Breakout Stars of the year list.”
IMDB’s 2017 Top 10 Stars:
Gal Gadot Tom Hardy Emilia Clarke
Alexandra Daddario
Bill Skarsgård
Pom Klementieff
Ana de Armas Dan Stevens
Sofia Boutella
Katherine Langford
IMDb’s Top 10 Breakout Stars of 2017
Bill Skarsgård (also ranks No. 5 on the 2017 Top Stars list)
Pom Klementieff (also ranks No. 6 on the 2017 Top Stars list)
Ana de Armas (also ranks No. 7 on the 2017 Top Stars list)
Dan Stevens (also ranks No. 8 on the 2017 Top Stars list)
Katherine Langford (also ranks No. 10 on the 2017 Top Stars list)
Dylan Minnette
Sophia Lillis
Jessica Henwick
Alison Brie
Zendaya
Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water is a spellbinding love story for the ages. A soulful fairy tale interspecies romance, The Shape of Water will be the film that defines del Toro’s work. It’s gorgeous and weird, heart-wrenching and utterly unforgettable. Who knew a twisted love story between a cleaning woman and an amphibious creature set during the Cold War would be one of 2017’s most stirring films?
Sally Hawkins is simply brilliant as Elisa, a mute young woman with a troubled past who works as part of the janitorial staff at a secret government facility. She lives a simple life in her apartment above an old-time movie theater, spending her free time with her gay artist neighbor, Giles (Richard Jenkins), and showing up always a minute or two late for work.
Elisa’s inability to speak is in sharp contrast to the talkative Giles and to her best friend at work, Zelda (Octavia Spencer). Zelda keeps up a running dialogue about her lazy husband, yet she’s sensitive to Elisa’s moods and always watches out for co-worker/friend.
Elisa’s daily routine is broken up by the top-secret arrival of an amphibious humanoid that government agent Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon) found in the Amazon. The unique creature’s ability to breathe in and out of the water makes him hugely valuable to the U.S. space program. Those qualities also make him the target of Russian spy Dr. Robert Hoffstetler (Michael Stuhlbarg) who’s infiltrated the secret facility.
Elisa is completely taken at first sight with this exquisite creature (played by Doug Jones) who is, like her, different from the accepted norm. Richard uses cattle prods and torture to communicate with the creature, yet it’s Elisa’s gentleness and offers of hardboiled eggs that break through to the aquatic being.
The merman and Elisa form an immediate bond and when it becomes apparent this intelligent, otherworldly being is going to be experimented on or killed, Elisa seeks the help of an unlikely ally to break him out of the facility.
As their relationship grows, Elisa and the merman gain strength from each other’s presence. This forbidden love transforms both the mute young woman and her secret house guest, ultimately pushing them into a showdown against government forces that fail to understand the potential of this amazing creature.
Sally Hawkins delivers a stunning performance as the silent Elisa, communicating via her expressive eyes and sign language. Hawkins doesn’t need to speak to make the audience understand every ounce of emotion she’s feeling. It’s a lovely, nuanced performance that takes Elisa from someone who loves her orderly life to a more free-spirited, determined woman willing to sacrifice herself for the creature she believes is her soulmate.
Michael Shannon sinks his teeth into his role of a single-minded, cruel government agent bent on destroying the unique life form because it’s a threat to his view of the world. Unlike Shannon’s character’s black and white worldview, Michael Stuhlbarg’s Dr. Robert Hoffstetler can grasp the necessity for grey areas. Describing him as a spy with a heart sounds cliché, but its appropriate in this case as he’s humane where Strickland’s gleefully sadistic.
Richard Jenkins is sublime as Elisa’s neighbor and confidant, an artist who refuses to acknowledge time is marching forward and has left him behind. Octavia Spencer, who deserves more screen time, delivers another outstanding performance as Elisa’s sounding board and loyal friend.
Guillermo del Toro’s films are always visually stunning, but The Shape of Water is in a class by itself. The ocean heavily influences del Toro’s color palette, with greens and blues flooding each frame lest the viewer forget the importance of water to the film’s striking leading sea creature/man.
The set design and lighting assist in creating this magical, watery world in which it’s possible to believe fairy tales can have happy endings and love can conquer all. The Shape of Water defies convention and never settles for the ordinary path in telling an extraordinary romantic tale.
GRADE: A
MPAA Rating: R for sexual content, graphic nudity, violence and language
Universal Pictures has released the first full trailer for the epic action film, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. The two-minute trailer seems to give a lot of the plot away, showing Chris Pratt reprising his role as Owen and returning to Isla Nublar. Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire talks him into it, and once he’s on the island Owen reaches out (literally) to Blue, one of his Velociraptors. The trailer also shows Owen and Claire running for their lives as a volcano erupts and dinosaurs flee alongside them.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was directed by J.A. Bayona (The Impossible) from a script by Jurassic World‘s director Colin Trevorrow and co-writer Derek Connolly. Frank Marshall, Pat Crowley, and Belén Atienza produced the action-adventure film, with Steven Spielberg and Colin Trevorrow executive producing.
In addition to Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, the cast of the Jurassic World sequel includes James Cromwell, Ted Levine, Justice Smith, Geraldine Chaplin, Daniella Pineda, Toby Jones, Rafe Spall, Isabella Sermon, BD Wong, and Jeff Goldblum. Universal’s set a June 22, 2018 theatrical release date.
The Plot: It’s been four years since theme park and luxury resort Jurassic World was destroyed by dinosaurs out of containment. Isla Nublar now sits abandoned by humans while the surviving dinosaurs fend for themselves in the jungles. When the island’s dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen (Pratt) and Claire (Howard) mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event. Owen is driven to find Blue, his lead raptor who’s still missing in the wild, and Claire has grown a respect for these creatures she now makes her mission.
Arriving on the unstable island as lava begins raining down, their expedition uncovers a conspiracy that could return our entire planet to a perilous order not seen since prehistoric times. With all of the wonder, adventure and thrills synonymous with one of the most popular and successful series in cinema history, this all-new motion-picture event sees the return of favorite characters and dinosaurs—along with new breeds more awe-inspiring and terrifying than ever before. Welcome to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
Saban Films has dropped a new restricted (not safe for work, kids, or zombies) trailer for the horror film, Day of the Dead: Bloodline. The latest Dead film is described as a reimagining of horror meister George A. Romero’s beloved cult classic. Along with releasing the new restricted trailer, Saban Films debuted a poster featuring Johnathon Schaech and inspired by George A. Romero’s original film.
The original Romero Day of the Dead film was released in 1985 and starred Lori Cardille, Terry Alexander, and Joseph Pilato. The cast of the new zombie apocalypse film is led by Johnathon Schaech (Legends of Tomorrow, Prom Night), Sophie Skelton (Outlander), Marcus Vanco (The Shannara Chronicles, Unbroken) and Jeff Gum (The Forgiven, Primal).
Mark Rhino Smith (The Last Ship, Acts of Vengeance), Lillian Blankenship (Security), and Shari Watson (A Day in the Life) are also featured in the 2018 zombie film. Hèctor Hernández Vicens (The Corpse of Anna Fritz) directed from a script by Mark Tonderai (House at the End of the Street, Hush) and Lars Jacobson (Baby Blues). Jeff Gum, Avi Lerner, John R Sherman, and Seth M Sherwood executive produced. Christa Campbell, Vincent Cheng, Boaz Davidson, James Glenn Dudelson, Robert Franklin Dudelson, and Lati Grobman served as producers.
Day of the Dead: Bloodline is rated R for bloody violence and gore, language and brief sexuality/nudity. The horror movie’s set to open in theaters, on VOD, and Digital HD on January 5, 2018.
The Plot: A reimagining of George A. Romero’s cult classic, Day of the Dead: Bloodline is set in a post-apocalyptic, zombie-filled world where a former med school student is tormented by a dark figure from her past. The only thing is, he’s a half-human, half-zombie hell-bent on destroying her world.
A scene from Saban Films’ ‘Day of the Dead: Bloodline.’
The 30th season of CBS’s globe-trotting competition series The Amazing Race will premiere on January 3, 2018. The network’s just announced the 22 individuals who make up the 11 teams that will race around the world as they vie for the grand prize of one million dollars. Among the upcoming season’s competitors are retired NBA players, IndyCar drivers, X-Games champions, competitive eaters, and members of the Well Strung string quartet.
Big Brother season 19’s Cody Nickson and Jessica Graf also team up for The Amazing Race season 30. The 2018 season also includes twins and a team of lifeguards. Phil Keoghan returns to host the award-winning reality competition show.
Per CBS: “Teams begin their adventure in Washington Square Park in New York City and immediately travel to their first destination, Iceland, where they must traverse a massive canyon high above the Geitargljufur River. Along the Race, teams will travel to 10 countries, 21 cities and over 29,000 miles in the quest to cross the finish line of The Amazing Race first and win the one million dollar prize.”
Amazing Race Season 30 Teams:
CEDRIC AND SHAWN
#TeamSlamDunk
Name: Cedric Ceballos
Age: 48
Current occupation: Retired NBA Player
Qualifications: Former NBA All-Star and Slamdunk Champion
Instagram: @cedceballos
Name: Shawn Marion
Age: 39
Hometown: Chicago
Connection to teammate: Retired NBA Player
Qualifications: 4-time NBA All-Star and NBA Champion 2011
Instagram: @matrix31
Twitter: @matrix31
APRIL AND SARAH
#TeamGoatYoga
Name: April Gould
Age: 39
Hometown: Gilbert, Ariz.
Connection to teammate: Friends
Qualifications: Goat Yoga Instructor
Instagram: @AprilGouldNinja
Twitter: @AprilGouldNinja and @GoatYoga
Name: Sarah Williams
Age: 39
Hometown: Mesa, Ariz.
Connection to teammate: Friends
Qualifications: Goat Yoga Instructor
Instagram: @desertpaddleboards
Twitter: @GoatYoga
CODY AND JESSICA
#TeamBigBrother
Name: Cody Nickson
Age: 32
Hometown: Plano, Texas
Connection to teammate: Dating
Qualifications: “Big Brother 19” Power Couple
Instagram: @codythemarine
Twitter: @codythemarine
Name: Jessica Graf
Age: 26
Hometown: Los Angeles
Connection to teammate: Dating
Qualifications: “Big Brother 19” Power Couple
Instagram: @thejessicagraf
Twitter: @thejessicagraf
HENRY AND EVAN
#TeamYale
Name: Henry Zhang
Age: 22
Hometown: Los Angeles
Connection to teammate: Dating
Qualifications: Former president of the Yale debate team
Instagram: @HenryTZhang
Twitter: @HenryTZhang
Name: Evan Lynyak
Age: 22
Hometown: Los Angeles
Connection to teammate: Dating
Qualifications: Top-ranking female debater in the world in 2016
Instagram: @evan.lynyak
TREVOR AND CHRIS
#TeamWellStrung
Name: Trevor Wadleigh
Age: 30
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
Connection to teammate: Dating
Qualifications: Billboard chart-topping musician in the string quartet “Well Strung”
Instagram: @tdwadleigh
Name: Chris Marchant
Age: 33
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
Connection to teammate: Dating
Qualifications: Billboard chart-topping musician in the string quartet “Well Strung”
Instagram: @chrisjmarchant
Twitter: @chrisjmarchant
ALEX AND CONOR
#TeamIndyCar
Name: Alexander Rossi
Age: 26
Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind.
Connection to teammate: IndyCar drivers and friends
Qualifications: Indianapolis 500 winner 2016
Instagram: @alexanderrossi
Twitter: @AlexanderRossi
Name: Conor Daly
Age: 25 (26 on 12/15/17)
Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind.
Connection to teammate: IndyCar drivers and friends
Qualifications: Placed 2nd in the Detroit Grand Prix
Instagram: @conordaly22
Twitter: @conordaly22
DESSIE AND KAYLA
#TheRingGirls
Name: Dessie Mitcheson
Age: 27
Hometown: Apollo, Pa.
Connection to teammate: Friends
Qualifications: Ring girl and Instagram model
Instagram: @dessiemitcheson
Name: Kayla Fitzgerald
Age: 26
Hometown: Clermont, Fla.
Connection to teammate: Friends
Qualifications: Ring girl and Instagram model
Instagram: @kaylafitz3
JOEY AND TIM
#TeamChomp
Name: Joey Chestnut
Age: 33
Hometown: San Jose, Calif.
Connection to teammate: Friends
Qualifications: World champion competitive eater
Instagram: @joey.chestnut
Twitter: @joeyjaws
Name: Tim Janus
Age: 41
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
Connection to teammate: Friend
Qualifications: Former competitive eater
Instagram: @timothyjanus
Twitter: @eaterx
KRISTI AND JEN
#TeamExtreme
Name: Kristi Leskinen
Age: 36
Hometown: Uniontown, Pa. and Scottsdale, Ariz.
Connection to teammate: Retired Professional Skier and friend
Qualifications: 2nd Place World Champion and 3rd place X Games skier
Instagram: @kristileskinen
Twitter: @kristileskinen
Name: Jen Hudak
Age: 30
Hometown: Park City, Utah
Connection to teammate: Professional Skiers and friends
Qualifications: 2-time X Games Gold Medalist and 4-time National Champion
Instagram: @jenhudak
Twitter: @jenhudak
LUCAS AND BRITTANY
#TeamOceanRescue
Name: Lucas Bocanegra
Age: 35
Hometown: Miami Springs, Fla.
Connection to teammate: Dating
Qualifications: Lifeguard Lieutenant
Instagram: @luc8719
Twitter: @luc8719
Name: Brittany Austin
Age: 31
Hometown: Miami Springs, Fla.
Connection to teammate: Dating
Qualifications: Ocean Rescue Lifeguard
Instagram: @bitaba10
ERIC AND DANIEL
#TheFirefighters
Name: Eric Guiffreda
Age: 33
Hometown: Ponchatoula, La.
Connection to teammate: Twin Brothers
Qualifications: Firefighter
Twitter: @Eguiffreda
Name: Daniel Guiffreda
Age: 33
Hometown: Gonzales, La.
Connection to teammate: Twin Brothers
Qualifications: Firefighter
Members of the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) have released the list of nominees in the outstanding achievement in television, new media, news, radio/audio, and promotional writing categories. The just-announced Writer Guild Awards nominations represent the best of 2017, with The Americans, Better Call Saul, Game of Thrones, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Stranger Things snagging nominations in the best dramatic series category.
The Americans won in the best dramatic series category in 2017. Noticeably missing this year is NBC’s This is Us which failed to score any nominations from the WGA.
Curb Your Enthusiasm, GLOW, Master of None, Silicon Valley, and Veep earned nominations in the best comedy series category. Last year’s winner, Atlanta, hasn’t aired new episodes since the 2017 WGA awards so it was not eligible for consideration.
Winners will be announced during the 2018 Writers Guild Awards to be held on Sunday, February 11th. Ceremonies will be held in both Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton and New York City at the Edison Ballroom.
DRAMA SERIES
The Americans, Written by Peter Ackerman, Tanya Barfield, Joshua Brand, Joel Fields, Stephen Schiff, Joe Weisberg, Tracey Scott Wilson; FX
Better Call Saul, Written by Ann Cherkis, Vince Gilligan, Jonathan Glatzer, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, Heather Marion, Thomas Schnauz, Gordon Smith; AMC
Game of Thrones, Written by David Benioff, Bryan Cogman, Dave Hill, D.B. Weiss; HBO
The Handmaid’s Tale, Written by Ilene Chaiken, Nina Fiore, Dorothy Fortenberry, Leila Gerstein, John Herrera, Lynn Maxcy, Bruce Miller, Kira Snyder, Wendy Straker Hauser, Eric Tuchman; Hulu
Stranger Things, Written by Paul Dichter, Justin Doble, The Duffer Brothers, Jessica Mecklenburg, Jessie Nickson-Lopez, Alison Tatlock; Netflix
COMEDY SERIES
Curb Your Enthusiasm, Written by Larry David, Jon Hayman, Justin Hurwitz, Jeff Schaffer; HBO
GLOW, Written by Kristoffer Diaz, Liz Flahive, Tara Herrmann, Nick Jones, Jenji Kohan, Carly Mensch, Emma Rathbone, Sascha Rothchild, Rachel Shukert; Netflix
Master of None, Written by Aziz Ansari, Andrew Blitz, Zoe Jarman, Cord Jefferson, Sarah Peters, Sarah Schneider, Michael Schur, Leila Strachan, Gene Stupnitsky, Lakshmi Sundaram, Lena Waithe, Jason Woliner, Alan Yang; Netflix
Silicon Valley, Written by Alec Berg, Donick Cary, Adam Countee, Jonathan Dotan, Mike Judge, Carrie Kemper, John Levenstein, Dan Lyons, Carson Mell, Dan O’Keefe, Clay Tarver; Aaron Zelman; HBO
Veep, Written by Rachel Axler, Sean Gray, Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck, Erik Kenward, Billy Kimball, Steve Koren, Dave Mandel, Jim Margolis, Lew Morton, Georgia Pritchett, Will Smith, Alexis Wilkinson; HBO
NEW SERIES
American Vandal, Written by Seth Cohen, Lauren Herstik, Dan Lagana, Kevin McManus, Matthew McManus, Jessica Meyer, Dan Perrault, Amy Pocha, Mike Rosolio, Tony Yacenda; Netflix
The Deuce, Written by Megan Abbott, Marc Henry Johnson, Lisa Lutz, George Pelecanos, Richard Price, Will Ralston, David Simon, Chris Yakaitis; HBO
GLOW, Written by Kristoffer Diaz, Liz Flahive, Tara Herrmann, Nick Jones, Jenji Kohan, Carly Mensch, Emma Rathbone, Sascha Rothchild, Rachel Shukert; Netflix
The Handmaid’s Tale, Written by Ilene Chaiken, Nina Fiore, Dorothy Fortenberry, Leila Gerstein, John Herrera, Lynn Maxcy, Bruce Miller, Kira Snyder, Wendy Straker Hauser, Eric Tuchman; Hulu
Ozark, Written by Whit Anderson, Bill Dubuque, Ryan Farley, Alyson Feltes, Paul Kolsby, David Manson, Chris Mundy, Mark Williams, Ning Zhou, Martin Zimmerman; Netflix
LONG FORM ORIGINAL
American Horror Story: Cult, Written by Brad Falchuk, John J. Gray, Joshua Green, Todd Kubrak, Crystal Liu, Tim Minear, Ryan Murphy, Adam Penn, James Wong; FX
Feud: Bette and Joan, Written by Jaffe Cohen, Tim Minear, Ryan Murphy, Gina Welch, Michael Zam; FX
Flint, Written by Barbara Stepansky; Lifetime
Godless, Written by Scott Frank; Netflix
Manhunt: Unabomber, Written by Jim Clemente, Tony Gittelson, Max Hurwitz, Steven Katz, Nick Schenk, Andrew Sodroski, Nick Towne; Discovery Channel
LONG FORM ADAPTED
Big Little Lies, Teleplay by David E. Kelley, Based on the Novel by Liane Moriarty; HBO
Fargo, Written by Monica Beletsky, Bob DeLauren, Noah Hawley, Ben Nedivi, Matt Wolpert, Based on the film Fargo; FX
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Teleplay by Peter Landesman and Alexander Woo and George C. Wolfe, Based on the book written by Rebecca Skloot; HBO
The Wizard of Lies, Teleplay by Sam Levinson and John Burnham Schwartz and Samuel Baum, Based on the Book Written by Diane B. Henriques and Truth and Consequences by Laurie Sandell; HBO
SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA ADAPTED
“John Hancock” (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Slingshot), Written by James C. Oliver & Sharla Oliver; abc.go.com
“Chapter 2” (The Walking Dead: Red Machete), Written by Nick Bernardone; amc.com
“Justicia” (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Slingshot), Written by Mark Leitner; abc.go.com
“Starboy” (Zac & Mia), Teleplay by Allen Clary and Andrew Rothschild, Based on the novel Zac & Mia by A.J. Betts; go90.com
ANIMATION
“Brunchsquatch” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Lizzie Molyneux & Wendy Molyneux; Fox
“A Father’s Watch” (The Simpsons), Written by Simon Rich; Fox
“Ruthie” (BoJack Horseman), Written by Joanna Calo; Netflix
“The Serfsons” (The Simpsons), Written by Brian Kelley; Fox
“Time’s Arrow” (BoJack Horseman), Written by Kate Purdy; Netflix
EPISODIC DRAMA
“The Book of Nora” (The Leftovers), Teleplay by Tom Perrotta & Damon Lindelof, Story by Tom Spezialy & Damon Lindelof; HBO
“Chicanery” (Better Call Saul), Written by Gordon Smith; AMC
“The Heart Attack is the Best Way” (Good Behavior), Written by Chad Hodge; TNT
“Homecoming” (The OA), Written by Brit Marling & Zal Batmanglij; Netflix
“Slip” (Better Call Saul), Written by Heather Marion; AMC
“The Soviet Decision” (The Americans), Written by Joe Weisberg & Joel Fields; FX
EPISODIC COMEDY
“The Burglary” (Grace and Frankie), Written by Brendan McCarthy & David Budin; Netflix
“Intervention” (The Carmichael Show), Written by Willie Hunter; NBC
“Judge” (Veep), Written by Ted Cohen; HBO
“Rosario’s Quinceanera” (Will & Grace), Written by Tracy Poust & Jon Kinnally; NBC
“The Verdict” (Trial & Error), Written by Jeff Astrof; NBC
COMEDY/VARIETY TALK SERIES
Conan, Head Writer: Matt O’Brien, Writers: Jose Arroyo, Daniel Cronin, Andres du Bouchet, Jessie Gaskell, Michael Gordon, Brian Kiley, Laurie Kilmartin, Leah Krinsky, Stephen Kutner, Todd Levin, Levi MacDougall, Conan O’Brien, Paul Richter, Frank Smiley, Mike Sweeney; TBS
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, Writers: Samantha Bee, Ashley Nicole Black, Pat Cassels, Eric Drysdale, Mathan Erhardt, Travon Free, Joe Grossman, Jo Miller, Jason Reich, Melinda Taub; TBS
Jimmy Kimmel Live, Writers: Jimmy Kimmel, Tony Barbieri, Jonathan Bines, Joelle Boucai, Gonzalo Cordova, Devin Field, Gary Greenberg, Josh Halloway, Sal Iacono, Eric Immerman, Jesse Joyce, Bess Kalb, Jeff Loveness, Molly McNearney, CeCe Pleasants, Danny Ricker, Joe Strazzullo; ABC
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Writers: Tim Carvell, Josh Gondelman, Dan Gurewitch, Geoff Haggerty, Jeff Maurer, John Oliver, Scott Sherman, Will Tracy, Jill Twiss, Juli Weiner, Ben Silva, Seena Vali; HBO
Late Night with Seth Meyers, Writers: Jermaine Affonso, Alex Baze, Bryan Donaldson, Sal Gentile, Matt Goldich, Dina Gusovsky, Jenny Hagel, Allison Hord, Mike Karnell, John Lutz, Seth Meyers, Ian Morgan, Seth Reiss, Amber Ruffin, Mike Scollins, Mike Shoemaker, Ben Warheit; NBC Universal
Real Time with Bill Maher, Writers: Scott Carter, Adam Felber, Matt Gunn, Brian Jacobsmeyer, Jay Jaroch, Chris Kelly, Bill Maher, Billy Martin, Bob Oschack, Danny Vermont; HBO
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Writers: Dan Amira, David Angelo, Steve Bodow, Kashana Cauley, Devin Delliquanti, Zach DiLanzo, Hallie Haglund, David Kibuuka, Matt Koff, Adam Lowitt, Dan McCoy, Trevor Noah, Joseph Opio, Zhubin Parang, Owen Parsons, Daniel Radosh, Lauren Sarver-Means, Michelle Wolf; Comedy Central
The Jim Jefferies Show, Head Writer: Jason Reich, Writers: Jim Jefferies, Subhah Agarwal, Kevin Avery, Curtis Cook, Lucas Kavner, Matt Kirshen, Bryan Olsen, Laura Willcox, JJ Whitehead, Scott Y. Zabielski; Comedy Central
COMEDY/VARIETY SKETCH SERIES
Nathan For You, Writers: Leo Allen, Nathan Fielder, Carrie Kemper, Michael Koman, Adam Locke-Norton, Eric Notarnicola; Comedy Central
Portlandia, Writers: Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Karen Kilgariff, Jonathan Krisel, Graham Wagner; IFC
Saturday Night Live, Head Writers: Chris Kelly, Sarah Schneider, Bryan Tucker, Writers: James Anderson, Kristen Bartlett, Jeremy Beiler, Neal Brennan, Zack Bornstein, Joanna Bradley, Megan Callahan, Michael Che, Anna Drezen, Fran Gillespie, Sudi Green, Steve Higgins, Colin Jost, Erik Kenward, Rob Klein, Nick Kocher, Michael Koman, Dave McCary, Brian McElhaney, Dennis McNicholas, Drew Michael, Lorne Michaels, Josh Patten, Katie Rich, Pete Schultz, Streeter Seidell, Will Stephen, Kent Sublette, Julio Torres; NBC Universal
The President Show, Writers: Emily Altman, Anthony Atamanuik, Emmy Blotnick, Neil Casey, Mike Drucker, Noah Garfinkel, John Gemberling, Peter Grosz, Mitra Jouhari, John Knefel, Alison Leiby, Christine Nangle, John Reynolds, Jason Ross, Rae Sanni, Evan Waite; Comedy Central
Weekend Update Summer Edition, Writers: Megan Callahan, Michael Che, Mikey Day, Steve Higgins, Colin Jost, Dennis McNicholas, Josh Patten, Katie Rich, Pete Schultz, Streeter Seidell, Kent Sublette, Brian Tucker; NBC Universal
COMEDY/VARIETY SPECIALS
39th Annual Kennedy Center Honors, Written by Dave Boone; CBS
89th Annual Academy Awards, Written by Billy Kimball, Jon Macks; Special Material Written by Jack Allison, Tony Barbieri, Jonathan Bines, Joelle Boucai, Gonzalo Cordova, Gary Greenberg, Josh Halloway, Sal Iacono, Eric Immerman, Bess Kalb, Jimmy Kimmel, Jeff Loveness, Molly McNearney, Danny Ricker, Joe Strazzullo; ABC
AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Diane Keaton, Written by Bob Gazzale, Jon Macks; TNT
Michael Bolton’s Big, Sexy, Valentine’s Day Special, Written by Scott Aukerman, Dave Ferguson, Mike Hanford, Tim Kalpakis, Joe Saunders, Akiva Schaffer; Additional Material Written by Zach Kanin, Claudia O’Doherty, Tim Robinson; Netflix
Nathan For You: A Celebration, Written by Leo Allen, Nathan Fielder, Carrie Kemper, Michael Koman, Adam Locke-Norton, Eric Notarnicola; Comedy Central
QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
Hollywood Game Night, Head Writer: Grant Taylor; Writers: Michael Agbabian, Alex Chauvin, Ann Slichter, Dwight D. Smith; NBC
Jeopardy!, Written by Matthew Caruso, John Duarte, Harry Friedman, Mark Gaberman, Deborah Griffin, Michele Loud, Robert McClenaghan, Jim Rhine, Steve D. Tamerius, Billy Wisse; ABC
DAYTIME DRAMA
General Hospital, Head Writers: Shelly Altman, Jean Passanante; Writers: Anna Theresa Cascio, Suzanne Flynn, Charlotte Gibson, Lucky Gold, Kate Hall, Elizabeth Korte, Daniel James O’Connor, Dave Rupel, Katherine Schock, Scott Sickles, Christopher Van Etten, Christopher Whitesell; ABC
Days of Our Lives, Writers: Ron Carlivati, Sheri Anderson, Lorraine Broderick, David Cherrill, Lisa Connor, Carolyn Culliton, Richard Culliton, Rick Draughon, Cydney Kelley, David Kreizman, David A. Levinson, Rebecca McCarty, Ryan Quan, Dave Ryan, Elizabeth Snyder, Tyler Topits; NBC
CHILDREN’S EPISODIC AND SPECIALS
“American Girl – Ivy & Julie” (American Girl), Written by May Chan; Amazon
“American Girl – Knowledge is Power” (American Girl), Teleplay by Alison McDonald, Story by Alison McDonald and Caron Tschampion; Amazon
“Just Add 1965,” (Just Add Magic), Written by Lauren Thompson; Amazon
“Meet Julia” (Sesame Street), Written by Christine Ferraro; HBO
The Magical Wand Chase: A Sesame Street Special, Written by Raye Lankford, Jessica Carleton, Ken Scarborough; HBO
DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – CURRENT EVENTS
“Confronting ISIS” (Frontline), Written by Martin Smith; PBS
“Poverty, Politics and Profit” (Frontline), Written by Rick Young; PBS
“Unseen Enemy,” Written by Janet Tobias; CNN
DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS
“Divided States of America” Part One (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser; PBS
“Rachel Carson” (American Experience), Written and Directed by Michelle Ferrari; PBS
“The Great War” Part II (American Experience), Written by Stephen Ives; PBS
“The Great War” Part III (American Experience), Written by Rob Rapley; PBS
“The Vietnam War,” Episode Six: “Things Fall Apart,” Written by Geoffrey C. Ward; PBS
NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
“Obama Wiretap Allegations” (World News Tonight with David Muir), Mark Berman, Barbara Rick, Tom Llamas; ABC News
“September 29, 2017” (World News Now), Written by Matt Nelko, Jack Sheahan, Debbie Humes, Carla Brittain, Constance Johnson, Lloyd deVries, Craig Morancie; ABC News
“White Helmets” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Nicole Young, Katie Kerbstat; CBS News
NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“Chief of Chobani” (60 Minutes), Written by Steve Kroft, Oriana Zill de Granados; CBS News
“Fighting Famine” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Nicole Young; CBS News
DIGITAL NEWS
“At the Capitol With Those for Whom Last Night Mattered the Most,” Written by Emma Roller; SplinterNews.com
“Becoming Ugly,” Written by Madeleine Davies; Jezebel.com
“The Super Predators,” Written by Melissa Jeltsen, Dana Liebelson; Huffingtonpost.com
“Why Did Politicon Make Me Want To Die?,” Written by Libby Watson; SplinterNews.com
RADIO/AUDIO DOCUMENTARY
“2016 Year in Review,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio
“Castro, Cuba & Communism,” Written by Thomas A. Sabella; CBS News Radio
“CBS Radio 90th Anniversary,” Written by Dianne E. James, Gail Lee; CBS News Radio
“Remembering Princess Diana 20 Years Later,” Written by Andrew Evans; ABC News Radio
RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT—REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
“Hugh Hefner: A Social Revolutionary in Silk Pajamas,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio
“World News This Week November 18, 2016,” Written by Joan B. Harris; ABC News Radio
“World News This Week: June 9, 2017,” Written by Tara Gimbel Tanis; ABC News Radio
RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“Chuck Berry,” Written by Jerry Edling; CBS News Radio/KNX
“Dishin’ Digital on WCBS-AM,” Written by Robert Hawley; WCBS
“Holiday Stories,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio
“One Nation, Overdosed: An Investigative Report,” Written by Tara Gimbel Tanis; ABC News Radio
PROMOTIONAL WRITING NOMINEES
“CBS Comedy,” Written by Dan Greenberger; CBS Television
“The Good Fight,” Written by Brian Retchless; CBS On-Air Promotions
Paulo Costanzo, Kal Penn, Adan Canto, Italia Ricci, and Kiefer Sutherland in ‘Designated Survivor’ season 2 episode 9 (Photo by Ian Watson / ABC)
“This is a damn set-up,” says Alex (Natascha McElhone) to White House Council Kendra Daynes (Zoe McLellan) as she gets more frustrated over the case involving her mother in ABC’s political drama Designated Survivor season two episode nine.
As the episode kicks off, Aaron (Adan Canto), Emily (Italia Ricci) and Seth (Kal Penn) enter the Oval Office on “Three Letter Day, a day in which President Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland) chooses three letters out of all the ones mailed to him asking for help. He then focuses on those problems and tries to take care of the issues raised.
Kirkman assigns Aaron and Emily the case of a military widow whose husband was denied the Medal of Honor. Seth and Lyor Boone (Paulo Costanzo) are tasked with looking into why a poor beekeeper’s bees keep dying, and Kendra’s assigned to investigate the case of a convicted killer who’s only 72 hours from being executed.
Before Kendra leaves, she tells the President she needs to go over his wife’s case with them. Kendra tells them the only way to keep Alex from an indictment is for Agent Hannah Wells (Maggie Q) to find the banker who opened up the account in St. Lucia in the First Lady’s name.
Wells visits the bank and tries to find the man, claiming she needs to set up an account in a friend’s name. However, the man says they don’t handle business that way and tells her to leave. Wells does but notices a rather sketchy guy follow her out of the bank. She gets the upper hand on him, holding him at gunpoint, and demands he tell her the name of the man who opened the account.
Aaron and Emily talk to the widow of Sergeant Daniel Goff and she tells them her husband single-handedly held off enemy forces when fighting ISIL. After his death by an IED, she wrote 12 times to Colonel Baines over the last four years and all were returned. Aaron and Emily speak to the Colonel about the issue and he tells them Goff was miles away from where his widow was told he died. The only other person who knows what really happened is Corporal Mankiewicz who, unfortunately, took his own life a while back.
Emily and Aaron meet with Kirkman to bring him up to speed, and he agrees they need to investigate further to find out which story is the truth. The President also tells Emily to go ahead and meet with FBI Director John Forstell (Reed Diamond) who’s been trying to have a meeting with the President.
Emily meets Forstell to talk about the Icarus investigation and he makes it clear he has every intention of pursuing the investigation into the First Lady and the account to the very end.
A few hours later after doing some additional digging, Emily discovers Forstell has political ambitions and looks to be using the investigation to help clear his way to a senator’s seat. Emily and Kendra both suggest Kirkman assign a special prosecutor to the case and that will remove Forstell from the picture.
Meanwhile, Seth and Boone investigate why the beekeeper’s bees are dying. They talk to the FAA to help handle the problem. When they meet with the FAA representative, she tells them she’s very familiar with the couple and that the man’s wife told her the problem had been resolved.
Kendra and Wells visit convicted killer Chandler Dern to inform him they’re going to look into his case. They notice his son, Frank, is very loyal and comes to see him once a week. However, his daughter, Tracy, hasn’t been to visit him in 16 years. Thinking they might learn something from the daughter, Kendra and Wells find her but she refuses to talk to them, claiming she can’t help.
Wells calls Rennett (Ben Lawson) to get an update on the banker they’re looking for and it seems the banker named Lang has dual citizenship and two passports. This information is thanks once again to her colleague, Chuck Russink (Jake Epstein). Wells heads to her car to pursue the banker when she’s almost run down by a speeding car.
Aaron and Emily return to confront the colonel who wrote up a phony report on the death of Daniel Goff because he was having an affair with the colonel’s wife. Caught and angry, the colonel agrees to give the dead soldier his medal but says he’ll also put the entire truth of the matter in the report so that Goff’s widow will know about the affair.
Aaron and Emily disagree on what to do while telling the President about the case. Emily believes it’s best if the dead soldier gets the medal and the entire truth comes out, while Aaron believes the medal isn’t important enough if it will inflict pain on Goff’s widow once she knows about the affair. Kirkman thanks them for their hard work and after Aaron leaves, Emily takes the opportunity to tell Kirkman about Seth’s arrest and covering for his brother. It turns out Kirkman already knows through a source of his own but wishes Emily had told him when she first found out. “I can’t do my job when I’m kept in the dark,” says Kirkman. He asks her opinion of what he should do about Seth.
Seth and Boone head back to see the couple and the wife’s in the process of getting dressed. She lets them in, saying she’ll be with them in just a moment. Boone snoops around and finds proof the wife has been killing her husband’s bees to get his attention.
Later, Seth and Boone give the beekeeper reassurance that the bees should return and that if it wasn’t for his wife, it may not have turned out that way. The husband feels the need to be truthful to his wife and admits he killed her roses because he feared they were interfering with the bees. The wife, now furious, admits to killing the bees and as the couple fight, Boone and Seth leave.
Kirkman meets with Goff’s widow and her young son in the Oval Office and apologizes but tells her he won’t be able to give her husband the medal because the investigation was inconclusive. Kirkman hands her a boxed flag and sits down with her son to assure him his father was a very brave man and a true hero. If anyone ever asks him how he knows, he can tell them the President of the United States told him so.
Wells and Rennett finally arrive at the address Chuck found for them but it’s empty. It seems Lang is on the run because someone tipped him off.
Seth approaches Emily telling her he’s tired of walking around on eggshells and is going to give the President his resignation. She explains Kirkman won’t accept it even though when he asked her what he should do, she recommended he fire him. She tells Seth he’s using his one and only “get out of jail free card.”
Kendra calls Wells with more information on the Derns. It appears Tracy was struggling with drugs years ago but Frank is the one who the father’s covering for. A drug deal went bad and Frank killed the man. Chandler took the blame and swore Tracy to secrecy. Kendra confronts Chandler about this, but he refuses to give up his son.
Back at the White House, Kendra informs the President of her findings and Kirkman decides to commute his sentence so that he won’t die but will spend the rest of his life in prison. The only other option is for Dern to tell the truth about who really killed the federal agent years ago.
Chuck comes up with a list of 19 possible vehicles that could have been used to try to run Wells down. She notices one was in an accident three days ago. Wells visits Frank and arrests him for attempted murder.
Alex, fed up with Forstell being out to get her, tells Kirkman to fire him. Kirkman says he’s doing his job and reminds her that her mother did commit a crime and there are consequences they now need to deal with. Alex, upset and angry, tells him he should interfere with the investigation – that’s what a husband would do. Shocked and disappointed in her, Kirkman tells his wife she’s a great defense attorney but a terrible defendant and leaves.
The final scene finds Wells and Rennett being intimate when Wells’ phone rings. She answers and it’s Chuck who’s found the location of the call to Frank Dern that tipped him off. It was made by Rennett.
Designated Survivor Season 2 Episode 9 Review:
Slow and cluttered with too many uninteresting storylines, episode nine titled “Three Letter Day” moves the once suspenseful and intriguing political thriller series closer to being a political soap opera. The best of the five…yes, five…storylines in the episode was the investigation into the death of Special Forces Goff and his widow. This is the only story that’s well written. It also provides Sutherland with the best scene in the episode in which President Kirkman meets with the widow and tells her he can’t give her husband the medal while reinforcing to her son just how much of a hero his father was. He protects her from an ugly truth and fulfills her wish that her son understand what being a hero means.
The “death to bees” storyline felt as though it belonged on a sitcom, and the investigation into the death row inmate belongs on a crime detective show. In other words, they felt out of place and inconsequential. The never-ending storyline of the investigation into the First Lady has already overstayed its welcome.
In short, what used to be a smart and exciting political thriller has been turned into a weak and at times boring political drama/soap opera.
Focus Features has just released the official trailer for the dramatic film, 7 Days in Entebbe. The thriller’s based on a true story and is directed by José Padilha (Narcos, Elite Squad: The Enemy Within, Robocop) from a script by Gregory Burke (’71). The studio’s planning a March 16, 2018 theatrical release.
The cast of 7 Days in Entebbe includes Rosamund Pike (Hostiles, Gone Girl), Daniel Brühl (Captain America: Civil War, The Alienist), Eddie Marsan (Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House), Ben Schnetzer (Warcraft: The Beginning, Happy Town), Lior Ashkenazi (Good Family, Foxtrot), and Denis Ménochet (Assassin’s Creed, Spotless). Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner produced along with Kate Solomon, Ron Halpern, and Michelle Wright. Jo Burn, Liza Chasin, Olivier Courson, Jean-Claude Darmon, Jonathan King, Angela Morrison, and Jeff Skoll served as executive producers.
7 Days in Entebbe is rated PG-13 for violence, some thematic material, drug use, smoking and brief strong language.
The Plot: A gripping political thriller inspired by the true events of the 1976 hijacking of an Air France flight en route from Tel Aviv to Paris, the film depicts the most daring rescue mission ever attempted. 7 Days In Entebbe brings the longstanding conflict between Israel and Palestine into focus by recounting the heroic military mission while also exploring the nuanced perspectives of both sides.
Entebbe is based on the 1976 true story of four hijackers who took a plane hostage and forced it to land in Entebbe, Uganda, while they demanded the release of dozens of Palestinian terrorists. The ticking-clock thriller follows the hijackers and hostages as well as the political leaders trying to decide whether to negotiate or send an elite special forces unit on a dramatic rescue mission to free the hostages.
Daniel Brühl stars as “Wilfred Brose” and Rosamond Pike stars as “Brigitte Kuhlman” in José Padilha’s ‘7 Days in Entebbe, a Focus Features release. (Photo by Liam Daniel / Focus Features)
2018’s animated movie slate includes another visit with the monsters of Hotel Transylvania, the much-anticipated sequels to The Incredibles and Wreck-It Ralph, and more adventures with garden gnomes. Plus, Benedict Cumberbatch will be voicing the Grinch and Wes Anderson (Fantastic Mr. Fox) is set to take movie audiences on a trip to an island populated by dogs.
Here’s a look at the animated movies expected to hit theaters in 2018, listed in alphabetical order:
Arctic Justice: Thunder Squad voiced by Jeremy Renner, James Franco, Alec Baldwin, Omar Sy, Heidi Klum, Anjelica Huston, and John Cleese
The Plot: Swifty the Arctic fox works in the mailroom of the Arctic Blast Delivery Service but dreams of one day becoming a Top Dog (the Arctic’s star husky couriers). To prove himself worthy of the Top Dog role, Swifty secretly commandeers one of the sleds and delivers a mysterious package to a mysterious location. He stumbles upon a secret fortress where he comes face to face with Doc Walrus, a blubbery evil genius who walks around on mechanical legs and commands a loyal army of oddly polite puffin henchmen.
Swifty soon discovers Doc Walrus’ plan to melt the polar ice caps and flood the world in order to reign as supreme leader. Now, Swifty has to enlist the help of his friends: PB, an introverted polar bear, Lemmy, a scatterbrained albatross, Sal and Weez, two conspiracy theorist otters and Jade Fox, a tough as nails mechanic. This ragtag group of Arctic misfits has to band together to stop Doc Walrus’ sinister plans and save the day.
Early Man voiced by Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston, Maisie Williams, Timothy Spall, Richard Ayoade, and Mark Williams
The Plot: Set at the dawn of time, when prehistoric creatures roamed the earth, Early Man tells the story of courageous caveman hero Dug (Redmayne) and his best friend Hognob as they unite his tribe against a mighty enemy Lord Nooth (Hiddleston) and his Bronze Age City to save their home.
Griffin the invisible man (David Spade), Wanda (Molly Shannon) & Wayne (Steve Buscemi) the werewolves, Murray the mummy (Keegan-Michael Key), Dennis (Asher Blinkoff), Dracula (Adam Sandler), Mavis (Selena Gomez), Johnny (Andy Samberg), Frank (Kevin James), Eunice (Fran Drescher), and Blobby in ‘Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation’
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation voiced by Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Andy Samberg, Mel Brooks, and Steve Buscemi
The Plot: In Sony Pictures Animation’s Hotel Transylvania 3, Mavis surprises Dracula with a family voyage on a luxury monster cruise ship so he can take a summer vacation from providing everyone else’s vacation at the hotel, and the rest of Drac’s Pack cannot resist tagging along. The monsters are all having a great time, indulging in all of the shipboard fun the cruise has to offer, from monster volleyball to colossus sized buffets and exotic excursions, but then the unexpected happens as Drac falls for the intriguing-yet-dangerous captain of the ship. Balancing family, friends, and a budding romance might just be too much, even for the most powerful vampire.
The Plot: For their eighth fully animated feature, Illumination and Universal Pictures present The Grinch, based on Dr. Seuss’ beloved holiday classic. The Grinch tells the story of a cynical grump who goes on a mission to steal Christmas, only to have his heart changed by a young girl’s generous holiday spirit. Funny, heartwarming and visually stunning, it’s a universal story about the spirit of Christmas and the indomitable power of optimism.
Academy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch lends his voice to the infamous Grinch, who lives a solitary life inside a cave on Mt. Crumpet with only his loyal dog, Max, for company. With a cave rigged with inventions and contraptions for his day-to-day needs, the Grinch only sees his neighbors in Who-ville when he runs out of food.
Each year at Christmas they disrupt his tranquil solitude with their increasingly bigger, brighter and louder celebrations. When the Whos declare they are going to make Christmas three times bigger this year, the Grinch realizes there is only one way for him to gain some peace and quiet: he must steal Christmas. To do so, he decides he will pose as Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, even going so far as to trap a lackadaisical misfit reindeer to pull his sleigh.
Meanwhile, down in Who-ville, Cindy-Lou Who—a young girl overflowing with holiday cheer—plots with her gang of friends to trap Santa Claus as he makes his Christmas Eve rounds so that she can thank him for help for her overworked single mother. As Christmas approaches, however, her good-natured scheme threatens to collide with the Grinch’s more nefarious one. Will Cindy-Lou achieve her goal of finally meeting Santa Claus? Will the Grinch succeed in silencing the Whos’ holiday cheer once and for all?
Incredibles 2 voiced by Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner, and Samuel L. Jackson
The Plot: Everyone’s favorite family of superheroes is back in Incredibles 2 – but this time Helen (Hunter) is in the spotlight, leaving Bob (Nelson) at home with Violet (Vowell) and Dash (Milner) to navigate the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life. It’s a tough transition for everyone, made tougher by the fact that the family is still unaware of baby Jack-Jack’s emerging superpowers. When a new villain hatches a brilliant and dangerous plot, the family and Frozone (Jackson) must find a way to work together again—which is easier said than done, even when they’re all Incredible.
Isle of Dogs voiced by F. Murray Abraham, Bob Balaban, Bryan Cranston, Greta Gerwig, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson, Harvey Keitel, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray, and Frank Wood
The Plot:Isle of Dogs tells the story of Atari Kobayashi, 12-year-old ward to corrupt Mayor Kobayashi. When, by Executive Decree, all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage-dump called Trash Island, Atari sets off alone in a miniature Junior-Turbo Prop and flies across the river in search of his bodyguard-dog, Spots. There, with the assistance of a pack of newly-found mongrel friends, he begins an epic journey that will decide the fate and future of the entire Prefecture.
Peter Rabbit (live-action/CG) with James Corden, Domhnall Gleeson, Rose Byrne, Margot Robbie, Elizabeth Debicki, and Daisy Ridley
The Plot: Peter Rabbit, the mischievous and adventurous hero who has captivated generations of readers, now takes on the starring role of his own irreverent, contemporary comedy with attitude. In the film, Peter’s feud with Mr. McGregor (Gleeson) escalates to greater heights than ever before as they rival for the affections of the warm-hearted animal lover who lives next door (Byrne). James Corden voices the character of Peter with playful spirit and wild charm.
Paddington 2 (live-action/CG) with Ben Whishaw, Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville, Brendan Gleeson, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, and Hugh Grant
The Plot: Following the worldwide hit Paddington, one of the most successful family films of all time, this much-anticipated sequel finds Paddington (Whishaw) happily settled with the Brown family in London, where he has become a popular member of the local community, spreading joy and marmalade wherever he goes. While searching for the perfect present for his beloved Aunt Lucy’s hundredth birthday, Paddington sees a unique pop-up book in Mr. Gruber’s antique shop, and embarks upon a series of odd jobs to buy it. But when the book is stolen, it’s up to Paddington and the Browns to unmask the thief.
The Plot: The sequel takes place six years after the events of Wreck-It Ralph[3], the Sugar Rush arcade cabinet has broken, forcing Ralph and Vanellope to travel to the Internet via the newly-installed Wi-Fi router in Litwak’s Arcade to retrieve the piece capable of saving the game. Along the way, they encounter new customs, worlds, and characters, such as the trendy algorithm, Yesss and even the Disney Princesses and the Star Wars characters.
Sherlock Gnomes voiced by James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Michael Caine, Maggie Smith, Stephen Merchant, Ozzy Osbourne, Johnny Depp, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Mary J. Blige
The Plot: The beloved garden gnomes from Gnomeo and Juliet are back for a whole new adventure in London. When Gnomeo and Juliet first arrive in the city with their friends and family, their biggest concern is getting their new garden ready for spring. However, they soon discover that someone is kidnapping garden gnomes all over London.
When Gnomeo and Juliet return home to find that everyone in their garden is missing – there’s only one gnome to call… Sherlock Gnomes. The famous detective and sworn protector of London’s garden gnomes arrives with his sidekick Watson to investigate the case. The mystery will lead our gnomes on a rollicking adventure where they will meet all new ornaments and explore an undiscovered side of the city.
Smallfoot voiced by Channing Tatum, James Corden, Zendaya, Common, LeBron James, Gina Rodriguez, Danny DeVito, and Yara Shahidi
The Plot: An animated adventure for all ages, with original music and an all-star cast, Smallfoot turns the Bigfoot legend upside down when a bright young Yeti finds something he thought didn’t exist—a human. News of this “Smallfoot” throws the simple Yeti community into an uproar over what else might be out there in the big world beyond their snowy village, in an all new story about friendship, courage and the joy of discovery.
Netflix has premiered the official trailer for season four of the critically acclaimed series, Black Mirror. The upcoming season is set to debut on December 29, 2017 and, as the trailer advertises, will include six new worlds and six new stories. And, it appears one of the worlds looks straight out of the original Star Trek series.
Charlie Brooker created the award-winning series and serves as writer and executive producer. Annabel Jones also executive produces the sci-fi thriller.
Season four will feature Jesse Plemons, Rosemarie DeWitt, Jimmi Simpson, Cristin Milioti, Aldis Hodge, Maxine Peake, Andrea Riseborough, Letitia Wright, and Michaela Coel. The six-episode season was directed by Jodie Foster, Toby Haynes, John Hillcoat, Colm McCarthy, Tim Van Patten, and David Slade.
The Plot:Black Mirror is an anthology series that taps into our collective unease with the modern world, with each stand-alone episode a sharp, suspenseful tale exploring themes of contemporary techno-paranoia leading to an unforgettable – and sometimes unsettling – conclusion. Without questioning it, technology has transformed all aspects of our lives; in every home; on every desk; in every palm – a plasma screen; a monitor; a Smartphone – a Black Mirror reflecting our 21st Century existence back at us.
Black Mirror Season 4 Episodes:
“Arkangel”
Cast: Rosemarie Dewitt (La La Land, Mad Men), Brenna Harding (A Place to Call Home), Owen Teague (Bloodline)
Director: Jodie Foster
Written by: Charlie Brooker
“USS Callister”
Cast: Jesse Plemons (Fargo, The Post), Cristin Milioti (The Wolf of Wall Street), Jimmi Simpson (Westworld, House of Cards), Michaela Coel (Chewing Gum, Monsters: Dark Continent)
Director: Toby Haynes
Written By: Charlie Brooker & William Bridges
“Crocodile”
Cast: Andrea Riseborough (Birdman, Bloodline), Andrew Gower (Outlander), Kiran Sonia Sawar (Murdered By My Father)
Director: John Hillcoat
Written By: Charlie Brooker
“Hang the DJ”
Cast: Georgina Campbell (Flowers, Broadchurch), Joe Cole (Peaky Blinders, Green Room), George Blagden (Versailles, Vikings)
Director: Tim Van Patten
Written By: Charlie Brooker
“Metalhead”
Cast: Maxine Peake (The Theory Of Everything, The Village), Jake Davies (The Missing, A Brilliant Young Mind), Clint Dyer (Hope Springs)
Director: David Slade
Written By: Charlie Brooker
“Black Museum”
Cast: Douglas Hodge (The Night Manager, Catastrophe), Letitia Wright (Humans, Ready Player One), Babs Olusanmokun (Roots, The Defenders)
Director: Colm McCarthy
Written By: Charlie Brooker
