Hannah Marks in ‘Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency’ (Photo by Katie Yu / BBC America)
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency star Hannah Marks is set to star in the high school comedy, Banana Split. Marks will be pulling triple duty on the project as co-writer and executive producer. Cinematographer Ben Kasulke (Red Oaks, Safety Not Guaranteed) is making his directorial debut with the comedy financed by Jeremy Garelick and Mickey Liddell’s American High production company.
In addition to Marks, the cast includes Liana Liberato (If I Stay, 1 Mile to You), Dylan Sprouse (The Suite Life of Zack and Cody), Jessica Hecht (Red Oaks), Luke Spencer Roberts (Eggplant Emoji), Addison Riecke (The Beguiled), and Jacob Batalon (Spider-man: Homecoming).
Filming’s expected to begin soon in Syracuse, New York. Will Phelps, Glen Trotiner, and Sam Slater are on board as producers. Marks, Joey Power, and Rowan Riley are executive producing.
“Banana Split is a movie about an unexpected female friendship during the pivotal transition between high school and college. This project is so close to me, and I am thrilled to be working with such funny and talented people,” said Hannah Marks.
“I am so honored to be working on a phenomenal script by my old friends Hannah Marks and Joey Power, with such a professional and accomplished cast, and to be directing a feature film in the shadow of the hospital I was born in. All of this is a wonderful and unexpected experience,” added first-time feature film director Kasulke.
Hannah Marks’ credits include Hard Sell, Awkward., Wisdom of the Crowd, Southbound, Necessary Roughness, The Amazing Spider-Man, Flashforward, and Weeds. Dylan Sprouse is best known for Disney Channel’s The Suite Life series’ and films in which he co-starred with his twin brother, Cole (currently playing Jughead Jones in The CW’s Riverdale).
Fox pulled off the first-ever live television commercial for a theatrical feature film during A Christmas Story Live! on December 17, 2017. Hugh Jackman was joined by his The Greatest Showman co-stars Zendaya, Zac Efron, and Keala Settle for a commercial promoting the musical drama set to hit theaters on December 20th. Incredibly, the live trailer directed by The Greatest Showman helmer Michael Gracey and Saturday Night Live director Beth McCarthy-Miller seemed to have gone off without a hitch.
The two-and-a-half minute commercial featured the film’s stars singing “Come Alive” accompanied by more than 150 dancers. The live trailer was filmed next to the A Christmas Story Live! stages on Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, CA.
Prior to the show, Executive Vice President of Entertainment Ad Sales for Fox Networks Group Suzanne Sullivan said, “As we continue to drive innovation in both our programming and ad products, we are thrilled to be working in partnership with our sister film studio in this exciting live holiday event.”
“This first-ever live commercial for a feature film is one that P.T. Barnum would be proud of and one that I hope paves the way for future titles,” added Michelle Marks, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Global Media Promotions for 20th Century Fox Film.
The PG-rated film features Hugh Jackman (Eddie the Eagle, the X-Men film franchise) as P.T Barnum, Zac Efron (Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, the High School Musical films) as Phillip Carlyle, Zendaya (Spider-Man: Homecoming, K.C. Undercover) as trapeze artist Anne Wheeler, and Keala Settle as Lettie Lutz the Bearded Woman. The cast also includes Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea), Rebecca Ferguson (The Girl on the Train), Paul Sparks (House of Cards), and Gayle Rankin (The Meyerowitz Stories). Laurence Mark, Peter Chernin, and Jenno Topping served as producers.
The Plot: Inspired by the imagination of P. T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman is an original musical that celebrates the birth of show business and tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.
P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman) comes alive with the oddities in Twentieth Century Fox’s ‘The Greatest Showman’ (Photo by Niko Tavernise)
Michelle Dockery stars in ‘Godless’ (Photo Credit: Netflix)
Mutants, a riveting female-driven Western, a dystopian tale that’s incredibly relevant, and the rebirth of the Star Trek franchise made the cut for our annual Best New TV Shows list. With the exception of half-hour comedies, 2017 was a decent year for new television shows and in fact, this list had to be expanded from 10 to 15 in order to adequately recognize the year’s standouts.
The most difficult part of creating the 2017 list was trying to figure out the order of the top three shows. Godless came out of nowhere, reimagining and reinvigorating Westerns while shattering genre convictions. Big Little Lies found Oscar-winning stars Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman delivering some of their best work to date in a daring, dark, and twisted tale of jealousy and murder. And, the haunting adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale was anchored by an outstanding performance by Elisabeth Moss that’s easily one of the best of the year. After much debate, Godless won the top spot because of its unconventional approach and how it pushed genre boundaries in unexpected ways.
2017’s Best New TV Shows:
Godless (Netflix) starring Michelle Dockery, Scoot McNairy, Jeff Daniels, Jack O’Connell, Merritt Wever, and Tantoo Cardinal The Plot: Notorious criminal Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels) and his gang of outlaws are on a mission of revenge against Roy Goode (Jack O’Connell), a son-like protégé who betrayed the brotherhood. While on the run, Roy seeks refuge with hardened widower Alice Fletcher (Michelle Dockery), an outcast herself, in a worn-down, isolated mining town of La Belle, NM — governed mainly by women. When word reaches La Belle that Griffin is headed their way, the town bands together to defend against the murderous gang in a lawless western frontier.
Big Little Lies (HBO) starring Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Alexander Skarsgard, Shailene Woodley, and Laura Dern The Plot: In the tranquil seaside town of Monterey, California, nothing is quite as it seems. Doting moms, successful husbands, adorable children, beautiful homes: What lies will be told to keep their perfect worlds from unraveling? Told through the eyes of three mothers – Madeline, Celeste and Jane – Big Little Lies paints a picture of a town fueled by rumors and divided into the haves and have-nots, exposing the conflicts, secrets and betrayals that compromise relationships between husbands and wives, parents and children, and friends and neighbors.
The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu) starring Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Ann Dowd, Alexis Bledel, Joseph Fiennes, and Max Minghella The Plot: Adapted from the classic novel by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale is the story of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly the United States. Facing environmental disasters and a plunging birthrate, Gilead is ruled by a twisted fundamentalism in its militarized ‘return to traditional values’. As one of the few remaining fertile women, Offred (Moss) is a Handmaid in the Commander’s household, one of the caste of women forced into sexual servitude as a last desperate attempt to repopulate the world.
In this terrifying society, Offred must navigate between Commanders, their cruel Wives, domestic Marthas, and her fellow Handmaids – where anyone could be a spy for Gilead – all with one goal: to survive and find the daughter that was taken from her.
American Gods (Starz) starring Ricky Whittle, Emily Browning, Ian McShane, and Pablo Schreiber The Plot:American Gods posits a different kind of war brewing – one between Old Gods and New. The traditional Old Gods, with mythological roots from around the world, fear irrelevance as their believers die off or are seduced by the money, technology, and celebrity offered by the New Gods. Shadow Moon (Whittle) is an ex-con who, left adrift by the recent death of his wife, becomes a bodyguard and traveling partner to conman Mr. Wednesday (McShane). But in truth, Mr. Wednesday is a powerful old deity on a cross-country mission to build an army and reclaim his lost glory.
Legion (FX) starring Dan Stevens, Rachel Keller, Aubrey Plaza, Amber Midthunder, and Jean Smart The Plot:Legion is the story of David Haller (Stevens), a troubled young man who may be more than human. Diagnosed as schizophrenic as a child, David has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years. Now in his early 30s and institutionalized once again, David loses himself in the rhythm of the structured regimen of life in the hospital: breakfast, lunch, dinner, therapy, medications, and sleep. David spends the rest of his time in companionable silence alongside his chatterbox friend Lenny (Plaza), a fellow patient whose life-long drug and alcohol addiction has done nothing to quell her boundless optimism that her luck is about to change.
The pleasant numbness of David’s routine is completely upended with the arrival of a beautiful and troubled new patient named Syd (Keller). Inexplicably drawn to one another, David and Syd share a startling encounter, after which David must confront the shocking possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees may actually be real.
The Gifted (Fox) starring Stephen Moyer, Amy Acker, Sean Teale, Blair Redford, Jamie Chung, Natalie Alyn Lind, and Percy Hynes White The Plot:The Gifted tells the emotional story of a suburban couple whose ordinary lives are rocked by the sudden discovery that their teenage children possess mutant powers. Forced to go on the run from a hostile government, the family seeks help from an underground network of mutants and must fight to survive.
The Bold Type (Freeform) starring Katie Stevens, Aisha Dee, Meghann Fahy, Sam Page, Matt Ward and Melora Hardin The Plot:The Bold Type reveals a glimpse into the outrageous lives and loves of those responsible for the global women’s magazine, “Scarlet.” The rising generation of Scarlet women leans on one another as they find their own voices in a sea of intimidating leaders. Together they explore sexuality, identity, love, and fashion.
Alias Grace (Netflix) starring Sarah Gadon, Anna Paquin, Edward Holcroft, Zachary Levi, Kerr Logan, Stephen Joffe, and Rebecca Liddiard The Plot: The story of Alias Grace follows Grace Marks (Gadon), a poor, young Irish immigrant and domestic servant in Upper Canada who, along with stable hand James McDermott, was convicted of the brutal murders of their employer, Thomas Kinnear, and his housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery, in 1843. James was hanged while Grace was sentenced to life imprisonment. Grace became one of the most enigmatic and notorious women of 1840s Canada for her supposed role in the sensational double murder and was eventually exonerated after 30 years in jail. Her conviction was controversial and sparked much debate about whether Grace was actually involved in the murder or merely an unwitting accessory.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon) starring Rachel Brosnahan, Alex Borstein, Michael Zegen, Marin Hinkle, and Tony Shalhoub The Plot: In 1958 New York, Midge Maisel’s life is on track- husband, kids, and elegant Yom Kippur dinners in their Upper West Side apartment. But when her life takes a surprise turn, she has to quickly decide what else she’s good at – and going from housewife to stand-up comic is a wild choice to everyone but her.
Mindhunter (Netflix) starring Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv, Hannah Gross, and Cameron Britton The Plot: How do we get ahead of crazy if we don’t know how crazy thinks? In Mindhunter, FBI agents Holden Ford (Groff) and Bill Tench (McCallany) study the damaged psyches of serial killers in an attempt to understand and catch them, and in the process pioneer the development of modern serial killer profiling.
American Vandal (Netflix) starring Tyler Alvarez, Griffin Gluck, Jimmy Tatro, Camille Hyde, Eduardo Franco, Jessica Juarez, Lou Wilson, Camille Ramsey, Calum Worthy, and G Hannelius The Plot:American Vandal is a half-hour true-crime satire that explores the aftermath of a costly high school prank that left twenty-seven faculty cars vandalized with phallic images. Over the course of the eight-episode season, an aspiring sophomore documentarian investigates the controversial and potentially unjust expulsion of troubled senior (and known dick-drawer) Dylan Maxwell. Not unlike its now iconic true-crime predecessors, the addictive American Vandal will leave one question on everyone’s minds until the very end: Who drew the dicks?
Manhunt: Unabomber (Discovery) starring Sam Worthington, Jeremy Bobb, Paul Bettany, Ben Weber, Lynn Collins, and Chris Noth The Plot: The anthology series tells the story about the hunt for Ted Kaczynski, who terrified the nation with a letter bombing campaign in the 1980s and early 1990s.
GLOW (Netflix) starring Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, Marc Maron, Britney Young, Jackie Tohn, Kate Nash, and Chris Lowell The Plot: Inspired by the short-lived but beloved show from the 80s, GLOW tells the fictional story of Ruth Wilder (Brie), an out-of-work, struggling actress in 1980s Los Angeles who finds one last chance for stardom when she’s thrust into the glitter and spandex world of women’s wrestling. In addition to working with 12 Hollywood misfits, Ruth also has to compete with Debbie Eagan (Gilpin), a former soap actress who left the business to have a baby, only to be sucked back into work when her picture-perfect life turns out not to be what it seems. At the wheel is Sam Sylvia (Maron), a washed-up, B-movie director who now must lead this group of women on the journey to wrestling super stardom.
The Orville (Fox) starring Seth MacFarlane, Adrianne Palicki, Penny Johnson Jerald, Scott Grimes, Peter Macon, Halston Sage, J Lee, Mark Jackson, and Chad L. Coleman The Plot: From Emmy Award-winning executive producer and creator Seth MacFarlane, The Orville is a live-action, one-hour space adventure series set 400 years in the future that follows The U.S.S. Orville, a mid-level exploratory spaceship. Its crew, both human and alien, face the wonders and dangers of outer space, while also dealing with the problems of everyday life.
Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access) starring Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Jason Isaacs, Shazad Latif, Anthony Rapp, Michelle Yeoh, Mary Wiseman, Chris Obi, Mary Chieffo, James Frain, and Rainn Wilson The Plot:Star Trek: Discovery follows the voyages of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and new life forms, and one Starfleet officer who must learn that to truly understand all things alien, you must first understand yourself. The series will feature a new ship and new characters while embracing the same ideology and hope for the future that inspired a generation of dreamers and doers.
Honorable Mentions:Knightfall, Dear White People, The Mick, 13 Reasons Why, The Brave, Dark, and Atypical
The Force was strong with Star Wars: The Last Jediover its domestic opening weekend. Star Wars fans propelled the latest journey to a galaxy far, far away into 2nd place on the all-time largest opening weekend box office chart, pulling off a $220 million weekend. Only Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the 2015 rebirth of the Star Wars film franchise, posted a bigger first weekend, grossing $247 million over its first three days in theaters. Star Wars: The Last Jedi‘s opening pushed Jurassic World‘s $208 million down into third place.
The 2017 entry in the Star Wars series snagged the #2 spot on the largest opening day in history list. Star Wars: The Force Awakens holds the top spot on that list with $119 million followed by The Last Jedi with $104 million and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 in third place with $91 million. Those numbers also represent the order of the largest Friday box office grosses in history.
The Last Jedi earned overwhelmingly positive reviews from film critics, and currently sits at 93% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with 276 positive reviews and only 20 negative. Audiences awarded it an A grade, according to CinemaScore.
The latest entry in the franchise should retain its hold on the #1 spot on the box office Top 10 list over the extended Christmas holiday weekend. New releases heading to theaters on December 22, 2017 include two comedies – Father Figures and Pitch Perfect 3 – as well as Downsizing, which is more drama than comedy. The musical The Greatest Showman with Hugh Jackman and the action comedy Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle get an early jump on the weekend as they head into theaters on Wednesday, December 20th.
The Star Wars: The Last Jedi Plot: In Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of The Force Awakens join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past.
Samuel Barnett, Elijah Wood, and Hannah Marks in ‘Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency’ season 2 episode 10 (Photo by Katie Yu / BBC America)
According to the opening scene of BBC America’s Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency season two episode 10, Suzie is the hero of the story and a beautiful Queen who everyone loves. This, of course, is only according to Suzie. To the rest of Wendimoor, she’s most definitely a wicked witch.
Catching up with the trio of Sheriff Sherlock Hobbs (Tyler Labine), Farah Black (Jade Eshete), and Deputy Tina Tevetino (Izzie Steele), the friends come around after being knocked out by the car explosion. Hobbs has no idea what happened because he was under The Mage’s control. Farah and Tina are still alive but in pretty bad shape. They lay on the ground feet apart as Tina explains to Hobbs that he shot them. She and Farah recall they pretty much all shot each other. They assess their wounds, happy to note none can see their intestines.
Farah tries to get up to go fetch the truck and she makes it about a foot before collapsing. That plan definitely isn’t going to work.
Meanwhile, Dirk (Samuel Barnett) finds himself back at Blackwing, face to face with Rapunzel the Corgi. Dirk can’t figure out why the Corgi’s there and then decides he just can’t worry about that. Dirk keeps talking to himself, trying to make himself be brave. He runs into Friedkin’s second in command (not Ken…the other guy – Lt. Assistent) who tells him knights have entered Blackwing and are killing everyone. Assistent (Amitai Marmorstein) blames it on Dirk and threatens to shoot him.
Dirk tells Assistent he has to go to see Project Moloch. Of course, that’s when the knights appear and a gun battle breaks out with the Blackwing guards. Dirk and Assistent momentarily panic, but then pull themselves together. Dirk is adamant he must get to Project Moloch now!
Ken (Mpho Koaho) watches the knights, the guards, and everything else from the control room.
Back in Wendimoor, Amanda (Hannah Marks) and Todd (Elijah Wood) are screaming while their hands remain plunged into the pool. The portal is still open and then suddenly the siblings are in a more calm, quiet location. Amanda thinks she might have taken them out of their bodies, and they believe they’re now in the backstage of reality. It’s Amanda’s first time there and then they laugh as they look around. They say, “Drugs!” at the same time.
Amanda tells Todd to stay with her because back in reality the pain would be horrible.
Dirk and Assistent run through Blackwing and Dirk demands Assistent let him into a secure room which turns out to be the one where Mona’s being kept under guard. Dirk and Mona (Alexia Fast) are super happy to see each other, and then Mona turns into a cannon to blast down the door and set them free.
Meanwhile in Wendimoor, the Rowdy 3 are in the woods determined to stop Queen Suzie (Amanda Walsh). She appears and zaps them, making them freeze in place. They attempt to suck the energy from her, but are knocked down. Steam rises from their bodies as Suzie walks over them, laughing.
Mona turns back into a human and hugs Dirk. He explains he’s been trying to find “the boy,” and then it dawns on him to ask if she realized the boy was in Blackwing the whole time when she sent him on a mission to find him. She claims she didn’t and was only trying to help the talking snail in her head.
Dirk tells her the boy is Project Moloch and Assistent will take them to him. Mona says she can get them to Project Moloch really fast but then asks if Dirk can turn into a bug. “Only emotionally,” answers Dirk.
Queen Suzie zaps Amanda and Todd while they still have their hands in the pool. She knocks them away from the portal and Amanda is unconscious. Todd’s still on his feet when Suzie tries to use a spell that will kill them. It doesn’t work, and Todd demands to know who she is and why she’s involved in this story at all. She’s just a mom from Montana, after all. “You’re just like this psycho crazy person who’s screwing up everything for everyone! You have killed so many people. Do you have any conception of what is going on or what you’re doing?”
Suzie shakes her wand at him and claims it’s given her a second chance. She declares she’s taking control of her life, and Dirk tells her that should mean she’s fixing herself, not the world around her. He then realizes they’re talking and she hasn’t killed him. That means her wand isn’t working so he shoots her with the air gun, knocking her out.
Dirk races toward Project Moloch on Mona, who’s now a motorcycle. They make it to Project Moloch’s room and just when they think they’re in the clear, Friedkin (Dustin Milligan) grabs Dirk and holds a gun to his head. Mona has it figured out now and has decided Friedkin’s the bad one. He claims he’s not, but he can’t let Dirk go because when he disappeared it made everyone think he was an idiot.
Dirk explains they can end all of this if they return Project Moloch to Wendimoor. Friedkin lets Dirk go, saying this is all his fault because Project Moloch had a stroke when they brought him here. Friedkin then asks if he’s the villain. “Am I so stupid that I didn’t even notice?!”
Dirk tells him the problem is Blackwing and they never should have tried to cage up the “projects.” He advises Friedkin now’s his time to make things right. Mona agrees. Friedkin is briefly convinced, but then points the gun at Dirk’s head once again. When Mona asks if it’s more important to be in charge or do the right thing, Friedkin wonders if that’s a trick question.
Apparently, he decided doing the right thing was the answer because the next scene shows him firing at the knights. He takes them out and clears the way for Dirk, Mona, and Project Moloch to escape.
Unfortunately, when they get to the portal it’s been closed.
In Wendimoor, Todd wakes Amanda and tells her to open the portal or they’ll all die. He swears he’ll hold off Suzie to give his sister time, however, Suzie returns and her wand is once again working. She’s able to deflect Todd’s blasts from the air gun.
Inside Blackwing, Dirk figures out there must be a problem in Wendimoor. Unfortunately, Friedkin won’t be going through it if it does open because Lord Triangle Badevil slices him with his oversized scissors. “Dirk Gently dies and the prophecy is over,” says Lord Badevil (Christian Sloan). Mona steps in front of Dirk, attempting to protect him. However, Ken saves the day by killing Lord Badevil.
Dirk can’t believe Ken’s there, however it turns out Ken’s not on their side. He blasts Mona and renders her powerless, and then calls in and commands they lock down this room.
In Wendimoor, Dirk’s girlfriend protects her man by attacking Queen Suzie. She jumps on Suzie and her wand falls to the ground. Todd grabs the wand and tells Amanda to open the portal. Suzie tries to use a spell to make the wand return to her and Todd hangs onto it for dear life.
Amanda opens the portal and in Blackwing Dirk tries to warn Ken he has no idea what he’s gotten himself into.
Ken tries lecturing Dirk and says he’s meant to stay in Blackwing. After Dirk makes certain Ken doesn’t want to actually kill him, he starts to get Project Moloch to the portal. Ken shoots Dirk in the leg and Dirk screams. Ken claims reinforcements are on their way and demands Dirk stay still.
It turns out Friedkin is badly injured but not dead.
Todd struggles to hold the wand after being pulled toward Suzie. They play tug-of-war with the wand and, finally, Suzie gets it back. She binds Dirk in magic chains and squeezes him.
Ken yells at Dirk not to move or he’ll shoot him again. Friedkin speaks up and then aims his gun at Ken. Friedkin has realized they can’t control any of this and warns if Ken shoots Dirk, he’ll shoot Ken.
Amanda wants to help her brother, but Todd tells her to keep the portal open.
Dirk keeps working on getting Project Moloch to the portal as Ken keeps threatening to shoot him. Friedkin has Dirk’s back and tells him to keep going.
Suzie makes her way to Amanda at the edge of the portal, ready to kill her.
Back in Blackwing, Dirk and Project Moloch make it through the portal. Friedkin also falls through it before it can close.
Suzie’s about to use her wand on everyone when Project Moloch, now a young boy wearing a crown, easily makes the wand come to his hand. The boy says, “Rise and shine,” and then releases Todd from his bindings.
Suzie claims to be a good guy when the boy reveals he doesn’t remember her. However, Dirk, Todd, and Amanda are quick to overrule that assessment. With just a wave of his hand, Suzie is vanquished.
The Rowdy 3 wake up in the forest. Vogel wonders if this means they won.
Mona Wilder (Alexia Fast), Dirk Gently (Samuel Barnett), and The Boy (Dylan Schombing) in ‘Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency’ season 2 episode 10 (Photo by Katie Yu)
Todd’s ecstatic because Dirk was able to retrieve the boy. The boy reveals his name is Francis and he thanks Dirk for bringing him back. He knew if he could get back to Wendimoor, he could fix everything.
Dirk and Todd have a moment of panic over The Mage, but Francis reveals The Mage is dead. When Francis says their friends stopped him, Todd asks, “Who could possibly stop a super-powerful dark wizard?” Dirk and Amanda immediately answer Farah, and Todd admits he realized that before he finished the question.
Francis reveals Farah needs their help. He explains he’s going to send them back with a gift – a gift that will be the last thing he makes in his old world. Francis thanks them and then sends Todd back to his world. He then tells Amanda she has big things to do in her own world and sends her back, too.
Todd arrives at the quarry driving an “amboolents,” thanks to Francis. Todd checks out Farah, Tina, and Hobbs, and thankfully they’re all alive but in bad shape. He holds Farah and she apologizes to him that he has to save her life. (A totally Farah move.)
Back in Wendimoor, Dirk and Mona approach Francis who’s now seated on his throne. He thanks Mona for her help and adds that he couldn’t have done this without Dirk. Dirk asks if he knows what he is or why he is. Francis explains they’re supposed to help fix things, that’s what all the projects are. “Tools to fix the broken universe. There’s problems in reality and you’re supposed to repair them,” says Francis. Each of the projects had a different purpose and Dirk’s was to help people be where they should be. Francis was supposed to make things, and he wishes his life on the old world had turned out better.
He then tells Dirk that he should create his own family. “But I suppose you already know that. Don’t you, Dirk?” Dirk smiles and nods yes, and confirms he’s ready to go home. Francis sends Dirk and Mona back to the old world.
A depressed Bart (Fiona Dourif) sits alone on top of a pile of dead knights when Francis arrives to thank her for getting rid of them. She asks if he’s going to fix everything, and then admits she messed things up too. He tells her she can stay in Wendimoor if she’d like, but she doesn’t think so because she’d ruin his perfect world. “I’m not even a person; I’m just a weapon,” says Bart.
“In time I hope you find that that’s not true,” says Francis. He sends her where she wants to go.
Friedkin, who slipped into the portal just as it was closing, wakes in what Amanda earlier labeled the backstage of reality. He’s no longer injured but because the portal is closed, he’s stuck. He doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, he seems peaceful.
Back in Blackwing, a corporate executive tells Ken this is all a disaster since 40 people are dead. Ken’s fine with everything that went down because the weapons and metal from Wendimoor are from a completely new type of material. Plus, there’s now a research facility in Bergsberg set up around a geometrically impossible pocket dimension. It all means there’s now conclusive proof of the supernatural. He calls it the greatest discovery in history, and the Blackwing executive tells him that’s a nice spin.
Tina, Farah, and Hobbs recuperate at the hospital, hanging out in their wheelchairs, and playing cards. Tina declares she never wants to get shot again. Hobbs is actually okay with everything that happened, even being turned into a zombie. Tina says while he was a zombie, she had to deal with witches, zombies, and wizards, and Farah compliments her saying she did good. Hobbs also compliments Tina, telling her he always knew she’d be a good cop.
Hobbs has learned Farah’s no longer on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. Plus, they all have to sign secrecy contracts. Farah tries to hand in her badge, but Hobbs refuses to take it.
Todd and Amanda meet up in Montana and after they discuss her choice of grey wardrobe, she says maybe now she’ll get a job and get back to normal life. She laughs and then says she’s actually going to look for more people out there like Dirk. She thinks something big is coming and they need special people. She asks if he and Dirk want to come, but Dirk doesn’t think that’s how it works.
Amanda’s ready to hit the road with The Rowdy 3 which has now expanded to Rowdy 5. Dirk’s Wendimoor girlfriend has joined the crew! She gives Dirk a kiss – and a traffic cone- before getting back in the van with the guys.
Amanda and Todd hug and exchange “I love yous,” and then Amanda hits the road with the gang. After Amanda drives away, Todd wonders if the rainbow monster being here might cause a problem sometime in the future. Dirk thinks that’s probably true as she’s a loose end. Todd then reveals there’s another loose end; he brought the air gun back with him from Wendimoor. Dirk’s happy about that and they high-five.
It’s just Todd and Dirk now, leaning against the hood of the amboolents. Dirk asks if Todd’s okay, and he confirms he is. Todd congratulates Dirk on solving the case and Dirk jokes that it was an easy one. They wonder what happened to Suzie Boreton.
So, where is Suzie? She’s on board the train permanently circling the kingdom of Wendimoor in the sky. She screams, “No!” as she realizes where she is.
In Wendimoor, Panto (Christopher Russell) and Silas (Lee Majdoub) reunite and share a lengthy, passionate kiss.
The town is back to normal and the dead are once again alive and happy. The Trosts and the Dengdamors intermingle and celebrate life. Even Wakti Wapnasi is alive again, thanks to Francis.
In Bergsberg, Suzie’s husband plays with his son (who’s no longer a frog) and their dog.
The Rowdy 3+ are on the road and it’s revealed Amanda kept Suzie’s wand. Rainbow Monster hangs her head out the passenger window, enjoying the sensation.
Todd hangs a professional sign that reads “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency – Cases Solved with Arguable Efficiency.” Dirk, Todd, and Farah smile at the sign, and then Dirk does his new favorite thing. “Did it,” snapping his fingers.
Mona emerges from behind boxes in Dirk’s new business office. She puts a finger to her lips, looks at the camera, and whispers, “Shhhh.”
Back at Blackwing, Mr. Priest (Alan Tudyk) has a large wound running the length of his face. He listens as Ken and Bart, seated across from each other at a table, discuss her return to the facility. Ken says he’s happy to see her and she admits she’s happy to see him, too. However, she doesn’t look in the least bit happy to be back. Bart confesses the outside world is confusing and irritating. Ken says they’ll figure it out together.
Ken reveals he’s a big deal at Blackwing now and Bart says the universe is making her feel like she should kill him. Ken admits he anticipated that, but doesn’t think she will. He wants to bring order to the universe.
Ken and Mr. Priest leave Bart’s room. As she sits there alone, suddenly all the lights go out and she’s plunged into darkness.
Season two of Fox’s The Exorcist comes to a close with episode 10 titled “Unworthy.” After a terrific (and terrifying) second season, Fox has left the show’s fate hanging. The finale airing on December 15, 2017 effectively set up a season three in a heartwrenching scene featuring Ben Daniels as Marcus Keane. And speaking of Ben Daniels, both he and Alfonso Herrera were outstanding in their second outings as exorcists.
Season two episode 10 begins with Father Bennett (Kurt Egyiawan) awakening from his coma to find his sister sitting beside his hospital bed. He explains why he left home, getting emotional as he confesses he couldn’t find her when he finally returned. He apologizes for leaving her 22 years ago.
Of course, it’s all a dream as he’s actually still in a coma. Two corrupt priests are in his room, discussing why Father Bennett’s the best choice to help their cause. The camera pans down, showing they’ve set the container with ashes stirring under his bed, just waiting to possess him and integrate.
Marcus drags Andy (John Cho) through the woods following their fight. Father Tomas (Herrera) finally arrives, but he’s not alone. Mouse (Zuleikha Robinson) is there, too, and she simply says, “Hello, Marcus.”
Marcus and Father Tomas take Andy back to the old deserted house and tie him up. Father Tomas finally makes Marcus talk to Mouse, although it’s obvious Marcus isn’t pleased to see her. Mouse explains she left Father Bennett at a hospital after he was attacked by Maria Walters. She’s been searching for Marcus and reveals the Church is compromised and they’re hunting down every exorcist.
Marcus and Mouse finally get to the heart of the matter. She’s still angry he left her in a possessed state for six months. Marcus reminds her she was in good hands and that he fought to save her. He wasn’t enough and she needed more help. Mouse replies, “I needed you.” Marcus says he never wanted this life for her.
Father Tomas pushes pause on their discussion to remind them they’re running out of time to help Andy. The kids have been sent away and now they need to do what they can to rid Andy of the demon.
Speaking of the kids, Rose (Li Jun Li) accompanies them off the island through a storm. Verity (Brianna Hildebrand) wonders if Shelby (Alex Barima) has a prayer he can say to help them. She admits she doesn’t totally believe in God, but Shelby assures her that’s okay. She prays while Rose stares unblinking back at the island.
Mouse, Marcus, and Father Tomas pick up the exorcism again, working together to help Andy. His body lifts off the ground as he wails and moans. The demon splinters wood on the ceiling and tosses items across the room, and then Andy suddenly flops down on the floor. Marcus leans down to check him out, and Andy cackles.
“This one’s strong,” admits Mouse. Father Tomas replies, “We’re running out of time.”
A helicopter hovers over the old house, shining its spotlight down onto the house and surrounding woods. Mouse, Father Tomas, and Marcus are fully aware their time is almost up, and Mouse whips out her gun. She’s ready to shoot Andy – kill the host, kill the demon – but Marcus tells her to put the gun down. He wants to continue, claiming they’re not executioners.
The demon speaks to Marcus and reminds him about the priest he killed in Chicago. Father Tomas tells him not to listen to the demon as it imitates his father’s voice. It taunts Marcus about the fact he enjoyed killing his father, and Marcus confirms to the demon it’s getting his story right.
Mouse is confused why the demon is still here since it failed to kill the family. It must know it can’t defeat them. Father Tomas believes Andy has the demon trapped in his body, holding it inside to allow them the opportunity to kill it. Mouse again wants to kill Andy because they’ve run out of time and the demon will soon escape.
Father Tomas suggests they offer it something it wants more. Father Tomas is willing to offer himself up since there’s no better prize than an exorcist to a demon. He wants to save Andy, even if that means he loses his soul. Father Tomas blames himself for their current situation, and Marcus confesses he doesn’t want to lose him. Father Tomas replies, “Then bring me back.”
Mouse argues Andy isn’t worth it, and the demon asks Father Tomas if he can feel him in the back of his mind. “You want me? Come and get me,” says Father Tomas as his eyes roll up in his head.
Father Tomas imagines himself back in Andy’s house. He picks up a flashlight and sees paintings of the kids on the wall with distorted faces. He heads upstairs, walking past filthy walls. He hears growling as a shadowy figure with glowing eyes emerges from a room. Suddenly, Father Tomas is no longer alone! Andy is there and he uses a bat to destroy the demon.
Andy makes them hurry down the hall to the bedroom, warning Father Tomas the demon will be back soon. He says it always comes back stronger, adding that he realizes he can’t leave. People are dead and it’s his fault, blaming himself for Harper’s mom’s death and for how the children were terrorized.
Andy’s sure if he leaves, the demon will attack some other family. They have to kill the demon; it’s their only choice. Andy has a message he wants Father Tomas to take back to the kids if something goes wrong.
Meanwhile, Marcus and Mouse argue over their present course of action. She can’t believe Marcus is wasting Father Tomas’ talent. “God sent you an atom bomb and you’re trying to turn him into a surgeon’s scalpel.” Marcus says he’s been showing Father Tomas the way, but Mouse claims they have to fight a new way. Saving one person at a time isn’t enough. They’re losing the battle, and Father Tomas’ gift could possibly turn the tide.
Inside Father Tomas, he and Andy walk back down the hall – bat at the ready. Andy wishes this was just a dream he couldn’t wake up from. Suddenly, the demon is back and it’s grabbed Andy. It drags him away and Father Tomas now sees Nikki emerging from assorted rooms, and then grotesquely contorted and crawling toward him in the hall. He runs into a room and barricades it.
Andy’s in the room and he’s in horrible shape. A beehive has opened on the skin covering his stomach and bugs crawl in and out of the holes. Father Tomas tells him it’s his turn to fight, saying he’s offering himself to the demon so that Andy will be let go. Father Tomas wants Andy to leave to be with his kids, but Andy continues to insist this is his responsibility.
The demon bangs on the bedroom door as the paintings on the wall meltdown to the floor and form a massive puddle. Father Tomas prays, demanding the demon to leave. The door grows quiet. Why? Because behind Father Tomas the demon is forming from the melted paints on the floor. It rises up, body completely covered in what looks like glistening black oil. Only its eyes and mouth are clearly visible.
Father Tomas tells it to let Andy go and to take him instead. Andy yells no, as the demon chokes Father Tomas. It bends over him on the floor, lips touching lips as it breathes into his mouth.
Marcus and Mouse try and wake Father Tomas, but he’s lost inside with the demon. Marcus, with tears in his eyes, yells for Father Tomas to get out of his vision.
Mouse and Marcus try to revive Father Tomas, telling him to get out of there. Father Tomas’ eye reveals two pupils as the demon tries to integrate itself with the priest. Andy issues a horrific scream in the deserted house as inside the vision the real Andy screams from his place on the floor. He watches the demon enter Father Tomas and yells, “Marcus, if you can hear me, shoot her! Shoot her now!”
The demon screams inside Andy’s body in the house while inside Father Tomas’ head, the demon continues entering his body through his mouth as it holds the priest down on the floor.
Marcus cradles Father Tomas’ body and aims the gun, which he took from Mouse, at Andy’s head. Andy says, “Do it,” and Marcus pulls the trigger.
Inside Father Tomas’ vision, the demon disintegrates. Father Tomas’ eye returns to normal and he rolls to the ground, exhausted.
Marcus is overcome with emotions as he touches Andy’s dead body.
Father Tomas comes to and realizes Marcus had to shoot Andy.
Squad cars arrive at the old house, with the officers pulling their guns as they approach the front door. Andy’s dead body remains inside the house.
Rose speaks to the police at the station, insisting Andy was a great father. She says he loved those kids for six years, but the detective reminds her that four people are dead. Plus, the kids all insist they were attacked by their father.
Rose explains Lorraine Graham broke into the house and held a knife to her daughter’s throat. Andy only killed her to protect the kids, says Rose. Rose adds the neighbors were killed because something happened to Andy after he killed Lorraine. She confirms Andy only got violent against her and the children after she tried to take the kids off the island. He wonders why she didn’t report any of this, and she replies that it was because she was trapped on an island and trying to protect four traumatized kids while being chased by Andy. She adds, “I thought the paperwork could wait.”
The detective assures her the kids are only alive because of her.
The kids wait on a bench at the station, concerned about where they’re going next. Father Tomas has been watching over them until Rose is finished with her interview. She takes charge again, thanking the priest for his help.
As the kids start to walk away, Father Tomas tells Rose that Andy gave him a message for the kids – and for her. Father Tomas reveals that Andy was sorry he didn’t tell Rose how he felt about her and what she meant to him. He hopes she knew that.
Father Tomas then turns and reveals Andy’s message to the kids. “He said, ‘Tell the kids that Nikki and I loved them. We loved them all so damn much. Tell Truck (Cyrus Arnold) never forget that he is smarter and kinder than anyone gives him credit for. And just because sometimes people don’t see that doesn’t mean it’s not true.
Tell Harper don’t let anyone tell you that anything’s wrong with you because you are perfect in every way. And, even though you weren’t in my house for long, you’ll always be my daughter. Caleb, I’m in awe of your courage and the fact that you can still face the world with a smile on your face makes me love you all the more.
Shelby, I know you did everything you could to protect our family. You were strong when I was weak. And you were brave when it mattered. Oh god, I’m so proud to call you my son.
And tell Verity, tell Verity that she changed our lives when she came to stay. She saved us.’”
Andy also said, “Tell them that it doesn’t matter where you came from. Every one of you is going to go on and do amazing things and lead amazing lives. And even though I may not be there to see it happen, you will always, always be part of me.”
Father Tomas assures them Andy gave his life to make sure the demon couldn’t hurt anyone ever again. He was a hero.
Back at the hotel, Mouse gets her truck ready while Father Tomas checks on Marcus. They’re ready to leave, but Marcus says he’s not coming with them. He says he’s compromised after taking a man’s life. He doesn’t believe he’s worthy, but Father Tomas reminds him Andy wanted Marcus to stop the demon no matter the cost. Marcus doesn’t care since he committed a mortal sin. Marcus broke the vow to not harm anyone, but Father Tomas asks how many lives will be saved because of what he did?
Marcus doesn’t regret pulling the trigger. He hasn’t heard God’s voice in a long time and admits he doesn’t feel anything. He says in that moment he rejected God’s love. Father Tomas confesses he would have sacrificed himself to save Andy, but Marcus acknowledges he wasn’t willing to sacrifice Father Tomas for Andy.
Father Tomas doesn’t know how to move forward without Marcus, and Marcus reminds him he’s an exorcist. He needs to put his trust in God and he’ll be fine. They shake and then hug, and Father Tomas doesn’t want to let go.
“Not forever…just for now,” says Father Tomas.
Marcus stops by Mouse at the truck and tells her to keep an eye on Father Tomas. Also, not to let him drive because he’s horrible. She tells him to take care of himself. He walks away as Father Tomas and Mouse watch.
Back inside the hotel room, Father Tomas doesn’t seem to think Marcus will be gone forever. Mouse, however, is sure Marcus is gone for good. Father Tomas confesses he can’t do this alone, and Mouse suggests she’s been sent by God to help him finish his journey. She asks him to help her.
They head out on a road trip, knowing they’re being hunted by the Church.
Back at the hospital, Father Bennett’s eyes spring open. He’s been integrated! After a nurse enters and then leaves his room, he follows her and chops off her head. A statue outside is also headless.
Three months later, Truck is reunited with Rose. They hug and then sit down to catch up. Truck’s having a horrible time at the psychiatric hospital. No one talks to him, they don’t turn off the lights at night, and he misses Andy. Rose at least has some good news. She’s found a temporary home for him that could one day become permanent.
Rose accompanies Truck to his new foster home, making him promise he’ll be patient because the foster mom is brand new. He agrees. They enter the home and Rose asks what he thinks. He looks around the kitchen and sees photos of Rose on the refrigerator. He can’t believe this is Rose’s house and then he hears his foster siblings in the other room. They’ve hung a big “Welcome Home, Truck” banner and collapse into a group hug.
A photo of the kids, Andy, and Nikki graces the fireplace mantel.
Catching up with Marcus, it appears he’s gotten a job on the docks. As he’s staring out into the ocean, he gasps. He hears a high-pitched ringing and says, “I can hear you. I’m listening.” Face wracked with emotion, he says, “Tomas?”
Yael Yurman, Gabrille Anwar, and Robert Carlyle in ‘Once Upon a Time’ season 7 episode 10 (Photo by Jack Rowand / ABC)
Just hours ahead of the premiere of the midseason finale, ABC has announced Once Upon a Time will be back on Friday, March 2, 2018. Season seven episode 10 airing on December 15, 2017 at 8pm ET/PT will be the final episode before the show takes its winter break.
The cast of season seven includes Lana Parrilla as Regina/Roni, Robert Carlyle as Rumpelstiltskin/Weaver, Colin O’Donoghue as Hook/Rogers, Andrew J. West as Henry Mills, Gabrielle Anwar as Lady Tremaine/Victoria Belfrey, Dania Ramirez as Cinderella/Jacinda, Alison Fernandez as Lucy, Mekia Cox as Sabine/Tiana, and Adelaide Kane as Drizella/Ivy. The guest cast includes Emma Booth as The Witch/Gothel/Eloise Gardener, and Rose Reynolds as Alice/Tilly.
Episode 10 titled “The Eighth Witch” was directed by Ralph Hemecker from a script by Jane Espenson and Jerome Schwartz. Rebecca Mader (welcome back – you’ve been missed!) as Zelena/Kelly, Nathan Parsons as Nick Branson, Yael Yurman as Anastasia, Sara Tomko as Tiger Lily, and Tiera Skovbye as Robin are the episode’s guest stars. Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis created the series and executive produce along with Steve Pearlman and David H. Goodman.
“The Eighth Witch” Plot: On the winter finale episode of Once Upon a Time, when Drizella threatens the realm with a dark curse, Henry (West) and Ella (Ramirez) take extreme actions to protect Lucy (Fernandez) and the others; and Regina is forced into making an unimaginable choice. In Hyperion Heights, Roni (Parrilla) recruits Henry to travel to San Francisco to search for her sister, but when he learns Lucy has fallen unconscious, Henry rushes to be by her side. Meanwhile, Gothel (Booth) earns the trust of Anastasia, and the consequences of their budding relationship could prove to be fatal.
The first official photo has just arrived of Hawk and Dove from the upcoming DC Super Hero series, Titans. The photo shows Titans stars Alan Ritchson (as Hank Hall/Hawk) and Minka Kelly (as Dawn Granger aka Dove) in their superhero costumes. Ritchson and Kelly co-star alongside Brenton Thwaites (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Gods of Egypt) who’s taking on the role of Dick Grayson (aka Robin).
The gorgeous Hawk and Dove costumes were designed by costume designer Laura Jean Shannon. Shannon’s credits also include Black Lightning, Iron Man, and The Jungle Book.
The series comes from Weed Road Pictures, Berlanti Productions, and Warner Bros. Television. Akiva Goldsman, Geoff Johns, Greg Berlanti, and Sarah Schechter are the executive producers. Titans will air on the Warner Bros. Digital Networks’ direct-to-consumer digital service. A premiere date hasn’t been announced, however Titans is expected to debut sometime in 2018.
Alan Ritchson’s credits include Blood Drive, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland, The Wedding Ringer, and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Minka Kelly’s starred in 500 Days of Summer, Jane the Virgin, The Path, Almost Human, Charlie’s Angels, What I Like About You, and Friday Night Lights.
The Plot:Titans is an all-new live-action drama series that follows a group of young soon-to-be Super Heroes recruited from every corner of the DC Universe. In this action-packed series, Dick Grayson emerges from the shadows to become the leader of a fearless band of new heroes, including Starfire, Raven and many others. Titans is a dramatic, live-action adventure series that will explore and celebrate one of the most popular comic book teams ever.
“You cannot reason with a tiger when your head is in its mouth,” shouts Churchill (Gary Oldman), struggling to convince his political party to stop trying to set up peace talks with Hitler and to continue to fight on in the early days of WWII in the dramatic film, Darkest Hour.
In May 1940 only days after becoming Prime Minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill faces his greatest challenge. Churchill must convince his own political party, as well as the rest of Parliament and the Royal Family, to remain steadfast and keep fighting Hitler and Nazi Germany. This is much more difficult than anyone would expect, with France about to fall and Britain’s entire army trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk with no means of escape. (The people are unaware of how dire the situation is because they’ve been kept in the dark about the fact German troops have surrounded the British army.)
With his own political party plotting against him, the Royal King not trusting him, and the threat of invasion being imminent, Winston Churchill must find a way to rally the nation together and carry on fighting against incredible odds.
Gripping, enlightening, and dramatic, Darkest Hour is a powerful film based on historic events. The movie’s both entertaining and educational, with Gary Oldman captivating the audience with his stellar performance. Oldman’s mesmerizing, intriguing, and at times humorous portrayal is all but guaranteed to snag him a well-deserved Oscar nomination.
Lily James delivers an extremely effective and moving performance as Churchill’s new, young secretary, Elizabeth Layton. James shows perfectly how Layton is at first both in awe of Churchill and greatly intimidated by him. However, as she continues to work for Churchill, she becomes dedicated to him and is one of the few people who can get past his gruff and rough exterior to reach his human, and even, sensitive side.
The scenes between Oldman and James are some of the best in the film. There’s a scene in which Churchill can’t stand to have Layton upset but is leery of letting her behind the scenes to learn the true state of the war. She pleads to know the truth, and Churchill surprises both Layton and the audience by allowing her into the war map room (women were strictly forbidden from this room). He reveals the British army is trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk and he’s trying to launch a rescue effort involving civilian boats. The scene’s perfectly staged and played, and one that epitomizes the on screen chemistry between Oldman as Churchill and James as Elizabeth.
The make-up is worthy of an Oscar nod as it completely transforms Oldman into the old British Bulldog fighting to save his country from the tyranny of Nazi Germany. The production design, costumes, and sets are all superb, bringing back to life 1940s Britain so vividly the audience is likely to feel as though they have time traveled back to an age long gone by.
With an unforgettable performance by Gary Oldman as Churchill, Lily James’ exquisite portrayal of Elizabeth Layton, wonderful make-up and very impressive sets, Darkest Hour is one of the best historical films to come around in the last few years. It’s also one of the best pictures of the year, as well.
GRADE: B+
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some thematic material
Running Time: 125 minutes
Directed By: Joe Wright
Gary Oldman stars as Winston Churchill in ‘Darkest Hour’ (Photo by Jack English / Focus Features)
Elton John Grammy Special (Photo Provided by CBS and The Recording Academy)
CBS and The Recording Academy announced details about the Elton John: I’m Still Standing – A GRAMMY Salute honoring the life and career of Sir Elton John which is taking place on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 at Madison Square Garden. The special, which will air in 2018, pays tribute to the five-time Grammy Award winner and 2000 MusiCares Person of the Year honoree.
The live concert at The Theater at Madison Square Garden will include performances by Grammy nominee Miley Cyrus, Grammy nominee Kesha, two-time Grammy winner Miranda Lambert, 10-time Grammy winner John Legend, two-time Grammy winners Little Big Town, seven-time Grammy winner Chris Martin, Grammy winner Maren Morris, four-time Grammy winner Sam Smith, and four-time Grammy winner Keith Urban. Elton John is also scheduled to perform a selection of his hits.
“Sir Elton John is an international music legend who has captivated audiences across generations for more than five decades,” stated Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. “His creativity, dynamic presence, and melodic virtuosity have positioned him as a cultural icon, and the Recording Academy is pleased to honor his immeasurable contributions to the music community.”
“Elton John is an undeniable force within the music industry, and I can’t think of a better musician to honor at this special GRAMMY Salute,” added Ken Ehrlich, executive producer of AEG Ehrlich Ventures. “We’re proud to pay tribute to his artistry and can’t wait to see what the participating musicians have in store for this momentous celebration of Elton’s work.”
The Elton John: I’m Still Standing – A GRAMMY Salute is produced by Ron Basile and executive produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures and Rac Clark. Tickets will go on sale via ticketmaster beginning on December 18, 2017 at 12pm ET.
A Brief Look at Elton John’s Career, Courtesy of CBS: “The monumental career of international singer, songwriter and performer Elton John has spanned more than three decades. Since launching his first tour in 1970, Elton has had over 4,000 performances in more than 80 countries. He is one of the top-selling solo artists of all time, with 35 gold and 25 platinum albums and more than 300 million records sold worldwide.
The Recording Academy has bestowed Elton multiple GRAMMY Awards, as well as the GRAMMY Legend Award and MusiCares Person of the Year honor in 2000. Three of his recordings have also been inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame®. In the early 1990s, Elton collaborated with lyricist Tim Rice on the soundtrack for The Lion King, earning him an Academy Award. The album produced two top-selling, award-winning singles: “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and “Circle of Life.” The Tony Award®-winning Broadway production of Aida earned Elton a GRAMMY Award for Best Musical Show Album. Billy Elliot was nominated for a record-tying 15 Tony Awards and won 10, including Best Musical.
In 1992, Elton established the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which today is one of the leading nonprofit HIV/AIDS organizations. In 1998 the Queen of England knighted him Sir Elton John, CBE. In 2004 Elton received the Kennedy Center Honor for his lifetime contributions to American culture and excellence through the performing arts. In 2013 Elton was honored as the first recipient of the prestigious BRITs Icon Award.”
