Sasha Pieterse and Janel Parrish will star in ‘Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists’ (Photos Courtesy of Freeform)
Freeform’s returning to the world of Pretty Little Liars with the spinoff, Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists. The network’s ordered a pilot for the spinoff with Sasha Pieterse and Janel Parrish returning to reprise their roles as Alison DiLaurentis and Mona Vanderwaal.
The pilot’s set up with Warner Horizon Scripted Television and is based on Sara Shepard’s bestselling book series, The Perfectionists. Shepard also wrote Pretty Little Liars, and Pretty Little Liars‘ I. Marlene King and Leslie Morgenstein return behind the scenes. King wrote the pilot and executive produces with Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo.
“At Freeform, we are committed to delivering shows that push boundaries and become a part of our viewers’ lives. Pretty Little Liars was a cultural phenomenon so it’s no wonder fans wanted more,” stated Karey Burke, executive vice president, programming and development, Freeform. “We can’t wait to continue Marlene King’s rich and revolutionary storytelling with a new crop of leading ladies from Beacon Heights who will hold just as many secrets and lies as Rosewood did.”
“I’m beyond excited to continue my collaboration with Sara Shepard, Alloy, Freeform and Warner Horizon,” added Marlene King. “I can’t wait to introduce our fans – and Sasha and Janel – to a new world of thrills and chills in Beacon Heights.”
The Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists Plot: Everything about the town of Beacon Heights seems perfect, from their top-tier college to their overachieving residents. But nothing in Beacon Heights is as it appears to be. The stress of needing to be perfect leads to the town’s first murder. Behind every Perfectionist is a secret, a lie and a needed alibi.
Pretty Little Liars stars Sasha Pieterse (Inherent Vice) and Janel Parrish (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before) are set to reprise their original roles in the new pilot. In Pretty Little Liars, Pieterse played Alison DiLaurentis, the former queen bee whose mysterious disappearance rocked the small town of Rosewood. Parrish played Mona Vanderwaal, Hanna Marin’s best friend, who was unmasked as the mysterious tormentor “A” at the end of the show’s second season, and ultimately beat uber-villain, A.D., at her own game.
Sanaa Lathan joins ‘The Affair’ (Photo by Derek Blanks)
Showtime’s critically acclaimed dramatic series, The Affair, has added Sanaa Lathan (American Assassin) in a recurring role. According to the network, Lathan will play Jenelle, “the tough-as-nails principal of the charter school where Noah (Dominic West) teaches, who intrigues him. She’s got a lot to prove to her school’s oppositional administration and faculty, who seem to fight her at every turn.”
Lathan’s credits include Love and Basketball, Alien vs. Predator, Contagion, The Best Man, The Best Man Holiday, The Perfect Guy, Now You See Me 2, Something New, Out of Time, Brown Sugar, and Shots Fired.
Season four of The Affair is currently shooting in New York and Los Angeles. Showtime’s targeting a 2018 premiere.
The Affair was created by WGA Award-winning playwright and writer/producer Sarah Treem (House of Cards) and Hagai Levi (In Treatment). Treem serves as the showrunner and executive produces with Levi. The season four cast includes returning series stars Dominic West, Ruth Wilson, Maura Tierney, and Joshua Jackson.
The Plot: The series explores the emotional and psychological effects of an affair that destroyed two marriages, and the crime that brings these individuals back together. Season four finds Noah (West), Helen (Tierney), Alison (Wilson) and Cole (Jackson) in their own orbits, alienated from each other, spinning further and further away from where they all began. Every character is involved in a new relationship, forcing them each to decide if they’re ready and willing to leave the past behind for good – a season about new beginnings, tragic ends and the ever-elusive possibility of forgiveness.
In keeping with the tradition established with the previous Saw films, the revival of the franchise will be hosting a nationwide blood drive. Jigsaw fans who donate blood at any of the mobile Jigsaw blood drive locations will receive one free ticket to the film. The blood drive’s sponsored by Lionsgate and Atom Tickets, and the announcement was accompanied by the unveiling of the Jigsaw nurse posters.
More than 120,000 pints were collected during the previous Saw blood drives. Visit www.jigsawblooddrive.com for the upcoming mobile blood drive locations.
Matt Passmore, Callum Keith Rennie, Clé Bennett, Hannah Emily Anderson, Laura Vandervoort, Mandela Van Peebles, Paul Braunstein, Brittany Allen, and Josiah Black star in the R-rated horror film. Jigsaw is set to open in theaters on October 27, 2017.
The Plot: Thirteen years ago on Halloween weekend – Saw and the character of Jigsaw introduced the world to a new face of horror. For seven straight years “If it’s Halloween it must be SAW” was a holiday tradition. This October 27, Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures proudly present JIGSAW!
After a series of murders bearing all the markings of the Jigsaw killer, law enforcement find themselves chasing the ghost of a man dead for over a decade and embroiled in a new game that’s only just begun. Is John Kramer back from the dead to remind the world to be grateful for the gift of life? Or is this a trap set by a killer with designs of their own?
Although it has nothing to do with his upcoming feature film, The Mountain Between Us, the latest promotional video for the action-adventure movie targets all Idris Elba fans. The two-minute video finds Elba reading and reacting to some very interesting bits of fan fiction, including one that involves puff pastries.
The Mountain Between Us was directed by Hany Abu-Assad (Omar, The Idol) and co-stars Oscar winner Kate Winslet (The Reader), Beau Bridges (Bloodline), and Dermot Mulroney (Mozart in the Jungle). The film’s based on the book by Charles MArtin and was adapted for the screen by Chris Weitz and J. Mills Goodloe. 20th Century Fox has set an October 6, 2017 theatrical release date.
The Mountain Between Us Plot: Stranded after a tragic plane crash, two strangers must forge a connection to survive the extreme elements of a remote snow covered mountain. They embark on a perilous journey across hundreds of miles of wilderness discovering strength they never knew possible.
CBS’s new half-hour family comedy series 9JKL is set to premiere on Monday, October 2, 2017 at 8:30pm ET/PT. The series is inspired by the life of actor Mark Feuerstein who stars in the series he co-created with Dana Klein. Feuerstein, Klein, Aaron Kaplan, Wendi Trilling, Dana Honor, and Pamela Fryman serve as executive producers, with Fryman directing the first episode.
In addition to Mark Feuerstein (‘Josh’), the comedy series stars David Walton (‘Andrew’), Elliott Gould (‘Harry’), Linda Lavin (‘Judy’), Liza Lapira (‘Eve’), Matt Murray (‘Nick’), and Albert Tsai (‘Ian’). The guest cast includes Paul Feig as himself, Sally Pressman (‘Christina’), Hana Hayes (‘Molly’), and Fernando Martinez.
The Plot: Josh Roberts is a new divorcé and actor between projects who moves home to New York to regroup, living in an apartment sandwiched between his doting, meddlesome parents on one side and his brother, sister-in-law and their new baby on the other. Josh’s well-intentioned mom, Judy, is so excited to have her beloved son home after his 12 years in Los Angeles that she bribes their doorman, Nick, to secretly call her every time Josh comes up the elevator so she can greet him in the hallway.
Also thrilled is Josh’s larger-than-life father, Harry, an attorney with no personal boundaries who’s eager to help Josh land his next starring role using his Hollywood “connections.” Teasing Josh about his return home is his competitive brother, Andrew, a successful surgeon who, unlike Josh, doesn’t have a problem saying “no” to their interfering parents; Andrew’s Harvard-educated pediatrician wife, Eve; and 12-year-old neighbor Ian from 5A, who hangs out in the lobby. As Josh’s family literally comes at him from both sides, he realizes he desperately needs to establish some ground rules, because his loving family is always going to be right there for him. Always.
Fox’s Lucifer returns for a third season on October 2, 2017 at a new time, 8pm ET/PT. Season three episode one titled “They’re Back, Aren’t They?” finds the sexy Devil trying to figure out why his dad gave him back his glorious wings. The episode will also introduce Smallville‘s Tom Welling as Marcus Pierce, a potential rival for Chloe’s affection.
Season three stars Tom Ellis as Lucifer, Lauren German as Chloe, DB Woodside as Amenadiel, Lesley-Ann Brandt as Maze, Kevin Alejandro as Dan, Scarlett Estevez as Trixie, Rachael Harris as Linda Martin, Tricia Helfer as Charlotte, and Aimee Garcia as Ella. The episode one guest cast includes Pej Vahdat as Josh McGregor, Michael Gladis as Sam, and Jeremiah Birkett as Lee.
“They’re Back, Aren’t They” Plot: After a confused Lucifer wakes up in the middle of the desert with his wings back, he recruits the help of Chloe to help figure out what happened to him and why. Upon doing their own research, they come across a crime scene that could be tied to Lucifer’s kidnapping. When the Lancaster Police Department get involved, newcomer Lieutenant Marcus Pierce (Tom Welling) fails to make a great impression on everyone with his stern demeanor. The investigation goes awry when Lucifer finds himself in another compromising situation and something much darker is revealed.
The killer clown film finally met its match in Kingsman: The Golden Circle. It had to give up its hold on the #1 spot while still ringing up $30 over its third weekend in release. The critically acclaimed horror film based on Stephen King’s bestseller is now the highest grossing R-rated horror film in history with a total domestic gross of $266 million. Warner Bros has to be ecstatic about It‘s performance, especially given its $35 million budget.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle opened lower than expected, but still managed to surpass Kingsman: The Secret Service‘s opening weekend numbers, taking in $39 million domestically compared to the first Kingsman‘s $36 million. Critics ranked the sequel below the original film, with Kingsman: The Secret Service sitting at 74% fresh while Kingsman: The Golden Circle rests at just 51% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Also opening lower than anticipated were the latest LEGO movie, The LEGO Ninjago Film, and the social media horror film, Friend Request. Ninjago‘s opening ranks third among the three LEGO films, while Friend Request‘s C+ CinemaScore and 19% Rotten Tomatoes rating don’t bode well for a successful theatrical run.
Opening next weekend: Tom Cruise’s American Made, the Flatliners remake, and an expansion of Battle of the Sexes into wider release.
20th Century Fox released the first trailer for Maze Runner: The Death Cure starring Teen Wolf‘s Dylan O’Brien. As the trailer proclaims, every maze has an end which also holds true for the Maze Runner film franchise. The 2018 sci-fi action film is the final installment in the trilogy directed by Wes Ball and based on James Dashner’s bestselling books.
In addition to Dylan O’Brien, the cast includes Giancarlo Esposito, Dexter Darden, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Rosa Salazar, Kaya Scodelario, Patricia Clarkson, Katherine McNamara, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Jacob Lofland. 20th Century Fox is aiming for a January 26, 2018 theatrical release.
The Plot: In the epic finale to the Maze Runner saga, Thomas leads his group of escaped Gladers on their final and most dangerous mission yet. To save their friends, they must break into the legendary Last City, a WCKD-controlled labyrinth that may turn out to be the deadliest maze of all. Anyone who makes it out alive will get answers to the questions the Gladers have been asking since they first arrived in the maze.
Sam Heughan stars in ‘Outlander’ season 3 episode 3 (Photo Courtesy of Starz)
Episode three of the third season of Starz’s Outlander is titled “All Debts Paid.” And, in my estimation, all but one is completed by the end of the episode: Jamie’s (Sam Heughan) duty to the Crown. There are also deviations from the book’s account of the many paths our beloved characters take. The end results remain the same…don’t worry, book lovers. As the incredible showrunner Ron D. Moore said, he baked in some surprises so there would be fresh excitement. I will point out a few of these divergent storylines, but if I detail all the book’s differences with the show we will be here for a month!
We open in 1956 Boston, at breakfast with Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Frank (Tobias Menzies). Frank is making what he calls a proper English breakfast because wee Brianna (Gemma Fray) had asked for Eggo waffles. (I have those in my freezer right now because my son likes them.) Claire and Frank are doing a bit of husband and wife back and forth. Claire suggests a trip to the movies that night since she doesn’t have class. Frank likes the idea but informs Claire he has seen the current movies already; the suggestive look he gives is that it was on dates with other women. Here is a key difference from the book. In the previous episode, “Surrender,” they had twin beds and now they talk about the open marriage arrangement they agreed upon. That is not the way they conduct the marriage in the book. Frank does have affairs but Claire acts as if she knows nothing about it until Brianna is grown and almost out of high school.
Now to check in on Jamie. When we last saw him, the Redcoats were taking Jamie away from Lallybroch to prison. Ardsmuir Prison in 1755 is a perfectly revolting place. There is a changing of the leadership of the prison and Major John Grey (David Berry) is taking up his new post when he realizes he’s acquainted with one of the prisoners, Red Jamie. Jamie is the only prisoner with irons around his wrists and ankles, showing how scared the Redcoat guards are of our beloved Highland warrior.
Jamie heads down into the cells with the rest of the men who were in the yard. The prisoners call Jamie Mac Dubh, pronounced MacDoo, and it means the Son of the Black after his father who was called Black Brian because of the darkness of his hair. Jamie takes up a seat in the cells next to a stone pillar, and who is sitting on the other side but Murtagh Frazer (Duncan Lacroix). This is another surprise to the book readers. In the books, Murtagh was killed on Culloden Moor. They’re talking about the new governor of the prison, and Jamie mentions that he looks familiar but canna yet place him. Jamie has managed to gather some milk thistles that might help the very sick Murtagh. Jamie says he learned the trick with the thistles from Claire.
Jamie is taken to meet the new governor, Major Grey. Major Grey knows who he is, but does not reveal this to Jamie. The meeting is brief, mainly about rats, and Grey is taken aback by the fact the prisoners try to catch them and eat them. Jamie does exert his dominance in the situation with a piercing stare before he’s taken back to the lower cells.
It’s graduation day for Doctor Claire and her dear friend, Joe Abernathy (Wil Johnson). They’re celebrating with a group of friends when a woman rings the doorbell looking for Frank. The celebration party leaves for the restaurant, but clearly all pretense is broken.
An older, rambling Scottish man is found wandering and spouting Gaelic and French. The soldiers pick him up and place him in a nearby cell with a bed. The soldiers did make out one clear word of English, gold, so Major Grey wants to know what he’s saying. The Crown thinks the French sent a cache of gold to help the Jacobite cause, but the gold was never found. Grey is forced to seek Jamie’s help because he’s the only prisoner who can speak both French and Gaelic. Grey makes a bargain with Jamie to remove his irons if he will translate what the old man is saying.
When Frank returns home from his date, Claire is waiting for him and the inevitable battle begins. The discussion consists of who has caused who what pain. Claire gets around to telling Frank to file for divorce, which is another element not in the book. The show does explain the impact of divorce in that era. Frank is not willing to leave and be forced into the visitation situation to see Brianna. So, the pretense and external masquerade will continue.
During the discussion with the rambling old man, he mentions to Jamie something about a White Witch. Jamie’s trying to determine if there is anything truly about the gold, but the old man says the White Witch is seeking a strong man and then he goes into all the MacKenzie clan are dead. The man rambles on a little more about the White Witch before he dies, and it makes Jamie think it could be Claire. When Grey tries to get from Jamie what the man said, he can tell Jamie is holding something back – though it’s not what Grey thinks it is. Grey threatens to force Jamie to talk, but Jamie informs him there’s nothing that he could possibly do that has not already been done. How true that statement is, thanks to Black Jack Randall.
We have a quick look at Brianna (Sophie Skelton) blowing out her candles on her 16th birthday cake before we go back to the prison with Jamie attempting to doctor Murtagh. Jamie tells Murtagh what the old man rambled on about and reveals he mentioned the White Witch. They talk about Claire and wonder if she has come back through the stones. Murtagh wishes he could know what happened to Claire and the baby. Jamie tries to warn Murtagh about lingering on those wishes; it would only bring pain from not knowing.
Caitriona Balfe and Tobias Menzies in ‘Outlander’ season 3 (Photo Credit: Sony Pictures Television)
A guard arrives and takes Jamie to see Major Grey, and Grey has Jamie join him for a meal of pheasant in wine sauce. Jamie takes the opportunity to ask if the Major would let the men set snares and keep what they catch since the Crown canna provide adequate food for the prisoners. He also asks they be allowed to collect watercress to help with the Scurvy. Major Grey has never heard about watercress being used for such a reason, and Jamie mentions his wife taught him about the use of watercress because she was a healer. They sit down to eat and Jamie takes one bite and smiles. For one thing, it is probably the first time he has had pheasant in a long while. Jamie mentions the wine in the sauce and the Major smiles and says he isn’t sure what it is.
Mac Dubh tells the men in the cells about what they ate in detail. The men like hearing that the Major is treating their chieftain so well.
A few days later, the prisoners are taking a typical excursion outside the walls to do the usual hard labor they’ve been doing for years. But this time they are permitted to check their snares for any catches. As several of the men take off in a couple of directions, the guards must follow each group. It is enough of a distraction to allow Jamie to go hide in a place where other prisoners can cover him up so he can escape. Major John is incensed and the hunt is on to bring Jamie back. The soldiers make their way to the cliffs but there’s no sign of Jamie for three days.
The Major returns to the prison and is outside relieving himself when Jamie grabs him from behind. This is Jamie’s way of telling him he knows who the man is. Grey was the 16-year-old boy who tried to slit his throat while Jamie was relieving himself before the battle of Prestonpans. Jamie grabs Major Grey’s sword and asks him to complete his vow to kill him when they next saw each other. Major Grey refuses to kill an unarmed man, so Jamie is left alive again. Jamie just cannot get someone to kill him!
They walk out a distance from the prison and Jamie tells him of the additional meaning that the old rambling man’s words had. He tells Grey about the meaning of the White Witch and admits he had to go to see if his wife was at the cliffs. Jamie said he only found one jewel and presented the jewel to Major Grey as proof of his story.
We get to see Brianna graduate from high school with the proud parents looking on together. The look Frank gives a smiling Claire should reveal that he’s contemplating something.
Bounce back to the cells. The guards bring a doctor to care for Murtagh which surprises Jamie, to say the least. Jamie later enjoys a game of chess with Major Grey and they are comfortable enough with each other now to deliver a very personal story. The Major tells of a male friend he loved and lost at Culloden. Jamie surprises the Major with the knowledge that the woman he protected in their first encounter was none other than Jamie’s wife. In the book, Jamie reveals that at the time which is why Grey is ashamed of the way he gave up information that day.
The men share a tender enough moment that Grey feels brave enough to put his hand on Jamie’s in a show of affection. In the book, you can get inside Grey’s head. He begins to have affection for Jamie that he has not felt for another person since he lost his friend at Culloden. Jamie tells Grey to take his hand away or he will kill him. Jamie rises and leaves the Major’s office without the Major’s permission to go. The tear that falls from Major Grey’s cheek is enough to split your heart in two. He, quite naturally, doesn’t know all the meaning behind Jamie’s reaction to the touch. Jamie is not a lover of men in that way, but it is even more a reaction because of the things Black Jack Randall did to him in a similar prison those many years ago.
Claire is sitting contemplating a surgery she had performed earlier that day when Frank comes into the room. Claire can tell that Frank wants to discuss something. Frank announces he’s going to take his mistress with him and Bree to England. He’s going to leave Claire; he wants a divorce. Frank wants to live his life with someone who would truly love him instead of a ghost. He asks Claire if Brianna hadn’t looked so much like Jamie could she have forgotten Jamie in time? Claire says that amount of time does not exist. Frank grabs his keys and leaves in his car. The phone rings to call Claire to a surgery at the hospital.
The soldiers have all the prisoners lined up and are walking them in one direction, but Jamie is grabbed and taken in another direction. Jamie is tied by the hands and given to Major Grey. The rest of the prisoners are being taken to ships to eventually be delivered to servitude in the colonies for a period of 14 years. Murtagh is sent with them. As I mentioned, Murtagh’s story is an unknown to the book readers, so I hope we get to keep him in future seasons. Some book lovers might disagree with me since this is a change from the book, but I like Murtagh so much I hope he stays a while.
Jamie is marched behind Major Grey’s horse for three days until they reach Helwater Estate in England. Jamie is a convicted Jacobite traitor to the Crown and it’s at the Crown’s discretion as to what happens to him. Grey did what he could for Jamie since the Crown would not eventually commute his sentence with the rest of the men. Grey was able to get him an indentured sentence to a Lord as a groom in his stables.
Claire has completed her surgery and informed the husband of her patient’s status when Joe comes to tell Claire that Frank was in a car accident. Claire runs down the hall to see Frank laid under a sheet, already dead. Claire’s upset and tells him that she did love him, confirming he was her first love.
Frank paid his debt to Claire to help raise Brianna. Claire paid her debt to go back to Frank and be safe to raise their child; remember that promise she made Jamie in France when he wanted to kill Black Jack. Major Grey has paid his debt by giving Jamie back his life. Jamie has paid most of his debt to the Crown but as you saw at the end, he was delivered to Helwater. It’s a much better prison to be sentenced to, given he’ll be with horses and not confined within stone walls. Not full freedom, but a level of freedom Jamie has not had in a very long time. Claire is also now freed to take her future in whatever direction she wishes.
Frank, you will be missed… RIP! Bravo Tobias Menzies!!
Filming is now underway on the zombie apocalypse film, The Clearing, starring Spartacus‘ Liam McIntyre. The cast of the horror film also includes Sydelle Noel (GLOW, Black Panther), Steven Swadling (Point Defiance), and Aundrea Smith. Dave Matalon wrote the script and is directing, with Mark Mathias Sayre (Doubting Thomas), Jonathan Piumelli (Waterlily Jaguar), Christopher Wolfe, and Steven Swadling producing. Ryan O’Quinn, Wes Halula, and Michael Davis are on board as executive producers.
The Clearing, a Lexicon Entertainment and Room in the Sky Films production, is shooting throughout Los Angeles in remote areas.
“I was interested in bringing back the classic horror-action films I loved as a kid in the ’80s and ’90s,” said director Dave Matalon. “Movies that were full of chills and thrills, but at their heart were about deeply personal relationships and family. I’m so proud to have been able to have such an amazing cast and crew. Liam McIntyre’s incredible dedication and professionalism. Director of Photography Olivia Kuan’s keen eye, and the entire crew’s commitment to making The Clearing. It will be a very ambitious shoot on a tight deadline, and we could not have attempted it without each and every member of our team.”
The Plot:The Clearing is set at the dawn of the zombie apocalypse. Amid tensions between Tom (McIntyre) and his wife (Noel) over his parental responsibilities and the time he spends with his young daughter Mira (Smith), Tom takes Mira on a camping trip, only to discover the impending disaster, trapping the pair in…The Clearing. Will Mira’s recently learned backwoods and orienteering skills help her survive the onslaught of the infected and rejoin her father, who is using every physical and intellectual tool at his disposal to hold the horde at bay?
