BBC One reports Ben Whishaw has signed on to the cast of the drama, A Very English Scandal. Whishaw will play Norman Scott opposite Hugh Grant as disgraced MP Jeremy Thorpe. The three-part one-hour drama based on John Preston’s book was written by BAFTA Award-winning writer Russell T. Davies and is directed by Oscar nominee Stephen Frears (The Queen, The Grifters). Dominic Treadwell-Collins, Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, and Lucy Richer executive produce, with Dan Winch producing.
Ben Whishaw’s credits include London Spy, The Danish Girl, Suffragette, The Lobster, The Hour, Skyfall, Spectre, Brideshead Revisited, and Criminal Justice. He recently completed work on Mary Poppins Returns with Emily Blunt and Paddington 2 in which he once again provides the voice of the beloved bear.
“It’s a dream come true, to work with Ben. One of Britain’s finest actors playing one of history’s most fascinating men,” said writer Davies, commenting on the casting.
“Ben Whishaw is an extraordinary actor and we are thrilled to announce he will star opposite Hugh Grant in this scandalous real-life story for BBC One. I cannot wait to see this first-class British duo bring Russell’s powerful scripts to life,” said Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama.
The Plot:A Very English Scandal is the shocking true story of the first British politician to stand trial for conspiracy and incitement to murder. It is the late 1960s, homosexuality has only just been decriminalized and Jeremy Thorpe, the leader of the Liberal party and the youngest leader of any British political party in a hundred years, has a secret he’s desperate to hide. As long as his ex-lover Norman Scott is around, Thorpe’s brilliant career is at risk. Thorpe schemes and deceives – until he can see only one way to silence Scott for good. The trial of Jeremy Thorpe changed society forever, illuminating the darkest secrets of the Establishment. The Thorpe affair revealed such breath-taking deceit and corruption that, at the time, hardly anyone dared believe it could be true.
Bryce Dallas Howard in a scene from ‘Black Mirror’ season 3 (Photo by David Dettmann / Netflix)
Netflix just released the titles of the six episodes that make up season four of the critically acclaimed series, Black Mirror. The streaming network also confirmed the cast and directors of each of the season four episodes, however, they didn’t confirm when we can expect the new season to premiere.
Black Mirror was created by Charlie Brooker, who also wrote each of the episodes and executive produces along with Annabel Jones.
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. 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 (Black Mass, Fargo), Cristin Milioti (The Wolf of Wall Street), Jimmi Simpson (Westworld, House of Cards), Michaela Coel (Chewing Gum, Monsters: Dark Continent)
Director: Toby Haynes (Dr Who, Sherlock)
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 (Triple Nine, Lawless)
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 (The Sopranos, Game of Thrones)
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 (Hannibal, American Gods)
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
Elle Fanning and Nat Wolff Star in ‘Leap!’ (Courtesy of The Weinstein Company)
“If you escape with me tonight, our dreams will come true,” says young Victor (voiced by Nat Wolff) to his best friend, Felicie (voiced by Elle Fanning), as the two orphans plot their escape from an orphanage in the family-friendly animated adventure film, Leap!.
11-year-old Felicie has a dream to run away to Paris and become a famous dancer. Her best friend Victor also yearns to escape and become a world-famous inventor. Together, the two youngsters manage to make it out of the orphanage, with the help of one of Victor’s crazy inventions, and travel all the way to Paris.
Unfortunately, the best friends are accidentally separated. Fortunately for Felicie, she discovers the prestigious Opera Ballet School of Paris. Desperate to become a ballerina, Felicie steals the identity of a mean and selfish little rich girl named Camille (voiced by Maddie Ziegler) to gain admittance to the school. Once in the class, she quickly learns that energy, talent, and passion aren’t going to be enough to keep her from getting cut because of her lack of professional training.
Luck is on Felicie’s side when she learns the school’s cleaning lady, Odette (voiced by Carly Rae Jepsen), seems to know much more about dance than most instructors at the school. Odette takes Felicie under her wing and begins training her so she can have a chance of becoming a real ballerina.
Cute, chaotic, and silly, Leap! strives to be an inspirational movie about chasing after your dreams but gets lost at times amid clutter and high-energy antics. Elle Fanning and Nat Wolff do solid jobs in bringing the high-spirited, energetic Felicie and the imaginative and rambunctious Victor to life.
Working against Leap! is unimpressive animation reminiscent of animated films from 20 years ago. The script is extremely uneven and the film never really finds its rhythm. Leap!‘s approach to storytelling takes after its title, leaping back and forth between loud and wild moments, such as the kids escape from the orphanage while being chased by an employee, and heartfelt moments like the scene in which Odette takes in Felicie and offers to train her.
Still, with the lively action scenes and the positive messages of never giving up on your dreams and keeping those who truly care about you close, Leap! is entertaining enough to take the kids to see at a matinee price.
GRADE: C+
MPAA Rating: PG for some impolite humor, and action
Syfy Films has released a new trailer for Realive, a sci-fi thriller described as a modern twist on the classic Frankenstein story. Realive was written and directed by Mateo Gil (Abre Los Ojos, The Sea Inside) and stars Tom Hughes (About Time), Charlotte Le Bon (The Hundred-Foot Journey), Oona Chaplin (Taboo), and Barry Ward (The Fall). Syfy Films has set a September 29, 2017 theatrical release followed by an October 3rd release on VOD and Digital HD.
The Plot: Marc is diagnosed with a disease and is given a short time to live. Unable to accept his own end, he decides to freeze his body. Sixty years later, in the year 2084, he becomes the first cryogenically frozen man to be revived in history. Marc discovers a startling future, but the biggest surprise is that his past has accompanied him in unexpected ways.
The CW’s Supergirl is coming off a strong second season that proved the show has found its footing, and the cast and executive producers promise season three will be just as entertaining. The Supergirl team including Jeremy Jordan (‘Winn Schott’) made the trip to San Diego for the sold-out 2017 Comic Con, fielding questions from fans during a packed panel and sitting down for roundtable interviews to discuss the upcoming third season. Jordan provided a little insight into what’s in store for Winn as well as how Winn’s evolved over the previous seasons.
Supergirl season three will premiere on October 9, 2017.
Winn geeked out when Superman was around. Do you ever feel like that on this series, surrounded by these costumed characters?
Jeremy Jordan: “Yeah. I mean, there are moments when we kind of geek out when we first see it but, you know, they’re friends. We have a great time. They’re all acting goofy and silly backstage so you kind of join in. I don’t know. But, I love getting to be that kind of voice of the fanboy, the kind of proxy for the audience member while he’s commenting on the cool superhero-y kind of things. I like to say that Winn is the character who has been to a lot of Comic Cons and knows all the lure and all that stuff. It’s kind of cool to be that voice of the nerds among the audience.”
Are Winn and Lyra still dating?
Jeremy Jordan: “They are. Winn and Lyra are still together. There were a couple of moments in the finale that unfortunately got cut because it was like four hours long. (Laughing) But, yeah, they’re still together and hopefully we’ll see a little bit more of her. I can’t really say but I’ve heard that they’re still an item, so we’ll see.”
One of the fun moments from the season two finale was seeing Winn and Cat kind of bond in a way. Will we see more of that and what do you think their relationship is like now?
Jeremy Jordan: “It’s funny because we went from Winn being at CatCo and sitting across from her office and her not even having any clue who he was, to like actually finally finding value in him and being a motherly figure. Winn doesn’t have a very good relationship with his family or anything like that, so anywhere he can find that whether it’s with her or with Hank or with his friends, I think he really latches onto it.
I think it was a nice little arc for them and I love Calista (Flockhart) with all my heart. Literally, all we do backstage is just make fun of each other. It’s weird. It’s just a dig, from day one. I don’t know why or how it started, but that’s our relationship. So, anything I get to do with her, I’m in.”
Will we see more of them interacting in season three?
Jeremy Jordan: “I’m sure there’s always a chance of it, so we’ll see. I mean, we are going to see Cat but only briefly at this point so we’ll see.”
Calista Flockhart brought a lot to the finale.
Jeremy Jordan: “She’s an incredible character. There’s not many times when you get a character that’s allowed to be that confident and it works and it’s strong. People always have to build up to it or it’s hard to buy, but her – she’s great.”
What do you think about Winn’s evolution inside the team of heroes that he’s supporting?
Jeremy Jordan: “I think that Winn is coming to his own within the D.E.O. It took him a while to kind of build the confidence and understand his capabilities when he first came to the D.E.O. We see him getting stronger and more confident, but always maintaining his sense of humor. He’s probably bossing people around a little bit more this year.”
Any power trips?
Jeremy Jordan: “I don’t see Winn having a power trip, but we’ll see. I think that we’re going to explore a little bit of his history and his backstory as the season progresses, probably not right away. But, you know, what’s great about going into the third season is that you know these characters so well and you get a chance to really take time on them individually. We’ll see what happens.”
The CW just released the posters for Dynasty and Valor, two new dramatic series joining the network’s primetime lineup this fall. 2017’s Dynasty is a reboot/reimagining of the classic 1980s TV series which starred Linda Evans, Joan Collins, and John Forsythe. Valor is executive produced by Bill Haber (Rizzoli & Isles), Anna Fricke (Being Human), Kyle Jarrow (Lost Generation), and Michael Robin, and will premiere on October 9, 2017 at 9pm ET/PT. Dynasty‘s set to debut on October 11th at 9pm ET/PT.
The Dynasty Plot: Wealth, power, deception, and double-dealing… what does it take to build a dynasty? A modern re-imagining of the iconic primetime soap, centering on the powerful Carrington family as they defend their throne against the Colbys, new rivals and threats, and even each other.
Fallon Carrington (Elizabeth Gillies) is charismatic, cunning and poised to become the new COO of her father’s global energy empire – or so she thinks. When her father, Blake Carrington, (Grant Show) summons Fallon and her brother, Steven (James Mackay), home to the family compound in Atlanta, Fallon is horrified to learn that the reunion isn’t to announce her promotion – but rather to make the acquaintance of stepmother-to-be, Cristal (Nathalie Kelley). Cristal is stunning – and almost as young as Fallon, as Fallon is quick to point out – but she isn’t just some flimsy gold-digger to be scared off. Cristal is driven, principled, a savvy publicity maven at Carrington Atlantic, and she truly loves Blake. However, the wealth and privilege of the Carringtons’ world proves challenging to her, as she clashes with the staff, including Blake’s butler, Anders (Alan Dale), as well as Fallon, who all make it very clear Cristal doesn’t belong.
Family dynasties flow through blood, and Fallon would sooner draw blood than call Cristal “Mom.” Fallon asks Culhane (Robert Christopher Riley), the family’s chauffeur – and Fallon’s secret lover – to help expose Cristal for the fraud Fallon thinks she is. But when that backfires, and Blake chooses Cristal over his own daughter, Fallon sides up to Blake’s biggest rival, Jeff Colby (Sam Adegoke), mixing business and pleasure to seek her revenge… leaving a jealous Culhane to watch from the sidelines. While the Carringtons’ rocky relationships prove the theory that family sticks together no matter what, Cristal is reminded of exactly that when her nephew, Sammy Jo (Rafael de la Fuente), arrives with a suitcase full of secrets from Cristal’s past. Now Cristal’s carefully concealed history could bring her future crashing down – and who knows who she might take down with her.
Details on Valor: An elite unit of U.S. Army helicopter pilots called the Shadow Raiders is sent on a top secret mission to Somalia, a mission that goes terribly awry. Only two members of the team return safely: Warrant Officer Nora Madani (Christina Ochoa), one of the unit’s first female helicopter pilots, and her commanding officer, Captain Leland Gallo (Matt Barr), while the whereabouts of their comrade Jimmy Kam (W. Trè Davis) are unknown. Now back in the U.S., Madani and Gallo are the only ones who know the truth about what really went wrong in Somalia. Nora’s boyfriend, First Lieutenant Ian Porter (Charlie Barnett), suspects she’s not telling him the full story, and Jess Kam (Corbin Reid), Jimmy’s wife and Nora’s friend, is frustrated and furious at being kept in the dark. Meanwhile Thea (Melissa Roxburgh), the enigmatic CIA officer charged with investigating the failed mission, has her own suspicions about what occurred.
With Nora still recovering from a gunshot wound she suffered during the mission, the commander of the Shadow Raiders, Col. Robert Haskins (Nigel Thatch), grounds her from flying. But when it’s discovered that Jimmy is alive and being held captive by a group of ruthless terrorists, Nora is determined to join Gallo back in the cockpit to rescue their friend. As preparation and training intensify, Nora and Gallo grow closer, and soon find themselves torn between duty, honor and desire as they wonder who they can trust, and whether the secrets they’re hiding will help save Jimmy… or put them all in terrible danger.
Bryan Cranston, Steve Carell and Laurence Fishburne star in ‘Last Flag Flying.’
Three Oscar nominees join forces in Last Flag Flying, based on Darryl Ponicsan’s novel. Ponicsan and five-time Oscar nominee Richard Linklater (Boyhood, Before Midnight, Before Sunset) adapted the novel, a follow-up to The Last Detail, for the screen with Linklater directing. The first full trailer’s arrived for the Amazon Studios and Lionsgate theatrical release prior to the film’s world premiere in the opening night slot at the 55th New York Film Festival. The cast’s led by Steve Carrell (Foxcatcher), Bryan Cranston (Trumbo), and Laurence Fishburne (What’s Love Got to Do with It), and features Cicely Tyson and Yul Vazquez.
Last Flag Flying will be released in theaters on November 3, 2017.
The Plot: In 2003, 30 years after they served together in the Vietnam War, former Navy Corps medic Larry “Doc” Shepherd (Steve Carell) re-unites with ex-Marine Sal Nealon (Bryan Cranston) and Reverend Richard Mueller (Laurence Fishburne) on a different type of mission: to bury Doc’s son, a young Marine killed in the Iraq War. Doc decides to forgo burial at Arlington Cemetery and, with the help of his old buddies, takes the casket on a bittersweet trip up the East Coast to his home in suburban New Hampshire. Along the way, Doc, Sal and Mueller reminisce and come to terms with shared memories of the war that continues to shape their lives.
Davie-Blue and James Van Der Beek in ‘Room 104’ (Photo: Jordin Althaus / HBO)
HBO announced it’s just renewed Room 104, the critically acclaimed anthology series from Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass. The Duplass brothers created the series and serve as executive producers along with Sydney Fleischmann and Mel Eslyn. Season one is currently airing on Fridays at 11:30pm ET/PT and consists of 12 half-hour episodes.
The original anthology series “tells tales of the characters who pass through a single room of a typical American chain motel, ranging from comedy to drama to horror.” Season one’s directors include Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck, Patrick Brice, Marta Cunningham, Doug Emmett, Megan Griffiths, Dayna Hanson, Chad Hartigan, Ross Partridge, Sarah Adina Smith, and So Yong Kim. Episodes of season one were written by Xan Aranda & Ross Partridge, Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck, Mark Duplass, Dayna Hanson, Carson Mell, and Ross Partridge.
“Jay and Mark Duplass are gifted storytellers who have brilliantly reinvented the anthology series for the modern era,” said Amy Gravitt, executive vice president, HBO Programming. “The format of Room 104 offers endless possibilities and opportunities for new talent to experiment, and I look forward to seeing where the series takes us.”
“We can’t remember the last time we had so much fun making something,” said Jay and Mark Duplass. “We’re excited to go even further down the rabbit hole with this show.”
Room 104 season one has featured Hugo Armstrong, Davie-Blue, Melonie Diaz, Jay Duplass, Veronica Falcon, Adam Foster, Ellen Geer, Keir Gilchrist, Philip Baker Hall, Sarah Hay, Poorna Jagannathan, Orlando Jones, Ethan & Gavin Kent, Amy Landecker, Konstantin Lavysh, Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris, Keta Meggett, Natalie Morgan, Ross Partridge, Karan Soni, Dendrie Taylor, Tony Todd, Will Tranfo, James Van Der Beek, Mae Whitman, and Nat Wolff.
Room 104 Synopsis: “The banal” can be a most interesting place – if you stop and take a look. Telling tales of the characters who pass through a single room of a typical American chain motel, the Duplass Brothers-produced anthology series tells a different story each week, with the tone, the characters and the era changing every time. Ranging from comedy to drama to horror, each episode plays like a mini-movie, offering a new discovery from one week to the next, telling tales of everyday people striving for connection and meaning.
Vanessa Morgan and Ivana Baquero star in Spike’s ‘The Shannara Chronicles’ season 2.
A new evil is revealed and new heroes will rise promises the season two trailer for Spike’s The Shannara Chronicles. The network released the first official trailer and confirmed The Shannara Chronicles season two will premiere on Wednesday, October 11, 2017 at 10pm ET/PT. The second season consists of 10 one-hour episodes and stars returning cast members Austin Butler (Wil), Ivana Baquero (Eretria), Manu Bennett (Allanon), Aaron Jakubenko (Ander), and Marcus Vanco (Bandon). Joining the cast for season two are Vanessa Morgan (Lyria), Malese Jow (Mareth), Gentry White (Garet), Caroline Chikezie (Queen Tamlin), and Desmond Chiam (General Riga).
The Shannara Chronicles series is based on Terry Brooks’ popular book series and was created by Al Gough and Miles Millar. Gough, Millar, Brooks, Jon Favreau, Jonathan Liebesman, Dan Farah, Tom Lesinski, and Jenna Santoianni serve as executive producers.
The Plot: Season two takes place one year after the events of last season. The Four Lands are in chaos. The re-emergence of magic has the populace terrified, and an organization called The Crimson is hunting down magic users, using fear and intimidation to sow discord among the races. Wil, scarred by the loss of Amberle and his separation from Eretria, has turned his back on his magical destiny to become a healer. But when a mysterious woman named Mareth saves Wil from a Crimson attack, he is forced to rejoin the fight.
Manu Bennett in ‘The Shannara Chronicles’ season 2.Gentry White in ‘The Shannara Chronicles’ season 2.Austin Butler in a scene from ‘The Shannara Chronicles’ season 2.
Lady Gaga took to Twitter to unveil three clips from the Netflix documentary, Gaga: Five Foot Two. Two of the short clips show a vulnerable, emotional Lady Gaga, living up to the documentary’s promise of an “intimate and unfettered portrait” of the award-winning artist. The documentary will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival followed by its September 22, 2017 release in 190 countries on Netflix.
“I’m excited for people to really get to know the woman I work with everyday,” stated Lady Gaga’s manager Bobby Campbell. “She’s one of the hardest working, most genuine, and truly hilarious people in the world.”
“It is a rare moment when one is invited behind the curtain to witness the raw truth of an individual, even more so when that person happens to be one of the most recognizable, influential and scrutinized public figures in culture today,” said Lisa Nishimura, VP of Original Documentaries for Netflix. “Director Chris Moukarbel deftly brings us into Lady Gaga’s intimate world; allowing us to experience the drive, conflict, passion, complexity and deeply personal creative process behind this singular artist.”
“I had a rare opportunity to create a portrait of an artist with such an open heart and mind. I feel really lucky that Gaga trusted me and my vision,” explained director Chris Moukarbel.
Gaga: Five Foot Two is executive produced by Michael Rapino, Kim Ray, Lisa Nishimura, and Benjamin Cotner, with Heather Parry, Bobby Campbell, and director Moukarbel producing.
“Live Nation Productions is used to telling artists’ stories in new and intimate ways that bridge the gap between musician and fan. The extraordinary personal access Lady Gaga gave us on Gaga: Five Foot Two allows everyone to experience her fearlessness, vulnerability and true devotion to her craft,” said Heather Parry, Live Nation Productions’ President of Production, Film & Television.
The Plot: In the film, Emmy-nominated filmmaker Chris Moukarbel (Banksy Does New York) pulls back the curtain to introduce the woman behind the performer, the costumes, the glitz and the glamour. Off-stage, in the studio, unplugged and at home, audiences get an unguarded glimpse at Gaga through a series of personal highs and lows and the culmination of a year’s emotional journey. From struggles with relationships to health issues, from finding solace in her inner circle to conquering her insecurities, Gaga: Five Foot Two navigates the divide between life as a superstar and life as an everyday woman.
