Lana Parrilla in ‘Once Upon a Time’ season 7 episode 1 (Photo by ABC / Jack Rowand)
ABC’s Once Upon a Time returns on October 6, 2017 for a revamped season seven, minus many fan favorite characters and with a grown-up Henry Mills. Season seven episode one titled “Hyperion Heights” was written by series creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, and directed by Ralph Hemecker. The seventh season stars Lana Parrilla as Regina/Roni, Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin, Colin O’Donoghue as Hook/Rogers, Andrew J. West as Henry Mills, Gabrielle Anwar as Lady Tremaine/Victoria Belfrey, Dania Ramirez as Cinderella/Jacinda, and Alison Fernandez as Lucy.
Season seven guest stars include Jared S. Gilmore as Young Henry, Mekia Cox as Sabine/Tiana, Rose Reynolds as Alice, Adelaide Kane as Drizella/Ivy, Daniel Jeffrey as Carl, Liam Hall as The Prince, Jillian Fargey as The Fairy Godmother, and Darcy Laurie as Louie.
The Plot: In the season premiere episode, Henry leaves Storybrooke in search of his own story. Years later in another realm, he encounters a troubled Cinderella, changing the trajectory of his quest forever. When Cinderella’s evil step-mother, Lady Tremaine, poses a threat, Henry discovers that following his heart will require him to make more difficult choices than he ever could have imagined. Years later, a young Lucy finds a disillusioned Henry at his home in Seattle, determined to make him remember his true self in order to defeat the curse afflicting the fairytale characters of “Hyperion Heights.”
Andrew J West and Dania Ramirez in ‘Once Upon a Time (Photo by Eike Schroter / ABC)Adelaide Kane in ‘Once Upon a Time.’Andrew J West as Henry Mills (Photo by Jack Rowand / ABC)Rose Reynolds in ‘Once Upon a Time’
After a two-minute recap of season three that ends with Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) standing tall on top a building, season four of Fox’s Gotham kicks off with a couple being mugged in an alley. Bruce dons a mask and takes on the muggers, saving their would-be victims. While one mugger is on the ground, he tells Bruce he has a License of Misconduct.
As Bruce walks away, he puts his hood back on. Ra’s al Ghul (Alexander Siddig) watches from a doorway.
Next up, a wedding reception is interrupted by armed gunman. They demand cash and jewelry, but then Victor Zsasz (Anthony Carrigan) arrives, gets their attention, and the crowd quiets down. He claims he was just passing by and wants to know if the robbers realize they must be licensed by Penguin to cause trouble now. It’s a new rule in Gotham, but these thugs refuse to back down. Zsasz shoots the leader’s finger off, telling the rest to leave the loot behind.
The bride and groom thank Zsasz but it turns out there’s actually a gang that’s licensed that takes the unlicensed gang’s place. As the licensed gang shoots up the reception, Zsasz declares, “Best. Wedding. Ever!”
Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) reports violent crime is down 57% following his takeover of Gotham’s underworld. Meeting with the new underworld boss, Mayor Burke (Larry Pine) says Penguin can’t unionize crime, though he appreciates everything Penguin’s done. Penguin takes credit for making the streets safe, and now only professionals will be committing the crimes under his new License of Misconduct program. And, obviously, he’ll profit from the program.
Penguin offers the mayor a choice between an era of calm and prosperity or a return to the crime-ridden old days. The new Police Commissioner (Harry Sutton Jr) says if they agree, they’ll need to deny it to the press. Penguin explains that if a GCPD officer finds someone with a license committing a crime, he will have to let him walk away. The mayor and the commissioner agree to a tiny percentage of the profit for turning a blind eye and unofficially endorsing the program.
Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) walks into a bar to get his morning coffee just as the owner, Frank, is being robbed. The robber lets Jim see his Penguin-approved License of Misconduct and of course, Jim doesn’t care. He arrests the dude and takes his coffee to go.
When Jim locks him up at the precinct, the other officers just stare at him in disbelief.
Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) meets with the GCPD bookkeeper and he’s impressed with the numbers Penguin’s promised the department. But, the accountant reminds Harvey all officers must comply and Penguin is, justifiably, worried about Jim Gordon. Harvey guarantees his men will honor the licenses and kicks the accountant out of the office just as Jim walks in.
Harvey reminds Jim he’s a homicide detective and doesn’t need to be arresting robbers. He also says the commissioner means business and officers must allow anyone with a card to go free. “Before you get on your high horse, three months ago this city was in a tailspin. We survived because Penguin took control of the underworld,” says Harvey. Jim doesn’t want to go along with the program, but Harvey reminds him no cops have been shot recently and Gotham has to get back on its feet.
Jim is worried the citizens will now always trust Penguin more than the cops, and Harvey assures him one day they’ll bust Penguin.
Over at Wayne Manor, Bruce wants to turn the program against Penguin and Alfred (Sean Pertwee) warns him to stop thinking that way. Alfred asks if he remembers why he put on the mask and took to the streets, and Bruce says it was Alfred’s teachings that drilled into him there’s no substitute for “real world encounters.” Bruce must be ready for Ra’s return and Alfred says they must hold to that mission.
Bruce is still feeling guilty about the fact his finger was on the button to release the virus. Even though he didn’t press it, he feels responsible and needs to make a difference in his city. Alfred tells him to get his priority straight and not have two missions. Bruce believes he can do both – prepare for Ra’s and make Gotham safe.
The unlicensed gang makes their way to Arkham and, along with Warden Reed (Damian Young), they visit Jonathan Crane (Charlie Tahan) in his cell. Reed explains the toxin Jonathan’s dad injected him with overloaded his fear response. His mind created a boogeyman that haunts him, and Reed uses it to control Jonathan. They want Jonathan’s fear juice and pay Reed to release him. As he leaves his cell, a drawing of the Scarecrow is revealed on the floor.
The gang take Jonathan back to his childhood home and he uncovers a chest full of his dad’s notebooks and chemicals. To keep him under control, they’ve created a scarecrow figure that freaks Jonathan out.
Now armed with Crane’s fear gas, the gang rob a bank. After collecting the money, they leave the bank manager in a hysterical state, mumbling about fiery demons.
Jim, Harvey, and the cops show up after the robbers have left, and Harvey says these guys didn’t have a license. Jim wonders if they attacked the bank – a public place – because they’re sending Penguin a message. Jim is determined to beat Zsasz to the gang, just to prove the GCPD still matters.
Before Jim takes off (and after Harvey threatens to fire him), Gordon reveals he thinks the victims were sprayed with Crane’s formula. Mr. Crane’s dead but his son isn’t, and that’s who Jim believes they should visit for answers.
Jim and Harvey visit Arkham and ask Warden Reed about Jonathan Crane. Reed doesn’t want Jim or Harvey to visit Jonathan since his condition is fragile and seeing the men who killed his father might push him over the edge. Jim informs the Warden that Crane’s toxin was used to rob a bank and the people who did it challenged Penguin. If Harvey tells Penguin the Warden’s involved, he’ll send Zsasz in to get answers. Reed admits he was threatened and gives up the name, Grady.
Jim and Harvey track down Grady and his gang, but Grady gets the jump on them. Grady tells them he’s an outlaw with a code and doesn’t like Penguin’s program. He believes Penguin’s a criminal who steals people’s livelihoods. They’re determined to show Penguin who’s in charge.
And now we catch up with Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova) who’s wandering through an alley and comes across a gang. They surround her and she asks to be let go. When they don’t allow her to pass, she whips out her whip and easily takes down all but one. Tabitha (Jessica Lucas) finishes off the last one standing, warning Selina not to turn her back on anyone unless she knows they’re down.
Tabitha and Selina go for pizza to celebrate a successful training session, returning home to find Zsasz in Tabitha’s place. He’s there to offer them each a License of Misconduct because Penguin thinks it’s time to let bygones be bygones. He invites them to the opening of Penguin’s club where they can pick up their licenses. He warns them it’s an “or else” kind of deal.
Selina wants to join Penguin but Tabitha refuses. Instead, she wants to move somewhere they can’t be found.
Bruce pays a visit to Jim Gordon at the GCPD headquarters, wanting to know if Jim’s going along with Penguin’s licenses. Jim replies, “Not really,” and Bruce wonders if Penguin might have a master list of criminals who hold the licenses. Bruce suggests that list would include the crimes that have been committed as well as those that have not yet been committed in Gotham.
Jim doesn’t believe it’s an avenue that can be pursued since the judges have agreed to Penguin’s program. Bruce suggests Jim could use Penguin to lead him to the unlicensed gang he’s pursuing and then invites Jim to dinner before disappearing.
The press attend a pre-opening meeting with Penguin in which he talks about his new Iceberg Lounge. When asked if he acquired the club from Barbara Kean, Penguin doesn’t answer and instead says her whereabouts aren’t his concern. The press asks about the licenses and Penguin responds by asking for the current crime rate in Gotham. It’s at historic lows and Penguin says, “You know, Augustus Caesar once presided over the longest period of peace and prosperity the world has ever known. It was called the Pax Romana. Perhaps one day this will be known as the Pax Penguina.”
Penguin signals Ivy (Maggie Geha) to light up the centerpiece of the club. It’s Edward Nygma frozen in ice, and Penguin says he’s been frozen because he has a rare brain disease. Ed begged to be put on display before he was frozen, according to Penguin.
Jim Gordon shows up at the press event and asks if Nygma knew he was being frozen. Penguin says he has affidavits from Ed’s doctor, and then asks why Jim’s really there. Jim announces in front of the media that Penguin is a fraud. The gang with Crane’s fear gas is unlicensed and aren’t afraid of him. Other gangs will find out and Penguin’s reign will end.
Penguin swears he’ll crush this gang and prove he’s the one who keeps Gotham safe.
The threat to destroy the gang is the lead on the local news, and Grady and his men watch as the reporter quotes Penguin as saying they are cowards and pond scum. They’re more determined than ever to take Penguin down as soon as possible. Jonathan Crane is forced to work on more fear gas and then he’s locked up with the creepy stuffed scarecrow.
Jim and Harvey organize the cops, laying out the plan to capture the bank robbers when they arrive at Penguin’s club.
Jonathan is panicking in a locked room with the stuffed scarecrow. He hears it talk to him and then hallucinates that it attacks him, eyes and mouth blazing fire.
Jim’s in the locker room when four officers jump him. They don’t want to go against Penguin since his program has lowered the crime rate. Jim puts up a good fight but he’s outnumbered. Since the cops don’t want to back them up, Jim and Harvey will be on their own at Penguin’s.
Bruce and Alfred show up at the Iceberg Lounge party and Penguin greets them warmly. Alfred wants to know if Ed’s still alive inside the ice, and Penguin says they may never know. Bruce catches him in his obvious lie, and says they will find out once the cure for his disease has been found. Bruce thanks Penguin for what he’s done for Gotham, and then asks about the licenses. He wants to know how it works, assuring Penguin anything he says will remain a secret.
Penguin can’t believe Bruce would be supportive of licensed crime, but Bruce admits if it had been licensed three years ago, his parents would still be alive. Penguin says he just provides the guidelines and Mr. Penn handles the details.
Bruce has the info he needs on who controls the list, but he becomes distracted when he sees Selina. She looks grown-up and absolutely stunning. Zsasz also notices Selina’s at the party and confronts her, saying it’s a package deal. Surprisingly, Tabitha shows up just then to say they’re both in. Selina notices Bruce is staring at her and turns away.
The bank robbers arrive and they’re in the kitchen waiting to attack. Penguin surprises them first, showing up with Zsasz and other backup. Penguin knew Jim was setting him up, and now he has something special planned for the rogue gang.
Selina and Bruce meet up on the roof, and Bruce apologizes for what he said to her at the hospital. Selina’s walking on the roof’s edge and challenges Bruce to do the same if he wants to talk to her. She’s shocked when he does, and when he continues to apologize. Selina doesn’t care that Bruce doesn’t approve of her selecting Tabitha as a mentor. Selina pretends to be wobbly in her high heels on the ledge, but instead of telling her to get down or disapproving, Bruce compliments her on her dress.
Alfred arrives just then to tell Bruce they have a situation, and to ask why they can’t just go to the cinema like normal teenagers.
Bruce and Alfred arrive back inside as Penguin’s delivering a speech about keeping the city safe. He’s made the gang members kneel and tells his guests that without him, this gang is what Gotham would get: lawless and rampant crime. He wants everyone to know he’s the one keeping Gotham safe, not the GCPD.
Bruce whispers to Alfred that he wants to get his things out of the car and take care of the situation by taking on Penguin. Alfred won’t let him, instead saying, “There is a time for masks and there is a time for Bruce Wayne.”
In front of all of Penguin’s guests, Bruce demands to know what Penguin’s going to do with the gang. Penguin replies, “I do the dirty work no one else will.” Bruce says he understands but asks him to turn the men over to the GCPD. Penguin believes Bruce has a good heart, but won’t do what he requests.
Ivy has slipped away into the kitchen during Bruce and Penguin’s confrontation, and she throws the switch turning off all the electricity. With the lights out, the gang members attempt to escape with the crowd. Penguin is sprayed in the face with the fear gas and he hallucinates an unfrozen, green demon-ish version of Nygma. Jim comes to the rescue and places Penguin’s attacker under arrest. Penguin, panicking over the Nygma vision, hugs Jim and cries.
Back at the station, Jim’s still worried about finding Jonathan Crane.
Bruce, in his mask and hood, shows up and demands the license list from Mr. Penn.
Bruce watches from the roof as robbers break into a house. He accidentally breaks the glass skylight and falls into the building. The GCPD show up at just that moment and arrest Bruce, as the real burglars flee.
A gang member who escaped the Iceberg Lounge returns to fetch Jonathan Crane to force him to make more fear gas. However, Jonathan Crane has now transformed into the Scarecrow!
NBC’s Saturday Night Live has announced the hosts of the first three episodes of season 43. Ryan Gosling was previously announced as the host of the season premiere on September 30, 2017 with musical guest Jay-Z. Now NBC’s confirmed Wonder Woman herself, Gal Gadot, will host the October 7th episode and Kumail Nanjiani will host on October 14th.
Gosling previously hosted the late night variety show in 2015. Jay-Z’s season 43 appearance will mark the fourth time he’s performed on SNL. Gosling has Blade Runner 2049 heading to theaters on October 6th and he’s attached to star as Neil Armstrong in First Man for his La La Land director Damien Chazelle.
Gal Gadot’s October 7th SNL appearance will be her first as host. She’ll be back in theaters reprising her role as Wonder Woman in Justice League opening on November 17th. The October 7th musical guest will be Sam Smith, making his second appearance on SNL.
Silicon Valley‘s Kumail Nanjiani will make his hosting debut on October 14th. Nanjiani’s The Big Sick was one of the sleeper hits of the year and will likely earn the actor/writer awards consideration. He’ll be joined on the October 14th episode by P!nk, making her third appearance as musical guest.
Season 43 of Saturday Night Live will air live on both coasts.
A scene from Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Trollhunters.’ (Photo Courtesy of Netflix)
Guillermo del Toro’s Trollhunters has added Star Wars‘ Mark Hamill and Game of Thrones‘ Lena Headey and David Bradley to its season two voice cast. Season one of the Netflix and DreamWorks series premiered on December 23, 2016 and consisted of 26 episodes. Season two will premiere later this year and will be made up of 13 new episodes.
The new voice cast members join returning season one actors Kelsey Grammer as Blinky, Ron Perlman a Bular, Steven Yeun as Steve, Anjelica Huston as Queen Ursurna, Jonathan Hyde as Strickler, Amy Landecker as Barbara, and Charlie Saxton as Toby. Anton Yelchin, who was killed in a tragic accident on June 19, 2016, had completed recording his lead role as Jim Lake, Jr. through season two.
Guillermo del Toro created the series and serves as an executive producer with Marc Guggenheim (Legends of Tomorrow), Rodrigo Blaas (Alma), Chad Hammes (Dragons: Race to the Edge), and Christina Steinberg (Rise of the Guardians).
Per Netflix’s official announcement, the new characters for season two include:
– Mark Hamill voices the unknown older brother to a member of the Trollhunting team but has pledged his loyalty to the evil Gunmar.
– Lena Headey plays an extremely powerful and evil sorceress who must be stopped at all costs.
– David Bradley voices a mysterious figure known to have great magical powers – but the Trollhunters find he’s not the mystical wizard they expected.
The Plot:DreamWorks Trollhunters features a tale of two fantastical worlds that collide in an epic saga. Set in the fictional suburb of Arcadia, our unlikely hero, Jim, and his two best friends make a startling discovery that beneath their hometown lies a hidden battle between good trolls and bad, the outcome of which impacts their lives forever.
Season two, premiering later this year, picks up with Jim entering the Darklands by himself, leaving his best friends and fellow Trollhunters, Toby and Claire, behind.
James Corden provides the voice of a very naughty – and still pantless – Peter Rabbit in Sony Pictures Animation’s comedy film, Peter Rabbit, based on Beatrix Potter’s classic stories. Written and directed by Will Gluck (Easy A, Friends with Benefits), the cast includes Domhnall Gleeson (Goodbye Christopher Robin) as Mr. McGregor, Rose Byrne (Neighbors) as Bea, and Margot Robbie (Suicide Squad), Elizabeth Debicki (The Night Manager), and Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) voicing Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail.
Peter Rabbit is set to open in theaters on February 9, 2018.
The Plot: Peter Rabbit, the mischievous and adventurous hero who has captivated generations of readers, now takes on the starring role of his own irreverent, contemporary comedy with attitude. In the film, Peter’s feud with Mr. McGregor (Gleeson) escalates to greater heights than ever before as they rival for the affections of the warm-hearted animal lover who lives next door (Byrne).
A scene from ‘BoJack Horseman’ season 4 (Photo Credit: Netflix)
Netflix officially confirmed BoJack Horseman will return for a fifth season. The renewal announcement comes just a few weeks after the animated series debuted its fourth season on September 8, 2017. The popular adult series was created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg and features the voices of Will Arnett (Arrested Development), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), Alison Brie (Community), Paul F. Tompkins (Tangled: The TV Series), and Amy Sedaris (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt).
The renewal announcement came with a video of text messages sent from a “clingy network exec” to BoJack Horseman.
The Plot: Will Arnett voices BoJack, the failed legendary ‘90s sitcom star from the favorite family sitcom Horsin’ Around, who has been trying to find his way through a muddle of self-loathing, whisky and failed relationships. Now, in the presence of his human sidekick Todd (Aaron Paul) and his feline agent and ex-paramour Princess Carolyn (Amy Sedaris), BoJack is primed for his comeback.
And the Season Four Synopsis, Courtesy of Creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg: Bam boom, BoJack Horseman season four synopsis, here we go. Okay, so this season is full of all the things people love about their favorite depressed talking horse. First of all, you’ve got BoJack himself, who is up to his old tricks. Then you have Princess Carolyn, who is one cool cat. While Princess Carolyn toys with the idea of starting a family, BoJack has family issues of his own. This season, on BoJack Horseman. Meanwhile, Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter have family issues of their own. You might say their marriage is “in a pit,” if you know what I mean (which you won’t, until you watch the season). Meanwhile Todd has issues of his own — as he explores his own evolving sexual identity and also in some episodes doesn’t do that. Oh! And Mr. Peanutbutter’s running for governor now; I forgot to mention that, that’s important. Also, in one episode BoJack wears a new hat! Bet you want to tune in to see that new hat, huh? Okay, I lied, there’s no new hat. I just really want you to watch the new season of BoJack Horseman!
Fox Searchlight’s Isle of Dogs has just dropped the full official trailer along with a new theatrical poster. Written and directed by Wes Anderson, the movie marks a return to animation for the filmmaker behind the critically acclaimed, Oscar nominated feature, Fantastic Mr. Fox. Anderson also produces along with Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, and Jeremy Dawson.
The voice cast includes F. Murray Abraham, Bob Balaban, Bryan Cranston, Greta Gerwig, Jeff Goldblum, Akira Ito, Scarlett Johansson, Harvey Keitel, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray, Mari Natsuki, Yojiro Noda, Kunichi Nomura, Edward Norton, Yoko Ono, Koyu Rankin, Liev Schreiber, Fisher Stevens, Tilda Swinton, Akira Takayama, Courtney B. Vance, and Frank Wood.
Fox Searchlight will release Isle of Dogs in theaters on March 23, 2018.
The Plot:Isle of Dogs tells the story of Atari Kobayashi, 12-year-old ward to corrupt Mayor Kobayashi. When, by Executive Decree, all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage-dump called Trash Island, Atari sets off alone in a miniature Junior-Turbo Prop and flies across the river in search of his bodyguard-dog, Spots. There, with the assistance of a pack of newly-found mongrel friends, he begins an epic journey that will decide the fate and future of the entire Prefecture.
Josh Gad and Johnny Depp star in Twentieth Century Fox’s ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ (Photo Credit: Nicola Dove)
20th Century Fox released a new two-minute trailer for the dramatic thriller, Murder on the Orient Express, based on Agatha Christie’s novel. In the new trailer, Kenneth Branagh as detective Hercule Poirot explains, “A passenger has died. He was murdered. The murderer is on the train with us now and every one of you is a suspect. So, let us catch a killer.”
Branagh directed from a script by Michael Green. The ensemble includes Tom Bateman, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Leslie Odom Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Marwan Kenzari, Olivia Colman, Lucy Boynton, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and Sergei Polunin. Branagh, Ridley Scott, Mark Gordon, Simon Kinberg, Judy Hofflund, and Michael Schaefer produced the drama.
20th Century Fox has a set a November 10, 2017 theatrical release date.
The Plot: What starts out as a lavish train ride through Europe quickly unfolds into one of the most stylish, suspenseful and thrilling mysteries ever told. From the novel by best-selling author Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express tells the tale of thirteen strangers stranded on a train, where everyone’s a suspect. One man must race against time to solve the puzzle before the murderer strikes again.
Fox is delving into the world of the X-Men with the new sci-fi action series, The Gifted. Set to premiere on October 2, 2017 at 9pm ET/PT, the series stars Stephen Moyer (‘Reed Strucker’), Amy Acker (‘Caitlin Strucker’), Sean Teale (‘Eclipse’/’Marcos Diaz’), Jamie Chung (‘Blink’/’Clarice Fong’), Coby Bell (‘Jace Turner’), Emma Dumont (‘Polaris’/’Lorna Dane’), Blair Redford (‘Thunderbird’/’John Proudstar’), Natalie Alyn Lind (‘Lauren Strucker’), and Percy Hynes White (‘Andy Strucker’).
In support of the show’s premiere, the cast made the trek to the 2017 San Diego Comic Con to talk about the comic book-inspired series. Coby Bell chatted about the series, his character, and being a part of an X-Men series during roundtable interviews at Comic Con.
Your previous long-running show was real world-based. How big of an adjustment is it to be in a superhero/fantasy world?
Coby Bell: “You know, I never really thought of it that way. I just thought of it as working with Matt again. I did Burn Notice with Matt Nix who’s the creator of this show and he talked to me about it kind of early on in the process, but it wasn’t like a lock that the job was going to be mine. I still had to audition for Marvel and audition for Fox, but the fact that it all worked out and that I’m here… Matt and I just keep on looking at each other like, ‘Dude, this is happening. This is happening! We’re making an X-Men show.’
It’s cool. It’s the kind of thing that I’ve been wanting to do for a while. These are the kind of shows that I like, and my kids too. So, I’m excited to be a part of it.”
How much of your personality do you get to bring to the character?
Coby Bell: “I guess we’re going to find out. […] That’s the cool thing about TV is you can kind of get to know the character. You find out something new and you go, ‘Oh, he’s that guy? Okay, he’s that guy.’ What I know of him so far is he’s pretty hardcore about his job. But, I don’t know if he gets any joy out of capturing mutants. The backstory is that his daughter was killed in a mutant-related incident, and so he was a cop that then joined the Sentinel Services sort of vowing that that didn’t happen to any other family.”
Did you watch a lot of other Marvel properties to prepare for the role, even if they weren’t connected to X-Men?
Coby Bell: “I haven’t. I have four kids and so my TV time is limited until after they go to bed. I have 30 minutes and then I fall asleep. But, I’ve always watched all the Marvel movies – I love all that stuff – and a few of the shows. Not to prepare, but just in my life I’m very familiar with all the Marvel stuff.”
Science fiction is a genre with a very prominent social conscience. Why do you think that is?
Coby Bell: “You know what? That’s a good question. I guess it’s a way of talking about social issues without talking directly about them, you know? It makes it a little more palatable, a little less preachy. But at that same time, the message is getting across. It’s really cool. Starting with Star Trek, they were breaking some serious barriers but it’s in outer space so it’s fine. So, yes, I never thought about it. It’s cool.”
Have you gotten into a lot of action scenes?
Coby Bell: “My character is not really prominent in the pilot, but I do a lot of chasing around and screaming into a megaphone during the pilot. We really get into who he is later on.”
Is this an original character?
Coby Bell: “Yeah, this guy doesn’t exist in any comic book or anything like that.”
Would you like to see one day they start drawing your likeness and including you in stories?
Coby Bell: “Hell, yes! That would be awesome. Yeah, action figures, man, are you kidding me?”
Were you into action figures as a kid?
Coby Bell: “I was big into Star Wars, GI Joe, He-Man, all that stuff. I was a big action figure guy growing up, so that would freak me out to see. I have friends who have gone on to do Marvel stuff and DC stuff, and walking through Target and seeing them in the toy aisle is a trip. So, yeah, that would be cool. I’d probably retire. If I saw a toy in my likeness I would just, ‘Thank you. I’m done!’”
Brian Selznick’s critically acclaimed novel Wonderstruck is headed to the big screen, with Roadside Attractions and Amazon Studios aiming for an October 20, 2017 theatrical release. One month out, the studios have released a new full-length trailer for the feature film along with a beautiful new poster.
Wonderstruck is directed by Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven, Velvet Goldmine) from a script by author Selznick. The cast of the PG-rated film includes Julianne Moore, Oakes Fegley, Michelle Williams, Jaden Michael, newcomer Millicent Simmonds, Cory Michael Smith, Tom Noonan, and James Urbaniak.
The Plot: In 1927, a young girl runs away from home in New Jersey and makes her way to Manhattan, hoping to find someone who was an important part of her past. Fifty years later, a deaf boy befallen by personal tragedy finds a clue about his family that leads him to run away from rural Minnesota to New York. As their adventures lead them to strange new places, where mysteries about themselves and the world seem to lurk around every corner, their stories of discovery reach across years of silence and regret, and find each other through a mesmerizing symmetry driven by wonder and hope.
For Rose (Millicent Simmonds), life under the strict control of her father is typical for a deaf child of her era, kept out of public view with little connection to the world outside of her beloved scrapbook, an elaborate, living work of art dedicated mostly to the career of an actress, Lillian Mayhew (Julianne Moore). When Mayhew comes to New York to open up a new play, Rose manages to find her way into Manhattan, hoping to connect to the silent movie star. For lifelong Minnesotan Ben (Oakes Fegley), his deafness is recent, the result of a freak accident that occurred shortly after the loss of his mother, free-spirited Elaine (Michelle Williams). Sorting through her things, he finds a clue about his unknown father – a souvenir book from New York City. He boards a bus, unbeknownst to his bereft aunt, and eventually arrives in Manhattan.
For both young people, their inability to hear and communicate (neither know sign language) makes their quest in the big city fraught with excitement and danger. Their simple goals quickly turn complex as the chaos and confusion of city streets derail them. Despite their maturity and determination, they are easily overwhelmed and reluctant to seek help. Both wind up seeking solace at the American Museum of Natural History, where new and old friends join them in confronting the questions that Rose and Ben so desperately need answered.
