Disney•Pixar just released the official trailer for Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, a short film that will play in front of Coco. The 21 minute film will premiere on November 22, 2017 and features the voices of Josh Gad as Olaf, Kristen Bell as Anna, Idina Menzel as Elsa, and Jonathan Groff as Kristoff. Emmy winners Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton (Prep & Landing) directed the short which includes four new original songs by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson (Between the Lines).
“I’m thrilled that Disney Animation’s featurette Olaf’s Frozen Adventure will be coming to theaters in November with Pixar’s Coco,” said Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter. “It’s a perfect pairing – they’re both beautiful, heartfelt films about families and how people carry traditions forward. I can’t wait for audiences to get to see both of these terrific projects together on the big screen.”
“Stevie and I were deeply honored to be entrusted by John [Lasseter] to create an all-new story with these characters we love,” said Deters. “We’re thrilled to have our film play on the big screen with ‘Coco’ during the holidays.”
“We loved getting in the recording booth with these incredible actors who know their characters inside and out,” added Wermers-Skelton. “We can’t wait for audiences to see the featurette, enjoy their performances, and hear the incredible new songs written by Elyssa and Kate.”
The Plot: Olaf (Gad) teams up with Sven on a merry mission in Olaf’s Frozen Adventure. It’s the first holiday season since the gates reopened and Anna (Bell) and Elsa (Menzel) host a celebration for all of Arendelle. When the townspeople unexpectedly leave early to enjoy their individual holiday customs, the sisters realize they have no family traditions of their own. So, Olaf sets out to comb the kingdom to bring home the best traditions and save this first Christmas for his friends.
After four years of drama and romance mixed with a healthy dose of backstabbing and royal intrigue, The CW’s Reign comes to an end with season four episode 16. Titled ‘All It Cost Her…’, the season four finale serves as the series’ finale and focuses on a pivotal moment in the life of Mary, Queen of Scots. Directed by Holly Dale from a script by April Blair and Laurie McCarthy, season four episode 16 is set to air on June 16, 2017.
The season four cast includes Adelaide Kane as Queen Mary, Rachel Skarsten as Queen Elizabeth, Megan Fellows as Queen Catherine, Dan Jeannotte as James, and Will Kemp as Lord Darnley. Ben Geurens, Adam Croasdell, Celina Sinden, Jonathan Goad, Craig Parker, Spencer MacPherson, and Rose Williams also star in Reign‘s fourth and final season.
The ‘All It Cost Her…’ Plot: SERIES FINALE — Mary (Kane) makes a decision that will change the course of history — forever shaping the fate of her nation, her crown, and her newborn son. Mary’s perilous move for her survival causes the stunning realization that perhaps she is not the only one who may not survive. Meanwhile, Elizabeth (Skarsten) steadies herself for war and will become the instigator in Mary’s demise while later realizing she and Mary might be more similar than either thought.
Morgan Spector, Okezie Morro, Danica Curcic, and Russell Posner star in Spike’s ‘The Mist’
Spike’s The Mist has released two new behind-the-scenes videos featuring the cast and series writer/executive producer Christian Torpe. The first video focuses on Morgan Spector’s character, Bridgeville resident Kevin Copeland. Per Spike, “Kevin is the protagonist of The Mist. He is the epitome of the modern, liberal and civilized man; devoted to his wife and teenaged daughter. Kevin lives his life by high moral values and throughout his life he has refused to give in to the anger and prejudice he sees in other people. However, with the arrival of the mist, Kevin’s moral compass will be put to the test for his and his family’s survival.”
The second video is titled “Welcome to Bridgeville” and includes brief interviews with the show’s cast. In addition to Morgan Spector, The Mist stars Alyssa Sutherland, Gus Birney, Danica Curcic, Okezie Morro, Dan Butler, Darren Pettie, Isiah Whitlock, Jr., Russell Posner, Luke Cosgrove, and Frances Conroy.
Spike will air The Mist on Thursdays at 10pm ET/PT beginning on June 22, 2017.
The Plot: The story centers around a small town family that is torn apart by a brutal crime. As they deal with the fallout an eerie mist rolls in, suddenly cutting them off from the rest of the world, and in some cases, each other. Family, friends and adversaries become strange bedfellows, battling the mysterious mist and its threats, fighting to maintain morality and sanity as the rules of society break down.
Laurie Davidson stars in ‘Will’ (Photo by Alex Bailey / TNT)
TNT’s released a two-minute trailer for the dramatic series, Will, starring newcomer Laurie Davidson in the title role. The cast of season one also includes Olivia DeJonge (The Visit), Ewen Bremner (Trainspotting), Colm Meaney (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Mattias Inwood (The Shannara Chronicles), Jamie Campbell Bower (Twilight), William Houston (Sherlock Holmes), Lukas Rolfe (Grantchester), Max Bennett (The Hollow Crown), and Jasmin Savoy Brown (The Leftovers).
Will‘s set to debut on Monday, July 10, 2017 at 9pm ET/PT. The series is executive produced by Craig Pearce, Shekhar Kapur, Alison Owen, Debra Hayward, Vince Gerardis, Howard Braunstein, and Louise Rosager. Pearce wrote the pilot and Kapur directed.
The Plot: As Will opens, a young William Shakespeare (Davidson) has just arrived onto the punk-rock theatre scene in 16th century London. It is in this seductive, violent world that his raw talent faces rioting audiences, religious fanatics and raucous sideshows. Attracted to Will’s naïve genius is Alice Burbage (DeJonge), the talented, beautiful and rebellious daughter of James Burbage (Meaney), the carpenter whose vision led him to build the first theatre in London since Roman times. Despite being the daughter of an impresario, Alice is forbidden by society from pursuing a career in the theatre. Her brother Richard Burbage (Inwood) is innately talented as well, but too much in love with himself and prone to overact. But a chance encounter at the theatre leads him to team up with Will in what would soon become the greatest actor-writer partnership the world has ever seen.
Rounding out Will‘s cast of characters are playwright, poet and chief Shakespeare rival Christopher Marlowe (Bower) and wealthy and notorious law enforcer Richard Topcliffe (Bremner).
ABC’s revival of the singing competition series, American Idol, will air during the 2017-2018 primetime season with Katy Perry on board as one of the judges. The network’s just announced the dates and cities in which auditions will be held for the upcoming season, kicking off on August 17, 2017 in Orlando, Florida and Portland, Oregon. In total, 19 cities across America will host American Idol auditions including Miami, Denver, Chicago, and New Orleans.
ABC’s American Idol will also be allowing potential competitors to submit audition videos online via the show’s official website, www.americanidol.com. Singers can also show off their talent for a shot at a spot on the new season by posting on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Musical.ly using the hashtag #TheNextIdol.
American Idol Audition Cities:
West Bus Tour
Portland, OR – Aug 17
Oakland, CA – Aug 20
Provo, UT – Aug 23
Denver, CO – Aug 26
Omaha, NE – Aug 29
Tulsa, OK – Sept 1
Shreveport, LA – Sept 4
Muscle Shoals, AL – Sept 7
East Bus Tour
Orlando, FL – Aug 17
Miami, FL – Aug 19
Atlanta, GA – Aug 22
Charleston, SC – Aug 25
Asheville, NC – Aug 27
Louisville, KY – Aug 30
Pittsburgh, PA – Sept 3
Annapolis, MD – Sept 5
Boston, MA – Sept 8
Open Audition Cities
Chicago, IL – Sept 11
New Orleans, LA – Sept 14
Idris Elba stars in BBC America’s ‘Luther’ (Photo Courtesy of BBC)
BBC America’s critically acclaimed, award-winning series Luther will return for a fifth season. The riveting dramatic series’ fifth season will consist of four parts written by series creator Neil Cross. Idris Elba will reprise his role as John Luther, a role which earned him Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice, and Screen Actors Guild awards. According to BBC America, production on the four-part limited series will take place next year.
“Now what? It’s a question Idris and I get asked a lot,” said Neil Cross. “What happened to John Luther after we last saw him striding unbowed through the streets of his city, his blood red London? It can’t be over, can it? There’s so much we don’t know. So much unfinished business. The thing is, we’ve been asking ourselves the same question. Because we love John and wonder what he’s up to. And as for me, I’m scared of the monsters. The face at the window. The hand under the bed. The shadow at the end of the street. Who’s going to stop them, if not John Luther?”
Cross added, “In the end, we picked up the phone to some old friends and asked if they’d like to find out what happens next. It turns out they would. So that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to find out what happens next. Now what? Luther’s coming back. That’s what.”
“Neil, the BBC and I have been talking about a further season, and I am thrilled that we have been able to bring it all together,” stated Elba. “I look forward to putting the coat back on.”
Luther is executive produced by Idris Elba, Neil Cross, Marcus Wilson, Hilary Salmon, and Elizabeth Kilgarriff.
Commenting on the return of Luther, BBC America President Sarah Barnett said, “Luther is compulsive, unnerving television. Neil Cross, Idris Elba and the team are geniuses and we all wait with bated breath to see what happens next in this blindingly brilliant show.”
The Luther Plot: A BBC AMERICA co-production starring Idris Elba (The Dark Tower, Beasts of No Nation), the gripping, psychological thriller found Detective Chief Inspector John Luther struggling to cope with his demons after losing so much. After walking away from capturing the tormented psychopaths that lurk the streets of London, his attempt to leave the darker side of humanity behind for a chance at a “normal” life is quickly thwarted when he’s drawn into a terrifyingly complex case.
Anna Chlumsky has joined the cast of AMC’s Halt and Catch Fire season four in a recurring role. According to AMC’s official announcement, Chlumsky will play Chief Ontologist Dr. Katie Herman, a character described as crucial to the final season’s Search business venture. The cast of Halt and Catch Fire is led by Lee Pace as Joe MacMillan and includes Mackenzie Davis as Cameron Howe, Scoot McNairy as Gordon Clark, Kerry Bishé as Donna Clark, and Toby Huss as John Bosworth.
Chlumsky has been nominated for four Emmy Awards for her role as ‘Amy Brookheimer’ in Veep. Her credits also include The End of the Tour, Hannibal, and Bert and Arnie’s Guide to Friendship.
“From day one on set Anna has brought a wonderful new energy to the show, that both complements and somehow even further elevates the work of our core ensemble. Anna brings a remarkable depth of personal experience and intention to this role, and we feel incredibly lucky to add an actress of her caliber to our palette even as we bring the series-long story of Halt and Catch Fire to a close,” said series creator and showrunner Christopher C. Rogers.
“We are huge fans of Anna and are honored that she’s become part of the Halt family as it enters its final chapter,” stated Christopher Cantwell, also a creator and showrunner. “She’s transformed the character of Katie into something truly special, and it’s quite a privilege to have such incredible talent bring this integral role to life. We can’t wait to share her work this season with our viewers.”
The Plot: The final season of the series will see our cast of characters navigating the early days of the Internet as they search for answers, both personally and professionally, while the competitive nature of the tech world continues to grow and affect their relationships.
Pixar’s just released a new action-packed trailer for the animated film, Cars 3. The new one-minute trailer for the third film of the Cars franchise features the Eagles’ song “Take It to the Limit” and Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen psyching himself up for one final big race. Cars 3 also features the voices of Cristela Alonzo, Chris Cooper, Nathan Fillion, Larry the Cable Guy, Armie Hammer, Ray Magliozzi, Tony Shalhoub, Bonnie Hunt, Lea DeLaria, Kerry Washington, Bob Costas, Margo Martindale, Darrell Waltrip, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Bob Peterson, Guido Quaroni, the late Tom Magliozzi, John Ratzenberger, Kyle Petty, Lewis Hamilton, Lloyd Sherr, Robert Glenn “Junior” Johnson, Ray Everhnam, Cheech Marin, Howard Augustine “Humpy” Wheeler Jr., Katherine Helmond, Paul Dooley, Jenifer Lewis, Shannon Spake, Maddy McGraw, Michael Wallis, Mike Joy, Jeff Gordon, Daniel Suárez, Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace, Chase Elliott, Richard Petty, and Andra Day.
Storyboard artist Brian Fee directed and Kevin Reher (A Bug’s Life) produced. Cars 3 is set to open in theaters on June 16, 2017.
The Plot: Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician, Cruz Ramirez (voice of Cristela Alonzo), with her own plan to win, plus inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isn’t through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing’s biggest stage!
Peter Cockett as John Richardson and Emily Browning as Essie Macgowan in ‘American Gods’ season 1 episode 7 (Photo Credit: Starz)
Starz’ American Gods season one episode seven shifts the focus from Shadow Moon and Mr. Wednesday’s road trip to the backstory of Mad Sweeney (Pablo Schreiber). The June 11, 2017 episode begins with an old Decca record playing at a funeral home as Mr. Jacquel aka Anubis (Christopher Obi) prepares a body. The funeral home’s co-owner Mr. Ibis aka Thoth (Demore Barnes) suggests they relax and finish the body tomorrow, but Mr. Jacquel warns him two dead women will be coming in in the morning and will need the table. They’re not dead yet, but will be soon.
Mr. Ibis opens a large book, dips his pen in the well, and begins to write. We discover he’s the narrator who has been telling the stories which begin each of the season one episodes. In this episode, his story unfolds in 1721 and reveals the Americas were a dumping ground, a “forgetting place.” The Americas were a symbol of clemency for those in trouble with the law, with crowded ships bringing criminals to America where they were sold as indentured servants. It was better than being in an English prison, and it was possible to be set free once your debt was paid.
Mr. Ibis writes about the life of Essie Macgowan (Emily Browning) who loved tales of leprechauns as a young girl. A flashback shows the young Essie waiting for her father’s ship to arrive, listening to stories of fairies and leprechauns. She’s told the merry folk live on a nearby hill, and that leprechauns have no time for anything but guarding their gold.
As she grows up, Essie continues the job of leaving gifts for the fairy folk so that her family will be blessed. She passes the stories on to young children from the village, including a particularly disturbing story about being lost in the fog and hearing a banging noise. She recalls not knowing how to get home but remembered to give an offering to a leprechaun and in the morning, the bread was gone and she was once again back in familiar territory.
Essie, an intelligent and beautiful young woman, is ambitious and saves her money to use to ask a favor of a leprechaun. She leaves a coin for the leprechaun and then back in town, she makes love to a handsome boy named Bartholomew (Jake Manley). He gives her a necklace, promising to marry her when he returns at Christmas. Unfortunately, one of her fellow servants is jealous of Essie and Bartholomew’s relationship and tells their mistress. The mistress believes Essie stole the necklace from her son and when she asks Bartholomew if he gave it freely to Essie, he denies ever doing so.
Essie’s hauled into court and sentenced to hanging, but then the judge changes his mind and offers her a trip to America and seven years as an indentured servant instead.
Despite the lack of food, Essie always remembers to leave the leprechauns what she can while onboard the ship. A twist of fate means Essie doesn’t wind up in America. She makes her way into the captain’s bed and returns with him to London.
They’re married and happy for eight weeks until he has to set sail for America once more. He promises to return quickly, regretting being called away. Essie, however, packs up his valuables once he’s gone and leaves. If people think she’s a thief, she’ll become one.
The episode transitions to contemporary times as Salim (Omid Abtahi), Laura, and Mad Sweeney cruise down the road in Salim’s taxi. They stop to stretch their legs at a ranch where Tatanka Ska, the sacred White Buffalo, was born in June 2008. A massive statue was erected in its honor and it’s now a tourist attraction. The buffalo and the ranch’s owner were killed by a lightning strike exactly one year after Tatanka Ska’s, and Mad Sweeney thinks they got what they deserved for putting a god in a petting zoo.
Salim needs time to pray and invites Laura to join him. Flies swirl around Laura’s head as Salim says he loves his god.
Laura suggests to Mad Sweeney that they let Salim go, but Mad Sweeney refuses. He’s only on this side trip because of the coin he wants that’s currently inside Laura’s body, otherwise he’d be heading to House on the Rock. Unfortunately, Mad Sweeney revealed too much and Laura tells Salim to head to House on the Rock to find his Jinn. Salim takes off after calling Mad Sweeney an unpleasant creature.
Laura and Mad Sweeney need a ride so they steal an ice cream truck and get back on the road.
And we return now to the story of Essie Macgowan who has become quite proficient at stealing. She makes a life for herself, adopts a kitten, and finds a new handsome young man to spend time with. However, she forgets to set out the nightly offering to the leprechauns and her luck runs out. She’s caught in the act of stealing and hauled once more before the judge. The sentence this time is death without the possibility of a trip to the Americas, and she’s taken to Newgate Prison to await hanging.
Locked in her cell, the man in the next cell, Mad Sweeney, warns Essie to only eat the bread. He somehow knows she doesn’t belong there and he’s certain he shouldn’t be in jail, but he got in a bar fight and that’s what landed him in trouble with the law. When she reveals she’s sentenced to be hung, he says to make sure she gives them a messy death to clean up. She explains that she’s not eligible to sail to America because she’s a repeat offender, and he suggests she could try and bribe her way free. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have any gold to share with her to help her out and she’s penniless at this point. They exchange stories and Essie says in the Americas anyone can be anything and be happy. She just wants a home and someone kind.
Even though she was given very little food, Essie leaves an offering out for the leprechauns before going to sleep. She wakes the next morning, freezing cold and with the warden entering her cell. The warden of Newgate walks in with a full tray of tasty-looking food and proclaims she has 12 weeks before the sentence is delivered. He confesses he thinks she’s pretty and reveals there’s a way she might be able to save herself from the gallows. She smiles and they have sex, apparently repeatedly as 12 weeks later she is pregnant and escapes the gallows. She’s once again shipped off to the Americas, but this time it’s for life.
After a terrifying voyage, Essie and her baby land in Norfolk, Virginia where her indentureship is bought by a tobacco farmer named John Richardson (Peter Cockett). He needs a wet nurse/maid because his wife just died after giving birth to their baby. Essie’s charged with raising her baby and John’s, and she passes her stories along to these little ones as they grow up.
Pablo Schreiber and Emily Browning in ‘American Gods’ season 1 episode 7 (Photo Credit: Starz)
And back to contemporary happenings we go, with Laura driving the ice cream truck while Mad Sweeney shivers from the cold beside her. She calls him a baby as he tries to keep warm while she has the air conditioner cranked up.
Mad Sweeney offers her an ice cream, but she reminds him her stomach is sewn up. He assures her she’ll be resurrected soon and adds that the guy who’s doing it isn’t going to do it for gold. He then tosses a few gold coins out the window, which prompts Laura to ask how much gold he actually has. Mad Sweeney reveals he was once a king and then a bird, and then Mother Church turned them all into saints, trolls, and fairies. He adds, “Then General Mills did the rest.” Laura wants to know why he is so anxious to get to Mr. Wednesday’s meeting and he says it’s because Wednesday is preparing for war.
Mad Sweeney reveals there was a time when he was meant to go to war. A flashback shows us Mad Sweeney next to a huge fire in a pit as he explains to Laura he looked into the fire and saw his death on the eve of battle. His vision showed him the land was on fire all around him and he knew he was going to die if he stayed. He didn’t and avoided his death, but now he owes a battle.
A white rabbit runs in front of the ice cream truck and Laura loses control when she swerves to avoid it. Ice cream flies all over the truck as it rolls over multiple times before landing on its side. The crash causes Mad Sweeney’s special gold coin to be dislodged from her body, and Laura – autopsy stitches now open – lies twisted on her back in the middle of the road.
Returning to the time of Essie, she continues to keep the stories of fairy folk and leprechauns alive. The children believe because she believes, and even Mr. Richardson is taken with her stories. One night after the children are put to bed, he makes a sexual advance which she rebuffs. She claims he’s taking advantage of a poor widow woman who isn’t free to wed because an indentured servant cannot marry. She claims she has feelings for him, but she’s hurt because he can’t possibly feel the same way. Her story works and Mr. Richardson asks her to marry him.
They wed and it’s only then that she kisses him. They seem happy enough and have a baby boy they name John. Soon all three children head off to school, each with a little something extra to leave out for the leprechaun to make sure they return home safely.
The narrator informs us John Richardson and Essie were married for 10 years when John passed away after suffering from a fever. Essie took care of the farm, always leaving bread out for the leprechaun. She lived a long, happy life, passing her stories on to her grandchildren. However, her old stories were too scary for the young ones and there came a point where she kept them all to herself.
Back to contemporary times, Laura lies dead in the middle of the road while Mad Sweeney is able to walk away from the crash. He spots his magical gold coin and is about to walk away with it when he stops short. He has a vision of the black crow landing nearby at night, and he tells it to tell “him” it’s done, meaning Laura is dead and not coming back. In reality, he pauses on the road and looks back at Laura’s body. He screams at the heavens before placing a few of Laura’s organs back in her chest and reinserting the gold coin. She instantly awakens and hits him right on the nose, knocking him down. She’s not in the least bit thankful as she returns to the crashed truck and with one arm sets it back on its wheels. She yells at Mad Sweeney to get inside, even honking at him when he doesn’t move quickly enough.
The episode’s final flashback reveals Mad Sweeney paying Essie a visit on her last evening on earth, calling her name and startling her awake as she slumbers in a chair on her porch. She’s happy to see an Irishman and he laments the fact no one in the Americas leaves out milk or bread for leprechauns. He confesses she and a few others are the reason he’s in America, a place without magic or fairies. He flips a coin and it disappears, and then he asks if she’ll take his hand. She does, rising to her feet.
The narrator continues the story, saying Essie’s body was still warm when she was found dead. He closes the book as the camera pans to a lighthouse on a hill, waves lapping at the nearby shore.
Warner Bros Pictures’ Wonder Woman had no problem hanging onto the top spot at the box office chart for the second weekend in a row. Wonder Woman starring Gal Gadot passed the $200 million mark domestically after 10 days in release, and kept its hold on the #1 position with a $57 million second weekend take. Following far behind was Universal Pictures’ reboot of The Mummy franchise starring Tom Cruise. The 2017 adaptation failed to live up to its pre-release expectations, delivering $32 million domestically which is less than 1999’s The Mummy starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. The reboot also finished behind 2001’s The Mummy Returns and 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.
Critics weren’t kind to Cruise’s The Mummy, with the film’s Rotten Tomatoes rating currently standing at a disastrous 17% fresh. (Wonder Woman is holding fast at 93% fresh.) Audiences were also equally as disappointed in Universal’s new take on The Mummy, awarding it an average score of B-. Universal Pictures had high hopes for the 2017 release of The Mummy which was supposed to kick off the new horror movie franchise, “Dark Universe,” with a bang. It’ll be up to Bill Condon (Beauty and the Beast) and Bride of Frankenstein with Javier Bardem as Frankenstein’s Monster to right the ship, plus a film starring Johnny Depp is also in the works.
