Asher Angel, Sofia Wylie, Joshua Rush, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Lilan Bowden, Lauren Tom, and Stoney Westmoreland in ‘Andi Mack’ (Disney Channel/Craig Sjodin)
Disney Channel’s set a Friday, October 27, 2017 premiere date for Andi Mack season two. The family-friendly series was created by executive producer/writer Terri Minsky (Lizzie McGuire) and stars Peyton Elizabeth Lee (Shameless), Lilan Bowden, Lauren Tom, Joshua Rush, Sofia Wylie, and Asher Angel. Stoney Westmoreland, Emily Skinner, and Trent Garrett return for season two in recurring roles.
For those who need to catch up on the show prior to its season two premiere, a season one marathon will air on Disney Channel beginning October 27th at 2pm ET/PT. According to Disney Channel, season one reached 45 million viewers. Andi Mack was also the #1 show among girls as well as kids ages two to 14.
The Plot: The first season introduced Andi on the eve of her 13th birthday, just as she learns that her older sister Bex is actually her mother. This revelation puts Andi on an unfamiliar path of self-discovery, which she navigates with the help of her two best friends, Cyrus and Buffy, and her loving family. Season one culminated with Andi convinced that her parents Bex and Bowie are destined to be together. Meanwhile, Andi’s middle school crush, Jonah Beck, has just broken up with his girlfriend, Amber.
In the season two premiere, Andi encourages Bowie to plan a future with Bex, Cyrus introduces his girlfriend, Iris, to Andi and Buffy; and Jonah invites Andi to the Space Otters’ party.
Mike Vogel as Michael Dalton, Noah Mills as Joseph J. McGuire, Hadi Tabbal as Amir Al-Rasani, Demetrius Grosse as Anthony ‘Preach’ Carter, and Natacha Karam as Jasmine ‘Jaz’ Ervin in ‘The Brave’ (Photo by Jeff Riedel / NBC)
NBC’s introducing the new action drama The Brave to its primetime lineup beginning on Monday, September 25, 2017 at 10pm ET/PT. In support of the series’ upcoming premiere, the network’s released a batch of photos from the show’s first episode along with a teaser trailer and plot description for the one-hour series created by executive producer Dean Georgaris. Showrunners Matt Corman and Chris Ord are also executive producing along with Avi Nir, Alon Shtruzman, Peter Traugott and Rachel Kaplan.
The Brave stars Mike Vogel (Bates Motel), Noah Mills (2 Broke Girls), Natacha Karam (Homeland), Demetrius Grosse (Westworld), Hadi Tabbal (The Blacklist), Anne Heche (Men in Trees), Tate Ellington (Shameless), and Sofia Pernas (Jane the Virgin).
The Plot, Courtesy of NBC: “This fresh, heart-pounding journey into the complex world of America’s elite undercover military heroes follows Captain Adam Dalton (Vogel) and his heroic Special Ops squad of highly trained undercover specialists carry out each mission on the ground. His team is armed with incredible sniper Sgt Jasmine ‘Jaz’ Khan (Karam), CPO Ezekiel “Preach” Carter (Grosse), combat medic Sgt Joseph “McG” McGuire (Mills) and intelligence officer Agent Amir Al-Raisani (Tabbal).
This team works hand-in-hand with D.I.A. Deputy Director Patricia Campbell (Heche) and her team of analysts including veterans Cultural Specialist Noah Morgenthau (Ellington) and Mission Coordinator Hannah Archer (Pernas), as they wield the world’s most advanced surveillance technology from headquarters in D.C.
All members of this elite squad, both in D.C. and across the world, have one thing in common: their resilience and commitment to freedom is unmatched by any other. Often facing insurmountable challenges, the team works tirelessly to get the job done and to prevail in even the most complex situations. Week after week, the team uses that along with their unbreakable bond to save lives of innocent people and execute missions in some of the most dangerous places in the world.”
Mike Vogel as Captain Adam Dalton (Photo by Simon Mein/NBC)Natacha Karam as Sgt. Jasmine “Jaz” Khan, Hadi Tabbal as Agent Amir Al-Rasani, and Mike Vogel as Captain Adam Dalton (Photo by Simon Mein/NBC)
Mike Vogel in ‘The Brave’ (Photo by Virginia Sherwood/NBC)Hadi Tabbal as Agent Amir Al-Raisani (Photo by Virginia Sherwood/NBC)Tate Ellington as Noah Morgenthau, Anne Heche as Patricia Campbell, and Sofia Pernas as Hannah Rivera (Photo by Simon Mein/NBC)
The final film of the Fifty Shades franchise, Fifty Shades Freed, just released a one-minute teaser trailer along with the first poster. If you’re still into the Fifty Shades series after films one and two, you’ll want to check out what Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson are up to in this third film which finds Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele tying the note. Fifty Shades Darker director James Foley returned to complete the trilogy based on the bestselling books by E L James. Niall Leonard adapted James’ book for the screen and James, Michael De Luca, Dana Brunetti and Marcus Viscidi produced the adult romance.
In addition to Dornan and Johnson, the Fifty Shades Freed cast includes Eric Johnson, Eloise Mumford, Rita Ora, Luke Grimes, Victor Rasuk, Max Martini, Callum Keith Rennie, Bruce Altman, Arielle Kebbel, Robinne Lee, Brant Daughterty, Kim Basinger, and Marcia Gay Harden. Universal Pictures is planning a February 8, 2018 theatrical release.
The studio hasn’t released an official synopsis.
The first film of the series, Fifty Shades of Grey, was released on February 13, 2015. The R-rated film was directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and grossed $85 million domestically over its opening weekend. Fifty Shades of Grey went on to collect $166 million domestically, ringing up $571 million worldwide before exiting theaters. Fifty Shades Darker followed on February 10, 2017, posting box office numbers that were only half of the original film’s domestic opening weekend ticket sales. Fifty Shades Darker ultimately grossed $378 million before ending its theatrical run.
Critics haven’t been kind to either film, with Fifty Shades of Grey sitting at 25% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes while Fifty Shades Darker only found 17 critics out of 169 that gave the film a positive review.
Warner Bros Pictures has shared the first official clip from the Blade Runner sequel, Blade Runner 2049. The clip runs about a minute and a half and features Ryan Gosling (La La Land) and Lennie James (The Walking Dead). Directed by Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Sicario) from a script by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, Blade Runner 2049 also stars Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Carla Juri, Dave Bautista, and Jared Leto.
Blade Runner 2049 is set to open in theaters on October 6, 2017. Andrew A. Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Bud Yorkin, and Cynthia Yorkin produced the sci-fi thriller, with Ridley Scott, Tim Gamble, Frank Giustra, Yale Badick, Val Hill, and Bill Carraro executive producing.
The Plot: Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.
Sam Heughan in a scene from ‘Outlander’ season 3 episode 1 (Photo Courtesy of Starz)
WE ARE BACK!!! Okay… May I just say a 15-month Droughtlander is just simply unnecessary torture! Now let’s get into the necessary torture [emotional torture that is]…
Starz’s Outlander season three episode one title really does sum things up on several levels. First, as we knew, the Battle of Culloden was imminent. Jamie (Sam Heughan) sent Claire (Caitriona Balfe) back through the stones to save her life, as well as their unborn child, which is the only reason Claire would have left in the first place. Claire returns to 1948 and picks back up with her modern-day marriage to Frank (Tobias Menzies). The internal battles all parties must face are much more enduring and scarring than the physical ones. And believe me, as far as physical scars go, Jamie gets another doozy! Pour yourself a stiff dram, grab your best hanky or box of Kleenex, and settle in for the first installment of season three… Je Suis Prest for “The Battle Joined!”
As the episode opens, we are shocked to see the carnage of the completed battle of Culloden. Piles of bloody bodies, mostly Scots, all over the Moor of Culloden. The British are walking through moving bodies, or kicking bodies, to see if they are alive. If a sound is uttered, the Scot gets a bayonet for their answer.
We eventually find Jamie on the field, with a redcoat on top of his seriously injured body. Can you imagine having the dead weight of a full-grown man lying on top of you as you fade in and out of consciousness? The good news is that the redcoat is the, FINALLY, deceased body of one Black Jack Randall (also Tobias Menzies). Jamie flashes back from the present situation of pain to the circumstances of the pre-battle conversations and actual killing blows as they engage the British on the field. We get one more drinking game shot of whiskey as Bonnie Prince Charlie (Andrew Gower) says “Mark Me” one more time. Slainte Mhath!!
Jamie does flash back to when he sent Claire through the stones and he stands there alone after she is gone. We saw Claire’s reaction in the first episode of season two, “Through A Glass, Darkly.” Now we see Jamie left in his own time clutching Claire’s blanket before he returns to the Jacobite Army. The battle is much as Claire had described it to Jamie. With the British having heavy artillery and being of greater number, the Jacobites were slaughtered; though they did take some of the British with them. As the battle continued, Jamie saw Black Jack across the field almost at the same second as Black Jack saw Jamie. They charged toward one another and the ultimate personal battle ensued.
During the fight with Black Jack, Jamie received a horrible slash that created a very large gash across his upper left thigh. For that little gift, Black Jack paid with his life. Jamie struck Jack a fatal blow with his dirk. Both men stumbled and slashed in the air at each other as they continued to ramble closer together on their wobbly legs. Jack reached out and touched Jamie’s chest as both collapsed, Jack on top of Jamie.
In his fevered and painful state, Jamie continues to go in and out of consciousness. He even envisions Claire coming to find him. The vision of Claire turns into Rupert (Grant O’Rourke). What a shock to the system that must have been! Jamie tells Rupert to let him be so he can die where he is, but Rupert is a rather stubborn Scot, too. Book divergence here… Rupert died well before this point in the books, so you had to know he wouldn’t get too far along in the show with his own storyline.
The scene changes to reveal Claire and Frank looking at a house that would become their new home in Boston 1948. As they go through the rooms, politely talking as couples do about what the rooms would be used for, things feel a bit forced on Claire’s side of the conversation.
Months pass quickly in the modern period, and Claire is fighting the stove, trying to cook a meal over a pilot light determined to stay out on the stove. I must say, I love the vintage stuff in the sets but do admit to a level of gratitude for modern conveniences. Yes, I’m spoiled with my A/C, running hot and cold water, and glass top stove. Back to Claire, she blurts out our signature favorite phrase of hers, “Jesus H Roosevelt Christ,” and goes to take a much-needed seat on the couch. Being most of the way through the pregnancy, I’m sure her back and feet are demanding it. As she’s sitting there, she takes a hard look at the fireplace.
Ingenuity of a Mother strikes again. She goes and buys firewood and is going to cook over the open flame in the fireplace. A neighbor woman sees her taking the firewood out of the trunk and comes to help. They get to talking about how husbands like or don’t like surprises from their wives. The way women and men handled their respective roles in the 1940s were still sorta like how things were done for centuries before that. Men worked outside the home, women did the work inside the home. Of course, we know the roles got a little blurred starting in the 1940s after WWII because women had to get working in the factories and such while men were at war. I am not sure if Claire ever fully appreciated the fact that BOTH of her husbands allowed her to be who she was. They didn’t try to make her be just the same as every other woman of their era. (Fandom, don’t stone me for that…just my 2 cents).
The scene turns back to the 1740s. The Jacobites who remained alive found refuge in a small farmhouse nearby the battlefield. Jamie can hardly move, and many others in the farmhouse are injured in various ways. Rupert tries to get Jamie to drink some water as other Scots lay around them. Some are standing near the doors or windows trying to keep an eye out. The British are still close and traveling throughout the area looking for survivors.
In 1948, Claire gets the immeasurable joy [said in all sarcasm] of meeting Frank’s boss. VERY typical man of that era, the boss-man. Claire voices her opinion on an active political topic, as she usually does, and the man admonishes Frank for not keeping a closer watch on his wife. He even casts aspersions on her time as a combat nurse. Many of today’s 21st-century women, especially the younger generation, have no idea what true male chauvinism is. I’m glad the show is not shying away from how people truly acted in their respective time periods. History is not always pretty, and we can’t appreciate the NOW if we don’t clearly see the THEN. Okay, off my soapbox and back to the show…
In the farmhouse, the British find the hiding men. Lord Melton (Sam Hoare) storms in and Rupert informs the redcoats that they are all traitors. Lord Melton informs them they will be given the dignity of a bullet as a soldier instead of a hangman’s noose. Not a fair trade, but a nice gesture. Hanging is so much more gruesome.
Caitriona Balfe and Tobias Menzies in ‘Outlander’ season 3 (Photo Courtesy of Starz)
At breakfast in Boston, Claire is trying to lay the table. As she’s doing so she notices a bird just outside the window. It is always the small things in life that draw us back to memories of loved ones lost. You could clearly see the shadow of Jamie cross Claire’s face in that moment. Then Frank comes into the kitchen and they start talking about the differences between American Tea and English Tea. Tea in paper diapers… Frank, REALLY! [Snort!] Claire mentions that she would like to apply for American citizenship – Claire clearly has cast off her affinity for the English citizen she once was – and that she would like ‘their’ child to have a real home.
As Frank reaches to touch her stomach after Claire used the words ‘their child,’ she dodges his touch. The temperature in the room felt a drop of ten degrees. Naturally, a marital battle kicked off in fine fashion about Claire keeping Frank at a distance. Anyone who has been pregnant, or around someone pregnant, understands that the mother’s emotions are at a fever pitch almost the entire time, especially just before time to deliver. Fold the loss of the love of your life into that emotion and distance of emotion should be the least of it. Poor Claire, can she not have a simple happy pregnancy?
Though time in the 1940s has passed quickly through the months of Claire’s pregnancy, the time in the past after the battle has been but mere days. The British are taking the men out of the farmhouse one by one and shooting them, after logging their names, of course, for the Crown and posterity no less. Jamie is almost too weak to speak, but he is alive enough to hear each of his fellow men shot just outside the door. Rupert comes over to say farewell and to step up to take his turn with the firing squad. Jamie is left to hear his cousin die at the end of a bullet out of an English musket.
Frank is lying on the couch listening to all the things that make noise in a room in the middle of the night. The sink dripping, the clock’s second-hand ticking, the fire crackling all get to him eventually and he goes to his desk. He starts to pen a letter to the Reverend in Scotland when Claire comes into the room with her coat on. She announces that her water has broken, and the hospital is the next stop. Babies do love to come in the middle of the night.
Now that all the men in the farmhouse who could stand or move on their own have been dispatched, the British soldiers are down to the rest – Jamie being one of that lot. Lord Melton asks who of the men left wants to go next and Jamie naturally speaks up. He told Claire he intended to die, and he still does. As he’s giving his name to the soldier to write down on the list, Lord Melton stops short. He recognizes the name and realizes he has a serious problem on his hands. Lord Melton happens to be the elder brother of John William Grey. His younger brother owes Red Jamie a debt of honor for not him in last season’s “Je Suis Prest” episode. Always cheeky, Jamie continues to tell the man to kill him anyway, he “dunna mind if he does it” instead of John Grey. Lord Melton insists on satisfying his family’s debt, so he sends Jamie home, bouncing along in the back of a cart, to Lallybroch.
Claire is in labor at the hospital, but then the men take matters out of her hands. The doctor takes Claire down the hall to the delivery room and forcibly puts her to sleep instead of letting her have the baby naturally. She protests but it’s kind of hard to fight that anesthetic once you get it forcibly administered. Frank is told to go down to the waiting room. When Claire wakes up, she is clearly in the same fear as she was when Faith was miscarried. That is until she sees Frank enter with the beautiful baby in his arms. They decide to make a fresh start of things and be a family of three. All looks well again, at least until the nurse asks where the beautiful little angel got her red hair. You both better come up with a good story for that question! It won’t be the last time that is asked.
New Line Cinema’s It, based on the bestselling Stephen King book, broke multiple box office records over its opening weekend. Directed by Andy Muschietti and starring Bill Skarsgard as the killer clown Pennywise, It now holds the title for the largest opening weekend of September. It also claims the top spot for the biggest opening weekend of a horror film and, according to Box Office Mojo, the R-rated horror movie has already collected the fifth highest domestic gross of any film of its genre in just three days in theaters.
It revived the box office which had hit its lowest point in years leading up to the horror film’s theatrical release over the September 8, 2017 weekend. Without It snagging huge numbers, the box office would have looked dismal again as second place finisher Home Again only managed $9 million.
Melissa Leo, RJ Cyler, Stephen Guarino, Erik Griffin, Jon Daly, Al Madrigal, Jake Lacy, Michael Angarano, Ari Graynor, Andrew Santino and Clark Duke in ‘I’m Dying Up Here’ (Photo by Patrick Ecclesine / Showtime)
I’m Dying Up Here, based on the non-fiction book by William Knoedelseder, will be returning for a second season. Season two of the drama will consist of 10 episodes and is expected to head into production later this year. Showtime’s targeting a 2018 second season premiere.
Dave Flebotte created the series and will return as executive producer along with Jim Carrey, Michael Aguilar, and Christina Wayne. The cast of season one included Oscar winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Ari Graynor (Bad Teacher), Michael Angarano (The Knick), Clark Duke (Hot Tub Time Machine), Andrew Santino (Mixology), Erik Griffin (Workaholics), RJ Cyler (Power Rangers), Al Madrigal (The Daily Show), and Jake Lacy (How to Be Single).
“It is gratifying that so many comedians tell us this series really nailed the comedy club experience,” stated Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “The talented ensemble of I’m Dying Up Here, led by the brilliant Melissa Leo, and an equally skilled creative team behind the scenes, tell stories that scale the heights of comedy and the depths of drama, often at the same time. Having heard their plans for season two, I’m excited about the journeys these characters will take and the new ground the show will break.”
The Plot:I’m Dying Up Here delves into the inspired, damaged and complicated psyches of those who stand alone in front of an audience “dying” for fame, fortune and, with any luck, a shot on Johnny Carson. This fictional group of competitive but close-knit comedians is mentored by “Goldie” (Leo), a brassy comedy club owner who rules over her business with an iron fist, but nurtures her comedians with tough love. The series takes viewers behind the curtain of the comedy scene that birthed the careers of legends such as Richard Pryor, Robin Williams and David Letterman, showing there’s truly no such thing as an easy laugh.
In season one, “Goldie” balanced the demands of her comics and the club, “Cassie” (Graynor) emerged from the Cellar with a renewed voice, “Bill” (Santino) finally got Carson’s couch, Boston besties “Eddie” (Angarano) and “Ron” (Duke) traveled an uncertain road toward success that jeopardized their friendship, “Ralph” (Griffin) confronted old ghosts, “Adam” (Cyler) saw his ego threaten his rising stardom, “Edgar” (Madrigal) finally got some respect and “Nick” (Lacy) kicked a nasty habit – but how a burning development in the season finale will affect everyone at Goldie’s remains to be seen.
The official trailer and poster have arrived for Alias Grace, Netflix’s new series based on Margaret Atwood’s critically acclaimed novel. Sarah Gadon takes on the lead role of accused murderer Grace Marks, Edward Holcroft is Dr. Simon Jordan, Zachary Levi plays Jeremiah Pontelli, Kerr Logan co-stars as James McDermott, Stephen Joffe is Jamie Walsh, and Rebecca Liddiard plays Mary Whitney. Sarah Polley (Stories We Tell, Take This Waltz) adapted Margaret Atwood’s novel and Mary Harron (American Psycho, The Notorious Bettie Page) directed the six-part limited series.
Alias Grace will premiere on November 3, 2017.
The Plot: The story of Alias Grace follows Grace Marks, a poor, young Irish immigrant and domestic servant in Upper Canada who, along with stable hand James McDermott, was convicted of the brutal murders of their employer, Thomas Kinnear, and his housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery, in 1843. James was hanged while Grace was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Grace became one of the most enigmatic and notorious women of 1840s Canada for her supposed role in the sensational double murder, and was eventually exonerated after 30 years in jail. Her conviction was controversial, and sparked much debate about whether Grace was actually involved in the murder, or merely an unwitting accessory.
The New Line Cinema horror film It, based on the classic Stephen King novel, opened in theaters on September 8, 2017 and in support of the much-anticipated movie’s release, I had the chance to interview the film’s Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated composer, Benjamin Wallfisch. Wallfisch has worked on the music for more than 60 films, including A Cure for Wellness and Hidden Figures. Wallfisch’s score for It captures the evil in the town of Derry, Maine, embodied in the killer clown, Pennywise.
How did you get involved with composing the music for It?
Benjamin Wallfisch: “I was very lucky to build a relationship with the studio over the last few years. We did Lights Out together as well as Annabelle: Creation, and we all really enjoy working together. So, I got a phone call from the president of music over at New Line asking if I would be interested in the movie and I said of course. She sent over some examples of my work to the director Andy Muschietti and we met a few weeks later and just sort of hit it off with a shared passion for the book and a love of the classic ’80s scores. A little while later they called me and asked me to score the movie.”
So you were already familiar with the book?
Benjamin Wallfisch: “Absolutely. I read the book when it first came out. I was one of those Stephen King nerds growing up in the ’80s and, yeah, it scared me to death. I connected with the Losers’ Club and the heart of the story which is young people finding strength in number and accepting who they are without trying to fit in. That’s something that I think resonates with people and it’s something that has been translated so powerfully with this film. The chemistry between the young cast is extraordinary. It’s without question the best chemistry as an ensemble cast I have ever seen.”
You created an assortment of musical themes for the film. Can you talk about composing the music for the kids and their scenes of meeting each other and having fun trying to enjoy their summer, as well as the theme for the demonic clown Pennywise who’s hunting them?
Benjamin Wallfisch: “The thing about Pennywise is that he infiltrates everything even when he’s not present. There’s this sense of his inevitability in Derry, Maine where the story takes place. ‘It’ affects all the adults in town and every time you see a grownup on the screen – true to King’s vision – it’s not a good thing and what they are doing is not a good thing, and that’s all Pennywise. So coming up with a theme for Pennywise was all about coming up with finding and creating music that could infect all the other melodies because there are several themes in the film but the Pennywise score, which you hear very quietly when he introduces himself to Georgie in the iconic scene in the beginning, it’s just a very quiet and whispered childlike tune using very high strings. That’s him pretending to be a sweet clown, and then of course at the end you hear the music in all of its savage evil completely transformed.
Pennywise has a second tune, actually, because of how Bill Skarsgard plays him. There’s this weird 17th century children’s play song which we use when Pennywise is thinking about attacking or attacking. It was actually Andy’s idea, our director, and as soon as we put that on up against Pennywise’s eyes as he was about to think about how to bring a child down to float with him, it just sat perfectly – especially with Bill’s performance.
I should also mention about the coming-of-age and budding love story between Bev and Bill that was really important to me to bring to the score to. There’s a lot of emotional heart in the writing, and also at its heart the film is an incredible adventure. I mean, yes, it’s extremely scary but driving all of that is this passionate adventure between young people who are being inspired by Bill to find Georgie. And for me, along with the young love story, that was a really great way into the voice of the score.”
Music enhances movies and usually adds another emotional level and has a direct impact on the audience. This is true especially in the horror genre where music can add much more tension and suspense and in some cases, such as with Jaws and the original Halloween, give the monster a presence even when it can’t be seen. How pivotal do you believe music is in keeping the sense of dread and suspense alive?
Benjamin Wallfisch: “Well, music has this very inherent power which goes back to the beginnings of humanity, I think, where it’s a universal language. There’s this innate need in humanity to create and receive a musical experience. An orchestra is this incredibly potent, emotional delivery system. When you put a string orchestra in front of a picture and they play a melody which is emotionally in tune to what you are seeing on the screen, it will absolutely immediately affect you significantly more than without that music. Now in my particular way of doing things, I’m a bit of an anarchist. I like to think, ‘Okay, what can we do that just blows it up a bit?’
Also with this score, tension and release is the key thing in any horror score. What’s interesting about this movie is there are tons of scares but they’re actually much deeper than jump scares. There are moments when it takes you a while to absorb what you just saw. In this movie, more than any other I’ve seen recently, you are absolutely on this journey with the Losers’ Club and willing them to succeed. I think with this score my main job was to tell the story of these kids and their motivations and what’s driving them to do what they are doing and defeating this evil as a group. I think for me that’s the thing I caught onto most, you know the message that if you need to confront something unimaginably bad, come together as a group and do it as a group. The power of bringing together 70 musicians with that single unifying purpose is really palatable.”
Have you ever been afraid of clowns?
Benjamin Wallfisch: “You know, weirdly I wasn’t. I don’t know if that’s a missing gene or something but to be honest as a kid going to the circus I always loved it growing up in London. You know with the animals and the acrobats and the clowns, it was fun. However, having said that now that I look back at how clowns are portrayed in the U.S. there is something much more evil about that. I think clowns are much more innocuous in the U.K. so I’m sure if I had grown up here I would be just as terrified as most people.”
In support of its Toronto International Film Festival premiere, I Kill Giants has released a new clip from the film. Oscar winner Anders Walter (Best Short Film, Live Action – Helium) directed and Joe Kelly Eisner adapted his graphic novel for the screen, with Michael Barnathan, Chris Columbus, Kyle Franke, Kim Magnusson, Adian Politowski, and Nick Spicer producing.
The I Kill Giants cast includes Zoe Saldana (Star Trek Beyond), Imogen Poots (Roadies), Madison Wolfe (Zoo), and Sydney Wade (Wolfblood).
The Plot:I Kill Giants tells the story of Barbara Thorsen (Madison Wolfe), a teenage girl who chooses to escape the realities of school and a drab family life by retreating into her magical world of Titans and Giants. With the help of her new friend Sophia (Sydney Wade) and her school therapist (Zoe Saldana), she will learn to battle her Giants and face her fears – tackling the mean bullies at school, her sister (Imogen Poots) and her difficult work situation, and eventually her fear of death.
