Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds has been named Hasty Pudding’s 2017 Man of the Year. Reynolds joins a list of Man of the Year award winners that includes Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, Harrison Ford, Justin Timberlake, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Pratt, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The Man and Woman of the Year Awards are “presented annually to performers who have made lasting and impressive contributions to the world of entertainment.”
“We’re thrilled to present Mr. Reynolds with our Man of the Year award, especially after he proved his ability to simultaneously break box-offices records and the fourth wall in 2015,” said Guan Chen, President of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals. “And if his headline-stealing kiss with Andrew Garfield at the Golden Globes is any indication, it looks like he’s getting ready for his roast.”
Reynolds will be presented with the Man of the Year Award on Friday, February 3, 2017 during a celebratory roast at Farkas Hall in Harvard Square.
Deadpool has surprised awards prognosticators, emerging as a potential Oscar contender after earning Directors Guild, Producers Guild, Critics’ Choice, Golden Globes, and Writers Guild nominations. In response to Deadpool‘s successful awards season run, Reynolds released a special Oscar For Your Consideration video:
Reynolds’ other recent credits include Woman in Gold, The Voices, Mississippi Grind, and Safe House. Reynolds is about to return to the role of Wade Wilson (aka The Merc with a Mouth) in Deadpool 2 which will shoot later this year, and he has Life with Jake Gyllenhaal and The Hitman’s Bodyguard with Samuel L. Jackson coming out this year.
Thomas Jane as Detective Josephus Miller in ‘The Expanse’ (Photo by Rafy/Syfy)
The Expanse star Thomas Jane doesn’t watch much television but he does believe we are currently in the new golden age of the medium. Jane has nothing but compliments for the writing and for the quality of work currently being done on television, but he’s a big classic movie buff and he also spends a lot of time reading which takes away time from television viewing.
Sitting down for a very brief chat about The Expanse season two at the San Diego Comic Con, Jane shared his thoughts on the state of television and provided a little insight into what’s happening with his character, Joe Miller. Season two of Syfy’s hit series The Expanse will premiere on February 1, 2017 at 10pm ET/PT.
Thomas Jane Interview:
What will the relationship be like between Holden (played by Steven Strait) and Miller in season two?
Thomas Jane: “I wouldn’t call it working together. They kind of have competing viewpoints on what different things to do. Sometimes Miller’s right and sometimes Holden’s right, and they have very different views about the reality of the situation and what should be done about it. I think Holden is a lot more idealistic and younger than Miller in a way. Miller is a lot more jaded. He really understands the human nature of things, so he’s there to kind of ground those guys. (Laughing) Sometimes you’ve just got to kill somebody…”
Miller started out the first season really cynical but he changed and evolved as the season went on and now he’d even go the extra mile for Julie. Will that continue?
Thomas Jane: “Yeah. I think Julie really struck a chord in Miller. Miller’s very much the opposite of Julie Mao (played by Florence Faivre). Miller is a survivor; he takes care of himself first and then lets everybody else do their own thing. He’s very Darwinian. And yet Julie Mao is the one who has everything, is in the upper stratosphere of our planetary culture. She’s up there in the top half of one percent and she throws all of that away to dedicate her life to a people she doesn’t know when it’s not even her race. She’s not a Belter, and he’s become fascinated with who is that person? Why would she do that? What does she get out of that? And it turns him around. It really throws a wrench into his plans.
He really had a good system worked out where he could manipulate the system to his advantage. Julie Mao threw a wrench into that and he’s still trying to work out how to either get that out or have to rejigger his world view to accommodate this woman and who she represents to him. I love it. I love this story. I love Miller.”
Was it difficult for you to commit to a television series given your film work?
Thomas Jane: “Well, it’s always a decision. I try to do stuff that has a limited – for me – run and that leaves me open to do other stuff. I don’t want to commit myself to doing 22 episodes of television a year. But, that’s just me. It just doesn’t work for who I am. It’s not that I don’t love it. Television’s got some of the best stuff going now. It’s a totally different landscape. It used to be you did TV when you just did some throwaway kind of entertainment, light, fluffy crap, and then movies was where you really got to dig in and really do some good, grounded dramatic work and now it’s flipped. Now it’s you do a movie when you want to do some ungrounded fluffy sort of circus show, rollercoaster ride crap and it’s television you turn to to go really deep into characters and explore parts of life that are challenging and different, non-traditional. We’re starting to really see this explode and it’s wonderful.
The medium is still pretty fast. We shoot rather quickly, but the production values are skyrocketing and the talent that’s coming on board…that’s where everybody wants to be now. All of the great writers have something going in television. That, for an artist right now, is just a fantastic time. It really is another golden age or whatever you want to call it.”
Why are you such a fan of the genre?
Thomas Jane: “Well, I have a graphic novel company called Raw Studios and we do science fiction graphic novels. We’ve done two and I think we’re working on one more. We’re also doing a gothic horror comic that we’re working on. So, genre has always been a part of my life. I grew up loving all genres, whether it’s Western or science fiction or horror. I’m a big genre fan. I love the traditions. I love the different interpretations and it’s just a nice way to sort of classify or categorize different styles of telling stories. So, I’m always on the lookout for good genre. It’s hard to find and when you find it I tend to try to make the most of it. This is really smart, well thought out, good genre. So for me it’s a perfect fit.”
The CW’s Arrow returns from its lengthy winter break with season five’s 10th episode airing on January 25, 2017. Episode 10 is titled ‘Who Are You?’ and was directed by Gregory Smith from a script by Ben Sokolowski and Brian Ford Sullivan. ‘Who Are You?’ finds Oliver wanting justice while Felicity is on a quest for revenge.
The cast of season six includes Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen/The Green Arrow, David Ramsey as John Diggle, Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak, Rick Gonzalez as Rene Ramirez/Wild Dog, Joe Dinicol as Rory Regan/Ragman, Madison McLaughlin as Evelyn Sharp/Artemis, Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance, and Willa Holland as Thea.
Who Are You? Plot: Worried that Prometheus is right and he is truly a killer at heart, Oliver (Amell) looks for any ray of hope and finds it in what seems to be the miraculous return of Laurel Lance (guest star Katie Cassidy). However, Felicity (Rickards), still reeling from Detective Malone’s murder, is bent on revenge – she wants to stop Prometheus at any cost. While in prison, Diggle (Ramsey) fights for his life.
Fox’s second official trailer for Prison Break shows more of brothers Michael Scofield (played by Wentworth Miller) and Lincoln Burrows (played by Dominic Purcell), as well as a few scenes with Dr. Sara Tancredi (Sarah Wayne Callies). Season five of the critically acclaimed series consists of nine one-hour episodes and stars Amaury Nolasco, Robert Knepper, Mark Feuerstein, Rockmund Dunbar, Augustus Prew, Rick Yune, Inbar Lavi, and Paul Adelstein in addition to Miller, Purcell, and Callies.
Fox is set to premiere Prison Break season five on Tuesday, April 4, 2017 at 9:00pm ET/PT.
Series creator Paul T. Scheuring wrote and executive produces the new limited series. Vaun Wilmott, Michael Horowitz, Dawn Olmstead, Nelson McCormick, Marty Adelstein, and Neal Moritz also executive produced season five.
The Plot: When clues surface that suggest a previously thought-to-be-dead Michael Scofield (Miller) may be alive, his brother, Lincoln Burrows (Purcell), reunites with Michael’s wife, Sara (Callies), and Fox River State Penitentiary’s most notorious escapees to engineer the series’ biggest breakout ever.
Deadpool‘s making a serious play for Oscar consideration after director Tim Miller earned a DGA Awards nomination as a first-time director. The Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay just announced the list of nominees in both the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film and Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Feature Film Director categories, representing the best of 2016. Winners will be recognized during the 69th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, February 4, 2017.
“These phenomenal filmmakers have captured our hearts and minds, breathing life into stories rarely told and revealing worlds rarely seen,” said Barclay. “What makes this recognition truly special is the knowledge that these five directors have made a lasting impression on their peers – directors and members of the director’s team who intimately understand the blood, sweat and tears necessary to create a feature film.”
The 2017 DGA Awards mark the second year in which first-time feature film directors are recognized with their own category. “They say that ‘the only thing that stays the same is change,’ and that’s especially true when it comes to the art of filmmaking when driven by fresh viewpoints and new methods,” said Barclay. “The future of film is dependent on newly blazed trails and creative leaps of faith which is what we’re honoring with our first-time feature film director award. Congratulations to these five emerging filmmakers who have created projects that are as bold as they are innovative.”
Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2016:
Mr. Chazelle’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Michael Beugg
First Assistant Director: Peter Kohn
Second Assistant Director: Paula Case
Assistant Unit Production Manager: Bart Lipton
Second Second Assistant Director: Brett Robinson
Additional Second Assistant Director: Dodi Rubenstein
This is Mr. Chazelle’s first DGA Award nomination.
Mr. Davis’s Directorial Team:
First Assistant Director: Chris Webb
First Assistant Director: Ananya Rane (India Unit)
Second Assistant Directors: Mark Ingram (Australia Unit), Sunny Tiku (India Unit), KP Singh (India Unit), Shaunak Kapur (India Unit)
This is one of two DGA Award nominations this year for Mr. Davis. He is also nominated in the First-Time Feature Film category for Lion. He was previously nominated for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials in 2009 for “Shadow Puppets,” U.S. Cellular.
Mr. Lonergan’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Declan Baldwin
First Assistant Director: Michael J. Moore
Second Assistant Director: David Blazina
Second Second Assistant Directors: Tim LaDue, Scooter Perrotta
This is Mr. Lonergan’s first DGA Award nomination.
Mr. Villeneuve’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Stan Wlodkowski
First Assistant Director: Donald L. Sparks
Second Assistant Director: Brigitte Goulet
Second Second Assistant Director: Karine P. Labelle
This is Mr. Villeneuve’s first DGA Award nomination.
First-Time Feature Director Award Nominees:
GARTH DAVIS – Lion (The Weinstein Company)
Mr. Davis’s Directorial Team:
First Assistant Director: Chris Webb
First Assistant Director: Ananya Rane (India Unit)
Second Assistant Directors: Mark Ingram (Australia Unit), Sunny Tiku (India Unit), KP Singh (India Unit), Shaunak Kapur (India Unit)
This is one of two DGA Award nominations this year for Mr. Davis. He is also nominated in the Feature Film category for Lion. He was previously nominated for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials in 2009 for “Shadow Puppets,” U.S. Cellular.
KELLY FREMON CRAIG – The Edge of Seventeen (STX Entertainment)
Ms. Fremon Craig’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Brendan Ferguson
Production Manager: Dan Clarke
First Assistant Director: James Bitonti
Second Assistant Director: Daniel Mansfield
This is Ms. Fremon Craig’s first DGA Award nomination.
TIM MILLER – Deadpool (Twentieth Century Fox)
Mr. Miller’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: John J. Kelly
First Assistant Director: James Bitonti
Second Assistant Director: Daniel Mansfield
Mr. Parker’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Mark Moran
First Assistant Director: Tomas Deckaj
Second Assistant Director: Mark C. Stevens
Second Second Assistant Director: Scott Bowers
This is Mr. Parker’s first DGA Award nomination.
DAN TRACHTENBERG – 10 Cloverfield Lane (Paramount Pictures)
Mr. Trachtenberg’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Robert J. Dohrmann
First Assistant Director: Jason Blumenfeld
Second Assistant Director: Paul B. Uddo
Second Second Assistant Director: Jonathan M. Warren
Location Manager: Batou A. Chandler
This is Mr. Trachtenberg’s first DGA Award nomination.
Keri Russell as Elizabeth Jennings, Holly Taylor as Paige Jennings, and Matthew Rhys as Philip Jennings in ‘The Americans’ season 4 (Photo by Patrick Harbron / FX Networks)
FX’s The Americans will be moving to Tuesday nights at 10pm ET/PT with its upcoming fifth season. The network announced The Americans season five will premiere on March 7, 2017 and Archer, which has moved from FX to FXX, will kick off season eight on April 5th at 10pm ET/PT. FX also announced Ryan Murphy’s new limited series FEUD: Bette and Joan starring Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon will premiere on March 5th at 10pm ET/PT.
Details on The Americans: Set in the 1980s at the height of the Cold War, The Americans is a period drama about the complex marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington D.C. The arranged marriage of Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell) grows more passionate and genuine by the day, but as the pressures and demands of the job grow heavier, the personal toll becomes almost too exhausting to bear. Having revealed their true identities to their teenage daughter, Paige (Holly Taylor), Philip and Elizabeth’s ability to protect their cover and their family’s safety has become even more tenuous. Even as Paige pushes her parents to bring her deeper into their confidence, Philip and Elizabeth struggle to maintain normalcy in their family, especially around their son, Henry (Keidrich Sellati).
Paige’s budding romance with Matthew, the son of their neighbor, FBI Agent Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), further complicates matters since Stan – Philip’s best friend – remains the greatest threat to the Jennings’ safety. He and his partner, Agent Dennis Aderholt (Brandon J. Dirden) are on the task force that seeks to uncover the Soviet Illegals living among them. After Stan’s KGB lover/asset Nina was sent back to Moscow and executed for treason, he cultivated a relationship with KGB officer Oleg Burov (Costa Ronin), who, torn between duty and conscience, shared top Soviet secret intel with Stan that allowed the FBI to avert a potentially catastrophic loss of life. Disillusioned with the KGB, Oleg returned home to Russia, but he is finding it harder to escape his past transgressions than he had hoped. As the Cold War rages on, paranoia on both sides reaches new heights, making Philip and Elizabeth’s work increasingly vital – and eminently more perilous.
FEUD: Bette and Joan Plot:FEUD: Bette and Joan, the first installment of the new FX anthology series from Ryan Murphy, tells the story of the legendary rivalry between Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange) and Bette Davis (Susan Sarandon) during their collaboration on the Academy Award®-nominated thriller What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, and well after the cameras stopped rolling. The series explores how the two women endured ageism, sexism, and misogyny while struggling to hang on to success and fame in the twilight of their careers.
In addition to Academy Award winners Lange and Sarandon, the cast includes Alfred Molina as the film’s director Robert Aldrich, Stanley Tucci as studio titan Jack Warner, Judy Davis as gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, Jackie Hoffman as Crawford’s housekeeper Mamacita, and Alison Wright as Aldrich’s assistant Pauline. Notable guest stars include Dominic Burgess as Crawford and Davis’ co-star Victor Buono, Academy Award winner Catherine Zeta-Jones as film star Olivia De Havilland, Sarah Paulson as Geraldine Page, Academy Award winner Kathy Bates as Joan Blondell and Kiernan Shipka as B.D., Bette Davis’ daughter.
Archer Details:Archer is an animated, half-hour comedy that revolves around the hardboiled private eye Sterling Archer and his quest to find his partner’s killer in 1947 Los Angeles. The case proves to be more difficult than expected after Archer quickly gets mixed up in a deadly game of tug of war between Los Angeles’ most powerful crime bosses. Every clue leads Archer further away from his goal and deeper into a mystery involving kidnapping, prostitution and drug addiction. The series features the voices of H. Jon Benjamin, Jessica Walter, Aisha Tyler, Judy Greer, Chris Parnell, Amber Nash, Adam Reed and Lucky Yates.
Sarah Paulson as Shelby in ‘American Horror Story: Roanoke’ (Photo by Frank Ockenfels / Copyright 2016 FX Networks)
FX announced they’ve renewed American Horror Story for seasons eight and nine. American Horror Story is coming off one of its best reviewed and highest rated seasons to date, with season six – AHS: Roanoke – ranking as 2016’s #1 limited/mini-series on cable. Season six also earned the number three spot out of 215 cable scripted series.
The network previously announced the show would return for a seventh season which will air in 2017.
“American Horror Story launched the modern limited series revolution and – as evidenced by the most recent installment ‘Roanoke’ – it remains as vital today as when Murder House stunned audiences six years ago,” stated John Landgraf, CEO of FX Networks and FX Productions. “Each new chapter is a cultural event, beloved for every new twist in imagery, style, cast and plot. We are thrilled that Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and the entire creative team will continue to deliver the groundbreaking, celebrated American Horror Story for years to come.”
“When Ryan and Brad came to us seven years ago with the idea for a horror series structured as an anthology, with a group of actors returning year after year, in different roles, settings and time periods, we were in awe of the sheer originality and ambition of their vision,” said Fox Television Group Chairmen and CEOs Dana Walden and Gary Newman. “They’ve since delivered six fantastic installments which have rightfully attracted millions of viewers, critical raves and dozens of awards. Ryan and Brad are to be congratulated on this remarkable multi-year pickup and we are grateful to John Landgraf and our partners at FX for their extraordinary support.”
American Horror Story was created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. Murphy and Falchuk haven’t confirmed which members of the AHS ensemble that includes Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson, Angela Bassett, Denis O’Hare, and Evan Peters will return for the upcoming seventh season. (Updated: Ryan Murphy confirmed Paulson and Peters are in season seven.)
Warner Bros. Pictures has finally released the first official trailer for the comedy movie, CHIPS. The first trailer has lots of action and lots of penis jokes, along with some over-the-top motorcycle stunts. Dax Shepard wrote, directed, executive produced and stars in the big screen adaptation of the classic television series, taking on the role of Jon Baker played by Larry Wilcox in the TV show. Michael Pena co-stars as Officer Frank Poncherello, originally played by Erik Estrada. The cast also includes Rosa Salazar, Adam Brody, Kristen Bell, and Vincent D’Onofrio. Warner Bros will release CHIPS in theaters on March 24, 2017.
The original series creator of CHiPs, Rick Rosner, is involved in this R-rated action comedy as an executive producer. Michael Peña, Robert J. Dohrmann, and Nate Tuck also executive produced.
The Plot: Jon Baker (Shepard) and Frank “Ponch” Poncherello (Peña) have just joined the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in Los Angeles but for very different reasons. Baker is a beaten up pro motorbiker trying to put his life and marriage back together. Poncherello is a cocky undercover Federal agent investigating a multi-million dollar heist that may be an inside job—inside the CHP. The inexperienced rookie and hardened pro are teamed together, but clash more than click, so kickstarting a partnership is easier said than done. But with Baker’s bike skills combined with Ponch’s street savvy it might just work…if they don’t drive each other crazy along the way.
Camila Mendes and Lili Reinhart star in The CW’s ‘Riverdale.’
The CW’s set to premiere the new dramatic series Riverdale, based on characters from the Archie Comics, on January 26, 2017 at 9pm ET/PT. Camila Mendes and Lili Reinhart take on two of the comics’ most popular characters, Veronica Lodge and Betty Cooper. The two characters have vied for the attention of Archie since the comic books first arrived back in 1942, but according to Reinhart and Mendes their friendship has evolved in Riverdale. Mendes and Reinhart were paired up for roundtable interviews at the San Diego Comic Con and together they talked about Veronica and Betty’s relationship and what viewers can expect when they tune in to check out Riverdale.
The Plot: “As a new school year begins, the town of Riverdale is reeling from the recent, tragic death of high school golden boy Jason Blossom — and nothing feels the same… Archie Andrews (K.J. Apa) is still the all-American teen, but the summer’s events made him realize that he wants to pursue a career in music — not follow in his dad’s footsteps—despite the sudden end of his forbidden relationship with Riverdale’s young music teacher, Ms. Grundy (Sarah Habel). Which means Archie doesn’t have anyone who will mentor him — certainly not singer Josie McCoy (Ashleigh Murray), who is only focused on her band, the soon-to-be-world-famous Pussycats. It’s all weighing heavily on Archie’s mind — as is his fractured friendship with budding writer and fellow classmate Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse).
Meanwhile, girl-next-door Betty Cooper (Reinhart) is anxious to see her crush Archie after being away all summer, but she’s not quite ready to reveal her true feelings to him. And Betty’s nerves – which are hardly soothed by her overbearing mother Alice (Mädchen Amick) aren’t the only thing holding her back. When a new student, Veronica Lodge (Mendes), arrives in town from New York with her mother Hermione (Marisol Nichols), there’s an undeniable spark between her and Archie, even though Veronica doesn’t want to risk her new friendship with Betty by making a play for Archie. And then there’s Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch)… Riverdale’s Queen Bee is happy to stir up trouble amongst Archie, Betty, and Veronica, but Cheryl is keeping secrets of her own. What, exactly, is she hiding about the mysterious death of her twin brother, Jason? Riverdale may look like a quiet, sleepy town, but there are dangers in the shadows…”
Lili Reinhart and Camila Mendes Interview:
In the pilot episode, Veronica is a softer and sympathetic character than comic book readers might expect. Will that change over the course of the season?
Camila Mendes: “I think Veronica is always going to be struggling. She’s not used to being the nice girl. But after everything that’s happened with her father and the whole fraud/embezzlement, she’s trying to be a nicer person and trying to reinvent herself. It proves difficult because she’s not used to getting no for an answer. She always wants to get what she wants and that gets in the way of their friendship. I think there will be more cattiness as the drama increases. Right now they’re kind of setting up the friendship because Veronica’s the new girl. She doesn’t know these people yet.”
Lili Reinhart: “But it’s important for us to say that we don’t want these girls to be catty. We really don’t. We want them to be friends at the end of the day. We don’t want it to be a constant head-to-head rivalry. We want these girls to like each other. It’s so easy to just play girls that hate each other.”
The comics seemed to have Betty and Veronica always circling back to how they related to each other because of Archie. How does the show make them be more independent and less about Archie?
Camila Mendes: “Well, because they all have other things going on in their lives. I have my family drama. She has her family drama. Archie has all these decisions he has to make. Also, there’s another love interest for him.”
Lili Reinhart: “There’s another love interest for all of us.”
Camila Mendes: “We’re not always going to be centered around Archie.”
Lili Reinhart: “There is a love triangle, but the show is not strictly about the love triangle. It’s about all of these characters in this town; the secrets are coming out in this town. The light is being shined on all these problems. Season one focuses on the murder mystery of Jason and whodunit. We don’t know. We really don’t.”
In the current comics Betty is a more tomboyish. She’s a mechanic. Would you like to see that on the show?
Lili Reinhart: “Heck yeah…episode four. She is more of a tomboy. Veronica is the girlie-girl. Betty’s not afraid to get her hands dirty and fix a car. Hint hint. We are very much adding that tomboy element. It just shows kind of how opposite they are at the end of the day. They complement each other.”
It’s hinted that Betty is taking medication. Can you talk about that?
Lili Reinhart: “Well, Betty is under a lot of pressure from her mom, Alice, to be the perfect child. Betty has a sister, Polly, that you’ll meet later on in season one and Polly is the wild child, troubled kid, always getting in trouble. And Alice, Betty’s mom, wants Betty to be everything that Polly wasn’t. She wants Betty to be the epitome of the perfect student. She wants her to be the perfect sister to Polly and the perfect daughter. That pressure kind of makes her crack and at one point her mom goes into her room and says, ‘Oh, you forgot to refill your Adderall. Here you go!’ Her mom is very manipulative.”
What is the relationship like between Veronica, Betty, and Cheryl (played by Madelaine Petsch)?
Lili Reinhart: “Betty and Veronica are a team, more so.”
Camila Mendes: “Veronica comes in and immediately sees that Veronica does not get along with Cheryl. Veronica is kind of like neutral because she knows who Cheryl is – she’s been Cheryl before – but she also really likes Betty and prefers Betty.”
Lili Reinhart: “It’s not Cheryl’s fault. Cheryl just wants to attack the weak one and Betty just so happens to be the weak one at this point.”
Would you like to see a Betty and Veronica “ship” happening?
Lili Reinhart: “People want that, man! People are aggressive.”
Camila Mendes: “I’m curious if there will be hints of that.”
Lili Reinhart: “I mean, Betty and Veronica are not about to be a lesbian couple. We have gay characters, we have gay couples on the show – half of our production team is gay.”
Camila Mendes: “But I feel like the modern Veronica…this isn’t her first time kissing a girl. She’s a sexually confident woman. She’s probably the most experienced out of all these people. She comes into this small town and she’s like, ‘Who are these people? They don’t know nothing!’”
Do you think Betty getting together with Archie is a good idea at this point in time when we meet them in the series?
Lili Reinhart: “No. He has way too much stuff going on in his head to be with Betty. I’m very protective of Betty. I think Archie could have been really good with her before that summer happened. He’s dealing with the guilt of hearing a possible gunshot when he was with Miss Grundy. He’s dealing with what he wants to do with is life, whether he wants to play music or play football or go to business school. So, I think Betty needs someone who’s going to love her and treat her with respect, give her attention. Like, the attention that she deserves and he definitely can’t do that right now. Maybe someday, but not now. Maybe Betty will find her own love interest…”
(Interview by Sandy Kraisirideja. Article by Rebecca Murray.)
Disney has confirmed Ariana Grande and John Legend will perform the title track for Beauty and the Beast, the upcoming live-action romantic musical. Grande and Legend’s “Beauty and the Beast” track will be featured in the film and on the soundtrack CD.
The soundtrack will be released on March 10, 2017 in support of Beauty and the Beast‘s theatrical release on March 17th. The song was written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman for the 1991 animated feature film and won an Academy Award and Golden Globe.
Grammy winner Ron Fair is producing the new “Beauty and the Beast” duet. Commenting on Fair’s involvement, Disney’s president of Music & Soundtracks Mitchell Leib said, “Ron was the first and only choice to make this particular record. No one is a better vocal producer and he also has a great understanding of the filmmaking dynamic.”
“Stepping into the shoes of an Oscar and Grammy Award-winning classic is not small potatoes,” stated Fair. “But with today’s two greatest plutonium singers – John Legend and Ariana Grande – we are bringing the song back with a new school-old school fresh treatment that shows the soulfulness and power of what a great melody and lyric can inspire.”
Disney also announced the “Beauty and the Beast” music video will be directed by Dave Meyers. Meyers’ credits include videos featuring Katy Perry, Janet Jackson, Ice Cube and Britney Spears. Meyers recently collaborated with the studio on P!nk’s “Just Like Fire” from Alice Through the Looking Glass.
The Plot: The story and characters audiences know and love come to spectacular life in the live-action adaptation of Disney’s animated classic Beauty and the Beast, a stunning, cinematic event celebrating one of the most beloved tales ever told. Beauty and the Beast is the fantastic journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a Beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast’s hideous exterior and realize the kind heart of the true Prince within.
The film stars Emma Watson as Belle; Dan Stevens as the Beast; Luke Evans as Gaston, the handsome, but shallow villager who woos Belle; Kevin Kline as Maurice, Belle’s father; Josh Gad as LeFou, Gaston’s long-suffering aide-de-camp; Ewan McGregor as Lumière, the candelabra; Stanley Tucci as Maestro Cadenza, the harpsichord; Audra McDonald as Madame de Garderobe, the wardrobe; Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette, the feather duster; Hattie Morahan as the enchantress; and Nathan Mack as Chip, the teacup; with Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, the mantel clock; and Emma Thompson as the teapot, Mrs. Potts.
