Tom Cruise plays Jack Reacher, Judd Lormand plays Local Deputy and Jason Douglas plays Sheriff in ‘Jack Reacher: Never Go Back’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions.
Paramount Pictures just released three new short clips from Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, the sequel to 2012’s Jack Reacher, featuring Tom Cruise and Cobie Smulders in action. Directed by Edward Zwick (The Last Samurai, Pawn Sacrifice), the cast also includes Aldis Hodge, Danika Yarosh, Patrick Heusinger, Hold McCallany, and Robert Knepper. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back opens in theaters on October 21, 2016.
The first Jack Reacher film starred Tom Cruise in the title role and was directed by Christopher McQuarrie (Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation). McQuarrie also adapted the book for the screen. Opening on December 21, 2012, Jack Reacher pulled in $15 million over its opening weekend domestically and went on to ring up $218 million worldwide before exiting theaters.
The Plot: Jack Reacher (Cruise) returns with his particular brand of justice in the highly anticipated sequel Jack Reacher, Never Go Back. When Army Major Susan Turner (Smulders), who heads Reacher’s old investigative unit, is arrested for Treason, Reacher will stop at nothing to prove her innocence and to uncover the truth behind a major government conspiracy involving soldiers who are being killed. Based upon Jack Reacher, Never Go Back, author Lee Child’s 18th novel in the best-selling Jack Reacher series, that has seen 100 million books sold worldwide.
Kings of Leon confirmed they will be touring in support of their new album, Walls. The rock band will be on the road in 2017, kicking off the first leg of their tour on January 12th in National Harbor, MD. Leg one will stop in cities including Toronto, New York, and San Francisco before finishing up on January 28th in Los Angeles at The Forum.
Walls is the Grammy Award winning band’s seventh studio album. Kings of Leon – Caleb (guitar/vocals), Nathan (drums), Jared (bass) and Matthew Followill (guitar) – have sold more than 18 million albums and have had five singles make it onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart. All of their previous albums also earned spots on the Billboard Top 200 list.
Kings of Leon Tour Dates:
Thursday, January 12 National Harbor, MD National Harbor
Friday, January 13 Boston, MA TD Bank Garden
Monday, January 16 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
Thursday, January 19 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
Friday, January 20 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Sunday, January 22 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre
Monday, January 23 Chicago, IL United Center
Wednesday, January 25 Broomfield, CO 1stBANK Center*
Friday, January 27 San Francisco, CA Bill Graham Civic Auditorium*
Jonathan Scarfe as Axel Miller and Kelly Overton as Vanessa Van Helsing in ‘Van Helsing’ (Photo by Dan Power / Helsing S1 Productions / Syfy)
Syfy’s renewed its new vampire horror series Van Helsing for a second season. Season one is currently airing on Friday nights at 10pm ET/PT and stars Kelly Overton as the world’s only real hope to end the vampire apocalypse. In addition to Overton, Van Helsing‘s cast includes Jonathan Scarfe, Christopher Heyerdahl, David Cubitt, Vincent Gale, Rukiya Bernard, Trezzo Mahoro, Aleks Paunovic, Laura Mennell, Tim Guinee and Paul Johansson. The series is written by showrunner Neil LaBute who also executive produces along with Chad Oakes, Mike Frislev, Simon Barry, Evan Tyler, Dave Brown, Zadoc Angell, and Daniel March.
Van Helsing season two will consist of 13 episodes. Filming’s expected to begin in January 2017.
“It’s with great pleasure and extreme excitement that all of us involved with Van Helsing receive the news of a pick-up for a second season, especially this early in our initial run,” stated LaBute. “We have a wonderful and terrifying road ahead planned for Vanessa, her allies and her enemies. I think this is a world and a story that can be sustained for many years and I am inspired to do so thanks to Syfy’s obvious trust and commitment in the storytellers, cast and crew. The team is very thankful and ready to go—ready to get back on the road to Denver and to spill a lot of blood along the way.”
“We could not be more thrilled to receive a second season nod from our friends at Syfy,” said Chad Oakes, Executive Producer and Co-Chairman of Nomadic Pictures. “The incredibly talented cast, director, and writers, all lead by our fearless leader Neil LaBute, worked tirelessly to deliver us an amazing first season. We cannot wait to roll up our sleeves and continue this journey together.”
The Plot: After a catastrophic volcano eruption, the last remaining underground vampires rise up through a dark, ash-filled sky to overtake America. Vanessa Van Helsing (Overton), a descendant of the legendary line of vampire hunters, awakens from a three-year coma to discover that she’s not only immune to the bloodthirsty predators – but also has the ability to make them human again. With this “cure” threatening the vampire’s existence and a target on her back, can Vanessa save humanity?
Caroline Dhavernas stars in Mary Kills People (Photo Courtesy of Lifetime)
Lifetime has greenlit Mary Kills People, a dark comedy/drama from Tara Armstong and starring Hannibal‘s Caroline Dhavernas. The cast of the one-hour dramedy also includes Beauty and the Beast‘s Jay Ryan, Vinyl‘s Richard Short, The Book of Negroes‘ Lyriq Bent, Bitten‘s Greg Bryk, and Rookie Blue‘s Charlotte Sullivan. Armstrong is writing the series along with Marsha Greene (Private Eyes), Sherry White (Rookie Blue) and Mike Goldbach (Down a Dark Hall).
Holly Dale is on board to direct all six episodes of season one.
The network announced they’ll be pairing up UnReal with Mary Kills People for the 2017 season. The series is being produced by eOne, Cameron Pictures, and Corus Entertainment, with Tassie Cameron, Amy Cameron, Jocelyn Hamilton, and Tecca Crosby executive producing.
“As UnREAL drives Lifetime’s position as a destination for some of the strongest female characters on television, we are thrilled to add to our growing scripted lineup Mary Kills People, a unique, rich drama with elements of humor and a fascinatingly complex protagonist that we are thrilled to feature on our network,” stated Liz Gateley, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming for Lifetime.
“With a creative team led by the incomparable Tassie Cameron, Tara Armstrong’s richly layered writing, Holly Dale’s expert direction, and an outstanding cast, Mary Kills People will be an intense and thought-provoking series,” said John Morayniss, Chief Executive Officer, eOne Television. “Lifetime is undoubtedly the perfect home for this topical and ground-breaking drama.”
The Plot: Single mother Mary Harris (Dhavernas) is an ER doctor by day, but by night, she and her partner, a former plastic surgeon, moonlight as underground angels of death and help terminally ill patients slip away on their own termsSo far Mary has managed to stay under the radar; but death is hot, business is booming, and her double life is getting complicated. When her world starts to unravel, Mary realizes she’s going to have to fight dirty if she’s going to stay in the killing game.
The boys are back! The 12th season of Supernatural has officially begun. And as usual, we’d all better hold onto our butts, because the road ahead is never smooth.
Last season left off with the Winchester brothers saving the world from being destroyed by the Darkness, who also happened to be God’s sister. As a parting gift to Dean (Jensen Ackles), she gave him what he needed most – his mother, Mary Winchester (Samantha Smith). It wasn’t completely a happy ending, however. At the same time, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Castiel (Misha Collins) had a surprise female visitor at the bunker. After banishing Castiel, the woman stated she was from the London chapter of The Men of Letters, then proceeded to shoot Sam.
This is where our new season begins, with Dean clueless about what’s happened to Sammy and the viewers knowing he’s going to blow a gasket when he finds out.
The episode opens with Dean being reunited with his mom. At first, she has no idea who Dean is. After all, she has been dead for over 30 years and he’s no longer the four-year-old boy she knew then. Dean is able to convince her of his identity by sharing the stories of her he had been told by his father. Having been raised by a hunter herself, Mary accepts the fact that she is back from the dead relatively well and they are able to have a much-needed tender moment followed by some time to catch up.
Meanwhile, Sam is tied up in the back of his shooter’s car, having been shot in the leg. Antonia (Elizabeth Blackmore), his captor, makes a stop at a veterinarian’s house and has him patch up the younger Winchester brother before taking him to an unknown location and tying him to a chair.
By this time, Dean and Mary have returned to the bunker, immediately seeing the blood on the floor and knowing something is wrong. While they are looking around, Castiel returns, filling Dean in on the few details about what happened that he knew. Using the time of the attack and traffic light cameras, they are at least able to find a lead by getting the license plate number of the car, enough to begin their search for Sam.
Back to Sam, Antonia begins an attempted interrogation. She claims that she wants information about him, his brother, and how they stopped the darkness. Sam is understandably mistrusting, considering the woman shot him. In light of his refusal to cooperate, Antonia and her partner, Ms. Watt (Bronagh Waugh), begin the torture. Yet Sam, having been tortured by far scarier things than humans, maintains his stance with one response, “Screw you.”
After a long, freezing-cold water torture, Antonia tries to convince Sam to cooperate again, telling him he’s not the hero in this story. Instead, he’s just really bad at his job. She explains that instead of waiting for someone to die before taking care of a monster, they take a more proactive approach by finding and killing them before they hurt anyone. She also states that they are looking for hunters they can work with, ones they can teach their ways to, so they can make America safe. Not appreciating their methods, Sam still refuses to talk and their method of breaking him escalates further. Eventually, they realize that causing pain will not work to break Sam, and decide to drug him while he’s passed out instead.
Dean, Mary, and Castiel made some progress in their search, having followed the trail all the way to the veterinarian who treated Sam and managing to acquire Antonia’s phone number. The call with her doesn’t go so well, however, and the best Dean can do is threaten what will come of her when he finds them. Still, they have the number and decide to head back to the bunker to see if they can use the signal to get a location.
The trip is halted when a car slams into them, knocking Mary unconscious. As Dean is checking on his mother, the driver of the other vehicle gets Dean’s attention. It’s Ms. Watt, who somehow manages to put a major beat down on both Dean and Castiel.
Thankfully, Mary comes to in time to save them by stabbing their attacker with Castiel’s angel blade.
Mary is a bit shaken, of course. Not only did she just kill someone, she had run away from this kind of hunter life and did not want this for her children. Dean is understanding, yet explains that this is who they are and that he feels they “make the world a better place.”
Things are looking bleak for Sam though, as the drugs have kicked in and he begins to hallucinate about some of the worst moments of the last few years, memories that he feels guilty about. It gets to the point that he can’t handle it, so he breaks a mirror and slits his own throat.
Antonia is horrified that her plan went so terribly wrong, rushing down to the basement where they were holding him captive to see the damage. Sam turns the tables though, showing that he only cut his hand, knowing that he was being watched through a video camera. After a struggle, Sam nearly escapes. Nearly.
“But where is Crowley in all this?” you might ask. He apparently has his own thing going on. Throughout the episode, he followed a pair of demons around as they cleaned up a trail of dead bodies on orders from Lucifer, people with their eyes burned out. Crowley ends up confronting them, stating that he knew the deaths were caused by Lucifer jumping from body to body looking for a vessel. Crowley is trying to track Lucifer down. Why? We don’t know. But it certainly can’t be good and will be interesting to find out through the next episodes.
For now, we end with Dean and Mary still looking for Sam, the latter also dealing with how much the world has changed since she died. The episode has definitely opened up some storylines to make us want more, promising to be full of drama, humor, and the wild twists we’re used to.
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Supernatural airs on Wednesday nights at 9pm ET/PT on The CW.
NBC is adding another music competition series to their lineup with The Stream. Unlike The Voice or other singing competitions, the talent pool for The Stream will come from videos uploaded to the show’s website. The Stream sounds like an interesting twist on the standard competition series and it’s already proved successful in Norway. The U.S. version has not yet announced a premiere date or which music industry individuals will be part of the judging panel.
“The Stream brilliantly uses technology and social media to draw music lovers in and make them a part of the process,” stated Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative and Reality Group, NBC Entertainment. “We’re excited to discover talent in this modern way and connect the best artists with the industry’s top starmakers.”
NBC released details on how the new competition will work:
“The Stream gives everyday talented people a chance to be discovered through the Internet and social media, much the same way some of our biggest musical stars today – Adele and Justin Bieber, among many others – were first introduced to the public. The series will bring talent shows to the next level by moving the traditional audition to the comfort of people’s homes. Everyone will be able to upload their video to The Stream online platform, where it instantly becomes available to the public. Once the performance is online, it’s up to users to spread, share and stream their favorite music. All musical talent can participate – whether they are a solo singer, rap-duo or electronic group.
The 100 most streamed musicians will be invited to a showcase where they will perform in front of music industry titans. During this showcase, the starmakers will choose 30 artists who they will work closely with for one week. At the end of the week, each titan will choose and sign their three favorite artists. When the artists have been signed, they will compete in a weekly live show. It’s up to the audience which artists stay in the competition, and which ones have to leave, based on the number of streams. The most streamed artists stay in the competition while the least streamed risks eviction.
The winner of The Stream is the most streamed artist – discovered and chosen by the public. In a new era that demands new stars, The Stream goes where no television talent competition has gone and speaks the language of our generation.”
Oscar-winner Ang Lee shot Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk in 3D and is employing cutting edge technology in order to give the audience a completely immersive moviegoing experience. A new behind the scenes featurette has arrived delving into the technology, with director Lee, producers, and the cast discussing how the 3D and the 120 frames per second framerate will draw viewers into the story. Sony Pictures also unveiled a new video with J.J. Watt and Richard Sherman who will appear in the film as NFL players.
Based on the book by Ben Fountain, Billy Lynn‘s stars Joe Alwyn in the title role. Kristen Stewart, Chris Tucker, Garrett Hedlund, Vin Diesel, and Steve Martin co-star in the much-anticipated drama. Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk opens in theaters on November 11, 2016.
The Plot: The film is told from the point of view of 19-year-old private Billy Lynn (newcomer Joe Alwyn), who, along with his fellow soldiers in Bravo Squad, has been hailed as a hero and brought home for a victory tour after a harrowing Iraq battle. Through flashbacks, culminating at the spectacular halftime show of the Thanksgiving Day football game, the film reveals what really happened to the squad – contrasting the realities of the Iraq conflict with America’s celebration back home. In his film, Lee dramatizes war in a way truly never seen before.
Ricky Gervais will be starring and executive producing Five to Survive which has just been given a series order by ABC. The Banijay Studios North America production is a one-hour game show featuring Gervais and kids, with a host still to be announced. Commenting on his involvement in the game show, Gervais said, “I’ve never understood the saying ‘never work with animals or children.’ As a producer and director, I prefer either to Hollywood actors. They’re cheaper, they do as they’re told, and the filming hours are better.”
“When Ricky presented his idea for Five to Survive, we immediately knew this was a project that needed to land here at ABC,” stated Robert Mills, senior vice president, Alternative Series, Specials, & Late Night Programming, ABC Entertainment. “It has spirit, it’s fun and it will have the unforgettable comedic moniker that is Ricky Gervais.”
Banijay Group president and CEO David Goldberg added, “At its core, Five to Survive is a high-stakes Q&A game show with the unpredictable twist of contestants putting their earning potential in the hands of children. You never know what’s going to come out of a kid’s mouth, and with Ricky Gervais, one of the funniest comedians in the world wrangling and asking the questions, it’s certain to be a rollercoaster ride. This should be the type of show that appeals to audiences all over the world.”
The Plot: The one-hour game show will feature priceless interactions between funnyman Ricky Gervais and kids who will assist grown-up contestants with answering questions for a chance to win a large cash prize. Five to Survive is an original studio-based game show that features one adult contestant who must answer 10 questions correctly to earn the top prize. If they answer incorrectly, the contestant has a chance to be saved by a group of five kids who have been asked the same question.
Matt Smith and Claire Foy star in ‘The Crown.’ (Photo by Alex Bailey/Netflix)
Netflix’s new behind the scenes video from The Crown features series creator Peter Morgan and Claire Foy (‘Queen Elizabeth II’) discussing the series and the Queen. Director Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours) and actors Matt Smith (‘Prince Philip’), John Lithgow (‘Winston Churchill’), and Vanessa Kirby (‘Princess Margaret’) also talk about the true events that inspired The Crown, the costumes, and the scope of the production. Victoria Hamilton, Jared Harris, and Dame Eileen Atkins co-star in the Netflix original series set to debut on November 4, 2016.
The Plot:The Crown focuses on Queen Elizabeth II as a 25-year-old newlywed faced with the daunting prospect of leading the world’s most famous monarchy while forging a relationship with legendary Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill. The British Empire is in decline, the political world is in disarray, and a young woman takes the throne….a new era is dawning. Peter Morgan’s masterfully researched scripts reveal the Queen’s private journey behind the public facade with daring frankness. Prepare to be welcomed into the coveted world of power and privilege and behind locked doors in Westminster and Buckingham Palace….the leaders of an empire await.
The Crown reunites acclaimed writer Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon) with director Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours) and producer Andy Harries (The Queen). Based on the award-winning play, The Audience, The Crown tells the inside story of Queen Elizabeth II’s early reign, revealing the personal intrigues, romances, and political rivalries behind the great events that shaped the second half of the 20th Century.
The CW’s Supernatural returns for its 12th season on October 13, 2016 with Sam and Dean’s mom back from the dead and Rick Springfield playing Lucifer. The series has a passionate fan base and Ruth Connell (‘Rowena’) loves being part of the show, her character, and getting the opportunity to interact with fans. At the San Diego Comic Con, Connell joined Supernatural‘s Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Mark Sheppard, Misha Collins, and Samantha Smith to talk about being on the long-running series and what we can expect from the upcoming 12th season. During our roundtable interview, Connell discussed Rowena, fan encounters, and Rowena as a grandmother.
Ruth Connell Interview:
What’s Rowena’s next move?
Ruth Connell: “I hoped that the end of last season had affected her in some way and when I got the first script I see that it has. That’s really nice. There’s a change, a different flavor, a different objective that will change throughout the season. I know what I’d like to happen. But, you know, it’s fun. We pick her up with a different mindset and I think it’s kind of fun. I hope you enjoy it.”
When you were originally cast did you have any idea it was going to be such an extensive role?
Ruth Connell: “I got booked for an episode and then for two. After I shot the first couple a few more popped in. I think Jeremy (Carver) said last year at Comic Con, at the panel, that the biggest surprise to him was how much that relationship developed between Crowley and Rowena and how much they enjoyed it. I’m like, ‘Thank goodness! I have a job because of that.’ I love doing it so much. They’ve killed me so I’ve come back – maybe I’m okay for a couple more episodes. I’m so proud I’m the longest running woman on the show. I can’t believe that. I’m so grateful for it. It’s the best thing that’s happened to me.”
What do you love the most about playing Rowena?
Ruth Connell: “I love her unapologetic-ness. I love that, and that she can go toe-to-toe with anyone which I don’t feel I can, but as Rowena you’re given permission. That’s a lot of fun to play.”
With Gavin back in the picture, how do you think Rowena will feel about being a grandmother?
Ruth Connell: “Well, that’s it. I don’t think she’s ready for the granny look. We’ll see. Usually Rowena’s first thought is how can I use this to my advantage? He’s a nice boy and I like Theo (Devaney) so it’ll be fun to play. Maybe he’ll change Rowena. Maybe he’ll change her. Maybe it’s easier to be a loving grandmother than it is to be a put-upon mom.”
How does it feel to be one of the few powerful female characters to stick around?
Ruth Connell: “It feels amazing. It feels like if there is any supernatural magic, this is my bit of it – to be involved with this. Because with this show it’s not just turn up and do a job; it’s the people that you meet and then the convention circuit – the whole thing. It’s completely taken over my life and changed my life, 100%. It’s amazing. I love it so much.”
Have you had any really weird fan encounters?
Ruth Connell: “I had one scary one, just one. There was a knife involved at a photo op, but that was just somebody who was just a little bit… It was just a misguided choice. I thought, ‘Oh my god, am I going to be Monica Seles?’ It was a Monica Seles moment. But it’s like 99.9% love and I’ve tried to embrace the fandom because I’m so grateful for the fandom. I enjoy it and I’ve learned a thing or two. I try and copy Misha (Collins).”
