A new trailer’s arrived for Warner Bros Pictures’ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them starring Eddie Redmayne as wizarding world Magizoologist Newt Scamander. J.K. Rowling wrote the script, Harry Potter veteran David Yates directed, and Katherine Waterston co-stars as Tina. The cast also includes Dan Fogler as Jacob; Alison Sudol as Tina’s sister, Queenie; Ezra Miller as Credence; Samantha Morton as Mary Lou; Jon Voight as Henry Shaw, Sr.; Ron Perlman as Gnarlak; Carmen Ejogo as Seraphina Picquery; Jenn Murray as Chastity; young newcomer Faith Wood-Blagrove as Modesty; and Colin Farrell as Percival Graves. Fantastic Beasts opens in theaters on November 18, 2016.
In addition to releasing another trailer, WB announced the ‘Return to J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World’ global fan event to be held on October 13th at 8:30 p.m. GMT (3:30 p.m. EDT, 12:30 p.m. PDT). Here’s the details provided by the studio:
Attendees will first be treated to a never-before-seen reel featuring some of the thrilling moments from the much-anticipated film. Talent from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will be joining the celebration, in person, at two IMAX theatres, in London and Los Angeles, to welcome the fans.
In London: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler, and director David Yates will be on hand.
In Los Angeles: Colin Farrell and Jon Voight will be in attendance.
Fans gathered at those locations, as well as attendees watching from IMAX theatres in New York, Sao Paulo and Mexico City, as well as a non-IMAX theatre in Rome, will be able to submit questions to the stars and director during the Q&A. It will be a rare opportunity to learn more about the story and their thrilling foray into a new era of the wizarding world.
The footage shown, as well as the Q&A, will also be streamed live online at www.facebook.com/fantasticbeastsmovie so eager fans around the world can share in the excitement.
Fans at each location will be presented with a specially designed Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them exclusive t-shirt, commemorating the worldwide event, as well as a collectible mini-poster.
As an added bonus, audiences in the U.S. theatres can stay for a special screening of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, being presented for the first time ever in IMAX.
The Plot:Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them opens in 1926 as Newt Scamander has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident…were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt’s fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.
Watch the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them trailer:
A murder investigation is underway as Fox’s Scream Queens season two episode two titled ‘Warts and All’ opens. The detective in charge is skeptical of Chanel #5’s claim that a large green plant murdered the Wolf Girl, and all that’s left behind is Wolf Girl’s head and one very confused Chanel. To make matters worse, the detective actually seems to believe Chanel – who was locked in a bathtub – is a suspect.
Dr. Munsch (Jamie Lee Curtis) butts in to ask if you have to have graduated high school to be a detective (the answer is no) as Chanel #5 (Abigail Breslin) continues to scream about a giant Wolf Girl-beheading plant.
Poor Chanel #5…not even her fellow Chanels believe her story. Chanel #1 (Emma Roberts) and Chanel #3 (Billie Lourd) circle her like she’s prey, carrying on about their doctor dates and Chanel #5’s lack of nooky. The detective decides there’s no way to solve the case and leaves, but not before warning Chanel #5 to stop making up stories that just aren’t that scary.
And now we’re introduced to the new case of the week: a man with bubbly skin. The team – Chanels 1, 3, and 5, Zayday (Keke Palmer), Dr. Cascade (Taylor Lautner), and Dr. Holt (John Stamos) – debate the course of action. Chanel #1 wants to pop the tumors, but Dr. Holt says there’s a laser treatment. Unfortunately, the hospital doesn’t have the right machine. Bubble Man (Colton Haynes) resorts to begging for their help.
Zayday confesses to Chamberlain Jackson that she thinks there’s something weird about Dr. Munsch. She wonders why Dr. Munsch started a hospital to cure bizarre diseases and why she would ever hire the Chanels. She suspects Dr. Munsch is in on the killing and wants to get revenge by murdering all the Chanels.
Chanel #1 and Dr. Holt have a movie date and narcissistic Chanel again proves she has no empathy for others. But, Dr. Holt is turned on rather than turned off by her bitchiness and as the movie begins, he puts his arm around her shoulders. Almost immediately his replacement hand attempts to choke Chanel, but she just thinks he’s groping her (which she likes). His hand won’t settle down and it grabs licorice from the guy behind them in the theater. Dr. Holt apologizes and Chanel thinks he’s just imitating the guy in the movie. She’s really into him and they make out.
Bubble Man and Chanel #5 have a heart-to-heart, with Chanel #5 depressed over the break-up a couple of years back with her (imaginary) high school boyfriend. Bubble Man tries to make her feel better and even shows her a picture of his hot self prior to the popping up of the bubbles. She vows to find the money for the laser to return him to hottie status.
Back at the hospital, Chanel #1 hears yelling and goes to investigate. She sees the Red Devil from season one and falls to the floor, screaming. Just when she thinks the axe is about to fall, the Red Devil takes off his mask and it’s Chad! Chad (Glen Powell) tells her he wants her back before putting the mask back on and leaving.
And back to the source of the yelling, it’s coming from Chad’s friend, Randall. Dr. Holt, with assistance from Chanel #1, and Dr. Munsch try to figure out what’s wrong with him. Chad shortly deduces Dr. Holt and Chanel #1 are dating and just as the arguing over Chanel gets good, Dr. Munsch shuts it down by comparing fighting over Chanel’s breasts to going to war over the Falkland Islands (a lot of work for an insignificant amount of land).
Chad and his buddies were out hunting when Randall accidentally shot Liz Cheney in the face. Dr. Munsch feigns concern for Liz, and Dr. Holt diagnoses Randall with the Jumping Frenchmen of Maine disease. Any sudden stimuli will startle him into screaming. Chanel compliments Dr. Holt and Chad brags he’s started a band. Randall doesn’t care about any of this, he just wants to be cured. Dr. Munsch says the hospital will find a cure for his incurable disease.
Chanel #5 and Bubble Man film a fundraising video, but Chanels #1 and #3 say she’s doing it all wrong. She has to stand by him now while he’s not hot, that way he’ll always stay with her.
Zayday and Chamberlain continue their Dr. Munsch investigation. Chamberlain steals microfiche from the library and they set up the reader in the hospital basement, out of the way. They discover the entire hospital staff was murdered on Halloween 1986 (one year after episode one’s Halloween party). Flashback to that night and the Green Meanie is slicing and dicing his way through the staff. Dr. Mike (Jerry O’Connell) falls victim to the monster he helped create while his nurse girlfriend runs for her life through the hospital halls. She’s not fast enough and takes a butcher knife to the back. Fluorescent green footprints mark the halls. The killer was never caught.
Ingrid Hoffel (Kirstie Alley) finds Zayday and Chamberlain in the basement and wants all the details on the Chanels. She wants their daily schedules, but Zayday won’t help her.
Chad and Dr. Holt are showering in adjacent stalls, and it’s a penis competition of course. Chad keeps ripping Dr. Holt’s shower curtain open and finally steps in with him. They’re face-to-face, naked, soaking wet, and talking about checking Chanel’s box. After both admit this stand-off has become very homoerotic, Chad challenges Dr. Holt to a game of squash – the winner takes Chanel. When they shake hands, their penises touch accidentally.
While having lunch in a diner, Bubble Man volunteers to help Chanel #5 find the killer. As they’re talking, two guys start making fun of Bubble Man. Chanel #5 beats the crap out of them and then apologizes to Bubble Man for overreacting.
Zayday and Chamberlain confront Dr. Munsch about scrubbing the hospital’s history. Zayday also accuses her of either being the Green Meanie or hiring someone to do it. Dr. Munsch says she could use a friend because she has a secret to tell. She’s trying to save her own life because she has a disease. Headaches, joint pain, shivering, sweating, and then her neighbor asked why she was walking weirdly. Doctors don’t know what’s up and Dr. Munsch thinks she’s dying. Zayday apologizes for accusing her while outside Ingrid puts her ear to the door.
Alone in the hall, Dr. Munsch is attacked by the Green Meanie, but she gives as good as she gets. Dr. Cascade and Chanel #3 arrive just as Dr. Munsch is about to rip off the monster’s mask. She tells them the Green Meanie is responsible for all the murders and turns to take off the mask but, of course, he’s escaped.
Doctors Holt and Cascade have figured out how to treat Randall’s screaming. As Dr. Holt explains the treatment to Chad, his replacement hand writes down food on a notepad.
Denise Hemphill (Niecy Nash) is back on the case, called in by Dr. Munsch. Denise says her instincts tell her Zayday is a stone-cold hoe. And, to catch a killer you have to get inside the mind of a killer. She knows someone who can help them do that.
Chad and Dr. Holt have their squash showdown and Chad is delivering his best smack talk. Chad wants to know whose hand has been implanted on Dr. Holt’s arm. Dr. Holt doesn’t know, but the hand and the doctor threaten Chad with violence if he doesn’t back off Chanel.
Chanel #1, Denise, Dr. Munsch, and Chanel #3 pay a visit to Hester (Lea Michele) who is locked up in a cell that looks just like Hannibal Lecter’s. Hester knows all about the killings and that there’s a connection to the Halloween murders from 30 years ago. “Quid pro quo, Chanel. I’ll tell you everything that I know but first I want a transfer to your hospital and I want a room with a view,” says Hester, doing her best Hannibal Lecter impersonation. She also has a list of skin products she wants, all of which were discontinued a decade ago.
Bubble Man and Chanel #5 are on the step of the hospital about to kiss when the Chanels show up to celebrate the fact Bubble Man/Tyler passed the test. He’s hanging with Chanel #5, someone society said is hideous. They’re buying the laser for his treatment as a reward. Chanel #1 got the money from Chad.
Chad’s meeting with a private detective who he apparently hired to find out what women think of his penis. He also found out the identity of the man who donated Dr. Holt’s hand. It’s Marshall Winthrop, a world-champion squash player who would murder the opponents he beat. He killed 600+ people and was caught while eating his favorite meal, the same items Dr. Holt wrote on the notepad. He was executed but was also a full-body donor.
Chad confronts Dr. Holt about his serial killer hand.
Zayday and Chamberlain try and figure out Dr. Munsch’s disease. When Chamberlain suggests a break for Ethiopian food, Zayday knows what Dr. Munsch has. They tell Dr. Munsch she has a disease cannibals get after they eat people which makes sense since Dr. Munsch just visited New Guinea. She has less than a year to live. Dr. Munsch swears them to secrecy, but Ingrid planted a bug and is listening in.
Bubble Man tells Chanel #5 via video chat he’s proud to have her as his girlfriend. He’s so happy she sees the real him under all the tumors. He also says he found out something about the killer and it’s a game-changer. As they’re talking, he gets wheeled away for surgery. Chanel #1 and Chanel #3 arrive and Chanel #5 is upset because there’s no way Bubble Man should be going in for surgery right this minute.
Bubble Man gets strapped to the gurney and it’s actually the Green Meanie who is wielding the laser. Bubble Man is dead and Chanel #1 announces, “Ladies, we have another serial killer on our hands.”
Mandy Moore as Rebecca and Milo Ventimiglia as Jack in ‘This Is Us’ (Photo by Ron Batzdorff / NBC)
NBC’s This Is Us has the honor of being the first new series of the fall season to earn a full season order. The network has picked up five additional episodes of the one-hour show, upping the season one episode count to 18. This Is Us debuted to 14.3 million viewers, making it the #1 new show of the fall and NBC’s biggest ratings earner in six years in the Tuesday at 10pm ET/PT time slot.
The series was created by writer/executive producer Dan Fogelman (Crazy Stupid Love). Writer Don Todd, director John Requa, director Glenn Ficarra, Jess Rosenthal, and Charlie Gogolak are also executive producers. This Is Us‘ cast includes Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Justin Hartley, Chrissy Metz, Sterling K. Brown, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Sullivan and Ron Cephas Jones.
“It’s a rare moment in this business when a show so instantly delivers both critical acclaim and hit ratings, but This Is Us is just such an extraordinary achievement,” said Jennifer Salke, President, NBC Entertainment. “Creator Dan Fogelman, along with co-directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa and the gifted producers, cast and crew, has delivered the kind of heart and depth that resonates with every segment of the audience, and we’re proud to extend its presence on our schedule.”
“We are thrilled. This order for a complete first season of 18 episodes is exactly what we’d wanted and hoped for,” stated executive producer Dan Fogelman. “We’d carefully mapped out an 18-chapter story for the first year of the show, and this allows us to follow through with our exact initial intent. And to get the order so early on is a tremendous show of confidence and a boost for our entire cast and crew. I’m starting to sound like a broken record but I have to thank Dana, Gary, Jonnie, Howard and my amazing partners at 20th as well as Bob and Jen and the fine folks at NBC for continuing to do absolutely everything right by me and this show. I’d gush more but I have to go back to work.”
The Plot: Sometimes life will surprise you. This refreshingly honest and provocative series follows a unique ensemble. As their paths cross and their life stories intertwine in curious ways, we find that several of them share the same birthday, and so much more than anyone would expect.
Ruta Gedmintas as Dutch Velders and Corey Stoll as Ephraim as Goodweather in ‘The Strain’ (Photo by Michael Gibson/FX)
FX announced The Strain will be back for season four which, unfortunately, will be the show’s final season. The horror series based on the books by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan is currently airing season three on Sundays at 10pm ET/PT and stars Corey Stoll, David Bradley, Kevin Durand, Jonathan Hyde, Richard Sammel, Natalie Brown, Miguel Gomez, Max Charles, Ruta Gedmintas, Rupert Penry-Jones, Samantha Mathis, and Joaquín Cosío.
“We sincerely thank Carlton Cuse, Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan and their creative team as well as the fantastic cast for three exciting seasons of The Strain,” said Nick Grad, President of Original Programming, FX Networks and FX Productions. “Though we’re sad to see it go, we fully support the way in which they are crafting the fourth season’s dramatic conclusion.”
“It is a true joy to work at FX where creative intentions always comes first,” stated Cuse. “Our original plan was for the series to last three years. Once we began telling that story it expanded to be more. After finishing the writing on season three, Guillermo, Chuck and I looked at our remaining story and felt the best version could be told in one more season. We have a fantastic plan for an exciting and climatic season four. We are deeply grateful to FX for supporting our vision and for allowing us to end the show on our own timetable.”
The Plot: Currently airing its third season on FX, The Strain has the very survival of humanity at stake. New York City is a battleground. Written off by the federal government, the people of New York are on their own in the ultimate showdown between humans and strigoi. Our heroes win victories, but are not winning the war. Beset by personal conflicts – betrayal, disappointment, paranoia – our group is splintering… Meanwhile, the Master is close to executing an irreversible transformation of the world. Is there still hope to save the city and humanity?
Kevin Bacon and Kathryn Hahn in ‘I Love Dick’ (Photo Credit: Amazon)
Amazon Studios has greenlit three new original series that will premiere in 2017. I Love Dick starring Kathryn Hahn, Griffin Dunne, and Kevin Bacon is a half-hour series based on Chris Kraus’ bestselling novel. Jean-Claude Van Johnson has Jean-Claude Van Damme playing an undercover private contractor. The third series, The Tick, is based on the popular comic. All three series will be available on Amazon Prime next year.
“These pilots were vast in scope, disruptive in tone, challenging in story and sometimes even funny,” stated Joe Lewis, Head of Half-Hour Series, Amazon Studios. “It’s rewarding to see customers embrace them in such a huge way. We can’t wait to premiere these series next year on Prime Video.”
I Love Dick Details: Adapted from the cult classic, I Love Dick — referred to as “the most important book about men and women written in the last century” (Emily Gould, The Guardian) — is set in a colorful intellectual community in Marfa, Texas. Chris (Kathryn Hahn) and Sylvere (Griffin Dunne) arrive in Marfa when Sylvere is offered a fellowship to finish a book he’s been writing on the Holocaust. When they meet Dick (Kevin Bacon), he taunts their imaginations and upends their preconceptions about love and monogamy. An exploration of the female gaze and how we tell stories about love and desire, I Love Dick charts the evolution of a marriage, the awakening of an artist and the deification of a writer named Dick. I Love Dick is executive produced by Jill Soloway, Andrea Sperling, and Sarah Gubbins. The pilot was directed by Soloway and written by Gubbins.
Jean-Claude Van Johnson Details: If you need to eliminate a political rival, debilitate a multinational corporation, or overthrow an entire government—and you need it done with the utmost secrecy—there’s only one person to turn to: one of the most internationally recognizable movie stars in the history of film. Jean-Claude Van Johnson stars Jean-Claude Van Damme (JCVD) playing “Jean-Claude Van Johnson,” a global martial arts and film sensation…and, operating under the simple alias of “Johnson,” the most dangerous undercover private contractor in the world. Lucky for the world’s bad guys, he’s been retired for years…unlucky for them, a chance encounter with a lost love is about to bring him back to the game…and this time, he’ll be deadlier than ever. Probably.
The pilot for Jean-Claude Van Johnson starred Van Damme along with Kat Foster, Moises Arias, and Phylicia Rashad. The show is executive produced by Peter Atencio, Ridley Scott, David W. Zucker, and Van Damme. From Scott Free Productions, the pilot was directed by Atencio, and written and created by Dave Callaham.
The Tick Details: In a world where superheroes have been real for decades, an underdog accountant with zero powers comes to realize his city is owned by a global super villain long-thought dead. As he struggles to uncover this conspiracy, he falls in league with a strange blue superhero. The pilot for The Tick starred Peter Serafinowicz, Griffin Newman, Jackie Earle Haley, Valorie Curry, Yara Martinez, and Brendan Hines. The Tick is executive produced by Ben Edlund, Barry Josephson, and Barry Sonnenfeld , directed by Wally Pfister, and written by Edlund.
STX Entertainment’s released the second trailer for the thriller Desierto starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen, The Walking Dead), Gael Garcia Bernal (Mozart in the Jungle), and Alondra Hidalgo. Written by Jonás Cuarón (Gravity) and Mateo García Elizondo, Desierto was directed and produced by Cuarón. Alfonso Cuarón, Carlos Cuarón, Alex García, and Charles Gillibert also produced the R-rated action film. STX Entertainment’s planning an October 14, 2016 theatrical release.
The Plot: What begins as a hopeful journey to seek a better life becomes a harrowing and primal fight for survival when a deranged, rifle-toting vigilante chases a group of unarmed men and women through the treacherous U.S.-Mexican border. In the harsh, unforgiving desert terrain, the odds are stacked firmly against them as they continuously discover there’s nowhere to hide from the unrelenting, merciless killer.
Claire Foy stars in ‘The Crown’ (Photo by Zhana Leeson / Netflix)
Netflix’s The Crown, which delves into the life of Queen Elizabeth II, offers up a new look at the series with a just-released trailer. The original dramatic series stars Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II, Matt Smith as Prince Phillip, John Lithgow as Sir Winston Churchill, Victoria Hamilton as the Queen Mother, Jared Harris as King George VI, Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret, and Dame Eileen Atkins as Queen Mary. Two-time Oscar nominee Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon) wrote The Crown based on The Audience play, and three-time Oscar nominee Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours, The Reader) directs. Netflix will release The Crown on November 4, 2016.
The Plot: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. A Netflix original series, 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.
Netflix has released the poster and trailer for the upcoming concert film, Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids. The film stars Justin Timberlake, obviously, and was directed by Oscar winner Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs) and shot during a concert in Las Vegas. Netflix has set an October 15, 2016 premiere date for the music-driven film.
Gary Goetzman produced and Rocco Caruso, H.H. Cooper, Rick Yorn, Johnny Wright, and Michael Rapino executive produced.
The Plot: Music superstar Justin Timberlake and acclaimed director Jonathan Demme team up for a visionary concert-film experience with the new Netflix release Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids. Timberlake, along with his band and dancers – the Tennessee Kids – will have you on your feet singing along, from “Cry Me a River” to “Mirrors.” The Netflix Original Film, which premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival, gives you the best seat in the house for the final show of the 20/20 Experience World Tour at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena in January 2015.
Watch the Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids trailer:
Fences is guaranteed to be an awards season contender and the teaser trailer lays out why we’ll be seeing this dramatic film pop up on short lists for potential Best Picture nominees. Paramount Pictures just released the teaser trailer for Fences starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis and adapted from August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play by Wilson. Washington directs and produces, with Jovan Adepo, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson, and Saniyya Sydney co-starring. Fences will open in theaters on December 25, 2016.
The 2010 revival of Fences starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis earned 10 Tony Award nominations. Washington and Davis were both nominated for their performances and the play earned the Tony in the Revival (Play) category.
The Plot: Set in the 1950s, Fences focuses on an African American father and his struggles with race relations in the United States.
Andrew Garfield and Shin’ya Tsukamoto in Paramount Pictures’ ‘Silence.’
Paramount Pictures has officially set a December 23, 2016 limited theatrical release date for Silence. The dramatic film, based on the 1966 book by Shusaku Endo, was co-written (along with Gangs of New York‘s Jay Cocks) and directed by Martin Scorsese and has been a long-time passion project for the filmmaker. And now it appears Paramount Pictures is strengthening their lineup of potential awards contenders by adding it to the December schedule. The studio also has Arrival, Allied, and Fences that are likely to be getting attention during the year-end awards season.
The plot involves 17th century Portuguese Jesuits who face intense persecution during their mission to isolated Japan. Silence will expand into additional theaters in January 2017.
The dramatic film stars Andrew Garfield (99 Homes, Hacksaw Ridge), Adam Driver (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Liam Neeson (Taken), Tadanobu Asano (Thor), Issey Ogata (The Sun), Ciaran Hinds (Game of Thrones), Yosuke Kubozuka (Go), and Yoshi Oida (The Pillow Book). Scorsese, Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Randall Emmett, Barbara Defina, Vittorio Cecchi Gori, and Irwin Winkler produced Silence, with Dale A. Brown executive producing.
