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Rebecca Mader and Emilie de Ravin Interview: ‘Once Upon a Time’ Season 6

By
Rebecca Murray
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Once Upon a Time stars Emilie de Ravin and Rebecca Mader
Lana Parrilla, Emilie de Ravin and Rebecca Mader from ‘Once Upon a Time’ at Comic Con 2016 (Photo © Richard Chavez / Showbiz Junkies)

Once Upon a Time‘s Rebecca Mader (‘Zelena’) and Emilie de Ravin (‘Belle’) were paired up for interviews at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con where they discussed the fantasy series’ upcoming sixth season. Once Upon a Time will kick off season six on September 25, 2016 with the newly freed Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla) making lives difficult for our favorite Storybrooke characters. Mader and de Ravin both feel this new season returns the show to its roots, and they’re really looking forward to what the writers have in store for season six.

Emilie de Ravin and Rebecca Mader Interview:

Where are picking up with Belle since she’s under the sleeping curse?

Emilie de Ravin: (Laughing) “The box.”

Did that mean you got some time off?

Emilie de Ravin: “No, I didn’t, actually, so obviously she’s out of the box in season six. But, she does stuff in the box. She’s good. She’s getting cramped, but she’s in good spirits.”

Will we be seeing any of her dream stuff with Morpheus?

Emilie de Ravin: “There’s some dream stuff. The way she is extracted and how it happens and the characters involved in that is really cool. It reveals a lot about her relationship and a lot about her past/future. I don’t know how to put that.”

What can we expect from Regina and Zelena’s relationship moving forward?

Rebecca Mader: “We can expect a lot. There’s a lot going on. All I ever wanted my whole life was a family because my adopted parents were horrible. I finally got a sister and now I’ve got two, so it’s a lot. I’ve got Regina and I’ve got an Evil Queen and a baby – and I just killed my boyfriend. I made an appointment with Jiminy Cricket for next week; it’s a three hour session. I’ve got a lot going on! It’s a lot. There’s a lot of things that Zelena has to deal with and I think it’s going to be really fun as we move into season six how we explore the sister relationship and the dynamic, and the struggle between having Regina and the Evil Queen.”


Will it be the most difficult season for Zelena emotionally because she’s going to be dealing with those relationships?

Rebecca Mader: “I haven’t asked them because I don’t like to know too much what’s going on, but I think killing my first love was super intense. I don’t know what they’re going to do with Regina that could be more painful than that because that was a really intense scene to shoot with Robin on the floor and we both lose our true loves at the same time. Well, he wasn’t my true love because, let’s be honest, he was full of it. I had to save my sister from him. But, to her it was her first love and her heart was shattered so I don’t know if she’s ever going to be able to love again and trust again. I think that will get explored at some point. Is she ever going to be able to take her walls down again?”

Will having to deal with the two sisters make Zelena torn a little bit because of her own dark side?

Rebecca Mader: “I think there’s going to be a real struggle there because I don’t know that Zelena’s fully redeemed. It’s a real push-pull. Lana (Parilla) and I were talking about that recently. Just the two of us together or the two sisters when you’re playing a villain that’s got a bit of a journey, it’s somewhat similar to someone who’s got the disease of alcoholism. You’re doing really well and then you might relapse and slip a bit. That’s similar to a journey as a villain. You’re doing really well and then you want to rip out your heart or start a fire. ‘Simmer down, love. Count to 10.’ So, I think there’s going to be a lot of that kind of struggle going on in season six for me.”

Would you be interested to see Zelena and the Wicked Witch separated like the Evil Queen and Regina?

Rebecca Mader: “That would be wicked good, a really good idea. Yeah, I’ll talk to the boys about it. That would be great.”

Emilie de Ravin: “You guys could do scenes with each other.”

Rebecca Mader: “All four of us in a scene! How wicked would that be?! Oh my god that would be a hot mess. I would eat popcorn and kick back and pay money to see that. That is brilliant, a really good idea. I’ll have to talk to the boys about it.”

In season five we got to the point in where it appears now Rumple is going to stay bad. Once Belle is awake, would you like to see her explore more of her independence in season six?

Emilie de Ravin: “Yeah, and we do. We do. It’s been a long time coming. I used to…I guess I still do…I can totally understand where she’s coming from. I understand that it’s not that she’s just accepting it just now, it’s just that she’s sort of able to vocalize it more and be able to maybe take action with a little more confidence, take care of herself emotionally now that she is pregnant and now that she knows that it’s not really just about her anymore. She has to now take responsibility for this other little person. That’s sort of making her head spin a little bit with regard to, ‘Okay, I can spend my life trying to fix this person. Whether it’s for me or for him it doesn’t matter because I’m expecting someone else now.’ It’s kind of a game-changer.”

What characters would you love to see come in from the Land of Untold Stories?

Rebecca Mader: “I just had an idea. I was asked that earlier and I thought how The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is my favorite book growing up so maybe like C.S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia Land to dip into. I like all those characters.”

Emilie de Ravin: “I still want Mary Poppins. I love that movie so much. Maybe Pippi Longstockings, Pollyanna…some good female roles. I mean, we have great female roles on this show. We’re lucky.”

How do you feel the tone of the upcoming season compares to previous seasons?

Rebecca Mader: “I feel like every season has its own tone. But I think with this season they’re not going to do like two different arcs. I think it’s going to be more of a throughline for the whole season. I think it’s really great with the Land of Untold Stories because it opens up a whole world. People can come in and we can go out, so it’s really opened up Pandora’s Box which is really exciting.”

Emilie de Ravin: “It brings it back to its roots more this season.”

How so?

Rebecca Mader: “Everyone is having to deal with their own (business), not being introspective, not thinking about everything that’s happened before up until this point and who are you now and where do we all go from here.”

Emilie de Ravin: “And also the fact that they’re just focusing on that physically as well. We’re not going to two drastically different visual spaces.”

Rebecca Mader: “We’re in town. We can have Netflix and chill at night and not have to deal with it again tomorrow.”

Emilie de Ravin: “Go to therapy.”

Rebecca Mader: “Watch Stranger Things. Have a cup of tea and go to bed.”

Emilie de Ravin: “Oh! I’m sooo obsessed.”

Rebecca Mader: “I watched five episodes in two days. I can’t wait to go home and watch three tomorrow!”

Emilie de Ravin: “We watched the entire thing in two days.”

Rebecca Mader: Watch Stranger Things, have a cup of tea, go to bed. If you haven’t seen it, you’re missing out. It’s a great weekend is what it is. It’s your weekend gone.”

We did see Zelena redeem herself last season. Are you looking forward to seeing her explore that softer side going forward?

Rebecca Mader: “Yeah. I like the fact that I’m going on a journey. I don’t ever want to lose my wickedness completely. I think she should always be very, very snotty and sarcastic and dry, but then so am I. I’m definitely going to keep that aspect of her personality. But I don’t know where the writers are going to take me. It was really fun to become a parent and all of a sudden have something that loves me unconditionally which Zelena has never had. And then this guy making me finally bring down my walls and love him back, and then for him only to betray me. I don’t really know where Zelena is going to go from here and if she’s going to be able to love and trust again, what kind of mother she’s going to be. I think she’s going to try to be a good one but my god, I don’t know how that’s going to go. I think she’s going to be all right.

But it is fun to play the softer side and show the different parts of your emotion rather than just trying to strangle children and stealing babies. Which is a lot of work, too. They just write such interesting characters. Just when you think you know what’s going on, you read another episode. ‘Oh well, apparently I didn’t.’ So, I’ll be interested to see where they’re going to take me.”

Watch the full Emilie de Ravin and Rebecca Mader interview:





‘Hell or High Water’ Movie Review: One of 2016’s Best Films

By
Kevin Finnerty
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Hell or High Water stars Ben Foster and Chris Pine
Ben Foster and Chris Pine in ‘Hell or High Water’ (Photo Credit: CBS Films)

“Toby, it’s a good thing you’re doing,” says Tanner (Ben Foster) to his younger brother. “We’re doing it,” replies Toby (Chris Pine). “Every step of the way,” answers back Tanner who’s teamed up with his brother to rob banks in the riveting crime drama, Hell or High Water.

Set in modern day West Texas, Toby, a divorced father, and his ex-con older brother Tanner come together after years of being apart to rob branches of the bank that kept their recently deceased mother in debt and is now threatening to foreclose on her house and her land. Desperate to try to save his family’s inheritance for his children, Toby only intends to steal enough to pay the bank what the family owes. Tanner, a much more experienced criminal, agrees to help because his brother asked and because deep down he really enjoys the thrill.

What the two brothers don’t know is that Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges), a grizzled old Texas Ranger who’s days-away from his forced retirement, is onto them and eager for one last hunt. He wants to end his career on a high note, convincing his half-Comanche partner, Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham), to join him in bringing some Texas justice down on the brothers. The race is on between the opposing teams, with the brothers trying to steal enough to pay off the loan by the end of the week and the two Rangers trying to identify and catch the two robbers before Marcus has to turn in his badge.


Intense and compelling, Hell or High Water is a 21st century Western with a strong cast who all deliver stellar performances in the first truly great film of the year. Chris Pine gives the best performance of his career thus far as Toby, a dutiful, loyal, and loving son, brother, and father who becomes a criminal to save his family from losing everything they own. He’s a man in over his head and desperate enough to team up with his career criminal brother to pull off armed bank robberies. Pine flawlessly conveys all of the desperation, fear, determination, and exhilaration Toby feels throughout the film.

Ben Foster delivers an unforgettable performance as Tanner, the older brother and ex-con who knows how to be successful at robbing banks and is doing it because his little brother asked him to. Foster and Pine have fantastic chemistry on screen and every scene with them crackles with energy and emotion.

Jeff Bridges is perfect as the crusty, laid-back, and almost too old for this manhunt Ranger Marcus Hamilton. He portrays the soon-to-retire Ranger as a slow-moving, methodical, and tough lawman who deep down is enjoying the challenge of finding and bringing to justice the two banks robbers. Marcus says to his partner, “I may have one hunt left in me,” and it’s his tenaciousness and humor that lightens the mood when needed. Gil Birmingham has great chemistry with Bridges as his partner Alberto who’s looking forward to seeing his old friend retire but will also miss him. Their scenes together are occasionally uncomfortable as Marcus, decidedly un-PC, teases Alberto about his Indian and Mexican heritage. However, the deep friendship and admiration evident in the way Bridges and Birmingham portray these characters lessens the sting as it’s obvious how much Marcus loves and admires his partner.

David Mackenzie’s direction is outstanding and the pacing of the film is tight and smooth, with suspenseful bank heists intermingling with quiet scenes between the two brothers. It’s a perfect blend of action, family drama, and well-place humor.

With exceptional performances, a terrific script by Sicario‘s Taylor Sheridan, and exceptional direction, Hell or High Water is a top notch modern Western destined to become a classic. It’s the best film of the year so far by far. Don’t miss it!

GRADE: A-

MPAA Rating: R for some strong violence, language throughout and brief sexuality

Running Time: 102 minutes

Release Date: August 12, 2016





‘Rogue One’ New Trailer Goes for Gold During the Olympics

By
Rebecca Murray
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Felicity Jones in Rogue One
Felicity Jones in ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ (Photo Credit: Walt Disney Pictures)

Star Wars fans finally had their patience pay off after waiting for the arrival of the new Rogue One: A Star Wars Story for two hours during the primetime Olympics East Coast broadcast on August 11, 2016. Directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla), the action in the Star Wars prequel involves a plot to steal the plans for the Death Star.

The cast is led by Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso and includes Diego Luna, Donnie Yen, Forest Whitaker Ben Mendelsohn, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed, and Jiang Wen. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will be released in theaters on December 16, 2016.

Watch the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story trailer:

Former ‘SNL’ers Taran Killam, Jay Pharoah Get Showtime Series

By
Rebecca Murray
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Taran Killam
Taran Killam (Photo Credit: Showtime)

Recently released from their Saturday Night Live commitments, comedians Taran Killam and Jay Pharoah didn’t take long to land new shows. Showtime has cast Taran Killam in the lead role in the comedy anthology pilot Mating (the working title) and Jay Pharoah in the lead of the half-hour comedy White Famous. Mating‘s pilot is written by Stu Zicherman (The Affair, The Americans) and executive produced by Zicherman, Jason Katims (Friday Nights Light), and Michelle Lee. White Famous comes from executive producers Jamie Foxx and Californication‘s Tom Kapinos, with Tim Story (Barbershop, Ride Along) directing, executive producing, and on board to direct the pilot. Showtime confirmed Oscar-winner Foxx will guest star in a recurring role.

The White Famous Plot: The project will focus on a talented, young African-American comedian, Floyd Mooney (Pharoah), whose star is rising, forcing him to navigate the treacherous waters of maintaining his credibility as he begins to cross-over towards becoming “white famous.”


The Mating Plot: The comedy anthology pilot will center on a recently divorced guy who married young and now finds himself completely unprepared for the brave new, frank and fluid world of dating and hooking up. The project, produced by SHOWTIME, Universal TV and True Jack Productions, is an “annual anthology” as each season will focus on a different protagonist’s journey through modern dating and relationships.

In addition to SNL, Killam’s television credits include New Girl, How I Met Your Mother, Community, Drunk History, Comedy Bang Bang, MADtv and Scrubs. Pharoah’s film resume includes Ride Along, Get a Job, Intramural, Lola Versus, and Top Five.




‘Supergirl’ Season 2: Mehcad Brooks and Jeremy Jordan Interviews

By
Fred Topel
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Supergirl star Mehcad Brooks and Jeremy Jordan
Mehcad Brooks and Jeremy Jordan from ‘Supergirl’ at Comic Con 2016 (Photo © 2016 WBEI)

Mehcad Brooks joked while at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con that season two of The CW’s Supergirl opens up with a flash-forward to Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist) and James Olsen’s wedding. Then again, maybe he’s telling the truth. Series executive producer Greg Berlanti confirmed during the summer TCAs that The Flash/Supergirl crossover will be a musical episode (both Benoist and The Flash‘s Grant Gustin co-starred in Glee) so truthfully anything, including a season two episode one flash-forward wedding, is possible.

“It’s a workplace relationship; there’s a lot going on,” explained Brooks on where we actually pick up with James and Kara at the start of the new season. “She’s still finding her footing. She knows who she is as Supergirl. She doesn’t really know who she is as Kara yet. James is finding his footing in National City. So, there’s up and downs like any relationship.”

Brooks says the introduction of Superman won’t cause a rift between James and Kara. “Not at all. He’s very supportive,” said Brooks. “If your best friend started dating your cousin, I would hope you’d be happy – unless your best friend is a complete d-bag and then that says a lot about you! So, he’s supportive. We do have the bro-to-bro conversation about that and he gives me some advice. And, then I end up giving him some advice too about some things.”

Asked if Superman (played by Tyler Hoechlin) will sort of be taking over James’ role as the voice of reason, Brooks replied, “Here’s the thing. Kara lived in Krypton, obviously, and Superman is from Krypton. They are misfits in our world and so they kind of serve this purpose for each other where they don’t feel alone. He helps her sort of juggle her life, helps her sort of find her footing as a superhero and a person. But, I think she needs less mentoring at a certain point.”

Jeremy Jordan who plays Winn Schott says season two will find Winn finally getting to meet the Man of Steel. “Winn loves himself some Superman,” said Jordan. “He’s like the ultimate Superman fanboy and the fact that he gets to meet him and talk and maybe help him out a little bit is like a dream come true for him. There’s some really fun, funny stuff and a cool dynamic between the two of us.”

Jordan also said we’ll see a different Winn than in season one. “Winn’s sort of learned a lot about himself. He’s gotten more confident. We’re going to see him leaving CatCo because, what is he, the IT guy? He doesn’t have an identity to cover up or anything. He can go somewhere and explore his full potential, so we’re going to see that. I think that’s going to really give him the big boost. And, you know maybe confidence is sexy!”

Watch the full Mehcad Brooks and Jeremy Jordan interviews:

Interview by Fred Topel. Article by Rebecca Murray.)




‘Mr Robot’ Recap Season 2 Episode 6: eps2.4 m4ster-slave.aes

By
Roberta Valdez
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Mr Robot Season 2 Episode 6
Christian Slater as Mr. Robot, Rami Malek as Elliot Alderson, Vaishnavi Sharma as Elliot’s Mother, and Carly Chaikin as Darlene in ‘Mr. Robot’ (Photo by: Michael Parmelee/USA Network)

The sixth episode of season two of the USA Network series Mr. Robot begins like a bizarre sitcom with yellow replacing the red lettering of the title card. An adult Elliot (Rami Malek), dressed like a child in a striped t-shirt, is on a road trip with his family. The color palette is bright and artificial, and the laugh track could not be more out of sync with the violence depicted. While absurd, some parts of this segment have elements of truth from Elliot’s perspective.

When they stop at an E Corp convenience store and find Angela (Portia Doubleday) behind the counter, she tells Elliot that she started as a part-time associate and is now on pace to become a full manager and that “almost makes up for them killing my mom.” Elliot has been troubled by the thought that Mr. Robot (Christian Slater) killed Tyrell (Martin Wallstrom) and in this daydream, Mr. Robot does kill Tyrell with a lug wrench.

Characteristic of a sitcom, there is a heartfelt moment between father and son. Mr. Robot tells Elliot that “truth is painful” and that a “lie is the only remedy. Too much truth will kill you.” He also says that “everything you see is here for you. You should try to go along with it.” Mr. Robot’s words are consistent with the message that he has been giving Elliot: don’t do anything about the nefarious website run by Ray (Craig Robinson).

When Elliot awakens in a hospital bed, Ray is looming over him with the thug Lone Star (Michael Maize) nearby. Ray makes it clear that he expects Elliot to do exactly as he says by way of a story about his dog, Maxine, having a master. Subsequently, Elliot is taken from the bed to a basement. Mr. Robot appears and tells him that he had tried to take the beating for Elliot. Elliot says thank you and they hug.

In another daydream the child Elliot is in a car with his dad after suffering a beating at school. Elliot learns that his father is dying but that he will always be with Elliot. His father takes him to a building that will house their new business, a computer store. It is Elliot who comes up with the name for the business: “Mr. Robot.”

It is now two days after the Beijing attack and Darlene (Carly Chaikin) and Mobley (Azhar Khan) are giving Angela a crash course in hacking. Their plan is to hack FBI phones in order to gain access to their emails, text messages, and documents. They need Angela to get inside the E Corp offices to install hardware and put script on the network computers. There is a lot of suspense as Angela runs into problems. She comes out of the restroom where she has been working only to be met by an FBI agent. When he asks her out, she brushes him off. Quickly his demeanor changes and he questions why she is on this floor that is supposed to be off-limits to E Corp employees. She softens and takes him up on his request to meet for lunch. This crisis avoided, she finds a cubicle and starts inputting the computer program Darlene gives her over the phone. While she is working, FBI agent Dominique DiPierro (Grace Gummer) startles her when she comes up from behind.

Dominique’s boss wanted her to take a month’s psych leave after the Beijing shootout she was involved in. Dom responded that if the investigation is disrupted, the Dark Army wins. The Chinese suggested that Uighur separatists were behind the attack on FBI agents, but Dom doesn’t believe that because of their behavior (i.e., shooting themselves).

In a beautiful scene with a mirrored desk in the foreground causing a reflection of the top half of the screen onto the bottom, E Corp CEO Philip Price (Michael Cristofer), learns that congress is unlikely to pass legislation providing a bailout of E Corp. Such a bailout would involve borrowing from the Chinese and given the incident in Beijing that is unlikely to happen. He gets more bad news when his assistant tells him that Minister Zhang’s office is unreachable.

It was a fast-paced episode with much happening for all the characters. The dream sequence was novel and beautifully executed, as was the scene in Philip Price’s office.




New Trailers: ‘Bad Santa 2’ Shows Off One Safe, One Not So Safe for Work Trailers

By
Rebecca Murray
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Bad Santa 2 star Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton stars as Willie Soke in ‘Bad Santa 2’ (Photo Credit: Jan Thijs / Broad Green Pictures / Miramax)

Broadgreen Pictures and Miramax have released two versions of the Bad Santa 2 trailer: one okay for general audiences and one definitely not safe for kids or for viewing at work. The holiday comedy reunites Bad Santa stars Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, and Brett Kelly and is set for a November 23, 2016 theatrical release. Terry Zwigoff directed 2003’s Bad Santa with Mark Waters (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Mean Girls) directing the sequel starring Thornton, Cox, Kelly, Kathy Bates, Christina Hendricks, Ryan Hansen, Jenny Zigrino, and Jeff Skowron.

The Plot: Bad Santa 2 returns Academy Award®-winner Billy Bob Thornton to the screen as America’s favorite anti-hero, Willie Soke. Fueled by cheap whiskey, greed and hatred, Willie teams up once again with his angry little sidekick, Marcus (TONY COX), to knock off a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve. Along for the ride is ‘the kid’ – chubby and cheery Thurman Merman (Brett Kelly), a 250-pound ray of sunshine who brings out Willie’s sliver of humanity.

Mommy issues arise when the pair are joined by Academy Award®, Golden Globe and Emmy-winner Kathy Bates, as Willie’s horror story of a mother, Sunny Soke. A super butch super bitch, Sunny raises the bar for the gang’s ambitions, while somehow lowering the standards of criminal behavior. Willie is further burdened by lusting after the curvaceous and prim Diane, played by Emmy Award-nominee Christina Hendricks, the charity director with a heart of gold and libido of steel.

Watch the Bad Santa 2 trailers:





Sasha Roiz Interview: ‘Grimm’ Season 6 and Renard’s Dark Turn

By
Rebecca Murray
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Grimm star Sasha Roiz
Sasha Roiz from ‘Grimm’ at Comic Con 2016 (Photo © Richard Chavez / Showbiz Junkies)

Prepare for the newly elected Mayor Renard (played by Sasha Roiz) to go full out in taking on #TeamGrimm in season six of NBC’s popular dramatic series, Grimm. During our interview at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con, Roiz described what fans of the series can expect from season six and his excitement at being able to take Renard as dark as possible.

Grimm season six will air on NBC on Fridays at 9pm ET/PT this fall.

Sasha Roiz Interview:

What can you say about your evil turn and how far it’s going to go in season 6? Is he always going to be on the outs with the group?

Sasha Roiz: “Well, if I have anything to do with it I would like to take it as dark as possible and as confrontational as we can. I think it’s more interesting. I think we’ve seen him be a participant in the whole gang, and I don’t want it to be predictable. It’s really great that this is a character who’s kept the audiences guessing. People are always suspicious of him, as they should be. I don’t think even Nick or the group ever really trusted him, and now they really have reason to distrust him. Yeah, it’s a full-out war at this point, and that’s really enjoyable for me.”

Will Renard be the major baddie this season?

Sasha Roiz: “It looks like it. It looks like it, which is really great because I like it when the stories and the mythology stay in-house and it’s all about the main characters and their dynamics and inter-relationships. And I think it’s fun for the fans to watch them really be the focus rather than having to bring in a big baddie. We’ve done that.”

How do you want things to end for Renard?

Sasha Roiz: (Laughing) “In a blaze of glory – and it just might. You never know. You live by the sword… So, we’ll see. But they’re definitely full-blown enemies at this point.”

What’s it like with a cast this close to be able to play a full-blown enemy?

Sasha Roiz: (Laughing) “Oh, it’s just fine. I mean, we are very, very close; it’s quite special after this many years. But, no, it’s great. I never felt comfortable as Renard being part of the gang. It always felt very much like an outfit that didn’t fit quite right on him. So, this feels a lot more appropriate. It really is like two camps, divided, and so there’s some great stuff coming up. Some really great stuff coming up, but it’s full-blown war.”

So there is no redemption for Renard?

Sasha Roiz: “You never know. I haven’t read past three episodes, but I can certainly see this season remaining very antagonistic.”

How do you feel about season six being a shorter season?

Sasha Roiz: “I feel okay about it, to be honest. I don’t know what they have planned for us, to be honest here. I don’t know if they want to pick up a back-end or what they want to do. I really don’t know. But 13 is okay. 22 is long, it’s really long. And, it also gives us a chance to work on other things so I’m kind of excited to have the opportunity to work on some other projects. But, yeah, it’s going to be a really great package. I think it’s really hard to write 22 episodes. 13, you can really focus in and write some great stuff, and have a true arc to it. I’m looking forward to seeing what they come up with. So far I haven’t seen past three episodes and they’re all really intense.”

Have you gotten any negative reactions from fans from the direction that Renard’s been taken?

Sasha Roiz: “Not really. I mean, the typical kind of, ‘Oh, I’m so upset with you!’ They’re not. They’re not because let’s be honest, it’s so much more fun to have bad guys. And I think he’s better as a bad guy. It just fits him better, you know? And let’s be honest, if you’ve been watching the show you know that it was a matter of time. You know what I mean? It’s like watching a lion tamer. You’re like, ‘Yeah, it’s only a matter of time before his head’s bitten off.’ It was fun while it lasted. It’s what it is. Renard’s like this caged animal that’s eventually going to strike.”

Do you think he views himself as the caged animal, as the bad guy?

Sasha Roiz: “No. I think as actors you never judge your character. I mean, I’m talking to you guys on an objective level, but as actors, no. You just find the reason for any of his actions and everything is justified. And in my own world when I think about him or I embody him, everything he does is fully justifiable to me based on his backstory, based on the things he’s undergone. Based on the circumstances of the world, you know? I don’t think there’s a single bad person out there who really thinks of themselves as a bad person, i.e. Donald Trump. But anyway, so, no. I’m not kidding. Sorry, not sorry. But, anyway, so we just kind of like when you have a mission and you have a purpose and it’s utterly justifiable in your universe. That’s all that matters.”

Watch the full Sasha Roiz interview:





‘Colony’ Season 2 – Josh Holloway and Sarah Wayne Callies Interview

By
Rebecca Murray
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Colony stars Sarah Wayne Callies and Josh Holloway
Sarah Wayne Callies and Josh Holloway from ‘Colony’ at Comic Con 2016 (Photo © Richard Chavez / Showbiz Junkies)

USA Network’s Colony starring Sarah Wayne Callies (Prison Break, The Walking Dead) and Josh Holloway (Lost) earned a second season renewal after the sci-fi action drama pulled in big ratings for the 10 episode first season. The series features Holloway and Callies as parents living in an occupied Los Angeles who take dramatically different approaches to finding their missing son. Callies’ Katie joins the rebellion while Holloway’s Will collaborates with the occupying force in order to work from within to discover the possible location of his missing son. Teamed up at the San Diego Comic Con, Holloway and Callies discussed what’s in store for the second season and why the sci-fi genre is an important means of delivering themes that resonate with audiences.

Sarah Wayne Callies and Josh Holloway Interview:

Does this mean in season two you will be separated? What does it mean for viewers?

Josh Holloway: “Not necessarily. I mean obviously we start that way because we scatter to the wind. All the characters went poof.”

Sarah Wayne Callies: “Empty house.”

Josh Holloway: “Empty house. So we definitely begin there but we don’t stay there. The show moves and things happen. We…how much can we say? (Laughing) We can’t really say that much.”

Sarah Wayne Callies: “We will work together at some point whether it’s in flashbacks or flashforwards or the present.”

You’ll make up eventually?

Josh Holloway: “Well, I feel like this couple started with true love and a true sense of family. That is paramount for them, so I have faith that they will endure this but it’s not going to be easy. They’re not very happy right now. But, they have a lot to deal with just trying to reunite the family and you solve one problem and another problem arises. So, we kind of have to deal with our relationship as we deal with the current tragedies and things that are happening with our own family and outside of our family. The world really expands this season.

I love Ryan (Condal) and Carlton (Cuse) for this. They made shit hit the fan and everyone went different ways. These storylines open up different parts of the world that they laid out in season one and you start to see the different corners. What is on the Santa Monica side? What does that block look like? What is it like outside the wall? How much more sci-fi element are they bringing in? All of that is increasing so you’ll get a lot of answers and a lot more questions.”

Will we get to see the invaders?

Josh Holloway: “Yes, and that’s about all we can say. It’s going to expand in that way.”

You’re both fighting for your family in different ways. What do you think about each other’s arcs in season one? What do you enjoy the most about each other’s characters?

Sarah Wayne Callies: “I see a lot that has to do with the cost. I’ve been doing a lot of reading on the French Resistance during the Second World War and the collaboration, and I think that what Ryan and Carlton have come to as the truth of the situation is that it costs you either way. It costs you to collaborate because there’s that thing inside you that starts to (hurt). I think there’s a kind of self-hatred and a disgust. I know that you struggled with that even off-screen. When you get involved with something that even for the best of reasons takes human life and costs people, there’s a horror I think realizing what you are capable of.

These are people trying to keep a marriage together but they’re also kind of crumbling from within. They don’t have the luxury, really, of separating. We have children and we live in an occupation, we can’t requisition another house.”

Josh Holloway: “We can’t go, ‘I’ll talk to you later.'”

Sarah Wayne Callies: “There’s no therapy.”

Josh Holloway: “You can’t pop in for a little coaching. You have to handle it.”

Sarah Wayne Callies: “You make it work. And, it keeps piling.”

Josh Holloway: “That’s the thing, it keeps piling. It’s evolving and something gets good, something gets worse.”

How did you prepare for this crazy world of the series?

Josh Holloway: “Well, we live in one. Look at us globally.”

Sarah Wayne Callies: “Watch the news. This is the whole reason I wanted to do the show because I think science fiction has an opportunity to examine a current culture in a way that’s palatable. I’ve said this before but the first season of Battlestar Galactica was the most intelligent conversation on the US Patriot Act I saw anywhere to this day. Our show is getting darker because our global politics are getting darker and our domestic politics are getting darker. We have an opportunity to shoot a show not only about the genesis of resistance but the genesis of dictatorship, and we’re shooting it during a very charged election. We’re going to come on the air within weeks of the inauguration; that’s an incredible privilege. And, it’s a lot of our preparation.”

Josh Holloway: “And we’re shooting all over Los Angeles and the locations we find for the ‘occupied’ state of things is not far off. They don’t have to dress it up that much. It’s kind of scary.”

Sarah Wayne Callies: “We’ve got a lot of people living in a lot of shit.”

Josh Holloway: “A lot of people right here living in shit. You’re like, ‘This is not far.’ A shift in global politics, a shift in the economy, and then…”

Sarah Wayne Callies: “This season we’re looking not only into the occupation itself but we’re looking into the psychology of it and our daughter being brainwashed, and what does it mean to turn to a young generation. You look at like the Hitler youth, right? So, you can co-opt an entire generation’s ideology without a gun. You can do it with entertainment. You can do it with books, you can do it with propaganda. So, that’s a war on another front. It’s a war that neither one of us saw coming.”

Josh Holloway: “And as an occupation progresses, so does their surveillance of you.”

Watch the full Josh Holloway and Sarah Wayne Callies interview:




Freddie Stroma and Marcos Siega Interview: ‘Time After Time,’ H.G. Wells and Jack the Ripper

By
Rebecca Murray
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Time After Time star Freddie Troma
‘Time After Time’ star Freddie Stroma at Comic-Con 2016 on #WBSDCC (Photo © 2016 WBEI)

ABC’s new dramatic series Time After Time is based on the novel by Karl Alexander which was adapted into the popular 1979 film of the same name starring Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen. Kevin Williamson (The Following, The Vampire Diaries) is writing and executive producing, with Marcos Siega (Blindspot) directing and executive producing. ABC’s planning on launching the series starring Freddie Stroma as H.G. Wells, Josh Bowman as John Stevenson/Jack the Ripper, and Genesis Rodriguez as Jane at midseason.

Marcos Siega says that when Kevin Williamson approached him with the idea of working on a television series adaptation of Time After Time, he instantly fell in love with Williamson’s approach to the project. “It’s not an obvious television series,” explained Siega during our roundtable interview at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con. “It came out of Kevin’s love for the movie. He still doesn’t believe me but I have not watched the movie on purpose; I read the book. I just felt that I’m going to have to execute and I just didn’t want to have the thing in my head of how it was blocked. I did watch the trailer. I was on YouTube and like, ‘I have to see it,’ I just didn’t want to have to watch the whole thing.”

Asked about the show’s premise, Siega said, “What the series is is when H.G. pursues Jack into present day, the series is really about the adventures that H.G. Wells goes on not just pursuing Jack the Ripper but in present day the adventures he goes on and how those adventures informed his novels. So season one for example would be The Island of Dr. Moreau. The inspiration for that novel came out of the things he’s going to experience in present day New York, because he came to pursue Jack the Ripper. What are the events that inspired The Invisible Man? What are the events that inspired War of the Worlds? He’s considered the father of science fiction and a lot of what he wrote about was ahead of his time. The idea is that maybe he was ahead of his time, maybe he got these ideas by actually experiencing things and then he went back and wrote these novels.”


In order to prepare for the role of H.G. Wells, Stroma read The Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Moreau, and The Invisible Man. “I’d seen the movie as well,” said Stroma. “What I’ve noticed that we’ve taken that I feel does come from H.G. Wells is his obsession with utopia, which I think he did have. And that’s definitely what we have in this is an H.G. Wells who really believes the best and he thinks that science and technology will help us become a better race so that’s why he’s profoundly disappointed when he comes to modern day and sees everything that he sees.”

Discussing his interpretation of Wells, Stroma said he sees him as very wide-eyed. “There have been moments where I feel he’s a little too wide-eyed because he gives John Stevenson these chances. He expects John Stevenson when he catches him to just be like, ‘All right, come on. We’re going back now.’ He’s a killer and he’s not coming back, but that’s how much he believes John Stevenson will change his ways and be a good person,” explained Stroma. “He really, really does believe that humans have this innate ability to just be full of love, and I think that’s what he seeks out in everyone.”

Watching Stroma as Wells change and adapt will be part of the fun of the series. Plus, at Time After Time‘s core is a love story. “There’s a love triangle in there. He comes to present day and he meets Jane Walker, played by Genesis Rodriguez, and they are immediately sort of put together through situations that are unfortunate for her but she needs him in her life and he needs her to navigate modern day. And then how do we fold Jack the Ripper into that? Eventually he will be part of that threesome,” said Siega.

Check out the full interview with Marcos Siega and Freddie Stroma for more on the first season of Time After Time, Jack the Ripper, and creating the world of the show.





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