Luke Kleintank and Alexa Davalos star in Amazon Video’s ‘The Man in the High Castle’
Amazon debuted the first trailer for season two of The Man in the High Castle at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con, with executive producer Ridley Scott supplying the introduction to the new season’s teaser video. The series is based on the novel by Philip K. Dick and stars DJ Qualls, Alexa Davalos, Luke Kleintank, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Rupert Evans, and Bella Heathcote. Season one of the critically acclaimed drama is available now on Amazon Prime and season two is currently in production.
The Plot: Based on Philip K. Dick’s Hugo Award-winning 1962 alternate history novel, one-hour drama series The Man in the High Castle explores what would have happened if the Allied Powers had lost World War II. While Germany controls much of the East Coast and Japan controls the West Coast, the Rocky Mountains have become a “neutral zone”—and ground zero for a rebellion, led by a mysterious figure known only as “the Man in the High Castle.” Some citizens struggle against the fear, oppression and inequality—others accept their lives, as compromised and unfulfilling as they might be. But after a series of enigmatic films surface depicting a world vastly different from their own, some begin to question the very nature of their reality.
MTV dropped some important news for Teen Wolf fans: the series’ sixth season will be its last. Season six will consist of 20 new episodes and will, fittingly, end with its 100th episode sometime in 2017. The announcement was made by series executive producer Jeff Davis who said, “Teen Wolf has been an extraordinary journey, one that captured the hearts and imaginations of fans more than we could’ve ever imagined. We’re eternally grateful for the support we’ve received over these past six years and we’re excited to take our brave fans on one last, thrilling adventure.”
Teen Wolf stars Tyler Posey, Holland Roden, Dylan Sprayberry, Cody Christian, and Khylin Rhambo made the trek to the San Diego Comic Con to discuss the upcoming season which will be the show’s last. They answered questions from 4,000+ fans and showed off a brand new season six trailer during their panel on July 21, 2016, and J.R. Bourne (‘Chris Argent’) and Ian Bohen (‘Peter Hale’) even took the stage in costume as Beacon Hills’ new bad guys, The Ghost Riders.
Rami Malek as Elliot Alderson in ‘Mr Robot’ (Photo by: Peter Kramer/USA Network)
The third episode of season two of the USA Network series Mr. Robot began where the last episode left off with Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek) on the phone. It has been very clear that Elliot is an unreliable narrator as a result of his psychological problems and many have suggested that he is not living with his mother but is in an institution. There are many clues that this is indeed the case. In the first scene, Elliott is using a wall phone; it is hard to believe that any private residence has a bright red wall phone in 2016. His strict “mother,” possibly a psych tech, is sitting in a room with only a chair and a TV. In fact, everything about his current living situation supports the interpretation that Elliot is in an institution: the sparse furniture and drab walls except for the wallpaper with vertical lines reminiscent of bars in a locked facility; the regimented daily schedule (e.g., he eats with Leon at the same time every day); the fact that Leon had never appeared before; the lack of access to a computer.
It seems most likely that Elliot is in a psychiatric facility. In an episode last year Darlene (Carly Chaikin) and Angela (Portia Doubleday) confront Elliott in a cemetery about his deteriorating mental health. Darlene is crying in the first episode before taking Elliot’s place as leader of fsociety. Perhaps she and Angela joined forces to have Elliot committed. One of his delusions is that people are restraining him and forcing cement down his throat. In reality, it could be that they are forcing him to take his medication which initially has the effect of making Mr. Robot (Christian Slater) disappear.
It is relatively easy to be suspicious of what Elliot experiences, but the question is should the viewer mistrust all that happens outside of his presence too. At one point there is a comment that all that we see is an illusion. Either way, there are some interesting plot developments in this episode. The first involves Angela’s interactions with the E Corp CEO, Phillip Price (Michael Cristofer). At the end of a meeting with Angela in his office, Price notices that she is drawn to a poster featuring the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, an event that led to WWI. Price comments that it is amazing that one person can change the world with a bullet in the right place.
Later when Angela meets Price at an exclusive restaurant there are two other men from the company at a table with him. After they leave Price tells her that they were involved in the cover-up of the leak in her hometown and that they have been involved in insider trades. He gives her a CD with information that could put them away for years and tells her that their lives will be destroyed but if she “removes emotion from this, you’ll do fine.”
There is some evidence that this interaction is not part of an elaborate delusion. The upscale restaurant where they dine has no other patrons and Price must pay for the dinner upfront in cash. This is consistent with the fsociety hack that made credit cards useless. There are also demonstrators in front of the restaurant.
In a flashback we learn Romero, a member of fsociety, owns the arcade where they met and that he had served time for computer crimes. He is later found dead. FBI agent Dominique DiPierro (Grace Gummer) arrives at the Romero home to find that inept local police officers have destroyed much of the evidence. She later visits with Romero’s mother and in the course of looking for a glass in boxes packed for a move, she finds evidence (i.e., papers with computer programs and a handout for an end of the world party). Ray (Craig Robinson) tells Elliot that stumbling toward the right answer is as good as it gets and Dominique does stumble upon the evidence. Following up on this evidence leads her to the arcade where fsociety met and she sees the sign on the arcade — with letters missing — that reads: F Society. “Fun Society” was the original name of the arcade according to Romero.
In the scenes with Dominique alone in her home we learn that she suffers from insomnia. She is also dependent on technology as she asks Alexa to turn off the music and for information. The lack of control in life and our dependence on technology are two major themes in the series.
It is not entirely clear who Ray really is. He tries to get a computer tech to help get a site that was losing money back up using physical coercion and threats, but he also appears as a therapist to Elliot. They meet in an office with Ray behind a desk. He has the composition book that Elliot had thrown away and explains that he had access to it because he is a friend of the chaplain who leads the group Elliot attends. This suggests that Ray and the leader of the church group Elliot attended work in the same facility.
The question for future episodes is the same as it has always been: what is real and what is illusion.
John Turturro and Riz Ahmed in ‘The Night Of’ (Photo: Craig Blankenhorn / HBO)
HBO’s riveting new dramatic series The Night Of will air four new one-hour episodes in August 2016, with the August 28th episode the season’s finale. The Night Of, which consists of – unfortunately – only eight episodes, is based on BBC’s Criminal Justice created by Peter Moffat. The U.S. version is executive produced by Steven Zaillian, Richard Price, Jane Tranter, James Gandolfini and Peter Moffat, and stars Riz Ahmed, John Turturro, Bill Camp, Jeannie Berlin, and Michael Kenneth Williams.
The Plot: Pakistani-American college student Nasir “Naz” Khan, who lives with his parents in Queens, NY, takes his father’s taxi to go a party in Manhattan. But what starts as a perfect night for Naz becomes a nightmare when he’s arrested for murder. The show delves into the intricacies of a complex New York City murder case with cultural and political overtones. The story examines the police investigation, the legal proceedings, the criminal justice system and Rikers Island, where the accused await trial.
The Night Of August 2016 Episodes:
Part 5: “The Season of the Witch”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 7 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Other HBO playdates: Aug. 7 (12:30 a.m., 3:00 a.m.), 8 (11:00 p.m.), 9 (7:00 p.m.), 11 (11:40 p.m.), 12 (10:00 p.m.), 13 (10:30 p.m.) and 19 (9:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Aug. 9 (11:30 p.m.), 13 (5:30 p.m.) and 14 (8:00 p.m.)
Box (Bill Camp) reconstructs Naz’s (Riz Ahmed) whereabouts on “the night of.”
Created by Steven Zaillian and Richard Price; teleplay by Richard Price and Steven Zaillian; directed by Steven Zaillian.
Part 6: “Samson and Delilah”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 14 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Other HBO playdates: Aug. 14 (12:30 a.m., 3:00 a.m.), 15 (midnight), 16 (7:00 p.m.), 18 (11:00 p.m.), 19 (10:00 p.m.) and 20 (10:30 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Aug. 16 (10:30 p.m.), 20 (5:30 p.m.), 21 (8:00 p.m.) and 26 (9:00 p.m.)
As prosecutor Helen Weiss (Jeannie Berlin) prepares for trial, Naz’s (Riz Ahmed) alliance with Freddy (Michael Kenneth Williams) deepens.
Created by Steven Zaillian and Richard Price; teleplay by Richard Price and Steven Zaillian; directed by Steven Zaillian.
Part 7: “Ordinary Death”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 21 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Other HBO playdates: Aug. 21 (12:30 a.m., 3:00 a.m.), 22 (midnight), 23 (7:00 p.m.), 25 (11:15 p.m.) and 27 (10:35 p.m.), and Sept. 2 (8:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Aug. 23 (10:30 p.m.), 26 (10:00 p.m.), 27 (3:45 p.m.) and 28 (8:00 p.m.)
The trial of The State v. Nasir Khan moves to the defense phase.
Created by Steven Zaillian and Richard Price; teleplay by Richard Price and Steven Zaillian; directed by Steven Zaillian.
Part 8: “The Call of the Wild” (finale)
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 28 (9:00-10:35 p.m.)
Other HBO playdates: Aug. 28 (11:50 p.m., 2:30 a.m.), 29 (11:45 p.m.) and 30 (6:20 p.m.), and Sept. 1 (10:15 p.m.), 2 (9:00 p.m.) and 3 (11:05 p.m.)
HBO2 playdate: Aug. 30 (10:30 p.m.)
A controversy surrounding the defense puts Stone (John Turturro) in the spotlight.
Created by Steven Zaillian and Richard Price; teleplay by Richard Price and Steven Zaillian; directed by Steven Zaillian.
First Lady Michelle Obama confesses she hasn’t been able to listen to music in the car in eight years in the latest Carpool Karaoke video. The Late Late Show host James Corden pulls up to the White House for a tour and the First Lady is there ready to take the passenger seat and sing along with the radio, really getting into the music. She also tells Corden that what she’ll miss the most about the White House are the people that she’s been seeing every day and not necessarily the 24 hour room service.
Missy Elliott also shows up to hitch a ride and join the First Lady and James Corden for a little carpool karaoke.
Netflix has released the official trailer for Narcosseason two starring Wagner Moura (Elysium) as Pablo Escobar, Boyd Holbrook (Gone Girl) as DEA Agent Steve Murphy, and Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones) as DEA agent Javier Peña. The riveting dramatic series is executive produced by José Padilha (Elite Squad, RoboCop) and Eric Newman (Children of Men), with season one earning a BAFTA nomination as well as Golden Globe nominations for Best Television – Drama and Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama (Moura). Season two will premiere on September 2, 2016 at 12:01am PT with all 10 one-hour episodes available then for your binge-watching pleasure.
Pedro Pascal and Boyd Holbrook in ‘Narcos’ season 2 (Photo Credit: Juan Pablo Gutierrez/Netflix)
The Plot:Narcos chronicles the gripping real-life stories of the infamous drug kingpins of the late 1980s and the corroborative efforts of law enforcement to meet them head on in brutal, bloody conflict. Its gritty storytelling details the many, often-conflicting forces – legal, political, police, military and civilian – that clash in the effort to control cocaine, one of the world’s most valuable commodities. In the second season, notorious drug kingpin Pablo Escobar is on the run, with the Colombian authorities in relentless pursuit — and determined to put an end to his illegal activities.
The new trailer for the thriller Before I Wake features items from a child’s dreams coming to life, which is fine until he starts having nightmares that also leap from his dreams into reality. Co-written and directed by Mike Flanagan (Oculus), the PG-13 rated supernatural drama stars Kate Bosworth (Straw Dogs, Heist), Thomas Jane (The Expanse), Annabeth Gish (Pretty Little Liars), Dash Mihok (Ray Donovan) and Jacob Tremblay (Room).
Relativity Studios is set to release Before I Wake in theaters on September 9, 2016.
The Plot: In this intense and heart-pounding supernatural thriller, Jessie (Kate Bosworth) and Mark (Thomas Jane) decide to take in a sweet and loving 8-year-old boy, Cody. Unbeknownst to them, Cody is terrified of falling asleep. At first, they assume his previous unstable homes caused his aversion to sleep, but soon discover why: Cody’s dreams manifest in reality as he sleeps.
In one moment they experience the incredible wonder of Cody’s imagination, and in the next, the horrific nature of his night terrors. To save their new family, Jessie and Mark embark on a dangerous hunt to uncover the truth behind Cody’s nightmares.
Dwayne Johnson at Disney’s D23 EXPO 2015 (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/ Getty Images for Disney)
Because Dwayne Johnson isn’t quite busy enough, the actor/producer has a dramatic series titled Muscle Beach now in development at USA Network. The hour-long dramatic series idea comes from Johnson and Dany Garcia’s Seven Bucks Productions and Beau Flynn’s FlynnPictureCo, with Nick Palmer (Sounds, Dockweiler) and Jeremiah Friedman (The Karate Kid 2) on board to write the pilot. Palmer, Friedman, Flynn, Johnson, and Garcia are executive producing.
“Seven Bucks continues to team up with the best partners in the business to produce an entertaining series that stays true to our brand and delves into an iconic time in bodybuilding and Venice Beach culture – the 80’s,” said Johnson. “We are excited to share the dramatic stories of that era in a one-hour format and are thrilled to be continuing our longstanding relationship with FlynnPictureCo.,” added Garcia.
“Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia and Seven Bucks Productions are the only people on the planet to collaborate with on this groundbreaking and never before seen show. Venice Beach in the 80s is iconic and like no era or place that existed before or after. I’m thrilled to produce another original concept with Seven Bucks Productions, the most dynamic company in our industry. Nick and Jeremiah are the perfect writers to nail this rich world, and USA and Universal Cable Productions are the dream partners,” said Flynn.
The Plot:Muscle Beach is set in a legendary bodybuilding gym in 1980’s Venice Beach where a colorful tribe of lost souls struggle to reinvent themselves by bench-pressing their way to a bigger, better American dream, no matter what the cost. As the series explores the body-obsessed fitness movement that took the nation by storm during the supersized Reagan 80’s, the excess of the era and the many temptations of Los Angeles that will expose the dark side of chasing dreams.
It doesn’t require a San Diego Comic Con badge to enjoy the “Star Trek: 50 Artists. 50 Years.” art exhibition being held at the Michael J. Wolf Fine Arts Gallery (363 Fifth Avenue #102) during the sold-out convention. The free exhibit celebrating the 50th anniversary of the iconic sci-fi series will be open to the public from July 21 through July 23 between 11am and 8pm, and on July 24th from 10am to 5pm. 50 artists from around the world contributed works to the exhibition, with Star Trek’s Leonard Nimoy’s final piece included in the stunning exhibit that’s a must-see for Trekkies.
Senior Vice President and Creative Director Jorge Ferreiro (the exhibit’s curator) had the difficult task of selecting just 50 pieces of art to be included in the exhibition. “We spent about a year actually researching artists – about 300, 350 artists. And then I spent three months culling that down, essentially breaking it down, looking at it every day, walking away, coming back, looking at it again,” explained Ferreiro during our interview that took place at a media preview event leading up to the opening of “Star Trek: 50 Artists. 50 Years.” exhibition. “My main approach was that I wanted to make sure that they were a fan, that they loved the franchise, and then I looked at the diversity of talent. I wanted textile designers, I wanted sculptors, I wanted painters – I wanted to make sure that I had a good assortment of pieces represented. I also wanted to make sure that it was a global exhibition so I wanted people from around the world.”
Artists from China, South Korea, and a lot of talented people from the U.K. are among the group who contributed pieces to the Star Trek exhibition, and Ferreiro admits it was tremendously difficult to choose just 50 pieces of art to feature in the exhibit. “I wish it was the 300 year anniversary so I could pick all 300,” joked Ferreiro. “It was hard to do. I tried to get as many people involved in the process and I asked people what they thought about specific pieces. But, at the end I had to pick 50.”
Asked how important it was to debut the “Star Trek: 50 Artists. 50 Years.” exhibition at Comic Con, Ferreiro replied, “This is where the fans are. Again, the artists are fans and so we wanted to make sure that this was the place that we kicked it off and gave back to them. This is as important for the fans as it is for the 50th anniversary of Star Trek.”
Speaking of the fans, Ferreiro believes the continuing popularity of the Star Trek franchise has to do with the appealing, relatable characters. “They kind of touch on so many different things. They deal with race relations…all the things that are still prevalent now that we’re still talking about. I think that people can pick and choose who they feel like represents who they are. They can connect with it and you can find something that feels good to you.”
If you’re unable to make it to downtown San Diego during Comic Con, you may be able to check out the “Star Trek: 50 Artists. 50 Years.” exhibition as it travels to different cities. Following the exhibition in San Diego, the “50 Artists. 50 Years.” exhibit will head to the Star Trek Convention, stopping afterwards in other cities including a multi-week stay at the Paley Center in Los Angeles, CA as well as stops in London and Paris.
Bad news for fans of Starz’ riveting pirate drama, Black Sails. The network just announced the show’s fourth season will be its final season. 10 new one-hour episodes are all that’s left of the Emmy winning series created by Jonathan E. Steinberg (Jericho, Human Target) and Robert Levine (Touch). Season four will air in 2017 and stars Toby Stephens as Captain Flint, Hannah New as Eleanor Guthrie, Luke Arnold as John Silver, Jessica Parker Kennedy as Max, Tom Hopper as Billy Bones, and Ray Stevenson as Blackbeard.
Black Sails is executive produced by Steinberg, Levine, Michael Bay, Brad Fuller, Andrew Form, Chris Symes, Brad Caleb Kane, and Dan Shotz.
“It’s a rare privilege in television to be given the kind of creative freedom we’ve enjoyed on this show over the last four years. While it was a difficult decision for us to make this season our last, we simply couldn’t imagine anything beyond it that would make for a better ending to the story nor a more natural handoff to Treasure Island,” said series co-creator and executive producer Jonathan E. Steinberg. “We’d like to thank Chris, Carmi and everyone at Starz for all their faith and support, and to our astounding cast and crew for joining us on this ride.”
“Jon Steinberg and Robert Levine, along with their crew and the phenomenal cast, have delivered a spectacular take on the most legendary pirate story in literature, and this final season will bring us to the shores of Treasure Island as was always intended,” said Starz Managing Director Carmi Zlotnik. “Black Sails has been a tremendous success; from the loyal fan following and strong viewership numbers to awards recognition and the skill of our world-class production in Cape Town, we could not be more proud of this very special series.”
The Plot:Black Sails season four will bring fans to the heroic conclusion of the Treasure Island prequel. The fourth season of the stand-out high seas drama finds our pirates at war in the West Indies. The shores of New Providence Island have never been bloodier, but the closer civilization comes to defeat, the more desperately, and destructively, it will fight back.
