Miranda Lambert (Photo Credit: Becky Fluke / RCA Nashville/Vanner Records)
Miranda Lambert’s about to release her first new album in two years. The award-winning country artist confirmed she’ll release The Weight of These Wings on November 18, 2016. The first single off of the November release is “Vice,” which arrived on July 18th and sold 65,000 copies over its first week in release. “Vice” was the most added song on Country Radio during its first week and it entered the Billboard Country Airplay chart at #18, the highest of any of her singles to date. The single was co-written by Lambert and Grammy Award-winning songwriters Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne.
Lambert’s upcoming sixth album was produced by Frank Liddell, Glenn Worf, and Eric Masse. For those who need a refresher, Lambert’s five previous studio albums are 2005’s Kerosene, 2007’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, 2009’s Revolution, 2011’s Four The Record, and 2014’s Platinum.
Lambert announced the album name and release date via social media, posting a short black and white video that features her seated, back to the camera and writing in a notebook. The camera slowly zooms in to reveal she’s written “The Weight of These Wings Nov 18.”
Country superstars Carrie Underwood, Florida Georgia Line, Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan, and Thomas Rhett have been named the CMT Artists of the Year. The Country artists will be recognized during the 2016 CMT Artists of the Year special airing on October 20, 2016 at 9pm ET/PT. The seventh annual special, which will take place at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center, will also honor Kelsea Ballerini as the Breakout Artist of the Year.
Carrie Underwood was also an Artist of the Year in 2010 and 2012. Florida Georgia Line earned the title in 2013, 2014, and 2015. By being named one of CMT’s Artists of the Year this year, Luke Bryan ties Jason Aldean’s record for the most wins. Bryan was also honored in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Both Thomas Rhett and Chris Stapleton are first-time honorees.
Kelsea Ballerini holds the record as the only female Country music artist to have her first three consecutive singles from a debut album hit the #1 spot on the Country music chart. “Peter Pan,” Ballerini’s third single off of her first album The First Time, currently sits atop the charts making her, according to Billboard, the first woman to ever earn the top spot on both the Top Hot Country Songs chart and the Country Airplay chart at the same time.
The 90 minute show airing on CMT will include never-before-seen performances. Additional details on celebrity performers and attendees will be announced closer to October 20th.
Ewan McGregor has been named as the recipient of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles (BAFTA Los Angeles) Britannia Humanitarian Award. McGregor will honored at a gala awards event taking place on October 28, 2016 in Los Angeles, CA. Actor/comedian Jack Whitehall is hosting the celebration, which recognizes “exceptional individuals who have dedicated their careers to advancing the art forms of the moving image in the US, UK and beyond.”
This year’s other award recipients include Ang Lee who will receive the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing and Samuel L. Jackson who will be receiving the Albert R. Broccoli Britannia Award for Worldwide Contribution to Entertainment. Ricky Gervais has also been named as the winner of the Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy award.
McGregor was chosen as this year’s Britannia Humanitarian Award winner for his work with UNICEF. Per the official announcement, McGregor is being recognized for traveling to Northern Iraq to “see how the conflicts sweeping across Iraq and Syria are devastating children’s lives.” McGregor is helping to “bring awareness to the unimaginable horrors facing these children,” and is working with UNICEF to an effort to provide “lifesaving food and water, child protection services, and healthcare to those families in need.”
Previous Britannia Humanitarian Award winners include Idris Elba, Richard Curtis, Don Cheadle, Colin Firth, Mark Ruffalo, and Orlando Bloom.
“Ewan McGregor is not only a multi-talented individual but has led by example in showing that even one person can make a huge difference in the life of a child,” stated Kieran Breen, Chairman of BAFTA Los Angeles. “Given his most recent work in Iraq, and ongoing commitment to the fight against the horrific conditions in which children there are living, he is most deserving of this honor. We are thrilled to be able to recognize his work and shed light on the initiatives about which he is most passionate.”
McGregor’s directorial debut, American Pastoral, will open in theaters on October 21, 2016. He also has Trainspotting 2 and Beauty and the Beast coming to theaters in 2017. In addition, McGregor’s starring in season three of FX’s critically acclaimed award-winning series Fargo where he’ll be playing brothers Emmit and Ray Stussy.
Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan star in ‘ Fifty Shades Darker’
Universal Pictures’ official Fifty Shades Darker trailer has arrived starring Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey and Dakota Johnson as Ana Steele. The trailer features “Crazy in Love” by Miguel backing some sexy scenes between Dornan and Johnson. Directed by James Foley (House of Cards), the Fifty Shades Darker cast also includes Kim Basinger, Hugh Dancy, Bella Heathcote, Eric Johnson, Marcia Gay Harden, Jennifer Ehle, Luke Grimes, Rita Ora, Victor Rasuk, Eloise Mumford, and Max Martini. Fifty Shades Darker opens in theaters on February 10, 2017.
The Plot: When a wounded Christian Grey tries to entice a cautious Ana Steele back into his life, she demands a new arrangement before she will give him another chance. As the two begin to build trust and find stability, shadowy figures from Christian’s past start to circle the couple, determined to destroy their hopes for a future together.
Watch the Fifty Shades Darker trailer:
Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson star in ‘ Fifty Shades Darker’ Dakota Johnson in ‘Fifty Shades Darker’ Dakota Johnson in ‘Fifty Shades Darker’ Jamie Dornan in ‘Fifty Shades Darker’
Is Fox’s new baseball series Pitch a home run? No, but it has the potential to score a ratings win if it doesn’t fall victim to convenient romantic storylines rather than allowing the show’s main character to stand on her own. Hopefully, the writers won’t take what could be a female empowerment story that inspires young women and lessen its impact with clubhouse romantic entanglements and unnecessary love stories.
The series stars Kylie Bunbury (Under the Dome) as Ginny Baker, the first female baseball player to make it to the major league. Baker’s a talented pitcher who’s called up from the minors to fill the fifth spot in the San Diego Padres’ rotation. The first episode explores a little of her backstory, including how her father (Michael Beach) spent long hours teaching her to not only throw a nasty screwball but also to never give up on their shared dream of baseball greatness. Unfortunately, his constant demand for practice and perfection led to Ginny feeling resentful over the fact she didn’t have a normal childhood or close friends. Those lingering daddy issues will apparently rear up throughout the season.
Episode one also introduces the colorful characters who’ll pack the Padres clubhouse, led by Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Mike Lawson. Lawson’s an all-star catcher whose job it becomes to not only settle Ginny’s nerves on the field but also back her up in the clubhouse. Obviously, being the first female player to venture into this all-male club upsets the applecart, so she’s fortunate to have center fielder Blip Sanders (Mo McRae) in her corner. The two became friends during their days in the minors, and Blip’s wife, Evelyn (Meagan Holder), is one of Ginny’s few confidantes.
Also in Ginny’s corner is her take-no-prisoners agent, played by Ali Larter. Larter chews the scenery as Amelia Slater, a passionate, dedicated, and determined agent who left Hollywood to dedicate herself to just one client: Ginny. Amelia’s job is to promote – and protect, when necessary – the first female in Major League Baseball, and that means she’ll be butting heads with Padres General Manager Oscar Arguella (Mark Consuelos). There’s even a Gerard Butler name drop as Amelia quickly and effectively puts Oscar in his place.
Obviously, Ginny’s going to be sticking around with the Padres for a while or else Pitch would end in a matter of episodes, so it’s not a spoiler to say that whatever hardship she’s going to face won’t lead to her getting kicked off the team anytime soon. Pitch was made with the support of Major League Baseball, so it’s also highly unlikely we’ll be seeing anything controversial incorporated into the storylines. San Diego’s Petco Park is actually used to film the series…and I have to throw this in as a disillusioned, constantly disappointed native San Diegan/Padres fan…it’s nice to see it depicted with a big crowd and enthusiastic applause. That’s a rare sight given the Padres’ dismal win/loss record over the past six years.
The Padres haven’t had a winning season since 2010, and my initial thought when Pitch’s first trailer arrived was maybe we should find talented female ballplayers not just to pitch but fill more positions on the field in real life. It couldn’t hurt at this point.
The Bottom Line:
What’s going to sell this series to viewers is not just the premise but also Kylie Bunbury’s outstanding performance. Bunbury’s Ginny is not just a ground-breaking baseball player who’s given #43 to wear because it’s one number up from Jackie Robinson’s retired number. There’s a lot of emotional depth to the character thanks to Bunbury’s performance, and she completely draws in the audience and gets them to root for Ginny to overcome all odds. Mark-Paul Gosselaar’s a surprising choice to play catcher, but it works and best of all the chemistry between Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Kylie Bunbury is evident from their first onscreen meeting. Again, hopefully, the writers will smartly avoid the clichés and not throw them together as a romantic couple but instead allow them to grow as platonic teammates.
On a side note, it’s also nice to see two Sons of Anarchy alumni – Mo McRae and Michael Beach – reunite with SoA director/executive producer Paris Barclay who also handles those duties on Pitch.
Pitch has an intriguing setup and a terrific cast. It also has a lot of heart, along with some decent baseball sequences. It’s impossible to tell from just one episode, but Fox has the potential to hit one out of the park with Pitch. The pilot delivered the heat, now let’s see if episodes two, three, and four can keep the momentum going.
GRADE: B
Pitch will premiere on September 22, 2016 at 9pm PT/ET on Fox.
The final season of The CW’s popular supernatural series The Vampire Diaries will premiere on Friday, October 21, 2016 at 8pm ET/PT. The eighth season will focus on the search for Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Enzo (Michael Malarkey) who’ve gone over to the dark side and are off on a killing spree. Bonnie (Kat Graham) will, of course, be helping out with the search while also attempting to get her powers back. And Stefan (Paul Wesley) will be leading the hunt for his missing brother as the series heads toward – hopefully – a satisfying end.
The big question about the eighth and final season is if Nina Dobrev will return to say good-bye. At Comic-Con, series creator Julie Plec told us she’s hoping Dobrev will be back this season. “Look, all I can say because there is nothing written in stone but Nina made me a promise when she left that she would come back and be a part of the goodbye, and I intend on holding her to that,” explained Plec. “And I’m sure she intends on living up to it as well so we just have to figure it out – the how, the when, the what – but it would be a real tragedy if we couldn’t bring that story back around full circle.”
Scream Queens season two has added Kirstie Alley (Cheers) to its roster. Alley joins returning series stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Lea Michele, Emma Roberts, Keke Palmer, Abigail Breslin, Billie Lourd, Niecy Nash, and Glen Powell for the second season set to premiere on September 20, 2016.
Other season two cast newbies include John Stamos, James Earl, and Twilight‘s Taylor Lautner.
Kirstie Alley’s credits include Flaked, Kirstie, Fat Actress, Veronica’s Closet, Drop Dead Gorgeous, and David’s Mother. Alley won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her performance as Rebecca Howe in the half-hour comedy Cheers.
Scream Queens was created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan who also serve as executive producers, writers and directors on the horror-comedy series. Season one was ranked the #1 new comedy among adults 18-34, according to the network. Season two will air on Tuesdays at 9pm PT/ET on Fox.
The Plot: Season two of Scream Queens graduates from the college campus and into a hospital, as a terrifyingly funny mystery will begin once again. At the C.U.R.E. Institute, where some of the most fascinating and bizarre medical cases are under observation, Alley will play a brilliant and devious administrator.
Disney’s new animated movie Moana has unveiled a new, colorful poster featuring the characters voiced by Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson. The poster made its debut on Instagram accompanied by an announcement that Disney’s releasing a new trailer for the family-friendly comedy adventure on September 15, 2016.
Moana was written and directed by The Princess and the Frog‘s Ron Clements and John Musker and also features the voices of Jemaine Clement, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, and Alan Tudyk. Disney’s planning a November 23, 2016 theatrical release.
The Plot: Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. But then, for a millennium, their voyages stopped – and no one knows exactly why. From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes Moana, a sweeping, CG-animated feature film about an adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people.
During her journey, Moana (Cravalho) meets the mighty demigod Maui (Johnson), who guides her in her quest to become a master wayfinder. Together, they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds, and along the way, Moana fulfills the ancient quest of her ancestors and discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity.
CBS Films and Lionsgate have released the first official photo of Dylan O’Brien (Teen Wolf, Maze Runner) in the action film, American Assassin. The movie’s currently shooting in Europe with Michael Cuesta (Kill the Messenger, Homeland) directing from a script by Stephen Schiff (The Americans).
In addition to O’Brien, the cast of American Assassin also includes Sanaa Lathan, Taylor Kitsch, Michael Keaton, and Shiva Negar. The film’s based on one of the books in Vince Flynn’s bestselling series about counter-terrorism operative Mitch Rapp. According to CBS and Lionsgate, every one of Flynn’s books from the series have made it onto the New York Times bestseller list. Overall, the Mitch Rapp books have sold more than 20 million copies.
The Plot:American Assassin follows the rise of Mitch Rapp (Dylan O’Brien) a CIA black ops recruit under the instruction of Cold War veteran Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton). The pair is then enlisted by CIA Deputy Director Irene Kennedy (Sanaa Lathan) to investigate a wave of apparently random attacks on both military and civilian targets. Together the three discover a pattern in the violence leading them to a joint mission with a lethal Turkish agent (Shiva Negar) to stop a mysterious operative (Taylor Kitsch) intent on starting a World War in the Middle East.
Michael Torres in ‘American Ninja Warrior’ (Photo by: David Becker/NBC)
NBC’s just renewed the hit summer competition series American Ninja Warrior for season six. Overall the competition series has been averaging 7.2 million viewers, with the season five finale airing on September 12, 2016 at 8pm ET/PT. According to NBC, the current season’s ratings are the highest for the series to date. Matt Iseman hosts along with Kristine Leahy and ex-NFL player Akbar Gbajabiamila.
“The increased popularity of American Ninja Warrior on air, as well as its growing social and cultural impact, is a testament to the athletes who push themselves beyond their limits,” stated Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative and Reality Group, NBC Entertainment. “We couldn’t be more proud to see this show reach new heights and watch the affect it has on those who compete and strive to be their best.”
“We are in constant awe of the extraordinary athletes on American Ninja Warrior who make the show as exhilarating to watch as it is to produce,” said Adam Stotsky, President, E! and Esquire Network. “It is incredibly exciting how the series has evolved from an unconventional Japanese game show with a cult following to the global hit phenomenon that it is today in partnership with NBC – and we are looking forward to many more seasons to come.”
The Plot: The action-packed series follows competitors as they tackle a series of challenging obstacle courses in both city qualifying and city finals rounds across the country. Those that successfully complete the finals course in their designated region move on to the national finals round in Las Vegas, where they face a stunning four-stage course modeled after the famed Mt. Midoriyama course in Japan. The winner will take home a grand prize of $1 million.
