Starz’ Black Sails continues its best season yet with episode nine airing on March 19, 2016 at 9pm ET/PT. Season three episode nine titled XXVII finds Billy Bones (Tom Hopper) stepping up to rally the troops and Eleanor (Hannah New) risking everything just to save Woodes Rogers (Luke Roberts). Black Sails season three also stars Toby Stephens as Captain Flint, Zach McGowan as Captain Vane, Toby Schmitz as Rackham, Luke Arnold as John Silver, Clara Paget as Anne Bonny, Ray Stevenson as Blackbeard, and Jessica Parker Kennedy as Max. Black Sails airs on Saturday nights at 9pm ET/PT.
Black Sails Season 3 Episode 9 Titled XXVII: Eleanor puts everything on the line to save Rogers. Billy recruits allies. Flint and Silver prepare for war.
Bill Skarsgård stars as ‘Matthew’ in ‘The Divergent Series: Allegiant’ (Photo Credit: Murray Close)
The third film of the Divergent franchise, The Divergent Series: Allegiant – Part 1, goes beyond the walls of the city to explore the world surrounding what remains of Chicago. Allegiant expands the story and introduces new characters to the franchise including Matthew (Bill Skarsgard), the right-hand man to one of the leaders of the organization overseeing Chicago. Also joining the series with this third film is Nita (Nadia Hilker), a smart, tough-as-nails soldier who teaches Four (Theo James) how to survive in the world outside Chicago’s walls.
Divergent newcomers Bill Skarsgard (Hemlock Grove) and Nadia Hilker were teamed up on the promotional tour for The Divergent Series: Allegiant – Part 1 and Showbiz Junkies had the opportunity to find out how they approached their roles in this penultimate film of the series. The Divergent Series: Allegiant – Part 1 opens in theaters on March 18, 2016.
Bill Skarsgard and Nadia Hilker Exclusive Interview:
The audience doesn’t really get to know much about the backstory of Matthew or Nita. Did you develop a backstory to help you get into your characters?
Nadia Hilker: “I definitely got all the information I needed for her, which helped. Even though we’re not sharing that with the audience, but it’s just good for us to know because I think, definitely, it’s affecting the acting. I just tried to find whatever I could find in the books and information on the internet to build a backstory for myself and just to know where she’s coming from.”
Bill Skarsgard: “Yeah, it’s the same with me. Every character that you do, you use whatever tools you have or whatever information that’s available to help you create the backstory of your character. In this case, it’s obvious that the book is there. Even though what we’re doing might differ from the novel, and the character might differ as well, it’s just the more information that you can get, the better to help create the character.”
What was it that each of you found that you really latched on to that led you into the character?
Nadia Hilker: “Nita got separated from her family. She doesn’t even know whether they’re alive or not. I just love when something like that, like such tragedy, happens in life to people and instead of…”
Bill Skarsgard: “You love that?”
Nadia Hilker: “No, no, no! I love when that happens but people are brave enough and just deal with it. That makes them stronger instead of just disappearing in a little corner and being upset. I think Nita’s a very strong, smart young woman, who believes in the good. She’s a fighter. She’s a bad-ass. She’s strong.”
Nita really is a bad-ass. How easy was it for you to channel that? Did you just love tackling those action scenes?
Nadia Hilker: “I mean, I’m a bad-ass. [Laughing] Well, I’m not a bad-ass but I’m definitely a very strong young woman. I know who I am, what I want, what I don’t want, what I need, and I know how to get it if I need it. Even if I don’t know, I just keep on fighting. I’m really honored that Lionsgate and Robert [Schwentke] and the producers saw all of her qualities within me. But also, gun training and weapons and boots and the outfit pretty much helps getting into character.”
Your scenes are so full of CG and special effects. How difficult to work around that when don’t really know what it will look like, like the little discs that are flying and that kind of thing. How difficult is that to picture?
Nadia Hilker: “The thing is that’s basically our job. Also, Bill’s said it before and I thought he said it in such a beautiful way. We’re pretending all the time. Not pretending, but making ourselves believe things that are not true. Falling in love with someone – sometimes you meet that person the same day and you’re definitely obviously not in love with that person, but you make yourself believe that you are. It’s basically the same thing with dinosaurs or drones or anything else. We just have to use our own imagination and fantasy and make ourselves believe things.”
What’s it like to actually step onto the set? What was it like?
Bill Skarsgard: “It’s pretty massive. By far, the biggest movie either one of us have ever worked on. It’s a massive film set. We didn’t start shooting until a few weeks or almost a month into production but we went down to Atlanta while they were shooting to do fittings. We walked onto the set and met Robert, the director, and met some of the cast. It was kind of overwhelming just seeing the sheer size of it all. Most of the cast have done this for two years now, maybe four. They know each other really well, and it’s kind of like being the new kid at school trying to fit in. But at the end of the day, it’s just another day at work. It’s just bigger, but it’s the same things we do. We go in and we pretend and we play and we have fun, and you start to get to know the crew. Pretty soon, you’re back to just doing what you love, which is acting.”
Nadia Hilker: “It’s definitely going to be so much easier and more fun to go back to Atlanta this summer to shoot the last one.”
Bill Skarsgard: “Yeah. It’s the swansong. It’s the last installment of the franchise. Now we’re kind of…”
Nadia Hilker: “We got introduced.”
Bill Skarsgard: “We got introduced and we’re a part of the whole thing, the whole family.”
You aren’t the newbies anymore.
Bill Skarsgard: “We’re not the newbies! What are we, juniors? No, this is freshman, or, what is it? Sophomore?”
Nadia Hilker as Nita in ‘The Divergent Series: Allegiant’ (Photo by Murray Close)
You’re the sophomores. What is it that both of you find so compelling about the overall story of the Divergent series?
Nadia Hilker: “I pretty much love the message of the movie. Fight for whatever you think is right and be brave and have your own…”
Bill Skarsgard: “That’s a Bob Marley song.”
Nadia Hilker: “Right. The message is great. Then obviously also with the ‘pure’ and the ‘not pure’, you know it’s the same stuff we have in our world going on with religion and skin color, unfortunately. That’s also, unfortunately, been around forever. Ever since the existence of humanity, unfortunately. It’s an amazing message combined with amazing special effects and a lot of action and young, talented actors, and also older, very talented actors. It’s a cool, cool movie. A cool franchise.”
Were you ever able to speak with Veronica Roth?
Nadia Hilker: “Yeah. I mean, didn’t we?”
Bill Skarsgard: “Yeah.”
Nadia Hilker: “I met her and I was actually shocked. When I heard her name I thought of that older woman with a red bob and weird earrings. Then she was standing in front of my trailer and she was this beautiful, young, 25-year-old woman. I’m like, ‘What? You wrote those books?'”
Bill Skarsgard: “Really? Wow, that’s really impressive.”
Nadia Hilker: “Isn’t it impressive?”
That’s very impressive. Did she give you any hints or clues or anything that you guys could really use to put into the characters that maybe weren’t in the books themselves?
Bill Skarsgard: “She comes off as older, more mature as well because I’m 25. [Laughing] 27…all right. We shared a ride back from the set to the hotel that we were staying in. I chatted with her a little bit. She has her story and the books are there and we can use that as tools, but at the end of the day, the characters that you see on the screen are somewhat different. You can ask her things for the backstory of your character you’re creating just the same way you can use the book, but the film is something different than the book. We have the book, and that’s there. The film is trying to be something else. It’s a different medium. That’s the same way with me creating a character. I’m not supposed to create the character that’s already been created for the book. I’m just supposed to create this character that’s part of the film.”
“We’ve got two suicide bombers inside that house and no one wants to take responsibility for pulling the trigger,” says Col. Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren) as she struggles to get clearance from her superiors to take out a terrorist cell in the political thriller, Eye in the Sky.
Taking place internationally and involving many different people around the globe, Eye in the Sky focuses on Col. Powell, a U.K. based military officer in command of a top secret operation hunting terrorist cells in Kenya. She’s received intelligence that three of the top five most wanted in the United States are going to have a meeting at a safe house. Using drone surveillance, Powell communicates with American pilot Steve Watts (Aaron Paul) who’s based in Las Vegas piloting the drone. Col. Powell also activates a local spy named James Farrah (Barkhad Abdi) to infiltrate hostile-guarded territory to get close enough to send a small drone into the safe house to get confirmation the terrorists are inside in order to greenlight the raid and capture.
However, the footage from the small drone shows not only the three terrorists are inside but have suicide bombs and vests indicating they’re planning an eminent attack which escalates the simple capture mission to a kill mission. Thus begins the work and struggle involving the highest levels of both the United States and British governments legally greenlighting a kill order on the house. Just when it seems almost everyone is on board and pilot Watts is about to engage the weapons on the drone, a local nine year old girl enters the collateral damage area of the strike zone selling her bread to some of the locals. This further delays the strike as both the British and American politicians and military officers argue the moral and political ramifications of the strike killing the young child while the terrorist cell is getting ready to leave their house with their bombs.
Gripping, suspenseful and featuring dynamic performances, Eye in the Sky is an extremely effective and intelligent political war thriller that demonstrates rather than lectures about how war is handled in today’s world. Helen Mirren delivers yet another stellar performance as Col. Powell who’s so determined to capture or kill these terrorists (one in particular she has been hunting for the last six years) that she becomes hellbent on greenlighting the strike no matter what the collateral damage may be and begins to encourage and bully her personnel to fudge their data on just how bad the explosion will be for the young girl and others nearby.
Aaron Paul delivers a strong performance as Steve Watts, the American pilot who is flying the drone and who will be the one to shoot the missile into the terrorist safe house and kill those inside as well as those in the kill zone. Paul displays wonderfully the stress and stomach-turning emotions his character feels when his job goes from a simple observe and report mission to a kill strike, and the horror of possibly having to murder an innocent young girl to ensure the death of three deadly terrorists.
The late Alan Rickman is nothing less than superb as Lt. Col. Frank Benson, Powell’s boss who has to deal firsthand with the British politicians on getting them to agree and take legal responsibility to greenlight a terrorist hit. He conveys a career military man who has seen and done it all and yet the struggle and carnage of war still affects him deeply. His second to last scene where he politely puts a political bureaucrat in her place on how to deal with soldiers and military officers is cinematic gold.
The pacing, camera work, and directing is tight and the set design is sound, bringing to the screen a sense of real authenticity. Especially effective are the shots from the drone’s point of view. The only weakness in the film lies in the writing at times seeming a bit heavy-handed and contrived, with some of the events and stalls leading up to the Catch 22 the British and Americans find themselves in.
With above average performances from a great cast and solid directing, Eye in the Sky is a smart, compelling political war thriller that leaves most of the moral and ethical questions for the audience to debate about and decide on.
GRADE: B+
MPAA Rating: R for some violent images and language
Fox confirmed Amaury Nolasco, Robert Knepper, and Rockmond Dunbar will be returning to the world of Prison Break, reprising their roles in the upcoming event series. Nolasco, Knepper, and Dunbar join previously confirmed stars Wentworth Miller, Dominic Purcell, and Sarah Wayne Callies in the limited series that will air later this year.
Nolasco returns as Fernando Sucre, Knepper is Theodore ‘T-Bag’ Bagwell, and Dunbar reprises his role as Benjamin Miles ‘C-Note’ Franklin. Nelson McCormick is directing and executive producing along with Paul T. Scheuring, Neal Moritz, Marty Adelstein, Dawn Olmstead, Vaun Wilmott, and Michael Horowitz. Scheuring is also the writer and showrunner.
Prison Break debuted in 2005 and aired for four seasons before finishing up its run in May 2009.
Details on the Prison Break Event Series: The original action drama Prison Break centered on a young man (Miller) determined to prove his convicted brother’s (Purcell) innocence and save him from death row by hatching an elaborate plan to escape from prison. In the drama’s new chapter, when clues surface that suggest a previously thought-to-be-dead Michael may be alive, Lincoln and Sara reunite to engineer the series’ biggest escape ever, as three of Fox River State Penitentiary’s most notorious escapees, T-Bag, C-Note and Sucre, are pulled back into the action.
Queen Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland), King Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) and Yidu (Dianne Doan) in ‘Vikings’ (Photo by Jonathan Hession/HISTORY Copyright 2016)
History’s Vikings has earned a fifth season order after drawing an average of 4.2 million viewers during season four which is currently airing on Thursday nights at 10pm ET/PT. In addition to announcing the renewal, History revealed Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Dracula) has joined the cast of season five. Filming’s expected to begin on the fifth season this summer, with the network confirming the new season will air in 2017. History also confirmed season five will consist of 20 hour-long episodes.
Vikings writer/creator/executive producer Michael Hirst previously worked with Jonathan Rhys Meyers on The Tudors.
“The brilliant writing and depth of historical research and authenticity brought to the screen by Michael Hirst paired with our talented cast and crew, has made this series one of the most compelling, visually stunning historical dramas on television,” said Jana Bennett, President and General Manager of HISTORY. “Vikings has raided the hearts of audiences and we are thrilled that Jonathan Rhys Myers will become a bigger part of the HISTORY family after his incredible performance in our upcoming production of Roots.”
“Vikings continues to be a powerhouse series worldwide, bolstered by the ongoing support from HISTORY and the direction of our first-class creative team, led by Michael Hirst, and partners World 2000 and Take 5 Productions,” said Mark Burnett, President, Television and Digital Group, MGM and Steve Stark, President, Television Development and Production, MGM. “We are excited to have Jonathan Rhys Meyers join our talented cast and watch as this epic story evolves heading into Season 5.”
The cast of Vikings season four includes Travis Fimmel as Ragnar, Clive Standen as Rollo, Gustaf Skarsgard as Floki, Katheryn Winnick as Lagertha, Alexander Ludwig as Bjorn, Alyssa Sutherland as Princess Aslaug, Maude Hirst as Helga, Morgane Polanski as Princess Gisla, and Dianne Doan as Yidu.
The cast of Starz’ American Gods series has expanded by one, with Emily Browning coming on board as the female lead. Browning’s been cast to play Laura Moon in the series based on Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel, joining The 100‘s Ricky Whittle as Shadow Moon and Ian McShane as Mr. Wednesday. The series is targeting an April 2016 start of production.
Bryan Fuller (Hannibal, Pushing Daisies) and Michael Green (Heroes, Kings) are writing the series and serving as showrunners. Fuller and Green are also executive producing along with Craig Cegielski, Stefanie Berk, Neil Gaiman, and David Slade. Slade’s also attached to direct the pilot and other episodes.
“I’ve been fascinated by Emily Browning since A Series of Unfortunate Events,” said Gaiman. “She has a challenge ahead of her: Laura is a tricky character, and the Laura on the screen is even trickier and more dangerous than the one on the page. She’s going to have a wonderful time bringing Laura to life.”
“You don’t need a magical coin when you have Emily Browning. She brings a fascinating spark of life to every role she inhabits and we are tickled she will be lighting up Laura Moon and bringing her to life in more ways than one on American Gods,” added showrunners Fuller and Green.
Browning’s credits include Sleeping Beauty, Legend, Sucker Punch, Plush, and Pompeii.
The American Gods Plot: The plot posits a war brewing between old and new gods: the traditional gods of mythological roots from around the world steadily losing believers to an upstart pantheon of gods reflecting society’s modern love of money, technology, media, celebrity and drugs. Its protagonist, Shadow Moon, is an ex-con who becomes bodyguard and traveling partner to Mr. Wednesday, a conman but in reality one of the older gods, on a cross-country mission to gather his forces in preparation to battle the new deities.
As Laura Moon, Browning plays Shadow Moon’s wife, who has been preparing for her husband’s pending prison release. Little does she know that she will go on an unexpected journey that leads her to an epiphany about her relationship and affords her a second chance to get things right.
CBS has announced its summer lineup of primetime shows including new series BrainDead and American Gothic. The network’s set its summer of 2016 premiere dates, kicking off on Monday, June 13th at 10pm ET/PT with the series premiere of the comic thriller, BrainDead. Big Brother is back for yet another season, returning on June 22nd at 8pm ET/PT. The reality show featuring strangers stuck in a house together will air three times a week on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.
American Gothic from Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment arrives on June 22nd at 10pm ET/PT starring Juliet Rylance, Antony Starr, and Justin Chatwin. Zoo season two kicks off on June 28th at 9pm ET/PT with a two-hour season premiere. The cast of Zoo, based on James Patterson’s bestselling book, is led by James Wolk and includes Kristen Connolly, Billy Burke, Nonso Anozie, Nora Arnezeder, Josh Salatin, and Alyssa Diaz.
In addition to announcing the summer premiere dates, CBS released details on the upcoming seasons of their summer primetime lineup:
BrainDead, from Robert and Michelle King, acclaimed creators and executive producers of The Good Wife, is a comic-thriller set in the world of Washington, D.C. politics that follows Laurel (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a young, fresh-faced Hill staffer who discovers two things: the government has stopped working, and bugs are eating the brains of Congress members and Hill staffers.
BrainDead stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Danny Pino, Aaron Tveit, Tony Shalhoub, Nikki M. James and Johnny Ray Gill. Robert and Michelle King, Ridley Scott, David W. Zucker, Brooke Kennedy and Liz Glotzer serve as executive producers for CBS Television Studios, Scott Free Productions and King Size Productions. Judy Smith serves as co-executive producer.
The suspenseful new murder mystery American Gothic is about a prominent Boston family reeling in the wake of the chilling discovery that someone in their midst is linked to an infamous string of murders. As shocking secrets from the past and present are revealed, their mounting suspicion and paranoia that one of them is a killer threatens to tear the family apart.
American Gothic stars Juliet Rylance, Antony Starr, Virginia Madsen, Justin Chatwin, Megan Ketch, Elliot Knight, Stephanie Leonidas and Gabriel Bateman. Corinne Brinkerhoff, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, James Frey and Todd Cohen are executive producers for CBS Television Studios in association with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television.
In Zoo season two, the danger escalates as the animal mutation moves to phase two, and they begin attacking infrastructure and creating deadly environmental phenomena in an effort to make the planet uninhabitable. Also, the team discovers a shocking mutation that threatens the life of one of their own.
Ben Robson as Kalf and Katheryn Winnick as Lagertha in ‘Vikings’ season 4 episode 5 (Photo Credit: Bernard Walsh / History)
History describes this week’s episode of their critically acclaimed dramatic series Vikings as ‘epic’, which could describe all of season four thus far. On episode five airing on March 17, 2016 at 10pm ET/PT, secrets will be revealed and, of course, there will be more backstabbing and political maneuverings. The cast includes Travis Fimmel as Ragnar, Clive Standen as Rollo, Gustaf Skarsgard as Floki, Katheryn Winnick as Lagertha, Alexander Ludwig as Bjorn, Alyssa Sutherland as Princess Aslaug, Maude Hirst as Helga, Morgane Polanski as Princess Gisla, and Dianne Doan as Yidu.
Vikings Season 4 Episode 5 “Promised” Plot Description: There’s an air of betrayal at Court in Paris and Wessex as those whom Odo trusts plot against him and Ecbert agrees to support Kwenthrith in Mercia, but is Ecbert a true ally? Ragnar confides in Yidu his darkest secret.
CinemaCon has selected Arrow star Stephen Amell to receive this year’s Male Star of Tomorrow Award during the annual gathering of National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) in Las Vegas. Amell was chosen as this year’s winner in support of his upcoming role in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. Amell will play Casey Jones in the June 3, 2016 theatrical release from Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies.
The 2016 CinemaCon will take place at Caesars Palace April 11th through 14th. Amell will receive his Male Star of Tomorrow Award during CinemaCon’s Big Screen Achievement Awards on April 14th at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
“Already making his mark on the small screen Stephen Amell is poised to break out this summer on the big screen with his starring role in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows,” said Mitch Neuhauser, Managing Director of CinemaCon. “We are excited to honor this exciting up-and-coming actor with this year’s Male Star of Tomorrow Award.”
In addition to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows and his starring role as Oliver Queen/The Arrow in Arrow, Amell’s credits include New Girl, Private Practice, Hung, Justice for Natalee Holloway, Queer as Folk, The Tracey Fragments, CSI Miami, NCIS: LA, The Vampire Diaries, and 90210.
Jason Derulo will be hosting this year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards set to be held on Sunday, April 3rd. The 2016 iHeartRadio Music Awards will be broadcast live on TBS, TNT and TRUTV beginning at 8pm ET/5pm PT, and will feature performances by newly announced performers Zayn, Chris Brown, DNCE, Fetty Wap and Demi Lovato. Also confirmed to perform are Justin Bieber and Meghan Trainor, with Pitbull and Maroon 5’s performances from the Capital One JamFest® featured during the awards broadcast.
“iHeartRadio has been such an important supporter of mine, and I’m thrilled and honored to be hosting this year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards,” said Jason Derulo. “2015 was an incredible year for so many talented artists. It’s going to be a great night of celebration and performance for music fans all across the country, and I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of it.”
“Over the past four years we have seen Jason evolve into a global superstar,” said John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises for iHeartMedia. “When we were choosing a host, there was no doubt in our minds that Jason was the man for the job.”
“Jason Derulo embodies all of the qualities of the perfect host for our show,” said Tom Poleman, President of iHeartMedia’s National Programming Group. “Anyone who has ever seen Jason perform knows that he has the rare ability to completely connect with his audience. Since the iHeartRadio Music Awards is about bringing fans and artists together, there is no better liaison than Jason. He is a creative and talented artist with the same passion and energy as our fans, making him the perfect bridge between the two groups.”
Topping the list of the 2016 nominees are Taylor Swift with eight and The Weeknd with seven nominations. Adele, Drake, Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, Luke Bryan and Sam Smith also picked up multiple nominations.
