Finn Jones in season 1 of ‘Marvel’s Iron Fist’ (Photo by Cara Howe/Netflix)
Marvel’s made it official: Game of Thrones‘ Finn Jones will play the lead in Marvel’s Iron Fist series. The Netflix series is part of a deal with Marvel to showcase characters Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist in their own shows. Finn Jones will be tackling the character of Danny Rand/Iron Fist in the 13 episode season one.
The character description, courtesy of Marvel: “Jones will play Daniel Rand, who returns to New York City after being missing for years. He fights against the criminal element corrupting New York City with his incredible kung-fu mastery and ability to summon the awesome power of the fiery Iron Fist.”
“Danny Rand is a very complicated character. He’s a billionaire New York Buddhist monk martial arts superhero who’s still trying to figure out what exactly that all means,” said executive producer and showrunner Scott Buck. “Finn is able to play all these levels in such an honest, revelatory way that as soon as I saw him I knew he was our Danny.”
“Finn wonderfully blends confidence with vulnerability, making him the perfect choice as he struggles to find his place in the world,” added executive producer/Head of Marvel TV, Jeph Loeb. “Now that we’ve found our Danny Rand, we’ve completed our principal cast for the upcoming Defenders on Netflix and we are thrilled to continue to show audiences unexplored corners of the Marvel Universe.”
Jones’ resume includes playing Ser Loras Tyrell in HBO’s critically acclaimed series Game of Thrones, as well as roles in Hollyoaks, Hollyoaks Later, Life in Squares, Sleeping Beauty, Doctors, and Wrong Turn 5.
The second trailer for The Legend of Tarzan delves further into the story of the man raised by jungle animals. Of course there are more clips of Alexander Skarsgard shirtless (which is never a bad thing), but this second trailer does a better job than the first of establishing the battle between Christoph Waltz as the film’s main bad guy (‘Captain Rom’) and Skarsgard as Tarzan, a champion of good. Directed by Harry Potter veteran David Yates from a script by Adam Cozad and Craig Brewer, The Legend of Tarzan also stars Margot Robbie, Djimon Hounsou, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent, and Samuel L. Jackson. Warner Bros Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures are releasing this Tarzan tale in theaters on July 1, 2016.
The Legend of Tarzan is based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ stories and is produced by Jerry Weintraub, David Barron, Alan Riche, and Tony Ludwig. The action adventure film is executive produced by Susan Ekins, Nikolas Korda, Keith Goldberg, David Yates, Mike Richardson and Bruce Berman.
The Plot: It has been years since the man once known as Tarzan (Skarsgård) left the jungles of Africa behind for a gentrified life as John Clayton III, Lord Greystoke, with his beloved wife, Jane (Robbie) at his side. Now, he has been invited back to the Congo to serve as a trade emissary of Parliament, unaware that he is a pawn in a deadly convergence of greed and revenge, masterminded by the Belgian, Captain Leon Rom (Waltz). But those behind the murderous plot have no idea what they are about to unleash.
In order to stop the world from being destroyed, the X-men must all band together to fight a god in X-Men: Apocalypse‘s new trailer released by 20th Century Fox. Directed by Bryan Singer from a script by Simon Kinberg, the latest X-Men movie stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, Nicholas Hoult, Rose Byrne, Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, Olivia Munn, Lucas Till, Evan Peters, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alexandra Shipp, Josh Helman, Lana Condor, and Ben Hardy. Fox is set to release X-Men: Apocalypse on May 27, 2016.
The Plot: Following the critically acclaimed global smash hit X-Men: Days of Future Past, director Bryan Singer returns with X-Men: Apocalypse. Since the dawn of civilization, he was worshipped as a god. Apocalypse, the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel’s X-Men universe, amassed the powers of many other mutants, becoming immortal and invincible. Upon awakening after thousands of years, he is disillusioned with the world as he finds it and recruits a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened Magneto (Michael Fassbender), to cleanse mankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign. As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) with the help of Professor X (James McAvoy) must lead a team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction.
Anchor Bay Entertainment’s releasing AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead: The Complete First Season Special Edition two-disc Blu-ray and DVD just in time for the April 10, 2016 premiere of season two of The Walking Dead prequel. The Special Edition will hit stores on March 22nd and thanks to Anchor Bay we’ve got a couple of Blu-rays to give away to lucky fans.
The Fear the Walking Dead: The Complete First Season Special Edition includes all six original episodes as well as hours of bonus material. Deleted scenes and audio commentaries for each episode are included in the Special Edition release, along with seven featurettes:
Inside “Fear the Walking Dead”
FEAR: The Beginning
Five Things You Need To Survive
Locations: LA & Vancouver
Quarantined
Stunts And Anarchy
The Faces Of Fear The Infected
So, how do you enter for a chance to win the Fear the Walking Dead: The Complete First Season Special Edition Blu-ray? Simply send an email to [email protected] with “Fear the Walking Dead” in the subject line. Only one entry per email address is allowed. You must be over 18 years old to enter and live in the United States. The contest ends on March 23, 2016 at 6pm PT.
The Fear the Walking Dead Plot: Living in the same universe as The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead is a gritty drama that explores the onset of the undead apocalypse through the lens of a fractured family. Set in Los Angeles, a city where people come to escape, shield secrets, and bury their pasts, a mysterious outbreak threatens to disrupt what little stability high school guidance counselor Madison Clark (Kim Dickens) and English teacher Travis Manawa (Cliff Curtis) have managed to assemble. The everyday pressure of blending two families while dealing with resentful, escapist, and strung out children takes a back seat when society begins to break down. A forced evolution, a necessary survival of the fittest takes hold, and the dysfunctional family must either reinvent themselves or embrace their darker histories.
The cast also includes Frank Dillane, Mercedes Mason, Ruben Blades, Alycia
Debnam-Carey, Elizabeth Rodriguez, and Lorenzo James Henrie.
Gotham has earned a third season as just announced by Fox. The dramatic series based on DC Comics characters has been averaging 9 million viewers over season two and is, according to Fox, one of the top five broadcast dramas among men ages 18 through 49. The series stars Ben McKenzie as Jim Gordon, Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock, Morena Baccarin as Dr. Leslie Thompkins, David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne, and Sean Pertwee as Alfred Pennyworth. The cast also includes Robin Lord Taylor as The Penguin, Cory Michael Smith as Edward Nygma, Camren Bicondova as Selina Kyle, and Michael Chiklis as Nathaniel Barnes.
“It takes a very special team to tell the tales of Gotham. For the past two seasons, Bruno, Danny and John have masterfully honored the mythology of Gotham and brought it to life with depth, emotion and memorable high drama,” said Fox Broadcasting Company President of Entertainment David Madden. “This incredibly talented cast has redefined these iconic characters for a new generation, and we couldn’t be more proud of this show.”
Details on Gotham Season 2’s Upcoming Episodes: In the all-new episode “Wrath of the Villains: Mad Grey Dawn,” airing Monday, March 21 (8:00-9:01 PM ET/PT) on FOX, Gordon (McKenzie) and Bullock (Logue) investigate a trail of clues left in a museum robbery, which, unbeknownst to them, were left by Nygma (Smith) in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse. Meanwhile, Gordon’s past comes back to haunt him when an anonymous person threatens to expose his hand in Galavan’s murder. Also, Penguin’s (Taylor) visit to some old friends leads him to meet his father, Elijah Van Dahl (guest star Paul Reubens), and Bruce (Mazouz) practices his street smarts.
Later this season, villains continue to invade Gotham, as Arkham Asylum and the mysteries it holds take center stage, as Hugo Strange’s (guest star BD Wong) wild experiments create even more chaos and legendary villains.
CinemaCon has tapped Bryce Dallas Howard to receive the 2016 CinemaCon® Award for Excellence in Acting. The annual gathering of the National Association of Theatre Owners membership will once again be held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. This year’s CinemaCon will take place April 11 – 14th, and Howard will be picking up the honor during the Big Screen Achievement Awards ceremony to be held on April 14th.
Mitch Neuhauser, Managing Director of CinemaCon, announced Howard as the Excellence in Acting winner, saying, “A talented and versatile actress, Bryce Dallas Howard has entertained audiences around the globe with stellar performances in such films as The Village, The Help, 50/50 and of course 2015’s monster box-office juggernaut Jurassic World. CinemaCon is thrilled to have this opportunity to honor such a talented actress at this year’s final night Big Screen Achievement Award Ceremony.”
Up next for Howard is a starring role in Walt Disney Pictures’ fantasy film, Pete’s Dragon. The 2016 version is a reimagining of the classic animated movie and has Howard, Robert Redford, Oakes Fegley, Oona Lawrence, and Wes Bentley in starring roles. Directed and co-written by David Lowery, Disney’s set to launch the film in theaters on August 12, 2016.
More on Bryce Dallas Howard, Courtesy of CinemaCon:
Beginning her career on the New York stage, Howard left the Tisch School of the Arts program at New York University and went on to star in theatre productions including Tartuffe, As You Like It, House/Garden, and Our Town before making her feature film debut in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village. She has gone on to star in countless other films including Jurassic World, HereAfter, 50/50, The Help, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, Terminator Salvation, Spider-Man 3, The Lady in the Water, and Manderlay. Howard recently completed production on Netflix’s new series Black Mirror in an episode directed by Joe Wright, and can also be seen later this fall in Stephen Gaghan’s Gold alongside Matthew McConaughey for The Weinstein Company.
In addition to her roles onscreen, Howard has worked behind the lens creating content for multiple campaigns such as Canon’s “Project Imagination”; MoroccanOil’s “Inspired”; Vanity Fair’s “Decade Series” with Radical Media; and Glamour magazine’s “Reel Moments.” Howard has also directed content for MTV’s Supervideo: M83’s Claudia Lewis; Sony and Lifetime’s Five More: Call Me Crazy; and, most recently, solemates, in conjunction with Canon’s “Project Imagination: The Trailer.” Howard has directed over a dozen short films and received numerous accolades for her work, including being shortlisted for an Oscar in 2012 for her half-hour film when you find me. She also produced the Sony Classics film Restless.
The full trailer’s arrived for the sequel Now You See Me 2 starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Lizzy Caplan (subbing in for the then-pregnant Isla Fisher) and Daniel Radcliffe. Other returning cast members include Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo, Oscar winner Michael Caine, and Oscar winner Morgan Freeman. Jon M. Chu (Jem and the Holograms) directed from a script by Now You See Me‘s Ed Solomon, with Lionsgate targeting a June 10, 2016 theatrical release.
Now You See Me was released on May 31, 2013 and became a sleeper hit, grossing more than $351 million internationally before exiting theaters. The first film was directed by Louis Leterrier (The Brothers Grimsby) and while audiences forked over cash to make it into a box office hit, critics were split (it currently sits at 50% on RottenTomatoes) on whether it was worth the price of a ticket.
The Plot: THE FOUR HORSEMEN [Eisenberg, Harrelson, Franco, Caplan] return for a second mind-bending adventure, elevating the limits of stage illusion to new heights and taking them around the globe. One year after outwitting the FBI and winning the public’s adulation with their Robin Hood-style magic spectacles, the illusionists resurface for a comeback performance in hopes of exposing the unethical practices of a tech magnate. The man behind their vanishing act is none other than WALTER MABRY [Radcliffe], a tech prodigy who threatens the Horsemen into pulling off their most impossible heist yet. Their only hope is to perform one last unprecedented stunt to clear their names and reveal the mastermind behind it all.
CBS has announced the upcoming season and/or series finale dates for its current primetime roster as well as details on primetime specials scheduled to air before the current season ends. Among the series that will be coming to an end are The Good Wife starring Julianna Margulies and Mike & Molly with Melissa McCarthy. On May 8, 2016, The Good Wife will come to an end after the season finale of Madam Secretary and before the season finale of Elementary. Mike & Molly kicks off its final run of new episodes beginning April 25th at 8pm ET/PT and will wrap up its last season on May 16th with a special one-hour episode.
Season five of CBS’s Person of Interest will premiere on May 3rd at 10pm ET/PT. The series will air twice a week on Mondays and Tuesdays, finishing up its fifth season on June 21st. The Odd Couple will also air twice a week starting with May 2nd at 9:30pm ET/PT. The reality series Undercover Boss returns to uncover more secrets on May 15th at 9pm ET/PT, and The Price is Right will air three one-hour reality show-themed specials on May 23, May 24, and May 25.
CBS Season Premiere and Finale Dates:
Thursday, March 31
8:30-9:30 PM LIFE IN PIECES (One-Hour 1st Season Finale)
Monday, April 18
8:00-9:00 PM SUPERGIRL (1st Season Finale)
Monday, April 25
8:00-8:30 PM MIKE & MOLLY (Returns to the schedule in new time period)
9:00-10:00 PM SCORPION (2nd Season Finale)
Tuesday, April 26
10:00-11:00 PM LIMITLESS (1st Season Finale)
Monday, May 2
8:30-9:00 PM MIKE & MOLLY (First of three back-to-back episodes)
9:30-10:00 PM THE ODD COUPLE (New Time Period, in addition to Thursdays)
10:00-11:00 PM NCIS: LOS ANGELES (7th Season Finale)
Tuesday, May 3
10:00-11:00 PM PERSON OF INTEREST (5th Season Premiere)
Wednesday, May 4
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS (11th Season Finale)
Friday, May 6
10:00-11:00 PM BLUE BLOODS (6th Season Finale)
Sunday, May 8
8:00-9:00 PM MADAM SECRETARY (2nd Season Finale)
9:00-10:00 PM THE GOOD WIFE (Series Finale)
10:00-11:00 PM ELEMENTARY (4th Season Finale)
Monday, May 9
10:00-11:00 PM PERSON OF INTEREST (New Time Period, in addition to Tuesdays)
Thursday, May 12
8:00-8:30 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY (9th Season Finale)
9:30-10:00 PM 2 BROKE GIRLS (5th Season Finale)
Friday, May 13
8:00-9:00 PM THE AMAZING RACE (28th Edition Finale)
9:00-11:00 PM HAWAII FIVE-0 (Two-Hour 6th Season Finale)
Sunday, May 15
9:00-10:00 PM UNDERCOVER BOSS (Returns to schedule)
Monday, May 16
8:00-9:00 PM MIKE & MOLLY (One-Hour Series Finale)
Tuesday, May 17
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS (13th Season Finale)
9:00-10:00 PM NCIS: NEW ORLEANS (2nd Season Finale)
Wednesday, May 18
8:00-10:00 PM SURVIVOR (32nd Edition Finale)
10:00-11:00 PM SURVIVOR LIVE REUNION SHOW
Thursday, May 19
9:00-9:30 PM MOM (3rd Season Finale)
Friday, May 20
8:00-9:00 PM UNDERCOVER BOSS SPECIAL
Monday, May 23
8:00-9:00 PM THE PRICE IS RIGHT – SURVIVOR-THEMED PRIMETIME SPECIAL
9:00-10:00 PM THE ODD COUPLE (One-Hour 2nd Season Finale)
Tuesday, May 24
8:00-9:00 PM THE PRICE IS RIGHT – BIG BROTHER-THEMED PRIMETIME SPECIAL
Wednesday, May 25
8:00-9:00 PM THE PRICE IS RIGHT – THE AMAZING RACE-THEMED PRIMETIME SPECIAL
9:00-11:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS: BEYOND BORDERS (Two-Hour 1st Season Finale)
Sunday, May 29
8:00-9:00 PM UNDERCOVER BOSS (7th Season Finale)
Tuesday, June 21
10:00-11:00 PM PERSON OF INTEREST (5th Season Finale)
Thursday, June 23
10:00-11:00 PM RUSH HOUR (1st Season Finale)
TV Land is moving forward on a pilot order for Heathers based on the popular 1989 film starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. Jason Micallef (Butter) wrote the pilot script and Gary Lucchesi and Tom Rosenberg are on board as executive producers. Heathers marks TV Land’s first anthology series and, according to the announcement, will be set in the present day.
The Heathers Plot: Dating a murderous psychopath and figuring out what to wear to your best friend’s suicide are typical teen problems for Veronica Sawyer.
Heathers the movie was written by Daniel Waters (Vampire Academy, Hudson Hawk) and directed by Michael Lehmann (Californication, True Blood). Set in a high school, the group of mean girls featured in the cult comedy was known as the Heathers and were played by Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk, and Kim Walker. In the TV series, Veronica (played by Winona Ryder in the film), will be taking on a “very different but equally vicious group of Heathers.” There’s no word yet on who will play Veronica in the series or who will co-stars as any of the Heathers.
Heathers won an Independent Spirit award as Best First Feature for director Lehmann and producer Denise Di Novi. It was also nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 1989 Sundance Film Festival. The film only grossed $1.1 million domestically during its theatrical run but went on to be a bestseller on DVD. It’s considered to be one of the best high school films in Hollywood history.
The Jury Award winners have been announced for the 2016 SXSW Film Festival, with director Adam Pinney’s The Arbalest starring Mike Brune and Tallie Medel named the narrative feature film Grand Jury Winner. Writer/director Josh Locy’s Hunter Gatherer star Andre Royo was awarded the Special Jury Recognition for Best Actor award, and Lily Rabe from co-writer/director Julia Hart’s Miss Stevens was named the Special Jury Recognition for Best Actress award winner.
In the documentary feature competition it was director Keith Maitland’s Tower, an in-depth examination of America’s first mass school shooting, that earned the Grand Jury Winner award. Director Matt Ornstein’s Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America was selected as the Special Jury Recognition for Portrait Documentary winner. The Special Jury Recognition for Cinematography honor went to cinematographer Lee Daniel for director Laura Dunn’s The Seer.
The following winners were also announced in the Short Film Jury Awards categories:
NARRATIVE SHORTS
Jury Award Winner: How Was Your Day?
Director: Damien O’Donnell
Special Jury Recognition for Acting: Jim Cummings
Film: Thunder Road
Special Jury Recognition for Writing: Jocelyn DeBoer & Dawn Luebbe
Film: Greener Grass
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
Jury Award Winner: These C*cksucking Tears
Director: Dan Taberski
Special Jury Recognition: Dollhouse
Director: Terri Timely
MIDNIGHT SHORTS
Jury Award Winner: MANOMAN
Director: Simon Cartwright
Special Jury Recognition: Don’t tell Mom
Director: Sawako Kabuki
