Geena Davis at the ‘Suffragette’ premiere (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images for BFI)
Oscar winner Geena Davis has signed on to a starring role in the upcoming The Exorcist series. The horror/drama is inspired by William Peter Blatty’s bestselling novel which spawned one of the scariest horror film’s in Hollywood history. According to Fox, Davis will be playing a character named Angela Rance and the network provided this description of her character: “Naturally beautiful, regal and proud but weighed down by stress, Angela Rance does everything she can to stay positive and keep her faith even though her family is currently struggling. She can’t help but think, however, if perhaps her nightmares about a demon are a sign of what’s wrong.”
Jeremy Slater (2015’s Fantastic Four) wrote the pilot and Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) is directing. Slater and Wyatt are also executive producing along with Rolin Jones, James Robinson, David Robinson and Barbara Wall.
Davis won an Academy Award for her supporting performance in The Accidental Tourist and she was also nominated for an Oscar for playing Thelma in Thelma and Louise. Her television credits include Grey’s Anatomy, Coma, Commander in Chief, The Geena Davis Show, Family Ties, and Buffalo Bill.
The Exorcist Series Plot: A modern reinvention inspired by William Blatty’s original 1971 book, The Exorcist is a propulsive, serialized psychological thriller following two very different men tackling one family’s case of horrifying demonic possession, and confronting the face of true evil.
Jimmy Kimmel will host the 2016 Emmy Awards (Photo by Randy Holmes / ABC)
ABC confirmed Jimmy Kimmel will be returning to the Emmys as the host of the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards. Kimmel will once again take on the hosting duties after handling the gig back in 2012 at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards. This year’s Emmys will be held on Sunday, September 18th and will air live on ABC from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles beginning at 5pm PT/8pm ET.
Announcing Kimmel as host, ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey said, “Jimmy Kimmel is the consummate showman. With Kimmel at the helm, expect to be at the edge of your seat for a bigger, bolder, and better-than-ever Emmy event.”
And Kimmel added, “I am excited to be hosting the Emmys again. I have a feeling I’m going to be great.”
Nominees for the 2016 Emmy Awards will be announced on the morning of Thursday, July 14th, according to the Television Academy. The Academy also revealed the Creative Arts Emmy Awards have been set for Saturday and Sunday, September 10th and 11th. Bob Bain will executive produce the awards.
Kimmel’s been hosting and executive producing Jimmy Kimmel Live for 14 seasons, making it ABC’s longest running late night talk show. Kimmel’s show has picked up five Emmy nominations including nominations in the Outstanding Variety Series Talk category.
Alexander Ludwig in ‘Vikings’ season four episode 2. (Photo Courtesy of History)
History’s Vikings season four is underway with Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) still attempting to regain his health, Floki (Gustaf Skarsgard) on the outs, and Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig) striking out on a vision quest. Bjorn’s journey takes him away from the rest of the Vikings as he attempts to discover more about himself and what he’s capable of becoming. Season four’s third episode even found Ludwig as Bjorn doing battle with a bear, although as he explained in our conference call the bear in Vikings was real and not a CG creation like the bear in The Revenant.
Vikings season four is currently airing on Thursday nights at 10pm.
Alexander Ludwig Interview:
What does Bjorn have to learn before he can become a leader as strong as his father?
Alexander Ludwig: “I think the main part of this whole season for me is Bjorn basically learning to trust his instincts and that power corrupts. As much as he can trust everyone, the most important thing is that he trusts himself and this whole season is kind of about him learning to do that and learning to take more control.”
Do you think his father is hard on him to make him better because he wants to make him a better leader or because he fears that Bjorn might become too strong?
Alexander Ludwig: “I think it’s the first one. My father is like that as well. You’ve just got to be a bit hard on your children and that’s kind of what he’s done as he’s been trying to harden them up because he didn’t have to work as hard as his father did at the start. He was kind of thrown into this more lavish lifestyle than he was. Ragnar was a father whereas Bjorn grew up but his father had become a king when he was still a younger man, so it’s definitely about him growing up.”
Can you talk a bit about the crazy bear fight? How much of it was CGI and what was the most challenging part about the whole filming process?
Alexander Ludwig: “I think the most challenging part was definitely the conditions. The weather was pretty rough and pretty cold. But in terms of the bear, most of it is real. We don’t have a budget like The Revenant so we can’t make a CGI bear. So, in a really exciting way, we got to use a real one and it was a very, very incredible experience to work with such a beautiful and amazing animal.”
What’s the future for Bjorn and Porunn going forward this season? There’s a heartbreaking scene at the beginning with Bjorn kind of shunning his daughter. Is he going to change his attitude?
Alexander Ludwig: “Yes. The idea behind that was that it’s put on very subtly is that Vikings lost their children a lot and I think that Bjorn, when he sees his daughter for the first time since Porunn has left and abandoned him and his daughter, it’s just a constant reminder of how hurt he was. So, yes, I do actually. I think that you’re going to see a darker side to Bjorn as the season continues. He slowly starts to become hardened by life’s cruel circumstances and also becomes selfish by doing that.”
We’ve seen obviously the contentious relationship between Ragnar and Rollo. Is that something that Bjorn is also going to experience with his own brothers? Right now they seem to all be fairly close.
Alexander Ludwig: “That’s one thing that I try never to forget is that Bjorn actually has no allegiance to his brothers in terms of bloodline. I mean, everyone shared the same father but Lagertha is Bjorn’s mother and everyone else is born under Princess Aslaug so that’s definitely going to play. And, of course, when they’re young they’re not threatening so at the start I don’t think you’re going to see that but you’re definitely going to see that as the season continues. You’ll see certain brothers side with certain ones and others do not and it gets very, very intense.”
Porunn is gone but there seems to be a new woman in Bjorn’s life. How is Bjorn’s relationship with Torvi? Is there a romance brewing there?
Alexander Ludwig: “It’s kind of a power play at the start for Bjorn. It’s him kind of just taking what he wants and what’s his. That’s something you’ll see more in this season as well is that he becomes more ruthless as a character and he takes what he wants and doesn’t think twice about it. So at the beginning it’s a bit of a power play and I wouldn’t say it goes much further than purely a sexual attraction. These Vikings had so many partners and whatnot. I mean, it definitely goes into something. He ends up he possibly has a family but he’s gone for so long and he’s away for so long, you’re going to see quite a few different romances in this season and it’s going to get pretty ruthless of him.”
It seems to be a bold choice especially because Erlendur is not a friend of Bjorn already.
Alexander Ludwig: “That’s kind of what the thought behind it was, it’s kind of putting him in his place like, ‘I can take anything from you. I could take your life, I could take your wife,’ and he starts with his wife and maybe we’ll see something else after.”
What do you think has been the biggest challenge you’ve encountered since the show began?
Alexander Ludwig: “Well, I’d say on the show it’s got to be the weather here is just unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like it when you’re coming on the boats and working in these brutal conditions, especially right now that we’ve never experienced having shows in the winter. It’s got immense repercussions to our show but the funny thing about the weather is just it looks so great that you kind of find solace in the fact that the show is going to look awesome. But it’s definitely been a brutal shoot towards the end, so that would be one of the toughest. I think the second one would be just as you grow and understand why I think the TV show has been so amazing for me in particular is the more camera time you have, the more experience you have in front of the cameras working with great actors and whatnot, you learn so much. It has its own challenges and it’s an immense reward so that’s been an amazing, amazing thing for me.”
Have you ever been seriously injured while on the set?
Alexander Ludwig: “Surprisingly, no. There definitely were a few times where I should’ve been but no, never anything to be hospitalized or anything like that.”
Alexander Ludwig faces a bear in ‘Vikings’ season four (Photo Credit: Steve Wilke)
How do you see Bjorn’s spiritual growth unfolding especially in reference to the bear fight, the struggles going on between Floki and traditional Vikings faith, and Ragnar and his turn toward modern Christianity?
Alexander Ludwig: “I think Ragnar, he’s always been the curious type whereas Floki has been more of the fundamental extremist. And Bjorn, as he struggles to find his place and has his own opinions and beliefs, his trek in the woods serves as a foil for that. I would say that he definitely believes in the gods, he appreciates the power that they have over their people and Floki’s belief, but at the same time, he shares his father’s curiosity.”
What do you think about the strong female characters that are in Vikings and interacting with them?
Alexander Ludwig: “In terms of the female leads, I mean, it’s about time we started to see more of that. I mean, it’s everywhere in our everyday life and what I think is so amazing is that historically the Vikings were so progressive in terms of respecting their women. They had their own saying. They were just as equal if not better than [men] in some senses. So, I think it’s an amazing thing and I think that the women we have on the show are doing an excellent job portraying it. I’m really happy to see what a great female following there’s been and I hope it continues because it’s not what I expected. I think it’s so sexy and cool when a girl comes up and says that she’s watching the show. I mean, I love that.”
Do you have a favorite scene from this season?
Alexander Ludwig: “Yes, I really did take a lot of pride in that Rollo scene that we did in the second episode where I address everybody for the first time as the leader while Ragnar’s kind of incapacitated. But a lot of the stuff that I’m really excited for everybody to see, and I mean like beyond excited than anything I’ve ever done in Vikings, comes from about episode 15 and onward. You’re going to see a pretty crazy event and Bjorn’s going to do some pretty amazing things.”
How isolated were you in preparing for your vision quest scenes? Were you pulled away from the cast or did the cast know what was going to go on?
Alexander Ludwig: “I’m telling you I was so excited it was ridiculous. The cast never saw anything that we had done so that’s why they were so excited to see the episodes. They were so jealous that I got to go do it. We’re basically in the middle of nowhere and we have to take snow mobiles to the set. And just for me personally, I thought it was one of the most beautiful and spiritually awakening experiences I’ve ever had. It’s something that I think the show needed to…you just can’t fake that stuff. You know when it’s real when you’re watching the show and it’s important to set up an environment. So, I’m really happy that the studio and everybody took the risk and did it because it was definitely worth it.”
Is the quest to prove something to himself or to prove something to Ragnar?
Alexander Ludwig: “He said to his father in the first episode that it’s because, ‘You don’t think I can survive.’ And of course if most sons – well, it’s my view that most sons go to make their father proud in a subconscious way or just any other way, but for Bjorn, I think it’s more for him. He needs to do this. He needs to get away and he needs everyone to see that he’s become his own [man]. He’s testing himself because he doesn’t even know if he can do it. He needs to prove to himself that he’s not in a position he’s in because of his father. He’s there because he deserves to be there. He deserves to be a leader.”
In the first episode this season we saw Bjorn studying a map taken from Paris and he got a glimpse of Italy and Rome on the map. Is that possibly foreshadowing Bjorn’s own future conquest?
Alexander Ludwig: “100%, yes and that’s something we’ve known about since the beginning, the beginning of the show. So, it’s a very, very cool little addition and I’m really excited for you guys to see where it goes.”
You’re filming in Ireland. Can you tell us a little bit about what it’s like to film there and what you’re able to do during your off-time?
Alexander Ludwig: “Yes, I always think it’s important to never let your work justify your life but the thing is I love what I do so much – and it’s hard not to. But when I’m not working, I’ve been taking music production classes in Dublin and I’ve also been getting my pilot’s license in Wicklow. So, it’s very exciting up until now though because the weather’s been so bad. I can’t go. I can’t continue [but] hopefully we end up coming back next year.”
Are we going to see a reunion Bjorn and Lagertha reunion this season? What does he think about her assuming this position of power?
Alexander Ludwig: “You will see a reunion and he’s all about Lagertha achieving her own dreams. They’ve always had such a strong bond that he’s just excited for her when she’s achieving her goals. I think that Bjorn’s learned so much from her as well. You’re also going to see actually a cool little change as well that they start becoming more companions than just – she’s become as much of a parental figure as a companion to him now, which is a really cool shift in the relationship.”
She wanted to rely on Ragnar to help her keep her position and he wasn’t really going to participate in that. Is Bjorn going to step up more and have her back?
Alexander Ludwig: “Yes, but at the end of the day it’s what’s best for the people and that was the point is that it wasn’t about defending her Earldom at that time because there are more important things to think about. And as the show continues that will be addressed in this season in a very, very big way. And, yes, he does protect her.”
Bjorn and Floki always shared a special bond and they even had similar concerns with Athelstan and Ragnar. What changed? What made him imprison Floki in front of the whole village?
Alexander Ludwig: “Well, it’s what had to be done. At the end of the day Bjorn had to do what’s right about his people and if somebody betrays the wishes of his father who is the king, they need to be dealt with no matter who it is. It’s not easy for Bjorn to do. He puts on a front. He does his best to show everyone that this is what has to be done, but it’s not an easy feat for him at all.”
Do you think Ragnar’s womanizing had any effect on Bjorn’s past relationships and how he treats women this season or does he continue to kind of hold the bar high for how he should treat women?
Alexander Ludwig: “I think it’s a mix of both, really, but I will say that you will see that Ragnar’s personality has definitely kind of made its way into Bjorn. It’s like father, like son, that somehow I worked a lot on with Travis just to show that. But also I think it’s so important to remember it’s something – and I always have to remind myself – that of course you’re caught womanizing or whatever but at the end of the day, back then in their culture it wasn’t seen as that. I mean, of course with Lagertha and Ragnar, they had their own rules that they lived by; that was just between them. There are other Vikings who have gone out, they could do that and that will be fine. That’s a very cool thing to remember. Another thing that I always try to remind myself on set is in battles. If you kill somebody, it’s easy. So you want to play how we’ve grown up in this [world of], ‘Oh my god, I killed someone. How is this going to affect me?’ but at the end of the day they wanted that. That’s why they were so terrifying is that they wanted a good death. They were excited to go to battle. That’s why they were so feared, so that’s something I would always try to remind myself is when you put yourself in that world… And that’s what is so exciting to play is because you kind of get to live by all the rules, you can’t not [obey].”
Michael Cudlitz, Ross Marquand, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan, Christian Serratos, Andrew Lincoln, Danai Gurira, Norman Reedus, and Seth Gilliam in ‘The Walking Dead’ (Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC)
“Rick, what is it?” asks Carol (Melissa McBride). “We’re going to have to fight,” replies Rick (Andrew Lincoln) who has just returned from Hilltop and has asked everyone to gather in the church in the beginning of episode 12 of season six of AMC’s horror/drama series The Walking Dead.
Rick hosts the town hall meeting in the church to bring everyone up to speed about what was negotiated and agreed to by Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Gregory (Xander Berkeley) back at Hilltop. Rick goes on to tell everyone that it’s only a matter of time before Negan and his ‘Saviors’ would have found Alexandria. He’s convinced that by showing up and doing a sneak attack, they will have the upper-hand and can win. Rick asks for everyone’s input and if they have any reservations or ideas, now is the time to voice them. Of course it’s Morgan (Lennie James) who has an objection to the plan and suggests instead to give Negan and his group a choice to leave and live. Rick, however, is adamant and says announcing their presence takes away the one crucial element they have in their favor: surprise. With no one else backing Morgan, Rick goes off to tell the plan to those on guard duty who couldn’t attend the meeting.
That night, Maggie tells Glenn (Steven Yeun) that since she negotiated the plan she has to go but she’ll guard the perimeter which is safer. Not looking happy about it but knowing his wife’s mind is made up, Glenn doesn’t argue. Meanwhile, Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) packs up and moves out of the house he was living in with Rosita (Christian Serratos). He tells her as he leaves that when he met her he thought she was the last woman on earth but she’s not, which leaves her in tears, devastated.
Carol can’t sleep so she goes for a walk and finds herself over at Tobin’s place. She sits next to him on the porch and as the two talk about the killer raid tomorrow, Tobin (Jason Douglas) admits to Carol how some of the things she does terrifies him. She asks him why he thinks she can do those things and he answers because she’s a mother and how she’s a mother to almost everyone in the town. She asks if that’s what she is to him and Tobin tells Carol that’s not how he views her. She’s something else to him and they both lean in and kiss.
There are more awkward and sweet goodbyes as Denise (Merritt Wever) walks in on Tara (Alanna Masterson) unexpectedly and Tara quickly tells her that she loves her. Tara tells Denise she doesn’t have to say it back to her but she wanted her to know. Denise tells her she’ll say it to her when she comes back from the raid.
Hilltopper Andy draws a rough map of Negan’s compound and says there’s no way to get in through the doors without waking everyone up. But Rick has a plan and reminds Andy that Negan wanted the head of Gregory so that’s exactly what they will do.
The next morning Rick takes his raider unit out looking for walker. He wants to find one who has a face that looks like Gregory’s so they can use the head to get the Saviors to open the doors. Rosita talks to Carol about Morgan’s behavior in the church, obviously still bothered by how he kept a Wolf alive a few months ago. Carol tells Rosita that Morgan just doesn’t want to kill people and to leave it alone. Carol then talks to Rick about Maggie being with them on the raid. She tells him she’s going to stay behind with Maggie to guard the perimeter, but it’s obvious she wants to look out for the expectant mother and keep her safe.
Glenn and Heath (Corey Hawkins) are the ones who find and kill a walker whose head they can use to look like Gregory’s. Heath tells Glenn he’s never actually killed a living person before and Glenn admits he’s been lucky and hasn’t had to either. Heath asks him if he’s nervous about the raid and Glenn admits that he is because no matter how horrible things have gotten and the nightmares he’s experienced, killing a living, breathing person has got to be much worse than that. The group decide on the best walker head and Rick breaks its nose so it looks a little more like Gregory. That freaks Andy out but Jesus (Tom Payne) has no problem with Rick’s ruthlessness.
After midnight, Andy drives up to the Saviors’ compound and delivers the fake head of Gregory to the two guards. They’re fooled and one goes inside the compound to retrieve the Hilltopper they’ve been holding prisoner. That’s when Daryl (Norman Reedus) slits the throat of the guard left outside. Rick and his group quickly take away the dead body and go back to hiding, leaving Andy in place. He waits for the guard to return with his fellow Hilltopper, and as soon as the guard appears Michonne (Danai Gurira) kills him. Andy takes his friend back to the car while Rick and his strike force go inside the compound.
Christian Serratos in ‘The Walking Dead’ Season 6, Episode 11 (Photo by Gene Page/AMC)
The gang split up once inside, going through the compound as quietly as possible. Their mission is to kill everyone inside and find the arsenal. Glenn and Heath struggle when they come across two sleeping Saviors. Struggling with never having murdered a human being before, Glenn rises to the occasion and not only kills one sleeping guard but let’s Heath off the hook and kills the second snoozing man so that Heath doesn’t have to go through what Glenn just did.
The silent, deadly, murder-filled night is going well for Rick and his group until one Savior sets off the fire alarm before dying. The whole compound is now awake and guns are blazing from both groups. Rick, Daryl, and Michonne are extremely successful in gunning down a whole group of charging guards while Aaron (Ross Marquand) takes on a very large Savior. Andy wins the fight, stabbing the man to death.
Back at the perimeter, Maggie and Carol are arguing. They hear the alarm and Maggie wants to go help the group but Carol insists they stay put. Carol yells at Maggie, telling her she shouldn’t be there in the first place. Jesus and the other two Hilltoppers are still safe outside, and Tara tells Jesus to take Andy and his friend back to Hilltop so their deal will be complete. But Jesus has other plans and tells Andy to take his friend back on his own and that he’s going to head into the compound (unseen) to help. Tara then shoots and kills two Saviors who are making a run for it.
The bloodshed continues with Glenn and Heath running for a door they believe to be the entrance to the armory while being chased by a small group of well-armed Saviors. They crash through the door, close it behind them, and luck is in fact on their side; they have discovered the armory. They pick up heavy-duty loaded machine guns and fire through the closed door, hoping to stop the Saviors from reaching them. Silence follows as they’ve emptied their weapons. Glenn carefully opens the door to find the dead and dying bodies of the Saviors who were chasing them lying in large pools of blood. One of the Saviors is not dead and points his gun at Glenn. Before he can fire, the Savior is shot dead by Jesus who’s standing back in the hall.
After a night of fighting, Rick and his group check the compound in the light of the morning. Just outside the doors, the Alexandria gang start to calm down and take a breath after such a chaotic and bloody night. Tara and Heath head out on a two-week supply run while Michonne asks out loud to Rick, “I wonder which one was Negan?” Just then a Savior appears on a motorcycle making a break for it and is shot by Rosita. Daryl runs over and tackles the rising Savior to the ground and yells at him, asking where he got the motorcycle. Rick points his big revolver at the man’s head when the Savior’s radio starts to crackle with sound. A female voice says for him and everyone else to lower their weapons. Rick tells her to come out and they can talk. She responds by saying she’s not coming out but he’ll want to talk all right because she is with a Maggie and a Carol.
The Walking Dead Season 6 Episode 12 Review:
With a slow and reflective start, episode 12 titled “Not Tomorrow Yet” kicks into a tense, suspenseful, and bloody firefight that matches the intensity of the gunfight between Rick’s group and the Governor’s people back in season four. It’s a brutal, emotional, and fierce battle that’s paced perfectly and shot and edited extremely well.
There are two stand-out performances in this episode, with the first once again delivered by Steven Yeun as Glenn. This episode marks the first time his character had to take another human life as up until now Glenn has only ever killed walkers. The scene where he and Heath discuss the upcoming death raid (which is what this episode should have really been titled) is a powerful one, with Yeun as Glenn subtly conveying his concern about how much more horrible it must be killing a person than anything he has experienced so far. (REALLY?! This reviewer and critic thinks Glenn witnessing Noah being torn apart and eaten alive right across from him when he was stuck in the revolving door should top the list.) The most emotional and dramatic scene in the entire episode is where Yeun as Glenn holds back and bottles his emotions as he silently kills a sleeping Savior and then seeing Heath struggling with trying to kill the other sleeping man Glenn steps up and kills that man as well. Even with everything he’s feeling at that moment, Glenn not only does his job but saves Heath from having to experience what he just went through. It’s another stellar performance by Yeun who has easily become a fan favorite and the moral compass for the group. (Uh-oh…you know what that usually means!)
The other stand-out performance is given by Alanna Masterson as Tara. This is also Tara’s first time killing a human being and the whole build-up to the raid brings back memories of when the Governor, her sister, and her group attacked Rick’s people at the prison. It’s clear she’s on board and trusts Rick to a certain degree but mostly trusts Glenn and Maggie and wants to do her part to help protect the group and Denise. The scene in which she confesses to Father Gabriel that when she told Denise she loved her she was really covering up that going on the killer raid was bothering her because she had done something like it before is touching and profound.
With Maggie and Carol as prisoners to some of Negan’s followers – one who, by the way, is being portrayed by actress Alicia Witt – here’s hoping Rick, Glenn, Daryl, and the others can figure out a way to save them both. But, knowing this show, it wouldn’t be that shocking if in next week’s episode the audience sees the death of a major cast member. Let’s hope not!
Josh Dallas, Sean Maguire, Jennifer Morrison, Jared Gilmore, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Lana Parrilla in ‘Once Upon a Time’ episode 100 (Photo by Jack Rowand/ABC)
ABC’s Once Upon a Time finally returned after its season five midseason break with the show’s 100th episode titled ‘Souls of the Departed,’ airing on March 6, 2016. Oncers were left to worry about the fate of fan favorite Hook after season five episode 11, and episode 12 found Emma and the Storybrooke gang journeying to the Underworld to try and bring him back. The episode featured the return of familiar characters, many of whom had been leaked prior to the show’s midseason premiere but one in particular took fans completely by surprise. Episode 12 was an emotional roller-coaster, setting up the remainder of the season and introducing a new big bad who’ll be taking on our heroes and trying to thwart their mission in the Underworld.
Once Upon a Time Season 5 Episode 12 Recap:
Emma (Jennifer Morrison) wakes up in her VW Bug with Neal (a welcome reappearance by Michael Raymond-James!) in the back seat. She asks if she’s dreaming and he says she’s not. “Think of this as a long distance call from an old friend,” says Neal. He wants to know how Henry’s doing and she tells him Henry’s fine, asking if this visit from means she’s made it to the Underworld. No, she’s not there yet he explains and warns her not to go because it’s hard to get out of, telling her it won’t end how she thinks it will. Neal says he’s not in the Underworld because he doesn’t have unfinished business and that he’s someplace where he’s happy. But, he adds, Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) is definitely in the Underworld. She says she has to try to save Hook, and Neal says he loves her – always has, always will. Awwww!
Emma wakes up again and this time she’s with her mom, dad, Regina (Lana Parrilla), Henry (Jared Gilmore), Robin (Sean Maguire), and Gold (Robert Carlyle). They emerge through a fog to a desolate, destroyed version of Storybrooke that’s actually the Underworld, with Gold explaining that everyone there is dead and trapped because they have unfinished business. Just then Emma sees Cruella drive by.
Back in time, it’s the Evil Queen’s birthday and she’s in the forest searching for Snow White. She meets with some of her subjects and one brave young woman presents her with a blueberry pie. Silly girl, doesn’t she know the Evil Queen prefers apple? Queen Regina tells them the only present she wants is Snow White’s heart on a plate. One of the villagers says he knows where Snow is and Regina demands the information. That’s when Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) shows up with the dwarves and Prince Charming (Josh Dallas), and the Evil Queen leaves, telling her she’s lucky it’s her birthday and she’s feeling benevolent.
Back at her castle, Queen Regina vows she’ll never give up until she has Snow White’s heart. And in comes yet another character we’ve missed for seasons… Regina’s dad, Prince Henry (Tony Perez), tells her that Cora will always have a hold over her as long as she’s on such a vengeful quest.
In the Underworld, the same villager who told the Evil Queen he knew Snow White’s location tells Cora (Barbara Hershey) Regina is now in the Underworld. Snow walks into the diner and asks the blind witch (Emma Caulfield) behind the counter about Hook. In strides David, roughly kissing Mary Margaret – only he’s not David, he’s James, David’s twin brother! He sends a message to David through Mary Margaret that there’s a new sheriff in town. Emma and Gold arrive and Gold assures them all Hook is definitely there because he died a Dark One. And in walks Henry with a key to Room 8. Henry’s been looking for his dad and Emma tells him Neal’s in a better place but doesn’t say how she came about that bit of information.
Out on the street, Robin and Regina spot the guy from the forest who has apparently been stalking her. He tells Regina someone wants to see her.
Back in time, Queen Regina is counting the reasons she hates Snow White. Prince Henry turns to Sidney Glass (Giancarlo Esposito) in the Magic Mirror and tells him he must do something about his daughter. He asks for Sidney to summon “her” and, wisely, Sidney is definitely not into calling her forth but reluctantly does so anyway. Cora shows up in the mirror and says Regina won’t be happy until she crushes Snow White’s heart, so they must help her do so. Cora steps through the mirror after Regina’s dad leaves, saying Regina needs her help.
In the Underworld, Cora and Regina hug. Cora says she wants Regina be happy and Regina says in order to be happy she has to find Hook so they can leave. Cora tells Regina she has to do what’s best for her, and if she won’t do it for herself, she’ll do it for her daughter. Cora warns her to take Henry and “her thief” and leave immediately. Regina asks what would happen if she stayed, and Cora says she’d have to do what’s best for her child. She takes Regina to a pit of fire and says if Regina doesn’t return to Storybrooke, she’ll send someone she loves into the flames. “Go home or there will be a cost. Someone will suffer,” warns Cora. “Who?” asks Regina. “Your father,” replies Cora.
At his shop, Gold sees the tea cup with a chip and the spinning wheel which is spinning on its own. In a flashback, Gold explains why he has to go to the Underworld to Belle. Returning to now, Gold walks through his shop and opens a safe on the wall. Just then in pops Peter Pan (Robbie Kay), taking Gold by surprise. “Oh, come on, son! Don’t be like that. Aren’t you glad to see your dear old father?” asks Peter. Peter tells Gold to keep looking around the shop for what it is he needs, but in the Underworld this is Peter’s shop. Peter offers Gold what he’s looking for, saying there are no strings attached. Peter misses the world and Gold tells him he can’t go back. Peter says he can if he trades places with a living soul and maybe one of Gold’s party won’t make the trip back and Peter will take his place.
Regina tells Mary Margaret, David, Henry, and Emma that Cora has threatened to throw her father into the fire if she doesn’t leave. David says they won’t leave until they find Hook, but Emma thinks Regina and Henry should go because she’s worried about their safety. Gold shows up with a potion that when poured over Hook’s grave, will raise Hook long enough so that he can tell them where he is. Gold gives the potion to Emma and leaves, saying he’s not staying in this world any longer than he has to.
Back in time, Regina’s dad meets with Snow White, telling her the war cannot continue, but both Prince Henry and Snow have been tricked! Cora grabs Snow’s heart and Regina’s father begs Cora not to take it away. Cora doesn’t listen, sending Snow away under a spell that will keep her from remembering what happened.
Josh Dallas and Jennifer Morrison in ‘Once Upon a Time’ (Photo by Jack Rowand/ABC)
At the graveyard, Emma and the gang find Killian Jones’ marker and pour the potion over it. An image of Hook appears but it flickers in and out. He can’t hear Emma and he’s obviously in poor shape. Hook’s suffering and they only have half an hour to retrieve him before the boat sets sail. Emma wants them to leave but her parents won’t. Still, Emma insists Regina and Henry have to leave or else her Regina’s dad will suffer.
Back in time, Queen Regina is pissed and hates her birthday cake and presents. In walks her mom and Regina wants to know how she got out of Wonderland. Cora presents Regina with Snow White’s beating heart. “Crush it and she dies at last,” says Cora. Regina doesn’t believe her and Cora demands the Magic Mirror. Cora asks Sidney to show them Snow White and they see her, along with Robin and the dwarves, toasting the Queen. Regina grips Snow’s heart and in the mirror Snow suffers but it’s not Regina’s action; it’s from Jiminy Cricket emerging from inside her dress. Someone switched the heart and as Regina crushes it, a man in the castle falls dead.
Regina’s dad gave Snow back her heart, and Regina wants to know why he doesn’t want her to be happy. He dad warns her that if she killed Snow she’d be dark forever. Regina tells her dad he betrayed her and he says it doesn’t matter, Snow lives and Regina still has a shot at redemption. She grabs the box from him and uses her magic to make Prince Henry small, placing him in the box.
In Storybrooke, Regina pours the potion over her dad’s grave. He appears and they hug while he tells her he forgives her and that he loves her no matter what. Prince Henry says Cora’s using threats against him to make Regina leave but he wants her to stay. Regina doesn’t want to cause him more pain, but her dad says he wants her to spread hope and do the right thing. He won’t have died in vain if she stays and helps her friends.
Back in time, Cora wants to know where Prince Henry is. Regina tells her he’s in the box and Cora’s impressed with her daughter. Regina still doesn’t like her mother and in pops Sidney and the Magic Mirror, sending Cora back to Wonderland. The portal will seal once she’s gone, says Regina, and she’ll never be able to come back. Unfortunately, right before she goes through the portal, Cora snatches the box containing Prince Henry and takes it with her.
In the Underworld, Cora has Regina’s dad ready to toss into the flames. Regina says she didn’t come back just for her friends and she’s not leaving. Cora tosses Prince Henry into the flames, telling her one day she’ll understand. Regina is heartbroken, crying, but then her dad emerges from the flames unscathed. He doesn’t know what’s happening when suddenly he sees a pathway to a beautiful light! He’s risen from the Underworld and can now pass on to a much more peaceful place. His unfinished business is done, Regina’s free of Cora, and he’s a proud dad. Regina introduces him to her son, Henry, and Henry thanks his grandfather for believing in his mom like he does. Prince Henry thanks him back and tells him to take good care of her. Regina’s dad tells her he loves her and to never forget who she really is as he passes into the light.
Outside, Henry and Regina walk down the street, hugging, and meet up with the group. They figure out that every soul in the town has unfinished business and can be saved. Gold says they’re delusional and wants no part of it. Emma warns him that he has to help or else she’ll tell Belle he’s back to being the Dark One. Gold says their agreement was to find Hook and leave and if they get distracted, then he’s out of there. Gold walks away and Henry asks the group, “So, who’s ready for Operation Firebird?” Once Emma clears up that he’s talking about the mythological bird and not the muscle car, the gang heads off down the street. Regina’s all smiles as the clock ticks off one minute.
But, we haven’t seen the last of Cora. She steps into an elevator and descends. She steps out and sees Hades (Greg Germann) in the middle of a pedicure. He’s disappointed in Cora for not making Regina leave, telling her she completely failed at her mission. Every tick of the clock means a soul has left his domain. He brings up Zelena and reminds her she gave her up so she could claw herself out of her peasant life. He transforms Cora back into a ragged miller’s daughter because she failed at getting Regina to leave. He sends Cora away, looking smug as his hair comes alive with blue flames.
Souls of the Departed Review:
The real highlight of ‘Souls of the Departed’ was the unexpected appearance of Michael Raymond-James as Neal in a scene that reminded Oncers why we miss seeing Raymond-James on Sunday nights. There’s real chemistry between Jennifer Morrison as Emma and Colin O’Donoghue as Hook, but there’s also something special about scenes featuring Morrison and Raymond-James.
The return of Prince Henry provided some of episode 12’s most emotional scenes as he spoke of his undying love for his daughter and his unwavering belief that she’s a good person. The torch was officially passed from Prince Henry to Regina’s son Henry as Regina’s #1 cheerleader. The episode also finished up Prince Henry’s storyline which had been left dangling.
There wasn’t much movement on the Hook front, with barely a glimpse of Colin O’Donoghue in this episode. But despite the fact the gang is no closer to finding Killian, at least now they understand that everyone in the Underworld can be saved. And the introduction of Greg Germann as Hades was a fun little twist at the end of the episode, with Germann playing the character with a cool mixture of charm and evilness.
Season five’s 12th episode not only celebrated the show’s past by bringing back a handful of characters but also set the stage for the season’s second half. It appears the remainder of season five will involve the Storybrooke gang helping the current residents of the Underworld finish up their unfinished business. But, hopefully that doesn’t mean it will take more than few episodes for Hook to reunite with Emma and the Storybrooke crew as his presence is definitely missed.
Walt Disney Animation’s latest animated offering, Zootopia, took the top spot on the box office chart for the weekend of March 4-6, 2016. The fact it took the number one spot over its opening weekend came as no surprise, however the amount it rang up during its first weekend in domestic release was more than anticipated. Zootopia brought in $73.7 million over its first three days, making it the biggest grossing original animated release by Disney (not associated with Pixar). The animated animal film also set a record as the biggest March opening for an animated movie, pushing The Lorax and its $70 million into second place.
Coming in third on the weekend box office chart was Gerard Butler’s new action film, London Has Fallen – the sequel to Olympus Has Fallen. Butler’s Gods of Egypt tanked at the box office over the weekend of February 26-28th, but he had much better luck this weekend reprising his role as a Secret Service Agent in charge of protecting the U.S. President played by Aaron Eckhart. The weekend’s other new wide release was the comedy/drama Whiskey Tango Foxtrot starring Tina Fey which under-performed at $7.6 million.
Zootopia Plot: The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it’s a melting pot where animals from every environment live together—a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when rookie Officer Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn’t so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), to solve the mystery.
Tina Fey’s performance as a reluctant first-time war correspondent ill-equipped to handle life in Afghanistan is the reason to see Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. Fey delivers a performance that’s complex and restrained, and it’s easily her best work in a feature film to date. There are lighter moments in the script inspired by newspaper correspondent Kim Barker’s memoir, but surprisingly it’s in the film’s more dramatic scenes that Fey really shines.
The film’s inspired by Kim Barker’s experiences, however in the movie Fey’s character’s name is Kim Baker, most likely because there are significant changes made to Barker’s story. In the film version of Barker’s book, Baker is recruited by her network to go to Afghanistan to cover the war after all of the station’s normal reporters have moved on to the war in Iraq. Kim’s usual day at work consists of writing stories for pretty on-air personalities to read, but because she’s single she’s one of a handful of people asked to head out to the war zone.
After a short bit of self-contemplation, Kim volunteers for the dangerous assignment, leaving behind her boyfriend to tend to her plants and collect the mail. Once on foreign soil, Kim’s quickly overwhelmed and immediately realizes she’s out of her league. Fortunately, fellow correspondent Tanya (Margot Robbie) steps in and takes her under her gorgeous wing, spelling out the dos and don’ts of this world of hard-partying, sexually free journalists, interpreters, and bodyguards Kim’s now a part of.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot takes liberties with Barker’s memoir, inserting love interests and switching Barker’s job from print to television. However, the essence of Barker’s book is there, just sexed up to make it more appealing on screen. The film provides a look into the world of journalists embedded with the troops, but mostly explores what happens during reporters’ downtime. Hook-ups happen, getting drunk is used as a way to forget about the dangers of being in a foreign country during wartime, and the clash of cultures is occasionally played for laughs to lighten the tone.
Tina Fey leads the cast and is terrific as Kim Baker, but her co-stars aren’t exactly slouches. Margot Robbie is a scene-stealer as Kim’s closest friend in Afghanistan and Billy Bob Thornton redeems himself from the mess that was his last feature film appearance, Our Brand is Crisis, with an outstanding performance here as a cynical General who begrudgingly comes to genuinely care for Kim. Martin Freeman is fun to watch as he sinks his teeth into playing Kim’s war photographer boyfriend, a real lothario who surprises everyone – including himself – by falling for Kim. And although Hollywood should be well past the need to cast white actors in ethnic roles, Alfred Molina does a fine job playing an Afghan government official who desires more than just a working relationship with Kim.
WTF avoids making any political statements about the war, so if you’re hesitant to check it out because you don’t want another Hollywood film preaching to you about what America should or should not be doing, you can remove that element from your decision-making process. This is strictly a character-driven comedy/drama with very little action and no overt statements on the political reasoning behind being in Afghanistan. If anything, the film reminds us to not forget about our troops serving overseas even when they’re being ignored by the media.
GRADE: B-
MPAA Rating: R for pervasive language, some sexual content, drug use and violent war images
Grease Live!‘s Aaron Tveit and The Returned‘s Mary Elizabeth Winstead have begun work on the new CBS series, BrainDead. Filming on BrainDead is now underway in New York City with the network aiming for a summer 2016 premiere. The series is described as a comic thriller and was created by The Good Wife‘s Robert and Michelle King. The Kings also executive produce along with Ridley Scott, David W. Zucker, Brooke Kennedy and Liz Glotzer. Judy Smith is a co-executive producer on the CBS series.
In addition to Winstead and Tveit, the cast of BrainDead includes Danny Pino (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), Tony Shalhoub (Monk), Nikki M. James (The Good Wife), and Johnny Ray Gill (Rectify).
The Plot: Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars as Laurel, a young, fresh-faced Hill staffer whose first job in Washington, D.C. leads her to discover two things: The government has stopped working, and alien spawn have come to Earth and eaten the brains of a growing number of congressmen and Hill staffers. Aaron Tveit plays Gareth, a Republican operative whose wit is only trumped by his pragmatism. The Legislative Director to a top Republican senator, Gareth is smart, hard-working, and ultimately responsible for helping to save the world.
Bradley James stars in A&E’s ‘Damien’ (Photo by Ben Mark Holberg Copyright 2016)
Playing an iconic character who’s existed before is always daunting. Make that exponentially more daunting when the character is the Antichrist. Damien the TV series is a sequel to 1976’s The Omen. Bradley James stars in the A&E series as a 30-year-old Damien Thorn.
Damien has been working as a war photographer, but when a random woman pauses to tell him, “It’s all for you,” it launches a series of ominous events that reignite the troubles young Damien had. We interviewed James after Damien’s panel for the Television Critics Association. Damien premieres on Sunday, March 6, 2016 at 10pm ET/PT on A&E.
Bradley James Exclusive Interview:
Even ignoring the sequels to the movie, do you imagine Damien had a normal childhood?
Bradley James: “No, I don’t. I suppose part of that 25 years from that five-year-old boy to the star of our show, I guess a lot of that is explained. I think while there is not a direct awareness of being the Antichrist, I think there’s certainly an awareness that Damien’s life seems to be a lot more pain wrought as opposed to everybody else’s. I guess we don’t tend to know any better than our own experiences so he’s not been able to articulate the fact that it’s because he is the Antichrist.”
Has he been a good person this whole time? War photography may seem altruistically motivated.
Bradley James: “Altruism, that’s a very difficult concept to really take on board. I think if you’re doing something like war photography for the sake of helping others, it’s because you yourself get some gratification out of doing that so I’m not sure if anyone can really say that they were truly altruistic. I think that I wouldn’t say it’s as simple as him being a good person. I think there are moments where he certainly tries to be. I think that’s something that an audience will relate to. There’s moments where you actively have to try to be a good person.”
Where did you begin with the character of Damien?
Bradley James: “I started by, not ignoring, but putting to one side the label of Antichrist. Taking the character from the page and trying to just create the human embodiment of this weird and warped life that is being led by this poor guy. Just to get an understanding of his perception of it, we all have our own fears and there are things that we enjoy. It was a case of finding those with Damien. With Damien, those fears tend to manifest themselves quite often. Those moments of joy are seemingly few and far between. I guess it’s understanding that and seeing how that would affect a psyche.”
Is the American accent easy for you to do?
Bradley James: “I actually spent my youth growing up in America. So for a few years, I had this American accent. When I went back to England, I came back pretty much this American, long blonde-haired kind of surfer kid, who couldn’t surf very well, and had this American accent which I sort of I guess have had in my back pocket from an actor’s point of view ever since.”
Being a Brit, does it amuse you that we assume the Antichrist is American?
Bradley James: “I think it kind of makes sense, actually. He’s American on the face of it. He’s born in Rome. Who knows who his parents are. They certainly aren’t the Thorns. I think on the face of it, he’s more been introduced to the superpower of the world which is where, if you were trying to place your mole, your Antichrist, somewhere he would have influence, you would go for the superpower. I think that’s what makes it feasible for him to very much be American.”
So it’s destiny that he got adopted by the Thorns.
Bradley James: “There you go. It’s no coincidence perhaps that he was adopted by the ambassador to Italy for America at the time, as opposed to an Italian family who grew up in Rome.”
Bradley James stars in ‘Damien’ (Photo by Art Streiber)
What was your experience with Damien and The Omen before this part ever came your way?
Bradley James: “Watching the film when I was young and not old enough to understand what was going on. And then watching it again when this came up and pretty quickly understanding the legacy that it left and why it was so popular, because it’s a terrific film. I’ve since witnessed people’s reactions to it. They did quickly catch on to what you’re talking about. As soon as you mention Damien, people have a pretty clear idea of what you’re talking about. So it’s obviously made its mark as a story, a social conscious.”
Did you specifically avoid the sequels since the show does not address them?
Bradley James: “Yeah, as I say, I saw the first one and steered away just from Glen [Mazzara] explaining that we were creating our own backstory between the lines. And it made sense, because you don’t really want to see something and be influenced either consciously or subconsciously that might affect what otherwise would be an original kind of idea.”
When you actually shot the scene of the old woman saying, “Damien, it’s all for you,” how did it feel to receive those famous words?
Bradley James: “It was one of those great days where we were on a terrific location and there were lots of people around. There was chaos running around and then this moment of stillness amongst all this chaos. Finding stillness in chaos is quite a bracing feeling, I would say.”
Where does episode two pick up for Damien?
Bradley James: “I think it has Damien asking a lot of questions. Where would you go after a discovery like that? I think a lot of that sits heavily on Damien’s mind at the beginning of episode two.”
Glen said he wants the audience to sometimes root for Damien. What’s your relationship going to be with audience sympathies?
Bradley James: “I think the audience’s role becomes very much about asking questions of themselves. They will see Damien make decisions. They will make judgments on those decisions and from that I think they will be asking themselves, if they’re able to put themselves in the same situation, they’ll be asking themselves whether they are capable of making the decision they would perceive to be right or maybe their perception of what is right is actually wrong. I think there’s a lot of questions for the audience to ask themselves. I think the sympathy therefore lies in that, in understanding that it’s not just a simple ‘this is good, this is bad, I will choose the good route.’ It’s not quite as black and white as that.”
Do you seek out that sort of moral ambiguity in characters you play?
Bradley James: “I certainly think it’s very interesting. It’s very easy to sit on moral high ground these days. It’s sensationally easy. You’ve just got to fall along the lines of popular opinion, find out what that is. Find out who’s being loud about it and kind of agree. I think it’s very easy to promote yourself as a good person. The way I see it, I don’t particularly find it as interesting when you have someone who does project themselves in that way. I think one of the draws with Damien is the decisions he has to make maybe aren’t as straightforward. The world we live in today is very good at policing what is right and wrong or what society sees as right and wrong, but it’s not always as black and white as that.”
I don’t remember a time when Damien was not a scary name. Do you think it was ever scary before the movie immortalized it?
Bradley James: “I think The Omen has a lot to answer for for all those poor Damiens out there who are considered somewhat suspect. I think before The Omen there were plenty of Damiens walking around carefree, living life. Then all of a sudden this movie comes out and like, ‘Hey, why is everyone hating on me all of a sudden?’ Thanks, pop culture.”
Disney Junior has expanded their roster of original series, adding two animated shows to the channel’s lineup. The network announced production is now underway on Vampirina and Puppy Dog Tails, both obviously aimed at preschoolers. Disney Junior also confirmed two of their popular series, The Lion Guard and Goldie & Bear, have been renewed for season two.
Vampirinia comes from Doc McStuffins creator Chris Nee and Puppy Dog Tails comes from comedian Harland Williams. Both shows are expected to premiere sometime in 2017. The start of production and series renewal announcement was made by Disney Junior Worldwide Executive Vice President of Original Programming and General Manager Nancy Kanter. “Five years ago, we launched Disney Junior with the goal of providing inspired storytelling and aspirational characters that would resonate with our young audience and their parents and caregivers, while also introducing age appropriate social-emotional concepts and other key learnings relevant to kids age 2-7. Our programming has upheld these values and we are pleased to introduce two new series that are sure to do the same,” stated Kanter.
Details on Disney Jr’s Original Series, Courtesy of the Network:
Vampirina, inspired by Disney Publishing’s popular children’s book series Vampirina Ballerina, tells the story of a young vampire girl who faces the joys and trials of being the new kid in town when her family moves from Transylvania to Pennsylvania. Many of the key creative professionals behind Disney Junior’s Peabody Award-winning series Doc McStuffins are at the helm, including executive producer Chris Nee and co-executive producer Norton Virgien. Nicky Phelan (Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty) is directing the series, and the Academy Award-nominated animation studio Brown Bag Films is producing in association with Disney Junior.
Puppy Dog Tails, created by comedian and actor Harland Williams, centers on two fun-loving pug puppies, Bingo and Rolly, whose thrill-seeking appetites take them on daily adventures around their neighborhood and beyond. Williams also serves as consulting producer with Sean Coyle (The Awesomes, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse) as executive producer and Dean Batali (That ’70s Show) as story editor. The series is a production of Wild Canary in association with Disney Junior.
Disney Junior’s newest hit series The Lion Guard, continues the epic storytelling of The Lion King and follows the adventures of Kion, the second-born cub of Simba and Nala, and his diverse group of friends as they unite to protect the Pride Lands. The story of Kion and his friends was introduced in the animated television movie The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, which premiered on Disney Channel in November 2015 and became the #1 primetime cable TV telecast of 2015 among Kids 2-5.
Goldie & Bear, 2015′s #1 series across preschool networks, chronicles the adventures of best friends Goldie and Bear following the story of Goldilocks and The Three Bears. The series was developed for television and is co-executive produced by Jorge Aguirre (Giants Beware! graphic novel series); Chris Gilligan (Frankenweenie) is executive producer and director. Goldie & Bear is a production of Titmouse in association with Disney Junior.
