Season two of the HBO comedy series Togetherness premieres on February 21, 2016 at 10:30pm ET/PT with Mark Duplass, Melanie Lynskey, Amanda Peet, Steve Zissis and Abby Ryder Fortson in starring roles. Togetherness, created by Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass, and Steve Zissis, will also feature guest stars Peter Gallagher, John Ortiz, Joshua Leonard, Ginger Gonzaga, Emily Althaus, and Katie Aselton in its eight episode second season.
The Plot: After Brett and Michelle nearly reached their breaking points, the season one finale of Togetherness saw Michelle kissing David while Brett was driving to Sacramento to declare his commitment to her. Season two reveals how the evening played out. Meanwhile, Michelle pushes ahead with her charter school plans as Brett looks for artistic inspiration. Following his big acting break, Alex returns from New Orleans reinvigorated. Tina presses herself to figure out what her life should look like. Through it all, this makeshift family continues to face the hilarity and anxieties of everyday life, while proving that they’re truly at their best when they’re together.
Togetherness February 2016 Episodes:
Episode #9 (season 2, episode 1): “Hotels”
Debut date: SUNDAY, FEB. 21 (10:30-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Other HBO playdates: Feb. 21 (12:30 a.m., 3:30 a.m.), 22 (1:40 a.m.), 23 (11:30 p.m.), 24 (4:00 a.m.), 25 (10:00 p.m.) and 27 (5:35 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Feb. 22 (8:00 p.m.), 24 (11:45 p.m.) and 25 (2:15 a.m.), and March 13 (noon)
On the set of his new movie in New Orleans, Alex (Steve Zissis) gets a surprise birthday visit.
Written and directed by Jay Duplass & Mark Duplass.
Episode #10 (season 2, episode 2): “Everybody Is Grownups”
Debut date: SUNDAY, FEB. 28 (10:30-11:00 p.m.)
Other HBO playdates: Feb. 28 (12:30 a.m., 3:30 a.m.) and 29 (2:30 a.m.), and March 1 (12:45 a.m.), 2 (3:55 a.m.), 3 (11:00 p.m.) and 5 (3:40 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Feb. 29 (8:00 p.m.) and March 2 (11:15 p.m.), 3 (2:10 a.m.) and 13 (12:30 p.m.)
Michelle (Melanie Lynskey) works on her plan to make the charter school idea a reality. At a welcome home party for Alex, Tina (Amanda Peet) clashes with his new girlfriend, Christy (Ginger Gonzaga), while everyone else tries to defuse the situation.
Written and directed by Jay Duplass & Mark Duplass.
Poster for ‘Permission’ starring Rebecca Hall and Dan Stevens.
Shooting is underway in Brooklyn, New York, on the romantic comedy Permission starring Rebecca Hall and Dan Stevens. The rom-com is written and directed by Brian Crano, with Gina Gershon, Francois Arnaud, Morgan Spector, Bridget Everett, David Joseph Craig, Sarah Steele and Jason Sudeikis in supporting roles.
Hall, Margot Hand, Giri Tharan and Joshua Thurston are producing, and Erika Hampson, Michael Klein and Brian Crano are on board as executive producers. The film’s set up with Ball and Chain and Picture Films, in association with Paper Trail.
The Permission Plot: “Permission focuses on a couple, Anna (Rebecca Hall) and Will (Dan Stevens), who were each other’s first every-things: first kiss, first love, first relationship. Now years on, at Anna’s thirtieth birthday party as Will is about to propose, the couple’s best friend stands up and makes a drunken toast, suggesting that as their relationship is so functional, equitable and stable, it’s threatening to their friends and perhaps they should sleep around before their inevitable marriage.
The joke lingers and eventually Anna proposes that they try it, as a sexual experiment. As a couple, with complicity, they venture out of the purely monogamous boundaries of their relationship and in so doing are forced to evolve and grow up.”
Rebecca Hall’s credits include The Gift, Tumbledown, Iron Man 3, The Town, and The Prestige. Dan Stevens is best known for his role as Matthew Crawley in Downton Abbey. His credits also include The Guest, The Fifth Estate, and Criminal Activities, and he’ll soon be seen playing Beast in Beauty and the Beast opposite Emma Watson.
Season two of The Flash delivered one of its better episodes with ‘The Reverse-Flash Returns’ airing on January 26, 2016. An incredible amount of important details were revealed over the course of episode 11, however there was still room for each character to get in some quieter moments amid all of the action.
Recap of The Flash Season 2 Episode 11
Barry (Grant Gustin) is out playing good samaritan while at S.T.A.R. Labs Dr. Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh) and Cisco (Carlos Valdes) are bickering about pretty much everything, and Cisco deliberately irritates Harrison by slurping his coffee. Out on the street, Barry attempts to stop an out of control truck before it explodes, and of course he does so just in the knick of time. Cisco’s convinced they can still use Turtle to help get Harrison’s daughter back, but Jay (Teddy Sears) and Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) barge in to deliver the news Turtle’s dead.
Meanwhile, Reverse-Flash/Eobard Thawne (Matt Letscher) is ecstatic he’s confirmed what time period The Flash is from.
The team try and figure out how Turtle died and Jay thinks Harrison had something to do with it. After Harrison leaves, Jay says, “Every time you think Wells is on your team, something happens that makes you doubt it.”
At the Central City Police Department, Patty (Shantel VanSanten) wants Barry to check out the runaway truck. Barry’s super quiet and icy toward his former girlfriend, and Patty quickly picks up on the change in his demeanor. He doesn’t want to talk about things and she leaves as Iris (Candice Patton) arrives. Barry tells her Patty’s leaving to follow her dream at college, and then Joe (Jesse L Martin) appears to let them know Francine doesn’t have much time left and it’s probably best Iris visits her now to say goodbye.
Harrison is working on The Flash/Turtle problem when Cisco arrives to suggest they figure out how to control his powers so they can find Zoom. Harrison says they need to determine what triggers his vibe, but Cisco has no idea what it is that sets him off. Suddenly, Harrison has an idea. He sends Cisco off to the time vault which he enters slowly and apprehensively. In pops Harrison in his Reverse-Flash outfit and Cisco lets out an embarrassingly high-pitched squeal in fright. Harrison’s figured out Cisco vibes when he’s scared due to a rush of adrenaline. He strangles him and Cisco vibes. He sees the real Reverse-Flash in action and knows for sure now that he’s there.
Reverse-Flash shows up to snag Christina McGee (Amanda Pays) and The Flash appears to save her. The Flash calls him Eobard Thawne and, shocked, Reverse-Flash promises that soon he will kill him, grabbing Christina and disappearing.
At S.T.A.R. Labs. Harrison explains how Eobard is alive, a complicated process that boils down to Thawne being from the future and he’s not yet killed Barry’s mom. This Thawne doesn’t know Barry’s name and hasn’t met him before, and although he can’t bring his mother back, Barry wants to end Thawne once and for all. Everyone leaves except for Caitlin and Barry, and Caitlin uses the opportunity to explain that Jay’s sick and the only way to save him is by finding Zoom. Although, she adds, another possible solution is they find his Earth 1 doppleganger and use him to replace Jay’s dying cells.
Eobard needs Christina’s tachyon technology in order to return to the future.
Joe and Iris visit with the dying Francine and she’s alert enough to be happy to see them both. Joe leaves Iris and Francine alone for a little mother/daughter bonding and Francine says she knows her son is off getting rid of his anger, and she hopes he will heal soon. Iris opens up to her about her childhood and how she wonders what it would have been like if her mom and Wally had been there. Iris forgives her and leaves the hospital room, crying.
At the police station, Caitlin’s hoping Barry can find Jay’s doppleganger when Patty shows up. Caitlin leaves and Patty’s confused about why Barry is working with S.T.A.R. Labs, with Barry explaining he and Joe help out there occasionally. Patty finds that very interview, but she really came to see if they could talk before she leaves. Barry’s still doing his detached act and accidentally reveals he loves her. Barry says he doesn’t want her to have regrets or miss out on what she wants to do. He’s sorry things can’t work out for the two of them.
Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Harrison is working on Cisco’s goggles to make them stimulate the fear receptors in his brain. The upgrade will make Cisco able to vibe for a longer period of time. He puts on the goggles and sees the Reverse-Flash kill Christina.
Cisco explains to Caitlin and Barry about how he and Harrison were able to activate his vibe and he watched the Reverse-Flash kill Christina before fleeing through a speed machine Christina helped him activate. He’s been flung back to the future. Fortunately, the event hasn’t actually happened yet. Cisco can now see the future and the clock in the room where Reverse-Flash killed Christina read 9:52pm – nearly four hours into the future. Cisco’s astounded he can see into the future and needs to immediately think of a cool name for his new goggles. They have 3 hours and 52 minutes to find Christina and stop the Reverse-Flash.
At the station, Patty’s looking through case files and Joe tells her he’ll miss her. She’s actually been looking through Barry’s old files and has put two and two together. She knows Barry is The Flash and that Joe has known all along. Joe doesn’t confirm her suspicions and jokes that Barry runs like a slow-assed duck.
Iris visits Wally and they work out some family issues, with Iris insisting Wally go see his mom. As Wally tries to leave, she tells him about her dead fiance and how she regrets not getting to say goodbye to him. She did get to say goodbye to her mom and hopes that he’ll go see her while he still can.
At S.T.A.R. Labs, the gang tries to figure out where Reverse-Flash will attempt to return to the future. Caitlin asks if Barry’s found Jay’s doppleganger and he tells her she should just ask Jay about it. Joe gets Barry alone and lets him know Patty’s figured out he’s The Flash. His squirrelly behavior combined with police reports led her to that conclusion. Joe thinks Barry should just tell her now, but Barry doesn’t want her to know to keep her safe from Zoom, etc. Then suddenly they learn the Reverse-Flash’s location and The Flash barely gets there in time to stop him from killing Christina. After she’s safe, The Flash destroys the speed machine and Reverse-Flash is, understandably, furious. “That was my way home!” he yells, and Barry assure him he’s not going home. Reverse-Flash tells Barry he’ll find another way home and takes off, but The Flash is right on his tail. They speed through the city until Barry finally grabs him and takes him down, repeatedly hitting him and promising he’ll never lose to him again. He’s pummeling him when Joe yells over his headset not to kill him and to bring him in.
They lock Reverse-Flash up in the cell they used to contain Dr. Wells last year, and Barry wants desperately to go talk to him. No one thinks that’s a good idea, but Harrison tells him not to do it because the more he learns about Barry, the more power Reverse-Flash has. AS they’re talking, Cisco gets a nosebleed that only Harrison notices.
Caitlin and Jay meet and she tells him her dad died of multiple sclerosis and she won’t watch Jay die if she has any way to help him. She can’t find his doppleganger and Jay says there’s a good explanation for that. He tells her to meet him at the park the next day.
Cisco goes to visit Reverse-Flash in the cell and asks how he got his suit and ring. Reverse-Flash doesn’t know him but Cisco says he wants him to know he was the one who found him. And, Cisco tells him it’s ironic because Reverse-Flash gave him his powers. “Bye, Felicia,” says Cisco, closing the window to Reverse-Flash’s cell as he gets yet another nosebleed. [For confused viewers, here’s the scoop on the origin of Bye, Felicia.]
Barry visits Patty at the station after she texts him, and she wants him to admit he’s The Flash. He won’t say it, even though not admitting it is making her feel stupid. He tells her it’s insane, and he still won’t tell her the truth. If he admits it, she says she’ll stay. He says he can’t admit it because he’s not The Flash. She says it would have been nice to stay and walks away, crying.
Barry (in shadows) visits Eobard wanting to know why he hates him. Eobard admits he wanted to be him but the ability to travel through time revealed he wasn’t going to be as good as The Flash and would instead be his biggest enemy. He dedicated himself to being the reverse of The Flash, taking whatever he could from Barry because he couldn’t be him. Barry tells him the race is over and he lost. Eobard says he will learn his name one day, and just then Barry gets an urgent message from Caitlin.
Cisco is in a state of continual seizures and they don’t know what’s happening. Caitlin manages to make him stop the seizures but that leads to Cisco seemingly disappearing in front of their eyes. He yells out that he doesn’t know where he is or what’s going on, and Harrison figures out they affected the timeline by bringing in the Reverse-Flash. The only way to save Cisco is to send Reverse-Flash back to the future. Barry doesn’t want to but Harrison yells at him that otherwise Cisco is dead. Joe agrees. Barry says he destroyed the machine to send him back but Harrison says Barry’s speed combined with Eobard’s will be enough to send him back. All Barry has to do is provide him with enough momentum to get past the space-time barrier. Harrison also tells them that now Thawne knows about Barry, about S.T.A.R. Labs, and about all of them. “There’s nothing I can do about it; there’s nothing you can do about it. This is his origin story and it’s going to happen no matter what you do,” says Harrison. But Barry can save Cisco by sending Thawne home. They exchange threats before speeding off together.
It works! Eobard’s gone and Cisco is back.
Caitlin meets Jay at the park where he points out his doppleganger. She couldn’t find him because they don’t share the same name. It seems his doppleganger was adopted and grew up with a different name: Hunter Zolomon. [That name is familiar to fans of the comics, but I won’t spoil who Hunter is for those who aren’t up on The Flash‘s assorted characters.] Jay says it doesn’t matter anyway because their DNA won’t match. Jay’s has been mutated because he became a speedster. They have to catch Zoom and get Jay’s speed back in order to cure him.
Wally visits Iris to let her know he’s going to go see their mom. He asks her to go with them and Iris quickly agrees.
Cisco’s not fully recuperated and everyone stands around his bed glad that he’s okay. They tell him Barry sent Thawne back to his time to save Cisco. Harrison heads out to get food, taking burger orders before he goes.
Joe has a brief heart to heart with Barry about sacrifices and then Patty calls telling him she needs help. There’s a man on the train with her holding a gun. Barry says he’ll get her some help and takes off. There isn’t any gunman on the train. Patty says it was a false alarm and they have one final moment before he takes off again. After he’s gone Patty whispers, “Good-bye, Barry.”
Martin Freeman (Fargo, Sherlock) and Adam Brody are set to star in Crackle’s new scripted series, Start Up. Otmara Marrero and Edi Gathegi are also on board the hour-long drama which will begin shooting this week in Puerto Rico. The 10-episode series is written and directed by Ben Ketai, with Ketai also executive producing along with Tom Forman, Andrew Marcus, Ray Ricord, Gianni Nunnari and Shannon Gaulding.
“Start Up carries out our promise to continue our commitment to quality drama,” stated Eric Berger, GM of Crackle and EVP, Sony Pictures Television Digital Networks. “We are working with a top-notch team to produce a project that explores the motivations and complexities of creating a new venture, while walking a fine line between crime and legitimacy.”
The Start Up Plot [Courtesy of Crackle]:
p>Start Up explores what happens when a brilliant, yet controversial tech idea gets incubated on the wrong side of the tracks by three strangers who don’t necessarily fit the mold of “tech entrepreneurs.” Set amongst the unconstrained, yet opportunist streets of Miami, Start Up weaves a complex and exciting narrative, featuring the high-stakes struggle of what one will do to reach ultimate success.
Forced to fund a tech company with dirty money from unsuspecting places while forming ties with a dangerous, Haitian gang, the fight to build a business pales in comparison to the fight to stay alive, especially when there’s a vehement FBI agent who wields the power to make or break those he comes in contact with—and not always for the right reasons.
Start Up stars Martin Freeman as FBI agent Phil Rask, specializing in financial crimes. Rask crosses paths with Nick Talman, played by Adam Brody, a sharp and intelligent financier at a boutique firm in Miami, but it’s not Talman Rask is after, it’s his father. Nick has a problematic relationship with his wealthy, irresponsible father, who disappears and forces Nick to stash his ill-gotten gain—instead of going to the FBI, he decides to hide the money by investing in a tech startup pitched by the unorthodox Izzy Morales, a tech whiz out to change the world, played by Otmara Marrero.
Edi Gathegi also stars in the series as Ronald Dacey – second-in-command of the local Haitian gang. When Ronald discovers that the money he left with Nick’s father has vanished, Ronald moves on to the next best thing—his son. An unexpected partnership forms between Ronald, Nick and Izzy which culminates in a dangerous alliance that make them a target for Rask, who plans to take a journey to the very pit of darkness to take down the unsuspecting trio.
Carrie Underwood (Photo Courtesy of the Recording Academy)
Grammy nominees James Bay and Tori Kelly will be teaming up to duet at the 2016 Grammy Awards. Andra Day and Ellie Goulding will also be pairing up for a special performance at this year’s Grammys, and nominee Sam Hunt will join nominee Carrie Underwood to perform. Bay is nominated in the Best New Artist, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Album categories.
Day earned nominations in the Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Album categories, while Goulding was nominated in the Best Pop Solo Performance category. Kelly and Underwood each earned one nomination, and Hunt is up for Best New Artist and Best Country Album awards. Bay, Day, Goulding, Hunt, and Kelly will be making their Grammy debuts when they take the stage to perform this year.
The just-announced duets join the previously released list of performers that includes Adele, Kendrick Lamar, Little Big Town, and The Weeknd. 2016 MusiCares® Person of the Year Lionel Richie will be honored with a special tribute during the 2016 Grammys.
Lip Sync Battle‘s LL Cool J is hosting the Grammys for the fifth year in a row. CBS will air the awards show live at 8pm ET/5pm PT on February 15th.
Tom Hiddleston and the Saddle Spring Boys will be featured on the soundtrack to I Saw the Light, the Hank Williams biopic starring Hiddleston as Williams. Among the songs included on the upcoming album are “Hey Good Lookin’,” “Move It On Over,” and “Jambalaya,” as well as Eddy Arnold’s “Anytime,” Jo Stafford’s “The Tennessee Waltz,” and Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby.” The soundtrack will be released on March 25, 2016 with the film opening in theaters on April 1st.
I Saw the Light was written and directed by Marc Abraham and stars Hiddleston, Elizabeth Olsen, Cherry Jones, Bradley Whitford, Maddie Hasson, and Wrenn Schmidt.
Hiddleston worked with Country singer/music producer Rodney Crowell to prepare for the role and to hone his singing and guitar-playing skills. “After nearly a month spent collaborating with this gifted artist, I’m as respectful of the man’s work ethic as I’m mystified by his transformational skills,” said Crowell. “Without a doubt, the filmmakers chose the right actor for the job.”
I Saw the Light (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Track List:
1. Hey Good Lookin’ – Tom Hiddleston and the Saddle Spring Boys
2. Move It On Over – Tom Hiddleston and the Saddle Spring Boys
3. Anytime – Eddy Arnold
4. Field Hand Man – The Delmore Brothers
5. Jambalaya – Tom Hiddleston and the Saddle Spring Boys
6. The Tennessee Waltz – Jo Stafford
7. My Bucket’s Got a Hole In It – Tom Hiddleston and the Saddle Spring Boys
8. That’s What’s Knockin’ Me Out – Tom Hiddleston and the Saddle Spring Boys
9. Santa Baby – Eartha Kitt
10. Why Don’t You Love Me – Tom Hiddleston and the Saddle Spring Boys
11. Please Don’t Let Me Love You – George Morgan
12. Honky Tonkin’ – Tom Hiddleston and the Saddle Spring Boys
13. Lovesick Blues – Emmett Miller
THE SADDLE SPRING BOYS:
Richard Bennett (Guitar)
Luke Bulla (Fiddle)
Rodney Crowell (Guitar and Vocals)
Stuart Duncan (Fiddle)
Larry Franklin (Fiddle)
Wes Langlois (Guitar)
Tim Lauer (Organ)
Mickey Raphael (Harmonica)
Michael Rinne (Bass)
Chris Scruggs (Steel Guitar and Vocals)
Nathaniel Smith (Cello)
Takeio Stroud (Drums)
About I Saw the Light and Hank Williams [Courtesy of Legacy Recordings]:
The film chronicles country music singer/songwriter/performer Hank Williams’ rise to fame, his personal and romantic trials, his conflicts and tribulations in a country music industry he helped define, and his sudden tragic death in the back of a limousine on his way to a gig on New Year’s Day 1953.
I Saw the Light follows the journey of the iconic, tormented singer-songwriter who revolutionized country music with his raw charisma, haunting voice and original songs, most of which are considered American standards today and have been recorded many times over by pop, rock and country artists alike.
Williams emerged from the local Alabama music scene after World War II. His wife Audrey, despite an inequity in their respective talents, was desperate to sing with her husband and had fierce ambitions of her own. Hank’s ability to write songs covering a wide range of emotions, using his own personal troubles as inspiration, became the essence of country music. In the end, he realized his dreams: hit records, a place on Nashville’s prestigious stage and radio show the Grand Ole Opry and even guest spots on the then-new medium of TV.
Refusing to hide his longtime alcoholism and dependency on pain killers behind the wholesome facade Nashville and the Opry expects of its stars, Hank remained prolific and immensely popular until the very end of his life. Like Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain, Hank’s star burned brightly, but briefly over the six years before he died, at the age of 29.
Today, country is arguably the most popular music in America, and Hank Williams had much to do with that. The enduring quality of his character and his music earned him inductions into the Country Music Hall of Fame (1961), the Songwriters Hall of Fame (1970) and the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame (1987). Williams had 33 hit country singles during his life; 30 reached the Top Ten; eight hit Number One. Seven more Top Tens came after his death with three of these hitting Number One.
Sylvester Stallone has been chosen to receive the Montecito Award at the 2016 Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The Santa Barbara award is just the latest honor for Stallone who’s riding a career high following his critically acclaimed turn in Creed. Stallone received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for reprising his iconic role as Rocky Balboa in Creed, and he won both a Golden Globe and a Critics’ Choice award for his performance.
According to the Santa Barbara Film Festival, the Montecito Award is given annually to a “person in the entertainment industry whose has made a great contribution to film.” The award will be presented on February 9th during a ceremony at the Arlington Theater.
Previous Montecito Award recipients include Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, Daniel Day-Lewis, Geoffrey Rush, Julianne Moore, Kate Winslet, Javier Bardem, Bill Condon, and Naomi Watts.
“Sylvester Stallone’s performance in Creed has reminded us of what a true talent he is and what a joy it is to share in his successes as the many beloved characters he has created. Since he first hit the silver screen as Rocky Balboa nearly four decades ago, he has been a force in the industry both on film and behind the scenes. He is a true legend in our field, and it is our privilege to present him with the Montecito Award, and to continue to honor his legacy,” said SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling.
The festival also honored Jane Fonda (Youth) with its Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film and Johnny Depp (Black Mass) with its Maltin Modern Master Award. Spotlight‘s ensemble earned the American Riviera Award, and Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl, Ex Machina), O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton), Géza Röhrig (Son of Saul), Elizabeth Banks (Love & Mercy), Joel Edgerton (Black Mass), Paul Dano (Love & Mercy) and Jacob Tremblay (Room) with its Virtuosos Award.
Columbia Pictures just released a new Angry Birds Movie trailer that further sets up the relationship between the angry birds and their enemies, the green pigs. Directed by Fergal Reilly and Clay Kaytis, the voice cast includes Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Bill Hader, Maya Rudolph, Peter Dinklage, Kate McKinnon, Keegan-Michael Key, Tony Hale, Tituss Burgess, Ike Barinholtz, Hannibal Buress, Jillian Bell, Danielle Brooks, Romeo Santos, Smosh, and Blake Shelton. The animated comedy is based on the popular Rovio games and will open in theaters on May 20, 2016.
The Plot:
The movie takes us to an island populated entirely by happy, flightless birds – or almost entirely. In this paradise, Red (Sudeikis), a bird with a temper problem, speedy Chuck (Gad), and the volatile Bomb (McBride) have always been outsiders. But when the island is visited by mysterious green piggies, it’s up to these unlikely outcasts to figure out what the pigs are up to.
Nate Parker in ‘The Birth of a Nation’ (Photo by Elliot Davis)
The Birth of a Nation, the most talked about film at the Sundance Film Festival, has found a home with Fox Searchlight. The film debuted to a standing ovation at Sundance and it’s quite possible writer/director/producer/actor Nate Parker could find himself very, very busy next awards season. Justin Chang from Variety describes it as a “biographical drama steeped equally in grace and horror” while Vanity Fair’s review says it’s “uneven but undeniably powerful.”
Fox Searchlight is aiming for a 2016 theatrical release.
The film stars Parker, Armie Hammer, Penelope Ann Miller, Jackie Earle Haley, Mark Boone Jr., Colman Domingo, Aunjanue Ellis, Dwight Henry, Aja Naomi King, Esther Scott, Roger Guenveur Smith and Gabrielle Union.
“From the moment we saw this film we knew we wanted to join Nate Parker in fulfilling his vision as the film’s portrayal of injustice is unfortunately still relevant today. His dedication and artistry in revitalizing Nat Turner’s legacy and place in history has resulted in an extraordinarily compelling and moving film that delivers on every level. The ensemble cast, led by Nate Parker, is committed and exceptional,” said Fox Searchlight Pictures Presidents Nancy Utley and Stephen Gilula.
“It brings me immense joy and excitement to welcome the Searchlight team into our family. I embrace their shared passion for this film and its potential impact on our country and the world,” commented Nate Parker.
The Birth of a Nation Plot:
Set against the antebellum South, The Birth of a Nation follows Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher, whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner, accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue unruly slaves. As he witnesses countless atrocities – against himself and his fellow slaves – Nat orchestrates an uprising in the hopes of leading his people to freedom.
Delroy Lindo in ABC’s ‘Blood and Oil’ (Photo Credit: ABC/Fred Hayes)
Blood and Oil star Delroy Lindo has been cast in Marvel’s Most Wanted, the spin-off of ABC and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Lindo will be playing Dominic Fortune, a character who was introduced in 1975’s Marvel Preview #2. He’s described as a rogue and adventurer who craves wealth and excitement. Lindo joins Adrianne Palicki and Nick Blood who are set to play Bobbie Morse (aka Mockingbird) and Lance Hunter.
“Dominic Fortune carries with him a cunning and charm but also a dangerous edge that only Delroy could bring to life,” stated Executive Producer/Head of Marvel Television, Jeph Loeb. “We’re thrilled to have him join the show.”
Marvel’s Most Wanted was created and written by Jeffrey Bell (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Angel) and Paul Zbyszewski (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Lost). The series is executive produced by Bell, Zbyszewski, and Jeph Loeb.
Lindo’s credits include Malcolm X, Get Shorty, The Cider House Rules, Blood and Oil, Believe, The Chicago Code, and Kidnapped.
