Michael Xavier, Greg Bryk, Laura Vandervoort, Greyston Holt, and Steve Lund star in ‘Bitten’ season 2 (Photo by: Steve Wilkie / She-Wolf Season 2 Productions Inc.)
Bitten, produced by Entertainment One, No Equal Entertainment, Hoodwink Entertainment, will be back for a third season. The Syfy supernatural series will air a 10 episode season three, with executive producers Daegan Fryklind and Wil Zmak along with Larry Bambrick, Jenn Engels, and Garfield Lindsay Miller on board as writers.
Filming is expected to get underway this summer in Toronto.
Based on Kelley Armstrong’s popular book series, Bitten stars Laura Vandervoort as Elena Michaels; Greyston Holt as Clayton Danvers; Greg Byrk as Jeremy Danvers; Steve Lund as Nick Sorrentino, and Genelle Williams as Rachel Sutton.
Commenting on the third season, Chris Regina, SVP Program Strategy at Syfy and Chiller, said “Bitten‘s emotional and engrossing storyline, combined with some truly creepy horror moments, really resonated with fans this past season. We eagerly anticipate seeing where the next chapter of Elena and her werewolf pack’s lives leads us in Season 3.”
“We’re delighted that Bitten will be returning to Syfy,” stated John Morayniss, Chief Executive Officer, Entertainment One Television. “Alongside No Equal Entertainment and Hoodwink Entertainment, we are thrilled to continue this incredible journey and looking forward to sinking our teeth into what’s sure to be another nail-biting season.”
Syfy and Entertainment One also announced Bitten star Laura Vandervoort will attend the San Diego Comic-Con and will sign posters for the season two DVD at eOne’s booth (4021) on July 10th.
Lionsgate and Aardman Animations have released a new, very short featurette for Shaun the Sheep, the animated family-friendly comedy movie. The short video introduces a brand new character named Slip, a stray dog who befriends Shaun and who just wants a family of her own.
Written and directed by Mark Burton and Richard Starzak, Shaun the Sheep will open in theaters on August 5, 2015.
The Plot:
When Shaun decides to take the day off and have some fun, he gets a little more action than he bargained for. A mix up with the Farmer, a caravan, and a very steep hill lead them all to the Big City and it’s up to Shaun and the flock to return everyone safely to the green grass of home.
Vince Vaughn in ‘True Detective’ season two episode three (Photo: Lacey Terrell / HBO)
“Thank you,” says Ani Bezzerides (Rachel McAdams) to her partner, Ray Velcoro (Colin Farrell). “You want to thank me? Tell me what State has on me,” is his reply as he struggles with severe pain in his chest due to two cracked ribs. “I don’t know,” replies Ani after Ray pushed her out of the way of an oncoming truck while they were chasing a masked suspect during the murder of the Vinci City Manager in HBO’s True Detective season two episode three.
The first scene in episode three of True Detective’s second season opens with a Conway Twitty look-alike singing Bette Midler’s classic song “The Rose” while Ray sits in his usual booth in the bar where he meets Frank Semyon to do business. But instead of Semyon, it’s Ray’s father (played by Fred Ward) who’s sitting across from Ray. He warns Ray about an upcoming police chase where Ray will be killed and Ray looks down at his chest to see blood. As the song gets louder, the scene changes to show the song is on the radio in the room Ray was shot by the mysterious bird-masked man. Ray awakens abruptly and pulls at his clothes to look at his chest, realizing he was shot with rubber pellets – the kind police use to break up riots. Ani shows up at the scene pissed that Velcoro left her in the dark about his lead, letting him know in no uncertain terms that she’s in charge.. She tells him to go get checked out by a doctor and get cleared to work the case.
Meanwhile, Frank (Vince Vaughn) is feeling pressure from everywhere including from his loyal, lovely wife, Jordan (Kelly Reilly). Jordan wants to have a baby, but it seems the couple has been having problems in that department which leads to a fight. Frustrated and anxious, Frank leaves to meet Ray for an update on the investigation. Ray meets Frank no longer shaken up about his getting shot but angry and determined. He tells Frank that he wants to know what Casper and Frank were involved with before he blindly follows any further instructions. Frank finally tells Ray about the business deal involving land with Casper. Ray heads off, still unsure if Frank was involved in his getting shot.
Rachel McAdams and Taylor Kitsch in ‘True Detective’ (Photo: Lacey Terrell / HBO)
Since Ray is supposed to be recovering, Ani teams up with Paul Woodrugh (Taylor Kitsch) to do some leg work into the investigation and decides to visit the home of Vinci’s Mayor in Bel Air. The visit doesn’t go over well with the Mayor or his son who are unaware that Ani and Paul found blue diamonds in Caspere’s safe deposit box. All this causes a major upset in Vinci, with the mayor wanting to end Ani’s career and pushing Ray to lead her in the direction they want the investigation to go, suggesting a fall guy as the killer. Things aren’t much better for Ani in Ventura. One of her superiors constantly reminds her they want Velcoro taken down because they know he’s dirty. Ani’s boss even suggests using her sexuality to tease Ray with the hopes of getting lucky if that is what it’s going to take to get him busted.
Ani and Ray continue working the case together and discover that Caspere was involved partly in a film shooting close by. After questioning a few on-set people, Ani and Ray find out that a car was stolen, which might be the same car used to move Caspere’s body. A worker quit one week before the car went missing and while visiting that person’s home to question him about the missing car, someone sets Ray’s car on fire. Ray sees a figure wearing a dark mask watching from across the street and shouts, “STOP! Police!” The masked person runs off and Ray and Ani give chase. Ani’s faster and in better shape and easily outdistances Ray who’s also still recovering from that shot to the chest. Ani runs out onto the highway trying to take aim and fire at the fleeing suspect when Ray shoves her out of the way of a speeding truck, saving her from becoming roadkill.
Working yet another angle of the case, Paul is hitting the streets asking street walkers and hookers if they have ever seen Caspere. One of the hooker’s clients tells him about a high-end club the guy used to hang out in, but says no one there will talk to him with the cop vibe he has going on. The John goes with Paul and helps him find out the hooker who was seeing Caspere is named Tasha but hasn’t been around in the club for a while.
As all of this is going on, Frank discovers that one of his men has been murdered and left to rot. He orders his right-hand man to have anyone and everyone who they used to work with or who has a piece of his old territory meet in the basement of his old club. Frank lays down the law at the meeting and tells everyone there they are going to find out who knew Caspere out of all the people they do business with. Santos, the current owner of Frank’s old club, challenges Semyon on his authority saying, “You wanted out. Okay, you’re out. So why don’t you call the police?!” This proves to be a bad move when Frank ends up almost beating the life out of Santos, effectively proving to all others watching he is still a very dangerous man and it’s in their best interest to do as he asks.
Brutal, seedy, and surprising, True Detective season two episode three titled “Maybe Tomorrow” brings with it a sigh of relief with the realization that Ray is still alive and working the case. It also digs a little deeper into the violent side of Frank Semyon, the struggling businessman who’s being pulled back into the corrupt world he never truly left.
The performances are first–rate with yet another stand-out performance from Vince Vaughn portraying a man who wants to be a stand-up businessman but can’t shake that volatile gangster side of his personality. The next obvious great performance was from Farrell who showed true fear and terror of being shot and believing he was dying only to discover he was only wounded with broken ribs from rubber bullets. He also portrayed perfectly what it’s like to run with broken ribs. The agonizing pain and gripping of his side and chest made it look so real that anyone watching who has ever experienced it would find themselves almost reliving the pain as this reviewer did.
The writing, set design, tone, and music all brought the darker side of L.A. to life in a way reminiscent of a few early Michael Mann films. This is also the first episode that actually gave the audience a few clues about the murder case and showed more clearly the pressure from Velcoro and Bezzerides’ bosses about their other investigation interests.
The international trailer for writer/director Werner Herzog’s Queen of the Desert doesn’t set up the story well – and it’s backed by an overpowering score – but it does show off new scenes from the dramatic film starring Nicole Kidman, Robert Pattinson, James Franco, and Damian Lewis. Hitting theaters this fall, Queen of the Desert is based on the life of Gertrude Bell, with Kidman playing the British adventurer.
The Plot:
A curious and adventurous young woman eager to explore the world outside of England, Gertrude Bell (Kidman) goes to the British embassy in Tehran where she quickly falls in love with a secretary of the embassy, Henry Cadogan (Franco). This sparks the beginning of a life-long adventure among the beautiful but misunderstood peoples and cultures of the Middle East.
Along the way, her path intersects with archaeologist T.E. Lawrence (Pattinson) also known as Lawrence of Arabia, and Major Charles Doughty-Wylie (Lewis), the British Consul General in the Ottoman Empire.
Ariana Grande, Emma Roberts, Abigail Breslin and Billie Lourd in ‘Scream Queens’ (Photo by Steve Dietl / FOX)
In addition to hosting panels and premiere screenings of upcoming new shows, Fox’s 2015 San Diego Comic Con plans include free ice cream and an amusement ride that will drop fans 120 feet. The network will be debuting Scream Queens, Minority Report, and Lucifer at the sold-out event, and the cast of Last Man on Earth will make its first trip to the San Diego to discuss the comedy series. Also hitting the Comic Con stage for what’s described as a “mega-panel” is Seth MacFarlane who’ll be part of the Family Guy, American Dad, and Bordertown Q&A with Seth Green, Alex Borstein, Mike Henry, Missi Pyle, and Nicholas Gonzalez.
Here’s the complete list of Fox’s plans for this year’s Comic Con, courtesy of the network:
“SCREAM QUEENS” – ULTIMATE “SCREAM” DROP AMUSEMENT RIDE
Where: Petco Interactive Zone
When: Thursday, July 9 – Sunday, July 12
Hours: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Daily
FOX gives fans the thrill of a lifetime with the SCREAM QUEENS Ultimate Scream Drop ride at Comic-Con! Screams will be heard all over San Diego as fans drop 120 feet on this customized ride at the Petco Interactive Zone. Special cameras will capture fans’ screaming faces so they can share and post on social media. The Kappa Kappa Tau sorority sisters and their Dickie Dollar fraternity boyfriends will be at the ride, passing out SCREAM QUEENS-branded premium items. PLUS! Check out the exclusive SCREAM QUEENS “Devil Mirror” with fun shareable photos. Follow @ScreamQueens to find out when the SCREAM QUEENS cast will make appearances at the experience. Use #ScreamQueensDrop to join the conversation.
ICE CREAM FOR “SCREAM QUEENS”
Where: Downtown San Diego
When: Thursday, July 9 – Sunday, July 12
Hours: Thursday – 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Friday – Noon – 8:00 PM
Saturday – Noon – 11:00 PM
Sunday – Noon – 4:00 PM
You scream, I scream, we all scream for SCREAM QUEENS. Cool off at San Diego Comic-Con this year at the bloody good ICE CREAM FOR SCREAM QUEENS carts. The Girls (and Boys) of Kappa House are dying for new pledges and will be stationed outside of the San Diego Convention Center Area passing out some free, devilishly good ice cream to all those who give them their best screams. Follow @ScreamQueens to track where the carts are located throughout the weekend. Use #IceCreamForScreamQueens to join the conversation.
“GOTHAM” – PENGUINS ON THE LOOSE
Where: Downtown San Diego
When: Friday, July 10 & Saturday, July 11
Hours: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Daily
Oswald Cobblepot aka “The Penguin” has lookalikes everywhere, including San Diego Comic-Con. Keep an eye out for a mass Penguin breakout as Oswald Cobblepot look-a-likes waddle their way through the streets of downtown San Diego on Friday and Saturday, passing out free pairs of Oswald’s signature sunglasses. Follow @Gotham to track where the Penguins are stationed throughout the weekend and you might even meet The Penguin himself (aka GOTHAM star Robin Lord Taylor). Use #Gotham to join the conversation.
“GOTHAM” VILLAINOUS 3-D PHOTO
Where: Petco Interactive Zone
When: Thursday, July 9 – Sunday, July 12
Hours: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM Daily
GOTHAM fans go gothic with the opportunity to pose in a special 3-D photo with their favorite series villains (The Penguin, The Riddler, Selina Kyle and Mr. Freeze, among others) at the Petco Interactive Zone. In addition to sharing their most villainous pose with friends and family – special GOTHAM-branded premiums will be giveaways through the day – and you never know which of your favorite actors from the series may stop by in person! Follow @Gotham to find out when GOTHAM cast will be making appearances at the experience. Use #Gotham to join the conversation.
“X” MARKS THE SPOT
THE X-FILES “X” will be placed in different locations around San Diego at Comic–Con. If you spot one, take a photo and tweet it out using #TheXFilesSDCC. Clues as to where to find the “X” will be tweeted out daily from @TheXFilesFOX Twitter handle on Friday and Saturday.
BOOTH #4229
The FOX FANFARE Booth (#4229) will feature an incredible lineup of talent on the convention center floor for star-studded autograph signings and exciting booth activities, including distribution of the exclusive 2015 FOX FANFARE poster tubes, collectible mini-posters, premium giveaways and merchandise sales.
EXCLUSIVE LIMITED-EDITION COMIC-CON ITEMS
Drop by the FOX FANFARE booth (#4229) daily to pick up the 2015 FOX FANFARE Poster Tube, as well as Exclusive and Collectible Mini-Posters from BOB’S BURGERS, BORDERTOWN, FAMILY GUY, GOTHAM, THE LAST MAN ON EARTH, LUCIFER, MINORITY REPORT, SCREAM QUEENS and THE SIMPSONS, among other FOX FANFARE properties.
Limited-edition giveaways will also be distributed from the booth (while supplies last):
• FOX FANFARE Poster Tubes
• GOTHAM Vintage Lunch boxes
• THE LAST MAN ON EARTH Jenga Set
• MINORITY REPORT Portable Phone Chargers
• SCREAM QUEENS Knife Headband
• Collect all THREE of this year’s FOX ANIMATION Sunglasses, featuring:
o “Bart” from THE SIMPSONS
o “Stewie” from FAMILY GUY
o “Tina” from BOB’S BURGERS
LUCIFER 11:30 AM-12:30 PM – Room 6BCF (Presented by Warner Bros. Television)
Catch a special screening of the upcoming FOX drama series LUCIFER, based on the characters from DC Entertainment’s best-selling Vertigo imprint graphic novels, followed by a Q&A panel with stars Tom Ellis, Lauren German, Lesley-Ann Brandt and DB Woodside, along with executive producers Len Wiseman, Joe Henderson, Jonathan Littman and Ildy Modrovich.
MINORITY REPORT 1:45-2:45 PM – Ballroom 20
Be one of the first to take a look at the new fall sci-fi action thriller! Based on the hit futuristic Steven Spielberg feature, MINORITY REPORT follows the unlikely partnership between a man haunted by the future and a cop haunted by her past, as they race to stop the worst crimes of the year 2065 before they happen. Join Stark Sands (“Inside Llewyn Davis”), Meagan Good, (“Think Like A Man” franchise, “Californication”), Wilmer Valderrama (“From Dusk Til’ Dawn”), Laura Regan (“Murder in the First”) and executive producers Kevin Falls, Max Borenstein and Darryl Frank for a special screening followed by a Q&A.
BOB’S BURGERS 4:00-5:00 PM – Indigo Ballroom (Hilton Bayfront)
The always-entertaining cast and creators behind BOB’S BURGERS bring their Emmy Award-winning animated series back to San Diego for another unforgettable panel you don’t want to miss! Creator and executive producer Loren Bouchard, executive producer Jim Dauterive and the hilarious cast, including H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal and Larry Murphy, will entertain with never-before-seen footage followed by a Q&A panel discussion.
FRIDAY Autograph Signings at Booth #4229 (times to be announced at SDCC):
BOB’S BURGERS Cast & Producers
LUCIFER Cast & Producers
MINORITY REPORT Cast & Producers
SATURDAY, JULY 11
Panels:
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH 10:00-11:00 AM – Indigo Ballroom (Hilton Bayfront)
What would you do if you were the last person on earth? Join us for a Q&A panel discussion with star and creator Will Forte (“Nebraska,” “Saturday Night Live”), Kristen Schaal (“Bob’s Burgers,” “Flight of the Conchords”), January Jones (“Mad Men”) and director/executive producer Chris Miller (“The Lego Movie,” “21 Jump Street”), as they discuss the surprising twists and turns of the first season of the FOX hit comedy, as well as tease the upcoming second season.
THE SIMPSONS Noon-12:45 PM – Ballroom 20
Going into its record-demolishing 27th season on FOX! Join us for a sneak peek at “Treehouse of Horror XXVI” and much, much more with creator Matt Groening; executive producers Al Jean and Matt Selman; supervising director Mike Anderson; longtime director David Silverman; and the voice of Bart Simpson, Nelson Muntz and Ralph Wiggum, Nancy Cartwright; as well as very special guest Guillermo Del Toro. Ay carumba, indeed.
SETH MacFARLANE ANIMATION BLOCK 1:00-2:45 PM – Ballroom 20
A COMIC-CON FIRST! Seth MacFarlane will participate in a panel featuring sneak peeks at the upcoming seasons of FAMILY GUY and “American Dad!,” plus an exclusive look at BORDERTOWN, his newest animated project for FOX. MacFarlane will be joined by the casts and executive producers from each show, including FAMILY GUY’s Seth Green, Alex Borstein and Mike Henry, along with executive producers Steve Callaghan and Rich Appel; and BORDERTOWN’s Alex Borstein, Missi Pyle and Nicholas Gonzalez, along with executive producer Mark Hentemann.
GOTHAM 8:00-11:00 PM – Hall H (Presented by Warner Bros. Television)
As part of Warner Bros. Television Presents a Night of DC Entertainment, join stars Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, Robin Lord Taylor, Morena Baccarin, Sean Pertwee, Erin Richards, Cory Michael Smith, Camren Bicondova, David Mazouz along with executive producers Bruno Heller, Danny Cannon and John Stephens for a special video presentation and Q&A.
“SCREAM QUEENS”: WORLD PREMIERE SCREENING 9:15-10:15 PM – Room 6DE
Be the first in the world to see the upcoming comedy-horror anthology series SCREAM QUEENS! From Emmy- and Golden Globe Award-winning executive producers Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, and starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Roberts, Lea Michele, Abigail Breslin, Nasim Pedrad, Oliver Hudson, Skyler Samuels, Keke Palmer, Billie Lourd, Diego Bonita, Glen Powell, Lucien Laviscount, Niecy Nash, Nick Jonas and Ariana Grande, this killer new series centers around a string of college campus murders. Kappa House, the most sought-after sorority for pledges, is ruled with an iron fist (in a designer glove) by its Queen Bitch, Chanel Oberlin (Roberts). But just as anti-Kappa Dean Munsch (Curtis) decrees that Kappa must accept all new pledges, and not only the school’s silver-spooned elite, all hell is about to break loose, as a devil-clad killer begins wreaking havoc.
SATURDAY Autograph Signings at Booth #4229 (times to be announced at SDCC):
BORDERTOWN Cast & Producers
FAMILY GUY Cast & Producers
GOTHAM Cast & Producers
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH Cast & Producers
THE SIMPSONS Cast & Producers
SUNDAY, JULY 12
Panels:
“SCREAM QUEENS” & “AMERICAN HORROR STORY” 12:30-1:30 PM – Hall H
Get ready to scream! It’s a Comic-Con horror fest when the casts of two of the fall’s most highly anticipated series come face-to-face (and hatchet-to-hatchet) for a can’t-miss panel. From FOX’s upcoming SCREAM QUEENS: the original “scream queen” herself Jamie Lee Curtis along with Emma Roberts, Lea Michele, Skyler Samuels, Abigail Breslin, Billie Lourd and Keke Palmer, as well as the cast of FX’s “American Horror Story: Freak Show” and the upcoming “American Horror Story: Hotel.” This lively gathering of headliners promises laughs, scares and secrets from the sets.
SUNDAY Autograph Signings at Booth #4229 (time to be announced at SDCC):
SCREAM QUEENS Cast
FOX FANFARE 2015 AUTOGRAPH SCHEDULE – BOOTH #4229
Please note that tickets for all signings will be available every day at 8:00 AM, for that day’s signings only, at the designated FOX location in the Sails Pavilion. Tickets are distributed via a raffle system and are limited in number. Line-up information and autograph signing times are included on the tickets.
Saturday, July 11
BORDERTOWN Cast & Producers
FAMILY GUY Cast & Producers
GOTHAM Cast & Producers
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH Cast & Producers
THE SIMPSONS Cast & Producers
Aardman Animations’ new film Shaun the Sheep features goofy sheep out on the town, with Lionsgate set to release the flock into theaters on August 5, 2015. And in support of the film’s upcoming release – and because it’s a summer song – Aardman and Lionsgate are showing off the new music video “Feels Like Summer With You” by Tim Wheeler, Ilan Eshkeri and Nick Hodgson with new footage from the stop-motion film from writer/directors Mark Burton and Richard Starzak.
The studio also just released the final poster for the animated family-friendly film.
The Plot: When Shaun decides to take the day off and have some fun, he gets a little more action than he bargained for. A mix-up with the Farmer, a caravan, and a very steep hill lead them all to the Big City and it’s up to Shaun and the flock to return everyone safely to the green grass of home.
Following on the heels of the release of a video that went viral featuring a fish playing catch, Gramercy Pictures has unveiled another weird animal video, this time of a cat feeding baby birds as if she was their mom. Both videos come from ‘Phoenix Biogenic’ and are in support of Self/less, a sci-fi thriller starring Sir Ben Kingsley and Ryan Reynolds. Directed by Tarsem Singh (The Cell), Self/less also features Natalie Martinez, Matthew Goode, Victor Garber, Derek Luke, and Michelle Dockery.
Self/less opens in theaters on July 10, 2015.
The Plot:
An extremely wealthy man (Kingsley) dying from cancer undergoes a radical medical procedure that transfers his consciousness into the body of a healthy young man (Reynolds). But all is not as it seems when he starts to uncover the mystery of the body’s origin and the organization that will kill to protect its cause.
Gina Torres as Jessica Pearson in ‘Suits’ (Photo by: Nigel Parry / USA Network)
Of all the strong women she’s played throughout her career, actress Gina Torres stated that she didn’t choose these roles. “I think they choose me. As an actor, you get what you can. You audition and hope for the best. Somewhere along the line – or as it would seem, all the way down the line – these fantastic, dynamic, powerful women have chosen me to be their vessel and I’m happy to oblige,” said Torres, laughing.
Currently, Torres – who’s married to actor Oscar nominee Laurence Fishburne, best known as Morpheus in The Matrix film franchise – plays high-powered attorney Jessica Pearson on the legal drama Suits, which returned for its fifth season late last month.
“The show in and of itself in its entirety was a great premise, an opportunity to see something we haven’t quite seen yet – and I watch a lot of stuff. Here was this woman who’s the ringmaster of all these varied and strong personalities – that was very appealing,” said Torres. “Jessica at the start of Season 5 is still very much large and in charge. As always in all seasons, there’s always someone who wants to knock her down. A new sparring partner is revealed, I will say. There’s a lot going on. All of our characters – the population of (law firm) Pearson Specter Litt – they’re all going through some things.”
She also has a recurring role on the NBC series Hannibal, a prequel to The Silence of the Lambs movies based on the best-selling novels by Thomas Harris. Torres and her husband play a married couple named Jack and Bella Crawford. For them to be playing a married couple isn’t much of a stretch.
“Laurence had already been cast as Jack. He’s worked with one the producers before who was more than thrilled he was available and willing to come onto the show. I had done Pushing Daisies with Bryan (Fuller). Hannibal shoots in Toronto, Suits shoots in Toronto, (the creators) figured while I’m in town, they asked, ‘How would you feel about this?’ I had a chat with Bryan about what it entails, who this character was, and it just worked out – it seemed to be perfect. A perfect fit. It was one of those circumstances where the stars aligned and everything worked out; it’s not always that way,” explained Torres.
A New York City native, Torres is a mezzo soprano with classical opera training. She broke into acting doing guest-starring roles on Law & Order and NYPD Blue in the early 1990s and appeared on the soap opera One Life to Live. She eventually segued her way into genre shows – Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and La Femme Nikita. She won an ALMA Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Helen Carter, alias Hel, on the syndicated sci-fi series Cleopatra 2025. From there, she played Anna Espinosa, an espionage agent for clandestine criminal organization Prophet 5 on the spy drama Alias.
Nathan Fillion and Gina Torres (Photo Credit: Fox)
In 2002, Torres landed the role for which she’s most famous: Zoe Washburne on the short-lived cult favorite series Firefly. Created by Joss Whedon (writer/director of Avengers: Age of Ultron, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Firefly was a Western set in outer space circa the 26th century where Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion, Castle) commanded a starship called Serenity, the crew of which were several outsiders living on the fringes of space. Mal and Zoe are veteran Independents, more commonly called “Browncoats,” of the Unification War, an interstellar civil war fought by the outlying worlds against a governing body called the Alliance for independence. Even though the Browncoats were on the losing side, they maintain the stance that they were on the right side. Zoe is married to Hoban Washburne, alias Wash (Alan Tudyk, Frozen, Big Hero 6), the pilot of Serenity.
“There wasn’t a script when I auditioned for Zoe; it was an outline. I remember thinking this could be a very interesting dynamic: a die-hard soldier who’s loyal to her captain yet she’s married to the pilot – how does that work? When it all came together and I got the part… when I started working with Joss and the writers and all these wonderful actors, I was looking forward to exploring that for a period of time,” Torres said, laughing. “I had no idea I wasn’t gonna get that chance.”
Torres follows the Serenity comics published by Dark Horse, which occurs after the movie. In fact, Zoe gets the spotlight in Serenity: Leaves on the Wind.
“The comic books have been great,” she said. “The comic books have taken off and really have continued to give these characters a life.”
Asked if she plans on penning any Serenity comics the way some of her fellow Whedon alumni Juliet Landau and James Marsters have written comics about their respective characters, Torres said no. “I’ve been in the Jessica Pearson world for a while now,” said Torres. “Firefly was a long time ago.”
When FOX originally aired Firefly in September 2002, the episodes were aired out of order (most notably, the 2-hour pilot aired last). Due to low ratings, it was cancelled in December 2002 after 11 of the 14 completed episodes airing. However, it has a strong and vocal cult following.
Coupled with strong DVD sales (where fans got to see the show in its proper chronological order), fans – called Browncoats – united on the Internet. That combined with Whedon’s pitch to sell Firefly as a movie gave birth to 2005’s Serenity. Despite positive word of mouth and critical acclaim, Serenity did poorly at the box office, making $25.2 million. Still, Serenity did well on DVD, only serving to strengthen its cult following even more.
Torres can’t explain why Firefly/Serenity has such staying power after 13 years.
“I honestly don’t know. It is one of those wonderful examples of lightning in a bottle where everything really came together at a time to create this wonderful universe of people, old and new, science-fiction and Western – (they even had) a new way of speaking – it just gave everyone such a strong sense of family,” she postulated. “I like to say that very often the family you choose can be more significant in your life that the family you’re born in. That was the running theme for us. We chose each other and we stayed together through impossible circumstances. There were a lot of us – there was somebody for everyone to find themselves reflected in.”
Torres recently filmed her role in Con Man, an upcoming web-series created by Tudyk, but wouldn’t get into specifics. Con Man reunites the majority of the Firefly/Serenity cast, including Torres, Tudyk, Fillion, Sean Maher, as well as other Whedon alumni Amy Acker, Seth Green, and Felicia Day.
It’s about a washed-up actor named Wray Nerely (Tudyk), whose 15 minutes of fame evaporated after the sci-fi series Spectrum – where he played pilot Cash Wayne – was cancelled. His co-star Jack Moore (Fillion), who played Capt. Rakker on Spectrum, went on to mega-stardom – something Wray envies. The only way Wray makes his living is going to comic book and science-fiction conventions. Spectrum is an obvious nod to Firefly.
Con Man may indeed be the closest thing to these actors reuniting and reprising their Firefly/Serenity roles. As for an eagerly-awaited continuation of the cult hit, Torres stated there’s currently no plans she’s aware of, but would definitely be up for playing Zoe again.
“I can’t say that (Joss) has reached out to us…We’re all game and how that realizes itself and how that ends up on screen, that’s all on his head,” said Torres. “I don’t know what’s going on in there – there’s so much going on in there; he is capable of doing so many things and telling so many stories. I can’t imagine him moving forward or backwards, depending on how you think of it, with a Firefly reunion. I know this is something that’s dear to our hearts. If my phone rings, that would be great, but I can’t say whether it’s going to or not.”
Brian Tyree Henry, Zazie Beetz, and Lakeith Lee Stanfield (Photos Courtesy of FX)
Brian Tyree Henry, Lakeith Lee Stanfield and Zazie Beetz have signed on to the cast of Atlanta, a new FX Networks comedy pilot about to begin shooting. Community star Donald Glover created the series, wrote the pilot, serves as an executive producer, and is also starring in the series. Hiro Murai is set to direct the pilot which will shoot in Atlanta.
FX hasn’t announced when we can expect to see Atlanta make its primetime debut.
The Characters and Atlanta Plot, Courtesy of FX:
Atlanta revolves around two cousins on their way up through the Atlanta rap scene whose opposing views on art versus commerce, success and race will make their quest anything but easy.
– Donald Glover will play “EARNEST ‘EARN’ MARKS,” a loner who left Atlanta only to return; now working an unglamorous job and barely getting by. When his cousin Alfred becomes Atlanta’s hot rapper, Earn sees an opportunity to manage Alfred’s career.
– Brian Tyree Henry will play “ALFRED MILES,” Atlanta’s hot of the moment rapper who plans to capitalize on the sudden fame as quickly as possible.
– Lakeith Lee Stanfield will play “DARIUS,” Alfred’s oddly talented right-hand man and musical collaborator.
– Zazie Beetz will play “VAN,” a pragmatist caught up in a complicated relationship with Earn (Donald Glover) due to their daughter.
