Oscar-winner Angelina Jolie Pitt is set to direct First They Killed My Father based on Loung Ung’s memoir First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers. Jolie Pitt and Ung adapted Ung’s book, with Jolie Pitt also producing the dramatic film along with Rithy Panh. According to the official announcement, Jolie Pitt’s son Maddox, who was born in Cambodia, will also be involved in the film.
The project is a Netflix Original Film and is expected to air on the streaming service late next year.
“I was deeply affected by Loung’s book,” stated Jolie Pitt. “It deepened forever my understanding of how children experience war and are affected by the emotional memory of it. And it helped me draw closer still to the people of Cambodia, my son’s homeland.”
“Angelina and I met in 2001 in Cambodia, and immediately, I trusted Angelina’s heart,” stated Ung. “Through the years, we have become close friends, and my admiration for Angelina as a woman, a mother, a filmmaker, and a humanitarian has only grown. It is with great honor that I entrust my family’s story to Angelina to adapt into a film.”
Commenting on her partnership with Netflix, Jolie Pitt said, “Films like this are hard to watch but important to see. They are also hard to get made. Netflix is making this possible, and I am looking forward to working with them and excited that the film will reach so many people.”
The First They Killed My Father Story:
Loung Ung was five years old when the Khmer Rouge assumed power over Cambodia in 1975 and began a four-year reign of terror and genocide in which nearly two million Cambodians died. Forced from her family’s home in Phnom Penh, Ung was trained as a child soldier in a work camp for orphans while her six siblings were sent to labor camps. Ung survived and wrote First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers, which was first published in 2000.
Cody Christian at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con (Photo by Rebecca Murray / Showbiz Junkies)
Teen Wolf series creator Jeff Davis says Cody Christian’s character, Theo, is one of his personal favorite new characters. Why? Because every series needs a character audiences can really hate. Davis even described Theo as the Teen Wolf equivalent of Game of Thrones‘ Joffrey. At the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con, Christian took Davis’ comparison as a compliment.
“Honestly, it’s an honor. Just the opportunity that I’ve gotten already being on the show and the character that I’ve been given is like a meaty character with so much substance,” said Christian during our roundtable interview. “Theo has everywhere to go in this season, and playing a character like that is an incredible experience. Teen Wolf being established in its fifth season, that’s badass to me. I take that with utmost respect.”
Asked how he gets into the darker aspects of the character, Christian replied, “Me, personally, there’s nothing that I pull from my life. I’m a firm believer that every character has its own story and as an actor, as an artist, it’s our job to create that story. I look at every character, every role as an empty canvas. When I first sit down, it’s like I’m taking a paint brush to it for the first time. I get to create everything that supports this character and makes it what it is. So, painting that story of Theo and what he is and what he comes from was so much fun. I can’t wait for the audience to see it.”
Going in, Christian wasn’t completely aware that Theo would be a major antagonist. “There was a concept. When I auditioned for the role, Theo was an idea. And as we started filming, as the season progressed, it then grew to what it is now. That’s compliments to Jeff and our amazing team of writers on Teen Wolf. But, yeah, when I first auditioned I was like, ‘Let me be a badass. I just want to be a badass.’ That’s what I went to them with. Theo, he has his moments.”
Although some fans aren’t sure if Theo is actually a werewolf, Christian said it’s been revealed. “We’ve seen him with fangs and the crinkled forehead,” said Christian. “We saw it and it is what it is. I think he’s full-on werewolf – and also a wolf wolf.”
Derek Waters, Taran Killam, Jeremy Konner and Paget Brewster at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con (Photo by Richard Chavez / Showbiz Junkies)
Comedy Central brought Drunk History creators Derek Waters and Jeremy Konner along with actors Taran Killam and Paget Brewster to the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con to discuss the show’s twisted take on history. The comedy series is heading into its third season, which is set to kick off this September, and at Comic-Con Waters and Konner provided a look behind the scenes at how the historic events/figures are chosen and how each episode is shot.
Waters and Konner also discussed what it’s like to work with the narrators as they enjoy their favorite alcoholic beverages.
The Drunk History Plot: “Drunk History presents historical reenactments from A-list talent as told by inebriated storytellers. Based on the award-winning and wildly popular web series, Drunk History provides a unique take on the familiar and less familiar people and events from our country’s great past as great moments in history are reenacted with unforgettable results.”
Taran Killam (SNL) has been involved in the reenactments and explained the process during our roundtable interviews at Comic-Con. “They send you the video and the audio file before you even show up, so if you’re diligent enough – which I think a lot of people who do the show are not – you can do the research ahead of time. I myself am not. So, they’ll start lighting and they’ll play it over and over and over again. You probably get to hear it 10 or 12 times before they’re even rolling. The problem is that you’re also there to hang out with the people you’re shooting with. So, you’re socializing, you’re talking, so hopefully some of it sinks in subconsciously. Because it’s not very long, it’s pretty easy. Normally by the third or fourth time everyone is in sync.”
Watch the full interviews for more on Drunk History, the celebrities who participate, outtakes, and pitching ideas:
Jensen Ackles at the 2015 San Diego Comic Con (Photo by Richard Chavez / Showbiz Junkies)
Jensen Ackles didn’t give much away about the upcoming 11th season of The CW’s Supernatural while doing roundtable interviews at the 2015 San Diego Comic Con, but he did catch us up on where the story left off and what he’s looking forward to within the Winchester brother relationship next season. “The mark is gone and so with that comes double trouble,” said Ackles. “We find ourselves now in the wake of what happened last thing in the last season. Something has been released in the world. We have to figure out what that is, how far its reach is, and how we’re going to fix it.”
Ackles said fans of the series can expect more of the brothers working together in season 11. “One of the things I really like about it is it’s kind of going back to the original format of having both brothers unaffected…meaning not drinking demon blood and not having the Mark of Cain on their arm. Just Sam and Dean as Sam and Dean, and fighting a common cause – a common target. I’m anxious to see how it gets back to that and what it means for the show. I think it’s a good show,” explained Ackles.
Ackles is also really looking forward to one episode in particular: “Baby” featuring Dean’s beloved Impala. “I’m excited about that. I’ve watched that movie Locke – a fantastic movie – but then I’ve also seen the movie Buried with Ryan Reynolds, and all I wanted…even with the Ryan Reynolds movie which is great and I think Ryan did a great job…but all I wanted to see was just a shot of the desert. ‘Just get me out of the box for a second! Just give me an establishing shot and then we can go back in the box.’ And, of course it never happens so I felt a little claustrophobic. But with Locke, I never would have imagined an hour and a half movie sitting 90 minutes in a car would have been as interesting as it was. So, if that’s the formula we have to follow I’m very nervous. We might have to call Tom Hardy and have him come over and guest star in that one. ‘Will you just sit in the back seat and say all of our dialogue for us?'”
Dean has a lot of bromances on the show, so in real life who would Ackles like to be involved in a bromance with? “Well I just mentioned Tom Hardy and he’s certainly somebody that I admire and respect, and admire his talent. There’s some other contemporaries that I have. I think [Ryan] Gosling is a very talented, under-used actor, although that might be by his own choice,” replied Ackles. “You talk about the Chrises. What is it, the four Chrises? Chris Pine, Chris Pratt, Chris Evans, [Chris Hemsworth]. All of those guys – I admire their careers and what they do. I don’t know if I would necessarily get in a bromance though. I think if I was going to bromance somebody it might be like Bear Grylls.”
Showtime has set an October 2015 premiere date for the new seasons of Homeland and The Affair. Homeland season five will premiere on October 4th at 9pm ET/PT followed by The Affair‘s second season premiere at 10pm ET/PT.
In addition, Showtime also debuted the poster for season five of the drama Homeland starring Claire Danes. The network also revealed details on the upcoming seasons of both shows.
Homeland:
Homeland season five will pick up two years after Carrie Mathison’s (Danes) ill-fated tenure as Islamabad station chief. Struggling to reconcile her guilt and disillusionment with years of working on the front lines in the “war on terror,” Carrie finds herself in a self-imposed exile in Berlin, estranged from the CIA and working as the head of security for a German philanthropist. Homeland is currently in production in Berlin, and is the first American TV series to shoot entirely in Germany. Season five also stars Rupert Friend, F. Murray Abraham, Sebastian Koch, Miranda Otto, Alexander Fehling, Sarah Sokolovic, and Mandy Patinkin.
The Affair:
Season two of The Affair explores the emotional and psychological effects of an affair that destroyed two marriages, and the crime that brings these individuals back together. This season, the provocative drama will be told separately from four different perspectives, revealing four distinct truths. The Affair features Ruth Wilson as Alison, a young woman attempting to move on from tragedy and building a lasting relationship while contending with the judgment of others and her own self-doubt.
Her lover Noah (Dominic West) is a burgeoning writer trying to balance the temptations of success, the family he left behind, and the woman he loves. Noah’s former wife Helen (Maura Tierney) is attempting to piece her life together while navigating divorce proceedings, care for her children, and her parents’ noxious influence. Joshua Jackson plays Cole, Alison’s former husband struggling to overcome past heartbreak and start a promising new life. Yet the long-term ramifications of the affair continue to shape these lives, and will lead to an event that changes everything once again.
Natalie Brown and David Bradley at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con (Photos by Richard Chavez / Showbiz Junkies)
David Bradley stars as Abraham Setrakian and Natalie Brown is back as Kelly Goodweather in FX’s riveting (and gory) horror series The Strain, now airing season two on Sunday nights at 10pm ET/PT. This new season finds the core group from season one still hunting vampires, but now New Yorkers are in on the secret. At the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con, Bradley enthusiastically talked about how this expanded knowledge will affect Setrakian in a positive way.
“The authorities in New York realize that maybe this old guy is on to something,” explained Bradley during our roundtable interview. “They still are capable of underestimating them so he has to say, ‘That was an attack of about 30 vamps.’ And they’re saying, ‘We got rid of them!’ He says, ‘No, there will be a few thousands more tonight. Trust me.’ And he’s right. So I think the credibility issue he has at the end of season one having failed to dispatch the Master, he has a lot to claw back in terms of his respectability within the group. I think he’s gone down the pecking order a little bit.”
“What’s interesting for me is playing a character who is so determined and is such a forceful character. He knows he’s right, even though he has trouble persuading other people that this is what’s happened,” said Bradley. “After that episode of failing to get rid of the Master, he starts to have self-doubt. It’s always interesting and it’s good writing when you see a side of the character who’s not just this guy who’s like a 70-year-old action hero. He’s capable of having weaknesses and he starts to doubt himself and it takes a lot of time and energy to persuade the other members of the group to keep going because they’re starting to say, ‘You’ve been wrong before. Maybe we shouldn’t take this route.’
But, thankfully, Vasiliy Fet [played by Kevin Durand] is slowly becoming his surrogate son, whether he would admit that or not – and I suspect not. He’s got this family that he never had around him. He’s lived as a loner most of his life after losing his wife. He’s spent all of his time and energy building up his armor in his basement, making silver weapons just in case the day happens. If someone would have told him before this all happened that his greatest ally would be a rat catcher, he wouldn’t [believe it]. ‘No way. Try again.’ It’s an unlikely alliance in a way but it’s a very fruitful one because at last he’s got someone who will say, ‘Yeah, where are we going?’ ‘We’re going down this alley where you can’t see anything.’ ‘Yeah, I trust you. I’ll come with you.'”
Bradley says while the group’s still battling the vampires, they do split up and go their separate ways for a while in season two. “They split off for their own little ways of solving the problem. At least in season two, there are more people involved who believe this old guy.”
And as Kelly Goodweather, season two finds Natalie Brown playing den mother to a bunch of creepy kids. “I was pretty lucky. I mean, these new assistants, this new family that Kelly, has they do her bidding. They do all the dirty work,” said Brown. “And they, as performers, are just so incredibly gifted. Just the sweetest personalities. I couldn’t believe how dark the subject matter was and how much fun we had on set.”
Brown has no problem getting into the layers of makeup she has to wear this season as a newly turned vampire. “It’s four and a half hours. I talk the whole time. I’m not claustrophobic and I’m a people person. The people that we work with in special effects makeup are so great. We get to spend the wee hours together as you know, and I feel like their artistry makes the job so much easier.
I’m not that scary as a person, but when they’re done with me I certainly am. The effects, adding in the stinger, is also very helpful. The sound effects…there’s some really interesting arachnoid/insectoid sounds that we have when we move – especially the children. They do such great work that it makes the job so much easier. I can show up and have fun.”
Despite the fact she’s starring in one of the scariest shows on television, Brown isn’t a “horror girl” and scares very easily. “I believe in evil. I believe in ghosts and energy, and there are bad people in this world. But I’ve checked with Guillermo [del Toro] and he’s assured me that there are no vampires. Because I asked him that how is it that so many different countries around the world for so many years have these shared stories, shared fables and folklore that has permeated for so many decades. ‘Is there some truth to it?’ And he said, ‘No. Ghosts, yes. Vampires, no.’ So, I’ve been told be the expert that we’re safe.”
Tyler Posey and Jeff Davis (Photo Credit: 2015 Getty Images / MTV)
Teen Wolf series creator/executive producer Jeff Davis describes season five of the MTV series as complicated, and fans of the show would agree with that assessment. The new structure of the season – two blocks of 10 episodes – has allowed Davis to take the story into even darker places. Davis also revealed there are big twists and turns in store that will split the characters apart.
During roundtable interviews at the 2015 San Diego Comic Con, Davis said fans can expect to get most of the season’s questions answered by season five’s 20th episode. “We’ve had a few cliffhangers here and there between seasons, but I like telling a complete story. I think it’s very satisfying. You can see that story as one book in a series of books, essentially. I like that. I was a huge fan of Lost, but it was trying to get through to the end of each season and still have so many questions. We have plenty of questions that linger, but the storyline is wrapped up in a satisfying way. I loved… 3B is one of my favorites – if not my favorite – seasons. 3-24 is one of my favorite episodes because there are so many different wrap-ups and it feels like the ending to the story,” explained Davis. “3B was a tough season to shoot because we’d never lost a character like that. That death had big repercussions on the show.”
Other key details from the interview include:
STILES AND LYDIA: Are they going to be together? “I can’t answer that. We debate that in the writers room all the time, actually. There are some people in the writers room who find themselves saying, ‘Stiles and Lydia, yes.’ And then others saying, ‘No. Never.’ And then the no, never people suddenly change their minds because there are two different ways about it: they become friends and they’re beyond it or are they meant for each other. We love stories where they’re meant for each other so…”
STILES: How is he affected by the loss of so many friends? “Stiles goes through a lot this season, actually. He gets pretty torn up. We take him to a pretty dark place, I would say.”
THE NOGITSUNE POWERS: Is Stiles still affected? “No, the Nogitsune is completely out of his system, but…”
PARRISH: Davis confirmed we will find out what type of supernatural Parrish is this season. “I won’t tell you when, but it happens in 5A.”
KIRA: “She definitely has a lot of struggle. What’s happening to her is the fox within her is vying for independence.”
NEW CHARACTERS: Asked which new character he’s most excited about, Davis said it’s Theo played by Cody Christian. “I said at the beginning in the writers room, ‘I want a character we can really hate. I want our Joffrey.’ So, trust me, you’re going to hate him so much by the end of the season. It’s fun to have a character like that you can hate.”
DANNY: For Danny fans, Davis said, “Danny graduated early,” in response to the question of where is he now.
After making its debut at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con, Lionsgate’s released the official trailer for the final film of The Hunger Games franchise, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, starring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. The full-length trailer for Mockingjay Part 2 shows the districts are working together to take down the Capitol and President Snow (Donald Sutherland).
The cast of the final Hunger Games movie also includes Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Stanley Tucci, Jeffrey Wright, Julianne Moore, Willow Shields, and Natalie Dormer.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 opens in theaters on November 20, 2015.
The Plot:
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 now brings the franchise to its powerful fourth chapter in which Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) now fully realizes the stakes are no longer just for survival — they are for the future.
With the nation of Panem in a full-scale war, Katniss confronts President Snow (Sutherland) in the final showdown. Teamed with a group of her closest friends – including Gale (Hemsworth), Finnick (Claflin), and Peeta (Hutcherson) – Katniss goes off on a mission with the unit from District 13 as they risk their lives to stage an assassination attempt on President Snow who has become increasingly obsessed with destroying her. The mortal traps, enemies, and moral choices that await Katniss will challenge her more than any arena she faced in The Hunger Games.
The cast of Archer were under strict orders not to give anything away about the upcoming seventh season of the FX animated comedy while at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con. Normally FX would show off the first episode during the Archer panel at Comic-Con, however this year they showed a teaser reel but not a full episode.
“This is the first year we haven’t been able to say anything,” said Aisha Tyler during our roundtable interview. “We can’t talk about anything, which is weird.”
“Something big is happening, and there’s going to be a dynamic change for everybody,” teased Tyler. “I think a big part of this season is when we were the actual spy agency, we were really kind of outside the CIA and were essentially spies for hire. And then we got disavowed and we had to turn to drug dealing to make a living which we didn’t do very well. I don’t know how we’re still in business; we’ve never been very good at anything we’ve done. Now the team is trying to find a way to keep the doors open and keep the lights on. The way that we figure that out is going to be very interesting. Very interesting. A lot of power changes, dynamics troubles.”
One thing Tyler was able to confirm is that Abbiejean will still be a baby in the upcoming season. “Abbiejean is 17 years old and super slutty,” joked Tyler before adding, “She’s still a baby. But, obviously, Archer and Lana had an interesting shift in their relationship last season which I thought was great. I don’t want them to be together but it was awesome to see probably what they were like the first time they dated. She’s still got to co-parent with this guy and he’s a total douche. He’s not really the guy you’d want to stick with long term.”
So, Tyler wouldn’t like to see Lana and Archer actually back together as a couple? “I’ll put this delicately: I like it when they f*ck,” said Tyler, laughing. “You don’t want to try to get that guy to take out the trash or help you with a computer problem. Do you know what I mean? He’s a useless human being for everything but sex. He’s not even that good of a spy. Lana’s a way better spy than he is. But, he’s got an awesome body, and apparently he’s awesome in the sack.”
Stephen Amell at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con (Photo by Richard Chavez / Showbiz Junkies)
Arrow star Stephen Amell has an interesting take on the upcoming season of the comic book-inspired The CW series. During the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con, Amell not only participated in Warner Bros Television and DC Entertainment’s huge Super Hero Saturday Night panel and screenings, but he also sat down with the press for roundtable interviews in order to delve further into the upcoming fourth season.
“We’re 69 episodes into the show, and I do really feel like the first chapter – albeit it was over the course of three chapters – but the first chapter of the show has come to a close,” explained Amell. “Literally, we drove off into the sunset. So, life is still the same for some people and by the same I mean… I’m going to circle back because I actually just thought of this. We’ve taken Oliver through his first chapter, meanwhile we’ve taken all of our other core members, they are beginning a new chapter as well. They have graduated to where we found Oliver at the beginning of the series, minus his suicidal tendencies probably.”
“I’m excited. There are wrinkles and elements of the character this year that really fall a lot closer to my personality. It’s funny, when I’d meet people during season one and season two and I’d crack a joke, they’d be like, ‘Oh, you’re not like that guy.’ I’m not like that guy at all. There are a lot of things about that guy that I do like. I’m really hoping that these new elements breath some fresh air into the show. I’m incredibly excited about this season having read three episodes and talked about where things are going, new cast members, interactions between existing cast members. It’s going to be great.”
Speaking of new cast members, season four finds Neal McDonough joining the cast as Damien Darhk. Asked how Darhk and Oliver will interact this coming season, Amell replied, “I don’t know how their relationship exists. I mean, Oliver knows precious little about Damien Darhk. I don’t even know if he understands that when Ra’s referred to a hive of operatives, that he meant an actual hive. I think that’s Diggle knowledge; that’s not Oliver knowledge. But, Damien brings elements to Starling City that, again, I think will help fuel our flashback story this year with Oliver.”
Although Amell did his best to avoid any specifics during the interview, he did tell us that at the beginning of the season Oliver will once again be running. “He’s running, like always. He’s always running. Season one, season two, and season three, he’s running. You go back and watch. So he is running again this year. He will always be running, but he’s in a very different spot,” said Amell. “Oliver always tends to come into the new season with a new skill set, and he does have a new skill set this year – it’s just entirely related to domestic living.”
That “domestic living” includes a true chance at happiness with Felicity, played by Emily Bett Rickards. “Oliver is almost entirely at peace when we first see him. We see that both emotionally in terms of his state, and I pitched an idea where we actually see a literal physical change that shows that he has moved past some of the things that have happened to him the past several years,” teased Amell.
Domestic tranquility doesn’t mean the entire season will be smooth going for Oliver. If/when Sarah returns, Amell says he’s not sure how Oliver will react. “I don’t know. His reaction is going to depend entirely upon the state that she is in. You know, we teased a lot of things about what the Lazarus Pit does to you in season three, and we haven’t quite explored them yet with someone that came out of the Lazarus Pit, Thea. But Thea went into the Lazarus Pit kind of still alive but in a state that modern medicine couldn’t bring her back. If Sarah comes back to life, and one assumes that it happens via the Pit, Sarah’s been dead like a year so that’s a very different thing.”
