Tina Fey (Photo by Richard Chavez / Showbiz Junkies)
Filming has just gotten underway in New Mexico on an untitled comedy movie starring Tina Fey, Margot Robbie, and Martin Freeman. Paramount Pictures announced the start of production on the film based on The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Kim Barker and directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (Crazy, Stupid, Love). SNL writer penned the screenplay and Fey, Lorne Michaels, and Ian Bryce are producing.
The cast also includes Billy Bob Thornton, Alfred Molina, Nicholas Braun, Christopher Abbott, Sheila Vand, Stephen Peacocke, and Evan Jonigkeit.
From the book’s publisher:
“When Kim Barker first arrived in Kabul as a journalist in 2002, she barely owned a passport, spoke only English and had little idea how to do the ‘Taliban Shuffle’ between Afghanistan and Pakistan. No matter—her stories about Islamic militants and shaky reconstruction were soon overshadowed by the bigger news in Iraq. But as she delved deeper into Pakistan and Afghanistan, her love for the hapless countries grew, along with her fear for their future stability. In this darkly comic and unsparing memoir, Barker uses her wry, incisive voice to expose the absurdities and tragedies of the ‘forgotten war,’ finding humor and humanity amid the rubble and heartbreak.”
Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig) & King Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) in ‘Vikings’ season 3 (Photo by Jonathan Hession / HISTORY Copyright 2015)
Vikings stars Travis Fimmel and Alexander Ludwig were teamed up to talk to the media during the Television Critics Association’s winter press event and I had the opportunity to snag some time with the pair of talented actors. History’s Vikings season three will premiere on February 19, 2015 at 10pm ET/PT, and Fimmel and Ludwig were eager to discuss what fans can expect from this upcoming season.
How has the change in setting and the increased scale of the action impacted your characters?
Travis Fimmel: “It’s great. We’re really excited for the CGI stuff in Paris.
Alexander Ludwig: “We’re still shooting in Ireland, but it was incredible what they did with Paris. I’m really excited to see it because a lot of it is CGI, so we get to see this whole new world that’s just been created for us, which we’re really excited about.”
Does Ragnar’s relationship to his people change as he gains more power?
Alexander Ludwig: “Good question. Absolutely. I think so.”
Travis Fimmel: “He never wanted to be king or any of that stuff. He just wanted to explore and that kind of thing. In a way, it’s interesting this year the way people treat him. It’s different.”
Alexander Ludwig: “Exactly. It’s not the way he treats others, it’s the way they treat him. This season is about sustaining power as opposed to obtaining it and how dangerous it is to be up.”
Will he still be leery of Floki’s motivations?
Travis Fimmel: “Of everybody’s motivations – Floki, his sons, his wives, everybody’s motivations. Once you’ve reached power, you’re more scared of other people’s ambitions than what your own ambition is. From his wives to everybody, who can he trust, you know? There’s a lot of trust games going on this year.”
Alexander Ludwig: “There’s a line in the script that say…”
Travis Fimmel: “Power is only given to those who dare to bend down to pick it up.”
Alexander Ludwig: “Which is the truth. You have to be ruthless. You have to be able to bend down to be able to pick it up.”
Alexander, why does your character seem more connected to Rollo (played by Clive Standen) as a father figure than Ragnar?
Alexander Ludwig: “This is a really interesting dynamic. It’s really interesting because Ragnar is such a great father, but he’s also so busy dealing with his own stuff, being a King for everybody, Bjorn had to find another father figure in his life, so he went to Rollo. And Rollo kind of looked for meaning in his life, and he found Bjorn. There’s this amazing dynamic between us as well.”
Creator/writer Michael Hirst was talking about how it started with one ship and 30 Vikings. How have you adjusted to the ever-expanding scale of the show?
Alexander Ludwig: [Laughing] “Travis’ ego has definitely grown.”
Travis Fimmel: “It’s true to history that we get so many ships and all that. I can’t wait to see it. It’s funny as an actor, you don’t get to see it. We’re against green screens and don’t know. They say how many boats are there, but we’re like the audience. We’re intrigued to see what it’s going to look like.”
Alexander Ludwig: “It’s embarrassing to say when you ask that question, and I wish we had a better answer for you, but the truth is we haven’t seen it because Paris for us was exceptional. They built this huge, huge studio out in the back of our studio, and it’s all green screen so we don’t get to see it.”
Travis Fimmel: “We never see it. There could be a hundred ships in the background, but we don’t get to see it.”
Alexander Ludwig: “We’re just as excited as the audience is.”
Travis Fimmel: “Here’s an actor’s tip: The more ships there are, the more you lean forward.”
How much of your character comes to life when you put the costumes on?
Travis Fimmel: “All of the crew that are there are tremendous at their jobs, from the costumes, makeup, set design, it really helps put you into that world. As actors, we don’t have anything to relate to other than the relationship stuff. We have sons that we love, we have family that we love. We’ll stick up for what we believe in. But we weren’t born in that age. We weren’t fighting with axes. We didn’t hit people in the head with axes. That’s the amazing thing about TV in this day and age.”
Alexander Ludwig: “Your ability to be so creative, it’s exceptional. I think that they are the true stars of the show. I think Travis would agree.”
Travis Fimmel: “The Irish crew.”
Alexander Ludwig: “They really are incredible. I’ve never worked with such creative minds.”
Alexander Ludwig: “And I really hope that they get recognized for their efforts because what they’ve done is pretty unbelievable.”
Was there a moment back in the first season when you knew Vikings was connecting with audiences?
Travis Fimmel: “Oh, when they picked us up for the second season, I guess.”
Were you getting feedback from social media or fan events?
Travis Fimmel: “I’m not on social media. But you know when you’re doing something good when you’re surrounded by talented people. You realize that you’re very lucky to be in that group.”
Alexander Ludwig: “In terms of talented people, no one works harder than this f**kface over here. I’ve learned so much from him. [Travis jokes and protests] It’s the truth. He works so hard, and it’s incredible to see the effort that goes into this from everybody. It’s an amazing experience to know that you’re working on something great.”
Reggie Lee, Bree Turner, Silas Weir Mitchell, Bitsie Tulloch, David Giuntoli, Sasha Roiz, Claire Coffee, and Russell Hornsby at The Grimm Gala on Saturday, February 7 at the Exchange Ballroom in support of OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital (Photo by: Andie Petkus / NBC)
The cast of NBC’s hit dramatic series Grimm has adopted Portland as their home away from home, taking the OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital under their wing and throwing their considerable support toward helping to raise money for the hospital’s young patients and their families. On February 7, 2015 the Grimm cast hosted the first “Grimm Gala,” a fundraising event to establish the Grimmster Endowment for the Children’s Hospital.
According to NBC, more than $310,000 was raised through the sold-out event and via an online auction that raised $12,248 as well as additional online donations that totaled $3,632. And fans of Grimm are still able to donate at grimmgala.doernbecherfoundation.org.
NBCUniversal and Comcast covered the Gala’s expenses so that funds raised could go directly toward the OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital via the Grimmster Endowment. The Endowment will help provide “children and families critical support associated with uncompensated care, travel, lodging, and other services.”
“Over the past few years, my fellow cast and crew members and I have fallen in love with the city. Since Portland has given us so much, we wanted to give something back,” said Sasha Roiz (‘Captain Sean Renard’). “The cast visited OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital not long after coming to Portland, and we were moved by the families, kids, and everything the hospital does to ensure patients receive the best possible care in a supportive, family-centered environment.”
Sasha Roiz at The Grimm Gala (Photo by: Andie Petkus / NBC)
Dakota Johnson during an interview with host Jimmy Fallon on February 10, 2015 (Photo by: Douglas Gorenstein / NBC)
Fifty Shades of Grey star Dakota Johnson is out and about doing publicity for the R-rated film hitting theaters on February 13, 2015 and one of her stops was to chat with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show. While Fallon made Johnson’s co-star Jamie Dornan recite passages from the Fifty Shades book in different accents, Johnson was asked to read random sentences in her sexiest voice. She even threw in a few winks and a hair toss to get the ‘sexy’ vibe down.
Watch the video:
The Plot:
Ana is an inexperienced college student tasked with interviewing enigmatic billionaire Christian Grey. But what starts as business quickly becomes an unconventional romance. Swept up in Christian’s glamorous lifestyle, Ana soon finds another side to him as she discovers his secrets and explores her own dark desires. What results is a thrilling, all-consuming romance as Christian and Ana test the limits they will go to for their relationship.
A mysterious wanderer (Kevin Durand) arrives in Kattegat in ‘Vikings’ (Photo by Jonathan Hession / HISTORY Copyright 2015)
During a conference call in support of the upcoming third season of History’s Vikings, Kevin Durand said that he was a big fan of the series before joining the cast as ‘Harbard.’ Durand’s never played a character like Harbard before, and he found the scripts to be so compelling that he was excited to join the critically acclaimed series from creator/writer Michael Hirst.
Season three of Vikings premieres on February 19, 2015.
As a new cast member and a fan of the show, what is it that you think separates Vikings from other shows?
Kevin Durand: “Well, it being the type of period piece it is [with] all of this mysticism and it almost feels sometimes like it’s completely fantastical – kind of like Game of Thrones would be = but then this is all rooted in true beliefs and the Vikings had such grand beliefs about the world that they’re living in. It teaches you to kind of get behind the looking glass and see how they actually fought and how they lived in this pagan way of life, and Ragnar especially struggling with this newfound Christianity and struggling with his beliefs above [all].
I think it’s just a really interesting take, a really interesting angle on that time and these people. Michael Hirst has been such an incredible showrunner and creator of this show. He always has a history [book] right there at his side. He’s not straying away from historical facts. […]These people all truly existed and it’s just a really amazing trip.”
Can you discuss your interactions with Michael Hurst and what kind of guidance he’s given you about the character?
Kevin Durand: “Yes. You know, in our initial conversations, we talked a lot about the characters. The influence that Rasputin has on these characters, along with a couple of other [people] that I can’t really mention because, as you know if you have watched the first three episodes and you’ve read about him, he’s a mysterious character and nobody at this point knows who he is. I can’t divulge who the other people are, but Rasputin was definitely a big influence in his creating this character and then me playing him.”
Did you do any additional research on Rasputin or research on the period in which the Vikings is set?
Kevin Durand: “Most of what I did was read about Rasputin – along with a couple of other figures that I cannot mention. Yes, I read about his life. He’s such an interesting character and such a walking circus of contradiction. It was really fun to get to play with those extremes with Mr. Harbard here.”
What episode should people really look forward to as far as your character and why?
Kevin Durand: “Well I have to say the fourth episode is probably the most impactful one. Harbard’s actions will pretty much change the course of action for all of the other characters in that episode and he leaves a pretty deep kind of a wound, I guess – a deep mark. And I would say that that’s probably the one that probably has the most impact.”
Were there discussions with Michael Hirst about the cadence of the dialogue and your voice? Your delivery matches what others have been doing for two seasons.
Kevin Durand: “You know, I’m really kind of experimental. That stuff I love – I love accents and voice, and I love what these characters are doing on the shows. So I think Harbard’s speech is very, very strongly influenced by Floki and Ragnar and at times he kind of veers off and becomes a little more Floki at times. Sometimes, he sounds a little bit more like Ragnar. It’s kind of a part of who this fellow is, which you’ll kind of find out in due time.”
We’ve heard there are pranksters on the set. Did they target you?
Kevin Durand: [Laughing] “You know what? They didn’t get me because most of my work was with the girls so the guys didn’t get a chance to torture me. But the one thing that I did notice that I hadn’t really experienced before was this crew and this cast…they’re so tightly woven and so tightly knit and have such a great chemistry. It’s really like kind of being accepted into a family, and it was just such a wonderful experience to be welcomed in and what a pleasure to work with such a great bunch of folks.”
Can you talk about the hair and makeup?
Kevin Durand: “It’s amazing what they did. That’s not my regular beard, either. I can’t grow a beard like that in a hundred years so when they take the beard off at night and I kept those extensions – my huge braids, I felt like I was in Avatar or something, that I was going to plug it into some magic dragon and fly away. It was kind of incredible. Just an amazing group of artists over there.”
Was there anything special you did to prepare yourself physically for the role?
Kevin Durand: “I kind of live Viking-ready, to tell you the truth. Yes. It’s been part of my life. You know, out of the 365 days a year I’d say that I’m probably doing my Viking workout probably at least 320 of those days. [Laughing] It has more to do with my obsessive nature and just kind of always striving for good health.”
Will you be sporting an awesome tattoo during this season like the other characters?
Kevin Durand: “Yes. I haven’t seen the episodes so I don’t know if you ever actually see them. I actually kind of added to some of my own tattoos and covered some of mine. They gave me some new ones. They’re gorgeous. They’re really interesting.”
Vikings, just by its nature, is violent. Is that something that Harbard comes into contact with? Do you have any fight scenes?
Kevin Durand: “At this point, no, but it doesn’t mean that we don’t feel that violence is a part of his nature as well which I guess you’ll see more often in episode four. No, I don’t take out an axe and go into the field and charge against a bunch of the English or the [Norsemen] or anything like that. Not yet.”
Michael loves the mystical side and exploring the mysticism that the Vikings believe in and your arrival is sort of foretold through the three women’s dreams.
Kevin Durand: “Yes. I mean those dreams were obviously foreshadowing my arrival. He’s a mystical character. He’s a healer. Where do these powers come from? Why does he seem to have kind of a hold over some of these characters? And as you’ll see in episode four that mysticism I think plays into why he ends up being so impactful on many of the lives of the main characters. So yes, I really enjoyed that aspect of it and Michael does it so brilliantly. I’m so glad that I could help them tell that side of the story.”
Four (Theo James) and Tris (Shailene Woodley) in ‘The Divergent Series: Insurgent’ (Photo Credit: Andrew Cooper)
The new trailer for The Divergent Series: Insurgent titled “Fight Back” finds Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) pursued by the authorities because they’re Divergent. Directed by Robert Schwentke and based on the book series by Veronica Roth, the cast of the second film of the series also includes Octavia Spencer, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Zoë Kravitz, Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, Maggie Q, Mekhi Phifer, Daniel Dae Kim, Naomi Watts, and Kate Winslet.
The Divergent Series: Insurgent opens in theaters on March 20, 2015.
20th Century Fox has released the first trailer for the action film Hitman: Agent 47 starring Rupert Friend and directed by Aleksander Bach. The cast also includes Hannah Ware, Zachary Quinto, Ciarán Hinds, and Thomas Kretschmann.
Hitman: Agent 47 opens in theaters on August 28, 2015.
The Plot:
Hitman: Agent 47 centers on an elite assassin who was genetically engineered from conception to be the perfect killing machine, and is known only by the last two digits on the barcode tattooed on the back of his neck. He is the culmination of decades of research and forty-six earlier Agent clones — endowing him with unprecedented strength, speed, stamina and intelligence. His latest target is a mega-corporation that plans to unlock the secret of Agent 47’s past to create an army of killers whose powers surpass even his own.
Teaming up with a young woman who may hold the secret to overcoming their powerful and clandestine enemies, 47 confronts stunning revelations about his own origins and squares off in an epic battle with his deadliest foe.
The second trailer for Disney’s Cinderella declares “There’s more to the legend than you ever dreamed,” and hopefully that is actually the case with this new live-action fairy tale story. Directed by Kenneth Branagh (Thor), the cast is led by Lily James as Cinderella and Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) as the Prince, and features Cate Blanchett, Stellan Skarsgård, Holliday Grainger, Sophie McShera, Derek Jacobi and Helena Bonham Carter.
Disney’s releasing Cinderella in theaters on March 13, 2015.
The story of “Cinderella” follows the fortunes of young Ella (Lily James) whose merchant father remarries following the death of her mother. Eager to support her loving father, Ella welcomes her new Stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and her daughters Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drisella (Sophie McShera) into the family home. But, when Ella’s father unexpectedly passes away, she finds herself at the mercy of a jealous and cruel new family.
Soon, she is forced to become their servant, disrespected, covered in ashes and spitefully renamed Cinderella. Yet, despite the cruelty inflicted upon her, Ella will not give in to despair nor despise those who mistreat her, and she continues to remain positive, determined to honor her mother’s dying words and to “have courage and be kind.”
When Ella meets a dashing stranger in the woods, unaware that he is really the Prince (Richard Madden) and not merely Kit, an apprentice at the palace, she believes she has finally found a kindred soul. It appears her fortunes may be about to change when the King (Derek Jacobi) summons all maidens in the kingdom to attend a royal ball at the palace, raising Ella’s hopes of once again encountering the charming Kit. Alas, her Stepmother forbids her to attend and callously destroys her dress.
Meanwhile, the calculating Grand Duke (Stellan Skarsgård) devises a plan to thwart the Prince’s hopes of reuniting with Ella and enlists the support of the devious Stepmother. But, as in all good fairy tales, help is at hand. Soon, a kindly beggar woman (Helena Bonham Carter) steps forward and, armed with a pumpkin, a few mice and a magic wand, changes Cinderella’s life forever.
Tyler Hubbard, producer Joey Moi and Brian Kelley (Photo credit: Jason Mrusek)
Ask reigning CMA Vocal Duo of the Year Florida Georgia Line about the moment they knew they had something special with their debut single “Cruise,” and Tyler Hubbard says he can pinpoint the time and place.
“I think it was the Country Throwdown Tour in the summer of 2012,” he recalled. “That was a moment where we thought that things were starting to turn for us. People were beginning to recognize who we were. It was then that things really started to spread. Since then, it’s been a crazy ride.”
“Every show we played after releasing that song, things got better and better for our set,” agreed Hubbard’s duo partner, Brian Kelley. “People were buying the EP, our old stuff, and looking up YouTube videos of what we had covered, to make sure they knew that too.”
The Republic Nashville duo enjoyed a similar reaction to their sophomore effort, Anything Goes, which debuted at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 and Top Country Album charts and has been certified Gold. “Everything you hear on the album is something that (producer) Joey Moi brought to the table,” Hubbard insisted. “We call him the Wizard. He understands our dream, our vision and our sound, and who we are and what we represent. If it’s up to us, we’ll never let anyone else touch our music.”
Scott Borchetta, Founder/President/CEO of Big Machine Label Group, is also essential to the duo’s process. “Any time you have somebody who has been as successful as Scott on multiple levels of the industry, you have to listen to him,” said Kelley. “He gives great advice. His leadership is incredible. His vision is out of this world. When he speaks up with an idea, it’s pretty much greatness that comes from his mouth. He’s so driven and business-savvy. We’ve known that since Day One, and it’s cool to learn as much as we can from him.”
Jimmy Harnen is another important player in the Anything Goes story. “We had the pleasure of listening to it as it was being made,” said the Executive VP/ Big Machine Label Group and President of Republic Nashville. “We heard the demos and the rough mixes. It was always fun to watch as they built the follow-up to a great record. There were so many high points to Anything Goes, but at the same time, it maintains the core of Florida Georgia Line.”
This widening of the FGL sound may be what it takes to build on their already exploding fan base. “It’s amazing to see how music can touch so many people and turn them into Country Music fans,” Hubbard observed. “One of our best compliments is hearing that someone might not have listened to Country Music before we came out, and now they love it. We look forward to the meet-and-greets where we hear their stories. It’s so great to see them out in the crowd, letting loose and having a good time. That’s what we do it for.”
‘The Daily Show’ host Jon Stewart (Photo Rick Kerns for Getty Images
After 17 years as the host of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart says it’s time to say good-bye to the Comedy Central series. He doesn’t know exactly when he’ll be exiting the show, but Stewart joked that it’s his longest stretch of employment at one company by 16 years, five months. Stewart broke the news to his audience on February 10th, telling fans that The Daily Show doesn’t deserve an “even slightly restless host.”
Stewart revealed he doesn’t have any plans in place for what’s next after he leaves The Daily Show, but he did express a desire to actually spend time with his family who he’s heard are wonderful people. Thanking the in-studio audience and his viewers at home, Stewart said it’s not going to be being on TV every day or the show itself he’ll miss as much as the people connected to it and that it’s been an absolute privilege hosting the show all these years.
