Why is Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) staring at us on the new poster for AMC’s The Walking Dead season five? And why is Daryl (Norman Reedus) the only one hanging back while Carl and the rest of the zombie apocalypse survivors walk away? The group’s going to need to find a new place to call home if they decide to all stay together, but are they still looking to Rick for leadership? Season five continues on February 8, 2015 and hopefully we won’t have to wait long for all these questions to be answered.
In this new Strange Magic behind-the-scenes video, Alan Cumming, Maya Rudolph, Elijah Kelley, Meredith Anne Bull, Sam Palladio, and Evan Rachel Wood discuss their animated characters in the upcoming Lucasfilm and Touchstone Pictures release. George Lucas came up with the story, David Berenbaum, Irene Mecchi, Gary Rydstrom wrote the script, and Gary Rydstrom (Toy Story Toons: Hawaiian Vacation) directs the animated family film featuring fairies and other mythical creatures.
Strange Magic opens in theaters on January 23, 2015.
The Plot:
Strange Magic, a new animated film from Lucasfilm Ltd., is a madcap fairy tale musical inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Popular songs from the past six decades help tell the tale of a colorful cast of goblins, elves, fairies and imps, and their hilarious misadventures sparked by the battle over a powerful potion. Lucasfilm Animation Singapore and Industrial Light & Magic bring to life the fanciful forest turned upside down with world-class animation and visual effects.
Antony Starr in ‘Banshee’ season 3, episode 1. (Photo by Gregory Shummon / Courtesy of Cinemax)
Cinemax’s 2015 schedule will include new episodes of Banshee, Strike Back and The Knick. All three original series will be back in the lineup this year, with Banshee kicking off its third season on January 9, 2015. Strike Back will air its final season this summer, and The Knick will be added back into the evening schedule later this fall.
In addition to confirming their returns, Cinemax offered details on the three shows for those who haven’t caught onto them yet or those who need a refresher.
Banshee Plot:
Antony Starr stars in the show as Lucas Hood, an ex-con and master thief who assumes the identity of the sheriff of Banshee, Pa., where he continues his criminal pursuits while enforcing his own code of justice. Other returning cast members include Ivana Milicevic as Carrie Hopewell, a notorious jewel thief who lives in Banshee under an assumed identity with her family, who has recently learned of her criminal past; Ulrich Thomsen as Kai Proctor, an intimidating, wealthy businessman who believes he is above the law; Frankie Faison as Sugar Bates, a powerful and wise former boxer and ex-con who is now the owner of the local watering hole; and Hoon Lee as Job, a dangerous transvestite computer hacker who assists Lucas and Carrie in their criminal enterprises.
Strike Back Details:
In the new episodes, Damien Scott (Sullivan Stapleton) and Michael Stonebridge (Philip Winchester), along with the rest of Section 20, are enlisted to crack a missing-persons case in Bangkok. This elite undercover unit of British intelligence quickly realizes that what seems on the surface to be a simple kidnapping is actually the first step in a massive terrorist plot with global implications.
Scott, Stonebridge and the team crisscross Asia and Europe, battling Japanese Yakuza, Russian Mafia, cyberterrorists, elite mercenaries and other deadly forces. Series regulars Robson Green, Michelle Lukes and Milauna Jackson also return for the season; new cast members include Michelle Yeoh, Will Yun Lee, Dustin Clare, Max Beesley and Michael McElhatton.
The Knick Plot:
Helmed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Golden Globe nominee Clive Owen as the brilliant and emotionally tortured surgeon Dr. John W. Thackery, the show is set in New York City in 1900 and centers on Knickerbocker Hospital and its groundbreaking surgeons, nurses and staff, who push the bounds of medicine in a time of astonishingly high mortality rates and zero antibiotics.
André Holland, Eve Hewson, Juliet Rylance, Jeremy Bobb, Michael Angarano, Chris Sullivan, Cara Seymour, Eric Johnson, David Fierro, Maya Kazan, Grainger Hines, Leon Addison Brown, Tom Lipinski, Zaraah Abrahams, Michael Nathanson, Rachel Korine, Charles Aitken and LaTonya Borsay round out the ensemble cast of the critically acclaimed series.
Kit Harington in ‘Game of Thrones’ season four episode nine. (Photo: Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO)
Game of Thrones fans have just over three months to wait for the premiere of season five. HBO’s confirmed the fifth season premiere date is April 12, 2015, inline with previous seasons’ premiere dates. Game of Thrones season one debuted on April 17, 2011 followed by season two on April 1, 2012, season three on March 31, 2013, and season four on April 6, 2014.
The 10 episode fifth season will air on Sunday nights at 9pm ET/PT with Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Kit Harington, Natalie Dormer, Maisie Williams, and Sophie Turner returning in starring roles.
HBO also announced Game of Thrones‘ premiere will be followed by the return of Silicon Valley at 10pm ET/PT. Silicon Valley‘s second season will consist of 10 half-hour episodes starring Thomas Middleditch, T.J. Miller, Zach Woods, Kumail Nanjiani, and Martin Starr. Created by Mike Judge, John Altschuler, and Dave Krinsky, Silicon Valley‘s season one earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.
Rounding out the Sunday night schedule, Veep with Julia Louis-Dreyfus will also be back on April 12th for season four, airing at 10:30pm ET/PT. Returning cast members include Tony Hale, Anna Chlumsky, Matt Walsh, Reid Scott, Timothy C. Simons, Sufe Bradshaw and Kevin Dunn.
Nominees for the 2015 GRAMMY Awards are featured on the upcoming Grammy Nominees CD arriving on January 20th. 21 songs from artists including Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, John Legend, Pharrell Williams, and The Band Perry make up the 21st GRAMMY nominees CD.
“The exceptional mix of recordings featured on this year’s compilation not only represent a roster of incredibly talented artists but also provides a unique playlist showcasing some of this year’s outstanding GRAMMY nominees,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. “It is fitting that our 21st installment album contains 21 exciting selections which music fans are sure to enjoy. We are proud and excited to collaborate with RCA Records on this project and once again look forward to another successful GRAMMY nominees album.”
The Recording Academy and RCA Records also announced a contest for music fans in conjunction with the CD’s release in stores and online. Here are the details on how to enter for a chance to win a trip to the Grammys, courtesy of The Recording Academy:
RCA Records and The Recording Academy will offer fans two opportunities to attend Music’s Biggest Night. First, when pre-ordering the 2015 GRAMMY Nominees album at GRAMMY.com/2015GRAMMYAlbum by Jan. 19, music fans can enter for a chance to win a trip for two to the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 8, 2015.* In addition, each 2015 GRAMMY Nominees album purchased in stores will include a special game piece featuring a unique code for a chance to play the GRAMMY Ticket Game. To participate, the code must be used at GRAMMY.com/2015GRAMMYAlbum for the opportunity to win a trip for two to the 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards in 2016 or a second-place prize, of an official GRAMMY Awards T-shirt.
For more info, visit Grammy.com.
2015 GRAMMY Nominees Track List
1. TAYLOR SWIFT
“Shake It Off”
Record Of The Year
Song Of The Year
Best Pop Solo Performance
2. IGGY AZALEA FEAT. CHARLI XCX
“Fancy”
Record Of The Year
3. ED SHEERAN
“Sing”
Album Of The Year
Best Pop Vocal Album
4. ARIANA GRANDE FEAT. IGGY AZALEA
“Problem”
Best Pop Vocal Album
5. MEGHAN TRAINOR
“All About That Bass”
Record Of The Year
Song Of The Year
6. KATY PERRY FEAT. JUICY J
“Dark Horse”
Best Pop Vocal Album
7. COLDPLAY
“A Sky Full Of Stars”
Best Pop Vocal Album
8. MILEY CYRUS
“Wrecking Ball”
Best Pop Vocal Album
9. SIA
“Chandelier”
Record Of The Year
Song Of The Year
Best Pop Solo Performance
10. JOHN LEGEND
“All Of Me” (Live)
Best Pop Solo Performance
11. HOZIER
“Take Me To Church”
Song Of The Year
12. BEYONCÉ FEAT. JAY Z
“Drunk In Love”
Album Of The Year
13. PHARRELL WILLIAMS
“Come Get It Bae”
Album Of The Year
14. SAM SMITH
“Stay With Me” (Darkchild Version)
Record Of The Year
Album Of The Year
Song Of The Year
Best Pop Solo Performance
Best Pop Vocal Album
15. BECK
“Blue Moon”
Album Of The Year
16. KEITH URBAN FEAT. ERIC CHURCH
“Raise ‘Em Up”
Best Country Duo Or Group Performance
17. THE BAND PERRY
“Gentle On My Mind”
Best Country Duo Or Group Performance
18. TIM McGRAW FEAT. FAITH HILL
“Meanwhile Back At Mama’s”
Best Country Duo Or Group Performance
19. MIRANDA LAMBERT WITH CARRIE UNDERWOOD
“Somethin’ Bad” (Duet with Carrie Underwood)
Best Country Duo Or Group Performance
20. LITTLE BIG TOWN
“Day Drinking”
Best Country Duo Or Group Performance
21. PHARRELL WILLIAMS
“Happy” (Live)
Best Pop Solo Performance
The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 8th. CBS will air the awards show at 8pm ET/PT.
Glee‘s kicking off its final season on January 9, 2015 with Lea Michele’s character Rachel heading back to McKinley High to try and revive the glee club. Heading back home affords Rachel the opportunity to bust out with “Let It Go.” It’s too bad she’s not joined by her Glee mom and Frozen star Idina Menzel in a duet of the song, which has driven parents crazy around the globe.
The Glee Season 6 Plot:
Over the last five years, the series has followed a dynamic group of high school students from the halls of McKinley to the mean streets of New York City as they embarked on life after high school. This season, after her humiliating failure as a TV actress, New Directions’ original star, Rachel Berry (Michele), comes home to Lima to figure out what she wants to do next.
Upon discovering that Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) has banished the arts at McKinley, Rachel takes it upon herself to reinstate and lead the glee club. Meanwhile, Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss), Sam Evans (Overstreet) and Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) have all found surprising new gigs in Ohio. Throughout the season, other alumnae also will return to McKinley.
Focus World has released a new trailer and poster for the dramatic thriller Maps to the Stars starring Julianne Moore. Moore has already picked up the Best Actress award at Cannes for her performance in this twisted Cronenberg film, and she’s up for a Golden Globe this year (even though most audiences have yet to see – or even hear much about – this film.
Directed by David Cronenberg, Maps to the Stars‘ cast also includes Robert Pattinson, John Cusack, and Mia Wasikowska.
Maps to the Stars will open in theaters and be available on iTunes and On Demand on February 27, 2015.
The Plot:
Meet the Weiss family, who are making their way in Hollywood rife with money, fame, envy, and relentless hauntings. Stafford Weiss (John Cusack) is a famed TV self-help therapist with an A-list celebrity clientele. Meanwhile, Cristina Weiss (Olivia Williams) has her work cut out managing the career of their disaffected child-star son, Benjie (Evan Bird), a fresh graduate of rehab at age 13.
Yet unbeknownst to them, another member of the Weiss family has arrived in town – mysteriously scarred and tormented Agatha (Mia Wasikowska), just released from a psych ward and ready to start again. She soon works her way into a friendship with a limo driver (Robert Pattinson) and becomes personal assistant to unraveling actress Havana Segrand (Julianne Moore), who is beset by the ghost of her legendary mother, Clarice (Sarah Gadon). But Agatha is on a quest for redemption – and even in this realm of the artificial, and the unearthly, she’s determined to find it, no matter what it takes.
The 53rd numbered edition of NOW That’s What I Call Music! will feature songs from Maroon 5, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, One Direction, and Coldplay as well as tracks from five up-and-coming artists. Hitting stores on February 3, 2015, Vol. 53 also includes hits from Meghan Trainor, Ariana Grande, and Charli XCX.
Since its debut of the numbered series, the NOW That’s What I Call Music! CDs have sold more than 250 million copies and have made it to the top of Billboard’s 200 albums chart 18 times. Volumes 1 through 52 have also all made it onto Billboard’s Top 10 list.
NOW That’s What I Call Music! Vol. 53
1. Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk”
2. Meghan Trainor – “Lips Are Movin'”
3. Maroon 5 – “Animals”
4. Ed Sheeran – “Don’t”
5. Tove Lo – “Habits (Stay High)”
6. Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – “Love Me Harder”
7. Sam Smith – “I’m Not The Only One”
8. One Direction – “Steal My Girl”
9. Selena Gomez – “The Heart Wants What It Wants”
10. Jason Derulo – “Trumpets”
11. Iggy Azalea feat. MO – “Beg For It”
12. Usher feat. Juicy J – “I Don’t Mind”
13. Charli XCX – “Boom Clap”
14. Mr. Probz – “Waves (Robin Schultz Radio Edit)”
“Unusual behavior” is part of the reason why the MPAA has given Fifty Shades of Grey, the first in a series of films based on E. L. James’ bestselling erotic novels, an R rating. While the studio may have been hoping for a more audience-friendly PG 13 and fans of the book initially believed the film would earn an NC-17 if it stuck close to the source material, the MPAA has weighed in with the official theatrical release rating.
Per the MPAA, Fifty Shades of Grey is rated R for “strong sexual content including dialogue, some unusual behavior and graphic nudity, and for language.”
Of course, if you’ve read the books or heard anything about the Fifty Shades franchise, you know that “unusual behavior” has to do with the sexual preferences of the lead male character, Christian Grey, played by Jamie Dornan. Christian’s into S&M, but while the screenwriter Kelly Marcel originally expressed a desire for the adaptation to earn an NC-17 because of what takes place in the novel, it was likely a more box office-friendly PG-13 had been anticipated all along by the studio honchos.
We know from interviews that Dornan won’t be showing off a full frontal look at his private parts, but he did do a lot of research to prepare for the role, including visiting a dungeon. “I’m an extremely liberal person, I don’t give a f***. If people are into that they’re into that,” explained Dornan in an interview with GQ. “By the way, if people make such a hoo-hah about the violence against women aspect of it, it’s far more common for men to be the submissive. And it’s consensual! There’s weirder sh*t than that. I think plane spotting is far weirder than S&M. That I really don’t get. I can understand why people are into S&M, but standing outside Heathrow Terminal 5 waiting for Ryanair to come in?”
You’ll have to wait until February 13, 2015 to see what the fuss is all about. Until then, we can all just speculate on how boundary-pushing the film’s “unusual behavior” actually is.
Fans celebrated their favorite celebrities with the 2015 People’s Choice Awards held on January 7th in Los Angeles. The annual awards show honors fan favorites in movie, television, and music categories, and this year’s star-studded event hosted by Mom stars Anna Faris and Allison Janney also presented an award for humanitarian work to Oscar winner Ben Affleck.
Among this year’s big winners were The Big Bang Theory, Robert Downey Jr, and Grey’s Anatomy.
The 53rd numbered edition of NOW That’s What I Call Music! will feature songs from Maroon 5, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, One Direction, and Coldplay as well as tracks from five up-and-coming artists. Hitting stores on February 3, 2015, Vol. 53 also includes hits from Meghan Trainor, Ariana Grande, and Charli XCX.
