Bog King (voice of Alan Cumming), Griselda (voice of Maya Rudolph) and Marianne (voice of Evan Rachel Wood) are part of a colorful cast of goblins, elves, fairies and imps in ‘Strange Magic.’ (Photo Courtesy of Lucasfilm)
The CGI animated fairy tale musical Strange Magic has landed a confirmed release date. Lucasfilm and Touchstone Pictures have announced Strange Magic will open in theaters on January 23, 2015. Directed by Gary Rydstrom (Toy Story Toons: Hawaiian Vacation, Lifted), Strange Magic is inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream and features a voice cast that includes Alan Cumming, Evan Rachel Wood, Kristin Chenoweth, Maya Rudolph, Sam Palladio, Meredith Anne Bull, Alfred Molina, Elijah Kelley, Bob Einstein, and Peter Stormare.
Moulin Rouge‘s Marius de Vries composed the score and was the musical director. David Berenbaum, Irene Mecchi, and Gary Rydstrom wrote the screenplay (story by George Lucas).
A Brief Description:
Strange Magic 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.
‘True Blood’ star Sam Trammell (Photo by Richard Chavez / ShowbizJunkies)
The lineup for Amazon’s 2015 pilot season has been set with seven pilots hoping to get votes from viewers and move on to full season orders. Among the first 2015 pilot season’s offerings are four hour-long shows: Cocked, Mad Dogs, The Man in the High Castle, and Point of Honor, and three half-hour pilots: Down Dog, Salem Rogers, and The New Yorker Presents.
Talent involved in the upcoming pilots include Kris Kristofferson, Jason Lee, Sam Trammell, and Rufus Sewell.
“Our first pilot season of 2015 brings some of the greatest storytellers in the business to Amazon customers with works of novelty and passion. We’re very excited by these shows and look forward to getting customers’ reactions next year,” said Roy Price, Vice President, Amazon Studios.
Details on the 2015 Pilots [Courtesy of Amazon]:
Cocked
Created by Sam Baum (Lie to Me) and Sam Shaw (Manhattan), Cocked stars Sam Trammell (True Blood) as Richard Paxson, a family man and corporate lap dog who left his family in rural Virginia twenty years before and vowed never to go back. After some unfortunate circumstances, he is forced to leave the big city and return home to help his family’s gun business—one of the oldest in the country. But no good deed goes unpunished. Older brother Grady Paxson, played by Jason Lee (My Name is Earl), who’s a bachelor, playboy and gun aficionado, isn’t so happy to have him back, and Richard’s liberal wife and two opinionated teenage children are horrified by the world they have been thrown into. Hilarity, epic fights and emotional breakdowns ensue. Cocked also stars Brian Dennehy as Wade Paxson, Laura Fraser as Hannah Paxson, and Dreama Walker as Tabby Paxson. The hour-long dark comedy pilot is directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Skull Island), and Erwin Stoff (Unbroken), Shaw, and Baum are Executive Producers.
Down Dog
Blessed with good looks, a winning smile, hippie parents and a Southern California upbringing, life has been relatively easy thus far for Logan Wood (played by Josh Casaubon, I Just Want My Pants Back). In his late 30’s, having coasted through romances with countless women and various random jobs, he now teaches yoga to the trophy wives, hot moms and aspiring celebrities of Santa Monica and Venice Beach. And he’s damn good at it. But when Logan and his current girlfriend, a successful and attractive older woman named Amanda (Paget Brewster) who happens to be the owner of the yoga studio, break up, life starts to get more complicated. Down Dog also stars Lyndsy Fonseca, Will Greenberg, Andrea Savage, Amir Talai, Kris Kristofferson, and Alysia Reiner. The pilot is written by Robin Schiff (Are You There, Chelsea?), produced by Bob Cooper and Michael Fuchs, and directed by Bradley Silberling (Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events).
Mad Dogs
Mad Dogs is an hour-long dark comedy created by Cris Cole (The Bill), and Executive Produced by Cole, Shawn Ryan (The Shield) and Marney Hochman (Last Resort), Andy Harries (DCI Banks), Suzanne Mackie (All in Good Time), and Charles McDougall (The Mindy Project). Based on the hit UK series, Mad Dogs follows the twisted reunion of a group of underachieving forty-something friends—a mixture of single, married and recently divorced—who are all at different crossroads in their lives. Celebrating the early retirement of an old friend at his gorgeous Belize villa, grudges begin to emerge and secrets explode as their trip becomes a labyrinthine nightmare of lies, deception and murder. Mad Dogs is a twisted tale of friendship put to the ultimate test. As an inconceivable chain of events unfolds, cracks within the group widen before the friends realize that the only people they can trust are each other, the last people they want to be relying on. The pilot stars Steve Zahn (Dallas Buyers Club) as Cobi, Billy Zane (Twin Peaks) as Milo, Romany Malco (Weeds) as Gus, Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) as Lex, and Ben Chaplin (World without End) as Joel. Mad Dogs is directed by McDougall and is being co-produced with Sony Pictures Television.
The Man in the High Castle
Based on Philip K. Dick’s Hugo Award-winning 1962 alternative history, The Man in the High Castle considers the question of what would have happened if the Allied Powers had lost World War II. Some 20 years after that loss, the United States and much of the world has now been split between Japan and Germany, the major hegemonic states. But the tension between these two powers is mounting, and this stress is playing out in the western U.S. Through a collection of characters in various states of posing (spies, sellers of falsified goods, others with secret identities), The Man in the High Castle provides an intriguing tale about life and history as it relates to authentic and manufactured reality. The hour-long dramatic pilot stars Alexa Davalos as Juliana Crain, Luke Kleintank as Joe Blake, Rupert Evans as Frank Frink, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Tagomi, Joel De La Fuente as Inspector Kido, Rufus Sewell as John Smith and DJ Qualls as Ed McCarthy. The pilot is directed by David Semel (Madam Secretary, Heroes) and written by Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files), both serving as Executive Producers. Also executive producing are Ridley Scott and David W. Zucker, with co-executive producer Jordan Sheehan of Scott Free Productions, and Executive Producers Stewart Mackinnon and Christian Baute of Headline Pictures. In addition, Isa Dick Hackett will executive produce and Kalen Egan will co-executive produce on behalf of Electric Shepherd. Christopher Tricarico is also Executive Producer.
The New Yorker Presents
America’s most award-winning magazine comes to life in this half hour docu-series pilot. The New Yorker Presents is a completely unique viewing experience that features Tony-Award winner Alan Cumming (The Good Wife) and actor Brett Gelman in a short film based on a story by Simon Rich (Saturday Night Live) and directed by Emmy Award-winning director Troy Miller (Arrested Development); a poem by Matthew Dickman; a documentary by Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs) about biologist Tyrone Hayes based on a Rachel Aviv article; and an interview with famous performance artist, Marina Abramović, conducted by The New Yorker writer Ariel Levy. Academy Award-winning documentarian Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side) is Executive Producer, joined by Dave Snyder (Death Row Stories) and Dawn Ostroff (The Fashion Fund). The pilot is co-produced by Condé Nast Entertainment and Jigsaw Productions.
Point of Honor
At the start of the Civil War, a Virginia family, led by their West Point bred son, John Rhodes (Nathan Parsons), makes the controversial decision to defend the South while freeing all of their slaves. At battle against his northern brethren and his best friend and brother-in-law Robert Sumner (Christopher O’Shea), John leaves his three strong-willed sisters at home to run the plantation that is now without a free labor source. The choice to protect the life they have always known and defend the moral high ground will pit the family against one another and test their strength, courage and love. An hour-long drama shot entirely on-location in historic Virginia, Point of Honor also stars Annabelle Stephenson as Kate Rhodes, Riley Voelkel as Lorelei Rhodes, Hanna Mangan Lawrence as Estella Rhodes, Patrick Heusinger as Colonel Palmer Kane, Luke Benward as Garland Rhodes, Adrienne Warren as Abby, Lucien Laviscount as Elijah, and James Harvey Ward as Cutler. The pilot is directed by Randall Wallace (Braveheart), written by Carlton Cuse (Lost) and Wallace, and Executive Produced by Cuse, Wallace and Barry Jossen (Sex and the City). Point of Honor is being co-produced with ABC Signature Studios.
Salem Rogers
In this half-hour comedy, Leslie Bibb (About a Boy) plays Salem Rogers, an overly confident, outrageously blunt, and hard-partying former supermodel who is forced to face her past and re-enter the real world after ten years in a posh rehab center. Intent on recreating her glamorous lifestyle and modeling success, she tracks down Agatha (Rachel Dratch), her former assistant who has since built a career as an author of self-help books to help her win back the spotlight. Salem Rogers also stars Jane Kaczmarek, Brad Morris, Harry Hamlin, Toks Olagundoye, Brad Morris and Scott Adsit. The pilot is written by newcomer Lindsey Stoddart, Executive Produced by Will Graham and directed by Mark Waters (Mean Girls). Salem Rogers was submitted as part of the studio’s online screenplay submission process.
Pictured: (l-r) Usher, actor Jeff Daniels, host Jimmy Fallon and singer Nick Jonas play Pyramid on November 10, 2014 — (Photo by: Douglas Gorenstein/NBC)
Jeff Daniels, coming to theaters in the long-awaited Dumb and Dumber sequel(Dumb and Dumber To), stopped by The Tonight Show on November 10, 2014 to chat up the comedy film and to take on The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon in a game of Pyramid. Jeff Daniels teamed up with Usher and Jimmy Fallon had Nick Jonas as his partner, with both teams attempting to guess the most answers.
Starz’ new dramatic thriller The Missing is an intense, riveting exploration of what happens to a husband and wife when their only child goes missing. Debuting on November 15, 2014 at 9pm ET/PT, The Missing stars Frances O’Connor and James Nesbitt as the couple whose son is taken while they’re on vacation. And in support of the show’s upcoming premiere, I had the opportunity to speak with Frances O’Connor about her role, the subject matter, her co-stars, and playing the character during two very different periods in her life.
The Plot: “The eight-episode limited series takes you inside the mind of Tony Hughes (James Nesbitt), a father desperate to locate his lost son, Oliver. With help from a renowned detective (Tchéky Karyo), Tony embarks on an obsessive eight-year quest to find his son and those responsible for his disappearance. A gripping puzzle with twists and turns at every stage, Tony’s exhaustive search fractures his relationship with his wife, Emily (Frances O’Connor), and threatens to destroy his life. Told through a complex narrative, The Missing is set in France and London and unfolds over two time frames, simultaneously.”
Exclusive Frances O’Connor Interview
Were you hooked reading the first script? Did you immediately know The Missing would be something special?
Frances O’Connor: “I really just felt like from the moment I read the script I did think it was quite special. I really love the characters.”
Even though the script was so well written, did you have any hesitation about signing on given how emotionally intense the subject matter is?
Frances O’Connor: “I think if the material had been less quality than it was, I may have reconsidered. I think intellectually I knew it was going to be difficult but I think it wasn’t until we’re actually in there and playing it that I actually felt that. I think I really had contemplated what I was getting myself involved with and I think Jimmy felt the same way about it.
We were supported by the script and the material, which was really authentic. I felt like in some ways it helped you because they were well written. Tom [Shankland], the director, was really supportive. Also, because James was going through the same thing…he’s a dad as well and I’m a mom, so we helped each other through some scenes. We had some really tough days.”
I would imagine you had a lot of tough days of shooting. There really are no light moments.
Frances O’Connor: “No. Often you look at scripts and you’ll see a couple of days where you’re like, ‘Okay, that’s heavy. That’s a heavy day.’ This is just like you’d finished a really heavy day and look at tomorrow’s schedule and you take a big breath.”
Is doing something this emotionally intense more draining on you than doing physically demanding films?
Frances O’Connor: “Yes. I think they both take a lot out of you. I think because emotionally you do have to go to quite a dark place, I did find it very draining. But I did find it energizing in terms of the creativity. It was such a creative process. Everybody in it was just excellent and that really did help lift you up, I think, because everyone was really going for it every day.”
Was there anything in particular about your character Emily that you would really latch onto?
Frances O’Connor: “I didn’t know the story as it was unfolding. I was really intrigued about how different she was in 2006 and 2014 and what had caused that. I thought that the evolution of the character was really intriguing to me. That also is one of the reasons I wanted to do it because creatively, it was a fun to work out – the differences between the two characters just physically and how she moved and how she looked and that kind of thing, how she behaved.”
Your character even more so than James Nesbitt’s character is really two different people. Which of the two did you find more interesting to play?
Frances O’Connor: “I really love both of them, I think, in different ways. Because she’s eight years older in 2014 and she’s been through a horrific incident and the process through those eight years is trying to move on on some level but she can’t. In 2006 at the start of it she’s young and nothing bad has ever happened to her yet and she’s so in love with her child. I don’t know. It’s really hard to say this. I think they’re both really great. I did think of them in some ways different characters and I really enjoyed playing both of them for different reasons. I think the crew liked 2006 Emily more than 2014.”
James said that because you shot the 2014 storyline first, the two of you were able to develop a bond that actually worked well for the 2006 scenes. Did you feel that way too?
Frances O’Connor: “I did. I think because we’d had all that time together, when we came to do the stuff… We’re divorced in 2014 but when we came to do the 2006 stuff I just thought we trusted each other and we can push each other and really go for it. You felt supported by other person. Maybe it would have been a different result if they’d shot it the other way. It’s hard to know.”
Did you develop a backstory for what Emily was like before we meet her in 2006?
Frances O’Connor: “Yeah, we did. We had a week of rehearsal which is quite rare and we sat with Tom and talked about what kind of life she would have had and where she went to school and her relationship with her parents, and what was her inner life like. That kind of thing which really helped, I think, for a starting point.”
Can you talk about working with this director? James Nesbitt said he was pretty phenomenal.
Frances O’Connor: “Yeah. I really do think he’s one of the best directors I’ve worked with. He’s a great combination of being really creative but also he was so on top of the narrative for all the characters. He had such a big workload but he was great. He’s a super creative person and really supportive too. He had some tricky stuff to shoot, but you always felt like he had your back and was just watching you. He just watched every detail and helped you get to some of the places you need to go. He’s amazing.”
Frances O’Connor: “I didn’t want to talk to anyone because I thought it was a bit invasive but I did read a book that was a mother’s account of what happened. I ultimately felt that wasn’t so helpful because I felt the scripts were so good. I just instantly connected to who the character was and there was so much in there that helped you. I also just immediately identified with what it would be like to lose a child. I’m sure every parent could identify with the paranoia if that would happen.”
Was there anything in the book you read that you used for the character?
Frances O’Connor: “That it’s such a long process. You’re in it every day and the horror of that, it’s such a long grind through it. You never get away from it. The see-sawing between hope and despair, I think, is what kills all those people. Wanting to hope but knowing there’s a possibility it won’t end well. I think that’s the big thing, and especially if it’s years and years later.”
Did working on this make you hug your child a bit tighter?
Frances O’Connor: “It did, yeah. And because we’re away Monday to Friday in Belgium for it, my poor son, he’s like, ‘Chillax mom!'”
Just reading the synopsis makes The Missing sound like a crime drama, but it’s really a character-driven story. How do you describe what it is that sets it apart from other TV series that could possibly be similar?
Frances O’Connor: “I think it’s probably more like an emotional thriller, like a multi-stranded emotional thriller.”
Your co-stars said there’s a possibility there’s going to be more than one season. Do you think that there’s good material left for season two?
Frances O’Connor: “The way it ends indicates there could be more.”
Without giving anything away…
Frances O’Connor: “…Without giving anything away. I don’t know about Emily. I felt like her storyline in it is so complete. I don’t know. I can definitely see how there could be a second series, but I don’t know how involved Emily would be. But you never say never because people always come up with great ideas.”
Is she a character you wouldn’t mind getting back into again?
Frances O’Connor: “Yes, I think because it wouldn’t necessarily be the devastation emotionally as devastating as it was played in 2006. I don’t know. It’s hard to say. I have to read the scripts.”
Do you think that the writing on television is now actually of higher quality than feature films?
Frances O’Connor: “Yeah, definitely. It’s matured so much and there’s just a bit of creative explosion going on in television at the moment. I think it’s a great format because it’s kind of longer storytelling and you can be more detailed in how you work and you can work the story in so many different ways, I think. Whereas film has to have a very strong linear narrative a lot of the time. Also, any big budget film has to make a certain amount of money back. I think the constraint from that has an impact on the storytelling. I think in television people can take more risks. Audiences love it; they just go for it. Audiences are quite sophisticated, too, in terms of you don’t have to spoon-feed them anymore.”
Exactly. This is a type of series that I would love to binge-watch every episode because I really want to know what’s happening next.
Frances O’Connor: [Laughing] “I felt like that when I was reading it. I had to call my agent and ask them to send more of scripts. I need to know what happened.”
Keira Knightley stars in ‘The Imitation Game’ (Photo Courtesy of The Weinstein Company)
If all the pre-release hype can be believed, The Weinstein Company’s The Imitation Game will be a major player in this year’s awards race. Benedict Cumberbatch seems to be on everyone’s shortlist for Oscar consideration, and the film has also been mentioned as being a Best Picture contender. And with the movie opening in just a few weeks, the studio’s just unveiled a new clip featuring Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong, and Keira Knightley.
The Imitation Game is opening on November 28, 2014.
The Plot:
During the winter of 1952, British authorities entered the home of mathematician, cryptanalyst and war hero Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) to investigate a reported burglary. They instead ended up arresting Turing himself on charges of ‘gross indecency’, an accusation that would lead to his devastating conviction for the criminal offense of homosexuality little did officials know, they were actually incriminating the pioneer of modern-day computing.
Famously leading a motley group of scholars, linguists, chess champions and intelligence officers, he was credited with cracking the so-called unbreakable codes of Germany’s World War II Enigma machine. An intense and haunting portrayal of a brilliant, complicated man, The Imitation Game follows a genius who under nail-biting pressure helped to shorten the war and, in turn, save thousands of lives.
For all of you who are really into movie posters, Disney’s just unveiled this first official one sheet for the dramatic movie McFarland, USA starring Kevin Costner. The 2015 film is based on a true story and was directed by Niki Caro. In addition to Costner, the cast includes Maria Bello, Morgan Saylor, Martha Higareda, Michael Aguero, Sergio Avelar, Hector Duran, Rafael Martinez, Johnny Ortiz, Carlos Pratts, Ramiro Rodriguez, Danny Mora, Valente Rodriguez, Vanessa Martinez, Chris Ellis, and Diana Maria Riva.
Disney will release McFarland, USA in theaters on February 20, 2015.
The Plot:
Based on the 1987 true story, McFarland, USA follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. Coach White and the McFarland students have a lot to learn about each other but when White starts to realize the boys’ exceptional running ability, things begin to change. Soon something beyond their physical gifts becomes apparent—the power of family relationships, their unwavering commitment to one another and their incredible work ethic. With grit and determination, the unlikely band of runners eventually overcomes the odds to forge not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well. Along the way, Coach White realizes that his family finally found a place to call home and both he and his team achieve their own kind of American dream.
Homeland has been picked up for a fifth season while The Affair has been greenlit for season two on Showtime, as just announced by Showtime Networks President David Nevins. According to the official announcement, Homeland will return in 2015 with 12 new episodes while The Affair‘s season two will consist of 10 new episodes.
Homeland‘s currently airing season four and has been averaging 6 million viewers. The Affair‘s first season run has been averaging 3.9 million viewers, with viewership increasing with each new episode.
“In its fourth season, Homeland has brilliantly reinvented itself. It continues to capture the attention of a devoted fan base, and has provided an enviable platform for the successful launch of The Affair,” said Nevins. “With thought-provoking, timely and addictive storylines, both series have been embraced, dissected and much debated week after week. We’re excited to see more from these compelling shows in 2015.”
Homeland season four is led by Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, and Rupert Friend. The cast also includes Tracy Letts, Laila Robins and Nazanin Boniadi. The Affair stars Ruth Wilson, Dominic West, Joshua Jackson, and Maura Tierney.
In case you haven’t checked out The Affair yet, here’s the season one plot:
The Affair explores the emotional and psychological effects of an extramarital affair. The provocative drama, told separately from the male and female perspective, uses distinct memory biases to both misdirect and intrigue. Wilson plays Alison, a young woman waiting tables at a popular Hamptons diner, trying to piece her life back together in the wake of a tragedy. Her husband Cole (Jackson), struggles to keep it all together, both with his wife and the financially-strained ranch that has been in his family for generations. Their emotionally-charged marriage becomes even more complicated when Alison begins an affair with Noah (West), a New York City public school teacher and aspiring novelist who is spending the summer at his in-laws’ estate out on the island. Tierney plays Helen, Noah’s college sweetheart, best friend, mother of his children, lover and wife of 17 years.
Sam Raimi (Photo by Richard Chavez / Showbiz Junkies)
Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead will live on at Starz. The network has just greenlit a new original series based on Raimi’s The Evil Dead film franchise and is aiming for a 2015 premiere of the new scripted show. Raimi will direct episodes and serve as executive producer along with Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell.
Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi, and Tom Spezialy wrote the new series, and Campbell will be reprising his starring role as Ash in the new show titled Ash Vs. Evil Dead.
Starz says the first season will consist of 10 half-hour episodes.
“Starz first worked with Sam and Rob on Spartacus, and we are thrilled to be back in business with them,” said Carmi Zlotnik, Managing Director of Starz. “With Sam writing and directing and Bruce Campbell returning to the screen, we are certain the show will give Evil Dead fans around the world the fix they’ve been craving.”
“Evil Dead has always been a blast. Bruce, Rob and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to tell the next chapter in Ash’s lame, but heroic saga. With his chainsaw arm and his ‘boomstick,’ Ash is back to kick some monster butt. And brother, this time there’s a truckload of it,” added Sam Raimi.
And Bruce Campbell said, “I’m really excited to bring this series to the Evil Dead fans worldwide – it’s going to be everything they have been clamoring for: serious deadite ass-kicking and plenty of outrageous humor.”
The Plot:
Bruce Campbell will be reprising his role as Ash, the stock boy, aging lothario, and chainsaw-handed monster hunter who has spent the last 30 years avoiding responsibility, maturity, and the terrors of the Evil Dead. When a Deadite plague threatens to destroy all of mankind, Ash is finally forced to face his demons –personal and literal. Destiny, it turns out, has no plans to release the unlikely hero from its “Evil” grip.
ABC’s Once Upon a Time season four episode seven includes the big reveal of what happened between the three sisters that caused Ingrid to transform into the evil Snow Queen. So, was it worth the wait? The answer’s definitely yes, as the backstory revealed is heartbreaking and actually makes Once Upon a Time fans feel at least temporarily sorry for the poor, misunderstood Ingrid.
And while the episode titled “The Snow Queen” focused primarily on Ingrid, her sisters, Emma (Jennifer Morrison), and Elsa, there was also time to squeeze in an update on what’s happening in the Robin and Regina (Lana Parrilla) relationship.
Here’s a recap of the main events in “The Snow Queen:”
Long ago in Arendelle: Ingrid (Elizabeth Mitchell), Helga, and Gerta as young girls open the episode, chasing a kite when a stranger comes upon them and says the kite’s his. He tries to kidnap the three princesses and kicks Ingrid hard (what type of creep kicks a child in the stomach and sends her flying?). She gets upset, and rightfully so, causing a frozen branch to fall on his head and killing him. Even though she asks them to, her sisters won’t stay away from her and insist she’s not a monster. Helga and Gerta say they’ll help her try to control her powers and will never look at her as a monster. They each grab a ribbon and make a pact to always be there for each other.
Flash forward, Ingrid walks through Storybrooke’s town square, up to the clock tower, to a mirror, and smiles that special smile of hers that doesn’t touch her eyes.
Catching up with the torn apart love birds: Meanwhile, Regina and Robin meet, and she tells him it’s best he stay away so he can give Marion a kiss of true love to awaken her. Robin says his heart is with Regina, and Regina says he needs to save Marion. But Robin says he can’t fall back in love with Marion with Regina is in his life. He doesn’t know what to do, and Regina says he has to forget about her and think only about Marion.
The search continues for Anna: Emma and Elsa (Georgina Haig) talk about using a spell against the Snow Queen to get rid of her powers. Elsa says it’s hard when family looks at you differently, and Emma says her family doesn’t (you know that exchange is taking place just to prove Emma wrong). They try out the spell, but it doesn’t work, and unfortunately Emma’s got to head out to babysit her baby bro and can’t stick around to try it again.
Don’t mess with momma bears: Mary Margaret’s with her Mommy and Me group of first-time mothers, and Emma tells her she fits in with these newbie moms since she’s never really been a mother before. Their conversation isn’t going well and quickly takes a turn for the worse when the magic Emma had practiced with Elsa heats up the baby bottle she’s clutching. Super over-protective mom Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin) won’t let her touch the baby and fortunately, that discussion is delayed when news comes that the Snow Queen is still in the clock tower.
Up in the Clock Tower, Emma and Elsa use their fire magic on Ingrid, and it works. She’s in shackles and ready to be taken into the sheriff’s station…but she doesn’t look upset. This is not going to end well, is it?
Back in time in Arendelle: The sisters are older, and it’s their father’s birthday. Ingrid has to disappear before anyone sees her, but her sisters don’t look at her as afflicted and don’t want Ingrid to think the worst of herself or worry about what people will think of her. Ingrid doesn’t want to risk ruining her sister’s chance to introduce her new potential boyfriend, the Duke, to their father so she refuses to go with the sisters to the birthday celebration. The King welcomes the Duke to Arendelle, and the Duke’s completely tongue-tied. “It always starts with a dance,” says the King. Unbeknownst to everyone, Ingrid watches from outside, far away from everyone, with tiny snowflakes swirling around her head.
Ingrid’s plan is coming together: In Storybrooke, Ingrid’s in handcuffs. Elsa and Emma ask her about Anna (she’s alive because they heard her heartbeat in Bo Peep’s shepherd’s crook). Ingrid continues to insist it was Anna who put Elsa in the urn, and Elsa’s getting angrier and angrier as Ingrid talks. Emma settles her down and sends her on the way to help David and Hook take apart Ingrid’s mirror. Ingrid says she’s proud of Emma and that she’s proud she knew her as a child. Emma says they will not have the future together that Ingrid wants, but Ingrid says they will and that she’ll understand it’s all true. Ingrid also tells Emma she’ll see the truth and she’ll let her escape.
Back to the Regina storyline: Henry (Jared Gilmore) is working with his grandpa so he has to wear a suit and tie (side note: he looks much older and handsome dressed up). Regina’s proud of how he looks, but Henry says Regina has been going through through the book with her scary face on. Regina tells her son she’s moving on and she needs to let Robin go. Henry’s sorry, but Regina says she will not let it go the next time a happy ending knocks on her door. Henry’s got ideas about where to look for clues as to who wrote the book.
And at the sheriff’s station: Emma knows what Ingrid wants, but she wants to know why. Ingrid says she’s protecting her and that’s why she erased her memories. Ingrid, the three of them – Ingrid, Elsa, and Emma – are a real family because they belong together. Ingrid tells Emma that her real family fears her and that they’ll hold her powers against her, just like Gerta and Helga did to her years ago.
Back again to Arendelle of the past: Ingrid’s preparing to leave because she wants to give her sisters normal lives. She wants her sister to be the queen Arendelle deserves and she knows she herself shouldn’t wear the crown because she can’t control her power. Gerta thinks she knows someone who can help, a sorcerer who might be powerful enough to control her powers: Rumpelstiltskin (Robert Carlyle) in the Enchanted Forest.
And once again to Storybrooke: Elsa, Hook (Colin O’Donoghue), and David (Josh Dallas) look at the mirror and don’t see anything special about it. Belle bursts in and tells them not to look into the mirror because they’ll see the worst in themselves. But Hook (being Hook) says he only sees that he’s more devilishly handsome and charming than usual, which prompts Belle to take a closer look at the mirror to discover it’s not actually Ingrid’s mirror. Elsa wonders why Ingrid would risk planting a fake mirror in town, and David quickly deduces it’s because she wanted to get caught. Belle, David, Elsa, and Hook make it to the sheriff’s office, but the doors are frozen shut.
Adding a touch of Will Scott to the mix: Robin’s at the diner throwing darts when Will Scott (Michael Socha) comes in. Will said he wants to make amends for what he did to Robin and the Merry Men in the forest, and Robin reminds him that what caused the rift had to do with a woman. Robin recalls the story of how he met Marion, a story Will’s heard three dozen times before, with Robin trying to convince himself he needs to remember the Marion that he fell in love with. Will reminds him Marion gave up everything to be with Robin because she saw the good in him.
A custodian in the making: Henry’s swept the floor twice and wants to learn something magical. Rumple, showing he has a sense of humor, gives him a potion to transform something old into something new: it’s furniture polish. David and the gang barge in and need Rumple’s help getting into the sheriff’s station. When everyone leaves the store but Hook and Rumple, Hook wants to know what Rumple’s game is because he doesn’t seem concerned by Ingrid. That line of questioning doesn’t go well as Rumple tells him it’s none of his business and puts an end to the interrogation.
Rumpelstiltskin’s a very tricky creature: Rumple meets with the three sisters from Arendelle to discuss how to get rid of Ingrid’s powers. The sisterly bond is worth its weight in magic, but Ingrid says her powers are too strong and is willing to give Rumple whatever he wants to get rid of it. Rumple produces gloves that will help conceal her powers, but Ingrid doesn’t want them concealed; she wants them gone. Rumple then shows her the urn and tells her if things get too chilly, she can pop the top and in she’ll go. All of her problems will be contained, and Arendelle will be safe. Rumple asks for the three ribbons in exchange, saying ordinary objects can possess their own special magic when there is a lot of love involved, like with the ribbons. Ingrid wants to give them to him, but the sisters really don’t want her to. She does so anyway, against her sisters’ wishes.
Ingrid fights dirty: Ingrid and Emma are still discussing their history, and Ingrid says Emma felt unwanted for 28 years, because her parents gave her up as a baby. Emma says they did what they did to save an entire kingdom but Ingrid wants to know how long she’s felt more like a savior than a daughter. Ingrid tells her she can relate to feeling misunderstood, alone, and different, and now Mary Margaret and David have a new child and don’t need to hide their fear of Emma. Emma’s pissed and says they love her. Ingrid says people fear what they can’t understand, and that includes her family and friends. Emma’s pissed off and her powers get out of control, knocking out the wall of the station and setting Ingrid free (just as she predicted). Emma wants it to stop, but Ingrid says no, that it’s beautiful.
Everyone arrives on the scene and Emma doesn’t want them to come closer because she doesn’t want to hurt them. She’s confused and backs away, but Hook reaches out for her, which causes fire and lightning to emerge, knocking over a light pole that almost kills Hook until David pushes him out of the way and is nearly crushed himself. Seeing the damage she’s done, Emma gets into her car and races away.
Secrets are revealed in Arendelle: Ingrid’s sitting with the urn and gloves when the Duke stumbles upon her while looking for Helga. In a weird twist, he tells Ingrid he finds her irresistible and tries to force himself on her. She shoots her magic at him and he runs away scared, threatening to tell everyone about her powers. Helga comes on the scene and the smarmy Duke says Ingrid started kissing him and when he rebuffed her, Ingrid used her magic on him.
Helga doesn’t believe him at all and takes her sister’s side. Helga says Ingrid is her sister and loves her, as will the people when they learn that Ingrid has powers. The Duke is a real scumbucket who calls Ingrid a freak and a monster. As he’s upsetting Ingrid, Helga steps in the way to keep Ingrid from doing something bad. Unfortunately, Ingrid mistakenly turns Helga into an ice statue that breaks into hundreds of pieces. Ingrid weeps, “What have I done?!”
It’s not over for Regina and Robin: Regina’s looking through her book when Robin comes in. Robin says he’s lived by a code his entire life: steal from the rich, give to the poor, be righteous and good. He’s tried to live by that every day of his life. “Then, why are you here?” asks Regina. Robin gives her a passionate kiss as an answer.
Emma’s torn apart: They can’t find Emma and Margaret says they failed, that Emma looked into their eyes and saw fear. Meanwhile, Emma’s parked in her VW under a tree, crying. Ingrid’s very satisfied with herself and embraces her mirror.
And now the urn’s in play: Gerta finds Ingrid over Helga’s dead icy body and she’s scared of her sister now. Ingrid tells her not to be afraid and begs for her help. She pleads with her to take her hand but Gerta refuses. Ingrid killed their sister and now Gerta actually believes Ingrid is a monster. Gerta looks down, grabs the urn, and Ingrid’s sucked inside. Gerta closes it and clutches the gloves Ingrid dropped.
Gerta visits the Grand Pappie and he says her face shows great tragedy. Gerta says it’s too painful to talk about and that they need to see that Arendelle survives recent events. Gerta wants everyone within Arendelle’s borders to forget Ingrid and Helga ever existed. Grand Pappie says he will do it for her, but it’s strong magic and magic always comes with a price.
The final act of “The Snow Queen”: Rumple clutches a snow globe as he tells Ingrid he’s impressed by the number she did on Miss Swan. Ingrid’s ready to make the deal – she wants her ribbons back however, Rumple is not convinced Ingrid has anything he wants. Ingrid had the hat longer than Rumple and she knows about the missing piece of the puzzle he needs to cleave himself from the dagger. Ingrid’s figured out Rumple’s plan, revealing that Storybrooke is too small for the Dark One to be content.
Rumple wants to cleave himself from the dagger so he can go outside of Storybrooke without losing his power. Ingrid says he wants what all villains want – everything – and that she’ll give it to him. The deal: Ingrid wants control over Storybrooke and in exchange, Rumple can have the rest of the world. Ingrid says they have a deal, but Rumple tells her to go first. She leans over the counter and whispers it in his ear. “Not only can I do that, but I shall do it with great pleasure,” replies Rumple to whatever it is that Ingrid whispered.
The Bottom Line:
Once Upon a Time‘s seventh episode of season four was stronger than episode six and delivered the big payoff we’ve been waiting for this season. Although a tad bit too predictable, “The Snow Queen” was more emotionally involving than the usual Once Upon a Time episode and managed to propel every storyline, other than Belle and Rumple’s relationship, forward. Emma’s always so strong and to see her breakdown and feel removed from her family and friends (including Hook) was a major change in the evolution of this season’s story.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Photo by Richard Chavez / ShowbizJunkies)
It’s confirmed: Joseph Gordon-Levitt will play Edward Snowden in the untitled Oliver Stone/Edward Snowden project which Open Road Films and Endgame Entertainment are teaming up to deliver domestically in theaters. Stone wrote the script based on the books The Snowden Files and Time of the Octopus and will direct.
The still-untitled project is expected to start shooting early next year.
“After working with Oliver on W, I am thrilled to be back in business with him, along with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the filmmmaking team and Endgame Entertainment, on this exciting project,” stated Tom Ortenberg, CEO of Open Road Films.
“Oliver and I were overwhelmed by the reaction to the screenplay from all quarters but, in the end, the enthusiasm from Tom & [James D. Stern, CEO of Endgame Entertainment] and the distribution case they made, convinced us that the film would be in the perfect hands,” added producer Moritz Borman. “This film needs an independent in the true sense, where political pressures will not come into play.”
Gordon-Levitt’s film credits include Don Jon (which he also directed), Lincoln, Looper, and The Dark Knight Rises.
