Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig stare into the camera on the new poster for The Skeleton Twins from director Craig Johnson. Co-written by Johnson and Mark Heyman (Black Swan), the Lionsgate & Roadside Attractions release will be heading to theaters on September 19, 2014.
The Plot:
When estranged twins Maggie (Wiig) and Milo (Hader) feel they’re at the end of their ropes, an unexpected reunion forces them to confront why their lives went so wrong. As the twins reconnect, they realize the key to fixing their lives may just lie in repairing their relationship.
Dimension Films’ Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, which just released its final official poster, is going to have a big presence at the San Diego Comic Con, with a special ‘Sin City Experience’ set up for the run of the event. And in addition to a panel in Hall H on Saturday, July 26 at 2:50pm – 3:50pm featuring Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, and Rosario Dawson, the cast and directors will be signing posters for fans at Petco Park from 11:15am – 12:15pm and at the Dark Horse Booth from 4:15pm – 5:15pm.
The Plot:
Co-directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller reunite to bring Miller’s visually stunning Sin City graphic novels back to the screen in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. Weaving together two of Miller’s classic stories with new tales, the town’s most hard boiled citizens cross paths with some of its more notorious inhabitants.
Aya Cash as Gretchen Cutler in ‘You’re the Worst’ (Photo Credit: James Minchin/Copyright 2014, FX Networks. All rights reserved.)
Aya Cash (We Are Men, The Newsroom) stars in the comedy series You’re the Worst, a new half-hour series from FX. The first episode, which airs on July 17, 2014 at 10:30pm ET/PT, introduces us to the dysfunctional couple Jimmy and Gretchen, played by Chris Geere and Aya Cash. Their roller-coaster relationship’s ups and downs provide plenty to laugh at, and even a few relatable relationship moments, over the show’s 10-episode season one run.
The Plot: “You’re the Worst is a comedic love story about what happens when two toxic, self-destructive people fall in love despite themselves and attempt the impossible—a relationship.”
In support of the series’ premiere, Aya Cash talked about her character, the comedy, and what viewers can expect from this FX series:
How do you keep Gretchen sarcastic but still endearing?
Aya Cash: “I think the writing does that for me. I think she’s got a very dry sense of humor, but I think she’s very playful and has a lot of fun, and I think the audience is going to respond to that. So, I just trust the writers. It’s not my job to make someone palatable, and I just hope for the best.”
And she’s not quite as sarcastic as Jimmy.
Aya Cash: “No, I think the major difference between Jimmy and Gretchen is that Jimmy is honest at all costs and Gretchen is actually a people-pleaser, even though she often says the wrong thing. She’s a little less harsh, but I think they mash up well.”
Since Jimmy has a foot fetish, did you have to audition your feet?
Aya Cash: [Laughing] “I did not have to audition my feet. But I do get my toes done every couple of weeks to make sure they always look good because I never know when they’re going to be on camera. I want to make sure that they’re pretty and up to Jimmy’s standards. The boys on this show – Chris [Geere] and Desmin [Borges] – I wouldn’t say are foot fetishists, but they appreciate a nice foot. I have a pretty foot, so they lucked out with that.”
What’s in store for Jimmy and Gretchen this season?
Aya Cash: “You can expect from this season a lot of togetherness and a lot of fear of togetherness. There’s a lot of back and forth of them spending a lot of time and then not wanting to spend time to together and trying to decide if they should be in a relationship – and then trying to get out of a relationship. I think you can definitely expect that. We also have some amazing guest stars.
Thomas Middleditch did an episode, he’s on Silicon Valley and he’s absolutely hilarious. You’ll also see a lot more of an expansion of the Lindsay (played by Kether Donohue) and Edgar (played by Borges) roles. I think it starts very centered on Jimmy and Gretchen and really expands to include the other two and really becomes more of an ensemble show, which is really fun because we all love each other. My favorite times on set are when we all get to be together. There’s fun stuff coming up.”
How did you feel about shooting the sex scene for the pilot episode?
Aya Cash: “I was terrified. I did a show for Fox a few years ago called Traffic Light where there was a naked episode, but of course it was a network show so I was wearing a body suit most of the time and then one time they had my come out in pasties. But this has come a long way, but it was an incredibly respectful set and we had phone conversations about what it would be and what we were comfortable with. I think they can show butts on FX but I said, ‘I’d rather you not show mine. You can show the side and maybe show the stomach,’ so there were some negotiations that way.
But really everyone just wanted to make it realistic, sexy, and hilarious. We were all on the same page. We joked that we were going to do shots before we shot it and then Chris and I were so comfortable that we forgot. We had a great time. I think it helped that we’re both happily married people and respectful and all on the same page. It was actually less traumatic than I thought.”
Do you improvise a lot on You’re the Worst?
Aya Cash: “I think in comedy right now the idea is whatever’s funny is what’s best. I love to improv and I’ve had a great time improv’ing on almost everything I’ve ever done. But this show is pretty tightly scripted. There’s once in a while where they’ll be, ‘Hey, can you throw out a line to kind of get us into a scene?’ Or, with Thomas Middleditch, he came in and the director and him are old friends and Stephen [Falk, the writer] was on board to let him play and expand that role a little bit.
Normally, we stick pretty close to script. It’s not as much as I did on The Newsroom and with that if you miss a comma, you better fix it. It’s not that strict, but it’s been fun. An actor once said to me, ‘It’s the writer’s job to write the words. It’s my job to make it look like they didn’t,’ and that’s how I feel about this show. I believe so much in the writing that I don’t feel the need to make a joke.”
Joe Anderson stars in ‘The Divide’ (Photo by Steve Wilkie for WE tv)
The Divide, WE tv’s first scripted series, kicks off its eight-episode season one run on July 16, 2014 at 9pm ET/PT before moving to its normal timeslot of Wednesdays at 10pm. The drama series was co-created by Oscar and Emmy nominee Richard LaGravenese (Behind the Candelabra, Water for Elephants) and Tony Goldwyn (Scandal), with Goldwyn directing a cast that includes Joe Anderson, Marin Ireland, Damon Gupton, and Chris Bauer in the first episode.
The Plot: “Twelve years ago, the Butler family was attacked in their Philadelphia home and all but the youngest daughter were brutally murdered. The senseless deaths of this affluent African American family, seemingly at the hands of two white construction workers, Terry Kucik (Anderson) and Jared Bankowski (Bauer), threatened to ignite a racial firestorm in the City of Brotherly Love.
Adam Page (Gupton), himself an affluent African American man and the city’s District Attorney as well as a political rising star, made a name for himself by securing convictions for both men, leading to the death penalty ruling for Bankowski. Now, Christine Rosa (Ireland), a caseworker with the Innocence Initiative, believes Bankowski was wrongly convicted of the heinous murders and struggles to stop his impending execution, while tirelessly working to exonerate Kucik.
In her search for the truth, Christine uncovers evidence that puts her at odds with Adam who will do everything in his power to uphold the verdict and keep his reputation intact. His actions put a strain on his marriage to Billie, played by Nia Long, a powerhouse corporate attorney at a crossroads in her personal and professional life. Faced with the question of one man’s guilt or innocence and motivated by their own personal histories, each struggle between wrong and right – their own divide – in the quest for justice.”
Capturing a few minutes with Joe Anderson at the 2014 Television Critics Association summer press event in LA, I had the opportunity to find out more about The Divide and his upcoming film, Supremacy.
Joe Anderson Exclusive Interview
Did you do Supremacy before The Divide?
Joe Anderson: “I did do it before The Divide. Actually, let me think about that. We shot the pilot quite a long time before we went to series. Yes, I had shot Supremacy before the pilot for The Divide, yes.”
Was it just a coincidence that two racially charged projects came your way?
Joe Anderson: “Absolutely. The thing that sort of fascinated me about it, in terms of the timing, was my father’s from Africa and there’s always been a misunderstanding by the general public of what the situation is in Africa with the whites and the blacks. So I wanted to play somebody who is actually a racist and then somebody who is forced into being a part of a brotherhood or a group like the white supremacist movement. So, one is an actual believer and one is doing it out of survival, to survive. It was kind of looking at two mindsets but playing essentially what would be seen on the outside to be the same sort of person.”
And Supremacy was based on a real person while The Divide is not.
Joe Anderson: “Yes. Supremacy is loosely based on a real guy, a real case. Mr. Walker, who Danny Glover played, was the head of the family. And Garrett ‘Tully’…I think they changed his name.”
They did, because I tried to look up the case.
Joe Anderson: “You won’t be able to.”
The real person ended up getting the death penalty last month?
Joe Anderson: “Yeah. But it’s interesting because they’re not people that are widely recognized, so you’re not playing someone like Manson or someone you’d instantly recognize. So there’s a certain amount of leeway that I could take with just making it my own. That was what was fun, as opposed to doing an impersonation.”
With Supremacy, you might have had some real basis to understand where that kind of hatred came from. How did you develop the character in The Divide?
Joe Anderson: “The Divide was very much the other way around. It came from being incarcerated as opposed to any political opinions, from physically being locked up and from physically having my life threatened. That was something that I could relate to from being bullied horrendously at school. That link of being in a social environment where you can’t get out of it, you can’t quit, you can’t leave, and you have to deal with the social dynamics – that was the thing with The Divide.”
Were you looking for a TV show?
Joe Anderson: “I was looking for longevity within a character that I liked and that wasn’t going to be locked down. It’s not a procedural show; I’m not going to be standing around hospital beds talking the same sort of technical lingo. I wanted something that the guy was initially you’d put him in a box and you’d say, ‘This guy’s got a swastika on his hand. He’s a racist and he’s part of the brotherhood. He’s incarcerated.’ But it is so much more than that. It’s so endless in terms of where he can go and his belief systems and what have you. That just seemed like a godsend, really.”
Some actors have said they had a difficult time of getting all traces of tattoos removed at the end of the day. Did that ever happen with your swastikas or other tats?
Joe Anderson: “We were shooting in…I can’t remember the name of the area, but it was really on the other side of downtown LA in what would be known as the hood, I suppose. I’m covered in swastikas and tattoos, and we finished one late night at about 3 o’clock in the morning and I jumped in the car to drive home – it was a very low budget movie so we all drove ourselves – and I didn’t go to the make-up trailer to get the tats off. I thought I’d do it at home.
I got in the car and got halfway down the road and realized I didn’t have any gas. So then I’m trying to now find a gas station where I can get out, but I realized I’m covered in this symbolism which is not me. I suddenly found myself in this most awful position of how much it means – how much having a swastika actually means. What does that mean? To do it as an actor it feels like a costume, but then the moment you step outside and you see how the real world treats you, it’s completely different. It’s very scary and very weird.”
Did anyone see you?
Joe Anderson: “Yeah, I had to get gas. The guy looked at me and I explained what I was doing. ‘I’m an actor; I just got off set.'”
Is there any of that symbology on The Divide?
Joe Anderson: “Yes, there is and it’s a key aspect to the relationship between Marin [Ireland’s] character, Christina, and myself. But like I said, nothing is as it seems.”
Joe Anderson: “I have a rather interesting role. I can’t say too much about it because it’s a bit of a twisty role. But, yeah, to have a role written for you by Brett Ratner and the team was great.”
But if we look up the name of the character, there aren’t any Greek myths about him?
Joe Anderson: “No, no.”
So you’re inventing something out of whole cloth in that realm.
Joe Anderson: “Absolutely. Which, again, gives me a lot of room to play which is fun.”
Did you have to do anything to get into shape for that role?
Joe Anderson: “I didn’t have to per se, but when you’re standing around with people like The Rock, you end up lifting a few weights. [Laughing] You can’t help it.”
A24 is showing off the first teaser poster for the coming of age comedy Laggies, directed by Lynn Shelton (Your Sister’s Sister), along with a new trailer for the film. Coming to theaters on October 24, 2014, the cast is led by Keira Knightley, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Sam Rockwell. Mark Webber, Ellie Kemper, Jeff Garlin, Gretchen Mol, and Kaitlyn Dever also star in the R-rated comedy.
The Plot:
Having spent her twenties comfortably inert, 28 year old Megan (Keira Knightley) reaches a crisis when she finds herself squarely in adulthood with no career prospects, no particular motivation to pursue any and no one to relate to, including her high school boyfriend (Mark Webber). When he proposes, Megan panics and given an opportunity to escape – at least temporarily – she hides out in the home of her new friend, 16-year-old Annika (Chloë Grace Moretz) and Annika’s world-weary single dad (Sam Rockwell).
Two-time Oscar winner Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind) will direct an authorized documentary about the first part of The Beatles’ career, as just announced by Apple Corps Ltd., White Horse Pictures and Imagine Entertainment. The documentary will be made with the full support of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono Lennon, and Olivia Harrison, and will highlight the “early days of the Cavern Club in Liverpool and engagements in Hamburg to their last public concert in Candlestick Park, San Francisco, in 1966.” Howard, White Horse’s Nigel Sinclair, Scott Pascucci, and Brian Grazer are producing. Michael Rosenberg, Guy East, Jeff Jones and Jonathan Clyde are on board as executive producers.
“I am excited and honored to be working with Apple and the White Horse team on this astounding story of these four young men who stormed the world in 1964. Their impact on popular culture and the human experience cannot be exaggerated,” stated Howard.
Sinclair said, “The way The Beatles burst onto the scene in Britain was an overwhelming social, cultural and musical phenomenon, but was even then eclipsed by that extraordinary explosion on the American scene and then the world. I was lucky enough to see The Beatles perform in Glasgow in 1964, shortly after their Ed Sullivan appearance. It is an honor to work on this project for The Beatles, and to be collaborating again with the extraordinary Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, and my good friend Scott Pascucci.”
Details on The Beatles Documentary, Courtesy of Apple Corps Ltd., White Horse Pictures and Imagine Entertainment:
The Beatles began touring Europe in late 1963, after an extraordinary arrival on the British scene in 1961 and ’62. However, it was their much-heralded Ed Sullivan appearance on February 9, 1964 that caused The Beatles’ popularity to explode. By June, the band had commenced their first world tour, and continued on a relentless schedule for two subsequent years. By the time the band stopped touring in August of 1966, they had performed 166 concerts in 15 countries and 90 cities around the world. The cultural phenomenon their touring helped create, known as “Beatlemania,” was something the world had never seen before and laid the foundation for the globalization of culture.
Beatlemania was not just a phenomenon. It was the catalyst for a cultural shift that would alter the way people around the world viewed and consumed popular culture. This film will seek to explain what it was about that particular moment in time that allowed this cultural pivot point to occur. It will examine the social and political context of the time, and reveal the unique conditions that caused technology and mass communication to collide. The film will also explore the incomparable electricity between performer and audience that turned the music into a movement – a common experience into something sublime.
Daniel Radcliffe sprouts horns and could quite possibly be the devil in the supernatural thriller, Horns. Based on the Joe Hill book, adapted for the screen by Keith Bunin, and directed by Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes, Mirrors), the cast also includes Juno Temple and Heather Graham.
Discussing the film, director Aja said, “After having worked in horror for the last ten years, I felt that I became too familiar with the genre’s tropes and tricks and wanted to reinvent myself. It is only natural that my next film returned to the source of the genre- the gothic. When I first read Joe Hill’s cult novel, Horns – I was intrigued by his modern-American allegory and found the mixture of tones to be incredibly fresh. I was moved by the love-story, humored by the satire and morbidly amused by his absurd portrayal of human nature.
Joe Hill wrote a gothic fable that touches on the motif of the double, the supernatural and the transgression of taboos. His gothic tale exposes and reaffirms society’s definition of normalcy and puts into question our modern addictions and contradictions. But what drew me most to the source material was the fact that it tapped into a universal mythology with a rock’n roll pop-culture edge. It was not just a parable about good vs. evil, but a supernatural thriller with a romantic quest at its heart.”
“But the most important element for me was the story of the devil as the fallen angel,” added Aja. “Metaphorically, Ig’s character was living in an idyllic Garden of Eden with Merrin, until her murder, after which Ig awakes with horns protruding from his skull. He discovers that they have the power to get people to confess their darkest secrets and so he uses these voiced temptations to piece together clues of Merrin’s murder while we flashback to their adolescent coming of age story. Love is his motivation for redemption, but he needs a dash of the devil in order to obtain the truth. In order to clear his name, he literally transforms into the devil and uses these confessions to unravel the mystery and plunges into the sinful depths of human nature of those around him.”
Aja summed up the story by offering this synopsis: “It’s a reversal of Frank Capra’s A Wonderful Life with the tone of Fight Club.”
The Plot:
In the aftermath of his girlfriend’s mysterious death, a young man awakens to strange horns sprouting from his temples.
With every teaser trailer the upcoming Fox drama Gotham releases, our anticipation builds for this origin tale that takes place before Bruce Wayne becomes Batman. The series is set to air on Mondays during the fall with a cast that’s led by Ben McKenzie as Detective James Gordon.
Gotham also features Robin Lord Taylor as the Penguin, Jada Pinkett Smith as Fish Mooney, Camren Bicondova as Catwoman, Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock, Sean Pertwee as Alfred, Erin Richards as Barbara Kean, David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne, and Zabryna Guevara as Captain Sarah Essen.
The Plot: Before there was Batman, there was Gotham. Everyone knows the name Commissioner Gordon. He is one of the crime world’s greatest foes, a man whose reputation is synonymous with law and order. But what is known of Gordon’s story and his rise from rookie detective to Police Commissioner? What did it take to navigate the multiple layers of corruption that secretly ruled Gotham City, the spawning ground of the world’s most iconic villains? And what circumstances created them – the larger-than-life personas who would become Catwoman, The Penguin, The Riddler, Two-Face and The Joker?
Gotham is an origin story of the great DC Comics Super-Villains and vigilantes, revealing an entirely new chapter that has never been told.
Fox’s social experiment/unscripted series Utopia is showing off a short teaser trailer that briefly introduces the people who’ve volunteered to start a new civilization specifically for the new series. Utopia will debut on Sunday, September 7, 2014 followed by additional episodes on September 9th and September 12th before it settles into its normal time slot of Tuesday nights at 8pm ET/PT.
The Plot:
The groundbreaking social experiment Utopia asks, “Does a perfect world exist?” From unscripted mastermind John de Mol (Deal Or No Deal, Fear Factor, The Voice, Big Brother), and based on the Dutch hit of the same name, Utopia is a bold new series that moves 15 everyday Americans to an isolated, undeveloped location – for an entire year – and challenges them to create their own civilization. Will it be ultimate happiness or utter chaos?
A reality musical, a series about kart racing, a competition between bar owners, and a comedy about life hacks have all gotten series orders at truTV. The network’s greenlit Branson Famous (working title), Kart Life, The Shake Up, and Hack My Life, and all four shows will debut later this fall/winter.
The network also announced they’ve asked for 13 additional episodes of the reality Western Way Out West which is premiering on July 21, 2014.
Details on the new shows:
Branson Famous (working title)
With Branson Famous (working title), truTV breaks new ground in this first-ever “reality musical” and goes behind the scenes of the longest-running variety show in Branson, Mo. With the backdrop of decades-old feuds, burning jealousies, and sequined costume changes, the Mabe family takes their landmark legacy, “The Baldknobbers Jamboree,” very seriously. But the Mabes are in danger of losing everything as the popular show slips into financial decline and a new sexy singer in town threatens to pit them all against each other. Get ready, because this family’s passion for country music is not confined to the stage and they just might break into song when you least expect it.
Kart Life
Kart Life is a mix of high-speed and high-stakes as it takes viewers into the fascinating world of kart racing. The series will follow kart-racing kids – along with their parents in the pits – as they go full throttle in pursuit of the racing holy grail: landing a national ranking and a shot at one day becoming a professional driver.
Hack My Life
Hack My Life is a weekly themed half hour show that provides a comedic spin on the never-ending supply of everyday life hacks. Hosted by Kevin Pereira and Brooke Van Poppelen this new series demonstrates step by step how to incorporate eye popping shortcuts and cheats guaranteed to save today’s busy adults a lot of time, effort and money. From parenting and the workday, to vacations and parties, viewers’ lives will never be the same again.
The Shake Up
The Shake Up is a fun, competition series that seeks to settle once and for all which bar owner has the best recipe for success. In each episode, comedian Mo Mandel travels to a different city and pits two bar owners against each other. The goal is to see who can turn the most profit… while running the other owner’s bar. The result is a wild rollercoaster ride of comical conflicts and one-upmanship as the bosses compete to see who can win over new staff and customers with their charm and skill.
Way Out West
Amidst the beautiful, majestic mountains of Idaho, three boisterous, fun-loving families of outfitters have been living, laughing and competing with each other for three generations. Now they’re at the center of truTV’s brand new series Way Out West, a fascinating and fun look at these three truly original clans who love life and know how to have a good time. The Youren, Bullock and Korell families all run rival outfitting businesses, taking clients deep inside the country’s last great wilderness for tracking, fishing, rafting, horse riding and camping trips.
truTV’s Way Out West follows these three charismatic, engaging families as they compete to lead the best excursions, survive their various family shenanigans and participate in local festivals and time-honored traditions. From guiding city-dwellers who would otherwise lose their way to rescuing the families’ own lost cattle, these men and women of the backcountry live surprisingly relatable lives, facing everyday family situations like raising kids and finding love in the last remnants of the Wild West.
