What do you think of this gorgeous new poster for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug? Featuring all of the main characters, this new one sheet for the upcoming December 13, 2013 release puts Gandalf front and center, surrounded by his key allies.
The Plot:
The film continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, on an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. Having survived the beginning of their unexpected journey, the Company continues East, encountering along the way the skin-changer Beorn and a swarm of giant Spiders in the treacherous Mirkwood Forest.
After escaping capture by the dangerous Woodland Elves, the Dwarves journey to Lake-town, and finally to the Lonely Mountain itself, where they must face the greatest danger of all—a creature more terrifying than any before, which will test not only the depth of their courage but the limits of their friendship and the wisdom of the journey itself—the Dragon Smaug.
It doesn’t have a permanent, official title yet, but APB with Troy Dunn does have a premiere date. TNT’s set to debut the new investigation series on January 17, 2014 at 10pm ET/PT starring Troy Dunn (The Locator), an expert on locating long-lost persons.
Season one of the new unscripted series will consist of six hour-long episodes. In addition to starring in the show, Dunn will executive produce along with Pamela Healey, Dan Peirson and Ted Haimes.
The Plot: Troy will use his expertise and experience in answering the pleas of those who are desperate to bring home long-lost loved ones from around the nation. He’s also going to call upon America to get involved in the search. With a new social media app powered by technology exclusive to the show, viewers at home will be able to contribute to Troy’s mission of bringing families and loved ones back together.
People who wish to have Troy investigate their cases in the hopes of finding their loved ones can submit their information via http://on.tnt.tv/eK2ze.
Lionsgate has just debuted this poster for the 2014 sci-fi action movie I, Frankenstein coming to theaters on January 24th. The cast is led by Aaron Eckhart and includes Bill Nighy, Miranda Otto, Jai Courtney, and Yvonne Strahovski.
The Plot:
Set in a dystopic present where vigilant gargoyles and ferocious demons rage in a battle for ultimate power, Victor Frankenstein’s creation Adam (Aaron Eckhart) finds himself caught in the middle as both sides race to discover the secret to his immortality. From the creators of the hit supernatural saga, Underworld, comes the action thriller I, Frankenstein, written for the screen and directed by Stuart Beattie based on the graphic novel I, Frankenstein by Kevin Grevioux.
Per CBS, Wickersham’s Ellie is “a mysterious mixture of analytic brilliance, fierce determination and idealism who specializes in international threat assessment and global preparation.” She’ll be introduced after it’s discovered the Secretary of the Navy “was bugged during a confidential briefing, a security breach Bishop described in exact detail two years ago in a threat analysis report. Working side-by-side with Gibbs and the team, Bishop cross-examines the case file to help determine who is behind the crime.”
“Emily Wickersham’s Ellie Bishop is proving to perfectly compliment the NCIS team,” said Executive Producer Gary Glasberg. “Her energy and enthusiasm is contagious. Great things are planned for Bishop and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have her on board.”
Wickersham’s TV credits include The Sopranos, The Bridge, and Gossip Girl.
WWE Studios and Film Roman are teaming up on 13 three-minute webisodes of Camp WWE, an animated series written by Mike Benson (Entourage). The new web series is meant for an adult audience and features the WWE Superstars as kids.
“Film Roman has been involved with some of the most well-known and humorous animated series,” said Michael Luisi, President WWE Studios. “They are the perfect partners for WWE Studios to capture our Superstars in a truly unique and fun way.”
“Camp WWE is a new and exciting project with a great creative team for Film Roman to be working on with WWE Studios and we are very bullish on its prospects for success. With a combination of their unique personalities, distinctive characteristics and huge built-in loyal fan base, WWE Superstars make for ideal animation subjects in Camp WWE,” said Dana Booton, General Manager for Film Roman. “We are very pleased to be working with WWE Studios and hope that it will begin a mutually beneficial, long-term business relationship.”
The Plot:
Camp WWE follows these unruly tykes as they body slam their way through their formative years. Proving to be a nightmare for teachers and other kids, their exhausted parents pack-up their future WWE Superstars with their masks, chains, kneepads and security blankets and send them off to Camp WWE, to be transformed into model citizens by the most terrifying counselor who ever lived, Mr. McMahon.
Taylor Swift is set to become only the second recipient of the CMA Pinnacle Award when it’s presented to the singer/songwriter on November 6, 2013 during The 47th Annual CMA Awards. Airing live on ABC at 8pm ET, the CMA’s Pinnacle Award is presented to an artist “who has achieved both national and international prominence through concert performances and record sales at levels unique in Country Music. The artist has also attained the highest degree of recognition within the broad expanse of music worldwide. The artist’s talent and presence will have a long-term positive impact on the appreciation of Country Music for generations to come.”
The only other artist to earn the honor is Garth Brooks back in 2005.
Swift’s up for six CMA Awards this year, including Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, and Album of the Year. In addition to accepting the Pinnacle Award and maybe adding another CMA Award or two to her trophy shelf, Swift will be taking the stage to perform alongside Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, Sam Bush, Edgar Meyer, and Eric Darken.
“I can’t think of a better opportunity than ‘Country Music’s Biggest Night™’ to present an award of this magnitude to an artist of this caliber,” said CMA President of the Board Ed Hardy. “I’ve known Taylor since she was 16. She came to my office with her Mom to play her music and I was amazed. Taylor’s outstanding career epitomizes the definition of the Pinnacle Award.”
Taylor Swift’s Achievements:
– The first artist since the Beatles to log six or more weeks at No. 1 with three consecutive studio albums.
– She’s the only female artist in chart history to have two albums hit the 1 million sales mark within a week of their release.
– Red scored the highest first-week sales debut of any album in more than a decade, had the eighth largest first-week debut in chart history, and marked the second biggest week ever for a female artist.
– “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” set a new record for the biggest digital sales week ever for a song by a woman and for the second-largest sales week overall.
– Set a new worldwide iTunes record for highest ever first-week album sales, and Red reached No. 1 on iTunes and national sales charts in 50 countries, including the U.K., Canada, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Malaysia, Ireland, Argentina, New Zealand, Ireland, and Australia.
– In 2012, Time magazine named Taylor one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
– Swift is Billboard’s youngest-ever Woman of the Year.
– She’s the youngest winner in the history of the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
– Taylor Swift is the top-selling digital artist in Country Music history.
– Holds the Billboard record for the most Top 10 debuts in the history of the Hot 100 Chart, the Most Charting Songs from One Album in a Single Week, and the Longest Charting Album on the Top 200 Chart.
Discovery Channel is set to introduce a new four-part series titled Kodiak next year, focusing on three families who live and work on the remote Kodiak Island. “Alaska has always been surrounded by a veil of mystique, and several of our highest rated shows take place there. We introduced our viewers to the gold miners of Porcupine Creek in Gold Rush…the tight-knit community of Tanana in Yukon Men…the Kilcher family of Homer in Alaska: The Last Frontier…the bush pilots of Unalakleet in Flying Wild Alaska…and now we are excited to introduce our viewers to the legendary forests and waters of Kodiak Island, one of the most dangerous and isolated places on Earth,” said Denise Contis, Executive Vice President of Production and Development for Discovery Channel.
Details on Kodiak [Courtesy of Discovery Channel]
Even for the most experienced outdoorsmen, survival on Kodiak Island is a daily struggle. The island, referred to by the locals as ‘The Rock’, is populated by as many as 3,500 Kodiak bears – one for every square mile of land – each weighing in at over 1,500 pounds. Too many bears ultimately means starvation for the species, so carefully regulated hunting is the only solution. And there is also fierce weather to contend with. Kodiak Island averages 70 inches of rain and 70 inches of snow per year – and fog is common. The winters are long and cold, and it can be a struggle to find both food and heat. Those who reside here truly live on the edge. For the bush pilots, master guides, expert hunters, survival experts and adrenaline junkies who call Kodiak Island home, each and every day brings new challenges.
Kodiak is an authentic story of survival on one of American’s last true frontiers. And when the stakes are high, so can be the rewards. In order to defy the odds and reap the riches of the harshest wilderness in North America, those who inhabit Kodiak must stick together.
Merritt Patterson stars as Olivia Matheson on ABC Family’s “Ravenswood.” (ABC FAMILY/Bob D’Amico)
Canadian actress Merritt Patterson made her television debut on ABC Family’s Kyle XY and she’s continuing her relationship with the network with a starring role in Ravenswood, the Pretty Little Liars spinoff. In the new show, which premiered on October 22, 2013, Patterson plays ‘Olivia Matheson,’ a character described as a “once carefree and effortlessly happy spirit, who has recently experienced hardship, leaving her questioning what’s important and what no longer matters.”
Participating in a conference call in support of the drama series, Patterson discussed her role, the plot of Ravenswood, and playing a character who feels ostracized.
How do you feel about Olivia becoming a fan favorite?
Merritt Patterson: “It’s really exciting. This is all new to me, so I’m very excited, and I’m glad people responded well to Olivia.”
What did you bring to the role that may not necessarily have been in the script?
Merritt Patterson: “Olivia and I are really similar, which was great as far as our tendencies and how we deal with things. I think I brought more of a subtle characteristic to her because she is prom queen. And I think when you think of prom queen, you think of over-the-top. It’s in my nature to be a little bit more subtle, so I think I added that to her character.”
What can we expect from your character?
Merritt Patterson: “Olivia’s kind of in a different social bracket at the beginning of the show, which is why I think she’s a little bit more separate; but obviously, as the curse continues and they continue to find out more, she’s brought together with the other four. She continues to do research on her father’s murder and she also has a supernatural experience for herself coming up, which is pretty exciting. So I’m looking forward to both those events.”
Can fans expect the same twists and turns that Pretty Little Liars is famous for? Do you personally enjoy those elements?
Merritt Patterson: “Definitely, yes! I think that’s what’s really great about our show and what’s similar to Pretty Little Liars are the cliffhangers, twists and turns. So you can definitely expect lots of those. And I love that. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and it keeps it interesting. I’m excited and I think people will respond well to that.”
Do you think the subtle sparks between Miranda and Caleb will put a strain on Hanna and Caleb’s relationship?
Merritt Patterson: “Yes, I think it will. I think the fact that he is in a different town, that would put a strain on any relationship. Miranda and Caleb are very similar. Their characters are very similar, so they get along really well right off the bat, which could be taken wrong from someone else, especially in a different town.”
Will Hanna be visiting Ravenswood often?
Merritt Patterson: “She doesn’t during the beginning. They definitely do keep in contact, but it’s mainly over phone conversations, so she is in some of our episodes but not in person. Not yet.”
What is Olivia’s relationship like with her brother?
Merritt Patterson: “I think their relationship right now is strained. I think the whole family is strained. They’re going through a lot with the murder of their father, and her mom has been hiding out. She’s obviously struggling, and I think Luke deals with it by being very angry. I don’t think he knows how to deal with it; neither does Olivia, but she’s trying to pretend like everything’s okay.
I don’t know if it has fully hit her yet, but I think their relationship is very strained because of that. She doesn’t understand Luke’s process and how he’s dealing with the events. There’s some miscommunication there, but ultimately they’re twins. They’re family and they love each other and they’ll always have each other’s back. I think it’s like any relationship with siblings. I think it’s very up and down.”
How did you feel when you learned that you had gotten the role?
Merritt Patterson: “Oh my gosh, I was so excited. It was crazy. When I auditioned for it, I put it on tape in Canada because I’m based in Vancouver, B.C. At the time, I didn’t really think I had a chance, because it was an American television show. Usually it’s a lot harder for Canadians to get on American shows unless they’re filming in Canada – then we kind of have a leg-up – so I was shocked and ecstatic.”
Can you tease a bit about the dynamic of the characters’ relationships with one another?
Merritt Patterson: “We all have stronger connections with different people. Olivia and her brother have a strong connection, and then Luke has a strong connection with Remy, because they’re dating. It’s a bit rough right now with their parents, but they have that. Remy and Caleb kind of bond, you see in the first episode that they’re immediately drawn together because they both want to find out more information on this curse. Then, obviously Caleb and Miranda have a connection, and they’re friends right off the bat.
It’s like we each have a stronger connection with someone else in it. In the third episode, I build a stronger bond with Miranda, which was really exciting; I was happy for that. There’s a bit of a riff between Caleb and Luke, because Luke is very protective over myself and Remy. I don’t think he knows Caleb yet, so he doesn’t really know what to think of him. For the most part, we all get along, which is good, because we’re all going through this together.”
How much are these new events going to alienate Olivia from her friends and her social standing as the homecoming queen?
Merritt Patterson: “I think she feels ostracized. She is realizing that the things she thought were important before are no longer important to her. That kind of separates her from her friends and it strains the relationships.”
What was it like to film Olivia’s “turning point” when she realized everything is changing?
Merritt Patterson: “In episode two, you see more of the strain on her relationship with her friends and her boyfriend. You see a lot of strain in episode two that she’s growing further and further apart from them because she’s so distracted by everything that’s going on.”
Why do you think the town of Ravenswood is treating Olivia so badly after her father’s murder?
Merritt Patterson: “The town of Ravenswood thinks that our mother killed our father, so the whole family is being ignored and hated. They think that our mom murdered our father and therefore we’re all connected to this murder. I think they’re just putting us out there on our own. Nobody really trusts or respects our mom, and therefore the kids are being painted that way as well.”
What do you think it would take to get out from under the bad treatment from the town?
Merritt Patterson: “I think Luke and Olivia are trying to figure out who murdered their father because it doesn’t seem like the cops or anyone in the town is. They’re really pushing to find out who did it, so they start to take things into their own hands and they find clues along the way. Once the murderer is revealed, that will obviously help and make people realize.”
What’s your favorite aspect of Olivia?
Merritt Patterson: “I like that she’s a very caring person; she cares a lot about all the people around her, and she’s very protective of them all, and I enjoy that about her. She’s not this crazy popular girl who lives in her own world. Yet she’s still homecoming queen.”
How does being ostracized affect her as a person?
Merritt Patterson: “She’s really floating right now. She’s unsure, grasping for anything at this point because it’s all new. She’s constantly making new revelations, like, ‘Oh, that’s what I used to love – it doesn’t mean so much to me now,’ and ‘Oh, this person that I had so much in common with now feels so different.’ So she’s constantly dealing with that. The curse isn’t a good thing, but at least she has something with those five people that she can connect to.”
Have there been times when you were actually scared or creeped out on set?
Merritt Patterson: “Oh, for sure! The great thing about New Orleans is that it’s on location, and the locations here are amazing. There’s so much charm and history to this city. We’ve filmed a lot in a graveyard, which surprisingly isn’t that creepy, they’re really beautiful. We have filmed in an abandoned hospital and we heard stories that part of it was haunted. There was water dripping from the ceiling and people have heard footsteps. So there had definitely been a few times we were like, ‘Oh, did you hear that?’ I’m sure we’re getting ourselves worked up, but it’s for sure on our minds.”
How hard is it for you as an actress to convey the creepy feeling of the show to the audience?
Merritt Patterson: “The locations are huge and they play a huge part because it’s so much easier to get into that headspace and that energy when you’re surrounded by an actual location that adds itself to the scene. That’s helpful, and the writing is wonderful too, so it’s pretty easy, and once we all get into the scene and we start going, we build off of each other and that helps as well.”
Megan Etcheberry, Barb West, Darcy LaPier, Marvel Murphy, and Jessica Holmberg star in A&E's original real-life series 'Rodeo Girls.' (Photo by Zach Dilgard/Copyright 2012)
And you thought there couldn’t possibly be any segment of the population that hadn’t already been the topic of a reality show, didn’t you? How wrong you are as A&E will premiere a new real life series on December 11, 2013 about female barrel racers. The series, Rodeo Girls, will have a six episode season one run.
The series follows five women who “pack up their lives and their horses, to test their skills at rodeos across the country.” Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Meryl Poster, Patrick Reardon, Barbara Schneeweiss, Banks Tarver, Ken Druckerman, Nina L. Diaz, Sara Mast, Darcy LaPier, Roe Baker, Lily Neumeyer, and Devon Graham serve as executive producers.
The Plot:
Follow model-turned-rodeo-queen Darcy “No Fear” LaPier. With three famous husbands behind her, Darcy brings a big checkbook as well as her grit and determination to the competition. Marvel Murphy, a seasoned rider whose wild past haunts her at every fair ground and keeps her running in and out of the ring. Former champ Barb West returns to the circuit to reclaim her title after getting married and spending two years nesting at home. Rookie racer Megan Etcheberry grew up on the circuit, but still needs to win some races before she can officially call herself a pro. Youth barrel racing champ, Jessica Holmberg has the skills to compete, but not always the funds.
Where there are cowgirls there are sure to be cowboys, Ty Murphy is the hot headed cousin and trainer of Marvel, who is good with horses and bad with women. Anthony Lucia, a professional stunt roper and amateur Lothario, wines and dines more than one cowgirl. These ladies prove that rodeo life is more than just boots, chaps and spurs. Tumultuous relationships and fierce competitions leave plenty of drama to go around.
Aerosmith lead singer/former American Idol judge Steven Tyler will be joining Tara Lipinski, Carol Alt, Anne V, and Chef Nobu as judges of the 2013 Miss Universe Competition. The beauty pageant is set to air on NBC on November 9, 2013 at 9pm ET/PT, with Thomas Roberts and Mel B co-hosting the show.
This year’s Miss Universe Competition will be held in Moscow, and in addition to his judging duties, Tyler will be taking the stage to perform. Panic! At The Disco and Emin are also confirmed to appear.
The full panel of judges:
• Steven Tyler – Aerosmith’s frontman and lead singer
• Chef Nobu – Acclaimed chef proprietor of Nobu and Matsuhisa restaurants
• Tara Lipinski – Gold medal figure skater and 2014 Winter Olympics figure skating analyst for NBC Olympics’ multi-platform coverage
• Carol Alt – TV personality, star of Fox News Channel’s A Healthy You And Carol Alt, international supermodel, actress, author, entrepreneur, and raw-food enthusiast
• Anne V – Supermodel, actress, philanthropist, and mentor on Oxygen’s upcoming season of The Face with nine consecutive appearances in the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue
• Farouk Shami – Founder of Farouk Systems, Inc., makers of CHI and presenting hair care sponsor of the 2013 Miss Universe® Competition
• Italo Fontana – Pioneering designer of U-Boat Watches
• Philip Kirkorov – Russian pop-star
86 countries will be represented in this year’s competition, with the woman each competing in the swimsuit, evening gown, and interview categories. Voting is now open for fans to vote on their favorite contestant at www.missuniverse.com.
Stumble It! 
WWE Studios and Film Roman are teaming up on 13 three-minute webisodes of Camp WWE, an animated series written by Mike Benson (Entourage). The new web series is meant for an adult audience and features the WWE Superstars as kids.
Discovery Channel is set to introduce a new four-part series titled Kodiak next year, focusing on three families who live and work on the remote Kodiak Island. “Alaska has always been surrounded by a veil of mystique, and several of our highest rated shows take place there. We introduced our viewers to the gold miners of Porcupine Creek in Gold Rush…the tight-knit community of Tanana in Yukon Men…the Kilcher family of Homer in Alaska: The Last Frontier…the bush pilots of Unalakleet in Flying Wild Alaska…and now we are excited to introduce our viewers to the legendary forests and waters of Kodiak Island, one of the most dangerous and isolated places on Earth,” said Denise Contis, Executive Vice President of Production and Development for Discovery Channel.
