Actor Kevin Pollak is ready to get inside the minds of stand-up comics with the documentary film Misery Loves Comedy. Becky Newhall, Burton Ritchie, and Ben Galecki are producing the film which is set to feature Michael Ian Black, Rob Delaney, Jon Favreau, Paul Feig, Jim Gaffigan, Christopher Guest, Penn Jillette, Richard Kind, Lisa Kudrow, Richard Lewis, Jason Reitman, Andy Richter, Bob Saget, David Wain, and more.
Discussing the project, Pollak stated, “My hope is that we shed all new light on the pain behind the humor, but also uncover more about the minds and hearts of comedians than any of us think we know.”
The documentary will include interviews with comedians, day-in-the-life sequences, archival and historical footage and photos, observations, essays and insights to explore why a person gets on stage in front of a room full of strangers when, in fact, public speaking is all other Americans’ #1 fear, even above death.
Dangerous Acts Starring the Unstable Elements of Belarus will have its world premiere at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival and before it screens, it’s already been picked up by HBO Documentary Films. HBO acquired U.S. television rights to the film by Madeleine Sackler and is planning on airing it in 2014.
Commenting on HBO’s acquistion, producer/director Sackler said, “HBO is the perfect home for Dangerous Acts. After working on this film in secret for the last three years because of the censorship in Belarus, we are very excited to be sharing it with audiences on HBO.”
The Plot:
Dangerous Acts Starring the Unstable Elements of Belarus highlights the powerful and innovative work of the award-winning Belarus Free Theatre (BFT) group. Founded in March 2005 by Natalia Kaliada, Vladimir Shcherban and acclaimed journalist Nicolai Khalezin – all of whom currently live in exile in London – BFT creates theater that challenges social and political issues in their home country of Belarus and the current regime of Alexander Lukashenko, often called the last dictatorship in Europe. An associate of the Young Vic Theatre in the UK, BFT has performed at venues around the world, including the Public Theater in the U.S., and has a wide range of international support from various individuals, including Sir Tom Stoppard and Jude Law, who are trustees of BFT.
Sixteen years after Lukashenko took power, the country’s citizens remain quietly choked by censorship and repression. Featuring smuggled footage and uncensored interviews, Dangerous Acts Starring the Unstable Elements of Belarus is an intimate look at a modern-day revolution, going behind the scenes as the artists create and perform their work, fighting for their art and safety.
Pivot is a new network launched by Participant Media and described by the company’s president Evan Shapiro as a network targeting the new generation: Millennials. “Where other people may see navel-gazing, entitled narcissists, we have a hero generation ready to take on the challenges that are present in the world, challenges they didn’t create,” explained Shapiro during the network’s panel at the 2013 summer Television Critics Association event. “We have an innate respect for the optimism and the intelligence of our audience in this generation – I know, a change – and that, in turn, informs every moment of our programming.”
Among the network’s line-up of programs targeting that key demographic is HitRECord on TV! created by actor/filmmaker Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Gordon-Levitt also directs and hosts the variety show whose title refers to a ‘record’ button, not a record containing music tracks and which will feature a little bit of everything.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt HitRECord on TV! Interview
How do you think people your age want to watch television and how will they watch it in the upcoming years?
Joseph Gordon-Levitt: “Well, you know, the 20th-century media was very much a monologue and there was a small clique of an industry that would broadcast what it made and everyone else just had to sit and listen, and that’s not what’s happening anymore. I think that’s really exciting from my point of view just as an artist, someone making movies and things like that.
Taking that progress in technology and applying it to the creative process creates a whole different playground of what you can do with various artistic forms. And so that’s what we’re playing with on HitRECord on TV!. And, certainly, I think Pivot is, probably more than any other TV network I’m aware of, also tapping into the changes that are happening. The media is a completely different thing than it used to be.”
How does this show and your movie Don Jon relate to each other, and where do you want to go with your career?
Joseph Gordon-Levitt: “HitRECord is something I’ve been doing for many years in one way or another. I always sort of dreamed that my traditional career in show business would one day meet up and intersect with what I was doing on HitRECord. And right now is the very, very beginning of that intersection really happening, and it’s literally fantastic. It’s like a fantasy for me that this is now happening that we’re getting to do what we’ve been doing for years on HitRECord on such a grand stage and in mainstream media. Just the fact that I’m here talking to all you guys about HitRECord, I’m having a crazy head trip right now just doing it.
As far as Don Jon, I don’t think I would be able to be doing this TV show right now if I hadn’t have had that experience. You know, I grew up on movie sets. But getting to go through the traditional directing process and taking it from beginning to end has been enormously informative for all the challenges that have come forward doing the show.”
Why team up with Pivot?
“It’s just allowing us to do what we’ve always done, and I really take my hat off to Pivot, who’s giving us the creative freedom to do what we’ve always done over the last several years, but do it on a really grand scale.”
Did you have talks with the other networks, and did anyone else make an offer?
“Yes, we had offers from a number of networks, and we decided to go with Pivot because I felt that this was the only place where we would be able to do exactly what I wanted to do and not make any creative compromises. The fact that they’re a new network, I think, is hugely beneficial for us because they are willing to sort of open their mind to doing things different ways. This show from a legal standpoint and from an insurance standpoint and from an intellectual property law standpoint is a nightmare. It’s made collaboratively by artists – thousands and thousands and thousands of artists from all over the world. You say that to a lawyer or to an entertainment insurance person and they start tearing their hair out. If we didn’t have a network that would bat for us and support us in that, we would have had to have made huge creative compromises that I did not want to make.”
It’s described as a variety show. What does that actually mean?
Joseph Gordon-Levitt: “It means we’ll have short films and music and live performances and comedy and cartoons and mini-documentaries – a wide variety of things. Each episode evolves around a different theme and I host it so there will be that continuity taking you through.”
What’s something people might learn about you from watching this show that they might not have known before?
Joseph Gordon-Levitt: “This is definitely the most personal project I’ve ever done by a lot. I mean, when I’m in movies I’m playing characters. In Don Jon I play this guy Jon who is very different from me. In Looper I play this other guy, and in Dark Knight Rises I play another guy. They are all different people. HitRECord, I’m hosting it as regular Joe – that’s me. So it’s really kind of the first time I’ve ever done a project where I’m myself.”
Michael De Luca (Photo Courtesy of Hollywood Film Awards)
Producer Michael De Luca has one of 2013’s potential awards-worthy films, Captain Phillips with Tom Hanks, heading to theaters on October 11th and the Hollywood Film Awards is getting a jump on the competition by honoring him at the 17th Annual Hollywood Film Awards. De Luca will be recognized with the Hollywood Producer Award at the gala event to be held on October 21, 2013 in Beverly Hills.
“Every year, we are very proud to honor excellence in the art of filmmaking in all its disciplines. Academy Award® nominated producer Michael De Luca is an exemplary representative of that excellence,” stated Carlos de Abreu, founder and executive producer of the Hollywood Film Awards.
In addition to Captain Phillips, De Luca’s producing credits include The Social Network, Moneyball, and the upcoming film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey.
Captain Phillips is director Paul Greengrass’s multi-layered examination of the 2009 hijacking of the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates. It is – through Greengrass’ distinctive lens – simultaneously a pulse-pounding thriller and a complex portrait of the myriad effects of globalization. The film focuses on the relationship between the Alabama’s commanding officer, Captain Richard Phillips (Hanks), and his Somali counterpart, Muse (Barkhad Abdi).
Set on an incontrovertible collision course off the coast of Somalia, both men will find themselves paying the human toll for economic forces outside of their control.
It’s not the end of This Is The End in theaters. Sony Pictures will be re-releasing the R-rated comedy hit in theaters on Friday, September 6, 2013.
And given the lack of quality films currently in theaters, This Is The End could find itself finishing up its relaunch in 2,000+ theaters propelling it back onto the box office Top 10 list.
Per Worldwide Distribution for Sony Pictures President Rory Bruer: “This Is The End really struck a chord with comedy moviegoers this summer. For everyone who didn’t get a chance to see it – or saw it and loved it and wants to see it again on the big screen – we are thrilled to have it back in theaters.”
Directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, This Is The End stars Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, and Craig Robinson with cameo appearances by dozens of recognizable actors including Emma Watson, David Krumholtz, Michael Cera, Rihanna, Paul Rudd, Channing Tatum, Kevin Hart, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. The film was originally released on June 3, 2013 and earned $96.8 million during its first theatrical run.
The Plot: This Is The End follows six friends trapped in a house after a series of strange and catastrophic events devastate Los Angeles. As the world unravels outside, dwindling supplies and cabin fever threaten to tear apart the friendships inside. Eventually, they are forced to leave the house, facing their fate and the true meaning of friendship and redemption.
Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming, made the announcement, stating: “True Blood has been nothing short of a defining show for HBO. Alan Ball took the books by Charlaine Harris, assembled a brilliant cast led by the magnificent Anna Paquin in the role of Sookie Stackhouse, and crafted a show that has taken its many devoted fans on an unforgettable journey. Alan passed the baton to Brian Buckner, who led our fantastic writers and crew in crafting a spectacular sixth season, and he will lead us through the seventh and final season of this amazing show. Together with its legions of fans, it will be hard to say goodbye to the residents of Bon Temps, but I look forward to what promises to be a fantastic final chapter of this incredible show.”
Added Ball, “From the moment I read Charlaine’s books, I thought there was potential for something really special. Then our amazing writers, cast and crew brought her world to life in a way that exceeded my wildest expectations. I’m deeply grateful to HBO for being true partners and collaborators, and, of course, to the viewers who chose to spend Sunday nights in Bon Temps with us.”
“I feel enormously proud to have been a part of the True Blood family since the very beginning,” said Brian Buckner. “I guarantee that there’s not a more talented or harder-working cast and crew out there, and I’d like to extend a personal heartfelt thanks to them for their dedication and tenacity over the years, especially this past year, as I stepped into a larger role. Thank you also to HBO for their unwavering support and of course to Alan Ball, whose genius enabled all of us to share in this incredible journey. Finally, a huge thank you to the most passionate fans in television. As we take a final walk through Bon Temps together, we will do our very best to bring Sookie’s story to a close with heart, imagination and, of course, fun.”
In addition to Paquin, the True Blood cast includes Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgård, Joe Manganiello, Sam Trammell, Deborah Ann Woll, and Ryan Kwanten.
Will Sookie from the series end up with the same partner she does in Harris’ final book of the series? It’ll be interesting to see if the HBO series changes things up, and I’m putting in a request now for Sookie and Eric to officially become a couple. A Truebie can dream, right?
As with Affleck, the casting of Sons of Anarchy‘s Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson (daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith) has met with resistance from some very vocal Fifty Shades of Grey fans. Neither appeared on the wish lists of Fifty Shades fans and now that the twosome are officially in place as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, online petitions are popping up suggesting alternate choices. The Change.org petition getting the most notice is one that asks the producers to replace Hunnam and Johnson with Matt Bomer and Alexis Bledel. As I type this sentence, that petition has collected 7,119 signatures.
Producer Dana Brunetti took to Twitter to explain the casting choices:
“There is a lot that goes into casting that isn’t just looks. Talent, availability, their desire to do it, chemistry with other actor, etc.” @DanaBrunetti
Brunetti added:
“So if your favorite wasn’t cast, then it is most likely due to something on that list. Keep that in mind while hating and keep perspective.”
And author E.L. James showed her support of the cast with this Tweet:
“To all the supporters, lovers and haters – thank you so much for the passion that you have for this project. You all rock. All of you. ♡” @E_L_James
Book fans may not be sold on the choice of Hunnam and Johnson, but petitions, angry tweets, Youtube rants, and anti-Hunnam and/or Johnson Facebook posts aren’t going to alter reality. Hunnam and Johnson are going to be the screen versions of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele.
Hunnam has the talent, the looks, and the ability to tackle any role, and he’s got sex appeal as well as the ability to melt women – when he wants to turn it on – which should make handling the role of Christian something within his wheelhouse. It’s more shocking that he’d want to than that he won the role over fan favorites. Hunnam’s never been about the paycheck or about wanting to be famous, and in an interview I did with him back in July 2012 he reiterated his stance on fame.
“I’ve lived in the same house for 10 years and I can afford to live in a much bigger house, a swankier house, but it just doesn’t excite me at all,” told me in an interview for About.com. “What I think about is saving my money and buying a giant, giant plot of land somewhere and just like living off the land. Just live and be, and get in touch with what life is all about, and then come out of that occasionally and make a movie. I mean that’s always been my dream, that I could just live a little obscure life and then make movies once in a while because I felt from a very young age that I was like on the cusp of an existential crisis since I was about three years old. And I think that film, to me, for whatever reason, feels like a worthy enough endeavor to spend one’s life doing. Then you die at the end of it and you made two or three good films – that’s enough for me.”
With a starring role in what’s often referred to as a ‘mommy porn’ book, the ability to continue to lead a quiet life outside of the spotlight of Hollywood could be fading away.
As for Johnson, she doesn’t have enough feature film credits under her belt to truly be able to judge if she will prove doubters wrong and become Anastasia Steele.
Jake McLaughlin and Johnny Sequoyah star in season one of NBC’s new drama series, Believe, debuting on March 10, 2014. The thriller comes from executive producers J.J. Abrams, Alfonso Cuaron, Bryan Burk, Jonas Pate, and Hans Tobeason and has a paranormal twist.
Season one also stars Jamie Chung as Channing, Arian Moayed as Corey, Kyle MacLachlan as Skouras, and Delroy Lindo as Milton Winter.
The Synopsis: Levitation, telekinesis, the ability to control nature, see the future … since she was born, Bo (Sequoyah) has had gifts she could neither fully understand nor control. But now that she is 10 years old, her powers have become stronger, and the threat from malevolent forces that would use her abilities to control the world has grown more dangerous.
With her life and future in jeopardy, Bo’s protector, Milton Winter (Delroy Lindo), turns to an unlikely source to keep her safe — Tate (McLaughlin), a wrongfully imprisoned death row inmate who’s lost his will. Tate and Bo begin an extraordinary journey, one in which trust must be earned.
On the run and traveling from city to city, every place they stop and everyone they meet will be changed forever. But they’ll have to keep going to stay one step ahead of the sinister forces after Bo’s power … because it will take a miracle to keep them safe forever.
NBA star LeBron James will be working with Starz on a new half-hour scripted comedy series titled Survivor’s Remorse. James will join Maverick Carter, Paul Wachter, and Tom Werner (Chairman of the Boston Red Sox) in developing the series and executive producing, with Mike O’Malley signed up to executive produce and write the series.
Starz Chief Executive Officer Chris Albrecht made the announcement, stating: “We are incredibly excited at Starz to work with such a deep bench of talented storytellers to develop Survivor’s Remorse. Everyone involved brings something unique to the table – from Tom Werner’s legendary television success to LeBron’s extraordinary life experiences and point of view. We hope that Survivor’s Remorse will bring the humor, pain and complexity of these characters to life in a way that is honest and compelling for audiences worldwide.”
“I have a deep passion for the amazing television being created right now,” said James. “I love Boardwalk Empire, Magic City, Scandal and 24. When my business partners Tom Werner and Maverick Carter brought up the idea of creating a television series that would capture the story of what happens when you make it out, I jumped at the chance. For Maverick and I even to be where we are right now, given where we came from, is kind of hard to believe. I felt like it was a story that needed to be told, and nobody can craft a story like Tom Werner. He has an incredible vision for television and I’m really excited to partner with him and the rest of our team.”
The Plot:
The series will explore the complexity, comedy and drama of an experience that everyone reads about, but few understand – what truly happens when you make it out. Through a combination of God-given talent and north Philly grit, Cam Calloway and Reggie Vaughn have achieved fame and fortune that neither could have imagined growing up in one of the toughest neighborhoods in Philadelphia. But success comes with its own challenges, and the cousins and confidantes wrestle with the rewards of money, stardom, love, and occasionally, the guilt of having “made it.”
Making the official announcement, Kevin Reilly, Chairman of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company stated, “American Idol has always been about discovering the next singing superstar, and next season our judging panel will deliver a most impressive combination of talent, wisdom and personality to do just that: Jennifer Lopez, the triple-threat global superstar who loves IDOL and whom IDOL fans love; Harry Connick, Jr., a bona-fide musical genius and fantastic IDOL mentor whose honesty and expertise can help turn these hopefuls into stars; Keith Urban, a multi-Grammy-winning artist who was such a positive force on the show last season. We are also very excited to have our friend Randy Jackson now in a new role as mentor, and the captain of our team – the heart and soul of IDOL – Ryan Seacrest returning as host.”
New judge Connick Jr talked about joining the show, saying, “I have always been a huge fan of American Idol and really enjoyed my time as a mentor on the show. And I am honored that they’ve asked me to be a judge this season. As an entertainer, I am truly excited to bring my perspective to American Idol, and to help emerging performers find their way.”
“Surprise, surprise! I am so happy to be back as part of this amazing show that started it all,” added Randy Jackson. “Season 1-3 is the place to be. The original talent show is back with a vengeance and ready to discover the best talent in America.”
Returning judge Urban had this to say: “I think this season of IDOL is gonna be a blast. New team, new energy and a whole new field of artists to be discovered and given a chance!”
Auditions for American Idol XIII will be held in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Detroit, Omaha, Salt Lake City and San Francisco. The season will premiere in January 2014.
Dangerous Acts Starring the Unstable Elements of Belarus will have its world premiere at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival and before it screens, it’s already been picked up by HBO Documentary Films. HBO acquired U.S. television rights to the film by Madeleine Sackler and is planning on airing it in 2014.
Stumble It! 
NBA star 
