Billy Burke says he’s blessed to be back for a second season of NBC’s sci-fi action series, Revolution because, as we’re all aware, not every show is given a chance to really catch on with audiences. When we sat down to talk to Burke about the series at the 2013 San Diego Comic Con he’d only finished working on episode one of season two, but he said we can count on this upcoming season being bigger, better, and faster.
“The first half of the season last year to the second half of the season, it kind of shifted and became a heightened version of itself. And now it seems to be instead of reaching for things, it’s kind of getting underneath itself,” offered Burke. “I think it’s a much deeper, darker show that we’re moving into.”
Burke also discussed his character’s arc and the different relationships within Revolution:
The Following creator Kevin Williamson says season two of the addictive Fox drama will find Ryan Hardy dying during the premiere episode and Kevin Bacon leaving the show. George Clooney will take his place and… All right, so you’ve figured out Williamson has a sense of humor, haven’t you? Williamson actually won’t be killing off Ryan Hardy – and Kevin Bacon is definitely returning for season two – so what is actually happening on the dramatic thriller’s second season?
“It’s interesting because I feel like it’s not even a first and second season because it’s continuing,” explained Williamson during our interview at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con. “We’re resetting the show, we’re telling a whole new show. I sort of see the whole thing as the first season ended the way that Joe Carroll wanted his final chapter of the book to be. In the pilot episode he said, ‘You know, my first book was too avant-garde and we’re going to go a little more traditional this time.’ And, that’s what he did: tradition. The hero killed the villain and it came complete with a Glenn Close surprise at the end with Molly. That’s as traditional as you can get.”
“Now, here’s the epilogue of what really happened and what’s going to happen next. It gets a little more insidious. It gets a little crazier,” added Williamson. “It’s just a way to tell a new story – it’s like the second book. I sort of see the whole thing as like a series of books. We saw one book last year; here’s the next book. We have some of our returning characters and a bunch of new ones, and we’re telling a brand new story. It’s a year later…Ryan Hardy, where is he? He’s not in the FBI. He’s trying to rebuild his life. Here’s a man who’s had no hope. What would hope look like on him if he had a little bit of hope?”
Williamson also discussed the new characters (including a possible love interest for Hardy), what’s happening with Shawn Ashmore’s character, and this new world that will be created in season two.
Bree Turner’s ‘Rosalee Calvert’ really came into her own during season two of NBC’s hit series Grimm and although the cast couldn’t say much about what’s in store for season three while at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con, Rosalee is sure to be a bigger player in the Grimm universe in the upcoming season.
“The writers do a really good job, but there’s a lot to do, and so our responsibility as actors on the show is to keep that through-line going. I always try to remember my past as Rosalee,” explained Turner when asked about having input into her character. “I mean, everything’s very good, there’s this relationship, and the relationship is obviously moving to a nice place – we could be getting married possibly – but I don’t want to just abandon the rich history they built for Rosalee in my first episode.”
Bree Turner also talked about the future of Rosalee’s relationship with Monroe (played by Silas Weir Mitchell) during our interview in San Diego.
Mark Boone Junior as Robert ‘Bobby’ Munson, Charlie Hunnam as Jackson ‘Jax’ Teller, and Tommy Flanagan as Filip ‘Chibs’ Telford in ‘Sons of Anarchy’ (Photo by Prashant Gupta/Copyright 2013 FXNetworks)
‘Chibs’ is a man of few words, fiercely loyal and dedicated to the club in FX’s critically acclaimed series Sons of Anarchy. And the actor who plays Chibs, Tommy Flanagan, is also a man of few words. But it doesn’t take a lot of talking to understand Flanagan’s proud to be a part of the series which has engaged, entertained, and surprised viewers for five seasons.
Flanagan and the rest of the cast took part once again in the annual gathering of movie/comics/TV fans known as the San Diego Comic-Con. Sons of Anarchy‘s panel is always a big draw, and before taking part in the Q&A with fans, Flanagan sat down to talk to us about the show and what could be happening in the final two seasons of the series.
“It’s pretty huge,” said Flanagan about season six. “I think Jax has…you know, he’s always been rough and tough and kind of boyish, I think this season he really becomes a man. This season gets very dark, very dark.”
And what does Chibs think of Jax as a leader? “Well, to me, I’m fiercely, ferociously loyal to Jax because I’ve known him since he wa a little boy. He’s like my nephew, my son, whatever, and to see him evolving as this character and then to take over the world that Clay once ran and try not to play the same guy that Clay was – not in an acting way, but in a story way – is very interesting. But it’s tough because it’s such a violent, nasty, and horrible world. He’s trying to make things good and right, but it ain’t easy.”
Flanagan also talked about whether Chibs will be left standing at the end of the series, his favorite scenes, and how he loves to come to work each day:
JD Pardo thinks that NBC’s Revolution found itself over the course of season one, and with season two the audience will be learning much more about each of the show’s key players.
“I think as a show, we have our legs underneath us now, now that the gang is sort of separated,” said Pardo. “Because of that, we get to really explore their individual stories and why they are who they are. Now, what do you do? You’re no longer chasing Monroe so it’s about life now, it’s about power. It’s about facing life, and for my character and Giancarlo, it’s finding mom. The bomb’s dropped so where is she?”
Pardo added, “It’s really fun now. I feel like we’re really getting into a deeper part of the story for the characters and just the story as a whole.”
Pardo also talks about his role in Revolution and more season one & two in our interview from the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con.
Showtime’s moving forward on the comedy series Trending Down, signing Philip Seymour Hoffman and Kathryn Hahn to starring roles. Hahn will play Hoffman’s wife in the pilot episode set to film this fall with John Cameron Mitchell directing (Hedwig and The Angry Inch). Shalom Auslander created the series and will executive produce alongside Hoffman, Emily Ziff, Ken Kwapis and Alexandra Beattie.
“We are taking a markedly unconventional approach to process and content – a cross between the BBC series model and a theater workshop. And a meth lab,” said Auslander. “I wasn’t particularly interested in doing TV, and fortunately, neither was Phil. When Showtime said they weren’t either, we knew we had something. We don’t know what that is, but at least we know what it isn’t.”
The Plot:
On his birthday, Thom Payne (Hoffman) gets the gift of insignificance and also a new boss. He suspects his ED pills are interfering with his anti-depressants, leaving him with neither happiness nor… happiness. In a culture that reveres youth – a culture he helped create – Thom needs to figure out what his purpose is now that he’s halfway to death and nobody cares what he thinks. Because in a world where any Kardashian is trending up, perhaps the wise among us would heartily embrace trending down.
Charles Michael Davis has a killer smile and is just as charming as his character Marcel in The Originals in person. Davis’ Marcel may be new to the world of The Vampire Diaries and its spin-off but something tells me the female viewers are going to fall fairly quickly for this new player in the vampire universe.
At the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con, Davis talked about what viewers can expect from this first season of The Originals and where he gets all that charm he can turn on so effortlessly.
Charles Michael Davis The Originals Interview:
Are you as naturally charming as the character?
Charles Michael Davis: “I would say yes. [Laughing] Yeah, I get it a lot from my dad. I always have to credit him. He’s a very, very charming fellow. Very charming man. Any charm that I get, me, myself, personally that bleeds over into the character, I get it from my father.”
Do you think it helped you get the role?
Charles Michael Davis: “Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. That was one of the things. You get a lot of breakdowns for characters and they say, charming, intelligent, maybe edgy or sexy, which this role said. It’s nice to go, ‘Check, check, check,’ and be confident about it and know that it comes from a rooted source. So, yeah.”
You mentioned sexy. Is there a romance coming up for your character?
Charles Michael Davis: “I hope so, yeah. That’s why I got into the business. Have a dalliance. Yeah, I guarantee there will be some romance going on.”
How far into season one have you seen the scripts?
Charles Michael Davis: “We’re in pre-production right now. I’ve read episodes one and two. That’s how far we are at the moment.”
You’re joining with characters who were established in The Vampire Diaries, but your character we don’t really know yet. How is it to be joining the ‘family’?
Charles Michael Davis: “Just as people, they’re great. They’re very loving. They’re very open. I’ve known Joseph [Morgan] for a few years through mutual friends. We used to play poker together. I remember when I met him, we geeked out about cameras. He’s like, ‘Hey, I want to show you my new Rebel.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, bring out. I just bought a 70.’ I knew we’d have that chemistry. Yeah, I felt very grateful. When I came up with my wish list, it was to be on a show that has a built-in audience, that has a great cast and crew from executive producer on down. Me and my manager were talking. We had lunch after I had booked the role. She said, ‘It’s crazy. Everything you asked for, that if you could wish it be, came true.’ So, to answer your question, it’s a dream. A dream come true. They’re great. They’re great.”
Who in The Vampire Diaries who has not already made an appearance would you like to see end up in New Orleans?
Charles Michael Davis: “Oh, god. That’s a good question. I would honestly like to see all of them make a little bit of an appearance, but I know already there’s some Bonnie buzz. That’s cool. The answer is Caroline. The fan favorite answer is Caroline, so I’m going to say Caroline. [Laughing I’m going to go Caroline” for 100.
See, that’s the thing. It’s just that chemistry. When different people come in the mix, it livens everybody up. I would love to have new people come so Marcel can show them around town and see what happens. I think there’s going to be a lot of buzz going on. I hope there’s a lot of buzz going on in New Orleans that it attracts the other characters for one reason or another. I think the fans would really get a kick out of that, you know? If Damon just walks in, in the background, and sits at the bar and then he takes off. It’s like, oh, cool.”
How much will we learn about your past?
Charles Michael Davis: “I can’t really say, fully, because I don’t even know. But I can say that you’re going to find out very soon a lot about Marcel. Given the fact that I said I’ve only read the first two episodes, it’s going to come up very soon. You’re going to learn about him.”
What are the saucy scenes like?
Charles Michael Davis: “I like that word. ‘Saucy’. Yeah, again, it depends on chemistry, and there’s a lot of good chemistry in our cast. Everyone’s very confident. Everyone’s got their sexy badge on their sleeve. I can’t say whether I will or will not enjoy it.”
So far we’ve only really seen the charismatic side. Will we see a darker side to Marcel?
Charles Michael Davis: “Oh, yeah. You’re going to see many different sides and very soon. You’re going to see softer sides. That’s one of the things. Both characters have an ego, Klaus and Marcel, so that’s part of that competitiveness. It’s your Jordan and…oh, who is Jordan really competitive with? [Laughing] Oh, nobody, because he was the best.”
How is it to square off against Joseph Morgan as Klaus?
Charles Michael Davis: “The first time we ever played poker, one of the things you do is you want to see who’s got some balls. You’re going all in. He’s one of the ones that wouldn’t back down. That was one thing. I was like, ‘Aww, this guy.’ He can hold his own.”
James Franco and Seth Rogen (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage)Seth Rogen has been tapped by Comedy Central to serve as Roast Master for his buddy James Franco’s upcoming skewering airing on September 2, 2013 at 10pm ET/PT. The network’s also confirmed Roast veteran Joel Gallen will be executive producing Comedy Central Roast of James Franco.
Rogen and Franco first worked together professionally in 1999’s Freaks and Geeks. They’ve also appeared together in Pineapple Express and This Is The End, and Franco even did uncredited cameos in Rogen’s Knocked Up and The Green Hornet.
“The bank was a set-up, we got to figure out whose money that was,” says DEA Agent Bobby Trench (Denzel Washington). “You mean, like we’re working together?” replies Naval Intelligence Operative Stigman (Mark Wahlberg) after they’ve discovered only part of the truth about a bank heist that’s become very complicated in the action film 2 Guns.
Bobby has been in deep cover trying to get close to and bust drug lord Papi Greco (Edward James Olmos) for months when what looks like a sure set-up and arrest goes south. Desperate not to be pulled from the operation by his superior, Bobby decides to take his partner Stigman up on his idea to rob a bank that holds Greco’s money, believing he can use the event as an advantage to get close to Greco. It’s right after the robbery when Trench’s back-up doesn’t arrive in time that things go horribly wrong and he learns that Stigman is really a Naval Intelligence officer.
When Stigman turns the money over to his superior officer (played by James Marsden), he learns he’s been set-up and is part of a double-cross from which he barely escapes alive. After a few close calls and while being hunted by a mysterious gunman, Bobby and Stigman decide to partner up – knowing the truth this time about each other – and work together to find out whose money it really was they stole from the bank, who wants them dead, and just who they can trust.
With countless shoot-outs, explosions and car/truck chases, 2 Guns is a loud, convoluted, and off-beat action/buddy film that comes up short. The film’s tone is incredibly uneven, with funny banter between Washington and Wahlberg countered by scenes of bloody and brutal shootings and torture.
Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg deliver solid performances and have good chemistry as two unlikely partners who eventually begin to trust each other only because they have no one else they can turn to. Wahlberg, however, seems too old to be portraying Stigman who’s a bit naïve and simple when it comes to crime and double-crosses in what seems to be a highly corrupt world.
Bill Paxton delivers a memorable performance as the ruthless leader of the mystery men who are hunting Bobby and Stigman to retrieve the stolen bank money for its original owner. He not only holds his own with a dark and menacing scene with Washington, but steals it from him – and that is quite a feat. Edward James Olmos is perfectly cast as Greco, the drug lord who always seems to be one step ahead of everyone else and who takes full advantage of his position.
Still, with 2 Guns‘ constant awkward switching between funny one-liners and witty banter from its two stars to the violent shootings, beatings and torture. the film never finds its rhythm and finally becomes a predictable and forgettable action movie.
GRADE: C
2 Guns is rated R for violence throughout, language and brief nudity.
“There are decisions that change your life. There are brothers that never leave your side.”
Peter Berg reunites with Taylor Kitsch (Battleship, Friday Night Lights) for the gritty action thriller Lone Survivor based on a true story and arriving in theaters in limited release on December 27, 2013 followed by an expansion everywhere on January 10, 2014. The film tracks the story of four Navy SEALS on “an ill-fated covert mission to neutralize a high-level Taliban operative who are ambushed by enemy forces in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.”
The cast also includes Mark Wahlberg, Ben Foster, Emile Hirsch, Eric Bana and Alexander Ludwig. Universal Pictures’ Lone Survivor is based on the bestselling book Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell and was adapted for the screen by Berg.
Showtime’s moving forward on the comedy series Trending Down, signing Philip Seymour Hoffman and Kathryn Hahn to starring roles. Hahn will play Hoffman’s wife in the pilot episode set to film this fall with John Cameron Mitchell directing (Hedwig and The Angry Inch). Shalom Auslander created the series and will executive produce alongside Hoffman, Emily Ziff, Ken Kwapis and Alexandra Beattie.
“There are decisions that change your life. There are brothers that never leave your side.”
