NAOISE Ó CAIREALLÁIN as Móglaí Bap or Naoise, JJ Ó DOCHARTAIGH as DJ Próvai or JJ, and LIAM ÓG Ó HANNAIDH as Mo Chara or Liam Óg in ‘Kneecap’ (Photo by Helen Sloan. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics)
Since the Tudor Conquest of Ireland in the 16th century, English has been the primary language in Northern Ireland. The original Irish language was not only shunned but banned outright in many official capacities. A vocal minority sought to change this, arguing that it was their right to speak the language of their ancestors, and the language fight became a proxy war for other political and social issues.
This is the climate in Northern Ireland in which Kneecap takes place.
Kneecap is about a pair of childhood pals in Northern Ireland named Naoise (Naoise Ó Cairealláin) and Liam (Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh) who become drug dealers and petty criminals. When Laim gets arrested, he refuses to speak anything but Irish to the English-speaking police, so they bring in an interpreter – a schoolteacher named JJ (JJ Ó Dochartaigh).
After a bit of chaos at the police station, JJ ends up with Liam’s notebook, and notices that the young man is a poet. An aspiring (or maybe retired?) musician himself, JJ sets the verses, which are in Irish, to music. When the trio finally meets up again, Liam, Naoise, and JJ become Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvai, collectively known as Kneecap, an electrifying hip-hop group that both entertains the masses and fights for the right to speak (and rap in) their mother tongue of Irish.
Directed by Rich Peppiatt (Supershoppers), Kneecap is somewhat of a docudrama. Although some of it was most likely dramatized for the screen, the screenplay was written by Peppiatt along with the real-life hip-hop group (who play themselves in the movie). It’s a kinetic story of a music group on the rise, but it’s also a snapshot of a tumultuous time in Irish history and a gritty little coming-of-age tale. It’s essentially this generation’s Trainspotting.
From an American point-of-view, Kneecap is a fascinating look at censorship, authority, and, dare we say, fascism. It’s an in-your-face movie, but there’s a subtext that could only be interpreted (or maybe manufactured?) by Americans. The anger that is generated simply by someone not speaking the same language as someone else is relatable in a sad way.
Kneecap doesn’t cry about it, though. It points out the ridiculousness of forcing one side’s opinion on the other. The movie is, at its heart, a comedy, with a wicked sense of humor, riddled with crime and loaded with aggressive music. And it’s got a message – one about preserving culture and fighting for things that are worth fighting for.
The music of Kneecap is clearly the center of the movie. Although the group has an obvious political and social point of view, the trio uses its music to get its point across, to the extent that their fans even start learning Irish in order to further connect with the artists and their tunes. They’re using their art to promote their cause, and yeah, sometimes things get violent, but that’s hardly the point. It’s all about the music’s connection with its audience.
There are numerous subplots peppered throughout Kneecap involving missing political activists, police investigations, and even JJ’s keeping his participation in the group a secret in order to not jeopardize his teaching career (he wears a balaclava while performing to hide his identity). But the real stars are the group itself. You know you’ve got a great story when Michael Fassbender is in the movie and he isn’t the most interesting character.
An epilogue at the end of Kneecap explains that Irish was recognized again as an official language in Northern Ireland in 2022. Kneecap the band wasn’t completely responsible for this, but they sure helped get the word out and gain support among the younger crowds. And Kneecap the movie is helping to raise awareness of the situation with the rest of the world. Kneecap the movie is not only entertaining, it’s socially aware.
When Michael Connelly originally published The Safe Man, no one had any idea that the prolific bestselling author behind the Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller books was the short story’s author. Now Connelly’s adapted his short story into an Audible Original, with Jack Quaid and Titus Welliver bringing his characters to life.
The Plot, Courtesy of Audible Originals: “The Safe Man tells the story of Brian Holloway (Jack Quaid, The Boys) who was hired by famous horror author Paul Robinette (Titus Welliver, Bosch) to crack an antique safe in his home; he had no idea what he was about to encounter. Opening that safe door unleashed something sinister — something that continues to haunt him. But what exactly? And can whatever slipped through that threshold be stopped?
Plagued by a series of disturbing supernatural encounters, chilling prophecies, and a criminal investigation into a missing girl, Brian begins to realize that he is inexplicably linked to the eternal and that he must defy fate if he has any chance of saving the most important person in his life.”
Michael Connelly and Jack Quaid took part in a panel at the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con to discuss the Audible Original released on May 16, 2024. Connelly and Quaid also participated in roundtable interviews in support of The Safe Man.
Jack Quaid The Safe Man Interview
You’re so busy, how do you decide what projects you’re doing at this point?
Jack Quaid: “I mean, it’s just like, it’s got to be a good project. It’s got to move you, you know? It’s got to be a story that I would want to either listen to or see, or I think I just try to choose things that I would be a fan of if I were not in them.”
What are the particular challenges when recording for a podcast or an Audible Original versus live-action? So much has to emote from your voice.
Jack Quaid: “Absolutely. Well, it’s even different from animation. Animation, you at least have a character who, I do some animation, and you at least have a character that’s gonna be on screen. And like, you know, they call it lip flap when they actually talk. It’s a very odd term for a very real thing. But you know, you have a character representing your voice. But with an audio drama, you just have your voice. You don’t even have a cartoon. So, you really have to bring it in your voice. You really do. It has to go all there.
I do have a little… This is going to sound weird, but I do have a little bit of experience in this arena because I produced this Dungeons and Dragons podcast that my friends do. And the way they do it, you don’t hear any crosstalk. You don’t hear people talk about what moves they’re going to make, they just kind of make it. It’s called Hero Club – plug. But no, they kind of package them as radio plays. So, I’ve done a bit of that where, like you see, you know, there’s no animation. But this was so cool. It was so cool to work with Michael and to work with Titus Welliver. And I just thought the story was amazing, and I wanted to be a part of it.”
Your voice often comes across as comforting, even in really scary or stressful situations. Is this a conscious choice you’re making in your roles, or is this just how you speak?
Jack Quaid: “I think it might be how I speak. I don’t know. It’s funny because I don’t think I’ve ever heard my voice described as comforting before, so thank you. In my head, I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m just a very anxious man,’ so I hope, I’m glad my voice could be a comfort.
No, I think I just, again, I think it’s just back to the story. The story, first and foremost, and then there is an element of I think roles kind of find you. If it’s not an audition where there’s a process and they’re choosing somebody, if I’m ever given the privilege of being offered something, I also want to make sure I’m right for it. So, I try to if I’m offered something and I’m like, ‘I don’t think it’s going to work with me,’ like I tend to turn it down. But usually, people know what they want and go for it. And this, I just had to be a part of. It was awesome.”
Why do you think Brian does this type of work even though it’s the type of skillset that sent his dad away for all these years?
Jack Quaid: “I mean, I think cracking safes is kind of his way of making money, like providing that service. But, you know, obviously, he has a family history with crime that he’s trying to get away from. I found that a really compelling line to walk, that he was constantly being kind of swayed in the direction of two different worlds. I just thought that’s what makes him a really great character. I think that speaks to Michael’s writing.”
You seem to have a soft spot for characters that make a little bit of a mess and then try to fix it.
Jack Quaid: “Yeah. Sometimes the mess is on me, sometimes not.”
Do you think that that’s something that drew you to Brian?
Jack Quaid: “Oh, man. I mean, it was that. I do like that he’s kind of a guy who’s in between two worlds. I just thought the idea—I think—I’m sorry, I keep repeating myself, but the story was just that good. I like the fact that this was, Michael’s an author known for his crime stories, and I like that it had this supernatural horror bent to it as well. I think that was just such a cool [idea]. I like that he’s the son of a thief, and he’s trying to make an honest living, and he has a girlfriend. I like that he’s trying to get away from that. He comes from crime. I love that crime contrasted with a ghost story. I thought that was so cool.”
What did you most connect with with The Safe Man? What do you hope listeners will connect with?
Jack Quaid: “I just think I really love a good ghost story. I think it’s something that—I’ve done horror, but I’ve never really done a ton of supernatural horror, and I always think that those are some really, really effective stories. I just saw an incredible script, so I just hope audiences can just kind of be taken along for the journey, because I think it has so many cool twists and turns.”
Michael Connelly Interview
How do you decide how active you’re going to be in adaptations of your work?
Michael Connelly: “Well, I’m always looking for new things, you know, and I’ve been very lucky. My stories have translated to film and TV and it’s like, you can’t believe it. But I’d never done something like this, so I got all in on this because I’m a consumer of these kinds of [things]. I’m a big audiobook guy, and then as that genre, whatever you want to call it, grew into these dramatic adaptations of things, I got really excited about the possibility of doing this because I’m, as I said, a big consumer of these types of things. So, I was all in on it.
And, yeah, so usually the decision-making process is if it’s new to me. You know, I’ve been very lucky. I feel weird even talking about this. Like, I’ve had a TV show on for 10 years, and I was all in in the beginning of that. And then, the last few years, I’ve tapered off my involvement because I trust the people that are making it. I know they’ll do a good job, and I can find something else new to do like this.”
Is there a different approach when you’re writing for audio versus writing a book?
Michael Connelly: “Well, on this project I knew that …, you know, it’s weird. I trust readers, listeners, whatever the consumer. So, in my books, I don’t do a lot of descriptions of the characters. I write like I read. I like to create in my head what this person looks like or how they sound. And I’ve done that for like 20 years, and then in the last 10 years, I’ve been very lucky in Hollywood where they’ve made movies. And so, for 20 years, I didn’t really say what, for example, Harry Bosch looks like. Now there’s a show that says this is exactly what he looks like. And I realize that’s a risky thing because reading and listening is a sacred process for you. It so demands your imagination to be front and center, whereas a TV show or a movie doesn’t. It’s just right there for you. And so, I love going back to something like this and writing something where you trust the reader, the listener, to fire up the imagination.
So, it does affect the writing. I knew when I was writing the scripts for this that I had to kind of put phrases together that would open a window of imagination and let the people see it. You get a lot of help from the sound design, and we have a fantastic sound design on this project, and that is very helpful.
In fact, you know, I write the scripts and all it is is words and then we got the actors and so forth. But then when they added in the layers of sound, it went from being, ‘I think this works,’ to really kind of getting chills at times, the way little things are said. I’m not just talking about scary stuff. I’m talking about, like, there’s a point where, I mean, I have a daughter and the writer in this thing has a daughter and she gets frustrated with him. Just the way she goes, ‘Dad! was so accurate to what I’ve had in my own experience that I just got a thrill out of just hearing that one word, the way it was delivered in this thing. So, there’s a lot of, yeah, I get a lot of fulfillment from this kind of storytelling.”
When you have an actor like Jack Quaid coming on board to star, and everyone knows what he looks like, does that affect your writing?
Michael Connelly: “No, I don’t think so. I mean, yeah, a lot of people know who he was, but I didn’t know him before this. But Titus has done stuff with him and he knew him, and he kind of helped us bring Jack into it. And so it is a balance. Like, do too many people know what this guy looks like and will that affect the process? Or is the idea that you get someone like Jack Quaid to overrule everything? And I think that did.
I mean, I think the guy’s a lot like the guy in The Boys in terms of his frenetic energy and stuff, but I don’t know. I just remember the day that we heard he was going to do it, I wasn’t like, ‘Oh, wait a minute, too many people know him.’ I was more like, ‘Wow, that’s great,’ because I thought that would bring more people to listen.”
Can you talk about expanding the world of the story to include Cassadaga?
Michael Connelly: “I knew I had to expand the story in a lot of ways. And to me, this was like a no-risk thing. We weren’t even sure. I wrote it all before we tried to cast it and go from there. So, I had a lot of freedom in writing it. It’s set in Tampa, Florida where I’ve lived, where my wife is from. I was really hitting a lot of touchstones of stuff I knew and I wanted to include. It goes with the territory.
The original short story was written because it was a charitable effort. I forget what agency this book was going to support, but they went to all these writers and said, ‘Write something you’re not known for.’ I’m known for detective and legal stuff, so I went into horror. I’m also known for writing about LA, so instead I wrote about this alter life I have in Florida where I grew up and my wife is from, and we had a place in Tampa and family and things like that. So, it was really hitting stuff I knew but people didn’t know I knew, if that makes sense.
And so I was trying to hit a lot of the highlights of Tampa and Florida. The whole thing about Cassadaga, the spiritual community, that’s a real place that I’ve been to several times. My first job in 1980, out of school, as a newspaper reporter, I covered Cassadaga. And it’s a place that’s always stuck with me and I’ve always wanted to put into a story. And this was my opportunity.”
[Spoiler Alert!]
Speaking of the story itself, why did Paul (Titus Welliver) send Paul (Jack Quaid) the shirt? Was it for writing material? Did he want the prophecy to come through?
Michael Connelly: “I don’t know if he wanted the prophecy to come true. The way it’s kind of built there, or built into the story, is that he thought the coast was clear, that we had gotten past that, and he was not as aware as Brian was that we had to get to midnight. So, yeah, I don’t think he meant harm or anything like that, but he made a big mistake.”
A teenage princess has a legitimate reason to call her parents monsters in the teaser for Netflix’s Spellbound. The family-friendly animated film features the voice of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes star Rachel Zegler as the royal teen with complicated family issues.
“Spellbound follows the adventures of Ellian, the tenacious young daughter of the rulers of Lumbria who must go on a daring quest to save her family and kingdom after a mysterious spell transforms her parents into monsters,” reads Netflix’s synopsis.
The voice cast also includes John Lithgow, Jenifer Lewis, Tituss Burgess, and Nathan Lane. Being the Ricardos stars Javier Bardem and Nicole Kidman reunite for the animated comedy.
“I hope that audiences will see how incredible the art of animation is when it comes to teaching tough lessons to the next generation,” said Zegler. “Spellbound handles delicate subjects with a lot of beautiful imagery, music, and an allegorical approach to real life issues that kids sometimes face.”
Poster for ‘Spellbound’ (Photo Courtesy of Netflix)
Shrek‘s Vicky Jenson directed from a screenplay by Lauren Hynek, Elizabeth Martin, and Julia Miranda. Producers include John Lasseter, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Bruce Anderson for Skydance Animation.
“For me, the story [of Spellbound] is even more universal than the specifics of this family dynamic. For me, it speaks to kids and their parents, to the kind of alienation that can happen as we grow up, and the steps we have to make towards each other to weather it together and come through the other side with better understanding,” explained director Jenson.
EGOT-winning composer Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast) wrote the score and Glenn Slater (Tangled) wrote the lyrics.
20th Century Studios is celebrating the first day of Alien: Romulus advance ticket sales with the release of a new clip. The 30-second video shows the group, frantic and begging for someone to open the door.
Cailee Spaeny (Civil War), David Jonsson (Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy), Archie Renaux (Shadow and Bone), Isabela Merced (The Last of Us), Spike Fearn (Aftersun), and Aileen Wu star in the seventh film of the blockbuster franchise. Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead, Don’t Breathe) and Rodo Sayagues co-wrote the screenplay, with Alvarez directing.
Ripley Scott, director of Alien, Prometheus, and Alien: Covenant, serves as a producer. Michael Pruss and Walter Hill also produce, with Alvarez, Elizabeth Cantillon, Brent O’Connor, and Tom Moran executive producing.
“Alien: Romulus takes the phenomenally successful Alien franchise back to its roots: While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe,” reads 20th Century Studios’ synopsis.
Alien: Romulus opens in theaters on August 16, 2024.
Jane Seymour and Rohan Nedd start work on ‘Harry Wild’ season 4 (Photo Credit: Acorn)
Jane Seymour will return to star in and executive produce season four of Harry Wild. The new season of Acorn’s Irish mystery series has just started production in Dublin.
“We’re thrilled to be kicking off production on a fourth season of Harry Wild with our fantastic cast and crew in Ireland,” said Catherine Mackin, Managing Director, Acorn Media Enterprises. “With this series, the delightful Jane Seymour has become a beloved member of the Acorn TV family, we can’t wait to see what Harry has up her sleeve this season and what mysteries she will solve in her own unique way.”
Also returning for another season of solving cases are Rohan Need (Whitstable Pearl) as Fergus, Paul Tylak (Kin) as Glenn Talbot, and Samantha Mumba (The Time Machine) as Fergus’ mother Paula Kenny.
“Season four picks up a year after season three, and business couldn’t be better at the Wild/Reid Detective Agency as Harry and Fergus (Nedd) welcome an unexpected client: Charlie Wild (Kevin Ryan). Elsewhere, Harry is hired by a friend and former wild child turned nun, Lola (Rose O’Neill) stumbles upon a dance school mystery, a Dublin literary tour takes a bloody turn and more,” reads Acorn’s synopsis. “Meanwhile, Fergus’ hopes of going to college at the same time as Lola are threatened when she gets an incredible offer to study abroad.”
David Logan created the series and serves as writer and executive producer. Additional executive producers include Daniel March, Klaus Zimmermann, James Gibb, David McLoughlin, Catherine Mackin, Bea Tammer, and ZDF’s Frank Seyberth and Claus Wunn. Jo Spain writes and executive produces, with Robin Quinn directing.
Poster for Oxygen’s Killer Relationship with Faith Jenkins season 3
Oxygen’s set an August 17, 2024 premiere date for season three of the true crime series Killer Relationship with Faith Jenkins. Jenkins, a former Manhattan District Attorney’s office prosecutor, guides viewers as they delve into friendships and romances that ended in murder.
Season two increased the series’ viewership by 13% over the first season, drawing in 8.1 million viewers. Jenkins serves as an executive producer along with David Karabinas, Russell Heldt, James Macnab, and Brad Bernstein. The series is produced by Texas Crew Productions and Faith In Justice Productions.
Per Oxygen: Stories investigated this season include a beloved second grade teacher who goes missing just as she’s embarking on a new chapter in her life; a former DEA agent found dead after living a quiet life in the Florida Keys; a Korean War veteran whose murder unveils a tangled web of secrets and betrayal and a mother who vanishes on her way home from a prenatal yoga class.
Killer Relationship with Faith Jenkins Episodes
Episode 1 – The Missing Mother – Premiering Saturday, August 17 at 8:00 pm ET/PT
The sudden disappearance of Manjit Panghali sparks a massive search for the pregnant mother. What investigators uncover has a tight-knit immigrant community in shock, a family in mourning and a killer relationship exposed.
Episode 2 – Highway Horror – Premiering Saturday, Augst 24 at 8:00pm ET/PT
Newly single Michele Davis is killed when her car careens off an Iowa highway. What looks like an accident is anything but, however, as investigators peel back the layers of her life and discover a motive for murder.
Episode 3 – Unlucky in Love – Premiering Saturday, August 31 at 8:00pm ET/PT
Firefighter Ben Amato is callously murdered, but the case goes cold. A jailhouse snitch, critical clue and seemingly unrelated homicide expose a sinister plot as investigators stay on the trail of a heartless killer.
Episode 4 – Body in the Bayou – Premiering Saturday, September 7 at 8:00pm ET/PT
Young mother Elizabeth Ferrell goes missing in Texas as a body is found in Louisiana. As detectives connect the dots between the two cases, secrets rise to the surface and reveal a shocking tale of love, betrayal and revenge.
Eight-time Grammy winner Usher is the latest artist set to transform theaters into mini-concert halls. Usher: Rendezvous in Paris will launch a limited run in theaters beginning September 12, 2024.
Anthony Mandler directed the concert film, which was filmed during Usher’s eight 2023 performances in Paris. AMC Theatres Distribution, Trafalgar Releasing, and Sony Music Vision partnered on the production.
“Paris was a special experience for me as an entertainer and for my fans,” stated Usher. “I hope those who weren’t able to make it in person get to experience how special it was. As for those of you who were, I hope you experience the show and see what it takes to get there through a different lens.”
Tickets go on sale beginning August 6, 2024.
“For 30 years, Usher has captivated and entertained audiences through his music and concerts. Just a few months ago, he drew rave reviews for his stunning performance in front of 129 million people during the Super Bowl Half-Time Show. Bringing his unparalleled concert experience to movie theatres for his fans around the world is a perfect fit for AMC Theatres Distribution,” said Adam Aron, Chairman and CEO, AMC Theatres.
Usher on stage in Paris (Photo Courtesy of AMC Theatres Trafalgar Releasing, and Sony Music)
Usher, Mandler, and Ron Laffitte serve as producers. Executive producers include Kingdom Films’ Aakomon Jones and Angelo Gopee, Arcovision’s Kwesi Collisson, and Sony Music’s Tom Mackay, Richard Story, and Krista Wegener.
“Usher: Rendezvous in Paris incorporates the essence of his landmark cultural phenomenon Vegas residencies into a seductive French touch confession. Captured during Paris Fashion Week at La Seine Musicale, the film features chart-topping hits including ‘Yeah!,’ ‘My Boo,’ ‘Love In This Club,’ and more from Usher’s 30-year career, performed with never-before-seen costumes and state-of-the-art lighting and special effects,” reads the official synopsis. “In addition to bringing the vibrant live concert experience to screen, Usher gives audiences a glimpse inside life beyond the stage – creating a global moment that moviegoers won’t want to miss.”
The stars of Hellboy: The Crooked Man – Jack Kesy, Jefferson White, and Adeline Rudolph – joined director Brian Taylor and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola at the San Diego Comic-Con to launch the official trailer and pump up Hellboy fans. The trailer confirms this take on the character leans heavy into horror, and sticks closely to the source material.
In addition to the panel, the Hellboy: The Crooked Man cast took part in roundtable interviews in support of the film’s upcoming fall release. (The exact date hasn’t been confirmed.) Here’s what Kesy had to say about getting into character, the costume, and the intense action scenes.
Jack Kesy Hellboy: The Crooked Man Interview
Was it hard to move in the costume? Was it heavy?
Jack Kesy: ”It wasn’t so much it was heavy; it was uncomfortable as long hours went on and working every day. I don’t want to sound like a wah-wah-wah, you know, but it’s tough. It’s tough. And, you know, sometimes in Bulgaria you’d have a day that it’s like 95 degrees. And then we go in the woods and it’s like 40 degrees. And so, the sweat would turn to ice, so to speak.”
Did you do your own stunts?
Jack Kesy: “Absolutely. Not all of them, but maybe 80%? 85. I mean, I put my head through the wall over and over. I had drywall all over my hair, so that counts. […] I’ve got a pretty good left. I know how to roll. I’ve done a little bit of fighting.”
How did you react the first time you saw yourself in the full costume?
Jack Kesy: “Honestly, it was disbelief. Just from the minute I got the phone call, because it came out of nowhere. Like all good things come, I believe. So, seeing myself transform, I was like, ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this.’ And it was a little nerve-wracking at first because it’s such a one-off thing. I’m used to being this, not acting with all that. I was like, ‘How am I going to do this?’ Just took it one day at a time, scene by scene.”
How did you get into the right mindset to play Hellboy?
Jack Kesy: “You know, honestly, it was close to home. I like to chain smoke, unfortunately still. I’m a little bit of a wisecrack. It came right off the paper, and I was like, ‘You know, I’m going to have a lot of fun with this.’”
Are you into comics?
Jack Kesy: ”No, honestly, I’ve dabbled. Honestly, I’m not a die-hard comic book guy. I learned a lot on the job, I learned a lot from fans who were actually writing me, ‘Make sure you do this, make sure you do that, and do that.’ It’s awesome, amazing. I still write them back, you know. They’re awesome. I love Hellboy fans.”
Are you a horror fan?
Jack Kesy: ”I’m not particularly a horror fan, but I like horror movies., I like a little bit of everything. I’m not prejudiced toward anything, like whatever’s good.”
Did you watch the original films?
Jack Kesy: ”I saw the first one years ago. I was actually in Comic-Con, I think, nine years ago with Guillermo del Toro at my first Comic-Con. So here I am again, nine years later, some connective tissue, without him. But it’s just funny how life goes.”
What sets this Hellboy apart from the other Hellboy films?
Jack Kesy: ”I mean, it’s so different. It’s pulled directly from the comic, right? From Mike’s comic book, almost frame by frame. Outside of Bobby Joe’s character and a couple of other scenes that were stitched together, it’s pretty much straight out of the comic book. It’s a lot darker, moodier, cinematic, I suppose, in a different way and more dope. It’s grimier. More spooky.”
Can you talk about your training and doing stunts in full makeup?
Jack Kesy: “Yeah, there’s nothing that really prepares you for that. I mean, I’m a pretty athletic guy. I used to fight, I was in the Marines, so I’m used to rumbling and tumbling around. But nothing really prepares you for the discomfort. You just have to get comfortable being uncomfortable and making it your own.”
Did the costume make you change the way you walk and move?
Jack Kesy: “It changed it for you. You know, the prosthetic went all the way down to your kind of groin area. It was super tight. Well, it started off super tight. By the end of that, I lost 15 pounds.”
Jack Kesy and Adeline Rudolph in ‘Hellboy: The Crooked Man’ (Photo Credit: Ketchup Entertainment)
The Plot, Courtesy of Ketchup Entertainment:
From the visionary director, writer, and producer Brian Taylor (Crank, Happy!), this film brings a chilling tale of survival against the forces of darkness. Set in the 1950s, rookie BPRD agent Bobbie Jo Song finds herself in a dire situation when tasked with delivering a spider to the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense. She must enlist the help of Hellboy to confront the malevolent Crooked Man, who has returned to Earth to harvest souls for the devil.
Paramount+’s San Diego Comic-Con Star Trek: Strange New Worlds panel featured executive producers Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, and Henry Alonso Myers, along with series stars Ethan Peck and Rebecca Romijn. In addition to answering questions from fans, the panel debuted a lengthy first clip from the upcoming third season of the popular series. It’s nearly impossible to describe the clip; it’s much more fun to just soak it in.
The panel attendees were also the first to find out that Cillian O’Sullivan (In From The Cold) will play Dr. Roger Korby. The character was first played by Michael Strong in the original Star Trek series. O’Sullivan joins as a recurring guest star.
“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The series follows Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock, Number One and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, in the years before Captain Kirk boarded the starship, as they explore new worlds around the galaxy,” reads Paramount+’s synopsis.
Anson Mount, Celia Rose Gooding, Christina Chong, and Jess Bush in ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ (Photo Credit: Marni Grossman/Paramount+)
In addition to Peck and Romijn, the season three cast includes Anson Mount, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, and Martin Quinn. Paul Wesley and Carol Kane appear as special guest stars.
Season two debuted in June 2023 and season three will arrive in 2025. Paramount+ already announced the show will stick around for a fourth season. Executive producers include Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Dana Horgan, Davy Perez, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth.
Q&A from the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds panel at SDCC:
Max’s Taken Together: Who Killed Lyric and Elizabeth? dives into the tragic story of two beautiful little girls who were abducted and brutally murdered in 2012. The trailer features snippets of family members and investigators discussing the horrifying case which still hasn’t been solved.
Director Dylan Sires sheds light on the story from a unique prospective. Sires was a former news photographer on the case and Taken Together marks his debut as a filmmaker.
“Known as the case that haunts the Midwest, the series dives into the haunting 2012 double abduction of two cousins, 10-year-old Lyric Cook-Morrissey and 8-year-old Elizabeth Collins, in Evansdale, Iowa,” reads Max’s synopsis. “With over seven years of exclusive access and insider interviews conducted by Sires, including an additional young girl who escaped her kidnapper against all odds, compelling footage of the two victim’s families over a crucial passage of time and new information around the case, Taken Together: Who Killed Lyric and Elizabeth? offers a searing and unforgettable lens on this unimaginable crime.”
Maven Creative Media produced the docuseries for Investigation Discovery. Executive producers include Jessica Sebastian-Dayeh, Donnie Eichar, and Five All In The Fifth’s Douglas Banker and Alex Garinger. Kristian Day and Nedzad Muhamedagic serve as producers.
The three-part documentary series premieres on August 8, 2024. Max released the following details on each episode:
Episode 1 – The mysterious abduction of cousins Lyric Cook and Elizabeth Collins in July 2012 devastates two families, one of whom falls under suspicion. The mystery deepens when hunters find the girls’ bodies.
Episode 2 – Another shocking double abduction, not far from the location of the Evansdale, Iowa case, sparks fear in the community and puts Michael Klunder, a local, under the spotlight. Dayton abduction survivor Dezi Hughes gives an exclusive interview.
Episode 3 – Filmmaker Dylan Sires continues to search for new information and investigate all angles to help Elizabeth’s father. New details come to light, which leads to Drew Collins confronting a man who could place a suspect in Evansdale around the time of the murder.
Poster for Max’s ‘Taken Together: Who Killed Lyric and Elizabeth’
