Joseph Sikora starts work on Power Book IV: Force season 3 (Photo Courtesy of Starz)
Filming is currently underway on season three of Starz’s Power Book IV: Force, with series star Joseph Sikora posing with a clapboard marking the beginning of production. Sikora returns to lead the cast as Tommy Egan, and Gary Lennon (Power) is back as showrunner and executive producer.
“Power Book IV: Force showcases Tommy Egan, led by Joseph Sikora, who cuts ties in New York and heads to Chicago in search of family. One step leads to another and Tommy quickly finds himself in Chicago’s ruthless drug game between two of the city’s biggest crews, and a revolving door of rivalries trying to stake their claim,” reads Starz’s synopsis. “Tommy is more determined than ever to be the sole distributor in Chicago and must decide what he is willing to sacrifice to finally ascend the throne of a kingpin.”
The third series in the Power franchise also stars Isaac Keys (The Oath) as Diamond Sampson, Lili Simmons (Banshee) as Claudia Flynn, Shane Harper (Hightown) as Vic Flynn, Kris D. Lofton (Ballers) as Jenard Sampson, Carmela Zumbado (Chicago PD) as Mireya Garcia, and Manuel Eduardo Ramirez (Queen of the South) as Miguel Garcia. Miriam A. Hyman (The Chi) is US Attorney Stacy Marks, Chris Tardio (Ray Donovan) is Lieutenant Bobby DiFranco, Adrienne Walker (Law & Order: Organized Crime) is Shanti ‘Showstopper’ Page, Anthony Fleming III (Prison Break) is JP, and Lucien Cambric (Chicago P.D.) is D-Mac.
Executive producers include Power series creator Courtney A. Kemp through her production company End of Episode, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson through G-Unit Film and Television, and Mark Canton through Atmosphere Entertainment MM. Terri Kopp and Chris Selak are also involved as executive producers.
HBO’s officially renewed True Detective for season five. Season four, True Detective: Night Country, was the most-watched season overall, drawing in 12.7 million viewers. It was also the first season that focused on women in the leading roles, and the first with Issa López in charge as writer, director, showrunner, and executive producer.
Showrunner Issa López will return in the same capacity for season five, and has just signed a new multiyear overall deal with HBO. The deal means López will create new content, including season five, for HBO and Max.
“From conception to release, Night Country has been the most beautiful collaboration and adventure of my entire creative life,” stated Issa López. “HBO trusted my vision all the way, and the idea of bringing to life a new incarnation of True Detective with Casey, Francesca, and the whole team is a dream come true. I can’t wait to go again.”
Season four premiered in January 2024 and starred Jodie Foster as Ennis Police Chief Liz Danvers and Kali Reis as Alaska State Trooper Evangeline Navarro. The cast also included Finn Bennett, Fiona Shaw, Christopher Eccleston, Isabella Star LaBlanc, and John Hawkes.
“Issa Lopez is that one-of-a-kind, rare talent that speaks directly to HBO’s creative spirit. She helmed True Detective: Night Country from start to finish, never once faltering from her own commendable vision, and inspiring us with her resilience both on the page and behind the camera,” said Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films. “Alongside Jodie and Kali’s impeccable performances, she’s made this installation of the franchise a massive success, we are so lucky to have her as part of our family.”
In addition to Issa López, season four’s executive producers included Jodie Foster, Mari Jo Winkler, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak, Chris Mundy, Alan Page Arriaga, Steve Golin, and Richard Brown. Princess Daazhraii Johnson, Cathy Tagnak Rexford, and Sam Breckman served as producers.
Grammy nominee Jelly Roll (Jason DeFord) released details on the biggest headlining tour of his career. Jelly Roll’s 2024 “Beautifully Broken Tour” will kick off at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, followed by stops in cities including Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta, New Orleans, and Pittsburgh. The 2024 arena tour will finish up at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC in late October.
Warren Zeiders and Alexandra Kay will provide support on the lengthy tour.
Special presales begin on February 26, with general ticket sales opening on Friday, March 1 at 10am local time via jellyroll615.com.
JELLY ROLL BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN 2024 TOUR DATES:
Tue Aug 27 – Salt Lake City, UT – Delta Center
Wed Aug 28 – Nampa, ID – Ford Idaho Center
Fri Aug 30 – Spokane, WA – Spokane Arena
Sat Aug 31 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Sun Sep 1 – Portland, OR – Moda Center
Tue Sep 3 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center
Wed Sep 4 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
Fri Sep 6 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
Sat Sep 7 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
Mon Sep 9 – El Paso, TX – Don Haskins Center
Wed Sep 11 – San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center
Fri Sep 13 – Lafayette, LA – CAJUNDOME
Sat Sep 14 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
Tue Sep 17 – Orlando, FL – Kia Center
Thu Sep 19 – Charleston, SC – North Charleston Coliseum
Fri Sep 20 – Raleigh, NC – PNC Arena
Sat Sep 21 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
Tue Sep 24 – Albany, NY – MVP Arena
Thu Sep 26 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Fri Sep 27 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Sat Sep 28 – Belmont Park, NY – UBS Arena
Sun Sep 29 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
Tue Oct 1 – State College, PA – Bryce Jordan Center
Wed Oct 2 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Sat Oct 5 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
Sun Oct 6 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center
Wed Oct 9 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
Fri Oct 11 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Sat Oct 12 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
Tue Oct 15 – Wichita, KS – INTRUST Bank Arena
Fri Oct 18 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
Sun Oct 20 – Bossier City, LA – Brookshire Grocery Arena
Tue Oct 22 – Little Rock, AR – Simmons Bank Arena
Wed Oct 23 – St Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
Fri Oct 25 – Knoxville, TN – Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center
Sat Oct 26 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Sun Oct 27 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
Jelly Roll’s debut Country album, Whitsitt Chapel, set a record for the biggest Country album debut in Billboard Consumption Chart history. He earned three awards at the 2023 CMT Music Awards and was named Billboard’s 2023 Breakthrough Award winner. Jelly Roll scored Grammy nominations in the Best New Artist and Best Duo/Group Performance for “Save Me (with Lainey Wilson)” categories.
After a two-year break between seasons, Prime Video’s finally set a June 13, 2024 premiere date for season four of The Boys. The twisted superhero series will kick off with the release of the first three episodes, followed by new episodes of the eight-episode season on Thursdays.
The season finale is set for July 18th.
“In Season Four, the world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the muscly thumb of Homelander, who is consolidating his power,” reads Prime Video’s synopsis. “Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca’s son and his job as The Boys’ leader. The rest of the team are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it’s too late.”
Returning series stars include Karl Urban as Billy Butcher, Jack Quaid as Hughie Campbell, Antony Starr as Homelander, Erin Moriarty as Starlight, Jessie T. Usher as A-Train, Laz Alonso as Mother’s Milk, and Chace Crawford as The Deep. Tomer Capone is Frenchie, Karen Fukuhara is Kimiko, Colby Minifie is Ashley, Claudia Doumit is Victoria Neuman, and Cameron Crovetti plays Ryan.
Newcomers to the series for the upcoming fourth season include Susan Heyward as Sister Sage, Valorie Curry as Firecracker, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
Poster for ‘The Boys’ season 4 (Photo Credit: Prime Video)
Eric Kripke (Supernatural) developed the series, based on the comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, and serves as showrunner and executive producer. Additional executive producers include Ennis, Robertson, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty, Phil Sgriccia, Michaela Starr, Paul Grellong, David Reed, Meredith Glynn, Judalina Neira, Ken F. Levin, and Jason Netter.
The Boys is produced by Sony Pictures Television, Amazon MGM Studios with Kripke Enterprises, Original Film, and Point Grey Pictures.
Geraldine Viswanathan and Margaret Qualley in ‘Drive-Away Dolls’ (Photo Credit: Wilson Webb / Working Title / Focus Features)
Spouses Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke’s Drive-Away Dolls is a crazy and twisted mix of blackmail, murder, and sexually adventurous lesbians, with a healthy sprinkling of “WTF is going on” humor. There’s literally nothing out of bounds in Coen and Cooke’s screwball comedy/buddy road trip adventure that wears its R-rating like a lusty badge of honor.
The year’s 1999 and lesbian BFFs are ready for a change of scenery. Jamie (Margaret Qualley), who prefers sampling multiple sexual partners even while in a committed relationship, is coming off a bad breakup with her police officer girlfriend (Beanie Feldstein). Which is as good an excuse as any to embark on a road trip. And the sexually repressed, introverted Marian wants to make the trip from Philadelphia to Tallahassee for a little birdwatching.
What could go wrong with a nice trip to visit nature in all its glory? In Coen and Cooke’s hands, the answer is, to quote an Oscar-winning film’s title, everything (from a vengeful ex to relentless hitmen), everywhere (from gay bars to basement sex orgies), all at once.
The besties accidentally check out a drive-away car meant for a pair of criminals heading to Tallahassee. (Thanks to this film I now know a drive-away car is a free one-way rental. Cool beans.) Marian’s carefully laid out plan to make it to Tallahassee with as few pit stops and side trips as possible is immediately derailed by Jamie’s desire to visit popular lesbian hangouts and assorted points of interest along the way. Plus, as they soon discover, the car they weren’t meant to have has a very special briefcase secured in its trunk, along with a container that’s emitting an ominous fog.
Unlike Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Coen and Cooke’s Drive-Away Dolls reveals what’s in the briefcase. And it’s not someone’s soul, diamonds, drugs, or anything easily predictable. The item(s) – no spoilers – set the women on an entirely different path that puts them in conflict with a mob boss (Colman Domingo), the two aforementioned inept thugs (scene stealers Joey Slotnick and C.J. Wilson), and a power-hungry politician (Matt Damon).
My immediate reaction after the screening was that I had no idea how I was going to write a review. Drive-Away Dolls is a really weird movie. Really weird. It pushes the limits of indulgence, pirouettes on the very edge of ridiculousness, and then finds ways to reel things back a bit with genuinely emotional moments. And it all ultimately works, even when it shouldn’t, due to the terrific lead performances by Margaret Qualley as Jamie and Geraldine Viswanathan as Marian.
Qualley’s accent and cadence waver between fun and grating, but her commitment to playing Jamie as a free-spirited wild child never wavers. Jamie’s up for anything – literally – and Qualley exudes that sort of “accept me as I am” quality needed to make the character more than just a two-dimensional sexual thrill seeker.
Viswanathan’s the perfect ice to Qualley’s fire, nailing the reserved, book-loving realist. Marian maps out life while Jamie plays it by ear, and somehow together they balance each other out – as do Qualley and Viswanathan. There’s a palpable connection between Qualley and Viswanathan on screen that makes their character arcs even more fun to watch unfold.
Coen and Cooke were influenced by Russ Meyer’s Motorpsycho, Doris Wishman’s Bad Girls Go to Hell, and Kiss Me Deadly starring Ralph Meeker. They wanted to capture that B-movies from the ‘60s and ‘70s feeling, and Drive-Away Dolls succeeds by going all-in and embracing the ludicrous crime at the film’s heart.
For those who need the familiarity of a Coen Bros vibe, it’s there as well, while standing on its own as a wickedly wacky comedic feast.
GRADE: B
MPAA Rating: R for language, full nudity, crude sexual content, and some violent content
Release Date: February 23, 2024
Running Time: 1 hour 24 minutes
Studio: Focus Features
Back in December 2023, Netflix swooped in and acquired season two of the critically acclaimed Australian drama The Tourist after Max passed on picking up the distribution rights after airing the first season. Season one of the riveting drama followed Jamie Dornan (Belfast) as a man with a sketchy past who suffered from amnesia as the result of a car accident that was meant to kill him. And season two, which premieres on February 29, 2024, finds Dornan reprising his role as Elliot alongside Danielle Macdonald as Helen, the only person he could depend on when he couldn’t remember his own name.
Their relationship grew over the course of the first season, and by the finale, they were more than just friends. Now, in season two, Elliot and Helen will be traveling to Ireland, hoping to find answers about Elliot’s identity. “But instead, they are forced to face the dangerous consequences of his past actions,” reads Netflix’s season two synopsis.
Netflix released this description of season two’s key characters:
Jamie Dornan returns as Elliot, who still doesn’t remember his past but is living in the present and traveling through Southeast Asia with his girlfriend, Helen.
Danielle Macdonald returns as Helen Chambers, who’s broken her engagement and traveling the world with Elliot, until they decide to head to Ireland to learn more about his past.
Greg Larsen returns as Helen’s now-ex fiancé, Ethan Krum.
Victoria Haralabidou is back as Lena, a mysterious woman from Elliot’s past.
Conor MacNeill plays Detective Ruairi Slater, a quiet local cop with more of an edge than first appears.
Olwen Fouéré plays Niamh Cassidy, a tough Irish woman with a major connection to Elliot.
Francis Magee plays Frank McDonnell, the patriarch of a powerful family.
Diarmaid Murtagh is Donal McDonnell, Nessa Matthews is Orla McDonnell, and Mark McKenna is Fergal McDonnell, a trio of local siblings who take a special interest in Elliot.
The six-episode second season was executive produced by Dornan, Harry Williams, Jack Williams, BBC’s Nawfal Faizullah, and Two Brothers’ Daniel Walker and Sarah Hammond.
The Summer I Turned Pretty‘s Sean Kaufman guest stars as an AI Startup Chief Technology Officer on CBS’s FBI: Most Wanted season five episode three, “Ghost in the Machine.” Directed by Peter Stebbings from a script by Ryan Causey, episode three will air on Tuesday, February 27, 2024 at 10pm ET/PT.
Season five stars Dylan McDermott as Supervisory Special Agent Remy Scott, Roxy Sternberg as Special Agent Sheryll Barnes, Keisha Castle-Hughes as Special Agent Hana Gibson, Edwin Hodge as Special Agent Ray Cannon, and Shantel VanSanten as Special Agent Nina Chase.
“Ghost in the Machine” Plot: When the woman whose visage is the face of a popular AI bot is found violently murdered inside a Brooklyn hotel room, the Fugitive Task Force jumps into action to find out who lured her there in the first place. Meanwhile, Hana helps out a recent Quantico graduate who hopes to follow in her footsteps.
From Emmy Award winner Dick Wolf, FBI: Most Wanted is a high-stakes drama that focuses on the Fugitive Task Force, an elite unit that relentlessly pursues and captures the notorious criminals on the Bureau’s Most Wanted list. The team’s charming but formidable leader is Supervisory Special Agent Remy Scott, who started his career in the New York FBI field office before rising through the ranks of the Bureau in Philadelphia and Las Vegas.
The team includes Special Agent Sheryll Barnes, a former NYPD detective and forensics expert who is raising two young children with her wife; Special Agent Hana Gibson, a gifted millennial computer whiz with a sharp wit and mad hacking skills; Special Agent Ray Cannon, who is a former New Orleans cop-turned-junior detective and worked Violent Crimes in Albany after following in his retired FBI agent father’s footsteps.
The newest member of the Fugitive Task Force is well-seasoned Special Agent Nina Chase who, most recently, worked assorted cases with the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Originally from the Houston field office where she specialized in undercover work, Nina is a standout agent who is skilled with cars and has a penchant for driving fast. Always in the field and always on the run, FBI: Most Wanted is a weekly adrenaline shot about the thrill of the chase.
Roku rescued The Spiderwick Chronicles series after Disney+ decided to drop it after production wrapped, and now the streamer has released the first teaser trailer along with a new poster. All eight episodes of the series, based on Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black’s popular book series, will stream on The Roku Channel on April 19, 2024.
Joy Bryant and Christian Slater lead the cast as Helen Grace and Mulgarath. Noah Cottrell stars as Simon Grace, Lyon Daniels is Jared Grace, and Mychala Lee plays Mallory Grace. Jack Dylan Grazer provides the voice of Thimbletack.
“Helen and her children, 15-year-old fraternal twins Jared and Simon and their sister Mallory move to their ancestral home, Spiderwick. Jared discovers a boggart and realizes that magical creatures are real!” reads Roku’s synopsis. “The only one to believe him is his great-aunt Lucinda who implores Jared to find the pages of her father’s field guide to magical creatures and protect them from the murderous Ogre, Mulgarath.”
Aron Eli Coleite and Kat Coiro serve as showrunners and executive produce along with authors DiTerlizzi and Black. Additional executive producers include Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Jeremy Bell, D.J. Goldberg, Julie Kane-Ritsch, and Grace Gilroy.
The second trailer for Challengers sets up the relationship between a former tennis star, played by Zendaya, and the two men who vie for her attention on and off the court. The new trailer’s release was accompanied by a couple of new stills from the R-rated romantic drama.
Mike Faist (West Side Story) and Josh O’Connor (The Crown) star as the men who get caught up in a romantic triangle. Oscar nominee Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name, Bones and All) directed from a screenplay by Justin Kuritzkes.
“Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion on a losing streak (Faist), Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (O’Connor) – his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend,” reads MGM’s synopsis. “As their pasts and presents collide, and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself, what will it cost to win.”
Zendaya, Guadagnino, Amy Pascal, and Rachel O’Connor serve as producers, with Bernard Bellew, Lorenzo Mieli, and Kevin Ulrich executive producing.
Cate Blanchett’s Lilith travels to a planet she hates to find a massive treasure hidden in a vault in the first trailer for Lionsgate’s Borderlands. Lilith can’t do the treasure hunt alone and is forced to team up with an odd assortment of people on a planet that has an actual gully made of piss.
The trailer gives off Guardians of the Galaxy vibes, and the film obviously doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Eli Roth and Joe Crombie wrote the screenplay, based on the popular Borderlands video game franchise, with Roth directing. The action thriller stars Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Kevin Hart as Roland, Jack Black as Claptrap, Ariana Gleenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Krieg, Edgar Ramirez as Atlas, and Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis.
Ari Arad, Avi Arad, and Erik Feig serve as producers, with Tim Miller, Ethan Smith, Louise Rosner, Emmy Yu, Lucy Kitada, Christopher Woodrow, K. Blaine Johnston, Randy Pitchford, and Strauss Zelnick executive producing.
“Lilith (Blanchett), an infamous bounty hunter with a mysterious past, reluctantly returns to her home, Pandora, the most chaotic planet in the galaxy. Her mission is to find the missing daughter of Atlas (Ramírez), the universe’s most powerful S.O.B. Lilith forms an unexpected alliance with a ragtag team of misfits – Roland (Hart), a seasoned mercenary on a mission; Tiny Tina (Greenblatt), a feral pre-teen demolitionist; Krieg (Munteanu), Tina’s musclebound protector; Tannis (Curtis), the oddball scientist who’s seen it all; and Claptrap (Black), a wiseass robot,” reads Lionsgate’s synopsis.
“Together, these unlikely heroes must battle an alien species and dangerous bandits to uncover one of Pandora’s most explosive secrets. The fate of the universe could be in their hands – but they’ll be fighting for something more: each other.”
