Oscar winner Morgan Freeman provides the narration for Netflix’s documentary series Life on Our Planet. The eight-part docuseries just launched a trailer that features a sampling of the many creatures who roamed Earth millions of years ago.
In notes provided by Netflix, producer Dan Tapster explained that they created the look of the dinosaurs by being as scientifically accurate as possible.
“Ultimately, the goal was to keep creative license to a minimum and try instead to have scientific veracity at the heart of each sequence. From an asset design point of view, that’s relatively straightforward since the designs are all based on fossils. However, sometimes there is disagreement amongst the paleontological community, and when that was the case, we always tried to position ourselves with the most widely held view,” stated Tapster.
Tapster continued: “Take the T-Rex as an example. Our T-Rex looks surprisingly different from the overly muscled ‘shrink-wrapped’ versions you may see in movies, but that’s because ours is based on the latest interpretation of the fossil evidence. But nevertheless, one controversial part is feathering, and paleontologists are split about whether T-Rex had feathers or not, and if it did, what were they like and how dense were they? After much discussion, we gave our male T-Rex quill-like feathers running down the nape of his neck.
At first, we put on so many feathers that it gave the greatest predator of all time a mullet — he looked more like a Metallica fan! But once we dialed them back, we got to that sweet spot. While we felt that this was the widely held view, there will inevitably be people who disagree!”
The docuseries was executive produced by Steven Spielberg, Alastair Fothergill, Keith Scholey, Darryl Frank, and Justin Falvey, and produced by Silverback Films and Amblin Television.
Life on Our Planet will premiere on October 25, 2023.
Poster for Netflix’s ‘Life on Our Planet’
The Plot, Courtesy of Netflix:
This is the story of life’s epic battle to conquer and survive on planet Earth. Today, there are 20 million species on our planet, yet what we see is just a snapshot in time — 99% of earth’s inhabitants are lost to our deep past. The story of what happened to these dynasties — their rise and their fall – is truly remarkable.
In partnership with Industrial Light & Magic, the series uses the latest technology and science to bring long-extinct creatures back to life, Life on Our Planet reveals the incredible story of life on our planet.
Rhys Darby in ‘Our Flag Means Death’ season 2 (Photograph by Nicola Dove/Max)
Max’s 2023 October lineup of series includes new seasons of Our Flag Means Death, The Gilded Age, and 30 Coins, as well as the second half of Doom Patrol season four (the final season). A documentary focusing on the notorious Bling Ring premieres on October 1st, along with all five Final Destination films.
In addition to a batch of horror films joining the network’s lineup, Max is celebrating Halloween with new seasons of Ghost Adventures and The Haunted Museum.
SERIES & FILMS ARRIVING ON MAX IN OCTOBER 2023:
October 1
3 Godfathers (1948)
The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996)
All About the Benjamins (2002)
The Amazing Panda Adventure (1995)
Angels in the Outfield (1951)
The Answer Man (2009)
Anthropoid (2016)
Appaloosa (2008)
The Apparition (2012)
The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
Badlands (1973)
Be Cool (2005)
Bee Season (2005)
Beetlejuice (1988)
The Benchwarmers (2006)
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Blindspotting (2018)
Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012)
Cesar Chavez (2014)
Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)
Control Room (2004)
Critters 3 (1991)
The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
Daphne & Velma (2018)
Dark Shadows (2012)
Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1969)
Evil Lives Here: The Killer Speaks, Season 1 (ID)
Father Figures (2017)
Final Destination (2000)
Final Destination 2 (2003)
Final Destination 3 (2006)
Final Destination 5 (2011)
The Final Destination (2009)
The Five Heartbeats (1991)
Flashdance (1983)
FLCL: Shoegaze, Season 5
Flight (2012)
Focus (2015)
Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
French Connection II (1975)
The French Connection (1971)
Friday the 13th (2009)
Furious 7 (2015)
Get Shorty (1995)
Gloria Bell (2019)
The Golden Child (1986)
The Grey (2011)
Hackers (1995)
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008)
The Haunting (1963)
Horror of Dracula (1958)
House of Sand and Fog (2004)
The House (2017)
If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
In the Heart of the Sea (2015)
In the Kitchen with Abner and Amanda, Season 2 (Magnolia Network)
Ismael’s Ghosts (2018)
Jack Osbourne’s Night of Terror, Season 1 (Travel Channel)
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)
Jumanji (1995)
Just Wright (2010)
Kate & Leopold (2001)
The Last Stand (2013)
Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)
The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
The Letter (1940)
Looney Tunes: Back In Action (2003)
The Lost Boys (1987)
Love Jones (1997)
Meet Dave (2008)
Meg 2: The Trench (2023) *Starting 9/29
Men at Work (1990)
The Mod Squad (1999)
The Mummy (1959)
The Neverending Story (1984)
The Neverending Story II: The Next Chapter (1991)
A Night at the Roxbury (1998)
An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
Oracle (2023)
Out of the Past (1947)
Paper Towns (2015)
Pet Sematary (1989)
Pet Sematary II (1992)
The Phantom of The Opera (2004)
Pleasantville (1998)
Poltergeist (1982)
Pootie Tang (2001)
The Pyramid (2014)
Ranch to Table, Season 4 (Magnolia Network)
Rock of Ages (2012)
Roger & Me (1989)
Running Scared (2006)
Scream (1996)
Scream 2 (1997)
Scream 3 (2000)
Skin (2019)
Small Soldiers (1998)
Son of the Mask (2005)
Soylent Green (1973)
Spartan (2004)
Species (1995)
Species II (1998)
Species III (2004)
Speedway (1968)
Spinout (1966)
Stephen King’s Cat’s Eye (1985)
Teen Spirit (2019)
Teen Titans Go!: Welcome To Halloween, Season 8 (Cartoon Network)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)
Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1993)
Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale (2007)
Tom and Jerry: Santa’s Little Helpers (2014)
Trick ‘r Treat (2009)
Upgrade (2018)
Valerie’s Home Cooking Season 14 (Food Network)
Warm Bodies (2013)
The Weekend (2019)
What’s Up, Doc? (1972)
The Whole Ten Yards (2004)
Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Season 10 (The CW)
Whose Streets? (2017)
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
October 1
The Ringleader: The Case of the Bling Ring (HBO) – In a candid, first-time interview with Rachel Lee, the so-called teenage mastermind behind a string of high-profile celebrity robberies in 2008 and 2009, The Ringleader: The Case of the Bling Ring, directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Erin Lee Carr, examines the motivations of Lee and a group of her friends who broke into celebrity homes in Hollywood to ransack and steal, exploring the possible reasons behind her actions including mental health issues and addictions, as well as the climate of celebrity excess that fueled the teens, recontextualizing the events behind the sensational headlines.
October 3
Hostage 911, Season 1 (ID)
October 4
Bering Sea Gold, Season 11B (Discovery Channel)
Ghost Adventures: Devil Island, Special (Discovery Channel)
Mysteries of the Abandoned: Hidden America, Season 2 (Science Channel)
October 5
BattleBots, Season 7B (Discovery Channel)
Oscar’s Handmade Halloween (Max Original)
Our Flag Means Death, Season 2 (Max Original) – Season two of Our Flag Means Death is based (very) loosely on the true adventures of 18th century would-be pirate Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby). After trading the seemingly charmed life of a gentleman for one of a swashbuckling buccaneer, Stede became captain of the pirate ship Revenge.
Struggling to earn the respect of his potentially mutinous crew, Stede’s fortunes changed after a fateful run-in with the infamous Captain Blackbeard (Taika Waititi). To their surprise, the wildly different Stede and Blackbeard found more than friendship on the high seas… they found love. Now, they have to survive it.
October 6
90 Day Fiance Pillow Talk: Before The 90 Days, Season 6 (TLC)
Bugs Bunny Builders: Hard Hat Time: Haunted Garage (Cartoon Network)
Deane’s Dynasty (Max Original)
HGTV Urban Oasis Special (HGTV)
October 7
Jessica’s Big Little World, Season 1 (Cartoon Network)
Makeover by Monday, Season 2 (Magnolia Network)
Ready to Love, Season 3C (OWN)
October 8
90 Day Fiance, Season 10 (TLC)
Last Stop Larrimah (2023) (HBO)
Teen Titans Go!: Haunted Tank, Season 8 (Cartoon Network)
October 9
The Matthew Shepard Story: An American Hate Crime (ID)
October 10
No Accident (2023) (HBO)
Street Outlaws vs. The World (Discovery Channel)
October 11
Crimefeed (ID)
Ghost Adventures, Season 20C (Discovery Channel)
October 12
Frankelda’s Book of Spooks (Max Original)
Doom Patrol, Season 4 (Max Original) – Doom Patrol continues its fourth and final season with the Doom Patrol meeting old friends and foes as they race to defeat Immortus and get back their longevities. Battling between saving the world and each other, the Doom Patrol are forced to face their deepest fears and decide if they are ready to let go of the past in order to take their future into their own hands… and away from the zombie butts.
October 14
Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out, Season 5 (Food Network)
October 15
Naked and Afraid, Season 9C (Discovery Channel)
October 16
Wardens of the North (Animal Planet)
October 18
Good Bones, Season 8 (HGTV)
October 19
Candy Cruz (Max Original)
Peter & the Wolf (2023) (Max Original)
Teenage Kiss: The Future Is Dead (Max Original)
October 20
Beach Cottage Chronicles, Season 3 (Magnolia Network)
Cabin Chronicles: Renovation (Magnolia Network)
Cuquin
First Time Fixer, Season 5 (Magnolia Network)
October 22 aka MR. CHOW (2023) (HBO) – aka Mr. Chow details the vibrant and varied life of Michael Chow. Born Zhou Yinghua in 1930s Shanghai, he would use creativity to triumph over childhood trauma, personal loss, and systemic prejudice, growing up to become the actor and artist before inventing a new identity, Mr. Chow, when he opens the first of his iconic restaurants. Having found fame and fortune in the West, Mr. Chow celebrates his Chinese roots and finds catharsis by returning to painting, reemerging as the artist M.
October 23
Justice League: Warworld (2023)
30 Coins, Season 2 (HBO) – In season two of 30 Coins, most residents of Pedraza, a remote town in Spain plagued by inexplicable, demonic events, have lost their minds and are confined to a psychiatric hospital. Elena (Megan Montaner) lies comatose in a Madrid hospital bed; Paco (Miguel Ángel Silvestre), shattered by remorse, tries to take care of her. As horror intensifies around them, our group of heroes must face a mysterious new enemy (Paul Giamatti) – someone so perverse that even the devil fears him.
October 24
Restoration Road With Clint Harp, Season 4 (Magnolia Network)
Silent House (2012)
Supermarket Stakeout, Season 5 (Food Network)
October 25
Bargain Mansions, Season 5 (Magnolia Network)
Strange Evidence, Season 7 (Science Channel)
The Murder Tapes, Season 6A (ID)
October 26
The Haunted Museum, Season 2 (Travel Channel)
October 27
A Time to Kill, Season 4A (ID)
Diary of an Old Home, Season 3 (Magnolia Network)
Adult Swim Smalls, Season 5 (Adult Swim)
October 28
Mecha Builders (Cartoon Network)
October 29
The Gilded Age, Season 2 (HBO) – The American Gilded Age was a period of immense economic change, of great conflict between the old ways and brand new systems, and of huge fortunes made and lost. Season two begins on Easter morning 1883, with the news that Bertha Russell’s bid for a box at the Academy of Music has been rejected.
Through the eight episodes of the season, we watch as Bertha challenges Mrs. Astor and the old system and works to not only gain a foothold in Society, but to potentially take a leading role in it. George Russell takes on his own battle with a growing union at his steel plant in Pittsburgh. In the Brook House, Marian continues her journey to find her way in the world secretly teaching at a girls school while much to everyone’s surprise Ada begins a new courtship.
Of course, Agnes approves of none of it. In Brooklyn, the Scott family begins to heal from a shocking discovery, and Peggy taps into her activist spirit through her work with T. Thomas Fortune at the NY Globe.
Jackson White as Jud Crandall in ‘Pet Sematary: Bloodlines’ (Photo Cr: Philippe Bosse / Paramount Players)
Paramount+’s Pet Sematary: Bloodlines sets up Ludlow, Maine as a town in need of a serious exorcism. A lot of heartache could have been avoided if only its settlers had pulled a Roanoke and left the town to the indigenous population in the area. But they didn’t, and this prequel to Stephen King’s 1983 bestseller fills in details about the town’s history and why reanimating dead loved ones – whether they be covered in fur, feathers, or human skin – is always a bad idea.
Bloodlines reveals that Ludlow has problems that go beyond its misspelled cemetery. The Micmacs knew the woods were evil, the ground was sour, and that death was different there. Centuries later, children built the Pet Sematary on a patch of ground that serves as a gateway between the living and the dead. And as Ludlowian Jud Crandall comes to understand, sometimes it’s better to let the dead stay dead.
Pet Sematary: Bloodlines explores multiple time periods, but primarily focuses on 1969. In the late ‘60s, some townsfolk harbor resentment toward the Crandalls because Jud (Jackson White) has been fortunate enough to avoid the draft while other young Ludlow men have been sent off to fight in Vietnam. Jud believes he’s just incredibly lucky, but his father’s peers suspect that there may be more to the story.
One peer, Bill Baterman (David Duchovny), knows firsthand the toll the Vietnam War is taking on families. His son, Timmy, was killed in action, and Bill, devastated by grief, lies and claims Timmy’s been honorably discharged and has returned home a hero. Bill takes the family dog with him to the Pet Sematary, well aware of the cemetery’s supernatural powers, and buries his son’s body in the dead of night. Unfortunately, the family dog gets a little too close to the grave and falls victim to the same fate as Timmy.
Within days, Bill’s actions ignite a fierce battle between the living and the undead that rocks the small town to its core.
For decades, Jud’s dad (Henry Thomas) and the town’s elders have overseen putting down the dead who’ve risen. Jud and his girlfriend, Norma (Natalie Alyn Lind), are suddenly thrust into the centuries-old conflict between good and evil while attempting to escape Ludlow and join the Peace Corps. Their escape is disrupted by a huge bird that crashes into their windshield before they can even hit the town line, followed by a horrifying encounter with Timmy’s dog, freshly undead and now possessed by demonic energy.
With Norma taken out of action by the dog, it’s up to Jud to uncover the dark secrets of his town—and his family. Luckily, he’s not alone in his quest, as his old BFF Manny (Forrest Goodluck) and Manny’s sister, Donna (Isabella Star LaBlanc), join him in the fight against the pervasive evil that plagues Ludlow.
Pet Sematary: Bloodlines is moderately successful in filling in the events touched upon in a chapter of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. Meant for fans well versed in the source material (or either of the two Pet Sematary film adaptations), this prequel fits within Ludlow canon but never matches King’s original story’s terrifying vibe.
Bloodlines digs into Ludlow’s past and specifically into the background of Pet Sematary’s Jud Crandall, the wise elderly neighbor played by the late great Fred Gwynne in the 1989 horror film. Gwynne’s Jud was the most interesting character in the first film adaptation; however, the same can’t be said of Jackson White’s younger version of the character, who plays second fiddle in personality to Forrest Goodluck’s Manny.
Manny and, to a lesser extent, his sister (Isabella Star LaBlanc) are better developed and far more intriguing than the intended main character. Jud is portrayed as an unfortunate guy who stumbles into trouble and then careens through the film, reacting to the actions of those around him. It’s surface-level only, and he appears to be unaffected by the increasing body count and rising stakes, leaving him to be a somewhat shallow character. That’s a problem as Jud’s supposed to be our entryway into this terrifying tale, but as written, he’s not up to the task.
Pet Sematary: Bloodlines has a decent number of jump scares, and undead Timmy (Jack Mulhern) is satisfyingly gruesome. But while the setup’s intriguing, the execution doesn’t quite live up to expectations. It’s impossible to match Stephen King’s writing, and this prequel proves it’s time to let King’s Pet Sematary‘s Ludlow rest in peace.
GRADE: C+
MPAA Rating: R for gore, language, and horror violence
Release Date: October 6, 2023 on Paramount+
Directed By: Lindsey Anderson Beer
* * * * * * * *
Pet Sematary: Bloodlines screened during the 2023 Fantastic Fest.
Grammy Award-winner Usher has been tapped to headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show set for February 11, 2024. Super Bowl LVIII will take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV, and will air live on CBS.
“It’s an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list. I can’t wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they’ve seen from me before,” stated Usher. “Thank you to the fans and everyone who made this opportunity happen. I’ll see you real soon.”
“Usher is an icon whose music has left an indelible mark on the cultural landscape throughout his career, we couldn’t be more excited to have him headline this year’s Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show,” said Seth Dudowsky, NFL Head of Music. “We look forward to working with Usher, Roc Nation and Apple Music to bring fans another Halftime Show for the history books.”
The 2024 Halftime Show will be produced by DPS. Roc Nation and Jesse Collins are on board as executive producers, and Hamish Hamilton is confirmed as director.
“Usher is the ultimate artist and showman. Ever since his debut at the age of 15, he’s been charting his own unique course. Beyond his flawless singing and exceptional choreography, Usher bares his soul,” stated JAY-Z. “His remarkable journey has propelled him to one of the grandest stages in the world. I can’t wait to see the magic.”
Usher’s sold more than 80 million records and has helped thousands of young people by raising millions through his New Look Foundation.
Commenting on the Halftime Show announcement, Apple’s Vice President of Apple Music, Apple TV+, Sports, and Beats Oliver Schusser said, “The Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show is one of the most highly anticipated music events of the year and we’re excited to bring this legendary show to fans all over the world in Spatial Audio, along with tons of exclusive videos, interviews, playlists and so much more across Apple Music.”
Schusser added: “We are so proud of what we were able to accomplish together with the NFL and Roc Nation last year and now with the insanely talented Usher set to take the stage, we’re looking forward to another incredible Halftime Show from one of the world’s all-time greatest performers.”
Showtime’s Billions season seven episode eight finds guest star Melina Kanakaredes (The Resident) showing up as a potential political adversary to Mike Prince. Episode eight, “The Owl,” will air on Paramount+ with Showtime on Friday, September 29, 2023. Season seven episodes also air on Showtime on Sundays at 8pm ET/PT.
Season seven stars Paul Giamatti as Chuck Rhoades, Corey Stoll as Mike Prince, Maggie Siff as Wendy Rhoades, David Costabile as Mike “Wags” Wagner, Asia Kate Dillon as Taylor Mason, and Dola Rashad as Kate Sacker. Jeffrey DeMunn plays Chuck Rhoades Sr., Sakina Jaffrey is Daevisha “Dave” Mahar, Kelly AuCoin is “Dollar” Bill Stern, Daniel Breaker is Roger “Scooter” Dunbar, and Toney Goins plays Philip Charyn.
Damian Lewis reprises his role as Bobby Axelrod for the final season.
“The Owl” Plot: Chuck and Prince venture upstate to rub elbows with a new political force. Prince sacrifices pride to do a personal favor. Wendy helps Wags unpack his deepest desires.
Corey Stoll, Babak Tafti, and Daniel Breaker in ‘Billions’ season 7 Episode 8 (Photo Credit: Courtesy of SHOWTIME)
The Season 7 Plot, Courtesy of Showtime:
In season seven, alliances are turned on their heads. Old wounds are weaponized. Loyalties are tested. Betrayal takes on epic proportions. Enemies become wary friends. And Bobby Axelrod returns as the stakes grow from Wall Street to the world.
David Costabile as Mike ‘Wags’ Wagner and Corey Stoll as Michael “Mike” Prince in “The Owl” episode (Photo Credit: Christopher T. Saunders/SHOWTIME)Melina Kanakaredes as Governor Nancy Dunlop in “The Owl” episode (Photo Credit: Courtesy of SHOWTIME)Paul Giamatti as Chuck Rhoades and Jeffrey DeMunn as Chuck Rhoades, Sr. in season 7 episode 8 (Photo Credit: Christopher T. Saunders/SHOWTIME)Melina Kanakaredes as Governor Nancy Dunlop and Corey Stoll as Michael “Mike” Prince in season 7 episode 8 (Photo Credit: Courtesy of SHOWTIME)Paul Giamatti as Chuck Rhoades in “The Owl” episode (Photo Credit: Christopher T. Saunders/SHOWTIME)Maggie Siff as Wendy Rhoades in season 7 episode 8 (Photo Credit: Christopher T. Saunders/SHOWTIME)
Eve Hewson and Orén Kinlan in ‘Flora and Son’ (Photo Courtesy of Apple TV+)
Writer/director John Carney hits all the right notes with Flora and Son, a film that earns its spot nesting snuggly within Carney’s music-infused projects. Carney’s Once (2007) struck a chord with audiences and critics, capturing an Oscar for Best Song and a Spirit Award for Best Foreign Film. Begin Again (2014) strummed heartstrings while Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley made beautiful music together on screen, and Carney’s (2016) Sing Street earned an impressive 95% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes along with a spot on the National Board of Review’s top 10 independent film list.
Carney understands the power of music and how it can help heal deep, emotional wounds and bridge the gap between opposing forces. In Flora and Son, the titular characters are the opposing forces, and music transforms their relationship from dysfunctional to harmonious.
Eve Hewson (Bad Sisters) stars as Flora, a young, divorced mom whose days are filled with babysitting for wealthy customers, drinking, smoking, and hitting the club whenever possible. Flora refuses to believe this is her life, yet she doesn’t have a plan to improve her circumstances.
Orén Kinlan is Max, Flora’s resentful teenage son who has nothing in common with his mom. Max has learned to tune out his mom as he spends his days longing for a girl who’s out of his league and stealing from a music store. Max has built up quite the rap sheet and is just one bad decision away from spending time locked up.
Flora seems to believe that giving her son a guitar she rescued from the trash a day after his birthday is worthy of at least a few days of peace at home. She’s wrong, but after a failed attempt at tossing out the guitar, Flora claims it for herself.
That impulsive decision leads to a chance encounter online with Jeff the guitar teacher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Mr. Corman) and, gradually, a connection forms between Jeff from Topanga Canyon and Flora from Dublin over Zoom. A connection also forms between Flora and Max that overcomes years of built-up resentment and anger.
Flora is a surprisingly talented singer/songwriter, and Max inherited his dad’s musical talent. (His dad, Ian [Jack Raynor], never misses an opportunity to remind anyone and everyone that he was in a band.) Max’s skills at laying down beats and rapping provide the perfect opportunity for mother and son to collaborate. And in making music together, they blossom as individuals, as artists, and, most importantly, as family.
Eve Hewson, Orén Kinlan, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt hit every emotional beat and Carney’s script never lets them down. There’s nothing manipulative or fake about any of the characters’ transitions. Every moment of understanding or enlightenment is well-earned.
The small ensemble is perfectly cast, but truly, it’s Hewson who shoulders most of the weight and delivers the best performance of her career. There’s an absolutely mesmerizing scene of Hewson as Flora barely paying attention to a video of Joni Mitchell performing “Both Sides Now” and then gradually getting drawn into the words. Hewson’s reaction to the meaning behind the song and the tears that follow make this minute-long sequence one of my favorite scenes of any 2023 film.
John Carney’s Flora and Son will likely find the filmmaker back in Oscar contention in the Best Song category for “Meet in the Middle,” the payoff song that the family – and Jeff the guitar teacher – perform on stage. It sends the film off on a satisfying note and is the perfect culmination to time spent with Flora and Son.
GRADE: A-
MPAA Rating: R for brief drug use, sexual references, and language throughout
Running Time: 1 hour 34 minutes
Release Date: September 22, 2023 (limited), followed by a September 29th release on Apple TV+
Alan Cumming, host of ‘The Traitors’ (Photo by: Todd Williamson/Peacock)
Peacock has announced the cast of season two of the popular competition series The Traitors. But, more importantly, the streaming service confirmed the return of host Alan Cumming and the addition of his dog Lala as his sidekick.
The 21 reality show veterans and other assorted “notable” figures competing on season two are:
· Carsten “Bergie” Bergersen (Love Island USA)
· Chris ‘C.T.’ Tamburello (The Challenge)
· Dan Gheesling (Big Brother)
· Deontay Wilder (Boxer)
· Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu (Love Island UK)
· Janelle Pierzina (Big Brother)
· Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio (The Challenge)
· John Bercow (UK Parliament)
· Kevin Kreider (Bling Empire)
· Larsa Pippen (The Real Housewives of Miami)
· Marcus Jordan (Basketball Player)
· Maksim Chmerkovskiy (Dancing with the Stars)
· Mercedes “MJ” Javid (Shahs of Sunset)
· Parvati Shallow (Survivor)
· Peppermint (RuPaul’s Drag Race)
· Peter Weber (The Bachelor)
· Phaedra Parks (Married to Medicine)
· Sandra Diaz-Twine (Survivor)
· Shereé Whitfield (The Real Housewives of Atlanta)
· Tamra Judge (The Real Housewives of Orange County)
· Trishelle Cannatella (The Real World: Las Vegas)
Produced by Studio Lambert, season two of the Emmy-nominated reality competition series is targeting a 2024 premiere. Stephen Lambert, Mike Cotton, Toni Ireland, Jack Burgess, Tim Harcourt, and Sam Rees Jones are on board as executive producers.
A scene from ‘The Traitors’ season 1 (Photo by: PEACOCK)
The Traitors Plot, Courtesy of Peacock:
The Traitors is a nail-biting psychological adventure in which treachery and deceit are the name of the game. Entertainment’s most competitive reality stars and famous faces play the ultimate murder mystery game. Hosted by award-winning actor Alan Cumming at an ancient castle set deep in the Scottish Highlands, contestants work together on a series of exhilarating missions to build a prize fund worth up to $250,000.
Hidden amongst the Faithful are the Traitors, whose goal is to eliminate the Faithful and claim the prize for themselves. Under the cover of darkness, the Traitors murder the Faithful one by one in a treacherous spree, while the Faithful try to uncover the Traitors and banish them from the game. If the Faithful contestants banish all the Traitors, they will share the prize fund, but if a Traitor or Traitors makes it to the end, they will steal all the money.
What would you do for $4.56 million? The teaser trailer for Squad Game: The Challenge, the competition series based on the critically acclaimed, award-winning (and incredibly violent) Squad Game, asks that question. And for hundreds of people, the answer is apparently just about anything.
The competition begins on Netflix on November 22, 2023. The original Squid Game aired in September 2021 and has been renewed for season two. A date hasn’t been set for its debut.
“Squid Game took the world by storm with director Hwang’s captivating story and iconic imagery. We’re grateful for his support as we turn the fictional world into reality in this massive competition and social experiment,” stated Brandon Riegg, Netflix VP of Unscripted and Documentary Series, in June 2022 when the competition spinoff was announced. “Fans of the drama series are in for a fascinating and unpredictable journey as our 456 real-world contestants navigate the biggest competition series ever, full of tension and twists, with the biggest ever cash prize at the end.”
Anna Kidd, Louise Peet, The Garden’s Nicola Brown and John Hay, and Studio Lambert’s Tim Harcourt, Toni Ireland, Stephen Lambert, Nia Yemoh, and Stephen Yemoh executive produce.
Netflix released this synopsis of the competition series:
“456 real players will enter the competition show in pursuit of a life-changing reward of USD $4.56 million. As they compete through a series of games inspired by the original show – plus surprising new additions – their strategies, alliances, and character will be put to the test while competitors are eliminated around them.”
‘America’s Got Talent’s Simon Cowell, Mel B, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)
NBC’s America’s Got Talent franchise will expand in 2024 to introduce AGT: Fantasy League, a new competition in which the AGT judges get to choose their lineup of talented acts. The new spinoff will feature a judging panel made up of executive producer Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel. Plus, Mel B will be returning as judge after handling the job on seasons eight through 13.
Terry Crews is on board as host.
NBC’s released the following description of AGT: Fantasy League season one:
Similar to a fantasy sports draft, the judges will each choose a roster of their favorite acts picking from winners, finalists, viral sensations, and fan favorites from America’s Got Talent and Got Talent franchises around the world, all pre-selected by America in an initial vote.
For the first time in show history, the judges will be competing alongside the contestants and will mentor and guide the acts throughout the competition with the hopes of earning bragging rights and seeing an act from their team crowned the champion of AGT: Fantasy League.
Following the AGT finale on Wednesday, Sept. 27, fans can suggest acts they want to see compete on AGT: Fantasy League by heading to the AGT app and nominating their favorite picks from more than 60 acts.
A total of 40 remarkable acts will move forward to the AGT draft pool as the judges carefully make their selections and fill their fantasy teams with 10 showstopping acts compiled from singers, dancers, ventriloquists, comedians, aerialists, magicians and more.
The Golden Buzzer will be back, sending acts straight to the finals, but with a twist, as each judge can use their coveted Golden Buzzer for their own act or to steal an act from another judges’ team.
The audience will vote each week to determine which acts will advance to the finals and which judge will earn bragging rights as their act is crowned the AGT: Fantasy League champion.
Searchlight Pictures’ theatrical trailer for All of Us Strangers teases the fantasy/drama without completely spoiling the storyline. Following the film’s successful festival run – it currently sits at 94% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes – All of Us Strangers is set to open in theaters on December 22, 2023.
Paul Mescal (Aftersun), Andrew Scott (Fleabag), Jamie Bell (Shining Girls), and Claire Foy (The Crown) star in the drama based on the novel Strangers by Taichi Yamada. Andrew Haigh (Lean on Pete, 45 Years, Weekend) adapted Yamada’s novel and directs, with Graham Broadbent, Peter Czernin, and Sarah Harvey producing. Diarmuid Mckeown, Ben Knight, Ollie Madden, Daniel Battsek, and Farhana Bhula serve as executive producers.
Searchlight Pictures offer this synopsis:
One night in his near-empty tower block in contemporary London, Adam (Scott) has a chance encounter with a mysterious neighbor Harry (Mescal), which punctures the rhythm of his everyday life. As a relationship develops between them, Adam is preoccupied with memories of the past and finds himself drawn back to the suburban town where he grew up, and the childhood home where his parents (Foy and Bell), appear to be living, just as they were on the day they died, 30 years before.
“What I loved about the novel was its central conceit: what if you met your parents again long after they were gone, only now they’re the same age as you? It seemed such an emotional way to explore the nature of family. That became my starting point,” explained writer/director Haigh.
Haigh admitted that adapting the book was a lengthy – and occasionally painful – process.
“I wanted to pick away at my own past as Adam does in the film,” offered Haigh. “I was interested in exploring the complexities of both familial and romantic love, but also the distinct experience of a specific generation of gay people growing up in the 80s. I wanted to move away from the traditional ghost story of the novel and find something more psychological, almost metaphysical.”
Haigh’s behind-the-scenes team includes cinematographer Jamie D. Ramsay, production designer Sarah Finlay, costume designer Sarah Blenkinsop, and editor Jonathan Alberts.
Poster for Searchlight Pictures’ ‘All of Us Strangers’
