Garth Brooks headlines Amazon Music Live special (Photo Credit: Business Wire)
Amazon Music’s tapped Country superstar Garth Brooks to headline the first Black Friday Amazon Music Live (AML) special on November 24, 2023. Brooks will livestream one of his special “Dive Bar” concerts from his new Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk bar in Nashville, Tennessee.
The livestream “Dive Bar” concert will take place beginning at 7pm ET on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch. Brooks is expected to entertain his millions of fans by performing brand-new music live for the first time. The top-selling solo artist of the 20th century will also perform fan favorites along with tracks off of Time Traveler, his upcoming studio album.
“We’ve already seen over 3 million entries to win a chance to attend, and thanks to our friends at Amazon, this episode will ensure that everybody who wants to see this show can,” said Brooks. “Not only will the people see the Friends bar for the first time, but they will also hear new music live for the first time…and if you know us, we will be playing the old stuff, as well.”
November 24, 2023 will also mark the first time an NFL game has been played on Black Friday.
Chip and Joanna Gaines as seen on ‘Fixer Upper The Hotel’ (Photograph Courtesy of Max)
Chip and Joanna Gaines continue to expand their roster of Magnolia Network series with the announcement of four new family-friendly unscripted shows. The four series are currently in development for Max and are targeting a 2024 launch on the streaming service.
“Our hope for this network has always been to give families the opportunity to watch authentic, thoughtful storytelling together, so we are thrilled to offer a new expansion of this vision to Max,” stated Chip and Joanna Gaines. “These shows will celebrate second chances, risk-taking, imagination, perseverance, and family connection, with so many more ideas to come.”
The four new series are:
Second Chance Stage (wt): a talent competition that offers contestants who have pushed their dreams aside a second chance at their big break.
Human vs Hamster: a light and irreverent competition show where groups of people go head-to-head with hamsters in scaled games of strength, smarts and agility to find out, “who is the superior species: humans or hamsters?”
Back to the Frontier (wt): families will leave the 21st century behind to live as 1800s pioneers in this bold social experiment that will test their strength, stamina and sense of humor.
Roller Jam (wt): the top roller-skating crews in the country compete to see who will be crowned America’s best roller-dancing team.
“We’re excited to unveil a fun and broad slate of new shows intended to bring families together for engaging, playful and inspiring co-viewing experiences,” said Allison Page, President of Magnolia Network. “We recognized a white space in Max for fun, family-friendly content with unique formats and imaginative competition shows. We seized the opportunity to use our storytelling expertise to help bring these concepts to life and are thrilled to partner with Max to build a content offering the whole family will love.”
Emma Corrin and Harris Dickinson in ‘A Murder at the End of the World’ (Photo Credit: FX)
Hulu‘s 2023 winter slate of films and TV series includes the debut of A Murder at the End of the World starring Emma Corrin, season three of the Wild Crime documentary series, and season two of Life & Beth. Brawn: The Impossible Formula One Story, narrated by Keanu Reeves, and The Secret Life of Dancing Dogs with canine handlers also join Hulu’s lineup this winter.
The streaming service’s announcement covers November 2023 through March 2024 premieres.
Hulu 2023 Winter Series Lineup:
Black Cake – November 1, 2023
Based on The New York Times-bestselling book by Charmaine Wilkerson, Black Cake is a family drama wrapped in a murder mystery with a diverse cast of characters and a global setting. The story takes place in Jamaica, Italy, Scotland, England and Southern California. In the late 1960s, a runaway bride named Covey disappears into the surf off the coast of Jamaica and is feared drowned or a fugitive on the run for her husband’s murder.
In present-day California, a widow named Eleanor Bennett loses her battle with cancer, leaving her two estranged children, Byron and Benny, a flash drive that holds previously untold stories of her journey from the Caribbean to America. These stories, narrated by Eleanor, shock her children and challenge everything they thought they knew about their family’s origin.
A Murder at the End of the World – November 14, 2023 A Murder at the End of the World is a mystery series with a new kind of detective at the helm — a Gen Z amateur sleuth and tech-savvy hacker named “Darby Hart” (Emma Corrin). Darby and eight other guests are invited by a reclusive billionaire (Clive Owen) to participate in a retreat at a remote and dazzling location. When one of the other guests is found dead, Darby must use all of her skills to prove it was murder against a tide of competing interests and before the killer takes another life.
Brawn: The Impossible Formula One Story – November 15, 2023
This brand-new unscripted four-part documentary series with Keanu Reeves tells the remarkable story of how, in 2009, competing in the most expensive and technologically advanced racing series on Earth, the impossible happened. An understaffed, underfinanced and independent team won the World Championship – with a team that cost just £1.
Go behind the scenes of this Formula 1 fairytale with the people who were there – on the track, in the garage and the boardroom – giving their own thrilling versions of a miraculous year. Expect exclusive access to the F1 archives – much of it previously unseen – from a year that global sport will never forget, with contributions from British F1 driver Jenson Button and Ross Brawn, who led the team to victory.
Drive with Swizz Beatz – November 16, 2023
In Drive with Swizz Beatz, hip-hop legend and car collector Swizz Beatz and son Nasir Dean (also known as Note Marcato) visit car-loving destinations, where they’ll examine the area’s distinctive car culture and bring together two otherwise disparate car clubs over a shared love of all things automotive and an appreciation for what it’s like to beat the odds through sheer drive alone.
The Secret Life of Dancing Dogs – November 17, 2023 The Secret Life of Dancing Dogs‘ is a six-part docuseries that follows a pack of handlers and their canine counterparts from all over the globe as each prepares a dog-human duet worthy to compete at the world’s greatest dog show, Crufts, in England. Our heroes leap, pirouette, and hop – hoping the judges will crown them the champion. This is a humorous yet inspirational dog dancing tale that proves there is a star in all of us, sometimes we just need a four-legged friend to let it shine.
Spellbound – November 20, 2023
When Cece Parker Jones, a vivacious 15-year-old relocates from a small town in the US to France to study at the Paris Opera Ballet School, she’s on top of the world! But things turn upside down when she discovers a book of family spells in the back room of her Aunt Ginger’s apothecary. While snooping through the book, she unknowingly casts the antidote to a protection spell that has been hiding her identity since she was a little girl. Turns out, she comes from a line of powerful witches called the Wizens! And in doing so, she summons her nemesis, the Mystics, who are after her magic.
This spit-fire teen must now juggle the pressures of an elite ballet school, learning new techniques she’s never studied before, keeping up with her intense academics, not to mention her new friendships and maybe a cute boy… or two, as well as her incredible ability to activate magic, while keeping this a secret for only her closest friends.
The Artful Dodger – November 29, 2023
An irreverent follow-up to Dickens’ Oliver Twist exploring the adult double life of Charles Dickens’ famous prince of thieves. Set in 1850’s Australia, in the lively colony of Port Victory, we meet Jack Dawkins, The Artful Dodger, who’s transferred his fast fingers as a pickpocket to the nimble skilled fingers of a surgeon. Dodger’s past returns to haunt him with the arrival of Fagin, luring him back into a world of crime. A greater threat – to Dodger’s heart – is Lady Belle, the Governor’s daughter, determined to become the colony’s first female surgeon.
From heists to life-and-death surgeries, from soirées to street violence, this is a tale of reinvention, betrayal, redemption, and love with a twist.
Wild Crime: Blood Mountain – November 30, 2023
Season three of Wild Crime, Wild Crime: Blood Mountain, follows the case of experienced hiker Meredith Emerson, who along with her dog, vanished without a trace on Blood Mountain in Georgia, leading authorities to begin a massive search-and-rescue operation. When two murdered hikers in other national forests across the southeast are discovered, the question is posed: Is Emerson just another lost hiker — or is something more sinister behind her disappearance?
Culprits – December 8, 2023 Culprits kicks off where most crime stories end: after a high-stakes heist, when the crew of elite criminals have gone their separate ways and have tried to leave their old lives behind. Past and present collide when a ruthless assassin starts targeting them one by one. Why are they being stalked, who is behind the mayhem, and will they be able to find one another in time to protect themselves and the people they love?
Dragons of Wonderhatch – December 20, 2023 Dragons of Wonderhatch follows Nagi, a girl in the “real world” who has spent her life feeling like she doesn’t belong. Dreaming of one day being able to fly, Nagi will come face to face with Thaim, another misfit from the animated world of Upananta who has long been made fun of for his inability to hear the voices of the dragons that inhabit his land. With the floating islands of Upananta slowly beginning to fall from the sky, the two misfits will set off on an epic adventure spanning both live-action and animated worlds.
Moving – December 2023
In the 1990s, South Korea’s National Security Planning Agency established a black ops team of superpowered individuals. Tasked with carrying out classified missions, members of this elite unit used their powers to defend the country and achieve the impossible on a daily basis. Despite their successes, one day the team suddenly went dark, dispersing across the country, never to be heard from again.
A few decades later, Bongseok, a boy who could float before he could walk, and Huisoo, a girl who survived a horrific car crash unscathed, end up at the same school, quickly becoming close after confiding their secrets in each other and discovering there are more people like them out in the world. But while life seems relatively carefree for the teenagers, a mysterious delivery driver named Frank begins murdering people with powers across Seoul.
With danger drawing ever closer, will anyone be able to stop Frank before he uncovers the children’s secrets?
Death and Other Details – Coming Winter 2024
Set amidst the glamor of the global elite, Death and Other Details centers on the brilliant and restless Imogene Scott (Violett Beane), who finds herself in the wrong place/wrong time (okay, it was kinda her fault) and becomes the prime suspect in a locked room murder mystery. The setting? A lavishly restored Mediterranean ocean liner. Suspects? Every pampered guest and every exhausted crew member. The problem? To prove her innocence, she must partner with a man she despises—Rufus Cotesworth (Mandy Patinkin), the world’s greatest detective.
Superhot: The Spicy World of Pepper People – January 22, 2024
Superhot spicy peppers are on fire lately – but while most experiment with heat, others live their lives in pursuit of fire. Superhot is a wild ride into the Spicy World of Pepper People – the self-proclaimed chili heads who have taken the chili pill and want to find out how deep the rabbit hole goes. This 10-part series goes deep into a subculture fueled by spice: from the elite growers who strive to create new superhots to the chili eaters who chase the endorphin rush of consuming them. Along the way, one legendary chili head sets out on a quest to answer the spiciest of questions: is there a pepper that can challenge the world’s hottest?
Daughters of the Cult – January 2024 Daughters of the Cult is a shocking five-episode deep-dive into the history of the polygamous Ervil LeBaron cult told directly through the eyes of the people who were there. Hidden in plain sight throughout the Southwest and Mexico, a splinter group of Mormon fundamentalist cult members perpetrate a deadly wave of violence and abuse for decades in the name of their fanatical prophet Ervil LeBaron, dubbed the ‘Mormon Manson’.
Survivors, relatives of killers and law enforcement now come forward to paint an emotional and grisly picture of a brutal madman ordering cold-blooded executions. Despite running from the FBI for most of their young lives there is triumph, healing, and sisterhood for the brave few who escape the cult and begin anew.
Love & WWE: Bianca & Montez – February 2, 2024 Love & WWE: Bianca & Montez is a fun, exciting peek into the personal lives of WWE’s hottest couple. Bianca Belair and Montez Ford’s road to WrestleMania is a wild ride, as Montez continues his ascent and Bianca fights to hold on to her title. With the support of their tight-knit group of friends, family and fellow superstars, the dynamic duo somehow always manages to pull off the impossible.
Life & Beth – February 16, 2024
As Beth and John’s relationship grows more serious, Beth begins to examine the possibilities of marriage and having a family as she and John seek answers for their communication problems. Is Beth’s traumatic history with men, and people she trusted from her youth destined to repeat itself? And what is triggering her fears? Beth does her best to keep her relationships alive while struggling to support friends and family who are all facing their own problems while entering their fourth decade.
An Earth Shatteringly Romantic Solar Valentine’s Day Opposites Special – February 2024
The Solar Opposites get romantic AF in their very first Valentine’s Day Special!
Death in the Dorms – February 2024
Season 2 of Death in the Dorms dives into six new true crime stories in six college campuses in the U.S. These are the stories of the kind of danger that no college student or parent is prepared for: A life cut short just when it was getting started.
Me Hereafter – February 2024 Me Hereafter is a true-crime series told from murder victims’ POVs. This genre-bending docudrama series features never-before-seen investigative footage, riveting dramatic scenes and rich interviews with those closest to the victims. Guided toward the truth by the voices of those tragically murdered, each of the four episodes is a tick-tock investigation filled with clues, alibis, motives and misdirects that keeps viewers guessing.
2023 Winter Films and Documentaries
Quiz Lady – November 3, 2023
A brilliant but tightly wound, gameshow-obsessed young woman, Anne (Awkwafina), and her estranged, train-wreck of a sister Jenny (Oh), must work together to help cover their mother’s gambling debts. When Anne’s beloved dog is kidnapped, they set out on a wild, cross-country trek to get the cash the only way they know how: by turning Anne into a bona-fide gameshow champion.
The Lady Bird Diaries – November 13, 2023 The Lady Bird Diaries is a groundbreaking documentary that looks at one of the most influential and least-understood first ladies, featuring audio from the 123 hours of personal and revealing diaries Lady Bird Johnson began recording after JFK’s assassination and continued throughout her husband’s administration.
Directed and produced by award-winning filmmaker Dawn Porter and produced by Kim Reynolds, the film is based on Julia E. Sweig’s acclaimed New York Times bestselling biography, Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight, and the eight-part ABC Audio and Best Case Studios podcast, “In Plain Sight: Lady Bird Johnson.”
Cypher – November 24, 2023
GRAMMY-nominated lyricist and fast-rising star Tierra Whack first gained recognition at the age of 15 when she stunned viewers with her slick poetry while rapping for a YouTube channel on a Philadelphia Street. The video rapidly drew thousands of views and marked the first of Tierra’s many performances for the camera. Years later, director Chris Moukarbel begins documenting her astronomical rise, going behind the scenes of concerts and music videos as she navigates fame and receives exalted praise from stars like Erykah Badu.
One night, after a particularly tiring set, a seemingly innocuous fan interaction begins a series of increasingly unsettling events that swirl around Tierra and her team — even following them to Dubai. They soon start questioning who is filming whom and whether being seen (or watched) is a desirable and unavoidable part of fame.
Faraway Downs – November 26, 2023
The story centers on an English aristocrat, Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) who travels halfway across the world to confront her wayward husband and sell an unusual asset: a million-acre cattle ranch in the Australian Outback called ‘Faraway Downs’. Following the death of her husband, a ruthless Australian cattle baron, King Carney (Bryan Brown), plots to take her land and she reluctantly joins forces with a rough-hewn cattle drover (Hugh Jackman) to protect her ranch.
The sweeping adventure romance is explored through the eyes of young Nullah (newcomer Brandon Walters), a bi-racial Indigenous Australian child caught up in the government’s draconian racial policy now referred to as the “Stolen Generations.” Together the trio experiences four life-altering years, a love affair between Lady Ashley and the Drover, and the unavoidable impact of World War II on Northern Australia.
We Live Here: The Midwest – December 6, 2023
All families must confront challenges, every day. But many also face a rising tide of discrimination and hate in their churches, schools, and even their own neighborhoods.
We Live Here: The Midwest profiles families who hope to stay in a part of the country they love, and where they have often established deep roots: a trans/queer family with five children in Iowa must find a new community after being expelled from their church; a gay Black couple with a young daughter test the line of acceptance in Nebraska; a lesbian couple homeschool their bullied son on a farm in Kansas; a gay teacher in Ohio creates a safe space for LGBTQI+ students; and a couple in Minnesota struggles to rebuild their families following both of their transitions. Meanwhile, Minnesota Representative and queer mother, Heather Keeler, brings LGBTQI+ rights to the political forefront despite ongoing death threats.
Fundamentally, the film captures a crucial time where anti-queer legislation and sentiment is rapidly multiplying across the country, and the values of all Midwestern families are put to the ultimate test.
Self Reliance – January 12, 2024
When a middle-aged man (Jake Johnson) is invited into a limo by famous actor Andy Samberg, his dull life takes a thrilling turn. Johnson is offered a chance to win a million dollars in a dark web reality TV show, where assassins from all over the world attempt to kill him for 30 days. The catch? He can’t be killed if he’s not entirely alone, leading him to recruit an unlikely team to help him survive.
A scene from ‘Futurama’ season 11 (Photo by: Matt Groening/Hulu)
Futurama won’t be wrapping up anytime soon. The popular animated series returned after a 10-year break with season 11, and season 12 is targeting a 2024 premiere. Ahead of season 12’s debut, Hulu has officially renewed Futurama for seasons 13 and 14.
Season 11, which premiered on July 24, 2023, features the voices of John DiMaggio, Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, and David Herman. Series creator Matt Groening executive produces along with David X. Cohen, Ken Keeler, and Claudia Katz.
Hulu’s offers this description of the animated show’s 10-episode 11th season:
“After a brief ten-year hiatus, Futurama has sprung triumphantly from the cryogenic tube, its full original cast and satirical spirit intact. The ten all-new episodes of season eleven have something for everyone. New viewers will be able to pick up the series from here, while long-time fans will recognize payoffs to decades-long mysteries – including developments in the epic love story of Fry and Leela, the mysterious contents of Nibbler’s litter box, the secret history of evil Robot Santa, and the whereabouts of Kif and Amy’s tadpoles.
Meanwhile, there’s a whole new pandemic in town as the crew explores the future of vaccines, bitcoin, cancel culture, and streaming TV.”
FX’s long-gestating Shogun series is now targeting a February 2024 premiere on Hulu and FX. The date announcement was accompanied by the first teaser trailer for the 10-episode limited series based on James Clavell’s bestselling novel.
(Update: The series will premiere with the release of the first two episodes on Tuesday, February 27, 2024.)
Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks created the series and executive produce, with Marks also guiding the series as showrunner. Additional executive producers include Michaela Clavell, Edward L. McDonnell, and Michael De Luca.
Poster for FX’s Shogun
FX offered this detailed description of the plot, cast, and characters:
Shogun is set in Japan in the year 1600, at the dawn of a century-defining civil war. Producer Hiroyuki Sanada stars as Lord Yoshii Toranaga, who is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him. When a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village, its English pilot, John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), comes bearing secrets that could help Toranaga tip the scales of power and devastate the formidable influence of Blackthorne’s own enemies — the Jesuit priests and Portuguese merchants.
Toranaga’s and Blackthorne’s fates become inextricably tied to their translator, Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai), a mysterious Christian noblewoman and the last of a disgraced line. While serving her lord amidst this fraught political landscape, Mariko must reconcile her newfound companionship with Blackthorne, her commitment to the faith that saved her and her duty to her late father.
The limited series also features:
Tadanobu Asano as Kashigi Yabushige, a notorious backstabber and close ally of Toranaga.
Hiroto Kanai as Kashigi Omi, the young leader of the fishing village where Blackthorne’s ship was found.
Takehiro Hira as Ishido Kazunari, a powerful bureaucrat who is Toranaga’s chief rival.
Moeka Hoshi as Usami Fuji, a widow who must find new purpose amidst her lord’s fight.
Tokuma Nishioka as Toda Hiromatsu, Toranaga’s trusted general and closest friend.
Shinnosuke Abe as Toda Hirokatsu, Mariko’s jealous husband.
Yuki Kura as Yoshii Nagakado, the brash son of Toranaga with a strong desire to prove himself.
Fumi Nikaido as Ochiba no Kata, the revered mother of the heir who will stop at nothing to put an end to Toranaga and his threat to her son’s power.
James Clavell’s Shogun was published in 1975 and has sold over 15 million copies. The novel was previously adapted into a miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain as John Blackthorne, Toshiro Mifune as Lord Toranaga, Yoko Shimada as Mariko, Alan Badel as Father Alvito, and John Rhys-Davies as Vasco Rodriguez. The miniseries premiered in September 1980 and went on to win three Primetime Emmy Awards – Outstanding Limited Series, Outstanding Costume Design, and Outstanding Graphic Design and Title Sequences.
20th Century Studios’ first teaser trailer for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes confirms apes have now established themselves as the planet’s dominant species. The one-minute trailer provides a brief glimpse at new key characters as well as the world the apes have built after the fall of humankind.
“Director Wes Ball breathes new life into the global, epic franchise set several generations in the future following Caesar’s reign, in which apes are the dominant species living harmoniously and humans have been reduced to living in the shadows,” reads 20th Century Studios’ synopsis. “As a new tyrannical ape leader builds his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that will cause him to question all that he has known about the past and to make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.”
The teaser was accompanied by a poster and a batch of stills from the 2024 release.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes follows the franchise reboot that kicked off with 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes arrived in 2014, with War for the Planet of the Apes debuting in 2017.
The first film of the new chapter of the sci-fi action franchise stars Owen Teague (IT), Freya Allan (The Witcher), Kevin Durand (Locke & Key), Peter Macon (Shameless), and William H. Macy (Fargo). Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, and Patrick Aison wrote the screenplay, based on characters created by Jaffa and Silver. Director Wes Ball, Joe Hartwick, Jr., Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, and Jason Reed produced, with Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping executive producing.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will open in theaters on May 24, 2024.
Ryan Gosling stars as a stuntman who takes a job on his ex’s (Emily Blunt) movie and is quickly put into the position of saving the film after the world’s most popular action star goes missing in The Fall Guy. The three-minute trailer teases the incredible action as well as the humor, romance, and over-the-top circumstances that find Gosling’s character putting his life on the line.
Now, that’s how you reel potential audiences in with a trailer!
In addition to Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling (Barbie, La La Land) and Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer, A Quiet Place films), Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Bullet Train), Winston Duke (Black Panther franchise) and Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once) star in the action thriller comedy.
Former stuntman turned filmmaker David Leitch (Bullet Train, Deadpool 2) directs from a script by Drew Pearce (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw). The Fall Guy‘s inspired by the ’80s series of the same name which starred Lee Majors.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, director Leitch discussed what fans of Ryan Gosling can expect from his starring role in The Fall Guy.
“He’s done action, he’s done romance, he’s done comedy, but this movie allowed him to do all of it,” said Leitch. “The stunt crews that [Gosling] has worked with and that I’ve come up with, we’re not jaded. We’re not like, ‘Oh, we don’t get the credit…’ We love making movies. He just wanted to bring a stuntman like that to life, and he wanted to find a real motivation for this character in the love story.”
Universal Pictures has set a March 1, 2024 theatrical release date. (Update: Universal’s moved the film to Friday, May 3, 2024.)
Poster for Universal Pictures’ ‘The Fall Guy’
Universal offers this description of the 2024 release:
The Stuntman becomes the hero.
He’s a stuntman, and like everyone in the stunt community, he gets blown up, shot, crashed, thrown through windows and dropped from the highest of heights, all for our entertainment. And now, fresh off an almost career-ending accident, this working-class hero has to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life while still doing his day job. What could possibly go right?
From real-life stunt man and director David Leitch, the blockbuster director of Bullet Train, Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde, and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw and the producer of John Wick, Nobody and Violent Night, comes his most personal film yet. A new hilarious, hard-driving, all-star apex-action thriller and love letter to action movies and the hard-working and under-appreciated crew of people who make them: The Fall Guy.
Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling stars as Colt Seavers, a battle-scarred stuntman who, having left the business a year earlier to focus on both his physical and mental health, is drafted back into service when the star of a mega-budget studio movie being directed by his ex, Jody Moreno – played by Golden Globe winner Emily Blunt — goes missing.
While the film’s ruthless producer (Hannah Waddingham), maneuvers to keep the disappearance of star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) a secret from the studio and the media, Colt performs the film’s most outrageous stunts while trying (with limited success) to charm his way back into Jody’s good graces. But as the mystery around the missing star deepens, Colt will find himself ensnared in a sinister, criminal plot that will push him to the edge of a fall more dangerous than any stunt.
CBS heads down under for the first-ever international edition of the popular NCIS franchise with NCIS: Sydney. The latest addition to the NCIS world premieres on November 14, 2023, with new episodes of the eight-episode season airing on Tuesdays at 8pm ET/PT.
Season one stars Olivia Swann (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) as NCIS Special Agent Michelle Mackey, Sean Sagar (The Covenant) as NCIS Special Agent DeShawn Jackson, and Todd Lasance (Spartacus: War of the Damned) as her 2IC AFP counterpart, Sergeant Jim “JD” Dempsey. The cast also includes Tuuli Narkle (Mystery Road: Origin) as AFP liaison officer Constable Evie Cooper, Mavournee Hazel (Shantaram) as AFP forensic scientist Bluebird “Blue” Gleeson, and William McInnes (The Newsreader) as AFP forensic pathologist Dr Roy Penrose.
“Gone Fission” Plot: The death of an American seaman on a U.S. nuclear submarine during an AUKUS ceremony on Sydney Harbour is investigated in a joint effort between America’s NCIS agents afloat and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) on the series premiere. Shawn Seet directs from a script by Morgan O’Neill.
With rising international tensions in the Indo-Pacific, a brilliant and eclectic team of U.S. NCIS agents and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) are grafted into a multinational taskforce to keep naval crimes in check in the most contested patch of ocean on the planet.
Led by NCIS Special Agent Michelle Mackey and her 2IC AFP counterpart, Sergeant Jim “JD” Dempsey, our team of Americans and Aussies must quickly learn to trust each other, overcoming and harnessing their differences to solve each case. Though jurisdictional tussles and culture clashes make for a rocky start, Mackey will eventually come to respect JD’s nose for the truth, as he does her maverick style.
Meanwhile, sassy AFP Constable Evie Cooper and endlessly curious Special Agent DeShawn Jackson form a fast friendship, while curmudgeonly forensic pathologist Doctor Roy Penrose meets his match in the brilliant young forensic scientist Bluebird “Blue” Gleeson. Together, our team becomes NCIS’ first-ever internationally blended family.
The three-time Grammy winner revealed her involvement in the film during a special event broadcast on TikTok.
“From the very beginning of this franchise, we have been fortunate to attract some of the world’s most talented recording artists, whose music has accentuated and complemented the drama of the films while underscoring the emotional weight carried by the characters,” said director Francis Lawrence. “With her highly charged lyrics and urgent voice, Olivia Rodrigo taps into all of that as much as any artist today. She’s an absolute thrill to work with, and we couldn’t be more excited that her music is a part of the movie.”
The studio’s second clip features Rachel Zegler as District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird in the arena just as The Hunger Games is getting underway.
In addition to Rachel Zegler, the cast includes Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow, Oscar winner Viola Davis as Head Gamemaker Volumnia Gaul, Peter Dinklage as Dean Cesca Highbottom, Jason Schwartzman as Lucky Flickerman, Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth, and Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow. Jerome Lance is Marcus, tribute from District 2; Ashley Liao is Clemensia Dovecote, one of Coriolanus’s closest friends and mentor to a tribute from District 11; Knox Gibson plays Bobbin, tribute from District 8; Mackenzie Lansing is Coral, tribute from District 4; and Aamer Husain plays Felix Ravinstill, mentor to a tribute from District 11.
Fionnula Flanagan plays Grandma’am, Coriolanus’s strict grandmother; Isobel Jesper Jones plays Mayfair Lipp, daughter of the mayor of District 12; Flora Li Thiemann is Livia Cardew, mentor to a tribute from District 1; and Burn Gorman is Commander Hoff, Scott Folan is Beanpole, and Carl Spencer is Smiley, Peacekeepers sent by the Capitol to District 12.
Honor Gillies, Eike Onyambu, and Konstantin Taffet play members of the Covey, a group of nomads in District 12. Michael Greco and Daniela Grubert are Strabo Plinth and Mrs. Plinth, wealthy parents to Sejanus Plinth.
The Plot, Courtesy of Lionsgate:
Experience the story of The Hunger Games — 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, and decades before Coriolanus Snow became the tyrannical President of Panem.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates.
With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor. Battling his instincts for both good and evil, Snow sets out on a race against time to survive and reveal if he will ultimately become a songbird or a snake.
Freeform’s 2023 “25 Days of Christmas” lineup includes holiday favorites Home Alone, The Santa Clause trilogy, and classic animated offerings Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The network’s December lineup also includes all four Toy Story films, Frozen I and II, and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Noelle starring Anna Kendrick and Godmothered with Jillian Bell will screen this December on Freeform. 2018’s Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch and a batch of Santa Paws films will help put viewers in a winter holiday mood.
A scene from ‘Frozen’ (Photo Credit: Disney)
Freeform’s “25 Days of Christmas” Lineup
Friday, Dec. 1
7:00 a.m. – “Unaccompanied Minors”
9:00 a.m. – “Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish”
11:00 a.m. – “Eloise at Christmastime”
1:00 p.m. – “The Star” (2017)
3:00 p.m. – “Disney’s A Christmas Carol”
5:00 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” (2018)
7:00 p.m. – “Home Alone”
9:30 p.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
12:00 a.m. – “Home Alone 3”
Saturday, Dec. 2
7:00 a.m. – “Home Alone”
9:30 a.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
12:05 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” (2018)
2:05 p.m. – “The Santa Clause”
4:15 p.m. – “The Santa Clause 2”
6:45 p.m. – “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause”
8:50 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)
11:30 p.m. – “Godmothered” – FREEFORM PREMIERE
Sunday, Dec. 3
7:00 a.m. – “Santa Buddies: The Legend of Santa Paws”
9:10 a.m. – “The Search for Santa Paws”
11:15 a.m. – “Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups”
1:20 p.m. – “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas”
2:50 p.m. – “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas”
4:30 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)
7:10 p.m. – “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
8:15 p.m. – “Frosty the Snowman”
8:50 p.m. – “Home Alone”
11:20 p.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
Monday, Dec. 4
7:00 a.m. – “The Mistle-Tones”
10:30 a.m. – “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice” (Disney Animated)
11:00 a.m. – “Home Alone”
1:30 p.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
4:10 p.m. – “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”
5:15 p.m. – “Frosty the Snowman”
5:50 p.m. – “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
6:55 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” (2018)
8:55 p.m. – “Noelle” – FREEFORM PREMIERE
12:00 a.m. – “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”
1:00 a.m. – “The Simpsons” (Holiday Episodes)
Tuesday, Dec. 5
7:00 a.m. – “Holiday in Handcuffs”
10:30 a.m. – “Family Guy” (Holiday Episodes)
11:30 a.m. – ”Miracle on 34th Street” (1994)
2:00 p.m. – “Disney’s A Christmas Carol”
4:00 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” (2018)
6:00 p.m. – “Home Alone”
8:30 p.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
12:00 a.m. – “Jingle All the Way”
Wednesday, Dec. 6
7:00 a.m. – “Snow”
10:30 a.m. – “Family Guy” (Holiday Episodes)
11:05 a.m. – “Home Alone”
1:35 p.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
4:15 p.m. – “The Santa Clause”
6:25 p.m. – “The Santa Clause 2”
8:55 p.m. – “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause”
12:00 a.m. – “Jingle All the Way 2”
Thursday, Dec. 7
7:00 a.m. – “Snow 2: Brain Freeze”
10:30 a.m. – “Disney’s A Christmas Carol”
12:35 p.m. – “Love the Coopers”
3:10 p.m. – “Home Alone”
5:40 p.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
8:20 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)
12:00 a.m. – “The Family Stone”
Friday, Dec. 8
7:00 a.m. – “Family Guy” (Holiday Episodes)
8:00 a.m. – “Love the Coopers”
10:30 a.m. – “Home Alone”
1:00 p.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
3:40 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” (2018)
5:40 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)
8:20 p.m. – “Frozen” (Disney Animated)
10:50 p.m. – “Frozen II” (Disney Animated)
1:00 a.m. – “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure”
1:30 a.m. – “Toy Story That Time Forgot” (Disney · Pixar)
Saturday, Dec. 9
7:00 a.m. – “Jingle All the Way”
9:00 a.m. – “Jingle All the Way 2”
11:00 a.m. – “Prancer Returns”
1:05 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” (2018)
3:05 p.m. – “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas”
4:45 p.m. – “Toy Story That Time Forgot” (Disney · Pixar)
5:15 p.m. – “Toy Story” (Disney · Pixar)
7:15 p.m. – “Toy Story 2” (Disney · Pixar)
9:20 p.m. – “Toy Story 3” (Disney · Pixar)
11:50 p.m. – “Toy Story 4” (Disney · Pixar)
Sunday, Dec. 10
7:00 a.m. – “The Simpsons” (Holiday Episodes)
8:00 a.m. – “Prancer Returns”
10:00 a.m. – “Home Alone 3”
12:00 p.m. – “Home Alone”
2:30 p.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
5:10 p.m. – “Disney’s A Christmas Carol”
7:15 p.m. – “The Santa Clause”
9:25 p.m. – “The Santa Clause 2”
11:55 p.m. – “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause”
Tuesday, Dec. 12
7:00 a.m. – “Life-Size 2: A Christmas Eve”
10:30 a.m. – “Family Guy” (Holiday Episodes)
11:00 a.m. – “Home Alone”
1:30 p.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
4:00 p.m. – “Disney’s A Christmas Carol”
6:00 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)
8:30 p.m. – “Godmothered”
12:00 a.m. – “The Mistle-Tones”
Wednesday, Dec. 13
7:00 a.m. – “Home Alone 3”
10:30 a.m. – “Family Guy” (Holiday Episodes)
11:00 a.m. – “The Family Stone”
1:30 p.m. – “Miracle on 34th Street” (1994)
4:00 p.m. – “Home Alone”
6:30 p.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
9:00 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” (2018)
12:00 a.m. – “Daddy’s Home 2”
Thursday, Dec. 14
7:00 a.m. – “Daddy’s Home 2”
10:30 a.m. – “The Santa Clause”
12:35 p.m. – “The Santa Clause 2”
3:05 p.m. – “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause”
5:10 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” (2018)
7:10 p.m. – “Noelle”
9:20 p.m. – “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas”
12:00 a.m. – “12 Dates of Christmas”
Friday, Dec. 15
7:00 a.m. – “Kung Fu Panda Holiday”
7:30 a.m. – “Santa Buddies: The Legend of Santa Paws”
9:30 a.m. – “The Search for Santa Paws”
11:30 a.m. – “Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups”
1:30 p.m. – “Disney’s A Christmas Carol”
3:30 p.m. – “Home Alone”
6:00 p.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
8:40 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)
11:20 p.m. – “Miracle on 34th Street” (1994)
Saturday, Dec. 16
7:00 a.m. – “The Little Drummer Boy” (1968)
7:30 a.m. – “Cricket on the Hearth”
8:30 a.m. – “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas”
10:00 a.m. – “Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas”
11:30 a.m. – “Home Alone”
2:00 p.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
4:35 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)
7:15 p.m. – “The Santa Clause”
9:25 p.m. – “The Santa Clause 2”
11:55 p.m. – “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause”
Sunday, Dec. 17
7:00 a.m. – “Cricket on the Hearth”
8:00 a.m. – “Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish”
10:05 a.m. – “Eloise at Christmastime”
12:10 p.m. – “Home Alone 3”
2:15 p.m. – “Prancer Returns”
4:20 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” (2018)
6:20 p.m. – “Home Alone”
8:50 p.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
11:30 p.m. – “Godmothered”
Monday, Dec. 18
7:00 a.m. – “Prancer Returns”
10:30 a.m. – “Family Guy” (Holiday Episodes)
11:35 a.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
2:15 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” (2018)
4:15 p.m. – “Disney’s A Christmas Carol”
6:20 p.m. – “Frozen” (Disney Animated)
8:50 p.m. – “Frozen II” (Disney Animated)
12:00 a.m. – “Jingle All the Way”
Tuesday, Dec. 19
7:00 a.m. – “Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish”
10:30 a.m. – “Disney’s A Christmas Carol”
12:35 p.m. – “Miracle on 34th Street” (1994)
3:10 p.m. – “Home Alone”
5:40 p.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
8:20 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)
12:00 a.m. – “Jingle All the Way”
Wednesday, Dec. 20
7:00 a.m. – “Eloise at Christmastime”
10:30 a.m. – “Family Guy” (Holiday Episodes)
11:00 a.m. – “The Santa Clause”
1:05 p.m. – “The Santa Clause 2”
3:30 p.m. – “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause”
5:35 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)
8:15 p.m. – “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
9:20 p.m. – “Frosty the Snowman”
9:55 p.m. – “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”
12:00 a.m. – “Home Alone 3”
Thursday, Dec. 21
7:00 a.m. – “Cricket on the Hearth”
8:00 a.m. – “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas”
9:30 a.m. – “Santa Buddies: The Legend of Santa Paws”
11:30 a.m. – “The Search for Santa Paws”
1:30 p.m. – “Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups”
3:35 p.m. – “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”
4:40 p.m. – “Frosty the Snowman”
5:15 p.m. – “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
6:20 p.m. – “Home Alone”
8:50 p.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
11:30 p.m. – “The Family Stone”
Friday, Dec. 22
7:00 a.m. – “Prep & Landing” (Disney Animated)
7:30 a.m. – “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice” (Disney Animated)
8:00 a.m. – “Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas”
9:30 a.m. – “Toy Story That Time Forgot” (Disney · Pixar)
10:00 a.m. – “Home Alone”
12:30 p.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
3:10 p.m. – “Noelle”
5:15 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” (2018)
7:15 p.m. – “The Santa Clause”
9:25 p.m. – “The Santa Clause 2”
11:55 p.m. – “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause”
Saturday, Dec. 23
7:00 a.m. – “The Simpsons” (Holiday Episodes)
8:00 a.m. – “Toy Story That Time Forgot” (Disney · Pixar)
8:30 a.m. – “Unaccompanied Minors”
10:30 a.m. – “Miracle on 34th Street” (1994)
1:05 p.m. – “Disney’s A Christmas Carol”
3:10 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” (2018)
5:10 p.m. – “Home Alone”
7:40 p.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
10:20 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)
1:00 a.m. – “Family Guy” (Holiday Episodes)
Sunday, Dec. 24
7:00 a.m. – “Unaccompanied Minors”
9:05 a.m. – “Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas”
10:35 a.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
1:15 p.m. – “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas”
2:55 p.m. – “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)
5:35 p.m. – “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
6:40 p.m. – “Frosty the Snowman”
7:15 p.m. – “The Santa Clause”
9:25 p.m. – “The Santa Clause 2”
11:55 p.m. – “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause”
Monday, Dec. 25
7:00 a.m. – “Disney’s A Christmas Carol”
10:30 a.m. – “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”
11:30 a.m. – “The Santa Clause”
1:30 p.m. – “The Santa Clause 2”
3:30 p.m. – “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
4:30 p.m. – “Frosty the Snowman”
5:00 p.m. – “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”
6:00 p.m. – “Home Alone”
8:30 p.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
12:00 a.m. – “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause”