20th Century Studios released new details on the upcoming ninth Alien movie as filming’s set to get underway in Budapest on March 9, 2023. Cailee Spaeny (Mare of Easttown) will star and Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead, Don’t Breathe) is directing.
The studio also confirmed David Jonsson (Industry), Archie Renaux (Shadow and Bone), Isabela Merced (Rosaline), Spike Fearn (The Batman), and Aileen Wu (Away from Home) are on board the sci-fi thriller.
Alvarez co-wrote the screenplay with Rodo Sayagues. They previously collaborated on Evil Dead, Don’t Breathe, Calls, Don’t Breathe 2, 2022’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and the shorts El Cojonudo and Ataque de Panico.
Alien, Prometheus, and Alien: Covenant director Ridley Scott is producing along with Michael Pruss (under their Scott Free banner). Brent O’Connor (Bullet Train), Elizabeth Cantillon (Persuasion), and Tom Moran (The Donut King) serve as executive producers.
20th Century Studios offered this description of Alien: Romulus:
“In this ninth entry in the immensely popular and enduring film series, a group of young people on a distant world find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe.”
The original Alien was released on June 22, 1979, followed by Aliens on July 18, 1986, Alien 3 on May 22, 1992, and Alien: Resurrection on November 26, 1997. AVP: Alien vs. Predator arrived on August 13, 2004, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem was released on December 25, 2007, and Prometheus came out on June 8, 2012. Alien: Covenant debuted in theaters on May 19, 2017.
Jefferson White in ‘Yellowstone’ season 4 episode 7 (Photo Credit: Paramount Network)
Jefferson White’s going from roping cattle in Yellowstone to hanging out with Hellboy in The Crooked Man. Millennium Media says White has joined the cast of the comic book-inspired film and will play Tom Ferrell.
Adeline Rudolph (Resident Evil) has also just boarded the project and will star as Bobbie Jo Song. Jack Kesy (12 Strong, The Outpost) was announced as the new Hellboy on March 2, 2023.
Brian Taylor (Crank, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance) is on board to direct. Mike Mignola, creator of the Hellboy comic book, is co-writing the screenplay with Chris Golden.
Dark Horse Entertainment’s Mike Richardson and Millennium Media’s Jeffrey Greenstein, Jonathan Yunger, Les Weldon, Rob Van Norden, and Yariv Lerner are producing. Executive producers include Mike Mignola, Millennium Media’s Avi Lerner, Trevor Short, Boaz Davidson, and Tanner Mobley, and Campbell Grobman Films’ Lati Grobman and Christa Campbell. Telepool’s Michael Muellner and Julia Muentefering are also executive producing.
Jefferson White’s credits include Yellowstone, God’s Country, Eileen, and No Future. White recently wrapped up work on Civil War, written and directed by Alex Garland and starring Wagner Moura and Kirsten Dunst.
In addition to Resident Evil, Adeline Rudolph’s credits include Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Riverdale. Rudolph will soon be seen in Creepers, directed by Marc Klasfeld.
Millennium Media released the following synopsis of Hellboy: The Crooked Man:
“Stranded in 1950s rural Appalachia, Hellboy and a rookie BPRD agent discover a small community haunted by witches, led by the Crooked Man, a local devil with a troubling connection to Hellboy’s past.”
A hacker turns to Margaret for help on CBS’s So Help Me Todd season one episode 15. Directed by Jay Karas from a script by Steven Paul Martinez, episode 15 will air on Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 9pm ET/PT.
Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden stars as Margaret Wright, Skylar Astin plays Todd Wright, and Tristen J. Winger is Lyle. Madeline Wise plays Allison, Inga Schlingmann is Susan, and Rosa Arredondo stars as Francey.
Episode 15 guest stars include Laila Robins and Genea Charpentier.
“Ivan the Terrible” Plot: Margaret represents a gifted 17-year-old hacker charged with releasing classified defense documents and faces off against her college nemesis. Also, Todd is tasked with babysitting the teen hacker for the duration of the trial.
Marcia Gay Harden and Skylar Astin star as razor-sharp, meticulous attorney Margaret Wright and Todd, her talented but scruffy, aimless son whom she hires as her law firm’s in-house investigator. As the black sheep of the well-heeled Wright family, Todd is a laidback, quick-thinking, excellent former private detective who fell on hard times after his flexible interpretation of the law got his license revoked. Margaret’s penchant for excellence and strict adherence to the law is at complete odds with Todd’s scrappy methods of finding his way through sticky situations: by the seat of his wrinkled pants.
When Todd inadvertently teams with his mother on a case, she’s surprised to find herself duly impressed by – and proud of – his crafty ability to sleuth out information with his charm and his wide-ranging tech savvy. At last, Margaret sees a way to put her son on a “suitable” path to living an adult, financially solvent life she approves of, and she asks him to join her firm. Todd agrees since it means getting his license back and once again doing the job he excels at and loves.
Mother and son working together is a big first step toward mending their fragile, dysfunctional relationship, and they may even come away with a better understanding of each other at this pivotal point in their lives. But whether Todd and Margaret will be able to accept each other for who they are is another case entirely.
Stefania Spampinato and Dinora Walcott in ‘Station 19’ season 6 episode 9 (ABC/James Clark)
Jack and Ben find it really strange that Carina’s spending so much time with a patient on ABC’s Station 19 season six with episode nine, “Come As You Are.” Episode nine is set to air on Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 8pm ET/PT.
Season six stars Jaina Lee Ortiz as Andy Herrera, Jason George as Ben Warren, Boris Kodjoe as Robert Sullivan, Grey Damon as Jack Gibson, and Barrett Doss as Victoria Hughes. Jay Hayden plays Travis Montgomery, Danielle Savre plays Maya Bishop, Stefania Spampinato is Carina DeLuca, and Carlos Miranda stars as Theo Ruiz.
“Come As You Are” Plot: At the clinic, firefighters take care of a patient with an old burn and a mysterious past. Things become personal for Theo when he returns to the neighborhood that raised him, and Carina bonds with a pregnant patient who presents her with an offer.
Jaina Lee Ortiz and Jay Hayden in ‘Station 19’ season 6 episode 9 (ABC/James Clark)
Station 19 Description, Courtesy of ABC:
Station 19 follows a group of heroic Seattle firefighters as they put their lives and hearts on the line. The latest series from the executive producers of Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder takes us inside the tough, tight-knit and sometimes heartbreaking world of the city’s bravest first responders.
Antonio Jaramillo, Geoffrey Rivas, Carlos Miranda, and Barrett Doss in season 6 episode 19 (ABC/James Clark)Anthony Jordan Robertson, Jaina Lee Ortiz, Jearnest Corchado, and Nathaniel Ashton in season 6 episode 9 (ABC/James Clark)Antonio Jaramillo and Carlos Miranda in season 6 episode 9 (ABC/James Clark)Jason George in season 6 episode 9 (ABC/James Clark)Carlos Miranda and Barrett Doss in season 6 episode 9 (ABC/James Clark)Jay Hayden, Rob Heaps, and Jaina Lee Ortiz in season 6 episode 9 (ABC/James Clark)
Boxing champ Adonis is living the good life with a wonderful wife, loving daughter, and more than he could have ever dreamed of. So, of course, he’s now about to face his greatest challenge – a friend he left behind – in the third entry of the Rocky spinoff, Creed III.
Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has retired from boxing and spends his days with his wife, Bianca (Tessa Thompson), and his daughter, Amara (Mila Davis-Kent), in their mansion. He also runs a gym and is a promoter for boxing champ Felix Chavez (Jose Benavidez). Yes… life’s pretty much perfect for Creed.
That is until a blast from his boyhood past, Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors), shows up. It seems Damian and Creed grew up together and were extremely close as foster kids until one night 18 years ago when a few bad decisions resulted in Damian going to jail. Now, Damian is out and looking to move forward with his boxing career. (A flashback reveals that Damian had real talent as a young, up-and-coming boxer while 15-year-old Creed carried his towel and water for him.)
Damian looks Creed up and confesses he followed every one of his fights while in prison. But now Damian believes it’s his turn to be a champion; he’s kept incredibly fit and still has the hunger to win. Feeling a bit uneasy but obligated to help his friend, Creed invites him to his gym, promising he’ll work with him.
Creed believes Damian might be an excellent sparring partner for Felix to prepare him for his next big fight. However, Damian quickly makes it crystal clear he is no one’s sparring partner. Damian is convinced he’s ready for – and deserving of – a shot at the title of champ, and is determined to take everything Creed has made for himself away.
Creed III is a sluggish and somber entry in the Rocky and Creed boxing franchises. Creed‘s third film appears to pull most of its ideas from the films Rocky III and Rocky V. It also features the most unimpressive and suspense-less fight scenes of any boxing film.
Michael B. Jordan is both star and director and does a solid job handling both titles. Jordan portrays Adonis Creed, this time out, as a man who’s haunted by an ugly past that has caught up with him and that he’s still struggling to atone for. Creed feels that he owes Damian for everything he did for him when they were young, but he’s also convinced he needs to keep his past a healthy distance from his wife and daughter. Jordan’s best scenes are when he’s quietly wrestling with his guilt and demons and pushing Bianca away.
Jonathan Majors makes for a formidable challenger to Creed as Damian, his older and much larger former friend who’s filled with anger and resentment toward Creed, the man he believes has the life he should have. Separately, Jordan and Majors are terrific. However, the film suffers from a lack of any real chemistry between Majors and Jordan in their shared scenes. Rather than natural, they come off as awkward and forced. A perfect example of this is the diner scene where Creed treats Damian to a meal and finally offers to train him.
Another big issue with the film is the incredibly weak boxing match showdown between Creed and Damian at the climax of the film. Almost the entire fight is filmed as though it’s some sort of dream state. There’s no sense of suspense or realism to it. The intensity and brutality of the epic boxing matches in the first two Rocky films and Creed is sadly absent.
Creed III isn’t a knockout; it’s not even a contender. It’s a missed opportunity and lacks the punch of the other entries in this boxing saga.
GRADE: C
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some strong language, intense sports action, and violence
Shailene Woodley as Gia in ‘Three Women’ (Photo Credit: Emily V. Aragones /SHOWTIME)
Starz has scooped up Three Women after Showtime decided not to move forward with plans to air the drama. Showtime’s trimming down its lineup as it gets integrated into Paramount+, and its loss is Starz’s gain.
“We are proud to welcome Three Women to the STARZ family. The show is anchored by such remarkable talent both in front of and behind the camera and aligns perfectly with our commitment to telling stories by, for and about women,” stated Alison Hoffman, President, Domestic Networks, STARZ.
Three Women is based on Lisa Taddeo’s bestselling novel. Taddeo created the series, wrote the pilot episode, and serves as an executive producer. Kathy Ciric, Emmy Rossum, and Laura Eason (The Loudest Voice) also executive produce, with Eason guiding the series as showrunner.
The 10-episode season stars Shailene Woodley (Big Little Lies), Betty Gilpin (Gaslit), DeWanda Wise (She’s Gotta Have It), and Gabrielle Creevy (In My Skin). Blair Underwood (Impeachment: American Crime Story) and John Patrick Amedori (Dear White People) also star.
“We set out to make a bluntly beautiful show about the way that women want and suffer and thrill, the way they make love and take love. That STARZ will be the home for Three Women is not merely right and perfect, but also a force of auspicious change. I cannot wait for the world to see these raw and real stories on a network committed to the complexity and firepower of the female experience,” said Taddeo.
“With its unwavering commitment to supporting and amplifying female-driven stories, we have found the perfect home for Three Women at STARZ,” stated Eason. “Our whole team — writers, directors, cast, and crew — is deeply proud of what we’ve made and I am incredibly grateful to STARZ for believing in our vision and cannot wait to share this show with the world.”
Betty Gilpin as Lina (Photo Credit: JoJo Whilden/SHOWTIME)
The Plot:
Three Women is an intimate, haunting portrayal of American female desire that finds three women on a crash course to radically overturn their lives. Lina (Gilpin), a homemaker in suburban Indiana, is a decade into a passionless marriage when she embarks on an affair that quickly becomes all-consuming and transforms her life. Sloane (Wise), a glamorous entrepreneur in the Northeast, has a committed open marriage with Richard (Underwood), until two sexy new strangers threaten their aspirational love story.
Maggie (Creevy), a student in North Dakota, weathers an intense storm after accusing her married English teacher of an inappropriate relationship. Gia (Woodley), a writer grieving the loss of her family, persuades each of these three spectacular “ordinary” women to tell her their stories, and her relationships with them change the course of her life forever.
DeWanda Wise as Sloane (Photo Credit: JoJo Whilden/SHOWTIME)Gabrielle Creevy as Maggie (Photo Credit: JoJo Whilden/SHOWTIME)Shailene Woodley as Gia (Photo Credit: JoJo Whilden/SHOWTIME)
Elias Woodstone (played by Matt Walsh) returns and has a huge request of the ghosts on CBS’s Ghosts season two episode 17. Directed by Trent O’Donnell from a script by Sophia Lear, “Weekend from Hell” will air on Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 8:30pm ET/PT.
Rose McIver and Utkarsh Ambudkar lead the cast as Samantha and Jay, the living residents of the mansion. Playing the mansion’s resident ghosts are Brandon Scott Jones as Isaac, Richie Moriarty as Pete, Danielle Pinnock as Alberta, and Asher Grodman as Trevor. Román Zaragoza stars as Sasappis, Sheila Carrasco plays Flower, Rebecca Wisocky is Hetty, and Devan Chandler Long plays Thorfinn.
“Weekend from Hell” Plot: Elias Woodstone (Matt Walsh) returns to Woodstone seeking Hetty’s forgiveness so he can stay out of hell for good. Also, Jay struggles to repeat an inspired culinary creation that he came up with after walking through Flower.
Ghosts is a single-camera comedy about Samantha and Jay, a cheerful freelance journalist and up-and-coming chef from the city, respectively, who threw both caution and money to the wind when they decide to convert a huge rundown country estate they inherited into a bed & breakfast – only to find it was inhabited by the many spirits of deceased residents who now call it home.
The departed souls are a close-knit, eclectic group that includes a saucy Prohibition-era lounge singer (Pinnock); a pompous 18th-century militiaman (Jones); a ‘60s hippie fond of hallucinogens (Carrasco); an overly upbeat ‘80s scout troop leader (Moriarty); a cod-obsessed Viking explorer from 1009 (Devon Chandler Long); a slick ‘90s finance bro (Grodman); a sarcastic and witty native from the 16th-century (Zaragoza); and a society woman and wife of a 19th-century robber baron who is Samantha’s ancestor (isocky), to name a few.
The opening of the B&B is a source of intrigue, anxiety, and curiosity among the spirits, but they’ll gladly put up with the commotion as long as they can continue to interact with a living inhabitant – Samantha.
CBS’s FBI is taking a two-week break and will return with season five episode 16 on March 14, 2023 at 8pm ET/PT. Episode five, directed by Eduardo Sanchez from a script by York Walker and Thomas Kelly, finds the team searching for an ex-Marine.
Season five stars Missy Peregrym as Special Agent Maggie Bell, Zeeko Zaki as Special Agent Omar Adom “OA” Zidan, Jeremy Sisto as Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine, and Alana De La Garza as Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille. John Boyd plays Special Agent Stuart Scola and Katherine Renee Turner is Special Agent Tiffany Wallace.
Recurring season five guest stars include Vedette Lim as Elise Taylor, James Chen as Ian Lim, Roshawn Franklin as Agent Hobbs, Mara Davi as Samantha Kelton, Caleb Reese Paul as Tyler Kelton, Anthoula Katsimatides as NSA Rep Sarah, and Nate Richman as SWAT Leader Dan.
“Family First” Plot: The shooting of a federal corrections officer leads the team to an ex-Marine who has gone rogue ever since he returned from Afghanistan. Tiffany’s sister looks to her for guidance when their younger brother begins to lash out.
FBI is a fast-paced drama about the inner workings of the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This elite unit brings to bear all their talents, intellect and technical expertise on major cases in order to keep New York and the country safe. Born into a multigenerational law enforcement family, Special Agent Maggie Bell commits deeply to the people she works with as well as those she protects. Her partner is Special Agent Omar Adom “OA” Zidan, a West Point graduate via Bushwick who spent two years undercover for the DEA before being cherry-picked by the FBI.
Overseeing them is Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille, who operates under intense pressure and has undeniable command authority. The team also includes Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine, the nerve center of the office whose ability to easily relate to and engage with both superiors and subordinates makes him a master motivator. The smart and outspoken Special Agent Tiffany Wallace, who spent six years with the NYPD, is partner to Special Agent Stuart Scola, an Ivy League-educated Wall Streeter-turned-FBI agent.
These first-class agents tenaciously investigate cases of tremendous magnitude, including terrorism, organized crime, and counterintelligence.
CBS’s True Lies episode one introduced the couple at the heart of the series – Harry and Helen – and found Helen shocked to discover her computer salesman hubby is actually a spy. Episode two, “Public Secrets,” finds Helen all-in on joining Harry’s team. Directed by Robert McNeill from a script by Matt Nix, episode two airs on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at 10pm ET/PT.
Steve Howey stars as Harry and Ginger Gonzaga stars as Helen. The season one cast also includes Erica Hernandez as Maria, Omar Miller as Gib, Mike O’Gorman as Luther, Annabella Didion as Dana, and Lucas Jaye as Jake.
“Public Secrets” Plot: Helen gets her first official Omega Sector assignment – going undercover with Harry and the team at an academic conference in Madrid to stop a bioweapon terrorist attack. During the mission, Harry does his best to keep his history with Ximena, a sexy cryptographer they must work with to complete the mission, away from his wife.
The Season One Plot:True Lies follows Harry Tasker (Howey), a first-class international spy for U.S. intelligence agency Omega Sector, and his wife, Helen (Gonzaga), a language professor bored with her daily routine, who makes the shocking discovery that her seemingly ordinary husband is leading an extraordinary double life.
With the secret out, Omega recruits Helen, who impresses everyone with her formidable skills (thanks to Tae Bo and yoga), and she joins Harry and his team of top-notch operatives, embarking on covert missions around the globe and an exhilarating life of danger and adventure – all while keeping their adventures a secret from their children. The renewed bond between them adds much-needed sizzle to the Taskers’ emotionally distant marriage and upends the top-secret world of Omega Sector.
But, as Harry says, if you’re going to save the world, you might as well do it for the ones you love.
Star Trek: Discovery will finish up its incredible run on Paramount+ with season five. The streaming service confirmed the popular sci-fi drama is ending with the season five, which is scheduled to arrive in early 2024.
Paramount+ intends to celebrate the show’s run with special events planned throughout the year.
“Star Trek: Discovery is a perennial favorite on the service, near and dear to the hearts of legions of Star Trek fans as well as all of us here at Paramount+,” said Tanya Giles, chief programming officer at Paramount Streaming. “The series and its incredible cast and creatives ushered in a new era for Star Trek when it debuted over six years ago, embracing the future of streaming with serialized storytelling, bringing to life deep and complex characters that honor Gene Roddenberry’s legacy of representing diversity and inclusion, and pushing the envelope with award-winning world-building. This final season will see our beloved crew take on a new adventure, and we can’t wait to celebrate the series’ impact on the franchise leading up to its final season early next year.”
The fifth and final season stars Sonequa Martin-Green as Captain Michael Burnham, Doug Jones as Saru, Anthony Rapp as Paul Stamets, Mary Wiseman as Sylvia Tilly, and Wilson Cruz as Dr. Hugh Culber. David Ajala plays Cleveland “Book” Booker, Blu del Barrio is Adira, and Callum Keith Rennie plays Rayner.
Commenting on the impending end of the series, co-showrunners and executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise stated, “As lifelong fans of Star Trek, it has been an immense honor and privilege to help bring Star Trek: Discovery to the world. The Trek universe means so much to so many – including us – and we couldn’t be prouder of everything Discovery has contributed to its legacy, particularly with representation. If just one person sees themselves, or the possibilities for their future, in a new way because of Discovery, then we think we’d have made Gene Roddenberry very proud.
Of course, there would be no Discovery without Sonequa Martin-Green and the extraordinary team of artists, both in front of and behind the camera, who have brought this show to life. Their passion and determination to make every episode special has been deeply inspiring; so too has their love and support for one another and their genuine love for Star Trek. Discovery has truly become a family over the years – and we couldn’t be more grateful to be part of it.
To the fans around the world, thank you for joining us on this incredible journey. Your love for these characters and your excitement for every episode, every season, has meant the world to us. We can’t wait for you to see what we’ve been working on for this final season; we appreciate your patience in the meantime and trust us when we say it’ll be worth the wait. We love you all! LLAP”
In addition to Kurtzman and Paradise, the long-running series is executive produced by Heather Kadin, Aaron Baiers, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth. Star Trek: Discovery is produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment.
“I can hardly believe that this mind-blowing journey with Star Trek: Discovery is ending,” said series star and producer Sonequa Martin-Green. “I’m astoundingly blessed by God to have played Captain Michael Burnham and to have taken part in a legacy alongside an extraordinary cast, phenomenal crew and remarkable writing team. To our most supportive partners at CBS Studios and Paramount+, who insisted on making television history, I’m deeply grateful. I’m also deeply grateful for the creative collaboration with our showrunners Michelle Paradise and Alex Kurtzman, as well as Olatunde Osunsanmi and the incomparable team of executive producers.”
Martin-Green continued: “I will never forget how it felt to stand together as a show family, cradling the heirloom of Trek with all those from the franchise at large and with the fans. The fans welcomed us into their hearts as we launched a new iteration of Trek and an entire entertainment platform, and we’ll never forget it. 65 episodes later, here’s to the entire company of Star Trek: Discovery, to the show and its fifth and final season, to its beloved fans and to all those who envision a better future. Let’s fly…”
Paramount+ offered this description of the final season:
The fifth and final season will find Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery uncovering a mystery that will send them on an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power whose very existence has been deliberately hidden for centuries. But there are others on the hunt as well … dangerous foes who are desperate to claim the prize for themselves and will stop at nothing to get it.
