Tease yet give nothing away…that’s what A24 accomplishes with the first trailer for writer/director Ari Aster’s Beau is Afraid. What little can be gleaned from the trailer indicates that Aster’s third outing at the helm of a feature film might even surpass what he achieved with his first two movies, Midsommar and Hereditary.
The trailer also makes us want to crawl inside Ari Aster’s mind for 10 minutes; any longer might be hazardous to one’s health.
Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) leads a cast that includes Emmy Award winner Nathan Lane (Only Murders in the Building), Oscar nominee Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone), Screen Actors Guild Awards nominee Stephen McKinley Henderson (Lady Bird), and BAFTA Awards nominee Hayley Squires (Adult Material). Denis Ménochet (Inglourious Basterds), Kylie Rogers (Yellowstone), Armen Nahapetian (Here and Now), Zoe Lister-Jones (Life in Pieces), Parker Posey (The Staircase), and Patti LuPone (American Horror Story) also star.
A24’s offered this simple synopsis: “A paranoid man embarks on an epic odyssey to get home to his mother in this bold and ingeniously depraved new film from writer/director Ari Aster.”
Beau is Afraid opens in theaters on April 21, 2023.
Poster for A24’s ‘Beau is Afraid’ starring Joaquin Phoenix
Rachel McAdams as Barbara Dimon and Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret Simon in ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’ (Photo Credit: Dana Hawley)
Lionsgate’s released the first four photos from the upcoming film adaptation of Judy Blume’s popular book Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. The batch of new photos arrives a little over three months out from the movie’s planned April 28, 2023 theatrical release.
The images feature Rachel McAdams as Barbara, Kathy Bates as Sylvia, Benny Safdie as Herb, and Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret.
Kelly Fremon Craig (The Edge of Seventeen) adapted Blume’s book and directed the family-friendly project. Craig also serves as a producer along with Judy Blume, James L. Brooks, Julie Ansell, Richard Sakai, Amy Lorraine Brooks, and Aldric La’auli Porter. Jonathan McCoy executive produces.
Lionsgate released the following synopsis of the 2023 film:
“For over fifty years, Judy Blume’s classic and groundbreaking novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret has impacted generations with its timeless coming-of-age story, insightful humor, and candid exploration of life’s biggest questions. In Lionsgate’s big-screen adaptation, 11-year-old Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) is uprooted from her life in New York City for the suburbs of New Jersey, going through the messy and tumultuous throes of puberty with new friends in a new school. She relies on her mother, Barbara (Rachel McAdams), who is also struggling to adjust to life outside the big city, and her adoring grandmother, Sylvia (Kathy Bates), who isn’t happy they moved away and likes to remind them every chance she gets.”
Rachel McAdams as Barbara Simon, Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret Simon, and Benny Safdie as Herb Simon (Photo Credit: Dana Hawley)Kathy Bates as Sylvia Simon and Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret Simon in ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’ (Photo Credit: Dana Hawley)Kathy Bates as Sylvia Simon
AMC and AMC+ have set a Sunday, May 14, 2023 premiere date for the eighth – and final – season of Fear the Walking Dead. The network also announced the new The Walking Dead spinoff, The Walking Dead: Dead City, will premiere this June, and The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is expected to debut later this year.
The Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira spin-off will begin shooting this year. The network’s targeting a 2024 premiere for Rick Grimes and Michonne’s spinoff series.
Per AMC: “This series presents an epic love story of two characters changed by a changed world. Kept apart by distance. By an unstoppable power. By the ghosts of who they were. Rick and Michonne are thrown into another world built on a war against the dead… And ultimately, a war against the living. Can they find each other and who they were in a place and situation unlike any they’ve ever known before? Are they enemies? Lovers? Victims? Victors? Without each other, are they even alive — or will they find that they, too, are the Walking Dead?”
“The Walking Dead Universe LIVES! To conclude Fear the Walking Dead, we’re thrilled to be bringing you one of its most vibrant, inventive, exciting seasons EVER, while breaking new ground with old favorites: Maggie and Negan in the madhouse of post-apocalyptic Manhattan with no one to depend on but each other…Daryl Dixon in France, a loner who cannot move through this new dangerous world alone, facing vicious enemies and never-seen-before threats of the undead,” said Scott M. Gimple, chief content officer of The Walking Dead Universe.
“And Rick and Michonne, in a romantic saga of the dangerous road to each other, and the road they must find with each other, cornered by a new civilization and hordes of the dead. Lauren Cohan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, showrunner Eli Jorné, Norman Reedus, showrunner David Zabel, Danai Gurira, and Andrew Lincoln are creating heart-wrenching, heart-pounding magic for the next phase of the TWDU!”
Kim Dickens as Madison in ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ season 8 (Photo Credit: Lauren ‘Lo’ Smith/AMC)
Fear the Walking Dead‘s final season will be split into two six-episode parts. The final season stars Kim Dickens, Lennie James, Colman Domingo, Danay Garcia, Austin Amelio, Christine Evangelista, Karen David, Jenna Elfman, and Rubén Blades. Showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg executive produce along with Scott Gimple, Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Greg Nicotero, Michael Satrazemis, and David Alpert.
AMC’s official description of Fear The Walking Dead Season 8: The eighth season of Fear begins after the conclusion of Season 7, when Morgan’s (Lennie James) and Madison’s (Kim Dickens) hopes to rescue Mo from PADRE did not go as planned. Now, Morgan, Madison and the others they brought to the island are living under PADRE’s cynical rule. With our characters demoralized and dejected, the task of reigniting belief in a better world rests with the person Morgan and Madison set out to rescue in the first place — Morgan’s daughter, Mo.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan returns as Negan and Lauren Cohan‘s back as Maggie in The Walking Dead: Dead City. The Walking Dead writer Eli Jorné is the showrunner and also executive produces with Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, and Brian Bockrath.
AMC offered this description of the spinoff: The Walking Dead: Dead City envisions the popular Maggie and Negan characters traveling into a post-apocalyptic Manhattan long ago cut off from the mainland. The crumbling city is filled with the dead and denizens who have made New York City their own world full of anarchy, danger, beauty, and terror.
And last but not least, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon details: Daryl (Norman Reedus) washes ashore in France and struggles to piece together how he got there and why. The series tracks his journey across a broken but resilient France as he hopes to find a way back home. As he makes the journey, though, the connections he forms along the way complicate his ultimate plan.
Gunther has it all…a yacht, a private jet, Madonna’s mansion, and $400 million. Unfortunately, Gunther has no idea what he’s worth because Gunther is a dog. Netflix’s trailer for the four-part documentary series Gunther’s Millions explores the weird story of the world’s richest dog and the man who manages his wealth.
Directed by Aurelien Leturgie, Gunther’s Millions will premiere on February 1, 2023.
A scene from the Netflix documentary series ‘Gunther’s Millions.’
Netflix released this description of the docuseries:
“Multi-millionaire Gunther VI lives in the lap of luxury: He travels on private planes, eats gold-flaked steaks for dinner, and surrounds himself with a glamorous entourage of spokesmodels and entertainers. He is also a German shepherd. As the legend goes, Gunther’s great-grandfather was originally owned by a mysterious countess whose son died tragically. Having no heirs, the countess bequeathed her considerable fortune to her beloved dog, and placed him in the care of her son’s close friend, an Italian pharmaceutical heir and aspiring impresario named Maurizio Mian.
Over the past 30 years, Mian has built an empire on behalf of his canine boss, including glamorous real estate purchases, controversial social experiments, and one of the biggest tax fraud schemes of all time. It’s a fairy tale both beautiful and bizarre, and naturally, questions abound. In this whirlwind of a four-part investigative documentary series, executive producers Aurelien Leturgie and Emilie Dumay crisscross the globe in search of answers, gaining access to never-before-seen archival material and sitting down for intimate and sometimes shocking conversations with Mian and the rest of Gunther’s longtime associates in hopes of understanding the complicated truth behind the world’s wealthiest pet.”
An ambush of an agent sets the team into motion on CBS’s NCIS: Hawaii season two episode 11. Directed by Christoph Schrewe from a script by Megan Bacharach and Matt Bosack, episode 11 – “Rising Sun” – will air on Monday, January 16, 2023 at 10pm ET/PT.
Season two stars Vanessa Lachey as Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant, Alex Tarrant as Kai Holman, Noah Mills as Jesse Boone, and Yasmine Al-Bustami as Lucy Tara. Jason Antoon plays Ernie Malik, Tori Anderson is Kate Whistler, and Kian Talan stars as Alex Tennant.
“Rising Sun” Plot: When Special Agent Pike (Mark Gessner) is ambushed while working undercover with a local Japanese crime family, the team must find the person responsible for orchestrating the attacks. Also, Kai goes deeper into his investigation regarding an old friend turned criminal.
Episode 11 guest stars include Moses Goods, Jonah Ho’Okano, Vince Shin, Takuma Anzai, Masumi, Bruce Locke, and Eric Mita.
NCIS: Hawai’i Season 2 Description, Courtesy of CBS:
The world’s most successful television series continues on the seductive shores of the Aloha State with the #1 new drama, NCIS: Hawai’i, where the first female Special Agent in Charge of NCIS Pearl Harbor, Jane Tennant, has thrived and risen through the ranks by equal parts confidence and strategy in a system that has pushed back on her every step of the way. Together with her unwavering team of specialists, they balance duty to family and country while investigating high-stakes crimes involving military personnel, national security and the mysteries of the sun-drenched island paradise itself.
Marvel Studios unveiled a new Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania trailer during the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship, and the trailer may have been the only bright spot during the game for fans of TCU. The Georgia Bulldogs wiped the floor with the TCU Horned Frogs, beating the Texas Christian University team 65 to 7.
The new action-packed trailer features Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man and Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror. Evangeline Lilly returns as Hope van Dyne/The Wasp, Michelle Pfeiffer’s back as Janet van Dyn, and Michael Douglas reprises his role as Hank Pym.
The cast also includes Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang, David Dastmalchian as Veb, Katy O’Brian as Jentorra, William Jackson Harper as Quaz, and Bill Murray as Lord Krylar.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was directed by Peyton Reed and is set to open in theaters on Feb. 17, 2023.
Super-Hero partners Scott Lang (Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Lilly) return to continue their adventures as Ant-Man and the Wasp. Together, with Hope’s parents Janet van Dyne (Pfeiffer) and Hank Pym (Douglas), and Scott’s daughter Cassie Lang (Newton), the family finds themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought possible.
Peyton List (Cobra Kai) stars as Maddie Nears, a high school student who dies and then gets stuck in the afterlife trying to figure out who killed her in School Spirits. The young adult series will premiere on Paramount+ on March 9, 2023, and the just-released teaser trailer shows Maggie haunting the school hallways and even participating in the school’s afterlife support group.
The series, based on an upcoming graphic novel by Nate Trinrud, Megan Trinrud, and Maria Nguyen, follows Maddie as she goes on a crime-solving journey while attempting to adjust to high school in the afterlife. The closer she gets to uncovering the truth, the more secrets and lies she discovers.
In addition to Peyton List, School Spirits stars Kristian Flores (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent) as Simon Elroy, Spencer MacPherson (Degrassi: Next Class) as Xavier Baxter, Kiara Pichardo (The Society) as Nicole Herrera, and Sarah Yarkin (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) as Rhonda. Nick Pugliese (13 Reasons Why) plays Charley, Rainbow Wedell (The Wilds) is Claire Zolinski, and Milo Manheim (Zombies 3) is Wally Clark.
Recurring guest stars include Josh Zuckerman (The Offer) and Maria Dizzia (Orange Is the New Black) as Mr. Martin and Sandra Nears, respectively.
Oliver Goldstick (Pretty Little Liars) guides the eight-episode season as showrunner. Creators Nate and Megan Trinrud wrote the pilot and executive produce the series along with Goldstick. Max Winkler (Cruel Summer) directed five episodes and also executive produces.
Joshua Jackson, Amanda Peet, and Lizzy Caplan in Paramount+’s ‘Fatal Attraction’ (Photo Credit: Paramount+)
Paramount+’s Fatal Attraction series will premiere on Sunday, April 30, 2023 with the release of the first two episodes. The series is a reimagining of the award-winning 1987 thriller that starred Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, and Anne Archer. The R-rated drama directed by Adrian Lyne was nominated for six Oscars including Best Picture, Best Actress (Close), and Best Supporting Actress (Archer).
The eight-episode first season stars Joshua Jackson as Dan Gallagher, Lizzy Caplan as Alex Forrest, and Amanda Peet as Beth Gallagher. The series also stars Alyssa Jirrels as Ellen Gallagher, Toby Huss as Mike Gerard, Reno Wilson as Detective Earl Booker, and Brian Goodman as Arthur Tomlinson.
In addition to announcing the premiere date, Paramount+ released new photos featuring Jackson, Caplan, Peet, and Jirrels.
Dirty John‘s Alexandra Cunningham writes, executive produces, and serves as showrunner. Additional executive producers include Kevin J. Hynes (sharing a co-story credit with Cunningham) and Amblin Television’s Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey. Silver Tree directed five of the eight episodes and also serves as an executive producer.
Lizzy Caplan as Alex Forrest and Joshua Jackson as Dan Gallagher in ‘Fatal Attraction’ (Photo credit: Monty Brinton/Paramount+)
The Plot:
“Fatal Attraction is a deep-dive reimagining of the classic psychosexual thriller and ‘80s cultural touchstone. The new series will explore fatal attraction and the timeless themes of marriage and infidelity through the lens of modern attitudes toward strong women, personality disorders, and coercive control.”
Joshua Jackson and Lizzy Caplan in Paramount+’s ‘Fatal Attraction’Alyssa Jirrels as Ellen Gallagher in Paramount+’s ‘Fatal Attraction’
The teaser trailer for Paramount+’s Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies shows off the girl gang and showcases very Grease-y dance numbers. The original series is set to premiere on April 6, 2023 and will delve into the formation of the gang in the years before the events in Grease.
The series stars Tricia Fukuhara as Nancy Nakagawa, Marisa Davila as Jane Facciano, Cheyenne Wells as Olivia Valdovinos, and Ari Notartomaso as Cynthia Zdunowski. The cast also includes Shanel Bailey as Hazel, Madison Thompson as Susan, Johnathan Nieves as Richie, Jason Schmidt as Buddy, Maxwell Whittington-Cooper as Wally, and Jackie Hoffman as Asst. Principal McGee.
Annabel Oakes is the showrunner, writer, director, and executive producer. Alethea Jones directed two episodes and executive produces along with Adam Fishbach and Picturestart’s Samie Kim Falvey and Erik Feig. Temple Hill’s Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey are also involved as executive producers. Jamal Sims handled the choreography and served as a director, and Grammy nominee Justin Tranter is the executive music producer.
The Plot, Courtesy of Paramount+:
The musical series takes place four years before the original Grease in 1954, before rock ‘n’ roll ruled, before the T-Birds were the coolest in the school, four fed-up outcasts dare to have fun on their own terms, sparking a moral panic that will change Rydell High forever.
AMC launched Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches, the network’s second series based on Rice’s novels, on Sunday, January 8, 2023. The new supernatural drama introduced Alexandra Daddario as Rowan Fielding, a neurosurgeon who comes from a family of witches. Episode two, “The Dark Place,” will air on AMC on Sunday, January 15th at 9pm ET/PT and will stream on AMC+.
In addition to Alexandra Daddario, season one stars Jack Huston (Fargo) as Lasher, Tongayi Chirisa (Another Life) as Ciprien Grieve, and Harry Hamlin (Mad Men) as Cortland Mayfair. Beth Grant plays Carlotta, Hannah Alline is Suzanne, and Jen Richards is Jojo. Annabeth Gish guest stars as Deirdre.
Esta Spalding (Masters of Sex) is the showrunner, writer, and executive producer. In addition, Michelle Ashford (Masters of Sex, The Pacific) writes and executive produces along with director Michael Uppendahl, Jeff Freilich, and Mark Johnson.
“The Dark Place” Plot: Wracked with grief over Ellie’s death, Rowan is out of control and unfit to perform surgeries, and her paranoia that someone is following her is proven true. In New Orleans, Deirdre and her mysterious companion Lasher work together to draw Rowan home.
Alexandra Daddario as Dr. Rowan Fielding and Choppy Guillotte in ‘Mayfair Witches’ episode 2 (Photo Credit: Alfonso Bresciani / AMC)
Mayfair Witches Plot:
Based on Anne Rice’s best-selling trilogy, Lives of the Mayfair Witches, the 8-episode series focuses on an intuitive young neurosurgeon, Rowan (Alexandra Daddario), who discovers that she is the unlikely heir to a family of witches. As she grapples with her newfound powers, she must contend with a sinister presence that has haunted her family for generations.
Alexandra Daddario as Dr. Rowan Fielding in episode 2 (Photo Credit: Alfonso Bresciani / AMC)Tongayi Chirisa as Ciprien Grieve in episode 2 (Photo Credit: Alfonso Bresciani / AMC)A scene from episode 2 (Photo Credit: Alfonso Bresciani / AMC)Hannah Alline as Suzanne and Emma Rose Smith as Florie in episode 2 (Photo Credit: Alfonso Bresciani / AMC)Hannah Alline as Suzanne and Emma Rose Smith as Florie in ‘Mayfair Witches’ episode 2 (Photo Credit: Alfonso Bresciani / AMC)A scene from season 1 episode 2 (Photo Credit: Alfonso Bresciani / AMC)Emma Rose Smith as Florie in episode 2 (Photo Credit: Alfonso Bresciani / AMC)
