NBC’s This Is Us season six episode 16 picks up after the heartbreaking death of Miguel with the Big Three at odds over how to take care of their mom. Episode 16 – “Family Meeting” – will air on Tuesday, May 10, 2022 at 9pm ET/PT.
The sixth and final season stars Milo Ventimiglia as Jack Pearson, Mandy Moore as Rebecca Pearson, Sterling K. Brown as Randall, Chrissy Metz as Kate, Justin Hartley as Kevin, Susan Kelechi Watson as Beth Pearson, and Chris Sullivan as Toby.
The Plot, Courtesy of NBC:
Everyone has a family. And every family has a story. This Is Us chronicles the Pearson family across the decades: from Jack (Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Moore) as young parents in the 1980s to their kids (the big three), Kevin (Hartley), Kate (Metz) and Randall (Brown) searching for love and fulfillment in the present day along with Toby (Sullivan) and Beth (Kelechi Watson).
This grounded, life-affirming dramedy reveals how the tiniest events in our lives impact who we become, and how the connections we share with each other can transcend time, distance, and even death.
Chrissy Metz as Kate, Justin Hartley as Kevin, Mandy Moore as Rebecca, and Sterling K. Brown as Randall in ‘This Is Us’ season 6 episode 16 (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)Susan Kelechi Watson as Beth, Sterling K. Brown as Randall, Chrissy Metz as Kate, and Justin Hartley as Kevin in season 6 episode 16 (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)Griffin Dunne as Nicky and Vanessa Bell Calloway as Edie in season 6 episode 16 (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)Justin Hartley as Kevin, Chrissy Metz as Kate, and Sterling K. Brown as Randall (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)Sterling K. Brown as Randall and Mandy Moore as Rebecca in the “Family Meeting” episode (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)Chrissy Metz as Kate and Mandy Moore as Rebecca in season 6 episode 16 (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)Justin Hartley as Kevin and Sterling K. Brown as Randall in season 6 episode 16 (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)
NBC’s The Blacklist season nine episode 20 finds Red teaming up with the Task Force to expose an enemy. Episode 20 – “Caelum Bank” – will air on Friday, May 13, 2022 at 8pm ET/PT.
James Spader leads the cast as Raymond “Red” Reddington. The season nine cast also includes Diego Klattenhoff as Donald Ressler, Amir Arison as Aram Mojtabai, Hisham Tawfiq as Dembe Zuma, Laura Sohn as Alina Park, and Harry Lennix as Harold Cooper.
“Caelum Bank” Plot: In an effort to reveal his true enemy, Red turns to the Task Force to help ground a flying fortress bank.
Season 9 Description, Courtesy of NBC:
“In the two years following the death of Elizabeth Keen, Raymond Reddington (Spader) and the members of the FBI Task Force have disbanded – their lives now changed in unexpected ways and with Reddington’s whereabouts unknown. Finding themselves each at a crossroads, a common purpose compels them to renew their original mission: to take down dangerous, vicious and eccentric Blacklisters. In the process, they begin to uncover lethal adversaries, unimaginable conspiracies and surprising betrayals that will threaten alliances and spur vengeance for the past, led by the most devious criminal of them all – Raymond Reddington.”
James Spader as Raymond “Red” Reddington in ‘The Blacklist’ season 9 episode 20 (Photo by: Will Hart /NBC)Karina Arroyave as Mierce Xiu in season 9 episode 20 (Photo by: Will Hart /NBC)Aida Turturro as Heddie Hawkins in season 9 episode 20 (Photo by: Will Hart /NBC)Brian Dykstra as Mickey Croft in season 9 episode 20 (Photo by: Will Hart /NBC)Laura Sohn as Alina Park in season 9 episode 20 (Photo by: Will Hart /NBC)Diany Rodriguez as Weecha Xiu in season 9 episode 20 (Photo by: Will Hart /NBC)
We’ve come to the end of Netflix’s Ozark with season four episode 14, “A Hard Way to Go,” an episode that succeeded in splitting the show’s fan base by basically allowing the bad guys – most notably, Wendy Byrde – to win. (Spoilers ahead!) The episode also saw the untimely death of fan-favorite and arguably the series’ best character – Ruth Langmore, played by Julia Garner. Showrunner Chris Mundy said it would have been too much of a fairytale ending to allow the character to survive. Fans beg to differ.
Settle in for the series finale recap…
Season four episode 14 kicks off with Ruth in the hole that was dug for a pool and smoothing over the dirt. It’s safe to say Nelson is buried and will soon disappear beneath the concrete.
Marty (Jason Bateman) arrives as Ruth’s climbing out of the hole and apparently he’s taken a page out of his wife’s book. Marty orders Ruth to help him get his kids back or he’s going to tell Javi’s mom she’s the one who killed her son. Ruth can’t believe he’d really get her killed and Marty claims he’ll have to if she doesn’t help. She asks why her and Marty explains it’s because his kids listen to her, adding that she’s to blame for Jonah moving out.
Ruth has no idea how she’s supposed to get the kids and Marty suggests either kill Nathan or kidnap the kids; he does not care which. As he’s leaving Ruth asks if this is Wendy talking. Marty points at himself.
Camila (Veronica Falcon) joins Marty for a meeting and asks where Wendy is. He lies and says she’s working on her dinner party. (Wendy (Laura Linney) is actually still at the mental health facility.) Camila checks to see if Marty’s kids are out of the house so they can speak freely. They are, and Marty hands her paperwork with account numbers so she can pay anyone she needs to directly from her end. Marty also reveals the FBI has agreed to move Omar but Omar does not know about it yet. He suggests that if something were to happen to Navarro during the transfer and he had to be killed, there isn’t anything anyone can do about it.
Camila isn’t putting anything into motion until she speaks with the FBI and Marty assures her that meeting is set. Camila needs to hear about the day her son, Javi, died but Marty says there isn’t much to tell. They had a meeting with Clare and Javi in the morning that went well. They did some things in Chicago, had dinner with Clare, and then they came home.
Marty wonders if she’s having second thoughts. Camila claims she’s not.
Ruth heads over to see Wendy, certain it was her idea to issue a threat and not Marty’s. She informs Wendy that if she does her part the rest is on her. It’s only when Wendy asks what she’s talking about that Ruth realizes Marty was really the one who came up with the threat. She fills Wendy in on what Marty told her – stop their kids from going to North Carolina or he’ll tell Javi’s mom she killed him.
Ruth explains she’s learned Wendy’s dad is a piece of crap and says she’s sorry about her dad. Wendy lets down her guard for a second and pretends to be a real person. Wendy says she’s sorry about Ruth’s dad as well. Ruth asks how bad is it in this place Wendy’s staying and Wendy confirms it’s bad. Ruth asks if it’s bearable in there and Wendy replies that everything is bearable. Ruth reluctantly admits Wendy was right. If she would have just left Ben in there, he would still be alive. Wendy doesn’t say anything.
Over at the Lazy-O, Jonah (Skylar Gaertner) asks Charlotte (Sofia Hublitz) if she’s going to their parents’ gala. She reminds him they’re leaving before it begins. Ruth’s watching as they chat.
Ruth makes up her mind, grabs a gun out of her safe, and then grabs a bottle of alcohol. She pays Nathan (Richard Thomas) an unexpected visit and suggests they should have a drink to Ben before he leaves. As they talk and drink, Nathan continues to insult Ruth but in a cheerful way (as if that makes it okay). She tells him he won; he got the kids. She even goes as far as to say every beating she got as a kid from her dad she deserved. Nathan seems pleased by this.
Ruth wonders if he beat Ben and Nathan says that while Ben embarrassed the family it wasn’t his fault. Ben had a “glitch.” He adds that the other one (Wendy) should have been better but was worse. Ruth cuts to the chase and confronts him, suggesting he doesn’t actually care for or want Jonah and Charlotte. Nathan doesn’t like the way Ruth’s speaking to him and asks her to leave. Ruth agrees to leave but first she wants to know why he went to court for kids he didn’t want. Nathan confesses he did so because Wendy was a slut and an embarrassment.
Nathan attempts to excuse Ruth with, “Now you have a blessed f**kin day,” and is shocked when she pulls a gun on him. She instructs him to tell Jonah and Charlotte they aren’t going with him. When Nathan says he won’t do it, she shoots the glass next to him. She informs him they’re about to come running in there and when they do, he’s going to tell them everything he just told her. If he doesn’t, she’ll shoot him in his private parts.
Ruth’s plan must have worked because after they both came running in, the next scene is of them visiting Wendy. She looks excited to see them but then quickly disguises her happiness. Jonah speaks first and says, “This is messed up. You know that, right?” Charlotte explains that just because they’re there doesn’t mean they are staying.
It’s unclear what sort of game Wendy’s playing but she finally takes the blame for Ben’s murder. She doesn’t just take the blame for that despicable betrayal; she takes the blame for all of it. Wendy confesses she wanted to prove she was in control and that’s why she had Ben stay. She also admits she’s been trying to control them as well. She suggests they do what they need to do and promises she won’t trap them.
The kids get in the van and Marty asks how it went. They don’t answer. Wendy also gets in the van and tells Marty he didn’t have to threaten Ruth.
And now we finally revisit the opening scene in the first episode of this season. Marty’s driving while the Byrdes discuss moving back to Chicago. The accident featured in the first episode plays out, with a big rig driving in their lane causing the Byrdes’ van to spin off the road and roll over. However, this time we see the aftermath with Marty and the kids crawling out of the overturned vehicle. Wendy’s been knocked unconscious but wakes up as Marty’s pulling her out.
They take a cab back home to find Navarro’s priest waiting there for them. He informs them Navarro wants to see them and he’s agitated because Nelson’s missing. Marty needs to run a quick errand then he’ll be there. The priest tells Wendy he thinks the accident was their last warning. She doesn’t agree and thinks it’s insurance they’ll make it out alive.
Marty’s errand winds up being a visit to Ruth to find out if Nelson’s buried under her pool. Marty, once again taking a page from Wendy’s playbook, blames Ruth for all his problems. Marty reveals Navarro’s going to be out of the picture soon and they all have to meet with the FBI the following day. The FBI wants to launder money through the casino.
Marty and Wendy have one final meeting with Navarro (Felix Solis) and he admits he thinks Camila was behind the attempt on his life. He slides a number to Marty and tells him to call it. It’s a man from Chicago that will “come take care of it.” Navarro also thinks his sister was behind whatever happened to Nelson.
The Byrdes tell Navarro whatever he wants to hear knowing he won’t be alive much longer.
Ruth has a daydream about her dead family members and in it she’s sitting on top of the trailer with her deceased cousin, Wyatt. Three comes up and asks if he can join them.
Rachel (Jordana Spiro) isn’t exactly happy about Ruth going into business with the FBI and attempts to talk Ruth into leaving. Rachel’s still worried about people finding out she killed Nelson and it’s obvious she’s having regrets. Ruth tries to make Rachel feel better by reminding her Nelson was a horrible person who killed people. Ruth reveals she plans to take the fall if anyone finds out.
The meeting with the FBI takes place at the funeral home. They go over the plans to have Navarro transferred with Camila. Ruth and Rachel show up a little late, and Ruth demands the FBI apologize to Rachel for allowing the last FBI agent to get her hooked on drugs. Agent Clay does so and then Ruth and Rachel are handed a contract stating that if they agree to launder money through the casino, they will never be prosecuted.
Later, Sam Dermody announces he’s joined Nathan’s church and will be moving to North Carolina with the group. Wendy says goodbye to him before speaking with her dad. She wants him to know her foundation made a sizable donation to the website he set up to find Ben. When her dad says he supposes she is proud of herself, Wendy replies, “Not at all,” and then walks away.
It seems all of Wendy’s schemes have worked. Both of her children are dressed and ready to go to the foundation gala.
After talking to Jim (Damian Young) about how well the gala is going, Wendy finds Schafer (Bruce Davison) and informs him he’s not only off the board, but they have instructed people in Wisconsin and Michigan to pull his voting machines. He’s still under the mistaken impression she needs someone off the FDN list. She doesn’t.
Navarro is in the process of being transferred and when he repeatedly asks where he’s going, he never gets a response.
Charlotte’s underage drinking at the casino bar (like she’s been doing for the past couple of seasons) when she and Jonah launch into a discussion about their time in the Ozarks. Ruth joins them and compliments Jonah, letting him know there’s always a job for him there if he wants it. Jonah claims he’s going legit…at least until after he finishes high school.
Wendy and Marty are in the midst of a conversation with Clare Shaw (Katrina Lenk) when Camila interrupts. She questions Clare about the day Javi died. The questioning doesn’t lead to any real answers so Camila turns to threatening to kill Clare. Clare breaks and reveals Ruth Langmore killed her son. Clare explains Javi killed Ruth’s cousin so Ruth killed him. Camila warns the Byrdes that if they even look at Ruth or try to warn her in any way, she’ll have their children killed.
Marty and Wendy try to discuss options of what to do. Wendy thinks they can fix this but nothing they come up with will work. Charlotte interrupts to tell her parents that people are asking for them.
Ruth has had enough partying for the night and tells Rachel she’s leaving. One of Camila’s men is keeping an eye on her movements and calls Camila.
Meanwhile, Wendy and Marty are only concerned about losing each other and their children.
The van transporting Navarro pulls over and one of the guards says he needs to use the bathroom. The guard gets out and then shoots the other guard. He lets Navarro out and hands him a gun, claiming there’s a car waiting for him and to go. When Navarro turns his back on the guard he hears the cocking of the guard’s gun. Navarro turns around, points the gun at the guard, and tries to shoot. Unfortunately for Omar, the gun’s not loaded. Navarro is shot dead.
Ruth pulls up at her home and spots an empty SUV. As Ruth’s checking it out Camila comes out of the woods pointing a gun in her direction. Ruth asks how Camila found out (already aware of why she’s there) and Camila admits Clare told her. Ruth says, “I’m not sorry. Your son was a murdering b**ch and now I know where he got it from.” The Ozark writers decided one of the most beloved characters on the show must die. Camila shoots Ruth.
The Byrdes return home after their gala and Wendy and Marty confess their love for each other before going inside the house. Once inside they discover their sliding glass door is broken. They see PI Mel (Adam Rottenberg) sitting outside with the goat cookie jar full of Ben’s ashes. Mel confesses he couldn’t do his job because all he could think about was them. He’s figured out what’s inside Ruth’s goat cookie jar.
The series ends on a horrible note. Martin and Wendy offer Mel anything he wants but he turns down their money. The jar contains evidence that Ben’s dead and Mel says, “You don’t get it, do you? You don’t get to win. You don’t get to be the Kochs or the Kennedys or whatever f**king royalty you people think you are. World doesn’t work like that.”
Wendy replies, “Since when?”
Jonah is shown pointing a shotgun at Mel and then the screen goes black and the audience hears a gunshot. It appears the Byrdes got everything they wanted in the end, even with so many people left dead in their wake.
Disney+ is reviving (and revamping) the short-lived hybrid competition series The Quest, retaining the key elements of the original series while incorporating new twists. Described as a fantasy-based competition series, the original show ran for just one season on ABC and featured adults dropped into the fictional world of Everealm, complete with a real castle populated by knights and ruled by a royal family.
The 2022 version takes away the elimination element and subs in a diverse group of teens in place of adult participants. During the 2022 WonderCon, executive producer Elise Doganieri (The Amazing Race) explained the reason behind the age group switch.
“There’s a time in our lives when we’re teenagers where we’re not knowing who we are, what we want to be, what we want to become, and we wanted to have a show that was a fantasy world but also a very inspirational show,” explained Doganieri. “It’s a show that crosses many age groups. There’s something for everybody. It’s nice with all the social media stuff out there that can be very negative and damaging, there’s also the positive side of social media, but a lot of kids are feeling certain ways about themselves by what they’re seeing, right? And so, we wanted to put something on the air with kids that were very relatable to other teenagers where they can see themselves.”
Doganieri added: “It is very inspirational. And you see these kids…they don’t always succeed at everything but because there’s no eliminations, the support that they get from the other contestants is really wonderful to watch. They’re all there for a common purpose. There is a winner – one true hero in the end – but you see them all supporting each other. It’s really amazing. And in a time when everything is so divisive and crazy, it’s nice to see a group coming together. There’s hope for our future with these kids!”
Because the series was due to shoot during Covid-19, the production team had to scramble to come up with a workable location since they couldn’t film in Austria (the location of the original series).
“The biggest issue with a real castle and filming is who owns it. If it’s owned by some historical trust, you’re never going to be able to do as much as you want to do,” explained Michael Williams (Queer Eye). “I had previously looked at Castello di Amorosa [in Napa Valley] which is owned by one guy. He runs the winery and he built this 20 years ago. He got craftsmen from all over Europe to build it exactly.
And I’m telling you, you’re in a hallway you’re back in time. There’s nothing that feels modern whatsoever. Just even the dust on things…it really felt right. So that, to be honest with you, was our only choice.”
The timing worked out just right as the Covid-19 pandemic forced Castello di Amorosa to shut down for six months, giving the production the opportunity to have the place to themselves while helping out the struggling business.
In addition to the eight teenage competitors, actors portray the citizens of Everealm and the royal family. As the teens become a part of the story in their quest to fulfill an ancient prophecy and save the kingdom, they interact with actors who guide their journeys or, in some cases, attempt to thwart their quests.
“The scripted actors, they move the story forward. We knew every episode we knew what the storyline was, and we knew at the end of that episode they’re going to have to get this or do this, and then this character’s going to walk in and surprise them. And this creature’s going to come in and surprise them. Then everything else naturally happened,” said Doganieri.
Rob Eric (Queer Eye) confirmed there aren’t any second takes and everything is done practically on the set, rather than with CGI or special effects.
“There’s a lot of narrative in this one so there’s a lot of scripted scenes that don’t take place with the kids. Just like a normal movie, not every scripted character is in every scene. So, the kids weren’t in some of the scripted scenes. The scripted scenes that happened in front of them, they were well-rehearsed and they got one take to do it,” explained Rob Eric.
“I don’t think we ever had a mistake. Like, there was no moment where somebody said a name wrong or somebody didn’t have the right where to go to for the story,” added Eric. “They were awesome; the actors were amazing.”
Jane Fleming (Lord of the Rings) believes The Quest is more of a reality “experience” than a reality show. “We really tried – and this was all of us – to stay away from the traditional tropes. You’ll see a few things [but] we tried to stay away from it as much as we could. We included the bare minimum just so people felt moored and anchored to something that was familiar,” said Fleming. “It’s a really different type of storytelling that hasn’t been done yet.”
The eight-episode first season premieres on Disney+ on May 11, 2022.
The Quest Plot, Courtesy of Disney+:
For thousands of years, Everealm has been a land of unrivaled beauty and powerful magic. Now, the realm is threatened by a powerful evil Sorceress. As a last hope, the noble Fates summon eight strangers known as Paladins from a world beyond to work together to fulfill an ancient prophecy and vanquish the Sorceress. The Paladins must unlock the hero within through a series of challenges that push their limits to restore balance to Everealm. If they fail, all will be lost. Heroes will rise. Kingdoms will fall.
Brought to the screen by the Academy Award and Emmy-winning teams behind The Lord of the Rings, The Amazing Race, and Queer Eye, The Quest is a groundbreaking, immersive, hybrid competition series that drops eight real-life teenagers (Paladins) into the fantastic, fictional world of Everealm, where they must save a kingdom by fulfilling an ancient prophecy. Throughout the eight-episode series, these heroes are immersed in a fantasy world come to life, complete with a castle, royals, ethereal fates, all forms of mystical creatures and a sorceress intent on destruction and power.
CBS’s incredibly popular FBI series franchise will be sticking around for at least two more seasons. The network announced they’ve renewed FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, and FBI: International for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 primetime seasons.
“The FBIs are one of the most successful brands in the entire TV landscape and a powerful cornerstone of our #1 lineup,” stated Kelly Kahl, president of CBS Entertainment. “They’ve attracted a dedicated, loyal fan base, thanks to the extraordinary vision of executive producer Dick Wolf and the talents of all three outstanding casts and creative teams. I know we and our viewers look forward to two additional seasons of engaging, heroic stories.”
The three FBI shows have driven CBS to the top of the pack on Tuesdays. FBI and its two spinoffs are watched by 1.4 million more viewers than their closest competitor, according to CBS.
“Everybody who works on these three shows is over the moon about the multi-year pickups,” said Dick Wolf, executive producer and FBI brand creator. “We are all incredibly grateful to CBS and our partners at Universal Television and CBS Studios. And I personally would like to thank the incredible casts, talented writers, and dedicated producers, not to mention three crews who never missed an airdate despite the difficulties of producing full seasons during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
FBI is currently in its fourth season starring Missy Peregrym (currently out on maternity leave), Zeeko Zaki, Jeremy Sisto, Alana De La Garza, John Boyd, and Katherine Renee Turner. Most Wanted with Dylan McDermott, Alexa Davalos, Roxy Sternberg, Keisha Castle-Hughes, and Miguel Gomez has been averaging 8.85 million viewers over its third season.
The newest addition to the FBI franchise – FBI: International – stars Luke Kleintank, Heida Reed, Carter Redwood, Vinessa Vidotto and Christiane Paul. Season one sits as the #2 new drama of the 2021-2022 season and has been averaging 8.31 million viewers.
Oscar nominee Andy Garcia stars as a dad who’s in over his head in the remake of Father of the Bride. The official trailer introduces Garcia as Billy and Gloria Estefan as Ingrid, parents of the titular bride who are dealing with marriage issues of their own while attempting to handle the unexpected announcement their oldest daughter (played by Adria Arjona) is getting married.
The cast also includes Diego Boneta, Isabela Merced, Chloe Fineman, and Pedro Damián. Gaz Alazraki (Nosotros Los Nobles) directed from a screenplay by Matt Lopez (Promised Land), based on the novel by Edward Streeter.
Plan B Entertainment’s Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Paul Michael Perez produce, with Brad Pitt, Andy Garcia, Ted Gidlow, and Jesse Ehrman executive producing.
Warner Bros. Pictures will release Father of the Bride on HBO Max on June 16, 2022.
The Father of the Bride Plot, Courtesy of Warner Bros:
Long-marrieds Billy (Garcia) and Ingrid (Estefan) are surprised when their eldest daughter Sofia (Arjona) comes home to Miami for a visit. But the surprises just keep coming when she announces a new boyfriend, Adan (Boneta) — who is now her fiancé — and their plans for a quick-turnaround wedding and a new life together in Mexico, where Adan’s family is from.
Sofia’s quickfire revelations keep Billy and Ingrid from making their own disclosure — that they’re calling quits on their marriage — but both agree to delay the news and play the loving couple for the benefit of the family. Old-fashioned Billy is at first opposed to the wedding, but he is eventually swayed — as long as his opinions as father of the bride carry the most weight in all things matrimonial. A prominent architect and family man, Billy feels his hard-fought success and dedication to his heritage earn him the right to call the shots. After all his achievements, why is he suddenly seen as the bad guy?
The same could also be said for Adan’s equally headstrong father, Hernan (Damián), who soon arrives with his own traditions and family pride in tow. With both iron-willed fathers vying to take charge of the festivities, it becomes a prideful game of one-upmanship, as cultures clash, generations take sides and competing traditions collide. Family relationships are tested, along with the couple at the center of it all, as the roller coaster ride of wedding planning races toward the altar.
You are enthusiastically invited to the love, the food, the music, and the fun of Father of the Bride, a modern rom-com updated from the timeless classic. This sparkling story of a family and its unbreakable bonds illustrates the surprising and funny ways the heart can adapt in the name of love.
ANDY GARCIA as Billy and GLORIA ESTEFAN as Ingrid in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and HBO Max’s ‘FATHER OF THE BRIDE’ (Photo by Claudette Barius)ANDY GARCIA as Billy and ADRIA ARJONA as Sophie in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and HBO Max’s ‘FATHER OF THE BRIDE’ (Photo by Claudette Barius) GLORIA ESTEFAN as Ingrid, ANDY GARCIA as Billy, DIEGO BONETA as Adan and ADRIA ARJONA as Sophie in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and HBO Max’s ‘FATHER OF THE BRIDE’ (Photo by Claudette Barius)ANDY GARCIA as Billy, GLORIA ESTEFAN as Ingrid, ADRIA ARJONA as Sophie and DIEGO BONETA as Adan in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and HBO Max’s ‘”FATHER OF THE BRIDE’ (Photo by Claudette Barius)
20th Century Studios has brought the Avatar: The Way of Water teaser trailer online following its premiere at CinemaCon and its release in front of Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness in theaters. The teaser, which arrived along with the first poster and photos, showcases the film’s state of the art effects without giving away any real details on the plot.
The minute and a half teaser trailer is dialogue-free until the end. The teaser wraps up with Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) saying, “I know one thing…wherever we go this family is our fortress.”
Producer Jon Landau took the stage at the 2022 CinemaCon in Vegas and confirmed the four upcoming sequels will focus on the Sully family. Landau, noting James Cameron’s scripts are always universal and feature relatable themes, said, “And there’s no more relatable theme down at the center of each of our four sequels than the Sully family – Jake and Neytiri’s family.”
The first of four planned Avatar sequels will premiere exclusively in theaters on December 16, 2022. Each of the sequels is a standalone film, with each movie telling its own story and coming to a conclusion. “However, when you look at that as a whole, the journey across all four movies will create an even larger, connected, epic saga,” explained Landau.
For those interested in a big screen Avatar refresher, the original film with remastered picture and sound will be re-released in theaters on September 23rd.
In addition to Sam Worthington, the Avatar: The Way of Water cast includes Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, and Kate Winslet.
Avatar: The Way of Water Official Synopsis:
Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, Avatar: The Way of Water begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
Lexi Underwood and Chosen Jacobs in ‘Sneakerella’ (Photo Credit: Disney/Brendan Adam-Zwelling)
Disney+ takes the classic Cinderella fairytale and switches things up in Sneakerella, premiering on May 13, 2022. In this feel-good, music-driven reimagining of the beloved story, an up-and-coming sneaker designer (Chosen Jacobs) from Queens pursues his happily ever while falling in love with the daughter of a sneaker tycoon (played by four-time NBA champion John Salley).
Lexi Underwood plays Kira King, the fiercely independent daughter of sneaker bigwig Darius King. The film’s cast also includes Devyn Nekoda, Bryan Terrell Clark, Kolton Stewart, Hayward Leach, Juan Chioran, Robyn Alomar, and Yvonne Senat Jones.
“I think it is one of those stories that’s timeless. And I think what is so appealing about the story is the aspirational element of the story and that people want to believe in good things happening,” explained executive producer Jane Startz during the 2022 Television Critics Association’s winter press panel. “I think in this particular iteration of the story, which is contemporized, you have the story of a young man who’s got dreams, and he wants there to be magic in his life. He aspires to be a shoe designer. He has big dreams. But in our story, in our iteration, magic is about real life. Our ‘Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo song is ‘Life is What You Make It.’ So, it’s about taking those dreams, having aspirations, working to make them realized, sowing the seeds to make things happen.”
Mixed into the dance numbers and uplifting story is a message of perseverance and following your dreams. During the TCA press panel, Jacobs and Underwood were asked how being a part of Sneakerella impacted their own creativity.
“I feel like after leaving the film so much of my creative vision was changed because you just really started to embrace your own individuality. I realized El has a character. He is so much himself. He makes his own shoes. And I feel like if we could pass anything to the next generation, and my generation, and every future generation, it’s to embrace who you are because that’s what makes you special. And the unique things about you [are] what’s going to change the world,” said Jacobs. “I’d say that was the biggest viewpoint shift for me from doing this movie.”
“It’s been a dream of mine ever since I was younger to be a part of the Disney family, but specifically to be a Disney princess. And so it kind of feels like a full-circle moment to be in this space at this particular time in my life to not only be able to work with Disney but to also be a part of a project that centers on themes of fate, community, passion, love, and of course, sneakers but also specifically what Kira’s going through,” explained Underwood.
“In a sense, she’s coming of age. It’s a coming-of-age story for Kira. She’s finding her voice. She’s taking control of her destiny, and she’s also falling in love. And for me, being able to see that imagery of a young girl dominating an industry that has usually tried to kind of leave women out of the narrative… In our everyday life, we see women like Beyoncé and Serena Williams and Yara Shahidi and Vashi who are dominating this industry and creating their own lanes and breaking out of these boxes that society has placed them in when it comes to the sneaker industry. But seeing Kira and all of those women that I just talked about, seeing them break out of the box that society has tried to place them in, it really inspired me to tap more into my passions, my creativity, and I hope that inspires young girls, young kids everywhere but specifically young girls that they know that don’t let anyone define your story and that anything is possible and you can do anything that you set your heart and mind to,” said Underwood.
Chosen Jacobs and Lexi Underwood in ‘Sneakerella’ (Photo Credit: Disney/Brendan Adam-Zwelling)
Sneakerella’s peppered with vibrant, high-energy dance musical numbers and Lexi Underwood loved dancing in sneakers.
“Mine personally were super comfortable. And being someone who I dabbled in ballet and a couple of other dance styles when I was younger […] I definitely had to wear less comfortable shoes growing up when I was dancing, so I would take sneakers over anything, honestly,” joked Underwood.
Sneakerella marks Chosen Jacobs’ first time dancing in a film and he credits the talented team with helping make him comfortable while creating beautiful dance numbers. “And dancing in the sneakers, I play sports so I’ve always felt like sneakers are kind of the best shoe for everything. So, I’m pretty grateful that I danced in sneakers, instead of ballet shoes like Lexi or anything else,” said Jacobs. “I was pretty blessed in that aspect. And it was the shoes. The shoes were magical, Disney shoes.”
Executive producer Jane Startz believes music was the perfect way to bring this joyous reimagining to life, and the film features eight original songs. Lexi Underwood had never stepped into a recording studio prior to Sneakerella and confessed to initially being a bit nervous.
“[…] To be able to have so many incredible artists, composers that wrote the original songs, to have them and just their energy and just the talent and all the advice that they gave and wisdom, they truly made the experience like so beautiful for me,” said Underwood. “[…] They were just absolutely incredible and I’m so grateful that we had the chance to work so intimately with them. I’m really proud of the work that we did.”
Chosen Jacobs describes Sneakerella as a dream job because it combines two of his favorite things: acting and music.
“That was an extreme draw for this role, and that’s what made me so excited was Disney movies, you know, growing up, Disney movies and the songs in those movies were as important – if not more important – than the visual aspect because it was songs that I sang with my sister, with my mom, with my best friends at school. We were always trying to be Zac Efron, like do dance moves, dipping like that, jump in,” said Jacobs. “To be able to have an opportunity to sing songs that I know the next generation will grow up with and, hopefully, we’ll be able to have the same impact that other Disney classics were able to have on myself and my mother and so on and so forth.”
Nathan Fillion’s Firefly co-star Alan Tudyk returns to reprise his role as Ellroy Basso on ABC’s The Rookie season four episode 22, the season finale. Episode 22 was written and directed by Alexi Hawley and will air on Sunday, May 15, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT.
Season four stars Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper, Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez, and Richard T. Jones as Wade Grey. Melissa O’Neil is Lucy Chen and Eric Winter stars as Tim Bradford.
Additional season finale guest stars include Brent Huff as Officer Smitty, Sara Rue as Nell Forester, Dylan Conrique as Tamara Colins, and Pete Davidson as Pete Nolan.
“Day In The Hole” Plot: Officer John Nolan is forced to spend a week in solitary confinement in a quiet border town with a young local officer who is in need of some training. Meanwhile, Sergeant Bradford and Officer Chen discover that looks are deceiving and go undercover together in a possible drug trafficking case on the season finale.
Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion in ‘The Rookie’ season 4 episode 22 (ABC/Raymond Liu)Alan Tudyk in season 4 episode 22 (ABC/Raymond Liu)Alan Tudyk, Jenna Dewan, and Nathan Fillion in season 4 episode 22 (ABC/Raymond Liu)Alan Tudyk, Sara Rue, Jenna Dewan, and Nathan Fillion in season 4 episode 22 (ABC/Raymond Liu)Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion in season 4 episode 22 (ABC/Raymond Liu)Alan Tudyk, Jenna Dewan, Sara Rue, and Stephanie Arcila in season 4 episode 22 (ABC/Raymond Liu)
Ncuti Gatwa is the Fourteenth Doctor (Photo Courtesy: BBC)
Ncuti Gatwa is about to become the first Black actor to play the Doctor on Doctor Who. Gatwa has signed on to star as the Fourteenth Doctor, taking over the role after Jodie Whittaker – the first female Doctor – exits the series at the end of season 13.
“The future is here and it’s Ncuti! Sometimes talent walks through the door and it’s so bright and bold and brilliant, I just stand back in awe and thank my lucky stars,” explained showrunner Russell T. Davies. “Ncuti dazzled us, seized hold of the Doctor and owned those TARDIS keys in seconds. It’s an honour to work with him, and a hoot, I can’t wait to get started. I’m sure you’re dying to know more, but we’re rationing ourselves for now, with the wonderful Jodie’s epic finale yet to come. But I promise you, 2023 will be spectacular!”
“There aren’t quite the words to describe how I’m feeling,” stated Gatwa. “A mix of deeply honoured, beyond excited, and of course a little bit scared. This role and show means so much to so many around the world, including myself, and each one of my incredibly talented predecessors has handled that unique responsibility and privilege with the utmost care. I will endeavour my utmost to do the same.”
Gatwa added: “Russell T Davies is almost as iconic as the Doctor himself and being able to work with him is a dream come true. His writing is dynamic, exciting, incredibly intelligent, and fizzing with danger. An actor’s metaphorical playground. The entire team has been so welcoming and truly give their hearts to the show. And so as much as it’s daunting, I’m aware I’m joining a really supportive family. Unlike the Doctor, I may only have one heart but I am giving it all to this show.”
Ncuti Gatwa has earned three BAFTA nominations for Sex Education as well as a Critics Choice Awards nomination in the Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category. Gatwa is currently shooting Barbie directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie in the title role.
