Those hilarious and adorable little yellow Minions are back, this time telling the story of their evil boss’s beginnings in the prequel to the 2010 animated film Despicable Me, Minions: The Rise of Gru.
The latest Minions offering opens in 1976 with the supervillain group known as The Vicious 6 getting rid of their leader, Wild Knuckles (voiced by Alan Arkin), and creating an opening on their team.
Young Gru (voiced by Steve Carell), who’s only 11 and 3/4, applies for the position desperate to join and begin his career as a supervillain. Laughed at and mocked by the new leader Belle Bottom (voiced by Taraji P. Henson), Gru steals the villain’s newly acquired magical stone to show he can be both despicable and clever. Unfortunately, one of the Minions – Otto – trades the stone for a pet rock so Gru is forced to set out to recover it.
It’s early on in his search that Gru is kidnapped by Wild Knuckles who wants the stone and wants to get even with his former villain pals for ditching him. So, Minions Kevin, Stuart, and Bob set out to try to rescue their beloved boss while Otto goes on a quest to find the stone.
Colorful, zany, and goofy, Universal and Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru is a return to the formula that made the original in the film series – Despicable Me – a charming, funny, and hilarious animated hit. Steve Carell returns to voice young Gru, who’s a little adorable himself, as he works so hard to become what he knows he’s destined to be…a master villain. Carell once again wonderfully gives voice to Gru the villain who actually has a heart, whether he likes it or not.
The standouts once again are, of course, the Minions (all voiced by Pierre Coffin), who this time are on a rescue mission to save their “mini-boss.” Full of crazy, chaotic, and at times a bit overly violent action, the Minions are the true source of humor and the reason for laugh-out-loud scenes. Whether they’re being chased by the Vicious 6, learning karate to defend themselves, or posing as airline pilots and learning to fly a plane full of passengers as they go, the Minions are the lovable and wacky heart of the film.
GRADE: B
MPAA Rating: PG for some action, violence, and rude humor
Release Date: July 1, 2022
Running Time: 1 hour 27 minutes
Directed By: Kyle Balda
‘Alone’ Season 9 competitor Terry (Photo by: Brendan George Ko / The History Channel)
The History Channel’s Alone season nine episode six opens with seven survivalists remaining in the competition. And by the time the episode wraps up, seven contestants still remain in the quest to be the last person standing.
Episode six – “The Weasel” – takes us from Day 28 through Day 33. Survivalists spotlighted include Terry, Teimojin, Jessie, Tom, and Juan Pablo.
Terry, Age 31, Homer, AK
Day 28: Terry’s built himself a nifty little smoker and fills his belly with meat from the beaver’s skull before getting to work. He’s having a difficult time scraping out the brain but doesn’t give up. Terry’s down 32 pounds and needs the protein, vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids the brain contains.
He’s determined not to let any of the beaver go to waste, including its eyeballs.
For now, his number one priority is preserving the meat. It’s a time-consuming task but necessary since the conditions aren’t conducive to maintaining fresh meat for long. Terry prepares the meat for smoking as quickly as possible since the smoke has an antimicrobial effect on meat.
What he can’t smoke he’s planning on boiling and eating.
A Whiskey Jack chatters as he’s working, and Terry realizes the bird could draw in larger predators. Terry explains he loves to procure and preserve meat, but he knows getting his smoker to work effectively will be a trial-and-error process.
Day 29: Terry let his meat smoke for a day and when he pulls it off the rack it’s gorgeous. He describes the smell as sweet and aromatic. The meat’s thoroughly dried and now he’s got a nice amount of meat that can last up to two months.
Smoking done, Terry sets to work collecting the remainder of the meat from the bones. He needs to cook it now before it turns bad. He takes a bite and it’s delicious beaver bacon – crispy, chewy, and fatty.
Terry’s also boiling up fat and he plans on sipping on it since it’s a good source of calories. He believes it’s exactly what his body needs to keep it going.
He misses his loved ones, in particular his mom. Terry didn’t have much growing up in West Virginia and his mom’s always been an incredible supporter of his.
Day 31: Terry confesses he loves it here. The view’s tremendous and now that he’s finished processing the beaver, he hopes to be able to take a little time each day to just relax and appreciate the area.
Terry’s feeling stronger with more energy after shooting the beaver. However, he realizes he still needs to keep foraging, hunting, and fishing in order to thrive.
Before he heads off to explore, he finds a pretty spot to do a dedication to his mother. He loves her deeply and is so proud to be her son. Terry’s living his dream, thanks to his mom.
‘Alone’ Season 9 competitor Tom (Photo by: Brendan George Ko / The History Channel)
Tom, Age 35, Earlysville, VA
Day 28: Tom’s built an incredible shelter and the best fireplace and stove of the season. Instead of working on food, he’s making earrings for his sweetheart. The earrings are composed of rabbit bone, grouse feathers, and snare wire, and they’re actually surprisingly pretty. He finishes up one and decides to head out to check his traps.
Tom wishes one of his 10 items was his sweetheart and says she’d be “kicking a** at this.”
It’s a long walk to his snare line and when he gets there all four snares are empty. He realizes he doesn’t have a lot of fat on his body and won’t win a starving contest, so it’s imperative he bring in food.
Tom turns his attention to a beaver dam and decides he’ll need to check it out at night.
Day 29: Tom heads down to the beaver dam at 6:30am when it’s barely light, hoping to spot a little beaver activity. He crosses his fingers, acknowledging his skinny frame will make his strength deteriorate fast if he doesn’t get some real food.
It’s still fairly dark as he finds the perfect spot to watch for activity. He loves to stalk but knows the odds are against him. “The challenge is what makes it so exciting,” says Tom.
His background’s in conservation and he believes that’s made him a better hunter. He’s learned that if you let a few animals walk around while you just observe them, you have a better chance of ultimately shooting one.
Tom makes it to the water’s edge and watches a beaver swim by in one direction and then quickly turn around and head back the way it came. Tom’s patient, waits for just the right opportunity, and shoots at his first beaver. The animal dives underwater and Tom watches for it to surface. Tom can’t spot any bubbles and believes the beaver will head toward the dam.
“If I didn’t hit it well, it’s going to just tear me up,” he admits. He’s desperate for food but there’s now a lump in his throat thinking about the beaver possibly suffering and then ultimately going to waste. The thought of it dying in the dam is heartbreaking.
He retrieves his arrow and it doesn’t have blood or hair on it. Now he’s not sure he actually hit it.
Tom decides to leave the area alone for a few days to cool down. He hopes he hasn’t ruined his chances of getting a beaver in the future.
‘Alone’ Season 9 competitor Teimojin (Photo by: Brendan George Ko / The History Channel)
Teimojin, Age 31, Montreal, CAN
Day 28: Teimojin’s cabin’s fireplace has drawn the attention of mice whenever he lights a fire. He’s going to set up Paiute deadfalls (trigger traps) to kill them since he’s putting a pause on fishing. The water levels have dropped and right now it’s not the best source of food.
A veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, Teimojin’s strategy is to improvise, adapt, and overcome.
While he’s working on traps, he hears a grouse nearby. He’s pretty sure he lives in a grouse flight pattern. Apparently, they pass by his camp on the way to eat sand/grit which helps with their digestion. He takes a shot but misses. Fortunately, he spots his arrow and takes another shot. This time, the arrow sails away toward the shelter. He hopes he can find it.
All contestants are allowed nine arrows, and Teimojin’s already down one from shooting it into a tree. He decides to retrieve the one stuck in the tree by knocking it down with a sampling. He tosses the sampling, but it misses the arrow which is stuck 20 feet up.
Teimojin’s forced to climb the tree and notes that sometimes you forget you’re all alone in the middle of nowhere. Being 15+ feet up a tree is a solid reminder of the dangers of Alone. “This is like an injury waiting to happen,” he admits since emergency crews can take up to an hour to respond.
Teimojin jinxes himself by talking about the possibility of falling right before a branch breaks and he nearly takes a tumble. He’s okay and manages to retrieve his arrow. Teimojin says he’s not going to take any more tree shots; it’s not worth the risk.
10:30pm on Day 28 has Teimojin in a reflective mood. He wondered if he’d feel alone in the competition but has learned he actually felt more alone when he was homeless and living out of his van. It was his last year in medical school and he hit rock bottom emotionally. He never asked his parents for help and did everything himself. Attempting to get through that period by smiling and pretending he was okay made him feel more alone than being in Labrador without any companionship.
Day 30: Teimojin shoots a grouse for dinner and hears another one on his way back to camp. He’s having a lucky day and shoots another one. He counts himself fortunate to have so many grouse in his area.
“I love my shelter location, man. Feeds me…shelters me,” says Teimojin. “Every time I get a grouse I find the wishbone and when I break it, I wish for more food. It must be lucky or something. But it’s working.”
After talking about his luck, he sees yet another grouse and adds a third bird to his collection. That’s three weeks’ worth of food in just a matter of a couple of hours of hunting.
Teimojin thanks the grouse and cleans the birds while wearing rubber gloves from his emergency kit.
Everyone back at home supports him including his girlfriend, although his friends and family don’t understand why he’s doing this.
Day 31: Teimojin’s ready to set up a second shelter closer to the beach. Its construction requires him to cut down the biggest tree yet in order to make a lean-to. He’ll use the building as a secondary shelter and smokehouse in order to keep the bears away from his primary camp. It’s a fast build and he finishes it up in a matter of hours.
Back at his first camp, he roasts up grouse for a dinner consisting of scraps, skin, a liver, and two hearts.
‘Alone’ season 9 competitor Jessie (Photo by: Brendan George Ko / The History Channel)
Jessie, Age 49, Pagosa Springs, CO
Day 30: Jessie sings a song about not having any luck catching fish. Her plans for the day include trying to get the walls up on Hodge Podge Lodge. She’s done an incredible amount of work and admits she’s spent more time working on it than she should have.
She’s lost 30 pounds and really wants to finish the shelter so she can focus on fishing and setting snares.
Day 31: Jessie’s still working on her shelter, slowly edging closer to finishing it up. While brushing her teeth she spots fresh snow on a nearby mountain. That gives her more incentive to finally finish up Hodge Podge Lodge.
Jessie gives us a tour of her shelter and she’s got an awesome firepit in the center of the floor, complete with punkwood (the rotted area in a tree or log). She’s even made an air vent for the pit that leads outside. Winter’s definitely in the air and all she needs now is to finish her roof and then she can move in.
Jessie heads out to collect moss while explaining she gained 30 pounds prior to coming to Labrador. She adds sod to the roof and knows she lost a lot of weight working on her shelter.
Jessie completes the roof and plans on moving in tomorrow. She sings in celebration.
Day 32: Moving day arrives and Jessie’s excited to actually set up inside Hodge Podge Lodge. She’s checked her snares and nothing was there, and it’s been five days since she had protein.
Jessie admits she’s been thinking about home and her boyfriend recently. She misses sharing her life with someone at the end of each day.
Jessie heads to the river but she isn’t successful in getting food. Back at her lodge she’s feeling really hungry and is upset she can’t celebrate completing the lodge with a little food. (For what it’s worth – Hodge Podge Lodge is one of the biggest, most impressive structures in Alone history.)
‘Alone’ season 9 competitor Juan (Photo by: Brendan George Ko / The History Channel)
Juan Pablo, Age 30, Pinawa, CAN
Day 30: Juan Pablo’s got a pan of fish heads to eat after having already finished off the bodies. He describes what’s in the pan as “jello fish.” Juan’s goal for the day is to focus on fishing.
His motto: “Don’t screw up.”
Juan heads to his recently constructed dock and discovers a large crack in his rod, requiring him to take the time to fix it before it completely breaks.
He was born in a big city but is passionate about living off the land. His parents’ house was close to the forest, and he spent a lot of time doing things outside including hunting and trapping. Juan describes his survival philosophy as being all about nature and listening to it in order to thrive.
Rod repaired; Juan gets busy fishing but nothing’s biting. He decides to head out hunting instead and spots a weasel. It’s super quick and he decides he’s not going to take a shot; Juan just wants to observe it because it’s cool.
Next, he spots a grouse in a tree but it’s too high up. He takes a shot when it flies down and hits the bird. Juan can hear it flapping but loses it in the woods. He does, however, find his arrow with feathers and blood on it, confirming he did hit the grouse.
Juan knows the grouse is wounded but has no idea where the body is. It’s the first time he’s mortally wounded a grouse and didn’t recover the body. Juan doesn’t feel good about it but knows he needs to learn from his mistake and move on.
Day 33: Juan spots a squirrel in a tree but doesn’t take a shot. Instead, he heads off on a short hunting trip and finds the grouse he shot. An animal ate part of it but he’s going to eat the remainder.
He spots the weasel again and this time he shoots it. “Poor weasel – I didn’t know I was actually going to hit you. You’re so fast,” says Juan, apologizing to the dead animal.
Juan’s going to keep the fur intact and gift it to his partner of seven years. His life would be a mess without her. Juan hasn’t asked her to marry him because he doesn’t have any money. He’s determined to win Alone so he can finally propose.
Later, Juan confesses that the morale boost he got from observing the weasel was greater than the amount of food it will provide. He admits he screwed up.
Stranger Things season four volume one was, in a word, bonkers. A lot went down, and for those who – like me – need a refresher, Netflix put together this nifty three-minute recap video to prepare us for the final two extended episodes of season four.
The gang was still split up in various locations, including Russia and the Upside Down, at the end of episode seven. Episodes eight and nine will, hopefully, reunite the squad in order to take on Vecna and save the world…again.
Volume one of season four premiered on May 27, 2022 and consists of the first seven episodes. Episodes eight and nine will be released on July 1st, with episode eight running one hour and 25 minutes and episode nine clocking in at two hours and 20 minutes.
Stranger Things season four stars Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, David Harbour as Jim Hopper, Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson, and Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair. Noah Schnapp plays Will Byers, Sadie Sink is Max Mayfield, Natalia Dyer is Nancy Wheeler, Charlie Heaton is Jonathan Byers, Joe Keery is Steve Harrington, and Maya Hawke is Robin Buckley. Priah Ferguson stars as Erica Sinclair, Brett Gelman plays Murray, Cara Buono is Karen Wheeler, and Matthew Modine is Dr. Brenner.
Additional cast members include Jamie Campbell Bower as Peter Ballard, Joseph Quinn as Eddie Munson, Eduardo Franco as Argyle, Sherman Augustus as Lt. Colonel Sullivan, Mason Dye as Jason Carver, Nikola Djuricko as Yuri, and Tom Wlaschiha as Dmitri. Season four also features Myles Truitt as Patrick, Regina Ting Chen as Ms. Kelly, Grace Van Dien as Chrissy, Logan Riley Bruner as Fred Benson, Logan Allen as Jake, Elodie Grace Orkin as Angela, John Reynolds as Officer Callahan, Rob Morgan as Chief Powell, Amybeth McNulty as Vickie, and Robert Englund as Victor Creel.
“It’s been six months since the Battle of Starcourt, which brought terror and destruction to Hawkins. Struggling with the aftermath, our group of friends are separated for the first time – and navigating the complexities of high school hasn’t made things any easier. In this most vulnerable time, a new and horrifying supernatural threat surfaces, presenting a gruesome mystery that, if solved, might finally put an end to the horrors of the Upside Down.”
NBC’s teasing the second season of the crazy action drama La Brea with a short 15-second video. The video doesn’t give away anything from the upcoming season, but the mammoth that walks into the frame at the end appears to be super excited about things to come.
Season two will premiere on September 27, 2022, with new episodes airing on Tuesdays at 9pm ET/PT. The first season debuted in September 2021 and is currently available to binge-watch on Peacock.
NBC’s weird mix of the prehistoric and contemporary turned out to be the top new series last fall among adults 18 to 49. Plus, overall it ranked #1 among all new 2021-2022 dramas in that same age group.
Natalie Zea stars as Eve Harris, Eoin Macken plays Gavin Harris, Jon Seda is Dr. Samuel Velez, Nicholas Gonzalez plays Levi Delgado, Chiké Okonkwo is Ty, Josh McKenzie is Lucas, and Zyra Gorecki stars as Izzy Harris. Jack Martin plays Josh Harris, Veronica St. Clair is Riley Velez, Rohan Mirchandaney is Scott Israni, Tonantzin Carmelo is Paara, Lily Santiago plays Veronica, and Michelle Vergara Moore stars as Ella Jones.
The series is written and executive produced by David Appelbaum. Avi Nir, Alon Shtruzman, Peter Traugott, Rachel Kaplan, Steven Lilien, Bryan Wynbrandt, Ken Woodruff, Arika Lisanne Mittman, Adam Davidson and Chris Hollier also executive produce.
Eoin Macken, Zyra Gorecki, Ming-Zhu Hii, Virginie Laverdure, and Toby Truslove in a scene from ‘La Brea’ season 1 (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap / NBC)
The Plot: “La Brea follows an epic family adventure after a massive sinkhole opens in Los Angeles pulling people and buildings into a mysterious and dangerous primeval land where they have no choice but to band together to survive.
In season two, the Harris family remains separated as Eve is reeling from her son, Josh, having mistakenly gone through a portal to 1988. What she doesn’t know yet is that her ex-husband, Gavin, and their daughter, Izzy, have landed in prehistoric Seattle and now must brave the elements and animals to make their way to L.A.”
Tramell Tillman, Zach Cherry, John Turturro, Britt Lower and Adam Scott in ‘Severance’ (Photo Courtesy of Apple TV+)
Apple TV+ is planning to be a major presence at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con running July 20th through July 24th in downtown San Diego. The streaming service will be making its SDCC debut with panels featuring casts and/or producers from Severance, For All Mankind, Mythic Quest, See, Invasion, and Foundation.
San Diego Comic-Con attendees will also have the opportunity to be “severed” during a special Severance immersive activation set up at the Hard Rock Hotel and celebrating the critically acclaimed sci-fi drama.
Per Apple TV+: “Fans will have a unique opportunity to be ‘severed’ – a procedure that separates your work life from your personal life – as they immerse themselves as new employees in the world of Lumon Industries. The experience will take guests seeking better work-life balance through their first day on Lumon’s severed floor, but from the moment they enter the boardroom, they will realize that not all is as it seems.
New employees will navigate through several locations featured in the critically acclaimed series for an up-close dive into the mysterious Lumon world. Stops on their first-day orientation include the iconic boardroom where the new hires will meet their ‘innie” and MDR where they can try their hand at refining data. As employees explore life on the severed floor they will interact with longstanding Lumon employees and gather perks along the way.”
Severance Panel – July 21 at 3:30pm, Ballroom 20
Executive producer and director Ben Stiller, creator and executive producer Dan Erickson and cast members Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman, Dichen Lachman and Jen Tullock sit down with Patton Oswalt to share “Innie” secrets from season one of the critically acclaimed, Emmy-nominated series.
Mark Scout (Scott) leads a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a severance procedure, which surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in “work-life balance” is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work… and of himself.
For All Mankind – July 22 at 2:45pm, Ballroom 20
Kelly Lawler leads a conversation with creators and executive producers Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi, executive producer Maril Davis and cast members Joel Kinnaman, Shantel VanSanten, Jodi Balfour, Sonya Walger, Krys Marshall, Cynthy Wu, Casey Johnson, Coral Peña, Wrenn Schmidt and Edi Gathegi to discuss the propulsive third season of the critically acclaimed alternate reality series.
In season three, the Red Planet becomes the new frontier in the Space Race not only for the US and the Soviet Union, but also an unexpected new entrant with a lot to prove and even more at stake. Our characters find themselves going head-to-head as their ambitions for Mars come into conflict and their loyalties are tested, creating a pressure cooker that builds to a climactic conclusion.
Mythic Quest – July 23 at 4pm, Ballroom 20
Creator, executive producer and star Rob McElhenney joins co-creator and executive producer Megan Ganz, executive producer and star David Hornsby and cast members Charlotte Nicdao, Danny Pudi, Imani Hakim, Jessie Ennis and Ashly Burch to dive into the critically hailed workplace comedy with moderator Craig Mazin and share an exclusive first look at the upcoming third season.
Storytellers of Apple TV+ – July 23 at 12:30pm, Room 6A
Creator and executive producer Ronald D. Moore of For All Mankind, executive producer Simon Kinberg of Invasion, See executive producer and showrunner Jonathan Tropper and creator and executive producer of Mythic Quest, Megan Ganz will discuss creating the unique worlds of their series and share exclusive sneak peeks of upcoming episodes. David S. Goyer will also join from the set of Foundation with a special sneak peek at the upcoming second season.
From Academy Award-nominated and two-time Emmy Award-nominated producer Simon Kinberg and David Weil, Invasion is a sweeping, character-driven science fiction drama series that follows an alien invasion through different perspectives around the world.
See takes place in the distant future, after a deadly virus decimated humankind. Those who survived emerged blind. Jason Momoa stars as Baba Voss — the father of twins born centuries later with the mythic ability to see — who must protect his tribe against a powerful yet desperate queen who wants the twins destroyed. Alfre Woodard stars as Paris, Baba Voss’s spiritual leader.
Based on the award-winning novels by Isaac Asimov, Foundation chronicles a band of exiles on their monumental journey to save humanity and rebuild civilization amid the fall of the Galactic Empire.
William Shatner (William Shatner Photo Credit: Robert Muratore)
Legion M announced they’ll be hosting four panels/events during this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, including a special “Shatner on Shatner” panel moderated by Kevin Smith. William Shatner will participate in the panel scheduled for July 21, 2022 at 4:30pm in the San Diego Convention Center’s Hall H.
Shatner’s life and career will also be spotlighted in a special “Celebrating William Shatner” event to be held at Theatre Box San Diego. The event will include a handprint ceremony, autograph signings, and a rooftop afterparty.
Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future) and Ruth Connell (Supernatural) are confirmed to take part in Legion M’s “Simon Pegg is Nandor Fodor, Paranormal Investigator” panel on Friday, July 22nd. Legion M’s also scheduled to host the “Darknights and Daydreams: From Batman to Broadway” panel on Saturday, July 23rd.
The 2022 San Diego Comic-Con kicks off with Preview Night on Wednesday, July 20th and runs through Sunday, July 24th.
SHATNER ON SHATNER – Thursday, July 21 | 4:30 – 5:30pm | Hall H
Join acclaimed actor, writer, spoken word artist, and astronaut(!) William Shatner and moderator Kevin Smith as they discuss Bill’s illustrious and amazing career, upcoming projects, and his new deep-dive documentary from Legion M by acclaimed pop culture documentarian Alexandre O. Philippe (The People vs George Lucas, 78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene, Memory: The Origins of Alien) that takes an up-close, intimate exploration of Shatner’s personal journey over his nine decades on Earth. Kevin and Bill will be joined by Philippe and producers from Legion M (Jay and Silent Bob: Reboot, Mandy) and Exhibit A Pictures (The People vs George Lucas, 78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene) and will end the panel with what promises to be unforgettable Q&A with the audience.
CELEBRATING WILLIAM SHATNER – Thursday, July 21 / Tickets available for purchase at shop.legionm.com/pages/shatner-sdcc-2022.
Join Legion M to celebrate William Shatner and immortalize an icon with a handprint ceremony in the lobby of Theatre Box San Diego, plus exclusive autograph sessions and an intimate evening rooftop afterparty (tickets for each event sold separately).
HANDPRINT CEREMONY
10:00 – 11:00am
WILLIAM SHATNER SIGNING AND PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
11:30am – 12:30pm; 6:15pm – 7:15pm
AN EVENING AND PERFORMANCE WITH WILLIAM SHATNER
8:00 – 10:30pm
SIMON PEGG IS NANDOR FODOR, PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR – Friday, July 22 | 5:15 – 6:15pm | Ballroom 20
In 1935, Hungarian-American para-psychologist Nandor Fodor began his investigation of a strange occurrence on the Isle of Man. An average British family, the Irvings, claimed to be haunted by a mysterious entity at their farm. Was it a demon? A ghost? No. It was a talking mongoose name ‘Gef.’
Join stars Christopher Lloyd – with special video messages from stars Simon Pegg and Minnie Driver, as Adam Sigal (Chariot) director of the upcoming dark comedy, associate producer Clare King (Legion M) and members from the film’s creative team discuss how this wildly original story based on true and very strange events made its curious path to the screen and how fans can get involved.
LEGION M: HOW FANS ARE DISRUPTING HOLLYWOOD BY EQUITY CROWDFUNDING – Saturday, July 23 | 4:15 – 5:15pm | Room 6DE
Legion M is the world’s first fan-owned entertainment company. Through equity crowdfunding, they’ve made it possible for anyone to become an entertainment investor. Get an up-close look at how Legion M has brought to the big screen films like Kevin Smith’s Jay and Silent Bob: Reboot and Nicholas Cage’s Mandy – and how you can be involved, too.
Join Legion M executives Jeff Annison, Terri Lubaroff and David Baxter as they discuss their latest projects: Halloween thriller The Man in the White Van with director Warren Skeels (Siesta Key) with special video messages from stars Sean Astin (Goonies, The Lord of the Rings), Madison Wolfe (The Conjuring 2), and Brec Bassinger (Stargirl) along with producer Anne Marie Gillen (Fried Green Tomatoes) and Defiant: The Robert Smalls Story with producer Marvin ‘Krondon’ Jones (Black Lightning).
DARKNIGHTS AND DAYDREAMS: FROM BATMAN TO BROADWAY – Saturday, July 23 | 6:45 – 7:45pm | Room 6DE
How far would you go to make your dreams come true? Devastated by how Batman was portrayed as a campy joke in the 1960s television series, teenager Michael Uslan vowed to show the world the dark and serious vigilante envisioned by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. He didn’t stop until he’s acquired the film rights to the character and began an impressive four decades producing Batman on film – starting with Michael Keaton’s Batman in 1989. Now Michael’s story is on its way to Broadway!
Join Batman Franchise producer Michael Uslan, Broadway producer Don Franzt (Beauty and the Beast) and Legion M’s VP Development David Baxter for a lively discussion of the journey of adapting Uslan’s inspirational memoir The Boy Who Loved Batman for the Broadway stage … along with a fabulous Batman Q&A and special video messages from director Lonny Price (Sunset Boulevard), screenwriter Alan Zweibel (Curb Your Enthusiasm), and producer Robert Nederlander Jr. (CEO Nederlander Entertainment).
Sex and the City‘s Kim Cattrall is confirmed to star in Netflix’s Glamorous, a new drama set in the beauty industry. The series comes from writer/executive producer Jordon Nardino (Star Trek: Discovery) and will feature Cattrall as Madolyn Addison, the CEO of Glamorous.
Netflix describes Kim Cattrall’s character as “a veteran from the Golden Age of Supermodels who is the founder and CEO of the prestigious boutique beauty brand that bears her name. The quick-witted executive is focused on shaking up her business and sees an opportunity in Marco Mejia (Miss Benny), taking him from the makeup counter to a seat at the table, ruffling feathers along the way.”
Miss Benny, Zane Phillips, Jade Payton, Michael Hsu Rosen, Ayesha Harris, and Graham Parkhurst are also on board as series regulars in the 10-episode first season.
Two Shakes Entertainment’s Damon Wayans Jr. and Kameron Tarlow join Nardino as executive producers. The drama is a production of CBS Studios.
The Plot:Glamorous tells the story of Marco Mejia, a young gender non-conforming queer man whose life seems to be stuck in place until he lands a job working for legendary makeup mogul Madolyn Addison. It’s Marco’s first chance to figure out what he wants out of life, who he actually is, and what it really means for him to be queer.
GLAMOROUS CAST AND CHARACTERS:
Miss Benny [they/them] plays Marco Mejia, a young gender non-conforming queer man whose life seems to be stuck in place until he lands a job working for Madolyn.
Zane Phillips [he/him] (Legacies) will play “Chad,” devoted son to Madolyn and the Director of Sales for her beauty empire, who is caught in a never-ending quest to live up to his mother’s expectations.
Jade Payton [she/her] (Dynasty) will play “Venetia,” Madolyn’s ambitious and chic first assistant who takes the newly-hired Marco under her wing, showing him not only how to navigate the office, but queer Brooklyn nightlife as well.
Michael Hsu Rosen [he/him] (Tiny Pretty Things) plays “Ben,” a graphic designer at Glamorous by Madolyn, full of angst and opinions, who has built a wall around his heart. That is, until he meets Marco, and is inspired to stumble out of his comfort zone.
Ayesha Harris [she/her] (Daisy Jones and The Six) plays “Britt,” a fellow graphic designer at Glamorous by Madolyn, who finds her long-time crush on her colleague requited when they match by surprise, sparking a relationship that gets serious in more ways than one.
Graham Parkhurst [he/him] (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds) plays “Parker,” a confident, self-proclaimed jock who symbolizes unobtainable gay cis-male perfection. He has a chance encounter with Marco that sets in motion a game of pursuit.
GUEST STARS:
Diana Maria Riva [she/her] (Dead To Me) plays “Julia,” Marco’s unpretentious, no-nonsense mother who wishes her son would up his dreams of social media stardom and get a real job, which he finally does — much to her surprise — when he starts working for Madolyn.
Lisa Gilroy [she/her] (Jury Duty) plays “Alyssasays,” a first-generation social media influencer who pivoted to a career in marketing and now runs all social accounts at Glamorous by Madolyn, fiercely clinging to her former glory days.
Mark Deklin [he/him] (Good Fight) plays “James,” a charming and creative but underemployed documentary filmmaker whose chance encounter with the famous Madolyn Addison tumbles into an unexpected romance.
In The Heights‘ Melissa Barrera stars as a young woman who hops on a plane completely unaware her life’s about to drastically change in Netflix’s limited series Keep Breathing. The streaming service’s official trailer shows Barrera’s character, Liv, surviving a plane crash and then fighting to stay alive in inhospitable conditions.
The six-episode limited series also stars Jeff Wilbusch (Unorthodox) as Danny, Austin Stowell (Catch-22) as Sam, Juan Pablo Espinosa (Half Brothers) as Liv’s father, and Florencia Lozano (Narcos) as Liv’s mother.
Blindspot‘s Brendan Gall and Martin Gero guide the limited series as co-showrunners. Gero, Gall, and Maggie Kiley (Dr. Death) executive produce. Kiley’s also the director of episodes one, two, and three. Rebecca Rodriguez directs episodes four, five, and six.
Keep Breathing is set to premiere on Thursday, July 28, 2022.
Netflix’s official synopsis:
“When a small plane crashes in the middle of the Canadian wilderness, a lone woman (Melissa Barrera) must battle the elements — and her personal demons— to survive.”
Cole Sprouse to star in ‘Lisa Frankenstein’ (Photo by Richard Chavez / Showbiz Junkies)
Riverdale‘s Cole Sprouse and Big Little Lies‘ Kathryn Newton have signed up to star in Lisa Frankenstein, an updated twist on the classic horror story. Oscar winner Diablo Cody (Best Original Screenplay, Juno) is writing the screenplay and Zelda Williams will be making her feature-length film directorial debut with the project.
Focus Features offers the following description of Lisa Frankenstein:
“Set in 1989, an unpopular high schooler accidentally re-animates a handsome Victorian corpse during a lightning storm and starts to rebuild him into the man of her dreams using the broken tanning bed in her garage.”
Zelda Williams took to Twitter to talk about the film which she labels a zomb-com: “I know Hollywood gets a bad rep for regurgitating sequels and remakes and reboots over and over and over… and yeah, it totally does that! But it’s also finally letting me make the most bonkers, wonderful zombie script I’ve ever read, and for that, I will be forever grateful!”
Williams also tweeted: “Also, for anyone coming here to be like ‘THIS is your first feature?!’, it wasn’t meant to be. I had three films fall apart before this, because movies often do. It was discouraging, to say the least. But the fact this one survived and THRIVED to be my first? A f*cking gift.”
Screenwriter Cody will be involved as a producer along with MXN Entertainment’s Mason Novick. Cody and Novick previously worked together on Tully, Young Adult, Jennifer’s Body, and Juno. Jeff Lambert is executive producing.
Cole Sprouse’s credits include Riverdale, Moonshot, and Five Feet Apart. Kathryn Newton starred in Big Little Lies, The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, Freaky, and The Society.
Caitlin Bassett as Addison and Raymond Lee as Dr. Ben Seong in ‘Quantum Leap’ (Photo by: Serguei Bachlakov/NBC)
NBC’s fall 2022-2023 primetime lineup will include the reboot of Quantum Leap and the premiere of Lopez vs. Lopez starring George Lopez. The network just announced the premiere dates for their fall schedule that’s set to kick off on September 8, 2022 with the Buffalo Bills taking on the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football.
NBC‘s fall roster also includes back-to-back Chicago shows airing on Wednesday nights as well as Law & Order Thursdays. La Brea is back for season two, New Amsterdam returns for its fifth and final season, and Young Rock will debut season three in November.
NBC’s Fall 2022 Premiere Dates:
Thursday, Sept. 8
8:15-11:30 p.m. – Sunday Night Football: NFL Kickoff Game (Buffalo Bills vs. Los Angeles Rams)
Friday, Sept. 9
8-10 p.m. – Capital One College Bowl (Back-to-back episodes this night only)
Sunday, Sept. 11
8:15-11:30 p.m. – Sunday Night Football (Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys)
Friday, Nov. 4
8 p.m. – Lopez vs. Lopez
8:30 p.m. – Young Rock
QUANTUM LEAP
It’s been nearly 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. Now, a new team, led by physicist Ben Song (Raymond Lee), has been assembled to restart the project in hope of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it.
Everything changes, however, when Ben makes an unauthorized leap into the past, leaving the team behind to solve the mystery of why he did it. At Ben’s side throughout his leaps is Addison (Caitlin Bassett), who appears in the form of a hologram only Ben can see and hear. She’s a decorated Army veteran who brings level-headed precision to her job.
At the helm of the highly confidential operation is Herbert “Magic” Williams (Ernie Hudson), a no-nonsense career military man who has to answer to his bosses who won’t be happy once they learn about the breach of protocol. The rest of the team at headquarters includes Ian Wright (Mason Alexander Park), who runs the Artificial Intelligence unit “Ziggy,” and Jenn Chou (Nanrisa Lee), who heads up digital security for the project.
As Ben leaps from life to life, putting right what once went wrong, it becomes clear that he and the team are on a thrilling journey. However, Addison, Magic, Ian and Jenn know that if they are going to solve the mystery of Ben’s leap and bring him home, they must act fast or lose him forever.
LOPEZ VS. LOPEZ
A working-class family comedy about dysfunction, reconnection and all the pain and joy in between.
The cast includes George Lopez, Mayan Lopez, Selenis Leyva, Brice Gonzalez, Matt Shively, Laci Mosley (recurring) and Kiran Deol (recurring).
