Jordan Peele’s Nope drops its first official trailer which seems to indicate Earth’s about to host some unwelcome visitors. The two-minute video starts off innocently enough, introducing the owners of the Hayward Ranch – the only Black-owned horse trainers in Hollywood. But relatively calm days on the ranch are broken up by the appearance of something strange in the sky.
Described as an “expansive horror epic,” Nope reunites writer/director Jordan Peele with his Get Out star Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya. Nope also stars Keke Palmer (Hustlers), Steven Yeun (Minari), Michael Wincott (24: Live Another Day), and Brandon Perea (The OA).
The very short synopsis reveals Kaluuya, Palmer, and Yeun play “residents in a lonely gulch of inland California who bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.”
Jordan Peele produces for his Monkeypaw Productions along with Ian Cooper.
Universal Pictures will release Nope in theaters on July 22, 2022.
Poster for Jordan Peele’s ‘Nope’ (Photo Credit: Universal Pictures)
The group’s forced to spend time they don’t have fixing as many wagons as possible in the aftermath of the devastating storm as Paramount+’s 1883 season one episode eight begins. It’s been three days since the storm struck and Elsa (Isabel May) notes that’s the longest they’ve stayed in one place since setting out on this adventure.
“I haven’t thought once of Oregon…no dreams of the ocean or snow-covered mountains. I only dream of the journey – that is all. No gold for me, just the rainbow,” confesses Elsa as she rides out to meet her dad, Sam, Two Feathers, Charlie, Shea, and Thomas.
They head away from camp and come upon wild mustangs. Sam (Martin Sensmeier) suggests they tire them out and then separate the stallion. The rest will follow them back to camp.
Sam and Elsa work like a team to snag the stallion. Shea (Sam Elliott) notes Elsa’s beginning to ride like a Comanche and James (Tim McGraw) doesn’t respond. Charlie (Taylor Sheridan) assures him that’s a compliment.
The group returns to camp with the mustangs and the immigrants use their bodies and a rope to form a makeshift corral. Once that task’s complete, Elsa receives yet another compliment. Two Feathers (David Midthunder) says she “rides too good for white man pants.” Sam agrees.
During a short meal break Charlie confirms things are rough around Laramie. The Arapahoe and the Lakota are angry over thieves and the government’s lies. Charlie doesn’t blame them for taking matters into their own hands.
Charlie believes Shea should be worried about the winter, especially given the fact so many of the travelers are on foot. Shea’s beginning to think it would be best to take everyone to Denver and Charlie agrees.
After Charlie and the Comanche walk away to tend to the horses, James reminds Shea the immigrants should have a say in where they’re heading. James confirms he’s not going to Denver. He’s also not about to turn around at this point.
Margaret (Faith Hill) and Elsa are nearby and overhear this discussion. Elsa asks if her mom wants to go to Denver and Margaret says what she wants has never factored into the equation. Once James is set on a course, there’s no stopping him. He’s asked her to trust he’ll make the right decisions.
Margaret believes the reason James lets Elsa run free now is that he’s certain in the future she’ll be back in dresses, taking care of a family, and tending a garden. “…And swallowing every dream you’ve ever had because that’s all the world wants from you,” says Margaret.
Comanches appear on the horizon and the immigrants panic. They grab rifles and Shea orders them to put their guns down. When they don’t immediately do so, Charlie pulls his gun on Josef’s family and tells them to lower their weapons. Charlie explains that if the Native Americans weren’t friendly, they’d have already slaughtered Josef’s group.
Thankfully, the Comanches are there to trade as the group’s dangerously short on provisions.
James makes a trade for bullets and then asks about a helmet in the man’s possession. The Comanche explains the Spaniards attempted to take their land, just like the white man. He believes the white men are like wolves, killing everything until only wolves are left. Ultimately, they’ll turn on each other and the land will be free again.
“That sounds about right,” says James.
Charlie and Shea spot a group of bandits leaving the area without attacking. Charlie’s going to follow them and suggests Shea get the group on the road as soon as possible. The old friends shake hands and Shea says he hopes the next time they meet up is in a saloon – not a gunfight. Charlie jokes that if he’s in a saloon it’s to get into a gunfight with a cattle thief.
Shea confesses this is his last time on a trail, so this is most likely their final goodbye. He tips his hat as Charlie rides off to follow the bandits.
Sam pays for Elsa to get a pair of chaps, and Wade (James Landry Hébert) says this means she’s officially a cowboy now.
Shea has Josef (Marc Rissmann) translate as he explains only the young and very old can ride in the wagons. Everyone else must walk or ride a horse. Shea also explains if they’re lucky they will reach Fort Laramie in October. They’ll be traveling in the snow or forced to stay in Fort Laramie for the winter.
Shea says the only other viable option is they head to Denver and make their homes there instead of Oregon.
James and Margaret have a whispered conversation and he confirms they won’t be stopping.
Josef stops translating to ask about the land in Denver. Shea acknowledges it won’t be free but at least they’ll be alive when they make it there. He says they can push on in the spring if that’s what the group wants.
James interrupts and tells everyone he’s heading north. All are welcome to join him, but he warns he won’t be babying the group. If they come with him, they’ll need to learn to ride and be prepared to work and keep up. James won’t be crossing the mountains in the snow and won’t stop for the winter in Fort Laramie.
Shea’s certain James will get everyone killed but Josef commits the group to moving ahead with him.
Meanwhile, Sam and Elsa discuss their future. Elsa’s leaning toward staying but is surprised when Sam says mountains are worth seeing. A smile lights up her face when Sam explains he can take her to see them – she doesn’t need a wagon to do it.
“It’s settled. You’ll take me then,” proclaims Elsa.
Suddenly, Sam springs to his feet and announces he intends to give something to Elsa’s father in exchange for her. He’s only a few feet away when he falls silent and motions for her to follow him. She rushes to his side as they peek over a ridge and spot a herd of buffalo. Sam thinks wherever Lightning with the Yellow Hair goes a blessing follows.
He teaches her to hunt a buffalo and instructs her to shoot behind its ear. She kills her first buffalo and Sam’s impressed. Sam cuts out its heart and offers her a bite, saying, “His strength is your strength.”
Elsa takes a bite and has blood smeared around her mouth as she laughs and hands the heart back to Sam.
They ride back to camp and Sam proudly holds the heart over his head. His fellow Comanches cheer while the immigrants look confused. The Comanches saddle up and follow Sam out to the dead buffalo.
Margaret notices her daughter’s huge smile and bloody face and wonders what she’s done. Elsa proudly proclaims she killed a buffalo and Margaret’s speechless.
Night has almost fallen when Thomas (LaMonica Garrett) informs Shea he’s going to make sure Noemi gets to Oregon. Thomas firmly believes they don’t stand a chance without Shea’s help and asks him not to leave. Elsa rides up as they’re talking and once again announces she’s killed a buffalo. She also informs the men she ate its heart to get its strength. Elsa asks where Shea’s heading and Shea briefly pauses before replying, “Oregon, honey, with you.”
Elsa informs them she’s staying put and not going to Oregon.
Margaret and James relax by the campfire and James confirms the group will be getting up at the crack of dawn to leave. Margaret wants to talk about “his” daughter and fills him on Elsa’s busy day of buffalo killing. She describes her daughter as feral and all James can do is chuckle.
Margaret’s sure when they get to civilization she’ll have to undo everything Elsa’s learned, but James wonders if she really has to. James knows Margaret and Elsa are both dreamers.
Sam rides up and James is shocked to learn Elsa wants to stay. James calls out for his daughter who’s busy selecting items she’ll no longer need. Elsa acknowledges she knows what Sam wants and suggests her dad accept the horse Sam’s offering.
Margaret won’t allow this, but Elsa reminds her she’s 18 and this is her life. Elsa is by Sam’s side as Margaret asks James to stop their daughter from leaving, even if it means shooting Sam. James refuses to act and instead takes a seat back by the fire as Sam and Elsa leave camp.
Margaret’s absolutely livid as she enters their tent without her husband or daughter.
Elsa and Sam lie naked under the stars as in a voice-over she says she understands her mother’s way of thinking. Elsa knows she’ll face prejudices by remaining but she’s willing to face whatever comes.
Shea joins James by the fire and offers a swig of alcohol. He and Cookie watched Elsa leave and they think James might need a drink. James thinks Elsa’s going to fall in love with every man she meets until one sticks. Shea believes Elsa will miss her family and return in a few days but James isn’t so sure.
Shea and James discuss their plans and Shea has come to the conclusion the group trusts James and James trusts the group. James says he trusts their desire to make it to Oregon, and Shea’s decided he’s going to trust James. Shea will guide them but James will be their new leader.
Morning arrives and Margaret catches up with Elsa by the river. Elsa confesses she’s happy and Margaret’s certain her daughter will get hurt. They argue over whether or not Elsa understands the concept of love, and Margaret believes it’s her duty to pick up her daughter when she falls. Elsa informs her mom it’s no longer her duty to do so. She’s a woman now and can pick herself up.
“I’ll ride with you to Oregon then I’ll know where to come if I ever need a place to start over. Maybe I’ll just visit…bring your grandchildren,” says Elsa.
Margaret wants Elsa to have a ceremony and exchange vows before God so the relationship has a chance. Elsa reminds her Sam saved her life twice and also saved James’. She doesn’t need to ask permission of God to love Sam because God sent him to her.
The group heads out and at least for now Sam and a half-dozen of his friends accompany them. Some of the immigrants walk while others, including Noemi, learn to ride. Thomas helps her out and they have a good time riding alongside the cattle.
Josef’s wife, Risa, also learns to ride and she’s all smiles as she figures out how to handle a horse.
Sam informs James there’s water up ahead and they should rest a bit. Plus, it’s a good place to break a stallion.
James has no idea how you work a stallion in the water and watches as Sam takes the horse into the river, climbs into the saddle, and speaks gently to the animal until it appears he’s calmed down. Sam announces the horse is broke now but James thinks he’s still weeks away from that. Handing over the reins, Sam tells James to run him if he wants the horse to give him his heart.
James rides off on the stallion and eventually heads back toward camp. He stops a bit away from the wagons, looks out over the prairie, and appreciates its beauty. In camp, Margaret spots her husband in the distance and says out loud, “That’s where she gets it from.”
James rejoins Sam at the river and they talk about Elsa. Sam says he’ll build her a house if that’s what she wants. Both men seem to believe Elsa would rather be out chasing bandits instead of staying home. James is worried Elsa’s young and will change her mind, and Sam assures him if that happens, he’ll return her to her family.
James asks if Sam will travel with them to Oregon, but Sam doesn’t want to leave his land. He’s fought too hard to keep it and is aware it could be ripped away. Sam says, “I’ll marry your daughter but I still belong to the people and the people belong to this land.”
Sam adds, “We don’t dare leave it. Maybe someday you’ll find land to belong to and you’ll know what I mean.”
Before going to bed Margaret and James have another discussion about Elsa. Margaret’s come to terms with the fact they can’t force Elsa to stay with them. However, the fact she’s going to ride with them to Oregon and return to Sam in the spring leaves the door open for Elsa to change her mind and fall in love in Oregon. They share a laugh over the possibility Elsa will fall in love again before they even make it to Nebraska.
Elsa and Sam spend another night alone under the stars. She asks how to say I love you in his language and how to say Lightning with the Yellow Hair. She’s eager to learn more and proves to be a fast learner as he caresses different parts of her body while naming each one.
Elsa wakes and discovers Sam has gifted her a gorgeous Comanche shirt. She wears it as the group gets on the move once more.
They pause by crosses marking graves and notice wagon wheel tracks in the dirt. Shea points out they have a path to follow and admits they might just pull this off.
Sam and Elsa make plans to meet again when the flowers bloom in June. They kiss and Sam and the Comanches leave the group as Elsa yells out in his language that she loves him. Sam replies, “Lightning with the Yellow Hair, know this is your home. Know I am waiting. Know you fill my heart. Know you are the wife of a warrior. Know you are a warrior!”
The Comanche circle Elsa and then ride off, leaving Elsa to watch after them in tears. In a voiceover, Elsa says that while tears may flow, she will not weep. She is a warrior and warriors don’t cry.
Love, lust, jealousy, heartbreak, betrayal, revenge, greed and, of course, murder are all part of the mix in this lavish, big-screen adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile featuring Kenneth Branagh in his second outing as the world’s greatest detective Hercule Poirot. The film’s set in 1937 and finds Poirot in Egypt on holiday when he runs into his trusted friend Bouc (Tom Bateman) who’s also on vacation with his mother, Euphemia (Annette Bening).
While spending time with Bouc, Poirot meets a pair of newlyweds – the elegant and incredibly rich heiress Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot) and her good-looking new husband, Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer). Linnet insists that Poirot join their wedding party which is made up of all her closest friends. However, the arrival of an uninvited guest quickly kills the mood of the event. The unwelcome addition to the party is Jacqueline de Bellefort (Emma Mackey), Linnet’s former best friend and Simon’s jilted lover. It seems Miss Bellefort has been stalking the couple, unable to accept that Simon no longer loves her. She’s also carrying a .22-caliber handgun in her purse.
Desperate to try and salvage her honeymoon and escape her stalker, Linnet invites her guests on board the riverboat – the S.S. Karnak – which she booked to celebrate with champagne, good food, and a trip down the Nile. Linnet also invites Poirot and seeks his guidance on the best course of action in dealing with Jacqueline. She confides in him that she doesn’t trust any of her companions with her safety, saying, “When you have money, no one is ever really your friend.”
Jacqueline boards the Karnak while everyone’s off touring the sites of the Nile. Later that night, gunshots are heard and a passenger’s wounded while another is dead from a shot to the head.
So, it’s up to the world’s greatest detective to solve the murder, which is especially difficult when the prime suspect has a solid alibi and a witness to back it up.
Poirot’s laundry list of suspects includes Linnet’s former fiancé, Dr. Windlesham (Russell Brand); Linnet’s cousin, Katchadourian (Ali Fazal); Linnet’s godmother, Marie Van Schuyler (Jennifer Saunders) and her nurse, Bowers (Dawn French); Linnet’s loyal maid, Louise Borget (Rose Leslie), Bouc and his mother, the Blues singer Salome Otterbourne (Sophie Okonedo) and her manager-niece Rosalie (Letitia Wright).
Searching for the gun, looking for clues, and interrogating everyone on board one by one, Poirot slowly discovers the murder was not a sudden act of violence but in fact methodically planned.
Directed by Kenneth Branagh, Death on the Nile is a sluggish and overly dramatic whodunit that’s missing the suspense, mystery, intrigue, and fun of the far superior 1978 film version. It’s a stylish bore of a murder mystery that takes far too long to get to its first murder and has a star-studded ensemble cast who deliver lifeless and forgettable performances. Branagh is the exception, bringing Poirot back to life on the silver screen with an air of likeability and humor. He’s a determined, arrogant, and brilliant detective who’s still haunted by parts of his past. Branagh has made the role his own and it’s an entertaining and solid interpretation of Agatha Christie’s famous detective.
Armie Hammer is horribly miscast as Simon Doyle and has zero chemistry with either Gadot or Mackey. There’s a scene in which his character’s supposed to be overwhelmed with grief, but Hammer’s performance created chuckles and laughter from the audience at this film critic’s screening.
Gal Gadot’s best scenes in the film are opposite Branagh as she shows Linnet’s vulnerable side and true fear of what Jacqueline is capable of. It’s the only time her character comes off authentic in the film.
The set design, costumes, and production of the film are adequate but fail to impress.
Missing thrills, suspense, and intriguing characters, Branagh’s remake of Death on the Nile is a complete misfire.
GRADE: C-
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for violence, some bloody images, and sexual material
Release Date: February 11, 2022
Running Time: 2 hours 7 minutes
Two-time Grammy-nominated group BTS and HYBE have teamed up with WEBTOON to create 7Fates: CHAKHO. The story launched in January 2022 in 10 different languages and instantly became a big hit, drawing in more than 15 million views within two days of its release.
This isn’t the first time global phenoms BTS have teamed up with WEBTOON. In 2019, they released Save Me, which featured protagonist Kim Seok-jin (named after BTS’ Jin) trapped in a time loop. The only way he could escape was by accomplishing the task of saving his six best friends from their unhappy fates.
It was announced in January that BTS members Jungkook and SUGA would be releasing an original soundtrack for 7Fates: CHAKHO titled “Stay Alive.” The vocals are performed by Jungkook and the song is produced by SUGA. The full song was released on February 11, 2022.
Fans got a sneak peek of the song when it was partially revealed on February 4th along with episode four of 7Fates: CHAKHO, exclusively on the digital comics platform WEBTOON. This is the first time WEBTOON has used an original soundtrack as background music in global releases.
“Stay Alive (Vocals by Jungkook Prod. SUGA of BTS)” is described in the official press release as “a pop ballad that exudes a dreamy, sublime energy that complements the storyline and atmosphere of the urban fantasy story that portrays confrontations between humans and the Beom tribe in a corrupt world. BTS’ SUGA took on the role of producer of the song while Jungkook’s soulful vocals capture the essence of the story’s characters and narrative.”
The “Stay Alive” song title is a reference to the characters needing to survive in a ruthless world. Webtoon offers up this full description of 7Fates: Chakho:
“7FATES: CHAKHO is a dynamic story following seven young men bound by fate. After growing up together through a series of trials and tribulations, they must become a unified group of seven to unlock their destiny. 7FATES: CHAKHO is an urban fantasy story set in the near future, inspired by the “Chakhogapsa” tiger hunters of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea. The story is HYBE’s reinterpretation of traditional Korean tiger tales and a mythological world of wild beasts.”
New episodes drop every Saturday.
The original soundtrack has already reached number one on US iTunes within hours of its release and has gone number one on iTunes in over 80 countries and counting. “Stay Alive” is available on all major streaming platforms.
Character Break Down:
RM – Dogeon
Jin – Hawan
Suga – Cein
Jhope – Hosu
Jimin – Haru
V – Jooan
Jungkook – Zeha
Warner Bros. Pictures just released a one minute video showcasing their slate of DC Comics-inspired superhero films heading to theaters in 2022. The video teases the world needs heroes while offering up our first look at Hawkman, Cyclone, Dr. Fate, and Atom Smasher.
The video includes scenes from Warner Bros. Pictures’ The Batman starring Robert Pattinson, Black Adam with Dwayne Johnson, The Flash with Ezra Miller, and Aquaman and The Lost King starring Jason Momoa. Plus, WB released new photos from their upcoming slate of superhero films.
Jason Momoa in ‘Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom’ (Photo Credit: Warner Bros and DC)Jason Momoa in ‘Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom’ (Photo Credit: Warner Bros and DC)Aldis Hodge as Hawkman in ‘Black Adam’ (Photo Credit: Warner Bros and DC)Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Fate in ‘Black Adam’ (Photo Credit: Warner Bros and DC)Ezra Miller stars in ‘The Flash’ (Photo Credit: Warner Bros and DC)Robert Pattinson stars in ‘The Batman’ (Photo Credit: Warner Bros and DC)Dwayne Johnson stars in ‘Black Adam’ (Photo Credit: Warner Bros and DC)
The Dead Files is set to return with new episodes beginning Saturday, February 26, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT on Travel Channel and discovery+. The team of former NYPD homicide detective Steve DiSchiavi and physical medium Amy Allan will be traveling to South Carolina, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio to investigate strange happenings and help out property owners who believe they’re the victims of paranormal activity.
DiSchiavi and Allan focus on different aspects of the investigation, with the former homicide detective tracking down facts regarding each location. Allan uses her skills as a medium and attempts to communicate with the dead.
Travel Channel released the following description of the new The Dead Files episodes along with air dates:
In the premiere episode, Steve DiSchiavi and Amy Allan travel to Bluffton, South Carolina, where a distraught restaurant owner is convinced something evil is out to ruin her business. Aside from the shocking amount of bad luck the owner and her husband have endured, they are also hearing voices, seeing ghastly apparitions and experiencing deteriorating health and drastic mood changes. Their staff are scared, and they fear their customers could be the next targets.
As DiSchiavi uncovers a deep and disturbing history of the property, Allan immediately encounters a hoard of entities and shadow figures surrounding the building – waiting to terrorize any that cross their path. Exhausted and out of options, the owner clings to the hope that DiSchiavi and Allan can help stop the dead from overrunning the restaurant and her life.
“Hell’s Kitchen” – Premieres Saturday, February 26 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channel
A restaurant owner is convinced that evil spirits are out to ruin her business in Bluffton, South Carolina. Exhausted and out of options, she clings to the hope that Amy Allan and Steve DiSchiavi can help stop the dead from overrunning the restaurant and her life.
“They Come at Night” – Premieres Saturday, March 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channel
A distraught woman in Flatwoods, Kentucky, claims an evil presence in her home killed her best friend. She’s terrified that if Amy Allan and Steve DiSchiavi can’t uncover the source of the violent paranormal activity, she and her sister may be next.
“Sudden Awakening” – Premieres Saturday, March 12 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channel
In Shelby Township, Michigan, a mom’s perfect life is crumbling before her eyes as the dead invade her home. She makes a desperate plea to Steve DiSchiavi and Amy Allan to make sense of the unexplained activity and save her family from a menacing entity called the “Tall Killer.”
“Protect the Children” – Premieres Saturday, March 19 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channel
Amy Allan and Steve DiSchiavi travel to Northfield, Ohio, to help a desperate mother who claims an evil presence is threatening her children and tearing her marriage apart. The family must conquer this dark energy before it destroys their happiness once and for all.
Angela Black writers Harry and Jack Williams describe the limited series as a Hitchcockian psychological thriller. The sibling writing team set out to write a series about finding suspense in the little moments and in the little details, and they succeeded in creating a show that keeps the audience guessing and on the edge of their seats throughout its six-episode season.
In support of the series’ recent premiere on Spectrum, executive producer Christopher Aird joined stars Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey) and Samuel Adewunmi (The Last Tree) for the 2022 Television Critics Association’s virtual winter press tour. Froggatt plays the titular character, a wife and mother involved in an abusive relationship who’s willing to do whatever it takes to keep her children safe. Adewunmi co-stars as a private investigator who further complicates her life.
Joanne Froggatt did her homework to make sure she was realistically portraying a victim of domestic abuse.
“I did a lot of research and I read three books – one called You Can’t Run by a woman called Mandy Thomas, one called Beautiful by Katie Piper, and one called Brutally Honest by Melanie B. – all giving very differing accounts of their own experiences of domestic abuse, psychological and physical. But all three women writing incredibly openly and candidly and viscerally about their experiences. We also had Women’s Aid on board with our show from the very beginning, which is a British charity who support victims of domestic abuse. They were really pivotal in our show. They helped Jack and Harry at the scriptwriting stage, advised on all sorts of issues and the psychology of the characters.
And then when I came on board, they were incredibly helpful with me. They pointed me in the right direction of really useful research material. I spoke to some of their counselors. I also watched a lot of documentaries. I just wanted to sort of immerse myself as much as possible and in the subject matter find out as much information as possible from a psychological side, and also the obvious emotional side because I need to play Angela. And I then from there wanted to build a character and build a psychological profile for her, if you like, that I wanted to know what she’s thinking, what she’s feeling throughout the whole journey that we find her on,” explained Froggatt.
Froggatt said sometimes you just know a project’s right and with this one it was impossible to say no. “I’d worked with Jack and Harry before and everyone at Two Brothers on Liar, a show we did together a few years ago. And I’d had a fantastic experience working with them and I just love the company. It was a very collaborative experience. And then they sent me the script for Angela Black. They sent me the first three episodes, and I just read through all three in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down,” explained Froggatt. “So yeah, I just jumped at the chance to be able to play her.”
Samuel Adewunmi was hooked by all the twists and turns leading up to the series’ finale. “At the beginning of the show, it’s quite dark and somewhat harrowing from the first pages. And I’m the sort of weirdo that likes stuff like that…stuff that makes me feel something, whether that’s discomfort or extreme joy or extreme sadness,” said Adewunmi. “There was just a part of me that really empathized with Angela’s character but was also really curious as to where the story was going.
I think I watched maybe a couple of Harry and Jack’s stuff before and so, with this one, I was expecting to feel how I felt which was to feel kind of thrilled by this thriller. But at the same time, it made me massively uncomfortable. And as an artist, I think it’s always cool and interesting to try and tell stories that make you feel that way because, obviously, it just means that something inside you has sparked and something inside you has triggered.”
Adewunmi continued: “And as I continued to read the script, I was even more engrossed – a lot by Angela’s character and just how she was going to sort of fight for her survival, fight for her life, fight for her kids. And, of course, my character, Ed, being the mysterious guy that he is, being able to peel the onion, as it were, behind him and then try and learn more about him as the script went on.
I can’t say too much but it was really cool just to see how Ed developed as a character and sort of start to learn a bit more about what his true intentions are as the series progressed.”
Samuel Adewunmi and Joanne Froggatt star in Spectrum’s ‘Angela Black’
Joanne Froggatt explained that as the series gets underway, Angela’s doing her best to appear as though her life is completely normal. By all outward appearances, Angela’s in a loving relationship and has a happy family life.
“She has this beautiful home. She’s got a beautiful husband, two beautiful children. But when you scratch the surface, the reality is very, very different. And when we meet her, she’s really in a place where she’s lost herself and she’s lost her voice. She’s lost confidence in her own sense of self, really, and her own mind in some ways,” explained Froggatt. “So, we go on such a journey with her that sort of breaks her down even further, and then builds her back up again to be able to overcome, in some ways, the situation we find her in at the beginning.”
“So it was just such a roller coaster journey for her, and as an actor, they’re the most interesting roles to play that you can really, hopefully, bring the most nuance and really get to grips with the psychology of how she’s feeling and why she’s behaving in the ways that she is,” said Froggatt.
Samuel Adewunmi describes Ed as a mystery man who remains an enigma throughout the limited series.
“I think he acts as a catalyst for disruption from what has become the norm for Angela and Olivier (played by Michiel Huisman), which shouldn’t be normal for anyone, to be honest, but we know what the topic is about in terms of domestic violence. Ed just seems to be the catalyst to trying to change Angela’s path or Angela’s story, and I think when we meet him, even though he is shrouded in mystery, and even though we may feel as if we can’t trust him, when I first read the script I felt like he was just someone that really empathized for Angela and saw that she was a woman in a really difficult situation that no one really deserves to go through what Angela went, but Angela especially didn’t.
You know, she volunteered at that dogs’ home and she was a really good mother – and a really kind person – yet she was receiving this horrible treatment. And so I felt like Ed just seemed to be like this sort of saving grace, this angel in the night, as it were.
And then, of course, as the show progresses we start to peel away at his mystery a bit, and you start to learn a lot more about how and why he came into Angela’s life at the time that he did. So, yeah, that was a very fun character to play as well.”
Angela Black has the audience guessing up until its final episode. How good would Joanne Froggatt be at figuring out the clues that are dropped along the way if she was just watching the show? “I still didn’t know while we were filming it so there’s no chance I would know as a viewer,” replied Froggatt, laughing. “Because until we got the final episode, I was still guessing lots of parts of the story. I was just like, ‘Oh, wow, okay. This is happening.’
So yeah, I definitely would be still guessing!”
Samuel Adewunmi admits he’d be in the same boat. “I like to think that I’m quite smart with these things and try to figure it out before the ending but, again, I guess [it’s a] testament to how good the writing was. It kind of always kept me guessing. And, yeah, every twist and turn was very real. I was just like, ‘What, and then what? Oh, my God!’
Hopefully, that’s how audiences feel as well.”
“I think I would agree with that or I hope that certainly,” said Christopher Aird. “And I think audiences are extremely demanding now, and they need that sort of engagement. Jack and Harry have this extraordinary ability to wrong foot you at every turn.”
CBS’s FBI will return from a three-week break with season four episode 13, an episode that finds the team investigating the death of a Muslim college student. Directed by Alex Chapple from a script by Joe Halpin, episode 13 – “Pride and Prejudice” – will air on Tuesday, February 22, 2022 at 8pm ET/PT.
Missy Peregrym stars as Special Agent Maggie Bell, Zeeko Zaki is Special Agent Omar Adom ‘OA’ Zidan, and Jeremy Sisto plays Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine. The season four cast also includes Alana De La Garza as Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille, John Boyd as Special Agent Stuart Scola, and Katherine Renee Turner as Special Agent Tiffany Wallace.
Recurring cast members include Taylor Anthony Miller, Vedette Lim, Talia Thiesfield, Natascia Diaz, and Piter Marek.
“Pride and Prejudice” Plot – When a Muslim college student and his younger brother are murdered, the team connects with the outraged imam of OA’s former mosque, who insists the victims were wrongly targeted as terrorists. Also, OA must reconsider where his loyalties lie when working the case with a Muslim anti-terrorist agent bent on solving the investigation through any means necessary.
This new clip from Apple TV+’s Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock is specifically for those willing to believe it’s possible to love Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters even more. The two-minute video features the Foo Fighters and an assortment of Fraggles belting out “Fraggle Rock Rock” during the “Heart of the Garbage” episode.
“Well they threw us in a cage and there’s no key.
We gotta find a way that we can get free.
There’s just one thing that might be found.
Gotta rock this joint till the bars fall down.
‘Cause everybody here’s gotta shout till we all break out
Rock, rock, Fraggle Rock
We’re gonna rock our way to freedom.
Gonna roll right back and seat ’em.
Gonna flip flop skipity hop, Back to Fraggle Rock.“
The “Heart of the Garbage” episode finds Marjory becoming ill and Boober needing to head deep into the mountain of trash to help her. Meanwhile, Uncle Matt takes in a musical performance by the Foo Fighters.
The new Fraggle Rock series features beloved Fraggles Gobo, Red, Wembley, Mokey, and Boober joining new Fraggles for “hilarious, epic adventures about the magic that happens when we celebrate and care for our interconnected world.”
The Jim Henson Company’s Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford executive produce along with John Tartaglia and New Regency’s Yariv Milchan and Michael Schaefer. Matt Fusfeld and Alex Cuthbertson guide the series as showrunners and executive produce. Harvey Mason Jr. is the executive music producer and Ritamarie Peruggi serves as producer.
Renee O’Connor and Lucy Lawless in ‘My Life Is Murder’ season 2 (Photo Credit: Matt Klitscher / AcornTV)
AMC Networks has officially renewed AMC+’s Kin along with Acorn’s Bloodlands, My Life is Murder, and London Kills. Shudder’s Creepshow will return for season four and Slasher‘s getting a new installment with Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) attached to star.
McCormack will play Basil Garvey in Slasher: Ripper. The character’s described as a “charismatic tycoon whose success is only rivaled by his ruthlessness. He oversees a city on the cusp of a new century, and a social upheaval that will see its streets run red with blood.”
The renewal announcements were made during AMC Networks’ 2022 Television Critics Association’s virtual winter press tour. Details on the renewed series’ upcoming seasons were also laid out in the official announcement.
KIN:
The series starring Charlie Cox (Daredevil), Clare Dunne (Herself), Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones) and Ciarán Hinds (Belfast) charts the lives of the Kinsellas, a small but tight-knit crime family embroiled in a war against a powerful drug kingpin, Eamon Cunningham (Hinds). The new season, which begins production this summer, will see the Kinsellas as the top dogs in Dublin, but killing Eamon Cunningham has created as many problems as it solved. They have incurred the wrath of an enemy even more dangerous than him. And where once there was “the unbreakable bonds of blood and family,” now there is only suspicion, distrust and resentment. But the greatest threat to the family emerges from “within” – in the shape of ruthless, bullying, agent of chaos.
Fortunately, from positions of great adversity the boldest plans are often forged. And so it is with the Kinsellas.
BLOODLANDS:
In the action-packed season 2 of Bloodlands, a top performer for Acorn TV, James Nesbitt reprises his role as DCI Tom Brannick when the murder of a crooked accountant unravels a trail of greed that threatens to expose his identity as legendary assassin, Goliath, Tom and the accountant’s widow, Olivia (Victoria Smurfit), must keep each other dangerously close. As they try to solve the riddle her husband left behind, Tom and Olivia draw in Tom’s fellow officers DS Niamh McGovern (Charlene McKenna) DCS Jacki Twomey (Lorcan Cranitch) and DC “Birdy” Bird (Chris Walley), as well as his daughter, Izzy (Lola Petticrew), until deceit and betrayal build into a shattering climax.
MY LIFE IS MURDER: My Life is Murder returns with retired detective and sourdough superstar Alexa Crowe (Lucy Lawless) in 10 new episodes facing a raft of fascinating, powerful, and surprising suspects – from eccentric billionaires and grieving florists to tango dancers and fiery fashionistas. The only thing they have in common is that none of them are expecting Alexa’s unique brand of crime-solving…but they’ll quickly learn that you underestimate her at your own risk.
Her small ‘found family’ of fierce supporters, friends and fellow investigators are back: partner-in-crime-solving, Madison (Ebony Vagulans), charismatic detective Harry (Rawiri Jobe), and café owner Reuben (Joe Naufahu) – and that’s before her actual family members turn up to add their own drama and chaos.
LONDON KILLS:
Returning with its cutting-edge documentary style, London Kills dramatizes the experiences of an elite murder investigation squad in central London, led by Detective Inspector David Bradford (Hugo Speer) and the core cast including Sharon Small as Detective Sergeant Vivienne Cole, Bailey Patrick as Detective Constable Rob Brady and Tori Allen-Martin as Trainee Detective Constable Billie Fitzgerald.
In season 3, the elite murder investigation team deals with a series of killings – which turn out to be linked. It soon becomes clear that the killer has access to information from within the police service itself – are the detectives hunting one of their own? In season 4, Bradford has always been a maverick, but now his behavior is spinning out of control. Cole thinks she knows why David is falling to pieces, but the real reason is darker than she could ever imagine.
Eric McCormack to star in ‘Slasher: Ripper’ (Photo Courtesy of AMC Networks)
SLASHER: RIPPER:
Shudder’s Slasher: Ripper, set to begin production this spring, takes the Slasher franchise back in time to the late 19th century — there’s a killer stalking the mean streets, but instead of targeting the poor and downtrodden like Jack the Ripper, The Widow is meting out justice against the rich and powerful. The only person standing in the way of this killer is the newly promoted detective, Kenneth Rijkers, whose ironclad belief in justice may wind up being yet another victim of The Widow.
CREEPSHOW:
Shudder’s record-breaking series Creepshow, executive produced by showrunner Greg Nicotero, is based on George Romero’s 1982 horror-comedy classic and brings to life a series of vignettes, exploring terrors ranging from murder, creatures, monsters and delusions to the supernatural and unexplainable. Heralded as “an irresistibly macabre package,” (Slant Magazine) and “an undeniable love letter to all generations of horror fans,” (CBR), the series has, over three seasons, been one of the most-watched programs on Shudder and begins production on its new installment this spring.
