Michelle Yeoh in ‘American Born Chinese’ (Photo Credit: Disney+)
Michelle Yeoh (Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) has been cast in Disney+’s original series American Born Chinese. Ben Wang (MacGyver), Emmy Award nominee Yeo Yann Yann (Wet Season), Chin Han (Mortal Kombat), Daniel Wu (Reminiscence), Ke Huy Quan (Finding ‘Ohana), former Taekwondo champion Jim Liu, and Sydney Taylor (Just Add Magic) have also joined the cast of the upcoming action-comedy based on Gene Luen Yang’s popular graphic novel.
Disney+’s casting announcement included descriptions of the key characters:
Michelle Yeoh as “Guanyin,” an unassuming auntie, who helps her nephew Wei-Chen navigate the challenges of American high school while maintaining her secret identity as the all-powerful Buddhist bodhisattva of Compassion.
Ben Wang as “Jin Wang,” an American teen whose parents immigrated from Taiwan, who is struggling to carve out exactly who he’s supposed to be socially and culturally.
Yeo Yann Yann as Jin’s mom, “Christine Wang,” a strong-willed, opinionated woman with a sly wit, who loves her family deeply.
Chin Han as Jin’s father, “Simon Wang,” a hard-working, devoted father and husband who is bumping up against the “bamboo ceiling” at his job.
Daniel Wu as Sun Wukong “The Monkey King,” the legendary, all-powerful god of the Chinese epic Journey to the West, who enters our world in search of his son.
Ke Huy Quan as “Freddy Wong,” a fictional character from a popular mid-1990s sitcom.
Jim Liu as Jin’s confident friend “Wei-Chen,” a teen who has just arrived in the United States, whose sweet demeanor belies the deeper mystery of his true identity.
Sydney Taylor as “Amelia,” a friendly “All-American” girl who is Jin’s classmate and crush.
Emmy Award winner Kelvin Yu (Bob’s Burgers) is the showrunner and executive produces with graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang, Melvin Mar, Jake Kasdan, Erin O’Malley, and Asher Goldstein. Destin Daniel Cretton (Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) is directing and executive producing the 20th Television production.
Production is expected to begin in Los Angeles this month.
Disney+ released the following description of the series:
American Born Chinese tells the story of Jin Wang, an average teenager juggling his high school social life with his home life. When he meets a new foreign student on the first day of the school year, even more worlds collide as Jin is unwittingly entangled in a battle of Chinese mythological gods. The action-packed coming-of-age adventure explores identity, culture, and family.
The group is on the move as Paramount+’s 1883 season one episode seven begins. New-hire Colton (Noah Le Gros) works the cattle with Elsa (Isabel May) and Wade (James Landry Hebert), noting that Elsa’s constantly working and only has one speed when it comes to taking care of the herd.
In a voiceover, Elsa reveals they haven’t seen any wildlife – not even birds or lizards – in over a week. However, the plains are littered with bones.
The travelers pause as two Native Americans are spotted on a nearby hill. Wade and Colton tell Elsa it’s necessary to pay a tax if they want to graze cattle on Comanche land. Elsa’s shocked, and Colton explains this land belongs to the Comanche and they can do what they want.
“The only people that think this is America still live in Washington,” says Wade.
James (Tim McGraw) and Shea (Sam Elliott) meet with the Comanches while Thomas (LaMonica Garrett) instructs Wade to give a cow to the cook. They’re going to water the cattle at the river and camp here for the night.
Cookie (James Jordan) gets busy grilling steaks but suddenly interrupts his work when one of the immigrants takes a steak. Cookie screams out instructions, ordering everyone into a single file line. When it’s their turn, they will take a plate, a fork, and a steak. After they’ve eaten, each person will wash their own plate in the creek and hold onto it for the rest of the trip.
Anyone who loses a plate will owe him $3.
Cookie’s use of the word f*ck results in a whispered conversation with Shea. Shea explains the immigrants don’t know that word and neither does little John Dutton. If John asks his mom the meaning, Cookie will be in a world of hurt. Shea suggests he refrain from using that particular word from now on. Cookie confesses that’s going to be difficult to do.
John (Audie Rick) does ask his mom the meaning and Margaret (Faith Hill) replies, “It means a spanking – and a good one – if you say it again.”
John asks if Cookie’s getting a spanking and James says, “Some form of one’s probably heading his way, son.” Margaret confirms that’s the case.
Josef (Marc Rissmann) wonders why the two Comanches cut to the front of the line. Shea says it’s because they’re guests.
As Margaret and John make it to the front of the line, she delivers a painful slap to Cookie’s face. She whispers a warning that she’ll stab him with a fork if he says f*ck again.
James is next and he tells Cookie that could have gone a lot worse. Cookie assures him he’s learned his lesson.
Elsa and the younger of the two Comanche visitors keep exchanging smiles. He speaks English and compliments her horse. She says his name’s Lightning because he’s fast. He asks her to show him.
Elsa walks toward her horse through camp, followed by the two Native Americans and Wade. As they’re walking, Wade tells Margaret and James that Elsa’s about to race against the Comanche.
Margaret’s a little worried but James points out Elsa’s actually happy.
The race begins and they match each other stride for stride, but then Elsa spreads her arms out as they race past Wade and the other Comanche. Wade thinks she dropped the reins, but the Comanche knows she let them go.
Lightning takes the lead as they race away from camp. The horses slow and the competitors are all smiles. “Lightning…told you,” says Elsa. The Comanche names her Lightning Yellow Hair. He introduces himself as Sam (Martin Sensmeier), explaining that was the name of the man who killed his wife. He killed him and took the name.
Elsa confesses she killed a man but didn’t know to take his name. Sam assures her she didn’t want his name and doesn’t need to be sad. “Lightning doesn’t mourn,” says Sam. He wipes away her tears and adds, “Lightning doesn’t do that, either.”
Sam compliments her face and hair, and she cuts off some and gives it to him. In exchange, he gives her his knife. She believes it’s too much, but he explains it’s hers because she won the race.
That night Elsa and Margaret have a heart-to-heart, and Margaret confesses she’s not happy in general because their survival is out of their control. However, she’s very happy in this moment because she has a family she adores and loves.
Shea and Sam share a campfire, and Shea asks about bandits. Sam thinks they’ll be a problem because this group is big enough to be worth attacking but small enough not to put up much of a fight. Sam also points out that north of Kansas and into Wyoming the war’s still going on. Most people take the train there; wagons don’t use that route now.
Sam suggests Shea and his group leave now because a storm’s coming tomorrow. He also suggests Shea take this group to Colorado. It’ll be better for them there.
As the sun rises Thomas tells Shea the cook is gone. They’re not sure where he went, but Thomas believes he’s just trying to get ahead of the storm. Shea decides they can’t baby the group anymore.
James wakes up Elsa and says it’s time to move the herd. As she’s getting ready, she discovers Sam’s left her a horse he made with her hair as its gorgeous, flowing tail.
The group set out again, with the storm raging around them. The cattle are spooked by the thunder and lightning, and Elsa attempts to chase them. Wade and Colton make her back off. Chasing them will do more harm than good. They’ll regroup the herd after the storm’s over.
They’re forced to stop as the winds pick up. The horses are unhitched, and the group leave their wagons and make a run for it. As if they don’t have enough to deal with, a tornado is picking up strength in the distance.
James and Margaret pull their saddles off their horses and set them free. Margaret’s frantic and worried about Elsa. James won’t leave his wife and son, even though Elsa’s still out there. James insists she’s a survivor and will be okay.
Colton, Wade, and Elsa spot the tornado and worry about their next move. Fortunately, Sam’s nearby and waves for them to follow him.
The tornado destroys multiple wagons and wreaks havoc on the group.
Sam tells Elsa, Wade, and Colton to turn their horses loose. Elsa wonders how Lightning will survive and Sam, bluntly, says he won’t. They lay down and Sam holds a screaming Elsa tight as the winds move over them. Elsa climbs on top of Sam and kisses him as the worst of it moves past them.
The sun breaks through the clouds as the tornado moves on.
There are a few wagons left standing but James, John, and Margaret have made it through the storm. So have the immigrants, although now their possessions are scattered all over the plains.
Elsa spots Lightning and smiles; he’s come through safe and sound. She mounts Lightning and Sam gets on behind her. They head off to look for the other horses.
Wade glances at Colton who shakes his head and says, “This has been a fun first week.”
Colton adds, “Got chased by a tornado and lost a girl to an injun at the same time.”
Wade replies, “Got to have it to lose it.”
They laugh as Colton admits he over-estimated his appeal.
Elsa tightens Sam’s grip around her waist as they find their three missing horses. Sam mounts his and they don’t speak but instead exchange sweet smiles as he rides away.
He calls out from a short distance: “Everything you see and everything you saw yesterday is my home. You’re always welcome in it, Lightning With The Yellow Hair. It’s your home too now.”
James catches up to Elsa as she’s headed back with Wade and Colton’s horses. She explains they found a place to lie down and it went over them. When James says she can now claim to have lived through hell, Elsa corrects him. “It wasn’t hell, daddy. It was beautiful.”
James chuckles and says his tornado experience was definitely hell.
Back at the main group, the immigrants attempt to collect their scattered belongings. Noemi finds the mirror but the glass has cracked. She tells Thomas they have nothing now and wonders how they’ll survive. Thomas reveals he’s got money enough for the both of them.
Shea and Thomas determine they can salvage two of the broken wagons. Altogether the group is now down to eight wagons for 26 adults and 22 children. The next big town they can buy wagons in is Denver, and this group won’t make it that far.
Shea believes they need to turn back now. Hopefully, they can locate the cattle because neither Thomas nor Shea wants to resort to eating horses.
Elsa and James ride up with Wade and Colton’s horses. The four set out to gather up the herd.
Cookie returns with his wagon intact, confirming he rode out ahead of the storm. Shea asks if he saw the cattle and Cookie did, adding that six of Shea’s boys are rounding them up. Shea realizes these boys are actually stealing their cattle.
Shea and Thomas join John, Wade, Colton, and Elsa to discuss how to get their cattle back. James decides he, Shea, and Thomas will go for the herd while Elsa, Wade, and Colton remain behind to protect the wagons. Elsa challenges her dad, demanding to go with him. “If there’s going to be a gunfight, I want to be with you,” says Elsa.
James asks for backup but Shea sides with Elsa.
James gives in and orders Elsa to sit still when they confront the bandits.
Colton tells Wade this is the strangest outfit he’s ever worked for. They return to camp and fill Margaret in on what’s happening. Colton suggests she get the remaining rifles loaded and ready for a fight. She asks about James and Elsa, and Colton reluctantly explains Elsa went with her dad to fight off the bandits.
Margaret orders Colton and Wade to guard her son. She then orders Colton off his horse because she’s going after her daughter. Colton has no choice but to comply.
James, Thomas, Shea, and Elsa are shocked to learn there are 13 bandits with their herd, not just six. They ride a distance away and then take up positions to shoot the bandits who’ve now given chase.
Fortunately, our men are better shots than the bandits. Unfortunately, three of the men are in hot pursuit of Elsa who followed her dad’s orders and is riding like the wind away from the group.
A voiceover reveals she felt no fear; she viewed this as just another race. She lets go of her reins, fully aware they would kill her if they caught up to Lightning.
Suddenly, Sam comes to her rescue and attacks the three bandits in pursuit. “Watching Sam kill is like watching a lion hurl itself into a deer,” says Elsa in a voiceover. “His fury was so magnificent there was no time for horror – not even for the men he killed.”
Sam’s friend also assists with hunting down the remaining bandits. Elsa rides after Sam as he returns to the main group that includes her dad.
The 13 bandits are wiped out but Thomas and James have been hit. James’ wound is basically surface level and Shea’s able to squeeze out the bullet that’s lodged in his skin under his belt. Thomas has two bullet wounds but neither is life-threatening.
Thomas points out blood on Shea’s boot and Shea had no idea he was hit. Turns out his forehead was just grazed by a bullet. They chuckle over both having used up all their remaining luck in this gunfight.
An old friend of Thomas and Shea’s arrived during the gunfight and helped dispatch the bandits, and Shea can’t believe the man – whose name is Charlie (played by series creator Taylor Sheridan) – randomly appeared out here in the middle of nowhere. Charlie explains he was out hunting bandits and strays.
James thanks him for his help and Charlie confesses killing cattle thieves is one of the West’s five great pleasures. He suggests James thank the Comanches instead.
Elsa and James reunite and he kisses her hand, happy they’ve both survived this fight.
Shea and the group ride off back to camp, but Charlie remains behind to say a prayer over the dead bandits.
Elsa and Sam touch hands before they ride off in opposite directions.
Margaret encounters an injured bandit who managed to escape. She blows him away with her double-barrel shotgun when he demands her horse. He has no idea who he messed with.
Elsa’s voiceover reveals killing this man took quite a toll on Margaret. Elsa encountered her mother crying by the fire and asked what was wrong. Margaret told her she killed a man over a horse and now only John has a chance of getting into Heaven. “I didn’t have the heart to tell her there is no Heaven to go to because we’re in it already,” says Elsa. “We’re in Hell, too. They co-exist right beside each other and God is the land.”
Alina Burroughs hosts ‘Crime Scene Confidential’ (Photo Courtesy of ID)
ID’s new true-crime series Crime Scene Confidential stars former Orange County, Florida C.S.I. Alina Burroughs leading viewers through investigations into murder cases including the heartbreaking death of toddler Caylee Anthony. Burroughs was involved in the case as a Crime Scene Investigator and helped recover and process little Caylee’s body.
The Caylee Anthony case is examined in the first episode of Crime Scene Confidential airing on Tuesday, March 8th at 9pm ET/PT on ID and streaming the same day on discovery+. During the 2022 Television Critics Association’s winter press tour, Burroughs discussed not only the Caylee Anthony case but also the six-episode first season.
Burroughs goes into each investigation with an open mind, depending on the evidence to lead to the truth. Even when the murder victim is a toddler, as in the case of Caylee Anthony, Burroughs says it’s important to keep your emotions out of the investigation and instead follow wherever the clues lead.
“[…]When we do this, what happens is when we let our emotions kind of take over it can lead us to follow a dangerous path,” explained Burroughs. ”It can lead us to fall prey to listening to narratives that have been created for us by sides – by the defense, by the prosecution, by the media. And then we hear that and our emotions will tie us into that and we will go, ‘That sounds good,’ and we want to fall into that.”
“We want to look at the evidence and what it’s telling us. And what’s important as a CSI on this case or any, we have to look at what the evidence is telling us but we also have to look at not only what we have, but what we do not have. In this case, especially on the recovery scene, when we look at the way that Caylee was found, when we look at what she was wearing, the clothing she was in, the diaper, the laundry bag, Winnie the Pooh blankets, when we look at the car that was questioned with the odor, all of those things, one thing in common [was] that those originated from connections to the Anthonys. What we do not see is evidence of third-party involvement, right? We don’t see things like broken windows at the Anthony house that would lead us to believe there was a break-in, a kidnapping, something to indicate a third party,” explained Burroughs.
Burroughs continued: “So I think fairly immediately investigators were not necessarily looking at this like there’s third-party involvement. There might be some red herrings that were thrown in there with the intent of leading us to a different direction, but when you really focus on physical evidence, there was nothing to lead us in the direction of a third party.”
Alina Burroughs with Dr. Jan Garavaglia in ‘Crime Scene Confidential’ (Photo Courtesy of ID)
Dealing with death takes a toll on all involved, however dealing with the murder of a child is particularly distressing. Asked how she copes, Burroughs replied, “They’re all challenging and we all have coping mechanisms and ways that we deal with this. I think we all have a unique sense of humor among law enforcement. We have to deal with taking care of ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally. This case was a challenge in that particular aspect because normal cases that don’t receive this amount of media attention you can pack up in a little box, put in the back of your brain and move on.
In this case, how many years later, it’s still something that we are discussing. So, it’s hard to move on, to move over, to get over it. But the way that I cope with these cases – because this wasn’t the only case I was working, this was not the only infant death that I’ve ever dealt with, there were dozens in my career – you have to use the sadness, the sorrow, the pain and take that as fuel for your fire.”
Burroughs calls Crime Scene Confidential her passion and truly believes her work makes a difference. “I think that Crime Scene is the way that I can do that. So, when you see suffering and as a crime scene investigator it’s done…I can’t undo the suffering but I can damn sure make sure that I can hold somebody accountable and make sure that it doesn’t happen again. And so, I have to turn that into power and to take it forward to ensure that it doesn’t happen again and that I can use that as fuel to my fire.”
Caylee Anthony’s murder is the focus of episode one. The murders examined in depth in the five other season one episodes were selected using 16 specific criteria.
“We want to get these thought-provoking cases that showcase and highlight the importance of the crime scene, the crime scene investigator as a career or as a role, that showcase the importance of evidence. Cases where the evidence may have provided a wrongful release, a wrongful conviction – we want cases that have experts that have been involved, experts that might have divergent opinions,” said Burroughs. “In particular, what always intrigues me is when we have experts with divergent opinions about a pivotal piece of evidence – a single piece of evidence that is viewed very differently from two opposing sides.
We look at how that narrative was crafted and how it was portrayed and through that, through the court process and how it played a large role in that court process, and what it did in that particular case. We wanted to showcase a variety of different types of forensic evidence and a variety of different types of causes of death. There are challenges of time. There are challenges of technology. But access to the actual crime scene is one of our criteria.”
The first teaser trailer’s arrived for Apple TV+’s Shining Girls starring Emmy Award winner Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale). The series is based on Lauren Beukes’ Shining Girls and focuses on Moss’ character, Kirby, a troubled woman who’s drawn into a murder case that appears to be connected to a trauma from her past.
Shining Girls is set to launch on Friday, April 29, 2022 with the release of the first three episodes.
In addition to Elisabeth Moss, the cast includes Wagner Moura (Narcos), Phillipa Soo (Hamilton), Amy Brenneman (Tell Me Your Secrets), and Jamie Bell (TURN).
Silka Luisa adapted Beukes’ novel for television and serves as showrunner on the eight-episode season.
Emmy Award winner Michelle MacLaren (Breaking Bad) directed the first two episodes, with Moss also directing and serving as an executive producer. Additional executive producers include author Lauren Beukes, Alan Page Arriaga, Michelle MacLaren, Rebecca Hobbs, Lindsey McManus, and Appian Way’s Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Davisson, and Michael Hampton. Daina Reid (The Handmaid’s Tale) is also on board as a director and executive producer.
Elisabeth Moss in “Shining Girls,” premiering globally April 29 on Apple TV+
The Plot, Courtesy of Apple TV+:
Shining Girls follows Kirby Mazrachi (Moss) as a Chicago newspaper archivist whose journalistic ambitions were put on hold after enduring a traumatic assault. When Kirby learns that a recent murder mirrors her own case, she partners with seasoned, yet troubled reporter Dan Velazquez (Moura), to uncover her attacker’s identity. As they realize these cold cases are inextricably linked, their own personal traumas and Kirby’s blurred reality allow her assailant to remain one step ahead.
Harold Perrineau stars in ‘From’ (Photo Courtesy of EPIX)
EPIX’s new supernatural drama From finds strangers mysteriously trapped in a small town somewhere in America. None of the residents set out to visit this creepy town and there’s no obvious way to escape. And as if being forced to take up residence in a crazy town wasn’t bad enough, nightmare creatures inhabit the nearby forests and prowl the streets for potential victims every nightfall.
From was created by executive producer John Griffin and has executive producer Jeff Pinkner guiding the series as showrunner. Pinkner reunites with his fellow Lost executive producer Jack Bender for this twisted series that has a Lost-ish vibe.
The Lost connection extends to include one of the series’ stars, Harold Perrineau, who plays Boyd Stevens. The season one cast also includes Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace) as Tabitha Matthews and Eion Bailey (Once Upon a Time) as Jim Matthews.
The series’ stars and executive producers recently took part in the 2022 Television Critics Association’s winter press tour, sharing insight into what’s in store for the first season that kicks off on February 20, 2022 at 9pm ET/PT on EPIX.
John Griffin explained that the premise came from the question of what would happen if life as you know it was suddenly snatched away and your reality transformed into a literal nightmare. “What kind of person would you be? What kind of person would you become? And that idea was really at the heart of where the show first began and everything kind of grew from that,” said Griffin.
Executive producer Jeff Pinkner agreed. “I think, as John said, the mythology is central to the show of course but really I think – like all great genre – we were looking for an opportunity to tell a story about people. And everything else is really just designed to be either pressure points or a goal; either the thing you’re afraid of or the thing you’re hoping for. And the story takes place between those two poles,” said Pinkner.
Jack Bender said he was drawn to the project because he felt audiences would be interested in thinking about what they would do if they were trapped in a similar situation. “I think any great television has to do with who are the people we are watching in this place and time, and what if those people were us? What if…the what-if of what if we were faced with the horrifying obstacle course that these people are when they were on the road to somewhere else?” said Bender.
Bender was also intrigued by the idea that these monsters look human. “They’re not what you always see. They seem to be these lovely people who seduce you and bring you in, and the moment they hook you, it’s not good. And I thought that was a very fresh approach to – and we all work very hard together to figure out what those monsters would look, sound like, be like,” said Bender.
And speaking of the nightmare creatures, Catalina Sandino Moreno believes the creatures looking human makes their actions even more terrifying. “I mean like they’re just normal people walking towards you and that’s what makes it even scarier when you know what can they do. They’re just regular people that come out at night,” offered Sandino Moreno.
“We don’t really see them. We just see the townsfolk, the people who come to you and express something of interest. They hone in on your vulnerabilities and what you might be susceptible to and then go for that. And then when they actually do their shapeshifting – I guess you’d call it – it’s very brief which I think is really effective. It’s Spielberg’s approach to Jaws; like you don’t see a lot of the shark which makes it even more terrifying in the flashes that you do,” said Bailey.
While Sandino Moreno and Bailey’s characters are newcomers to the town, Harold Perrineau’s character Boyd has been trapped there for quite a while. Boyd’s had a longer time to deal with these nightmare creatures.
“You’ll get to see more as the series goes on, but in those very opening episodes it’s really just a matter of I really know the devastation that these creatures can cause and I’ve already experienced it. And so, for me, it’s just continuing to play the reasons that I have to protect everyone in this town and how serious that is. But you’ll see later on the effect that those monsters have had on him and why Boyd acts the way that Boyd acts,” teased Perrineau.
Eion Bailey recalled a specific scene when the young actor who plays his son became legitimately frightened by the creatures. Perrineau comforted the young actor and Sandino Moreno added that even the following day the actor confirmed he was terrified.
Jack Bender credits the entire cast with being grounded and real, even though the circumstances their characters find themselves in are horrifying. “As a director, you’re only as good as your cast and especially a show that’s focused on the humanity in the characters. And we were really blessed with the cast that we got,” said Bender. “That’s a real blessing for our show.”
Bender added: “And the one thing I wanted to say about the monsters and what John initially wrote, we all know that – as Eion said with Jaws – it’s what you don’t see that’s ultimately the most terrifying because that’s in our head. We imagine, and usually that’s scarier than what you can create. We decided we wanted to focus on the initial…we didn’t want to celebrate the attacking, the monstrous attack of the monsters or the nightmare creatures. We wanted to show the aftermath of what they would and could do as opposed to focusing on the devouring or whatever the hell they do. And I think the approach works.”
Working within a 10-episode season meant the story needed to be more contained. Pinkner promised that unlike Lost and its 22-episode seasons, From season one answers specific questions.
“I think we’re approaching every season like its own chapter with its own questions and its own answers,” said Pinkner. “We’re almost like the limitations of 10 episodes force you to make harder choices. We, John and Jack and I, have been very cognizant of making sure that the characters are asking the questions that we know that the audience is asking. The show is sort of reinforcing and playing along with the audience’s experience of the show in a way that hopefully makes it…we’re aware of what the audience is asking and looking for, and so being mindful of the questions and knowing that we have answers, and using all of it really just to focus back on what are the characters going through, really that’s the reason that we’re so enamored with our cast is we’re taking kind of a Twilight Zone-y trope and using it to explore humanity.”
In Lost, Harold Perrineau played a character trapped in strange circumstances. Asked if that helped with this role, Perrineau replied, “Yeah, I really have been through it before. And one of the things that I have to do that’s actually simple for the actor is I just have to [understand] fear is fear is fear. When you’re afraid for your life, it could be a monster or on a plane or of a bad guy, where you’re afraid for your life, you’re just afraid for your life. And then I rely on the brilliance of Jack Bender and John and the writing and the directing and the editing and all that to sell the rest of the story. So, yeah, I’ve been through it a lot and I have a lot to draw on from my life, from my work, and so I simply have to be afraid or try to be brave or be hopeful, and then I rely on our brilliant partners to fill in the rest for the audience and make that story sell.”
Jack Bender’s recent experience on Mr. Mercedes, based on the Bill Hodges trilogy by Stephen King, also helped prepare him for From.
“Everything you do you learn from. That’s the most exciting part of what I’m blessed to be able to do. And working with the maestro like Stephen King, I learned all the time. He’s the master of what makes you want to hide under the bed. But in the world of Stephen King, it’s always about – what fascinates me is the monster inside the characters, not just the monster outside the characters. And that very much was the focus of our show.
And also, one sidebar, Stephen King has written me many emails. He saw our first four episodes and he’s a massive fan of this show. I have to say that because you brought him up. He thinks it’s great, which is an honor.”
Earvin “Magic” Johnson in “They Call Me Magic,” premiering globally April 22, 2022 on Apple TV+
Apple TV+ announced details of their upcoming four-part Magic Johnson documentary series during a jam-packed Television Critics Association winter press tour panel. The documentary event – They Call Me Magic – will debut on April 22, 2022 and focuses on the life of NBA legend Magic Johnson on and off the court.
Directed by Rick Famuyiwa, They Call Me Magic features key moments in the career of Magic Johnson along with interviews with many of his fellow NBA players and famous friends.
Apple TV+ released the following description of the documentary series:
“They Call Me Magic offers a rare glimpse into the incredible real life story of Johnson, who left his mark on history through his work—both on and off the court—and continues to impact our culture today.
With unprecedented access, the docuseries explores Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson’s remarkable journey from being the face of the Los Angeles Lakers and cementing himself as an all-time NBA legend, to changing the conversation around HIV, and transforming into a successful entrepreneur and community activist.
From his humble beginnings in Lansing, Michigan to becoming the global force he is today, They Call Me Magic features intimate interviews with Magic, his family, and an all-star lineup, as the docuseries charts the cinematic life of one of the biggest cultural icons of our era.”
Bryn Mooser, Rafael Marmor, Christina Arquette, John Terzian, and Jeremy Allen executive produce.
Hulu’s set a new premiere date for the launch of The Orville: New Horizons, the continuation of Seth MacFarlane’s popular sci-fi comedy series The Orville. Fans can now expect to be treated to new original episodes beginning on Thursday, June 2, 2022 on Hulu.
Seth MacFarlane tweeted a message to fans about the new release date and just-released clip:
“To all The Orville fans: Thanks for being so patient with us as we’ve navigated the production challenges resulting from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. As occasionally happens, our show has been repositioned amidst the ever-changing television schedule landscape, which means that the wait will be just a bit longer, and we’re now preparing for a June 2nd launch on Hulu.
We’ve always promised you a television experience that will make it worth the wait, and we’re not wavering on that. We understand the frustration you’re feeling over more delays, so we want to give you a little taste of what’s to come. Here’s a sneak peek at the first few minutes of our season opener, and our new main title!” – @SethMacFarlane
The huge ensemble cast includes MacFarlane, Adrianne Palicki, Penny Johnson Jerald, Scott Grimes, Peter Macon, J. Lee, Mark Jackson, Chad L. Coleman, Jessica Szohr, and Anne Winters. MacFarlane created the series and serves as writer and executive producer. Brannon Braga, David A. Goodman, Jon Cassar, Jason Clark and Howard Griffith also executive produce.
The Orville: New Horizons is a 20th Television and Fuzzy Door production.
Bruce Boxleitner, Scott Grimes, Lisa Banes, Victor Garber, Anne Winters, Seth MacFarlane, Adrianne Palicki and Mark Jackson in ‘The Orville: New Horizons’ (Photo by: Michael Desmondl/Hulu)
The Plot, Courtesy of Hulu:
Seth MacFarlane’s epic space adventure series The Orville returns exclusively as a Hulu original series. Set 400 years in the future, The Orville: New Horizons finds the crew of the U.S.S. Orville continuing their mission of exploration, as they navigate both the mysteries of the universe and the complexities of their own interpersonal relationships.
Magnum and Higgins search for a woman who skipped out on bail on CBS’s Magnum P.I. season four episode 14. Directed by Roderick Davis and written by David Wolkove, episode 14 will air on Friday, February 25, 2022 at 9pm ET/PT.
Jay Hernandez returns to lead the cast as Thomas Magnum. Season four also stars Perdita Weeks as Juliet Higgins, Zachary Knighton as Orville “Rick” Wright, Stephen Hill as Theodore “TC” Calvin, Tim Kang as Det. Gordon Katsumoto, and Amy Hill as Kumu.
Chantal Thuy, Tim Griffin, Veronica Diaz Carranza, Rey Payumo, and Jenna Leigh Green guest star.
“Run, Baby, Run” Plot: A bail bondsman hires Magnum and Higgins to track down a woman who skipped out on her $250,000 bond. When they locate the body of another P.I. who was previously searching for her, they partner with Det. Lia Kaleo (Thuy) on the case. Also, T.C. and Katsumoto team up on an emotional search for Cade’s mother.
Magnum P.I. is a modern take on the classic series centering on Thomas Magnum, a decorated former Navy SEAL who, upon returning home from Afghanistan, repurposes his military skills to become a private investigator. A charming rogue, an American hero and a die-hard Detroit Tigers fan, Magnum lives in a guest cottage on Robin’s Nest, the luxurious estate where he works as a security consultant to supplement his P.I. business.
The “majordomo” of the property is Juliet Higgins, a beautiful and commanding disavowed MI:6 agent whose second job is to keep Magnum in line, with the help of her two Dobermans. When Magnum needs back-up on a job, he turns to his trusted buddies and fellow POW survivors, Theodore “TC” Calvin, a former Marine chopper pilot who runs Island Hoppers, a helicopter tour business, and Orville “Rick” Wright, a former Marine door-gunner-turned-impresario of Oahu’s coolest nightclub and the most connected man on the island.
Suspicious of Magnum’s casual attitude and presence at his crime scenes, Detective Gordon Katsumoto finds that he and Magnum are more alike than either of them care to admit. One of Magnum’s biggest supporters is Teuila “Kumu” Tuileta, the unofficial “House Mom” and cultural curator of Robin’s Nest. With keys to a vintage Ferrari in one hand, aviator sunglasses in the other, and an Old Düsseldorf longneck chilling in the fridge, Thomas Magnum is back on the case!
Oscar nominee Samuel L. Jackson stars in the titular role in Apple TV+’s The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, a limited series adapted by Walter Mosley from his critically acclaimed novel. The trailer begins with Jackson as Ptolemy Grey explaining that he has things to do and needs his memory in order to do them. The lengths Ptolemy will go to to hang onto his memories will be explored over the six-episode season.
Apple TV+ will release the first two episodes on Friday, March 11, 2022. New episodes will arrive on subsequent Fridays.
In addition to Samuel L. Jackson, the cast includes BAFTA Award nominee Dominique Fishback (Judas and the Black Messiah), Cynthia Kaye McWilliams (Real Husbands of Hollywood), Damon Gupton (Black Lightning), Marsha Stephanie Blake (When They See Us), Walton Goggins (Justified), and Omar Miller (The Unicorn).
Walter Mosley and Samuel L. Jackson serve as executive producers. Diane Houslin, Ramin Bahrani, Eli Selden and David Levine for Anonymous Content, and LaTanya Richardson also executive produce.
The Plot, Courtesy of Apple TV+:
Hailing from Apple Studios, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey stars Jackson as Ptolemy Grey, an ailing man forgotten by his family, by his friends, and by even himself. Suddenly left without his trusted caretaker and on the brink of sinking even deeper into a lonely dementia, Ptolemy is assigned to the care of orphaned teenager Robyn. When they learn about a treatment that can temporarily restore Ptolemy’s dementia-addled memories, it begins a journey toward shocking truths about the past, present and future.
Hunter Schafer and Zendaya in ‘Euphoria’ (Photograph by Eddy Chen/HBO)
HBO’s officially announced the award-winning drama Euphoria will return for a third season. The second season’s premiere scored the highest ratings of any episode of an HBO series ever to air on HBO Max. In addition, the season two Euphoria audience is more than double that of the season one average.
HBO also reports Euphoria‘s first episode of season two was the “most social premium cable episode since the Game of Thrones finale in May 2019.” Season two premiered on January 9th and will finish up its eight episode run on February 27th.
The series stars Emmy-winner Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Nika King, Eric Dane, Angus Cloud, and Jacob Elordi. Algee Smith, Sydney Sweeney, Alexa Demie, Barbie Ferreira, Maude Apatow, Javon Walton, Dominic Fike, Storm Reid, and Austin Abrams also star in season two.
Sam Levinson created the series and serves as writer, director, and executive producer. Zendaya, Kevin Turen, Ravi Nandan, Drake, Adel “Future” Nur, Will Greenfield, Ashley Levinson, Ron Leshem, Daphna Levin, and Hadas Mozes Lichtenstein also executive produce. The critically acclaimed HBO series is produced in partnership with A24 and is based on the Israeli series from Ron Leshem and Daphna Levin.
“Sam, Zendaya, and the entire cast and crew of Euphoria have taken Season 2 to extraordinary heights, challenging narrative convention and form, while maintaining its heart. We couldn’t be more honored to work with this gifted, wildly talented team or more excited to continue our journey with them into Season 3,” said Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming.
Euphoria centers around a group of high school students as they navigate a minefield of drugs, sex, identity, trauma, social media, love, and friendship.
Euphoria puts a fresh spin on the coming-of-age narrative, exploring the teenage landscape of substance-enhanced parties and anxiety-ridden day-to-day life with empathy and candor. The series follows 17-year-old Rue Bennett, a drug addict fresh from rehab, who’s struggling to make sense of her future. Her life changes dramatically when she meets Jules Vaughn, a girl who recently moved to town following her parents’ divorce, and like Rue is searching for where she belongs.
Season 2 details: Amidst the intertwining lives in the town of East Highland, 17-year-old Rue must find hope while balancing the pressures of love, loss, and addiction.
