Neon introduced the teaser trailer for Spencer during the 2021 CinemaCon and followed up it a day later with its release online. The one-minute teaser provides our first chance to see Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana preparing for what she expects to be a tense Christmas holiday with the royal family as she comes to a decision about divorcing Prince Charles.
In addition to Kristen Stewart (Personal Shopper,Clouds of Sils Maria, the Twilight franchise) as Princess Diana, the cast includes Jack Farthing (Poldark) as Prince Charles, BAFTA Award nominee Timothy Spall (Mr. Turner), Academy Award nominee Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water), and Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible – Fallout).
Pablo Larraín (Jackie) directs from a screenplay by Steven Knight (Academy Award nominee for Dirty Pretty Things). Larraín’s behind the scenes team includes Director of Photography Claire Mathon (Portrait of a Lady on Fire), Costume Designer Jacqueline Durran (Academy award-winner for Little Women and Anna Karenina), Makeup and Hair Designer Wakana Yoshihara (Murder On The Orient Express), and Production Designer Guy Hendrix Dyas (Academy Award nominee for Passengers and Inception).
Academy Award, BAFTA, and Grammy Award nominee Jonny Greenwood (of Radiohead) composed the score.
Juan de Dios Larraín (Jackie, A Fantastic Woman) for Fabula Films, Jonas Dornbach and Janine Jackowski (Toni Erdmann) for Komplizen Film, and BAFTA award winner and Academy Award nominee Paul Webster (Anna Karenina, Atonement) for Shoebox Films are producing. Tom Quinn, Jeff Deutchman, and Christina Zisa for NEON and Michael Bloom, Maria Zuckerman and Ryan Heller for Topic Studios executive produce.
Neon will be releasing Spencer in theaters on November 5, 2021.
The Plot, Courtesy of Neon:
Spencer focuses on one weekend in the life of Princess Diana, as she spends the Christmas holiday with the royal family at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, and decides to leave her marriage to Prince Charles.
December, 1991: The marriage of Princess Diana and Prince Charles has long since grown cold. Though rumors of affairs and a divorce abound, peace is ordained for the Christmas festivities at the Queen’s Sandringham Estate. There’s eating and drinking, shooting and hunting. Diana knows the game. But this year, things will be profoundly different. Spencer is an imagining of what might have happened during those few fateful days.
‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’ (Photo Credit: Focus Features)
The Downton Abbey sequel formerly referred to as Downton Abbey 2 is now officially Downton Abbey: A New Era. Focus Features and Carnival Films confirmed the official title and announced the film has moved off its Christmas 2021 theatrical release date and onto a March 18, 2022 opening date.
Update: On January 26, 2022 Focus Features confirmed Downton Abbey: A New Era will now open in the UK on April 29, 2022 and in the US on May 20, 2022.
Originial cast members returning for the theatrical sequel include Hugh Bonneville as Robert Crawley, Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith, Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary, Elizabeth McGovern as Cora Crawley, and two-time Academy-Award winner Maggie Smith (California Suite, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie) as Violet Crawley. Jim Carter is Mr. Carson, Phyllis Logan is Mrs. Hughes, Penelope Wilton is Isobel Merton, and Imelda Staunton is Maud Bagshaw.
Newcomers to the world of Downton Abbey include Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, Nathalie Baye, and Dominic West.
Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes wrote the screenplay and serves as producer. Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning Gareth Neame and Emmy Award-winning Liz Trubridge also produce, with BAFTA and Emmy nominated Simon Curtis (My Week with Marilyn) directing.
The 2019 Downton Abbey feature film was directed by Michael Engler and currently sits at 84% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. The PG-rated drama grossed $31 million over its domestic opening weekend and went on to pull in $193 million worldwide during its theatrical run.
A Look Back at the First Downton Abbey Film’s Description:
The television series followed the lives of the Crawley family and the servants who worked for them at the turn of the 20th century in an Edwardian English country house. The initial film followed a Royal Visit to the Crawley family and Downton staff from the King and Queen of England and ended with a ball fitting for the Royal Family.
LaKeith Stanfield to star in ‘The Changeling’ (Photo Courtesy of Apple TV+)
Victor LaValle’s The Changeling is being adapted into a series with Judas and the Black Messiah‘s LaKeith Stanfield on board to star and executive produce. The Changeling is described by Apple TV+ as a fairytale for grownups – “a horror story, a parenthood fable and a perilous odyssey through a New York City you didn’t know existed.”
Apple TV+ announcement of The Changeling series order confirmed the talent behind the scenes will include Kelly Marcel (Cruella, Venom) and Melina Matsoukas (Queen & Slim, Insecure). Marcel is adapting LaValle’s bestselling novel for the series and will serve as executive producer and showrunner. Matsoukas is attached to direct and executive produce through her De La Revolution Films.
The Changeling is an Apple TV+ production by Apple Studios and Annapurna. Annapurna’s Megan Ellison, Sue Naegle, Patrick Chu, and Ali Krug will also serve as executive producers on the new drama.
“When Apollo Kagwa’s father disappeared, all he left his son were strange recurring dreams and a box of books stamped with the word IMPROBABILIA. Now Apollo is a father himself—and as he and his wife, Emma, are settling into their new lives as parents, exhaustion and anxiety start to take their toll. Apollo’s old dreams return and Emma begins acting odd. Irritable and disconnected from their new baby boy, at first Emma seems to be exhibiting signs of postpartum depression, but it quickly becomes clear that her troubles go even deeper. Before Apollo can do anything to help, Emma commits a horrific act—beyond any parent’s comprehension—and vanishes, seemingly into thin air.
Thus begins Apollo’s odyssey through a world he only thought he understood, to find a wife and child who are nothing like he’d imagined. His quest, which begins when he meets a mysterious stranger who claims to have information about Emma’s whereabouts, takes him to a forgotten island, a graveyard full of secrets, a forest where immigrant legends still live, and finally back to a place he thought he had lost forever.
This captivating retelling of a classic fairy tale imaginatively explores parental obsession, spousal love, and the secrets that make strangers out of the people we love the most. It’s a thrilling and emotionally devastating journey through the gruesome legacies that threaten to devour us and the homely, messy magic that saves us, if we’re lucky.”
Fox’s updated Fantasy Island series continues with season one episode 4, “Once Upon a Time in Havana.” Episode four is set to air on August 31, 2021 at 9pm ET/PT and features a musician who needs to deal with family issues.
The cast of the reboot is led by Roselyn Sánchez as Elena Roarke, a descendant of the iconic Mr. Roarke. Kiara Barnes (The Bold and the Beautiful) plays Ruby Akuda and John Gabriel Rodriguez (Rosewood) is Javier. Episode four’s guest stars include Gigi Zumbado, Ektor Rivera, and Modesto Lacen.
“Once Upon a Time in Havana” Plot: Percussionist Alma wants to be accepted by her tight-knit Cuban family, but to understand why they disapprove of her musical career, she must revisit their history.
Series Description, Courtesy of Fox:
Fantasy Island takes place at a luxury resort, where literally any fantasy requested by guests is fulfilled, although they rarely turn out as expected. Delving into the ‘what if’ questions – both big and small – that keep us awake at night, each episode will tell emotional, provocative stories about people who arrive with dreams and desires and depart enlightened and transformed through the magical realism of Fantasy Island.
Serving as steward of this mysterious island is Elena Roarke (Sanchez), a descendant of the iconic Mr. Roarke. Elena set aside her own ambitions, and even the love of her life, to uphold her family’s legacy. Sophisticated, insightful and always charming, her calm exterior masks the challenges of the responsibilities she has assumed.
Assisting Elena is Ruby Akuda (Barnes), a young woman with an old soul who arrives on Fantasy Island with a terminal illness and is given a new lease on life there; and pilot Javier (Rodriquez), who also is the head of island transportation and a jack of all trades.
The spotlight was on Warner Bros. Pictures on night two of the considerably less flashy than usual 2021 CinemaCon held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Studios have opted to keep their talent safe at home this year – who could blame them? – and the presentations have focused on the status of the industry and the hope we’ll be able to return to normal in the near future. WB’s panel consisted of exclusive video presentations of the studio’s upcoming films, including Malignant, Cry Macho, The Matrix Resurrections (formerly known as The Matrix 4), King Richard, The Many Saints of Newark, and Dune, without a single actor, filmmaker, or studio executive hitting the stage.
The Warner Bros. panel was expected to be a bit prickly as it was the first of the major studios with a streaming arm to deliver a presentation in front of the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) at this year’s convention. Sony kicked off the 2021 CinemaCon by confirming its commitment to releasing its films first exclusively in theaters. Warner Bros. Pictures executives didn’t attend in person but did affirm in video messages their continuing belief films deserve to be seen in theaters.
NATO Chairman and Marcus Theatres CEO Rolando Rodriguez began the presentation by noting one of the key things we’ve learned over the past year is that we are social beings and need to see each other in person. The crowd warmly applauded the introduction of Warner Bros. Pictures but there was a sprinkling of chuckles when Rodriguez said the studio was supportive of the theatrical experience. Rodriguez pointed out Warner Bros. has been an industry leader in market share eight out of the past 10 years and the studio has released more films in theaters than any other studio since the pandemic began.
The heads of Warner Bros distributiion weren’t able to be there because of family commitments but appeared in video messages thanking NATO members, noting the challenges of the past year and a half and acknowledging the studio had to make tough and controversial choices. President of Domestic Distribution Jeff Goldstein and President of International Distribution Andrew Cripps believe the studio’s future looks bright and they’re proud of their diverse slate of upcoming films. Both agreed that being together in theaters is the optimal way to watch films as part of the communal experience and believe going to the movies is in our DNA. Cripps said “size does matter” when it comes to watching a movie, and that iPads just don’t provide the same experience as seeing a film on the big screen.
And now on to a recap of the footage portion of the WB presentation:
First up, Malignant, the original horror film from New Line and James Wan. Wan, in a prerecorded video, said he felt it was important to return to his horror roots. He thinks audiences are starved for something different and new, and they want filmmakers to be bold and take chances. Wan described Malignant as a “larger than life story to be enjoyed on the big screen.”
Wan hopes Malignant will make audiences scream, laugh, and hide behind their fingers.
Clint Eastwood’s Cry Macho was up next and while some of the presentation focused on the film, most of the video was a career retrospective honoring Eastwood’s lengthy career behind the camera.
Eastwood explained he’s always been curious about how directors put things together, and Steven Spielberg pointed out Play Misty for Me made it apparent Eastwood was a storyteller and not just an actor handling other people’s stories. Spielberg described his fellow filmmaker as eclectic and a real chameleon.
Denzel Washington called Eastwood a learned storyteller, Meryl Streep believes he always makes important stories, and Gene Hackman called him a throwback. George Lucas and Martin Scorsese praised the fact he does the films he wants to do – not ones the studio necessarily wants to make.
Next up, the NATO audience was treated to a sneak peek of the opening scenes from The Sopranos prequel, The Many Saints of Newark. The prequel reveals Tony Soprano’s backstory and how he grew up to be the mob boss we came to know in HBO’s The Sopranos. Michael Imperioli’s Christopher is heard in a voiceover, noting Tony strangled him and describing how his uncle met his father when they were much younger and still learning the ropes.
A lengthy trailer from King Richard was next featuring Will Smith as Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena Williams. Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, King Richard is expected to open in theaters November 19, 2021.
The Matrix 4’s new title – The Matrix Resurrections – was revealed and the film’s stars Keanu Reeves (“Neo”) and Carrie-Anne Moss (“Trinity”) recalled making the original The Matrix. Reeves knew the incredibly ambitious film was going to be big while they were shooting it, and Moss called the experience of being part of the ground-breaking sci-fi franchise “transformative.” When people tell Reeves The Matrix has changed their lives, Reeves said he always replies, “Thank you. It changed mine too.”
The video commentary was followed by the premiere screening of stunning footage from The Matrix: Resurrections. Neil Patrick Harris is introduced as Thomas’ (Reeves) therapist. Thomas confesses he’s been having weird dreams that aren’t just dreams. He’s unaware of his time as The One and a meeting with Trinity at a coffee shop proves she’s also lost her memories of their prior relationship.
“White Rabbit” plays as we learn Thomas/Neo is once again going to be choosing which pill to take and there’s a person involved who looks like but isn’t Morpheus. There’s a quick shot of Neo staring at a much older version of himself in the mirror, scenes of Neo looking confused as to why everyone’s glued to their phones, and incredible action sequences that perfectly capture the feel of the first Matrix films. One brief clip that stands out is of Neo using his powers to alter the direction of a missile.
The footage was met with sustained, well-deserved applause.
Warner Bros. also debuted new footage from the much-anticipated comic book-inspired The Batman. The video presentation included Robert Pattinson describing his excitement over the direction of the character. Pattinson said Batman has always stood out as one of the major characters of the 20th century; people connect with him on many different levels. Pattinson believes this Batman is radically different from what we’ve seen before, and director Matt Reeves described him as a more emotional Batman. Reeves also confirmed the story follows a Batman who’s still learning and is in just his second year as the Caped Crusader.
The new footage included a look at Andy Serkis as Alfred and Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman.
Warner Bros. Pictures’ CinemaCon presentation finished up with a new extended trailer for Dune as well as a lengthy sequence involving a spice harvester which was introduced as a personal favorite scene of director Denis Villeneuve’s. Timothée Chalamat and the cast describe director Villeneuve’s Dune as operatic and filled with characters they could instantly invest in.
The extended clip begins with a ship heading toward a harvester billowing smoke. Paul Atreides (Chalamet), Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin), Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac), and Liet Kynes (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) are on the ship and need to rescue the men on board the harvester before it can be swallowed up by a worm. The clip was absolutely spectacular and nearly impossible to describe. Suffice it to say, it’s safe to believe the hype surrounding Dune.
Hunter Doohan as Adam Desiato and Bryan Cranston as Michael Desiato in ‘Your Honor’ season 1 (Photo Credit: Skip Bolen/SHOWTIME)
Showtime has renewed Your Honor for a second season and confirmed Emmy Award winner Bryan Cranston will reprise his role as New Orleans Judge Michael Desiato. Season two is expected to consist of 10 new episodes and is targeting a 2022 premiere.
BAFTA winner Peter Moffat will return as writer, executive producer, and showrunner.
“We were blown away by Your Honor… by the power of Peter’s storytelling, by the depth of Bryan’s performance, and by the overwhelming reaction from our subscribers who watched in record numbers,” stated Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc. “Imagine our delight when we learned that Peter believed he had more story to tell and Bryan felt he had more depths to plumb. So, along with its millions of fans, I am gleefully shouting ‘Encore!'”
Season one of the critically acclaimed drama set a Showtime record, drawing in 6.6 million viewers. In addition to Bryan Cranston, the first season starred SAG Award winner Michael Stuhlbarg (Call Me By Your Name), Emmy nominee Hope Davis (American Crime), Hunter Doohan (Truth Be Told), Carmen Ejogo (Selma), Isiah Whitlock Jr. (The Wire), and Sofia Black-D’Elia (The Night Of).
Flatbush Misdemeanors also scored a second season renewal order. The half-hour comedy was adapted by Kevin Iso (High Fidelity) and Dan Perlman (That’s My Bus!) from their popular digital series. Iso and Perlman star, with Kristin Dodson (The Shivering Truth), Hassan Johnson (The Wire), Kareem Green, and Kerry Coddett joining them in the first season.
And last but definitely not least, Showtime’s first late-night talk show, Desus & Mero, has been renewed for a fourth season. Season three debuted on January 31, 2021 and will wrap up on December 12th. Season four is expected to air in 2022.
Desus Nice and The Kid Mero co-host the award-winning series which has featured a roster of A-list celebrity guests including President Barack Obama, President Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Showtime’s set a November 14, 2021 premiere date for the dramatic series Yellowjackets starring Melanie Lynskey (Castle Rock), Juliette Lewis (Camping), Christina Ricci (Z: The Beginning of Everything), and Tawny Cypress (Unforgettable). The premiere date announcement was accompanied by the series’ first trailer.
The cast also includes Ella Purnell (Sweetbitter), Samantha Hanratty (Shameless), Sophie Thatcher (Prospect), Sophie Nélisse (The Book Thief), Steven Krueger (The Originals), Jasmin Savoy Brown (The Leftovers), and Warren Kole (Shades of Blue).
The 10 episode first season of the one-hour series, described as “equal parts survival epic, psychological horror story and coming-of-age drama,” is currently shooting in Vancouver. Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson created the series and serve as showrunners along with Jonathan Lisco (Animal Kingdom). Lyle, Nickerson, Lisco, Karyn Kusama, and Creative Engine’s Drew Comins executive produce. Kusama (Girlfight) directed the series’ pilot.
The Plot, Courtesy of Showtime:
Yellowjackets is the saga of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to savage clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later, proving that the past is never really past and what began out in the wilderness is far from over.
Grammy Award winner Billie Eilish describes her concert film Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles as a dream come true. “It’s a concert film but it’s also a story at the same time, this kind of beautiful version of old Hollywood,” explains Eilish in the Disney+ film’s official trailer.
Filmed at the iconic Hollywood Bowl, Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles features Eilish’s entire album from front to back in order. Eilish is joined in what’s described as a “cinematic concert experience” by FINNEAS, the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, and world-renowned Brazilian guitarist, Romero Lubambo.
Robert Rodriquez (From Dusk Til Dawn, Sin City) and Oscar-winner Patrick Osborne (Best Short Film, Animated for Feast) directed the special which features orchestra arrangements by David Campbell. Kerry Asmussen is the live concert director and Pablo Berron is the director of photography. Happier than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles is produced by Interscope Films and Darkroom Productions, in associate with Nexus Studios and Aron Levine Productions.
Disney+ will release the concert film on Friday, September 3, 2021.
Billie Eilish Happier Than Ever (Photo Supplied by Disney+)
Disney+’s trailer release was accompanied by a brief summary of Billie Eilish’s career:
“Seven-time GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Billie Eilish’s brand-new album Happier Than Ever was written by Billie and her brother FINNEAS, who also produced the album. The album debuted at No. 1 in 19 countries and has since spent a total of three consecutive weeks in the U.S. Previous to Happier Than Ever Eilish’s breakout album, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S as well as 17 additional countries around the world upon release in 2019, and was the most streamed album of that year.
She later went on to make history that year as the youngest artist to receive nominations and wins in all the major categories at the 62nd GRAMMY® Awards. Most recently, she took home both Record of the Year for ‘everything i wanted,’ and Best Song Written For Visual Media for ‘No Time To Die’ at this year’s 63rd Annual GRAMMY® Awards.”
The new teaser trailer for Welcome to the Blumhouse features clips from the four films that make up the October 1 and October 8, 2021 double features. The first four films in Welcome to the Blumhouse – The Lie, Black Box, Evil Eye, and Nocturne – premiered in October 2020. Bingo Hell from writer/director Gigi Saul Guerrero and Black as Night directed by Maritte Lee Go will premiere on October 1st. Director Ryan Zaragoza’s Madres and writer/director Axelle Carolyn’s The Manor arrive on October 8th.
Adriana Barraza, L. Scott Caldwell, Richard Brake, and Joshua Caleb Johnson lead the cast of Bingo Hell which finds senior citizens defending their bingo hall from an evil presence. Asjha Cooper, Fabrizio Guido, Mason Beauchamp, and Abbie Gayle star in the vampire thriller, Black as Night. Tenoch Huerta, Ariana Guerra, Evelyn Gonzalez, Kerry Cahill, and Elpidia Carrillo take up residence in a town with a horrible history in Madres, and Barbara Hershey and Bruce Davison check into a haunted nursing home The Manor.
BINGO HELL – October 1, 2021
When a sinister figure threatens the residents of a low-income community, a feisty senior citizen tries to stop him in Bingo Hell, a wickedly original horror movie with a fiendishly funny twist. After 60-something neighborhood activist Lupita (Barraza) discovers that her beloved local bingo hall has been taken over by a mysterious businessman named Mr. Big (Brake), she rallies her elderly friends to fight back against the enigmatic entrepreneur. But when her longtime neighbors begin turning up dead under grisly circumstances, Lupita suddenly discovers that gentrification is the least of her problems. Something terrifying has made itself at home in the quiet barrio of Oak Springs, and with each new cry of “Bingo!” another victim falls prey to its diabolical presence. As the cash prizes increase and the body count steadily rises, Lupita must face the frightening realization that this game is truly winner-takes-all.
BLACK AS NIGHT – October 1, 2021
A resourceful teenage girl leaves childhood behind when she battles a group of deadly vampires in Black as Night, an action-horror hybrid with a strong social conscience and a biting sense of humor. Fifteen years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, a new threat leaves its mark on the Big Easy in the form of puncture wounds on the throats of the city’s vulnerable displaced population. When her drug-addicted mom becomes the latest victim of the undead, 15-year old Shawna (Cooper) vows to even the score. Along with three trusted friends, Shawna hatches a bold plan to infiltrate the vampire’s mansion in the historic French Quarter, destroy their leader, and turn his fanged disciples back to their human form. But killing monsters is no easy task, and soon Shawna and her crew find themselves caught in a centuries-old conflict between warring vampire factions, each fighting to claim New Orleans as their permanent home.
MADRES – October 8, 2021
Beto (Huerta) and Diana (Guerra), a young Mexican-American couple expecting their first child, move to a small town in 1970’s California where Beto has been offered a job managing a farm. Isolated from the community and plagued by confusing nightmares, Diana explores the rundown company ranch where they reside, finding a grisly talisman and a box containing the belongings of the previous residents. Her discoveries will lead her to a truth much stranger and more terrifying than she could have possibly imagined.
THE MANOR – October 8, 2021
A malevolent force preys upon the residents of a sleepy nursing home in The Manor, a gothic tale of terror with a modern twist. When a mild stroke diminishes her ability to care for herself, Judith Albright (Hershey) moves to Golden Sun Manor, an assisted living facility with a sterling reputation. But despite the best efforts of the staff, and a budding friendship with fellow senior Roland (Davidson), strange occurrences and nightmarish visions convince Judith that a sinister presence is haunting the massive estate. As residents begin to die mysteriously, Judith’s frantic warnings are dismissed as fantasy. Even her devoted grandson Josh (Alexander) thinks her fears are the result of dementia, not demons. With no one willing to believe her, Judith must either escape the confines of the manor, or fall victim to the evil that dwells within it.
Netflix’s The Starling might have just unveiled the most effective trailer of the year. It’s difficult to make it through the two+ minute trailer without immediately wanting to watch the complete feature film – it’s just that compelling.
Of course, the fact this 2021 dramedy has Melissa McCarthy, Chris O’Dowd, Kevin Kline, and Timothy Olyphant in starring roles works heavily in its favor. Plus, Daveed Diggs, Skyler Gisondo, and Loretta Devine star along with Laura Harrier, Rosalind Chao, and Kimberly Quinn.
Netflix is planning to release The Starling in select theaters on September 17, 2021 followed by a release on the streaming service on September 24th.
Theodore Melfi (Hidden Figures, St. Vincent) directed from a screenplay by Matt Harris. Melfi, Dylan Sellers, Chris Parker, and Kimberly Quinn served as producers.
The Plot, Courtesy of Netflix:
After Lilly (McCarthy) suffers a loss, a battle with a territorial bird (The Starling) over dominion of her garden provides an unlikely avenue for her grief and the courage to heal her relationships and rediscover her capacity for love.
