Bailee Madison and Chandler Kinney in ‘Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin’ (Photograph by Barbara Nitke/HBO Max)
Chandler Kinney (Zombies 2) and Maia Reficco (Strangers) have been cast in the Max Original series, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin. The network also confirmed Chilling Adventures of Sabrina‘s Lisa Soper will direct the first two episodes of the Warner Bros. Television production based on Sara Shepard’s bestselling book series.
According to HBO Max’s official announcement, Chandler Kinney’s playing Tabby, “an aspiring director and horror movie buff. Like the other Little Liars, Tabby’s hiding a secret.” Maia Reficco has been cast as Noa, “a striving, sardonic track star who’s working hard to get her life back to normal after a summer spent in juvenile detention.”
Filming is expected to begin this summer in New York’s Upriver Studios.
Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin comes from writer/executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Riverdale) and co-executive producer/writer Lindsay Calhoon Bring (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina). The Muckle Man Productions and Alloy Entertainment production is also executive produced by Michael Grassi, Caroline Baron, and Alloy’s Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo.
The Plot, Courtesy of HBO Max:
Twenty years ago, a series of tragic events almost ripped the blue-collar town of Millwood apart. Now, in the present day, a group of disparate teen girls — a brand-new set of Little Liars — find themselves tormented by an unknown Assailant and made to pay for the secret sin their parents committed two decades ago…as well as their own. In the dark, coming-of-age, horror-tinged drama Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, we find ourselves miles away from Rosewood, but within the existing Pretty Little Liars universe — in a brand-new town, with a new generation of Little Liars.
It’s up to Chris Pratt to save the world from ravenous alien creatures intent on wiping out humanity in Amazon’s sci-fi action film, The Tomorrow War. Directed by Chris McKay (The LEGO Batman Movie), this overstuffed alien invasion thriller isn’t nearly as smart as McKay and screenwriter Zach Dorn need it to be in order to keep the momentum going for nearly two and a half hours.
We leap right into the action with Dan Forester (Pratt) falling from the sky and landing in a skyscraper’s swimming pool. But wait…there’s a backstory that needs to be built up so we can root this hero on. Best to tuck that action teaser away for now and explore the Forester family dynamics first.
Dan’s a hard-working family man with a wife (Betty Gilpin, GLOW), young daughter (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), and a penchant for kicking trash cans. A combat veteran who longs to be a researcher, Dan spends his days teaching science and his off time applying for work in a lab. He’s also a dispenser of wisdom – “To be the best you have to do what no one else is willing to do” – and a proud Girl Dad.
Life’s humming along nicely until a World Cup soccer match is interrupted by the sudden appearance of heavily armed soldiers popping out of a black hole-looking void feet above the pitch. They come from the year 2051 bearing bad news: aliens have invaded and humans are well on their way to extinction. These soldiers briefly explain they’re looking to recruit fighters from across the globe to pad out their ranks.
Flash-forward a year and all countries have instituted a draft because, as it turns out, not many people want to volunteer to die horrible deaths. Not everyone survives the jump through time and since the casualty rate is incredibly high, there’s always a need to replenish the depleted forces battling the creatures from outer space.
The odds of winning are slight and anti-war protests erupt across the planet. The world’s in chaos but Dan only wants to teach; he has no intention of leaving his family and becoming food for an alien invader.
Unfortunately, what Dan wants to do and what he’s forced into are two distinct things. Dan’s drafted and an armband that tracks his movements (and will count down the hours until he’s jumped back to the current timeline) is slapped around his forearm. Girl Dad Dan is forced into giving another motivational speech to his young daughter before showing up for his seven-day tour of duty.
It’s quickly apparent only a handful of Dan’s fellow draftees have any useful knowledge of how to fight. The soldiers from the future provide very little in the way of helpful information on how to take out the aliens known as White Spikes and no real combat training. And, as they rush through explaining, the jumps can’t move around to different times other than this exact day 28 years in the future. Plus, there aren’t even any photos of the aliens to prepare them for what they’re going up against as it’s believed just the sight of one would be enough to scare anyone out of making the jump.
Something goes horribly wrong during the jump and that’s why Dan and only a few of his fellow unwilling recruits who were fortunate enough to land in the pool survive to take on a rescue mission. Dan’s placed in charge of the group – of course – by brilliant scientist and Romeo Command Colonel (Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid’s Tale) who orders him to take his small ragtag group and rescue scientists at a nearby research facility. And thus begins Dan’s quest to ensure there’s a future beyond 2051 for his beloved daughter.
30 minutes in we’re finally treated to our first look at the White Spikes. And, yes, they are hideous enough to make even the most battle-hardened soldier request a change in briefs. Once they appear, the film transitions from family drama to full-on action as Dan teams up with the colonel to find a way to squash this seemingly unstoppable invading force before all hope is lost.
I have so many questions. Why didn’t the soldiers who leaped into our time provide more details on the origin of the aliens? Seems like that would have been the best use of the time-jump technology, rather than using it to find unwilling participants to basically sacrifice themselves to hungry aliens. My other pressing questions can’t be put in writing as they’re spoiler-filled. Suffice it to say the story plays it real loosey-goosey with the science behind time-jumping and with the how, whats, and whys of this alien apocalypse. The rules appear to be fairly cut and dry until you pause a minute and think it all through.
The CG creatures are fearsome-looking and their ability to shoot darts from their tentacles adds an extra layer of creepiness as they move in packs gobbling up anything that breathes. It makes sense that we’re losing to these aliens because they’re lightning-fast and only have two vulnerable spots on their massive bodies.
Our hero Dan is ex-military so his control under pressure is understandable. But that shouldn’t apply to his fellow recruits (played by Sam Richardson, Mary Lynn Rajskub, and Mike Mitchell) who are plopped into the future with no training and yet within minutes manage to adopt mannerisms of highly skilled military veterans. And they do so while still keeping their sense of humor, tossing one-liners to lighten the mood while they should be more concerned about being eaten by aliens.
Chris Pratt, who’s far better at comedy than drama, attempts to hold the convoluted story together. Chopping off a good 30 minutes might have brought him closer to success. The creature effects and fight scenes are impressive but leaving out a handful wouldn’t have hurt the film’s flow or negatively affected the plot.
Yvonne Strahovski gamely tries to make Romeo Command Colonel a fierce force to be reckoned with and more than just your standard “military leader in a sci-fi film” caricature. Strahovski adds a little meat to the character, and her interactions with Pratt are the moments in the film when the Guardians of the Galaxy star seems to really come alive.
The always terrific J.K. Simmons (as Dan’s estranged dad) steals the few scenes he appears in, but Betty Gilpin is basically a throw-away character and horribly underutilized.
The Tomorrow War goes on for an eternity before finishing up with an incredibly ridiculous ending. After sitting through two-plus hours, the final act is utter nonsense and a complete letdown.
GRADE: C+
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some suggestive references, action, language, and intense sci-fi violence
The CW’s set a July 11, 2021 premiere date for season one of the What We Do in the Shadows film and TV series spinoff, Wellington Paranormal. The network will air two episodes back-to-back on July 11th, with future episodes arriving on Sundays at 9pm ET/PT.
Seasons one through three first aired on TVNZ 2.
The series follows Officers Minogue (Mike Minogue) and O’Leary (Karen O’Leary), two Wellington police officers who appeared in the critically acclaimed, award-winning mockumentary film, What We Do in the Shadows. The series comes from What We Do in the Shadows‘ creators Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, with Clement writing and also directing four of the first season’s episodes. Waititi and Clement executive produce with Paul Yates.
In addition to Mike Minogue and Karen O’Leary, the season one cast includes Maaka Pohatu as Sergeant Maaka.
Episode 1 “Demon Girl” Plot: SEASON PREMIERE – Officers O’Leary and Minogue have an encounter with the demon Bazu’aal when it descends upon Wellington leaving no man – or beast – untouched. Jemaine Clement directed the episode written by himself and Paul Yates.
Episode 2 “Cop Circles” Plot: BEAM ME UP – O’Leary and Minogue investigate possible alien activity in the Wellington countryside. Jemaine Clement directed the episode written by Melanie Bracewell.
Wellington Paranormal Synopsis, Courtesy of The CW:
Wellington Paranormal follows the adventures of Officers O’Leary and Minogue, hard-working members of the Wellington constabulary’s paranormal unit who, under the supervision of Sergeant Maaka, investigate supernatural occurrences that arise in the capital of New Zealand on a surprisingly regular basis.
Beau Cassidy, Will Fletcher, Amelie Child Villiers, and Charles Edwards join Amazon’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ series (Edwards photo credit: Wolf Marloh and Fletcher credit: Phil Sharp / Courtesy of Prime Video)
Amazon Studios’ upcoming The Lord of the Rings-inspired series has added four more to its large ensemble. Charles Edwards (The Crown), Will Fletcher (The Girl Who Fell), Amelie Child-Villiers (Censor), and Beau Cassidy have joined the cast of the Amazon Original series which is a prequel to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Amazon did not confirm who each of the new members of the cast will be playing.
The much-anticipated epic series is currently filming in New Zealand.
The foursome join a cast that includes Benjamin Walker, Daniel Weyman, Peter Mullan, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Maxim Baldry, Ian Blackburn, and Nazanin Boniadi. Kip Chapman, Morfydd Clark, Anthony Crum, Ismael Cruz Cordova, and Maxine Cunliffe also star.
The ensemble also includes Trystan Gravelle, Lenny Henry, Ema Horvath, Thusitha Jayasundera, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, and Simon Merrells. In addition, Fabian McCallum, Geoff Morrell, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, and Lloyd Owen star.
J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay are the co-showrunners. Payne and McKay executive produce along with Lindsey Weber, Callum Greene, J.A. Bayona, Belén Atienza, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Bruce Richmond, and Sharon Tal Yguado.
The Lord of the Rings Television Series Description, Courtesy of Amazon:
Amazon Studios’ forthcoming series brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.
YouTube commenters really want to tie Beckett to Christopher Nolan’s Tenet. Maybe it’s the vibe given off by the music in the first official Beckett trailer or the fact John David Washington’s on the run. Or, it could be Tenet fans are just clinging to the possibility of a prequel, sequel, or spinoff.
In addition to Screen Actors Guild Awards nominee John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman), Netflix’s Beckett stars Boyd Holbrook (Narcos), Vicky Krieps (The Girl in the Spider’s Web), and Oscar winner Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl).
Ferdinando Cito Filomarino directed from a screenplay by Kevin A. Rice. Luca Guadagnino, Marco Morabito, Francesco Melzi d’Eril, and Gabriele Moratti served as producers.
Netflix plans to release Beckett on August 13, 2021.
The Plot:
While vacationing in Greece, American tourist Beckett (Washington) becomes the target of a manhunt after a devastating accident. Forced to run for his life and desperate to get across the country to the American embassy to clear his name, tensions escalate as the authorities close in, political unrest mounts, and Beckett falls even deeper into a dangerous web of conspiracy.
John David Washington as Beckett and Alicia Vikander as April (Photo Credit: NETFLIX)John David Washington as Beckett (Photo Credit: Yannis Drakoulidis / NETFLIX)A scene from ‘Beckett’ (Photo Credit: Netflix)John David Washington as Beckett (Photo Credit: NETFLIX)
A scene from Universal Pictures’ ‘The Forever Purge’
A second Civil War led by racist vigilantes and organized militias intent on “purifying” America propels the action in the fifth – and possibly final – film of The Purge franchise, The Forever Purge. The story reflects the current state of America, a nation where white supremacists have been emboldened and no longer feel it’s necessary to hide their disgusting beliefs.
The America depicted in the film is, minus an actual Purge day, a chilling reflection of the America that exists in 2021. Racist rhetoric spews from not just formerly closeted bigots but from talking heads on so-called news channels whose lies add fuel to the fire. And in The Forever Purge, a nation ripped apart by those lies finds well-armed militias focusing their anger on immigrants and anyone whose skin tone isn’t pearly white.
The previous Purge films disclosed the true purpose of the annual night of mayhem and murder is to wipe out the poor and people of color. It’s a government-approved cleansing method in which white supremacists and mercenaries are given the green light to act on their basest instincts by slaughtering anyone considered “other.”
The fifth film picks up with The New Founding Fathers party back in power and reinstating the annual Purge. Unlike the previous films, the actual night of murder and mayhem isn’t the focus of The Forever Purge. The twist in this installment is the official conclusion of the approved Purge is really just the beginning of the end of America as a functioning democracy.
At the center of the action are undocumented immigrants Adela (Ana de la Reguera, Army of the Dead) and her husband, Juan (Tenoch Huerta, Narcos: Mexico), who’ve crossed the border into Texas and are gainfully employed. Adela works in a butcher shop, while Juan is a ranch hand/horse whisperer on the Tucker family’s ranch. Tucker family patriarch Caleb (Will Patton, Halloween) is a decent man who respects his employees. The same can’t be said of his son, Dylan (Josh Lucas, Ford v Ferrari). Dylan’s jealous of Juan’s ability to handle horses, and Juan initially takes him to be a spoiled, racist jerk.
Dylan’s pregnant wife (Cassidy Freeman, The Righteous Gemstones) and his sister (Leven Rambin, The Big Ugly) round out the family who on the day after the Purge are captured by masked killers. One family member is murdered before Juan and fellow ranch hand (Alejandro Edda, Narcos: Mexico) can rescue the family and escape in a semi-truck.
Adela, who it turns out is a badass with a history of taking on cartels, joins the group as they attempt to flee El Paso, which, like other major American cities, has fallen to the vigilantes. Given that the annual Purge is strictly an American holiday, our country’s neighbors – Mexico and Canada – step in to help provide safe harbor to any unarmed American who can make it across the border during a specific time frame.
Mirroring reality, The Forever Purge takes place in an America in which white supremacists feel empowered to take matters into their own hands. Fortunately, there’s only a very remote possibility of these gun-toting nuts igniting a second Civil War in the real world. That said, it’s disturbing to search for the fifth Purge film on Google and find the top search strings involve the possibility of a real-life Purge. It’s also disturbing The Forever Purge so accurately reflects the hatred and bloodlust of armed racists who believe only white is right in America.
Screenwriter James DeMonaco isn’t in the least bit subtle with the film’s message. DeMonaco wrote all five of The Purge films (and directed three) and has used the franchise to confront important issues. With The Forever Purge, DeMonaco has taken the gloves off. This is a brutal, unflinching condemnation of racism told without any filters.
The Forever Purge isn’t a film you can watch for the action while ignoring the social commentary. As such, it’s going to offend and upset a large faction of Americans who will identify with the aggressors. (Those same people should have gotten a clue and checked out after The Purge 2.) This fifth Purge film is even more political than its predecessors and shows an America that’s taken its eye off the ball and has lost its way. It’s a powerful cautionary tale, albeit one taken to the absolute extremes.
A solid cast and intense action sequences, combined with DeMonaco’s takedown of white supremacists, make this fast-paced entry in The Purge franchise one of its best.
GRADE: B+
Directed By: Everardo Gout
Running Time: 1 hour 43 minutes
MPAA Rating: R for strong, bloody violence and language throughout
12 time Emmy Award nominee Sandra Oh stars as Professor Ji-Yoon Kim, Chair of the English Department, in Netflix’s upcoming comedy series, The Chair. The short video reveals the series’ opening scene with Oh entering her new office, unwrapping an expletive filled sign announcing she’s arrived, and then tumbling out of her chair.
Joining Sandra Oh are Jay Duplass as Professor Bill Dobson, Holland Taylor as Professor Joan Hambling, and Bob Balaban as Professor Elliot Rentz. Nana Mensah plays Professor Yaz McKay, David Morse is Dean Paul Larson, and Everly Carganilla stars as Ju-Hee “Ju Ju” Kim.
The six half-hour episodes premiere on Friday, August 20, 2021.
Amanda Peet writes, executive produces, and is the showrunner. Sandra Oh, David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Bernie Caulfield, and Daniel Gray Longino also executive produce. Peet’s co-writers include Annie Julia Wyman, Richard E. Robbins, Jennifer Kim, and Andrea Troyer. Daniel Gray Longino directed all six episodes.
The Plot, Courtesy of Netflix:
The Chair follows Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim (Oh) as she navigates her new role as the Chair of the English department at prestigious Pembroke University. Ji-Yoon is faced with a unique set of challenges as the first woman to chair the department, and as one of the few staff members of color at the university.
The Critics Choice Association* will be shining the spotlight on non-English language films with the creation of the World Movie Awards. The inaugural World Movie Awards will air in 2022.
The newly formed International Branch of the CCA will play an integral role in the planning of the World Movie Awards. The CCA also plans to involve other critics groups across the globe in the inaugural awards.
“It has been clear for some time that many, if not most, of the leading critics and entertainment journalists reporting for foreign audiences were not welcome in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, so the CCA has opened its big tent and welcomed in dozens of them,” stated Critics Choice Association CEO Joey Berlin.
The International Branch just added a batch of new members with additional applicants currently being considered.
“As the world flattens and the best films are distributed all around the planet, often day-and-date, our mission has expanded,” added Berlin. “Our purpose as a collective of critics is to help audiences find the good stuff at a time when viewing options have exploded, while simultaneously helping motion picture makers find their audiences. With the amazing growth of multinational distribution platforms and high-quality content producers such as Netflix, Amazon, and Apple alongside wonderful films from traditional studios all over the world, the time has come to celebrate the best cinematic storytelling being produced outside of Hollywood.”
The new International branch joins the established Film, TV, and Documentary branches of the CCA.
Specifics on the World Movie Awards will be announced at a later date.
Dwayne Johnson introduces the “Skipper Frank” trailer (#TeamFrank) by calling Jungle Cruise the epic summer movie event. “The timing of this movie getting released couldn’t be better as we are all trying to get on the other side of Covid,” says Johnson before showing off one of two new trailers released a month out from the film’s premiere.
Emily Blunt introduces the other trailer spotlighting her character, Dr. Lily Houghton (#TeamLily). Blunt is sure her trailer’s the official one and labels Johnson’s trailer desperate, delusional, and sad, and claims it bears no relation to the film they made. “It was like the trailer had lost its mind,” says Blunt. “This is the true-to-life trailer of our extraordinary film that follows my character, Dr. Lily Houghton. She’s like Indiana Jones – she is brave and fearless and wild and she’s brilliant-minded and humble, and she’s going to be the one to take you down the Amazon River on this adventure of a lifetime.”
In addition to Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, the cast includes Edgar Ramírez, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, and Paul Giamatti. Jaume Collet-Serra directs from a screenplay by Michael Green, Glenn Ficarra, and John Requa (story by Ficarra, Requa, John Norville, and Josh Goldstein).
Disney’s Jungle Cruise sails into theaters and Disney+ with Premier Access on July 30, 2021.
The Plot:
Inspired by the famous Disneyland theme park ride, Disney’s Jungle Cruise is an adventure-filled, rollicking thrill-ride down the Amazon with wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff and intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton. Lily travels from London, England to the Amazon jungle and enlists Frank’s questionable services to guide her downriver on La Quila — his ramshackle-but-charming boat.
Lily is determined to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities — possessing the power to change the future of medicine. Thrust on this epic quest together, the unlikely duo encounters innumerable dangers and supernatural forces, all lurking in the deceptive beauty of the lush rainforest. But as the secrets of the lost tree unfold, the stakes reach even higher for Lily and Frank and their fate — and mankind’s — hangs in the balance.
Jessica Green as Talon in ‘The Outpost’ season 4 episode 1 (Photo: Aleksandar Letic / NBCU International 2020 Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment)
The death of Gwynn is going to change everything for Talon in the upcoming fourth season of The CW’s The Outpost. Season four episode one, “Someone Has to Rule,” was directed by Milan Todorvić from a script by Jason Faller and Kynan Griffin and will air on July 15, 2021.
The CW’s just released the first photos from season four’s first episode and confirmed plot details. (The network is labeling this new batch of episodes season 3B). Season four will air on Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT.
The cast is led by Jessica Green as Talon and includes Jake Stormoen as Captain Garret Spears, Anand Desai-Barochia as Janzo, and Reece Ritchie as Zed. Izuka Hoyle is Wren, Jaye Griffiths is Yavalla, Georgia May Foote is Falista, Maeve Courtier-Lilly is Luna, Nikki Leigh Scott is Vorta, and Adam Johnson is Munt.
“Someone Has to Rule” Plot: WHO WILL RULE? – Garret (Stormoen) wants Talon (Green) to take the throne, while a mysterious assassin seeks revenge. Falista (Foote) mourns for Tobin (Aaron Fontaine) but hatches a new plan. Zed (Ritchie) wants Wren (Hoyle) to be High Priestess and uncovers a secret about her.
The Season 4 Plot:
After Gwynn (Imogen Waterhouse) sacrificed herself to destroy Yavalla, the Outpost needs a new ruler. But while Talon and Garret try to establish new leadership, a sinister threat awakens, revealing the true origin of the mysterious kinjes. Talon and her kinj-bearing friends all share dark visions from god-like beings who are hell-bent on reclaiming the kinjes for themselves. A would-be assassin named Luna hunts Talon down to get vengeance for crimes of the past, but soon discovers that her own heritage is wrapped up in Talon’s fate.
Mourning the recent loss of her beloved Tobin (Aaron Fontaine), Falista is mentored by Two to dedicate herself to the new “gods” in exchange for a costly favor. But when the Lu Qiri go missing, Talon and Zed track them down to discover the greatest threat the Realm has ever faced… a new race of beings that will ultimately explain Talon’s own dark origins.
When Janzo and Wren are forced to unlock an ancient city beneath the Outpost, they struggle to uncover who their real allies and enemies will be, while a secret they share gives them new motivation to save the world.
As she and her friends are hunted down one by one, while diabolic forces are tearing her world apart, Talon endures the darkest challenge she has ever faced, as she struggles to embrace the heroes of her past and somehow survive the villains that only she has the power to destroy.
Anand Desai-Barochia as Janzo in season 4 episode 1 (Photo: Aleksandar Letic / NBCU International 2020 Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment)Jake Stormoen as Captain Garret Spears in season 4 episode 1 (Photo: Aleksandar Letic / NBCU International 2020 Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment)Georgia May Foote as Falista in season 4 episode 1 (Photo: Aleksandar Letic / NBCU International 2020 Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment)Adam Johnson as Munt and Tijana Upcev as Warlita in season 4 episode 1 (Photo: Aleksandar Letic / NBCU International 2020 Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment)Jake Stormoen as Garret Spears and Reece Ritchie as Zed in season 4 episode 1 (Photo: Aleksandar Letic / NBCU International 2020 Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment)Jessica Green as Talon in season 4 episode 1 (Photo: Aleksandar Letic / NBCU International 2020 Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment)
