Disney+ has released the first official trailer for Marvel’s 616, the new documentary series set to premiere on November 20, 2020. The anthology docuseries is made of eight episodes that provide a peek behind the scenes into the world of Marvel.
The series’ episodes include “Japanese Spider-Man” directed by David Gelb, “Higher Further Faster” directed by Gillian Jacobs, “Amazing Artisans” directed by Clay Jeter, and “Lost and Found” directed by Paul Scheer. “Suit Up!” was directed by Andrew Rossi, Sarah Ramos directed “Unboxed,” “The Marvel Method” was directed by Brian Oakes, and G.L.O.W. star Alison Brie directed “Marvel Spotlight.”
The anthology series was executive produced by Joe Quesada, Shane Rahmani, Stephen Wacker, John Cerilli, Harry Go, Sarah Amos, Jason Sterman, Brian McGinn, and David Gelb. The series is a Marvel New Media and Supper Club production.
Details on Marvel’s 616, Courtesy of Disney+:
Marvel’s 616 explores Marvel’s rich legacy of pioneering characters, creators and storytelling to reflect the world outside your window. Each documentary, helmed by a unique filmmaker, showcases the intersections of storytelling, pop culture, and fandom within the Marvel Universe. Episodes in this anthology series will cover topics including Marvel’s world-spanning artists, the trailblazing women of Marvel Comics, discovering the “forgotten” characters of Marvel, and much more.
Global superstars BTS head back to number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for a third time with their record-shattering single, “Dynamite.” The group’s stayed in the top two spots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a whopping five weeks now.
“Dynamite” previously topped Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in a row, becoming the first Korean act to pull off that feat.
According to Billboard, “Dynamite” returns to the number 1 spot from the runner-up spot on the strength of 14 million U.S. streams (up 11%) and 153,000 downloads sold (up 96%) in the week ending September 24th. The single also set several remarkable records: the first song among duos or group to tally at least three weeks at number 1 in almost two years (since Maroon 5’s “Girl Like You” featuring Cardi B) and the first song to top Digital Song Sales for five weeks since Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts.”
Billboard recently unveiled two new charts – Billboard Global Excl U.S. and Billboard Global 200 – and, not surprisingly, BTS became the first act to dominate all three charts (including Hot 100) at number one simultaneously.
BTS is keeping the momentum going with many exciting projects throughout the week. All this week BTS is taking over The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon for what’s been deemed “BTS WEEK.” The group performs every night this week, and host Jimmy Fallon has stated the K-pop group will be involved in games as well.
BTS kicked off their one week stint on the late-night show on September 28th with a special performance of “Dynamite” with The Roots and Jimmy Fallon. They closed out the show with a spectacular performance of their 2018 hit “Idol” during which the group wore traditional Korean clothing (Hanbok) in front of a picturesque backdrop of the Gyeongbokgung Palace, helping to spread Korean culture to the U.S.
It was recently announced the global phenoms sat for an interview with Variety and will grace the magazine’s Grammy preview issue’s cover.
In other big news, the group will be releasing an album titled BE on November 20, 2020. As usual, the group and their label Big Hit Entertainment have been tight-lipped about the album and thus far haven’t given away any details. Pre-orders of the album began on September 27th.
Lastly, BTS will be appearing on Jason Derulo’s hit song “Savage Love” (Laxed – Siren Beat), a remix with Jawsh 685. The song is currently not only a huge radio hit, but also a hit on TikTok as well. The remix is set to drop this Friday, October 2nd.
Gloria Steinem’s fascinating journey from daughter of a dirt-poor traveling salesman to feminist icon is explored in depth in The Glorias. Adapted by director Julie Taymor and Sarah Ruhl from Steinem’s My Life on the Road, The Glorias takes us on a trip down the long and winding road Steinem traveled on her way to becoming a political activist who broke down barriers and became the face of a movement.
The Glorias is the perfect melding of a visionary filmmaker and subject matter. Writer/director Taymor doesn’t simply expound on the most well-known events in Steinem’s life in this dynamic biopic. Instead, more intimate, personal moments are used to reveal the real Steinem and how being thrust into the forefront of the feminist movement was an uncomfortable fit for someone who never intended to take on that role. As explained throughout The Glorias, Steinem always sought to share the spotlight and embraced the fellowship she found in like-minded women.
Taymor’s film adroitly weaves its way through Steinem’s complex life story in a refreshingly nontraditional manner. The dramatic biopic tells Steinem’s story via four tremendously talented actors (Julianne Moore, Alicia Vikander, Lulu Wilson, and Ryan Keira Armstrong) taking on different years in Gloria’s life. Each play out key events that not only formed the basis of Steinem’s political beliefs but also shaped who Steinem is as a person in and out of the public eye. It’s wild that over the course of the film your opinion of who best captures Steinem’s spirit shifts, and that’s a testament to not only the screenplay but the strength of Moore, Vikander, Wilson, and Armstrong.
The most prominent figures from the decades-long unending struggle for equality and women’s rights also weave their way into the tale. And while the focus remains on Gloria throughout, these other feminist luminaries each receive ample time in the spotlight.
Taymor’s outstanding supporting cast channeling these powerful women includes Bette Midler as Bella Abzug, Janelle Monáe as Dorothy Pitman Hughes, Monica Sanchez as Dolores Huerta, Kimberly Guerrero as Wilma Mankiller, and Lorraine Toussaint as Flo Kennedy. The cast also features Timothy Hutton as Gloria’s father, Leo. Leo was a big dreamer and an eternal optimist whose own wanderlust sparked a desire to travel in Gloria. Her travels exposed her to stories of marginalized women and galvanized her to use her voice to speak out for those who couldn’t.
The passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg makes The Glorias feel all the more timely and necessary. America is mourning the loss of a fierce female warrior, and delving into the life of feminist icon Gloria Steinem at this particular time in history just seems fitting.
The Glorias helps remind us to not back down from battles worth fighting and to keep reaching for the goal of equality for all, even when the immediate prospect of fulfillment appears bleak. As Leo Steinem liked to say, “If you don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, it could be wonderful.” That might be overly optimistic, but the film leaves you with the sense that we can still accomplish great things if we persevere.
* * * * * * *
Need a little hope and inspiration? Add spending time with The Glorias and its courageous, glass-ceiling breaking, inspirational women to your watch list next to RBG and On the Basis of Sex.
GRADE: A-
MPAA Rating: R for brief lewd images and some language
Release Date: September 30, 2020 on digital and streaming exclusively on Prime Video
Running Time: 2 hours 19 minutes
Studios: LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions
A photo of Fairuza Balk as bad girl Nancy Downs in The Craft appears as we’re reminded of the number one rule of the craft: “If a person is a danger to herself or others, they will be bound.” The two-and-a-half minute first trailer for The Craft sequel, The Craft: Legacy, reveals a new group of high school girls who will be stirring up trouble while developing their powers.
Written and directed by Zoe Lister-Jones (Band Aid, Life in Pieces), the 2020 supernatural thriller stars Cailee Spaeny, Gideon Adlon, Lovie Simone, Zoey Luna, and Nicholas Galitzine. Michelle Monaghan and David Duchovny play parents of the newcomer to the coven.
The sequel’s a Blumhouse and Red Wagon Entertainment production. Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, and Jason Blum produced, with Lister-Jones, Andrew Fleming, Lucas Wiesendanger, Daniel Bekerman, Beatriz Sequeira, Jeanette Volturno, Couper Samuelson, and Natalia Anderson executive producing.
Columbia Pictures is planning an October 28, 2020 release on demand.
The original The Craft was released in May 1996 and starred Balk, Robin Tunney, Neve Campbell, Rachel True, and Skeet Ulrich. Andrew Fleming (Younger, Insatiable) co-wrote and directed the R-rated thriller which grossed $24 million during its theatrical run.
The Plot:
In Blumhouse’s continuation of the cult hit The Craft, an eclectic foursome of aspiring teenage witches get more than they bargained for as they lean into their newfound powers.
Cop drama L.A.’s Finest continues its first season broadcast network run with episode three, “Con Air.” Season one episode three’s set to air on Fox on Monday, October 5, 2020 at 8pm ET/PT.
The cast is led by Jessica Alba as Nancy McKenna and Gabrielle Union as Sydney Burnett. Duane Martin plays Ben Baines, Zach Gilford is Ben Walker, Ryan McPartlin is Patrick McKenna, Sophie Reynolds is Isabel McKenna, and Ernie Hudson plays Joseph Burnett. Alba and Union also executive produce.
“Con Air” Plot: When a body mysteriously falls out of the sky onto a busy Los Angeles street, the detectives are left to piece together clues of where the body came from. Meanwhile, McKenna’s past starts to catch up with her.
L.A.’s Finest Season 1 Details, Courtesy of Fox:
From the universe of the Jerry Bruckheimer Bad Boys movie franchise, the action-drama series L.A.’s Finest follows SYD BURNETT (Union), last seen in Miami and who has now seemingly left her complicated past behind to become an LAPD detective. Paired with a new partner, NANCY MCKENNA (Alba), a working mom with an equally complex history, Syd is forced to confront how her unapologetic lifestyle may be masking a greater personal secret. Taking on the most dangerous criminals in Los Angeles, Syd and McKenna become a force to be reckoned with – on the streets, and in each other’s lives.
John Legend and Madalen Mills on the set of ‘Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey’ (Photo by Gareth Gatrell/NETFLIX)
The musical adventure Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is offering a first look at what’s in store with the release of four photos from the holiday film. EGOT winner John Legend produces and penned original songs for the family-friendly film which will make its debut on November 13, 2020.
Philip Lawrence and Davy Nathan also contribute songs, with Usher and Kiana Ledé performing “This Day” for the film’s soundtrack.
The cast of the holiday feature includes Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker, Madalen Mills, Emmy winner Keegan-Michael Key, Sharon Rose, and Phylicia Rashad. Anika Noni Rose, Kieron Dyer, Justin Cornwell, Lisa Davina Phillip, and Hugh Bonneville also star.
David E. Talbert (Almost Christmas, First Sunday) wrote, directed, and produced Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, a film he hopes will become a joyful Christmas classic. Lyn Sisson-Talbert, Kristin Burr, Mike Jackson, and David McIlvain also served as producers.
The Plot, Courtesy of Netflix:
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is a wholly fresh and spirited family holiday event. Set in the gloriously vibrant town of Cobbleton, the film follows legendary toymaker Jeronicus Jangle (Whitaker) whose fanciful inventions burst with whimsy and wonder. But when his trusted apprentice (Key) steals his most prized creation, it’s up to his equally bright and inventive granddaughter (Mills) — and a long-forgotten invention — to heal old wounds and reawaken the magic within.
Madalen Mills as Journey Jangle and Forest Whitaker as Jeronicus Jangle (Photo by Gareth Gatrell/NETFLIX)Madalen Mills as Journey Jangle (Photo Credit: NETFLIX)Phylicia Rashad as Grandmother (Photo by Gareth Gatrell / NETFLIX)
Now that Margaret’s been forced to publicly acknowledge Eugene’s extramarital affairs resulted in (at least) three illegitimate children, the Monreauxes’ Christian brand/network is in jeopardy on Fox’s Filthy Rich season one episode two. “John 3:3” begins with Margaret (Kim Cattrall) starring in a commercial for their shopping channel, a commercial that’s more befitting an expensive perfume brand than her newly announced Sunny Club subscription service.
The scandal’s all over the news but Margaret doesn’t believe her followers will care. She claims the press conference announcing Ginger, Antonio, and Jason were fathered by Eugene was a “moment of unity.” Margaret’s a bit delusional as news outlets, including Christian bloggers, have turned on the Monreaux family and their brand. Subscriptions to their Sunny Club have plateaued.
They need 8 million subscribers or they’ll lose vendors. They’re holding steady at 6 million.
Speaking of the illegitimate siblings, Ginger (Melia Kreiling) is outside of the hub of the Monreaux business – the Sunshine Network. She’s hanging out in a van with her mom and sister – a van advertising her porn network, Sin Wagon, which apparently isn’t doing well without Ginger watching over it. Eric (Corey Cott) pulls up, spots Ginger, and immediately begins complaining to his wife, Becky (Olivia Macklin). Margaret summoned him to discuss his future and he has no idea why Ginger’s there.
Ginger reveals during a conversation with her family she’s only there to pick up a $30 million paycheck.
Antonio (Benjamin Levy Aguilar) and his young son, Jesus, are also in the parking lot. He approaches Eric’s car and says he can’t wait to get to know them. Becky, who has already referred to Jesus as a demon child, wants nothing to do with this interloper. She wanted to give birth to Margaret’s first grandchild but now Antonio’s claimed that honor.
Reporter Luke Taylor (Cranston Johnson) tries to introduce himself to Ginger’s mom, Tina (Rachel York), but she doesn’t want anything to do with him. He reveals his new angle is to write about the women Eugene had affairs with.
Rose (Aubrey Dollar) arrives and the parking lot’s become an uncomfortable impromptu family gathering. Eric’s had enough and skips the meeting with his mom and drives away.
Rose introduces herself to Ginger’s mom who couldn’t care less about Margaret’s children. Ginger tells her mom to be nice, claiming Rose is “cool.” Rose drops the news Jason is in Colorado and won’t be joining the meeting with Margaret.
Margaret and her lawyer/friend Franklin (Steve Harris) lead the meeting, with Margaret claiming she’s going to bring this family together. Ginger doesn’t have time for this nonsense and asks for her check. Franklin confirms they’ll all be getting checks for $10,000 a week instead of the $30 million payouts.
Margaret wants to hire Antonio as a member of her security team. She wants Jason to close his pot business and Ginger to close her porn site. Plus, Ginger is banned from speaking to the press ever again.
Rose complains she’s been getting $10,000 a week since she was 16. (Poor girl…how she must have suffered.) Antonio’s reaction is probably the same as most viewers. He’s stunned she’s been getting that as an allowance for years.
Margaret tells Rose to head to Colorado and instruct Jason to close down. Rose refuses, calling herself apolitical.
Ginger can’t believe this turn of events and is shocked to hear they won’t get their big paydays until Margaret dies. She warns she’s not going to simply disappear and wait patiently for Margaret to die. Ginger’s determined to cash in on her new notoriety now that Sin Wagon’s been in the news. She lies and says business has boomed. Now, she’s planning on building her brand on the back of Margaret’s brand.
Catching up with presumed dead but very much alive and breathing Eugene (Gerald McRaney), he’s recuperating in a small cabin with the woman who rescued him. She believes the swamp spit him out so he can start over. God’s not done with him yet.
Tina fetches Ginger from the meeting, impatient and wanting to hit the road. As they’re walking out Reverend Paul Luke Thomas (Aaron Lazar) stops them and compares Ginger to Mary Magdalene. Ginger knows her Bible and stuns Reverend Paul with her knowledge of Mary Magdalene.
After the meeting breaks up, Margaret has Antonio fitted with new suits for his job as a member of her security team. Rose watches Antonio try on suits while thinking about her dad. She admits things would be secretly worse if he were still alive. She’s a combo of mad and sad, and her mom assures her she really needs to head out and speak with Jason. She reluctantly agrees.
While all that’s going down inside the Sunshine Network studio, outside Ginger’s holding court with the press. She says Margaret thinks of her as trash and then with the cameras rolling, she unfurls a banner down the side of the studio advertising Sin Wagon.
After taking in all the hoopla surrounding Ginger, Margaret returns home, sits on the floor, and cuddles her dog. She confesses to Franklin the moms of Antonio, Jason, and Ginger – plus any other women Eugene slept with – deserve empathy, not anger.
Franklin reveals he’s reached settlements with the families of the dead women and the pilot. He also reminds her they need more subscribers or Sunny Club will fail.
Margaret’s decided to take the bull by the horns. She steps in front of the studio audience and cameras to speak about growing up poor and living in a car. The family relied on the pity of strangers, but then one day their lives changed for the better. They “drifted” into a church, listened to a sermon, and afterward found their car was loaded with groceries. She promised God she would spend her life repaying that debt.
Sunny Club is the way she’s going to keep that promise. Part of the proceeds from sales will go to the Sunny missions. She promises those proceeds will “fill the cars of hungry people around the world.”
As she’s speaking a banner on the bottom of the screen shows subscriber numbers are stuck at 6,004,154.
Franklin meets with Luke in a bar and asks the journalist to write a positive piece on Margaret. Luke refuses since Margaret had him fired from the newspaper, but Franklin insists Margaret did no such thing. Luke reveals he’s been looking into Eugene’s plane crash and learned the jet had a perfect inspection record. Why did it catch on fire and crash?
Franklin seems to genuinely believe the Monreauxes are good Christians and have helped him. He’s sure Margaret is a good person. Luke’s equally positive someone wanted Eugene dead. Franklin suggests he keep digging.
Meanwhile, Tina wants to get out of town but Ginger’s not done quite yet. Ginger rents out all the rooms at a questionable hotel and has decided to build her new brand right there in New Orleans.
Because she can use him, Ginger agrees to speak with Luke. She delivers the scoop that she’s going to replicate Sin Wagon in New Orleans. When Luke asks about how her mom met Eugene, Ginger changes the subject back to Sin Wagon. Luke firmly explains he’s not interested in a puff piece about that. He wants to dig deeper into Eugene and Tina’s relationship. Tina never took a payout or signed an NDA, and Ginger says her mom didn’t want to hurt Eugene. But that’s all she’ll say before ending the interview.
And now we finally learn that Jason kissing his half-sister Rose in episode one wasn’t as absolutely gag-inducing as we thought it was. Rose heads to Colorado and learns from Jason’s friends he was in a car accident and is currently in a coma. He’s not expected to live. And of course, the Jason in the coma is not the Jason that Rose met and flirted with. The guy pretending to be Jason is Mark, Jason’s brother who apparently has gone through life being mistaken for Jason and vice versa.
After calling Mark a greedy liar, Rose storms off.
She returns to the real Jason’s bedside and says a prayer. She’s in the middle of an apology when Jason’s mom walks in. Turns out both Jason and Mark were adopted and she never knew Eugene. She explains Mark only lied because she asked him to due to Jason’s medical bills.
Margaret interrupts Reverend Paul in the recording studio and confesses her fans are losing faith. She admits he was right and wants him to ask everyone to forgive her and Eugene. Reverend Paul doesn’t believe that’s what they need. He thinks they should put on a show in which he’ll baptize Ginger. Margaret calls Ginger unpredictable, but he passionately believes saving souls is what they’re meant to do. Reverend Paul explains, “Whether she’s a good girl or a bad one, either way, we win.”
Reverend Paul will do what he needs to if she puts Eric in charge of the charitable missions. That will prove to Eric his mom sees him as a man worthy of taking over for his father.
And speaking of dad, the woman caring for him suggests it’s time for him to go home. She believes the children need him, but he has to reclaim his salvation first.
The Sin Wagon women arrive from Vegas, ready to take over the Big Easy.
Margaret confronts Eric and asks how she can make things right. He confesses everything’s all a lie now and he doesn’t know how to move forward. She puts him in charge of their charitable missions and he immediately apologizes for being so petty.
Margaret shows up at the hotel Ginger’s taken over and after posing for a selfie with Ginger’s employees, she meets up with Tina in the bar. Tina doesn’t want Margaret to take Ginger away from her and reveals Ginger’s been watching Margaret since she was a little girl. Tina admits Margaret inspired Ginger, and Margaret suggests they baptize Ginger on the show. (She makes it seem like a spur-of-the-moment idea.)
Antonio returns to the same hotel Ginger’s taken over. He enters his room and hands over his check to his mom, Yopi (Alanna Ubach), who’s been hiding out, away from the Monreaux spotlight. The check’s enough to put a down payment on a place and as she helps her son workout, she reminds him to make Margaret think she’s the best mom ever. (Antonio’s doing a great job of concealing his end game.)
Tina tries to convince Ginger to be baptized on television. She explains it’s what Margaret wants and she thinks the cameras are what Ginger wants. Ginger, wisely, doesn’t trust Margaret but Tina reminds her Margaret can protect her in a way she can’t. (From whom does Ginger need protection? The plot thickens.)
Ginger learns from her sister and employees they don’t have any customers. Because they were down for three days, the competition swooped in and undercut them.
Rose finally meets up with Jason again and says he’s not a liar. Jason’s shutting down his business and leaving because there’s too much competition from billionaires, and Rose suggests he become one. She’s not going to say a word if he wants to come back to New Orleans and get a payday for his family.
Ginger decides her mom’s right and she should go on television. Margaret accompanies her on stage as Reverend Paul prepares her for the baptism. The scene switches back and forth between Ginger preparing to be baptized and Eugene being baptized in the Louisiana swamp by the woman who nursed him back to health. However, only Eugene’s baptism goes as expected.
Ginger emerges from the tank of water dripping wet and wearing a white dress with nothing underneath. She turns to the camera and, nipples visible, suggestively declares, “Come visit SaintWagon.com where we guarantee you will rise again.”
The website is written in black across her stomach area and is only visible now that the dress is soaking wet.
Eugene is ready to return home and asks if his savior can call a cab. Instead, she hands him a walking stick and points to the path he needs to walk to return to his family.
The day after the baptism debacle Reverend Paul addresses the audience. He calls what happened blasphemous but it also reminds them they are engaged in a war with the Devil. They need to come together in this battle for Ginger’s soul.
As he pitches Sunny Club memberships, the banner on the bottom of the screen reveals there are now 8,002,452 active subscribers.
Reverend Paul had said this would be a win-win situation, no matter how the actual baptism went down. He was right.
Over at the hotel, Ginger has her employees dress as devils and angels now that they’ve switched from Sin Wagon to Saint Wagon.
Ginger’s sister, Rachel (Aqueela Zoll), is ready for customers. Her laptop dings and it’s one of her regulars who apparently she actually likes. His face is hidden as his camera only shows his chest during their online chat. She wants to know when he’s going to show her his face and although he doesn’t answer, we’re provided with a peek at who she’s speaking with. It’s Eric!
It turns out Antonio’s mom didn’t spend the money he gave her on an apartment. Instead, she owed a guy and used it to square up her debt. He’s disappointed but his mom reminds him he’ll get another check next week.
Jason and Rose ride in the back of a limo on their return trip to New Orleans. She won’t fly commercial and since their private plane crashed, this is their mode of transportation for now. They hold hands as they head down the road.
Eugene keeps walking as instructed and comes upon a fairly busy road. He doesn’t realize it but the limo with his daughter and the fake Jason drives by as he approaches the road.
The episode ends with Franklin telling Margaret about his conversation with Luke. Luke thinks someone wanted Eugene dead, but Margaret claims planes fall from the sky if God wants them to.
Series creator Jason Rothenberg wrote and directed the series finale of The CW’s The 100. The CW just released photos from season seven episode 16, “The Last War,” which is set to air on September 30, 2020 at 8pm ET/PT.
Season seven stars Eliza Taylor as Clarke, Bob Morley as Bellamy, Marie Avgeropoulos as Octavia, Lindsey Morgan as Raven, and Richard Harmon as Murphy. Tasya Teles is Echo, Shannon Kook plays Jordan, JR Bourne is Russell Lightbourne VII, Shelby Flannery is Hope Diyoza, Ivana Milicevic is Diyoza, Adina Porter is Indra, and Chuku Modu plays Dr. Gabriel Santiago.
“The Last War” Plot: SERIES FINALE – After all the fighting and loss, Clarke (Taylor) and her friends have reached the final battle. But is humanity worthy of something greater?
Season 7 Description, Courtesy of The CW:
The seventh and final season opens with our heroes picking up the pieces of the society they destroyed on Sanctum. Still reeling from her mother’s death, Clarke, perhaps more than anyone, feels the toll of years upon years of fighting and loss. The group soon finds that maintaining order among the competing factions is no easy feat, and one that has them questioning whether their commitment to doing better was worth the price.
At the same time, our heroes must contend with new obstacles on a scale beyond any that they previously experienced as they unravel the mysteries of the Anomaly. What they encounter on this epic journey pushes them to their limits both physically and emotionally, challenging their long-held conceptions of family, love, and sacrifice. Ultimately, our heroes must answer for themselves what it means to truly live, and not just survive.
Hulu’s annual Halloween event – “Huluween” – returns with new shows, a family-friendly new Madagascar special, and 30 Halloween-inspired short films. Hulu is also setting up a special outdoor drive-in theater event for horror fans in the Los Angeles area as well as a special online “haunted immersive experience” for adults.
The L.A. drive-in event will feature an immersive haunted drive-through and will be held at the LA Equestrian Center from October 22nd through the 25th. The event hosts the L.A. premiere of Bad Hair plus screenings of Hocus Pocus, Hulu Original Books of Blood, Beetlejuice, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and 1976’s Carrie. Tickets are now available via huluween.com.
“The Screamlands” online haunted house kicks off on October 8th and includes five themed rooms. You must be 18 years or older to visit the immersive site.
2020 marks the third year Hulu’s dubbed their October programming “Huluween.” Viewers racked up more than 6 billion minutes of “Huluween” programming in 2019, according to the streaming service.
New Hulu Original Series and Films Arriving in October:
Based on the collection of stories from Nathan Ballingrud’s North American Lake Monsters, upcoming eight part anthology Monsterland begins streaming on Hulu on October 2nd.
Books of Blood joins Hulu’s slate of Originals on October 7th, taking inspiration from Clive Barker’s acclaimed and influential series about a journey into uncharted and forbidden territory.
On October 16th, viewers can stream the horror-filled first season of Hulu Original Helstrom. The series brings the Marvel comics to life and follows the son and daughter of a mysterious and powerful serial killer as they track down the worst of humanity.
Rounding out the impressive slate of terrifying Originals this October is the highly anticipated horror satire film out of Sundance, Bad Hair, debuting October 23rd. Set in 1989, the movie follows an ambitious young woman (Elle Lorraine) who discovers that her hair may have a mind of its own.
Hulu viewers looking to avoid spooks and scares can watch the family-friendly Hulu Original, Madagascar: A Little Wild “A Fang-Tastic Halloween” special from DreamWorks Animation, starting October 21st. After hearing spooky rumors about the new habitat resident – A BAT – Marty is determined to protect his friends from the newcomer. But when the bat helps him out of a tough situation, Marty learns it’s better to get to know someone rather than judge them on false stereotypes.
Additional Original Huluween content includes Babak Anvari’s Wounds starring Armie Hammer, Zazie Beetz and Dakota Johnson, the zombie flick Little Monsters starring Lupita Nyong’o and Josh Gad, and 22 hair-raising installments of the thriller/horror event series Into the Dark from prolific, award-winning producer Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Television.
Andrew Koji stars in ‘Warrior’ season 2 (Photo by David Bloomer/Cinemax)
Cinemax’s critically acclaimed dramatic series Warrior kicks off its 10-episode second season on Friday, October 2, 2020 at 10pm ET/PT. Andrew Koji (2021’s Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins) returns to lead the cast as Ah Sahm, a fierce fighter with the powerful Hop Wei tong in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
The martial arts prodigy suffered a devastating loss during a fight that almost cost him his life at the end of season one. In season two, Ah Sahm will be dealing with that loss and with the fact his sister, Mai Ling (Dianne Doan) – the reason he made the journey to America – was fine with the prospect of him dying during that fight.
Warrior’s first season earned a spot on our Best New TV Shows of 2019 list, and having watched advance screeners it’s confirmed season two is equally as riveting. Season one set up the world of the Chinese Tong Wars of the late 19th century and season two jumps straight into the action, following Andrew Koji’s Ah Sahm as he navigates this brutal world.
In support of the new season, Andrew Koji graciously hopped on the phone for an interview to discuss what’s in store for Ah Sahm and Warrior.
Was Ah Sahm easy to slip into for season two?
Andrew Koji: “We knew we were going back so I had already reflected and had things in mind that I wanted to do better for season two. It’s interesting, the process of an actor on a show. It’s like, yes, there’s the performance but then there’s maintaining your own energy levels and being able to have a clear head when you’re approaching a scene. I definitely didn’t drop the ball since season one. I already knew how I wanted to do things better. I already knew what I wanted to improve on.
In between, I kept up the training, the physical aspect. Even to this day, it’s kind of played a huge impact in my life. I never used to work out as much before. (Laughing) Now it’s very hard to not work out. For season two, I spoke with Brett (Chan) about what we wanted to do with his fighting. I went to Korea for a month for a self-imposed training camp to improve my kicks.
And then as an actor, I knew what I wanted to bring forward for Ah Sahm. The whole relationship changed as Jonathan Tropper and his writing team trusted me more as an actor, as a person. They definitely spoke more about where we want to take him, where we want to go, what we want to show. By the time we were ready for season two, everyone just hit the ground running. It feels more certain, in a way. Everyone was ready to go.”
What did you take from season one to help you move forward as Ah Sahm in season two?
Andrew Koji: “I’ve never done such a long span on TV before; I’ve done films and the like. The prep part that you do as an actor, the backstory and the relationship work and stuff, by the time you get into season two, season one is your backstory. You can literally just take it and you know exactly how it went down. You know how you played with the other actors and how you interacted with them as characters. You know what you’ve been through and the things that maybe weren’t obvious to you in the script for season one, when it actually got down to play it – like the impact of having my sister be okay with my death – like that, it changed everything.
If anything, season one just felt like it was the best backstory. (Laughing) It was like the most expensive backstory research for this season. It was easy to tap into knowing where we find him. There were only about eight months in between filming, so it was still kind of fresh.”
Do you think after the events of season one there’s a possibility he could ever forgive his sister?
Andrew Koji: “Well, I never asked what Dianne’s prep was and she would never tell me. I was always as an actor trying to reach the other actor and kind of play to what they’re doing, but Dianne would never let me in. (Laughing) She would never let me in at all!
I remember in the first few scenes together I was hoping that maybe there’s a glimpse of hope for them. And there might have been further down the line but when I was doing it, I was thinking not for the foreseeable future.
Dianne, her prep and how she performed Mai Ling was so certain, I think that just rubs off against Ah Sahm even further. And then to add to the pain of what she did to him in season one, I think forgiveness will be very, very tricky for anyone unless you’re a lot more mature, which Ah Sahm isn’t.
Definitely not for season two. He’s not thinking of forgiveness at all.”
Jason Tobin and Andrew Koji in ‘Warrior’ season 2 episode 2 (Photo by David Bloomer/Cinemax)
Is he going to spend the second season obsessed with losing that fight at the end of season one?
Andrew Koji: “Yeah, I think that was a huge thing for him. Yeah, I think when you lose like that…Ah Sahm’s predominant identity is that of a fighter. And I think when your identity is challenged in such a way, I was thinking that would be the equivalent of me getting cut from the show. It would such a huge burn. I think even in those glimpses or moments when he forgets about it, he’s carrying that. I think that’s going to be a moment when he thinks, ‘I could have died and I only didn’t die because of some chance firing of a gun.’
I think that would burn, especially as a young guy. Ah Sahm’s younger in maturity, I’d say, than me in some ways. (Laughing) I think, yeah, you’re going to carry that around. You’re going to be so angry and be focusing on that. That’s a trauma for him, for certain.”
Do you consider season two to be darker season for him, for that reason, than season one?
Andrew Koji: “Yeah. Season one I felt like in the script the way I interpreted it he could be such a fresh-off-the-boat fish-out-of-water. He doesn’t have any relationships or pre-existing ties. He’s literally just having to become a worker for this gang. He was assessing stuff during season one and then he got an answer about who really cared for him, which was pretty much no one.
In season two there’s definitely a change, a calculating nature to him that’s a bit more reserved in a way and definitely there’s more of a mask that he’s putting on. Because deep down, those people would have let him die. He’s in this situation; he can’t escape it. Perhaps he physically could but it’s not a good option. So, he’s just going to have to play the game and try and get to where he wants to get to.
There’s definitely more of a calculating cynicalness to him this time around. So, yeah, I think that would be darker. A bit like Iago – more planning and calculating.”
Do you consider him to be honorable?
Andrew Koji: “Oh, here we go…here we go. That’s an interesting question. Yeah, towards the end of this season I think there’s a glimpse of that honor of a rightful fight. You know, using his skills for the right purpose and for what he deems to be right.
Honor is interesting. This is very interesting. I’ve been studying all the Japanese cultures and they operate pretty much everything on honor. I think it’s very interesting – that whole thing of what is honorable and how can violence be justified like that? Yeah, I think he’s trying to become honorable.
In season one he wasn’t honorable; he was just fighting. In season two, there’s more of a sense of fighting with a purpose which could be also a kind of thing about honor.”
What is the big picture for him? What does Ah Sahm ultimately want?
Andrew Koji: “My gut is that he does want family. I’ve talked to the other cast about what they’re all going for. TV’s so interesting because it’s such a long format. Sometimes you don’t get all the scripts right away and you have to adjust what they’re going for in life. And sometimes even the writers don’t know themselves. They’ve got this feeling of the character and where he could go, might go.
This show is a lot about, even though there’s a pulpy exterior like Banshee and stuff, it’s all about family and finding family even in the most outsider, different than the normal nuclear family. I think that’s what he’s searching for – a sense of family.
Ideally, he won’t be fighting anymore, but he might be living that life with a wife in the desert somewhere. That’s what I think he’s kind of going in the direction for. But then, obviously, he’s got the whole Chinese Exclusion Act happening and seeing his people… He’d probably only be able to achieve that life if he knows that his people – or people he identifies as his people, his race – are safe and well and being treated right. So, I think it’s more along the lines of a justified reason to live a good life, a happy life, or a safe life.”
Does he consider Young Jun family?
Andrew Koji: “That’s interesting. I think he’s torn. I think with Young Jun there’s definitely feelings of being a brother there. But because of his deep ties to the Hop Wei – essentially he wasn’t going to stop my death and he did allow me to be thrown out. But then I think he was conflicted.
That’s one of those relationships that’s in the grey. He does think of him as a brother in some ways but in other ways maybe not. I think he’s undecided. If they ended up fighting in a future season, I think it would have been very tough. One of the toughest fights he would have.”
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Cinemax’s Warrior is based on the writings of martial arts icon Bruce Lee. Tropper Ink Productions’ Jonathan Tropper (Banshee) created the action drama and executive produces with Perfect Storm Entertainment’s Justin Lin and Bruce Lee Entertainment’s Shannon Lee.
In addition to Andrew Koji, the season two cast includes Jason Tobin, Kieran Bew, Olivia Cheng, Dianne Doan, Dean Jagger, Langley Kirkwood, and Hoon Lee. Christian McKay, Joe Taslim, Joanna Vanderham, Tom Weston-Jones, and Perry Yung also reprise their roles for the second season. New series regulars include Celine Buckens, Dustin Nguyen, Chen Tang, Miranda Raison, and recurring series regular Maria Elena Laas.
New season two episodes air on Fridays at 10pm ET/PT.
