Netflix just announced the cast of their completely quarantine-produced anthology series, Social Distance. The series was conceived as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe and was put together remotely (and safely) during quarantine.
The cast includes Danielle Brooks, Mike Colter, Oscar Nunez, Asante Blackk, Peter Scanavino, Lachlan Watson, Guillermo Diaz, and Marsha Stephanie Blake. Miguel Sandoval, Steven Weber, Shakira Barrera, Dylan Baker, Lovie Simone, Sunita Mani, Peter Vack, Okieriete Onaodowan, Heather Burns, Kylie Liya, Max Jenkins, and Brian Jordan Alvarez are also featured in the first season.
In addition, family members of the cast will show up in guest-starring roles. “Many of these stories required casting actors who were quarantined with other actors,” explained series creator, executive producer, and showrunner Hilary Weisman Graham. “That hurdle seriously hindered our options and so casting non-actors was sometimes essential. It was definitely a roll of the dice, but thankfully, we were thrilled to discover that talent really does breed talent. These family members may not have had aspirations to be in front of the camera when we first started, but they should all quit their day jobs immediately.”
Tara Herrmann, Blake McCormick, and Jenji Kohan served as executive producers.
Netflix is targeting a fall 2020 premiere.
Social Distance Plot, Courtesy of Netflix:
Set in the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Social Distance is an eight-part anthology series that showcases the power of the human spirit in the face of uncertainty and isolation. Each standalone episode is told through a virtual lens and captures the unique emotional experience of being forced apart by circumstance and having no choice but to communicate remotely and rely on technology to maintain any sense of connection.
Through these varied and deeply human stories, Social Distance aims to provide some much-needed catharsis during a tumultuous time while also capturing a snapshot of this singular moment in history.
Dev Patel hadn’t read the script and didn’t know who David Copperfield was when he quickly said yes to taking on the lead role in Searchlight Pictures’ The Personal History of David Copperfield. He’s glad he did and audiences are certainly fortunate Patel signed on. Patel’s the perfect embodiment of the titular character, bringing a sense of joy and wonder to Charles Dickens’ creation. Patel’s easy to embrace in the title role, delivering a clever and charismatic performance.
Armando Iannucci (The Death of Stalin, Veep) directed and co-wrote this whimsical version of Charles Dickens’ beloved classic novel which takes us on an entertaining jaunt through Victorian-era England. The film opens with David Copperfield taking to the stage to introduce the audience to the story of his life. He steps back through time to lay out the moments surrounding his birth at The Rookery, a normal home that actually had nothing to do with birds.
David’s our constant, friendly narrator as key players in his tale are laid out, beginning with his pretty widowed mom, Clara (Morfydd Clark); her loyal servant with a quick wit, Peggotty (Daisy May Cooper); and fussy Aunt Betsey Trotwood (Tilda Swinton) whose disappointment at the birth of a boy rather than a girl causes her to flee the house in a tizzy.
David spent his early years away at school, with Peggotty as his guardian. His thirst for knowledge knew no bounds and his time spent with Peggotty, her brother Daniel (Paul Whitehouse), and his family – including adopted children Ham and Emily – in a house fashioned from an overturned boat were joyous. His imagination ran free and the friendships he cultivated endured for a lifetime.
After his mom married Mr. Murdstone, young David’s idyllic life came to an end. Murdstone attempted to muzzle his outgoing, effervescent personality with beatings and ultimately the young boy was sent away to work in a miserable Murdstone factory in London. The only silver lining was finding lodging with eternal optimist and all-around nice guy Wilkins Micawber (Peter Capaldi) and his equally enjoyable wife (Bronagh Gallagher).
Years later after his mother died, and after Mr. and Mrs. Micawber were hauled away due to their debts, David fled to his eccentric aunt’s house – a large home with a donkey problem. With her support, David blossomed and found employment as a proctor. It was during this period when all the various strands of interesting characters’ lives intersected and when David embraced the writer inside.
David constantly jotted down colorful turns of phrases and anecdotes about friends, relatives, and people of strong character, memorializing his life and those he encountered in print. For David, writing wasn’t an option; it was his life. What’s real, what’s an embellishment, and what is an alternate version of actual events that transpired? His collection of notes ran the full gamut, yet all expressed the pure joy of being alive.
The Personal History of David Copperfield is bursting at the seams with memorable supporting characters brought to life by an outstanding group of actors. Mr. Dick (Hugh Laurie) and his belief beheaded King Charles I is sending troubling thoughts into his head provides David with a wealth of utterances to jot down. The first love of David’s life, Dora, is a sweet but intellectual lightweight who constantly speaks for her beloved dog. Agnes (Rosalind Eleazar), the woman who’s his best match in every way, provides invaluable support. And, of course, there’s the main villain of the piece, the unscrupulous Uriah Heep (Ben Whishaw). Whishaw, who describes his character as a “mirror of David” who’s taken a different path, does a terrific job of playing the slimy lawyer responsible for the hardship that befalls David’s Aunt Betsey.
Charles Dickens’ novel comes fully alive on the screen and this adaptation confirms the story is timeless with themes that still resonate 170 years after it was written. The diverse casting is a refreshing, groundbreaking take on ageless material, as is the way Iannucci and co-writer Simon Blackwell captured the heart and soul of the source material by embracing the comedy.
The ending feels rushed, as if a half-hour of story was crammed into 10 minutes. But that’s really just a minor misstep in this otherwise joyous, uplifting adventure.
GRADE: A
MPAA Rating: PG for thematic material and brief violence
HBO Max has released cast and episode details on the upcoming docuseries Equal, a four-part series that spotlights iconic LGBTQ+ activists. Equal is set to premiere on HBO Max in October in honor of LGBT History Month.
The cast includes Cheyenne Jackson, Anthony Rapp, Shannon Purser, Heather Matarazzo, Jamie Clayton, Isis King, Samira Wiley, and Gale Harold playing trailblazers who led the still-ongoing fight for justice and equality.
Filmmaker and producer Stephen Kijak (Sid & Judy) served as the showrunner and directed episodes one, three, and four. Kimberly Reed (Prodigal Sons) directed episode two. Scout Productions’ Michael Williams (The Fog of War), Joel Chiodi, David Collins (Queer Eye), and Rob Eric (Queer Eye) executive produce. Berlanti Productions’ Greg Berlanti (Love, Simon, The Flash) and Sarah Schechter (Supergirl, Riverdale) also executive produce along with Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory), Todd Spiewak (Young Sheldon), That’s Wonderful Productions’ Eric Norsoph, Raintree Ventures’ Jon Jashni, and Warner Horizon Unscripted Television’s Mike Darnell and Brooke Karzen.
The Plot, Courtesy of HBO Max:
Equal honors the rebels of yesteryear with never-before-seen archival footage along with stylistic depictions that bring to life the gripping and true backstories of these leaders and unsung heroes. Over the course of the series, viewers will meet a wide range of LGBTQ+ visionaries portrayed by the cast, many of whom identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Each part has a distinct and connected telling: part one explores the rise of early organizations, The Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis in Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively; part two stories chronicles the 20th century trans experience, bookended by the 1966 Compton Cafeteria riots in San Francisco; part three examines the contributions from the Black community on the growing LGBTQ+ civil rights movement; and part four ties in the decades-long struggles with the culminated Stonewall uprising – the beginning of the Pride movement.
Equal Episode Descriptions and Cast Details:
Episode One
Grammy nominee Cheyenne Jackson as Dale Jennings: Dale was a gay rights activist, playwright and author. He was one of the founding members of the Mattachine Society in the early 1950s, one of the earliest gay rights groups in the United States. Following his entrapment and arrest on sex charges, Jennings fought the charges in a successful court cast which became a landmark moment for the movement. He was also one of the founders of One Magazine, the first pro-gay publication in the U.S.
SAG nominee Anthony Rapp as Harry Hay: Harry was the founder of The Mattachine Society. His manifesto, “The Call,” written feverishly one night in 1948 called for the protection and improvement of the rights of homosexuals and was the foundation on which the group was built.
Primetime Emmy nominee Shannon Purser & Heather Matarazzo as Del Martin & Phyllis Lyon: Del & Phyllis were a lesbian couple (together for 56 years until Martin’s death in 2008) who founded the Daughters of Bilitis in San Francisco in 1955, the first social and political organization for lesbians in the United States. They also published The Ladder, the first nationally distributed lesbian publication in the US. Active in both gay and feminist politics their whole lives, they were the first same-sex couple to legally wed.
Primetime Emmy nominee & Daytime Emmy nominee Sara Gilbert as J.M. From Cleveland: “JM” is an “anonymous reader” of The Ladder, representing the isolated lesbians of the 1950’s who found a lifeline in the pages of the magazine, but who were forced to live closeted lives for fear of losing jobs, friends and family.
SAG nominee Anne Ramsay as The FBI Agent: A composite character, the FBI kept active files on the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis – gay groups were often linked to communism and considered to be dangerous subversives.
Alexandra Grey as Lucy Hicks Anderson (Photo Courtesy of HBO Max)
Episode Two
Primetime Emmy nominee, Golden Globe nominee & GLAAD Media Award Winner Alexandra Grey as Lucy Hicks Anderson: Socialite, chef, and prohibition-era entrepreneur – and one of the first documented Black transgender persons in the USA — Lucy Hicks Anderson was one of the most prominent citizens of Oxnard, CA until 1945 when a syphilis outbreak at her brothel became her undoing, outing her to the community.
Theo Germaine as Jack Starr: Jack is a little-known character in the history of folks who probably would have self-identified as trans. He was a prominent local outcast at the turn of the century in Montana, in and out of jail and in and out of the local headlines for refusing to wear clothes that conformed to the gender assigned to Jack at birth. A Jack-of-all-trades and teller of tall tales, Jack Starr (aka Jacques Moret) is an enigmatic early figure who pushed the boundaries of gender expression.
Jamie Clayton as Christine Jorgensen: Widely known as the world’s first transgender celebrity, Christine became an internationally known figure following the publicity surrounding her gender confirmation surgery in the early 1950’s. She became a popular nightclub entertainer, author, and lecturer and used her celebrity to advance the cause of transgender rights.
Isis King as Alexis: “Alexis” is a composite character, the spirit of the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot in 1966, one of the first known instances of trans and queer folk rising up against police harassment – three years before the Stonewall Riots.
Samira Wiley as Lorraine Hannsberry (Photo Courtesy of HBO Max)
Episode Three
Primetime Emmy Award winner Samira Wiley as Lorraine Hannsberry: Author of the landmark play A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry was the first African American female author to have a play performed on Broadway. She was a radical and forceful voice within the Civil Rights Movement, who died far too young at age 34 of pancreatic cancer. While closeted during her lifetime, she wrote extensively under a variety of pseudonyms – in plays, stories and letters that discussed her lesbianism and the oppression of homosexuals in society.
Keiynan Lonsdale as Bayard Rustin: Bayard was an American leader in social movements for civil rights, socialism, nonviolence, and gay rights. He was a close mentor and advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and one of the chief architects of the March on Washington. Because of a 1953 arrest on sex charges his sexuality was often weaponized against him and the movement, but he remained a tireless advocate for social justice his entire life – and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barak Obama in 2013.
Primetime Emmy Award winner Jai Rodriguez as José Sarria: In 1961 José became the first openly gay candidate for public office in the United States, running for a seat on the SF Board of Supervisors 16 years before Harvey Milk. He is also remembered as a beloved and inspiring drag performer at SF’s Black Cat Bar, who raised the spirits and political consciousness of the bar’s gay male patrons with his rousing anthem “God Save Us Nelly Queens”! A lifelong advocate and activist, José founded the Imperial Court System, one of the oldest and largest LGBT organizations in the world.
Hailie Sahar as Sylvia Rivera (Photo Courtesy of HBO Max)
Episode Four
Hailie Sahar as Sylvia Rivera: Sylvia was a Latina American gay liberation and transgender rights activist. Prominent as an activist and community worker in New York, Rivera, along with close friend Marsha P. Johnson, co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries in 1970, a group dedicated to helping homeless young drag queens, gay youth, and trans women. Whether true or a bit of self myth-making, Sylvia placed herself at the center of the Stonewall Riots – either way, her perspective on the riots and its aftermath are an indelible part of the oral history of Stonewall.
Daytime Emmy nominee Scott Turner Schofield as Craig Rodwell: Craig was an American gay rights activist known for founding the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop in 1967, the first bookstore devoted to gay and lesbian authors. A witness and participant in the Stonewall riots, he was one of the prime movers in the creation of the first New York City Pride demonstration.
Cole Doman as Mark Segal: Mark is an American journalist and prominent gay rights activist. He participated in the Stonewall riots and was one of the original founders of the Gay Liberation Front where he created its Gay Youth program.
Elizabeth Faith Ludlow as Stormé DeLarverie: Stormé was a gay civil rights icon and entertainer whose scuffle with police was, according to many eyewitnesses, the spark that ignited the Stonewall riots, spurring the crowd to action. She worked for much of her life as an MC, singer, bouncer, bodyguard and volunteer street patrol worker, the “guardian of lesbians in the Village.”
Gale Harold as Howard Smith: Howard was an Oscar-winning film director, producer, journalist, screenwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. At the peak of the historic Stonewall Riots in New York City in 1969, he managed to get inside the now famous bar with his Village Voice reporter’s police credentials. He was the only journalist who reported about the siege from that dangerous vantage point.
Sam Pancake as Dick Leitsch: Dick was a prominent LGBTQ rights activist and president of the Mattachine Society in the 1960s. He is also known for being the first gay reporter to publish an account of the Stonewall Riots, which appeared in a special edition of the Mattachine Newsletter the day after he witnessed the first night of the riot.
‘The Stand’ (Photo Cr: CBS All Access/CBS 2020 CBS Interactive, Inc)
Based on Stephen King’s surprisingly timely bestselling horror novel, The Stand‘s nine-episode season will release a new episode every Thursday beginning on December 17, 2020. CBS All Access’ limited series will finish up with a new coda written by King specifically for this adaptation.
“During the two years we spent making The Stand, we all felt the responsibility of adapting what may be the most beloved work of one of the world’s most beloved storytellers, but none of us could have imagined that Stephen King’s 40-year-old masterpiece about a global pandemic would come to be so eerily relevant,” said Benjamin Cavell, showrunner and executive producer. “We’re honored to tell this sprawling, epic story, including a new coda that Stephen King has wanted to add for decades. We’re so proud of this show and its attempt to find meaning and hope in the most uncertain of times. We can’t wait to share it with the world.”
The cast is led by James Marsden as Stu Redman, Alexander Skarsgard as Randall Flagg, Whoopi Goldberg as Mother Abagail, and Odessa Young as Frannie Goldsmith. Jovan Adepo is Larry Underwood, Amber Heard is Nadine Cross, Owen Teague is Harold Lauder, Henry Zaga is Nick Andros, and Brad William Henke is Tom Cullen.
The Stand also features Irene Bedard as Ray Bretner, Nat Wolff as Lloyd Henreid, Eion Bailey as Weizak, Heather Graham as Rita Blakemoor, Katherine McNamara as Julie Lawry, Fiona Dourif as Ratwoman, Natalie Martinez as Dayna Jurgens, Hamish Linklater as Dr. Jim Ellis, Daniel Sunjata as Cobb, and Greg Kinnear as Glen Bateman.
Showrunner Benjamin Cavell executive produces along with Taylor Elmore, Will Weiske, Jimmy Miller, Roy Lee, and Richard P. Rubinstein. Josh Boone directed episodes one and nine, and Jake Braver, Jill Killington, Owen King, Knate Lee, and Stephen Welke served as producers.
The Plot, Courtesy of CBS All Access:
The Stand is Stephen King’s apocalyptic vision of a world decimated by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil. The fate of mankind rests on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abagail (Goldberg) and a handful of survivors. Their worst nightmares are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg (Skarsgård), the Dark Man.
Before we discuss the two leads, can we pause a moment to appreciate the cinematography by Critics Choice Awards nominee Stéphane Fontaine (Jackie) in the trailer for Ammonite? It’s absolutely stunning. And both Oscar winner Kate Winslet (The Reader) and four-time Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan are perfectly matched as two lost strangers who discover strength and love in each other in this period drama.
Written and directed by Francis Lee (God’s Own Country), the cast also features Gemma Jones, James McArdle, Fiona Shaw, and Alec Secareanu.
Francis Lee came across the story of paleontologist Mary Anning and was fascinated by her life. Although not much has been written about her, Lee felt she would be the perfect subject of a feature film – but not a biopic. Instead, Lee used the little that was known about Anning as a jumping-off point.
“I wanted to continue the work I had started in my first film God’s Own Country around relationships and how we navigate ourselves within them, therefore I wanted to explore a story of Mary through the context of an intimate relationship. There is absolutely no evidence Mary ever had a relationship with anyone, whether that be heterosexual or same sex, but I knew I wanted to give her a relationship that felt worthy of her. It is well documented that she had close friendships with women and in the society of the time, where women were the subjects of men and where Mary had been virtually written out of history because of her gender and social status, it didn’t feel right to give her a relationship with a man,” explained Lee.
“I wanted to tell a heartfelt but stark love story. I wanted to capture those feelings of both trepidation and joy that come from something beginning,” stated Lee. “I wanted to see how difficult it can be to be open and vulnerable enough to love and be loved, particularly if you’ve been badly scarred by a past relationship.”
Kate Winslet concluded from her research that Mary Anning was considered to be kind and compassionate, and that she had an important story to tell. Commenting on why she took the role, Winslet said, “Her strength, her courage – I admired those qualities very much, but also her vulnerability, which she had to keep hidden. Now more than ever we’re living in a time when women are absolutely obsessed with other women and when, more than what we look like or how we feel when we walk down the street, it’s about what women have to say. Women are greater together: the more strong female voices we have, the more togetherness we show, the more examples we have of great women history – the more inspired we will feel as a community to support one another, to encourage one another and to inspire one another.”
Saiorse Ronan was attracted to the quietness of the story and to her character’s journey as a wife and lover. “What makes Charlotte quite unique, and what’s been so lovely to play, is that she’s somebody who is quite willing to take a back seat in terms of attention or being the one to shine,” explained Ronan. “Her talent comes through in putting somebody else up on a pedestal and allowing everyone to see their greatness. She’s got a great sense of humility, and she’s a very giving person. She’s someone who has been very hurt and broken, but who still has a great capacity for love and doesn’t shy away from that at all.
We can welcome Neon’s Oscar entry in theaters on November 13, 2020.
Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan in ‘Ammonite’ (Photo Courtesy of Neon)
The Plot, Courtesy of Neon:
In the 1840s, acclaimed self-taught paleontologist Mary Anning works alone on the wild and brutal Southern English coastline of Lyme Regis. The days of her famed discoveries behind her, she now hunts for common fossils to sell to rich tourists to support herself and her ailing widowed mother. When one such tourist, Roderick Murchison, arrives in Lyme on the first leg of a European tour, he entrusts Mary with the care of his young wife Charlotte, who is recuperating from a personal tragedy.
Mary, whose life is a daily struggle on the poverty line, cannot afford to turn him down but, proud and relentlessly passionate about her work, she clashes with her unwanted guest. They are two women from utterly different worlds. Yet despite the chasm between their social spheres and personalities, Mary and Charlotte discover they can each offer what the other has been searching for: the realization that they are not alone. It is the beginning of a passionate and all-consuming love affair that will defy all social bounds and alter the course of both lives irrevocably.
Netflix’s official trailer for Enola Holmes introduces Stranger Things‘ Millie Bobby Brown as Sherlock’s younger sister. In the first trailer, Enola points out her mom (The Crown‘s Helena Bonham Carter), who is her constant companion, named her that because it’s “alone” spelled backward. When Enola finds herself alone after her mom goes missing, her two older siblings – Sherlock and Mycroft – show up to help figure out where she’s off to.
Henry Cavill (The Witcher, Batman v Superman) plays Sherlock and Sam Claflin (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay) is Mycroft. The cast also includes Adeel Akhtar, Fiona Shaw, Frances de la Tour, Louis Partridge, Burn Gorman, and Susan Wokoma.
Harry Bradbeer (Fleabag) directed and Jack Thorne adapted Nancy Springer’s book for the screen. Mary Parent, Alex Garcia, Ali Mendes, Millie Bobby Brown, and Paige Brown served as producers.
Netflix has set a Wednesday, September 23, 2020 release date.
Henry Cavill, Millie Bobby Brown, and Sam Claflin in ‘Enola Holmes’ (Photo Credit: Robert Viglaski / Netflix)
About Enola Holmes, Courtesy of Netflix:
England, 1884 – a world on the brink of change. On the morning of her 16th birthday, Enola Holmes (Brown) wakes to find that her mother (Bonham Carter) has disappeared, leaving behind an odd assortment of gifts but no apparent clue as to where she’s gone or why. After a free-spirited childhood, Enola suddenly finds herself under the care of her brothers Sherlock (Cavill) and Mycroft (Claflin), both set on sending her away to a finishing school for “proper” young ladies.
Refusing to follow their wishes, Enola escapes to search for her mother in London. But when her journey finds her entangled in a mystery surrounding a young runaway Lord (Partridge), Enola becomes a super-sleuth in her own right, outwitting her famous brother as she unravels a conspiracy that threatens to set back the course of history.
Based on the beloved book series by Nancy Springer, Enola Holmes is a dynamic new mystery-adventure that introduces the world’s greatest detective to his fiercest competition yet: his teenage sister. The game is afoot.
Season two of Netflix’s horror anthology series that began with 2018’s The Haunting of Hill House will be The Haunting of Bly Manor. Netflix confirmed season two’s title and dropped a poster and batch of photos from the upcoming season.
This season involves a new home, a new family, and a new story. Not everyone from the season one cast will return for season two and those who do are playing different characters. Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Victoria Pedretti who played twins Luke and Nell Crain in season one are back for the new season. Henry Thomas is also seen in one of the just-released photos.
The cast also includes Amelie Bea Smith, Benjamin Ainsworth, Tahirah Sharif, T’Nia Miller, and Rahul Kohli.
The Haunting of Hill House was based on Shirley Jackson’s classic novel. The Haunting of Bly Manor is adapted from Henry James’ novella, The Turn of the Screw.
In an interview with Birth.Death.Movies, showrunner Mike Flanagan explained what viewers can expect from this adaption of Henry James’ work. “We’re looking at all the ghost stories of Henry James as the jumping-off point for the season, so it very much is a whole new deal. It’s a cool way to expand on some of the things I loved about season one, but within the framework of a new story, without having to be restrained by the decisions we made last time. For Henry James fans, it’s going to be pretty wild, and for people who aren’t familiar with his work, it’s going to be unbelievably scary. I already think it’s much scarier than season one, so I’m very excited about it,” explained Flanagan.
Flanagan said fans may pick up on some Easter eggs from Hill House during The Haunting of Bly Manor, however there isn’t a narrative connection. “There are definitely going to be things that will set off that little dopamine rush that those kind of connections create. But it’s not a direct connection from a story point of view,” said Flanagan in an interview with Vanity Fair.
Netflix has not set a premiere date for season two although the poster teases a fall release.
In the 1980s, drug kingpin Pablo Escobar illegally brought four African hippos into Colombia where they were an important addition to his exotic animal collection housed on his estate. In Smithsonian Channel’s The Hunt for Escobar’s Hippos, the impact of setting them free after he died is examined in detail.
There aren’t any natural predators in Colombia which resulted in the hippos multiplying and terrorizing villages. However, Colombians apparently don’t mind living with the threat of roaming hippopotamuses.
“This was a story we immediately knew we had to tell,” said executive producer for Smithsonian Channel, Tria Thalman. “Americans know Escobar’s legacy all too well but this invasion of hippos that now threatens Colombia’s wildlife is a remarkable, unexpected twist to the sordid tale of drugs and violence.”
Phil Fairclough, Ted Oakes, Sabine Holzer, Susanne Lummer, and David Royle also served as executive producers.
The Hunt for Escobar’s Hippos will premiere on Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 8pm ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.
Shot of hippo at Hacienda Napoles taken by Escobar’s private photographer, Edgar Jimenez
The Hunt for Escobar’s Hippos Details, Courtesy of Smithsonian Channel:
Notorious Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar’s brutal regime ended in a hail of bullets. His infamous reign of terror left Colombia with the legacy of a corrupt narco-state and something more bizarre: African hippos. In the 1980s, Escobar smuggled four hippos into Colombia to join his growing collection of exotic animals at his $63 million estate outside Medellin.
Left to fend for themselves in the wake of his death, these extremely dangerous beasts – responsible for more deaths in Africa than lions or crocodiles – broke out. Today, breeding at twice their typical rate and with no natural predators keeping them in check, more than 60 roam the Colombian wilds, wreaking havoc in villages at night and threatening the ecosystem that feeds into the Magdalena River, Colombia’s main watershed.
Surprisingly, Colombians adore their hippos despite the dangers, and it’s illegal to cull them. Left with no other option, Colombian veterinarian Dr. Gina Serna is tasked with capturing and sterilizing them – an operation extremely difficult to perform in the wild of Colombia. The situation of the Colombian hippopotamus is an ecological time bomb that urgently needs to be diffused. As the largest foreign invader in Colombia, these formidable creatures pose not only a serious threat to human life, but also to the country’s wildlife and native ecosystem. Aggressively frontal and territorial, the consequences could be catastrophic.
HBO Max just released a new trailer for the sci-fi action drama, Raised by Wolves. The new series is set to premiere on September 3, 2020 and follows life on a distant planet where androids raise human children.
The cast of Raised by Wolves includes Amanda Collin (A Conspiracy of Faith), Travis Fimmel (Vikings), Abubakar Salim (Fortitude), Winta McGrath (Red Dog: True Blue), and Niamh Algar (Calm With Horses). Jordan Loughran (Emerald City), Matias Varela (Point Break), Felix Jamieson (Game of Thrones), Ethan Hazzard (The Long Song), Aasiya Shah (Call the Midwife), and Ivy Wong (Star Wars: Rogue One) also star.
The season consists of 10 episodes, with Ridley Scott directing episodes one and two. Raised by Wolves marks the first time Scott has directed an American television series. Scott also serves as an executive producer along with David W. Zucker (The Man in the High Castle), Jordan Sheehan (The Terror), Adam Kolbrenner (Prisoners) and Mark Huffam (The Martian). Executive producer Aaron Guzikowski created the series and wrote the first season.
Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions produced Raised by Wolves.
Abubakar Salim and Amanda Collin in ‘Raised by Wolves’ (Photograph by Coco Van Oppens)
The Plot, Courtesy of HBO Max:
Raised by Wolves centers on two androids tasked with raising human children on a mysterious virgin planet. As the burgeoning colony of humans threatens to be torn apart by religious differences, the androids learn that controlling the beliefs of humans is a treacherous and difficult task.
Netflix picked up Cobra Kai from YouTube in June and finally there’s news as to when we can expect the much-anticipated third season to arrive. Netflix confirmed seasons one and two will stream on their platform beginning on August 28, 2020. Season three will premiere in 2021.
The follow-up to the Karate Kid film franchise finds Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) still at odds after facing off in the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. They’re joined in Cobra Kai by Courtney Henggeler (‘Amanda LaRusso’), Xolo Maridueña (‘Miguel Diaz’), Tanner Buchanan (‘Robby Keene’), Mary Mouser (‘Samantha LaRusso’), Jacob Bertrand (‘Hawk’), Gianni Decenzo (‘Demetri’), Vanessa Rubio (‘Carmen’), and Peyton List (‘Tory’). Martin Kove reprises his role from The Karate Kid as John Kreese.
Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg of Counterbalance Entertainment write and executive produce The Karate Kid sequel. Will Smith, James Lassiter, Caleeb Pinkett, and Susan Ekins also serve as executive producers. Series stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka are co-executive producers.
About Cobra Kai, Courtesy of Netflix:
Cobra Kai takes place 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, where a now-successful Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) struggles to maintain balance in his life without the guidance of Mr. Miyagi, and must face his previous adversary, down-and-out Johnny Lawrence (Zabka), who seeks redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai karate dojo.
