FYI

HBO’s New Comedy Series to Begin Production Later This Year

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The Bronze Premiere at the SilverScreen Theater

The anthology comedy series ROOM 104, from brothers Jay and Mark Duplass, will begin production in Los Angeles later this year for 2017 debut on HBO, it was announced today by Casey Bloys, president, HBO programming. Set in a single room of an average American hotel, ROOM 104 tells a different story of the assorted characters who pass through it in each episode.

“Jay and Mark Duplass are two of the most inventive talents in TV today,” noted Bloys. “We’re excited to see what they do with this unique concept.”

“We’ve all seen stories set in seedy motels and high-class international resorts, but for years we’ve been fascinated by the funny, weird, sad, scary, absurd things going down in that corporate chain hotel near the airport. That’s what ROOM 104 is after… finding some magic in the seemingly mundane,” added Jay and Mark Duplass.

Filmmaking brothers Jay and Mark Duplass (along with Steve Zissis) were creators of the HBO comedy series “Togetherness,” which completed its second season earlier this year. They are also executive producers of HBO’s adult animated comedy series “Animals,” which returns for its second season in 2017.

Jay and Mark Duplass have written, directed and/or produced more than 20 films, including “Cyrus,” “Jeff, Who Lives at Home,” “Baghead” and their 2005 Sundance Film Festival breakout hit, “The Puffy Chair.” Other films produced by the Duplass Brothers include the Independent Spirit Award-winning “Safety Not Guaranteed” and “Tangerine,” and the upcoming romantic drama “Blue Jay,” which will have its world premiere at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.

ROOM 104 will be executive produced by Jay & Mark Duplass, who are also showrunners; executive producer, Xan Aranda; producer, Sydney Fleischmann.

Courtesy of HBO

Run Away From Inferno!

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by Logan Myerz

Tom Hanks is one of those actors that never stops working even after being in the business for over thirty years.  He has numerous awards up his sleeve and not to mention two Oscars for films you may have heard of, Forrest Gump, and Philadelphia. While being an extremely diverse performer, his career and movie choices have changed quite drastically over the years:  as a comedic actor in the 80’s to the honorable and serious roles that he crafted in the 90’s, to the peculiar and sometimes questionable roles in the 2000’s. Tom and director Ron Howard have an excellent dynamic chemistry that has been executed in several films, including Dan Brown’s trilogy:  The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, and now Inferno. When The DaVinci Code was released in theaters, the book was on top of the world, and the movie was the greatest depiction from novel to film since Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park. As the universe evolves, so does the movie business, and we have seen the pitfalls of continuous sequels being developed in a major motion picture. I really appreciated The DaVinci Code and what it had to offer in an original premise that made the audience think while Dr. Robert Langdon uncovered the secret to the Holy Grail. But as the sequel, Angels & Demons, was released, I had a hard time not looking at the film like it was Nicholas Cage’s hairpiece unlocking the debauchery of National Treasure.

Now with Inferno being released later this year and getting a glimpse of the new trailer, I 2can’t fathom that this movie was developed in the first place. Just imagine sitting in the writer’s room and crafting the script that would come off as a parody movie of an actual interesting mystery film. Yes, I said it, but damn this movie looks really bad, which is painful to me because I love Mr. Hanks and Felicity Jones, but it seems they are only in the film to collect a paycheck, sadly. With a disappointing year of Blockbusters thus far, I was really hoping Sony Pictures would develop a film that would stick out next to it’s opponents, but we are slapped in the face once again. How much more trouble can Dr. Robert Langdon, the symbologist crime fighter get into?  Well we will have to wait and see in October of this year. If you can get past the absurdity of Inferno, you may have an enjoyable time at the movies, but I won’t be participating this time around!

Run Tom Hanks! Run!

Inferno hits theaters on October, 28th 2016.
Source: Sony Pictures

Game of Thrones Updates

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Cersei Queen

The Emmy®– and Golden Globe-winning series GAME OF THRONES will begin shooting its next season later this summer, it was announced today by Casey Bloys, president, HBO programming. Production of the seven-episode seventh season will be based in Northern Ireland, while additional portions will be filmed in Spain and Iceland, with debut slated for summer 2017 on HBO.

“Now that winter has arrived on GAME OF THRONES, executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss felt that the storylines of the next season would be better served by starting production a little later than usual, when the weather is changing,” said Bloys. “Instead of the show’s traditional spring debut, we’re moving the debut to summer to accommodate the shooting schedule.”

Season seven directors will include Mark Mylod, Jeremy Podeswa, Matt Shakman and Alan Taylor.

Locations for shooting in Spain will include Sevilla, Caceres, Almodovar del Rio, Santiponce, Zumaia and Bermeo.

Last week, GAME OF THRONES received 23 Primetime Emmy® nominations, the most of any nominee for the third year in a row. This year’s nominations include Outstanding Drama Series, 2 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington), 3 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Emilia Clarke, Lena Headey, Maisie Williams), Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Max von Sydow), 2 for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Miguel Sapochnik, Jack Bender) and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (David Benioff and D.B. Weiss).

– Courtesy of HBO

Suicide Squad: Teasing Us With Its Siren Song

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by Logan Myerz

It’s hard to imagine looking back twenty years ago that superhero movies would be where they are at today.  Back then, we only had a few films of the genre that was overpowered by raunchy comedies and dramas.  2016 is the year that DC Entertainment and Marvel Studios are trying to outshine one another with the newest and sometimes dreadful characters to fill your CGI fantasies. Sadly, it’s starting to get a little overwhelming with all the pre-pubescent fan boys duking it out over the interwebs and at Comic Con trying to take the reigns as who is better, Marvel or DC? Honestly, who cares? It all depends on the story and the final product of the film, which DC Entertainment hasn’t really been pulling their weight thus far in the game. The newest film Suicide Squad, arriving late this summer, will HOPEFULLY change everyone’s minds. What’s unique about this film is David Ayer approached this group of supervillains as the main focal point and utilized top notch actors/actresses to bring the characters to life, most notably Jared Leto as The Joker, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, and Will Smith as Deadshot. It’s a film that stands out on its own from the get go and has received lots of buzz around the internet, becoming one of the most anticipated films of the year.

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An aspect of this film that’s rare these days is that Suicide Squad is utilizing its score and music videos to tease us with other characters and details before the film is released world-wide. Twenty-One Pilots just released the music video Heathens and Lil Wayne/Wiz Khalifa released the music video Sucker for Pain.  It’s like taking a trip down memory lane to the 1990’s when music videos promoted the film months before it’s release date and the soundtracks were a heavy influence on the outcome of the films success. The DC Entertainment marketing and PR teams are working extensively to get Suicide Squad to a broader audience with a heavily influenced artistic tone, music, and costume design to stand out against other films of the genre.

I don’t know about you, but after witnessing Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice in theaters, I gave up hope on the superhero cinematic universe.  But with great doubt comes great hope, and hopefully this film will uplift your spirits and make you believe once again. Suicide Squad is the movie that I am excitedly anticipating for this summer, and so should you!

Suicide Squad will be released in theaters on August 5th.

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Sources: Comingsoon.net YouTube

The Official 2016 Emmy Nomination List

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2016 Emmy Nominations

Outstanding Drama Series

The Americans
Better Call Saul
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
Homeland
House of Cards
Mr. Robot

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Claire Danes, Homeland
Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder
Taraji P. Henson, Empire
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Keri Russell, The Americans
Robin Wright, House of Cards

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Kyle Chandler, Bloodline
Rami Malek, Mr. Robot
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Matthew Rhys, The Americans
Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul
Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Kit Harington, Game of Thrones
Michael Kelly, House of Cards
Jon Voight, Ray Donovan

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Dame Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Lena Heady, Game of Thrones
Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones
Maura Tierney, The Affair
Constance Zimmer, UnREAL

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Can You Smell What Universal Studios is Cooking?

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by Logan Myerz

It’s rare to find a professional wrestler that hangs up the tights and makes a successful career in the movie industry. We have seen several failed attempts of wrestlers gone actors with films such as Suburban Commando and See No Evil.  But Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is in the 1% that have been very fortunate and showcased in almost every movie released these days.  If it’s not quirky comedies, then it’s top notch action flicks the reek of testosterone and in your face CGI. But the word on the streets is that Universal Studios have had their eye on Dwayne Johnson to play something out of his comfort zone which is none other than Lawrence Talbot, better known as The Wolfman. The kind lads at Deadline have reported there has been consistent whispers about bringing Mr. Johnson into the Universal Monster-Verse that is currently underway. The studio is rebooting the entire monster saga starting with Tom Cruise in The Mummy that is aimed for a June 9th, 2017 release. We have already seen the re-imagined Wolfman film back in 2010 starring Benicio Del Toro. That film received a really bad wrap for some odd reason, but I was one of the few fans that really enjoyed seeing Dr. Gonzo as a hairy lycan.  Only time will tell if these rumors are indeed true, but with the Rock’s current movie schedule and ten other films in the works over the next few years, it may be hard to pull this one off.   

The future of the Universal Monster franchise is quite exciting for horror fans around the world and will help rejuvenate the studio back to where it all began in the early days of film. Like all of you, I will be in the audience enjoying the new takes on all of these classic black and white characters that we grew up loving.

Starting in 2017, there will be a monster film released each year starting with The Mummy and another “mystery” creature feature aimed for it’s debut on April 13, 2018.

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are REUNITED and it Feels So Good…

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by Logan Myerz

If you sit back and think about iconic filmmakers, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are usually on top of the list for obvious reasons. They are the masterminds behind the greatest films of our generation that have repeatedly broken box office records and have made a way into our hearts. Indiana Jones is the film series that has really kept these two individuals working together over the past thirty-five years. If you aren’t familiar with the movies, it’s time to do some homework.

Indiana Jones is a coming of age adventure series starring Harrison Ford that debuted in 1981. It was recently announced that the fifth installment will be released in 2019. George Lucas has been out of the limelight for some time and I could understand with all the flack he got from critics and fanboys over the years in regards to the Star Wars prequel films. But it doesn’t matter because at the end of the day, George makes the movies he wants to make and has the funding to back his projects.

According to the Bearded Trio, Stephen Spielberg announced at a BFG press gathering, “George is going to be an executive producer on Indiana Jones 5. I would never make an Indiana Jones film without George Lucas. That would be insane.” Spielberg and Lucas were both attached to the last Indy film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which was an utter mess for too many reasons to list. Although as a filmmaker, you can’t make an incredible film every time you get behind the director/producer chair.  Especially when it comes to sequels and you’re trying to continue the story while attempting to avoid replicating the same premise.

With Disney taking over Lucasfilms, the studio has a larger part in what they release, and this can be a good sign for the new Indiana Jones film. I have faith in the studio and Mr. Spielberg, but overall, I have faith in Mr. George Lucas.  To the fan boys, don’t write him off just yet, he still has some magic up his sleeves!

Indiana Jones 5 will be released on July 19th, 2019.

Source: Bearded Trio

 

Fall premiere dates for American Horror Story and more!

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FX has set the premiere dates for two of the year’s most anticipated new comedy series, Atlanta and Better Things, as well as the return of the acclaimed and award-winning American Horror Story for its sixth installment, it was announced today by Chuck Saftler, President of Program Strategy and COO, FX Networks.

Atlanta, a half-hour comedy series created by and starring Donald Glover, will premiere on FX on September 6, followed two days later by Better Things, a half-hour comedy series co-created by Pamela Adlon and Louis C.K. and starring Adlon. Then on September 14, the as-yet-untitled sixth installment of the Emmy and Golden Globe winning limited series American Horror Story returns from co-creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk.

Atlanta, the new comedy created by and starring Donald Glover, will have its series premiere on FX on Tuesday, September 6 at 10 PM ET/PT. In Atlanta, two cousins work through the Atlanta music scene in order to better their lives and the lives of their families. “Earn Marks” (Donald Glover) is a young manager trying to get his cousin’s career off the ground. “Alfred Marks” (Brian Tyree Henry) is a new hot rapper trying to understand the line between real life and street life. “Darius” (Lakeith Lee Stanfield) is Alfred’s right-hand man and visionary. “Vanessa” (Zazie Beetz) is Earn’s best friend and the mother of Earn’s daughter. Glover serves as Executive Producer, along with Paul Simms and Dianne McGunigle of MGMT Entertainment. Atlanta is produced by FX Productions.

Better Things, the new comedy co-created by Pamela Adlon and Louis C.K. and starring Adlon, gets its series premiere on FX on Thursday, September 8 at 10 PM ET/PT. Better Things centers on Sam Fox (Pamela Adlon), a single, working actor with no filter raising her three daughters, Max (Mikey Madison), Frankie (Hannah Alligood) and Duke (Olivia Edward) in Los Angeles. She’s mom, dad, referee and the cops. Sam also watches out for her mother, Phil (Celia Imrie), an English expatriate, who lives across the street. Sam is flawed and fierce with her love for her daughters, and her own mother, as well. Sometimes, heaping the love on when she feels guilty. Sam’s just trying to earn a living, navigate her daughters’ lives, have fun with a friend or two and also — just maybe — squeeze in some private time once in a while. Adlon serves as Executive Producer alongside Louis C.K., Blair Breard, Dave Becky and 3 Arts Entertainment. Better Things is produced by C.K.’s production company Pig Newton for FX Productions.

American Horror Story returns with for its currently-untitled sixth installment on FX on Wednesday, September 14 at 10 PM ET/PT.

Spidey’s Comin’ Home

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spidey

by Logan Myerz

Spiderman is one of the OGs of the comic book-to-film realm over the past decade and has been portrayed by a few different actors thus far. Old Spidey has been caught in a web of filmmaking politics so to speak, with recasts, reboots, and different scripts. But this time, Peter Parker is finally at home with Sony Pictures in Spiderman: Homecoming, starring the young and talented Tom Holland. The Spiderman character made a guest appearance in the recent Marvel Studios film, Captain America: Civil War which was probably the best onscreen depiction of Peter Parker/Spiderman to date. Even though the on-screen time was short lived, it made a huge impact on the studio and the general audience which begged the question “Why haven’t we received this type of solo Spiderman movie yet?”

Let’s be honest here, Sam Raimi’s Spiderman 1 + 2 were pretty damn good, but the 3rd film was atrocious; Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spiderman films were regurgitated and overall forgettable. We now know that if the audience and fans ask, they will FINALLY receive.

Spiderman: Homecoming has announced some pretty big players in the game that will be starring in this film such as Michael Keaton (Vulture), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Marisa Tomei (Aunt May), and Donald Glover. But recently, Hollywood Reporter confirmed that AMC’s Better Call Saul star, Michael Mando, (better known as Nacho in the show), was just cast as an unknown character in the movie.

But what’s really extraordinary about this film is Jon Watts (Clown) is directing the film and he’s a young director that doesn’t have a lot of films under his belt. This may be a refreshing take on the Peter Parker character that we needed all along with fresh eyes and a clearer focus.

As the cast list continues to fill up and the filming continues to move forward in Atlanta, we will get to see more updates of the cast and which direction they are moving with the webbed warrior. If anything, it can’t be any worse than Spiderman 3 right?

Spiderman: Homecoming is scheduled for a July 7th, 2017 release date.

The Losers’ Club Is Ready for IT

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by Logan Myerz

There is one primal fear that most everyone can agree upon: the fear of clowns. The TV mini-series that changed and scarred my life forever was, obviously, Stephen King’s IT. Watching this as a young child and having that terror still surround me in my early 30’s is something that a lot of TV shows and films really lack these days. In 2016, we are doused with remakes, reboots, re-imaginings, and unfortunately they all really lack the focus of what the writers and filmmakers once stood for: originality. With that being said, IT has been around for twenty-five years and still holds up to this day. For a younger generation which may not be familiar with Pennywise and the children he terrorized and killed, he’s making his way to the big screen in 2017 to torture and haunt all over again!

Andy Muschietti (Mama) is taking the directing throne of the newest adaptation based off of the famous novel written by Stephen King. Finn Wolfhard posted a picture on his Instagram account of the new “Losers’ Club” that was taken on set in Toronto.

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Jaeden Lieberher (St. Vincent) plays Bill Denbrough, the leader of The Losers’ Club. Other cast members include Finn Wolfhard as Richie Tozier, Wyatt Oleff as Stanley Uris, Chosen Jacobs as Mike Hanlon, Jack Dylan Grazer as Eddie Kaspbrak, Jeremy Ray Taylor as Ben Hanscom. Owen Teague plays the teen bully Patrick Hockstetter.

It will be interesting to see these young actors take on the evil forces of Pennywise portrayed by Bill Skarsgard (Hemlock Grove). According to Hitfix.com, the story will be cut up into two films with the first film showcasing the children and the second film will be The Loser Club as adults, still facing their fears and overcoming the trauma they succumbed to at a young age.

One thing is for sure, this film will be bringing a larger shock value with more gore and scare tactics with an R rating.

The first film will hit theaters on September 8th, 2017.

Sources: Instagram, Hitfix