Category Archives: Entertainment

Disney brings ‘The Jungle Book’ to life in live-action adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic

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Following Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella, Disney continues to pump out live-action adaptations of its classic animated films and next up is The Jungle Book. Still based on Rudyard Kipling’s book, the new Jungle Book deviates from its 1967 animated adaptation by involving a real human boy playing Mowgli–newcomer Neel Sethi–and blending live-action with photorealistic CGI animals and environments. The differences don’t stop there. Iron Man helmer Jon Favreau takes the timeless tale into a more heightened direction; danger lurks around every corner in this teaser trailer. If you’ve seen Her, there’s no mistaking the voice of Indian python Kaa, seductively played by Scarlett Johansson. She narrates the action-packed teaser. The preview ends on a nostalgic note–free-spirited bear Baloo (voiced by Bill Murray) whistles “The Bare Necessities” as Mowlgi rides on his stomach down a river. The rest of the stellar voice cast is listed below inside the movie’s official synopsis:

“The Jungle Book” is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan (voice of Idris Elba), who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he’s ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera (voice of Ben Kingsley), and the free-spirited bear Baloo (voice of Bill Murray). Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa (voice of Scarlett Johansson), a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie (voice of Christopher Walken), who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive and deadly red flower: fire. The all-star cast also includes Lupita Nyong’o as the voice of the fiercely protective mother wolf Raksha, and Giancarlo Esposito as the voice of wolf pack’s alpha male Akela.

The Jungle Book hits theatres in 3D on April 15, 2016.

TV reminder: 5 series to look out for in September

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As summer draws to a close, we’ve made it to my favorite time of the year: new fall programming is upon us. But before we dive into the Big Network’s schedules (that’s coming later this week), let’s take a quick look at some of cable’s anticipated offerings premiering this September. Jump after the break for the rundown. Continue reading TV reminder: 5 series to look out for in September →

Hulu lets you ditch ads for $11.99/month

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And just like that, Hulu’s jumping on the ad-free bandwagon. To compete with the ad-free competition (namely Netflix and Amazon), Hulu is now offering a No Commercials plan at $11.99/month. That’s four dollars more than the Limited Commercials plan (formally known as Hulu Plus) that has been around for awhile now. Nearly all of Hulu’s library of TV shows and movies will steam without ads; there are only a handful of series that will roll ads before and after (but not during) a viewing session and they are: Grey’s Anatomy, Once Upon A Time, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Scandal, Grimm, New Girl, and How To Get Away With Murder. The reason? It’s simply a matter of licensing deals. Other than that, you can say goodbye to commercials on Hulu as long as you sign up for or upgrade to the new plan.

“At Hulu, we pride ourselves on listening to our customers and giving them the best possible experience,” said Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins in a blog post. “Many of our customers have asked us for a commercial free option, and so today we are excited to introduce just that. Providing more choice for consumers is fundamental to the Hulu experience, in addition to an array of choices in content and devices, our customers can now choose to watch with or without commercials.”

The ad-free plan comes at a time when Hulu really has to start showing its muscle if it wants to continue to compete with the likes of Netflix and Amazon. Both of those streaming services have consumers flocking to their content libraries thanks to high quality original productions (see: House of Cards, Transparent, etc.) and exclusive partnerships with major film houses. In addition to introducing this new plan, Hulu is doing its part by churning out original content (The Mindy Project is coming soon, as is an anticipated new series from J.J. Abrams and Stephen King, 11/22/63) and making deals with companies like EPIX. In fact, Hulu recently snagged EPIX away from Netflix, and this will result in an influx of hit films from Lionsgate, MGM and Paramount. Game on.

[Via Hulu 1, 2]

Ryan Murphy dishes ‘American Horror Story: Hotel’ details: Lady Gaga is The Countess, and she’s out for blood [Update: New spooky teasers inside]

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Thanks to a new spread presented by Entertainment Weekly, we now have a clearer gaze into what the next iteration of American Horror Story with Lady Gaga is going to look like. The facts are these.

The titular hotel is named Cortez, and it was built in 1930 “by the rich and charming but deeply psychotic James March” played by AHS vet Evan Peters. EW goes on to describe the Cortez as “beautiful art-deco” and “a labyrinthine structure built to hide March’s murderous activities.”

Presently, the hotel is run by Lady Gaga’s character, The Countess, “a glamorous socialite who attends art openings and fashion shows.” She drinks blood for nourishment, but creator Ryan Murphy doesn’t want fans thinking he’s diving into the beaten-to-death world of vampirism. “I prefer the term ‘ancient blood virus,’” Murphy tells EW. “It’s not vampires. It’s really a form of hemophilia in a way. There’s no capes and fangs.” The Countess has an appetite for love and sex, and we see this manifest in a love triangle between Donovan (Matt Bomer) and Tristan (Finn Wittock). Those infected with the virus, including The Countess and her lover Donovan, crave human blood. Murphy promises answers around the halfway mark. “Around the middle of the season, we sort of explore the origins of all that and [The Countess] and where [the virus] comes from.” What we do know early on, though, is how they kill. Without fangs, the infected slice up their victims with chainmail gloves; Gaga’s sport razor-sharp nails as seen in the initial teaser.

We also have some insight about the other characters inhabiting the hotel:

Ramona Royale (Angela Bassett), an actress/former lover of The Countess’ seeking revenge; Iris (Kathy Bates), Donovan’s mother and the front desk clerk; Liz Taylor (Denis O’Hare), a cross-dresser nicknamed by The Countess; Hypodermic Sally (Sarah Paulson), a junkie and friend of The Countess; Detective John Lowe (Wes Bentley), a cop investigating a murderer named the Ten Commandments Killer; and The Addiction Demon, a creature in the vein of Rubberman or Bloodyface, who has no eyes or mouth but does wield a nasty, conical drillbit dildo.

Throughout the anthological series, Murphy has planted clues that help connect the disparate seasons together. With Hotel, he aims to make the most overt connection yet. “We do go to the Murder House for one episode,” he teases. Murder House, of course, was where spooky acts of terror took place in show’s debut season. In addition to that, a character from season 1 is making her way to Hotel. Marcy the realtor (Christine Estabrook), who sold the Murder House to the Harmons, returns as a real estate agent to show off the Cortez to Cheyenne Jackson’s character Will Drake.

And now, pictures! Lady Gaga’s Countess is on the cover of EW‘s latest issue, and inside you’ll find never-before-seen stills of other characters from AHS: Hotel including March, Donovan, and Tristan. Click here to view them all, and hop over here to browse more pictures from Gaga’s in-character photoshoot.

American Horror Story: Hotel premieres October 7 on FX.

Update (8/29): Murphy’s gone ahead and shared two more stills from the set: a turbaned Countess and a mystery man behind a mask.

Update 2 (8/30): Jump after the break to watch all five AHS: Hotel teasers, three of which are brand spankin’ new.

Update 3 (9/10): I’ve posted three more teasers after the break, “Spikes,” “Locked Up,” and “Hallways.” The latter is the first to include first looks at the ensemble cast!

Update 4 (9/14): Lady Gaga is the star of the latest 30-second spot for AHS: Hotel. Watch “Above & Below” directly after the break.

Update 5: (9/16): And the clips keep on comin’. This time around, however, it’s a 2-minute first look inside the new season, featuring soundbites from the cast. You know where to find it.

[Via EW 1, 2, 3] Continue reading Ryan Murphy dishes ‘American Horror Story: Hotel’ details: Lady Gaga is The Countess, and she’s out for blood [Update: New spooky teasers inside] →

Apple rebrands its London-based music festival, announces headliners including Pharrell & Disclosure [Update: More performers added]

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Since 2007, the iTunes Music Festival has attracted many talented and hugely popular musicians to its London venue including Adele, Beck, Coldplay, Elton John, Foo Fighters, Justin Timberlake, Kings of Leon, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Muse, and Paul McCartney. For its ninth outing, Apple is rebranding it to give more exposure to its recently launched streaming music service. In September, the newly christened Apple Music Festival will headline 10 artists; so far, Pharrell Williams, One Direction, Florence + The Machine, and Disclosure are confirmed to perform live.

“We wanted to do something really special for music fans this year,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services in a press release. “The Apple Music Festival is a greatest hits set of ten unbelievable nights featuring some of the best performers on the planet appearing live and interacting directly with their fans on Connect and Beats 1.”

The festival will take place over ten nights from September 19-28 at London’s Roundhouse venue; each night is dedicated to a headliner and a special opening guest. As of today, only One Direction have selected its opening act–English girl group Little Mix. Tickets will be offered for free exclusively to London residents. If you’re Stateside or anywhere else around the world for that matter, you can still watch the concerts live via Apple Music (on an iOS device), iTunes (on PC and Mac) and Apple TV. In addition, Zane Lowe and his team of DJs on Beats 1 will air coverage from the festival, and participating performers will be posting backstage content on their Apple Music Connect pages.

Apple claims that iTunes Music Festival musicians have played in front of more than half a million fans and tens of millions more online and on-demand. With the proliferation of Apple Music subscribers (who’ll continue to use the streaming service for free until Sept. 30), I’ll bet that those numbers increase exponentially this fall when the Apple Music Festival jams out across iPhones, iPads, iPods, computers, and Apple TV.

Update (9/2): Apple’s announced more headliners and openers for this month’s Apple Music Festival. English pop group Take That, “I Can’t Feel My Face” singer The Weeknd, and British electronic dance music band The Chemical Brothers are the latest headliners to join the lineup. As far as new openers are concerned, Pharrell has picked Leon Bridges to warm up his crowd, and Florence + The Machine will introduce James Bay before taking over the stage. Will update this post as more performers are added.

What to watch this weekend: AMC’s ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ and Patrick Stewart in Starz’s ‘Blunt Talk’

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In TV Land, the people of Los Angeles have no idea what’s about to hit them. After years of tantalizing coverage, the time has finally come to sit back, relax tense up, and enjoy AMC’s Walking Dead companion series, Fear the Walking Dead.

Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead graphic novels and the incredibly popular AMC flagship series of the same name, is behind Fear and he’s joined by many familiar producers including Gale Anne Hurd, Dave Alpert, and Greg Nicotero. Fear stars Kim Dickens, Cliff Curtis, Frank Dillane, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Elizabeth Rodriquez, Lorenzo James Henrie, Ruben Blades, and Mercedes Mason.

This summer at San Diego Comic Con, I learned first-hand just how different the new series feels, tonally, in comparison to the flagship series. When the city gets ripped apart by freshly infected walkers, viewers will be privy to immediate government action and more significantly, we’ll witness a family unequipped for surviving the apocalypse approach the walkers head on. Fear‘s first season, after all, serves as a prequel for fans of the franchise in that events unfold before we meet Rick Grimes and his band of survivors. Remember how Rick was in a coma and missed out on the early days of the walker invasion? This is the period we will live in over the course of Fear‘s first six episodes.

As exhilarating and intriguing as it sounds to be privy to the virus spreading, EP David Erickson reminds viewers that the show will drill its focus on the family at the center of it all. “It starts as a family drama, and we filter the apocalypse through that,” he said to the crowd at Comic Con. It’s about “a highly dysfunctional blended family trying to hold it together.”

Never tuned into The Walking Dead, which enters its sixth season this fall? Fear not (heh!). Kirkman and his team have been adamant in saying that Fear stands on its own and does not require you having seen a single episode of their other series.

Fear the Walking Dead premieres Sunday, August 23 at 9pm on AMC. Click here to preview the first three minutes of the highly anticipated pilot episode. And here to watch the official trailer.

Jump after the break to learn more about Patrick Stewart’s return to TV in Blunt Talk. Continue reading What to watch this weekend: AMC’s ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ and Patrick Stewart in Starz’s ‘Blunt Talk’ →

Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords talks up movie & tour aspirations

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Everybody’s favorite parody folk duo, The Flight of the Conchords, is making a comeback. One half of said duo, namely Jemaine Clement, confirmed to Indiewire just last week that a movie is in the works.

“We have actually started writing one,” Clement shared. “But who knows if it will ever be made, we’ve written some notes for some different film ideas. We’re not down to the stage where we’re going, “The film is going to be like this,” it could be this, this, this, this, this.”

A movie, of course, would continue the musical adventures of Clement and Bret McKenize since they bowed out of the TV space in 2009 after two memorable seasons of Flight of the Conchords on HBO. Clement’s comments make it sound like the project is very much incubating in its early stages. It’s not clear if this will be a theatrical release or a TV special. But hey–any news from the FOTC guys is good news, am I right?!

And if that wasn’t enough to satiate your Conchords appetite, there’s this: the New Zealanders are prepping to tour again! In a separate interview with Consequence of Sound, Clement had this to say on the matter.

“We were planning on [touring] this summer, but then I ended up doing [Steven Spielberg’s next film] The BFG instead. So it’s my fault we didn’t do it this time. But we are hoping to announce a tour. We’ll announce it before the end of the year, hopefully, and then some time next year get on the road … after we get some new guitar strings and that sort of thing.”

Clement referenced going on tour earlier this year with Billboard. He told the site that he and McKenzie “are planning on touring later on in the year in the States. It isn’t very solid yet, but we’ve been talking about it.” He went on to admit, “I really don’t like the studio part of music. I more enjoy playing live and letting others take care of the recording.”

A movie and tour. It’s an exciting time to be a Conchords fan. When details drop, you’ll be the first to know. For now, let’s boogie.

The first ‘American Horror Story: Hotel’ teasers have arrived

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Here we go again. FX is back with new, frightening teasers to promote the upcoming season of American Horror Story. The fourth season is subtitled Hotel and it stars Lady Gaga this time around, not Jessica Lange. The video embedded above houses the two new teasers titled “Do Not Disturb” and “Beauty Rest.” It’s hard to say if any of the characters featured here will show up in Hotel, but those razor-sharp nails strangling the beautified bald man look mighty familiar if you ask me. The featured song? That’s Heidi Feek’s cover of “Heartbreak Hotel.”

Returning to the anthology drama this year: Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Evan Peters, Matt Bomer, Sarah Paulson, Chloë Sevigny, Denis O’Hare, Finn Wittrock, Lily Rabe, Emma Roberts, and Mare Winningham. Newcomers include Cheyenne Jackson (Glee), Max Greenfield (New Girl), Richard T. Jones (Hawaii Five-0), Naomi Campbell (Empire), and Darren Criss (Glee).

American Horror Story: Hotel debuts October 7 on FX. Stick it here for more teasers like these; if the past is any indication, this small trickle will open the floodgates to more tantalizing sneak peeks. Continue reading The first ‘American Horror Story: Hotel’ teasers have arrived →

Oh, what a lovely mashup: ‘Adventure Time’ meets ‘Mad Max’

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If you’re a fan of Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time and the post-apocalyptic flick Mad Max: Fury Road, you best watch this viral mashup. Animator Egor Zhgun, inspired by Ryan May’s artwork, wonderfully combines the characters and animation style of Adventure Time with the chaotic nature from Fury Road. The result is “Madventure Time” starring Finn the Human as Max, Jake the Dog as his getaway vehicle, The Ice King as Immortan Joe, and Marceline the Vampire Queen appropriately rocks out as The Doof Warrior. Other beings from the Land of Ooo, including Princesses and such, make cameos and it all just works so well. Enjoy!

The Muppets meet the faces of ABC primetime ahead of their series launch

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It’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights…

The Muppets are coming to ABC this fall and the Alphabet Network’s celebrating by pairing them up familiar faces from the primetime stable including Kerry Washington (Scandal), Nathan Fillion (Castle), and Patricia Heaton (The Middle). All three 30-second spots are entertaining and worth a watch if you’re anticipating the arrival of Kermit and friends. The one with Washington hangs above; the other two are embedded after the break.

The Muppets premieres September 22 on ABC. Watch an extended preview here. Continue reading The Muppets meet the faces of ABC primetime ahead of their series launch →

‘Sesame Street’ relocates to HBO

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Here’s something you may not have seen coming: Sesame Street, the long-running education children’s series, is moving from the independently operated non-profit organization PBS to premium cable network HBO. Sounds odd, doesn’t it? HBO is home to some truly groundbreaking series, nearly all of which are adult-themed and not suitable for children (read: Game of Thrones, The Sopranos). So why bring Bird Bird and friends into the fold? For Sesame Workshop, it’s simple: the company’s been running out of funds to continue producing episodes of the show and a partnership such as this was the only way to keep things going. It’s mutually beneficial when you really think about it. HBO is now in direct competition with Netflix and Amazon, and the streaming services have been offering content for kids for years now. By becoming the new, exclusive home for the still hugely popular Sesame Street, HBO firmly plants a stake in reaching a young demographic.

The partnership doesn’t end there. HBO is a premium service after all and requires a monthly subscription. Those families who don’t pay up shouldn’t fret; your children won’t be deprived of learning everything that Sesame Street teaches. The new episodes that air on HBO will eventually come to PBS after a nine-month exclusivity window. The deal allows Sesame Workshop to “produce almost twice as much new content as previous seasons” and later “make the show available free of charge to PBS and its member stations,” according to a press release. This pact will run through the next five seasons of the series.

“Our new partnership with HBO represents a true winning public-private partnership model,” said Jeffrey D. Dunn, Sesame Workshop’s CEO in the release. “It provides Sesame Workshop with the critical funding it needs to be able to continue production of Sesame Street and secure its nonprofit mission of helping kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder; it gives HBO exclusive pay cable and SVOD access to the nation’s most important and historic educational programming; and it allows Sesame Street to continue to air on PBS and reach all children, as it has for the past 45 years.”

“We are absolutely thrilled to help secure the future of Sesame Street and Sesame Workshop’s mission for the nation’s kids and families,” said HBO execs Richard Plepler and Michael Lombardo. “Home Box Office is committed to bringing the most groundbreaking and creative shows to its audience. Sesame Street is the most important preschool education program in the history of television. We are delighted to be a home for this extraordinary show, helping Sesame Street expand and build its franchise.”

Sesame Street will air new episodes on HBO as early as late fall 2015. HBO has licensed over 150 library episodes of the series in addition to about 50 past episodes of Sesame Workshop’s other children’s series Pinky Dinky Doo and The Electric Company. Additionally, the Workshop is also working with HBO on producing two new series, one of which is a Sesame Street Muppet spinoff.

This news makes this Sesame Street/Game of Thrones mashup all the more sweeter.

[Via Sesame Workshop]

HBO teases Bad Robot’s first foray into premium cable, the android-inhabited ‘Westworld’

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HBO aired the first teaser for Westworld during tonight’s telecast of the True Detective finale. Stretch your mind back to September 2013; that’s when J.J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan (Person of Interest) received a pilot production commitment from the premium cable network to adapt Westworld, a sci-fi western mashup based on Michael Crichton’s 1973 film. The logline remains: “Set in the amazing world dreamt up by Michael Crichton, Westworld is a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the future of sin.”

This 30-second clip sets the scene quite powerfully. Westworld the movie took place at a Western-themed amusement park rampant with androids who appeared nearly indistinguishable from humans. It looks like the TV series is going in a similar direction–Evan Rachel Wood’s android could’ve fooled me!

The all-star ensemble cast also includes Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, James Marsden, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Rodrigo Santoro, Shannon Woodward, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Ben Barnes, Jimmi Simpson, Clifton Collins, Jr., Simon Quarterman, and Angela Sarafyan.

Nolan directs the pilot and co-writes with Lisa Joy (Burn Notice). They executive produce with the team at Bad Robot (including Abrams and Bryan Burk) and Jerry Weintraub.

Westworld premieres in 2016 on HBO. Cannot wait. Continue reading HBO teases Bad Robot’s first foray into premium cable, the android-inhabited ‘Westworld’ →