Category Archives: Entertainment

2015 MTV VMA nominations: Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” dominates the competition

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This year’s MTV Video Music Awards nominations were announced today on Beats 1, a major coup for Apple’s infantile Internet radio station. Too bad the station went down during the live feed. Anyway…

No surprise here: Taylor Swift, the artist who pushed Apple to pay royalties to all artists during Apple Music’s free trial period, comes out on top with the most nominations: nine. Her hit single “Bad Blood,” whose music video was directed by Joseph Kahn, earned seven nods total, including Video of the Year. Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé garnered six and five nods, respectively, thanks to their singles “Thinking Out Loud” and “7/11.” Those music videos join T-Swift’s “Bad Blood” in the Video of the Year category along with Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright.”

The 2015 VMAs airs Sunday, August 30 at 9pm (ET), hosted by Miley Cyrus. Jump after the break for the full list of nominees. Continue reading 2015 MTV VMA nominations: Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” dominates the competition →

Pixar forgoes dialogue to set the mood in its next adventure ‘The Good Dinosaur’

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Disney and Pixar pick up right where they left off in this first official trailer for the upcoming animated pic The Good Dinosaur. The June teaser ended with a heartwarming glimpse at a green dinosaur and his pet human (more on that in a second), and the new trailer comes to life with an elevated sense of discovery, trepidation, and adventure.

The Good Dinosaur asks this question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? The film follows an Apatosaurus named Arlo and Spot the cave-boy. Director Peter Sohn, a Pixar Story Artist who previously worked on films such as Finding Nemo and Up!, describes Dino as a boy-and-his-dog story, except here the roles are reversed. “Arlo himself is what we would have become, able to articulate and have certain emotions and connection to family,” says Sohn. [The dinosaurs have] become us, essentially… I’m trying to treat Spot in a very kind of animalistic way, where he doesn’t speak very much. He’s very feral.”

You’ll notice the trailer barely includes any dialogue, besides a few grunts and growls. Featured prominently is the song “Crystals” by Of Monsters and Men, a sweet tune that succinctly sets the mood for Pixar’s latest adventure. I say, who needs dialogue in a trailer that so magically brings to life an alternate reality ruled by dinosaurs; the animation here is incredibly life-like at times and pushes CGI to new limits. What say you?

The Good Dinosaur hits theatres November 25.

ABC releases extended look at this fall’s ‘The Muppets’

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Excited for The Muppets to make their triumphant return to television? Today ABC released an extended sneak peek at this fall’s upcoming comedy starring your favorite furry puppets Kermit, Gonzo, Miss Piggy and the rest. It’s highly atypical for a network to leak a “first look presentation” to the public–it’s what the creators of a show put together to convince a network to pick up their project to series. Due to popular demand, and after screening it to audiences at San Diego Comic Con, ABC decided to let Bill Prady and Bob Kushell’s Muppets pitch loose to boost anticipation and awareness surrounding the sitcom.

The nearly 11-minute clip is essentially an extension of the original Muppets trailer ABC outed during the Upfronts. In it, Kermit rounds up the troops in a production office to announce that ABC wants to put on a primetime Muppets show; yes, it’s very meta. The pitch utilizes the mockumentary style camerawork found in many successful sitcoms today, including Modern Family; Gonzo calls it “so gimmicky” and yet I can’t hold back laughter. The crux of the drama involves Kermit trying to get Miss Piggy out of the movie biz (where she’s dating That 70s Show star Topher Grace) and onto the set of the new ABC series. She’s dismissive at first likely due to the fact that Kermit has moved on, too, and fell for another pig named Denise. Elsewhere, Fozzie the Bear is dating a human girl and her parents are concerned.

Whether or not any of this actually makes it into the pilot to air this fall, it’s a must-see for Muppets fans and all those who are eagerly looking forward to “a more adult Muppets show” in primetime.

2015 Emmy nominations: ‘Game of Thrones’ & ‘American Horror Story’ lead the pack, ‘Orphan Black’s Tatiana Maslany joins the club

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This year’s Emmy nominations are out and TATIANA MASLANY IS AMONG THEM! For years I’ve been drowning frustration that genre shows like The Walking Dead, Fringe, and Orphan Black aren’t getting the recognition they deserve. Today still, these shows aren’t up for Best Drama; in an alternate universe, Fringe did win the top prize and its star John Noble is a multi-trophy bearer. And yet, there is reason to celebrate because the leading lady of BBC America’s sci-fi clone frenzy, the one and only Tatiana Maslany of Orphan Black, was finally recognized for her truly incredible performances on the Graeme Manson and John Fawcett-created conspiracy thriller. She only plays like 10 different characters, each with their own set of personalities, quirks, and flaws. It’s something that demands to be seen to be entirely believed, and now the actress that makes it all come to life is centerstage at the Emmys.

Of course, the competition is mighty fierce. Orphan Black‘s Maslany is vying for Lead Actress in a Drama against Claire Danes (Homeland), Viola Davis (How to Get Away With Murder), Taraji P. Henson (Empire), Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), and Robin Wright (House of Cards). Danes starred in a riveting, refreshed season of Homeland. Davis gave a knockout, emotionally punishing performance in Shonda Rhimes’ HTGAWM. Henson wowed audiences as the no-holds-barred Cookie in Empire‘s debut season. Moss has one last shot to win an actor award for Mad Men‘s final season. And Wright continues to impress as the steely Mrs. Underwood in Netflix’s still red-hot series House of Cards. Good luck, Tatiana. Not that you need it. But still.

The seven series nominated for Outstanding Drama include Better Call Saul, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Homeland, House of Cards, Mad Men, and Orange Is the New Black. Yeah, it was a great year for TV. Nominated Lead Actors include Kyle Chandler (Bloodline) Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul), Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan), and Kevin Spacey (House of Cards).

Over on the funny side, the following series are nominated for Outstanding Comedy: Louie, Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, Silicon Valley, Transparent, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Veep. Another tough category. Modern always wins. Parks ended its 7-year run on a (very) high note and deserves a series win. HBO’s Silicon Valley and Veep continue to conjure smart laughs. Transparent is a game-changer and put Amazon on the map with Netflix, and featured a tour-de-force performance by Jeffrey Tambor. And who could forget just how inherently fun and funny Kimmy Schmidt was in its breakout debut? Did somebody say Peeno Noir…

Funny girls up for Lead Actress include Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Lisa Kudrow (The Comeback), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep), Amy Poehler! (Parks and Recreation), Amy Schumer (Inside Amy Schumer), and Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie). Lead Actors: Anthony Anderson (black-ish), Louis C.K. (Louie), Don Cheadle (House of Lies), Will Forte (Last Man on Earth), Matt LeBlanc (Episodes), William H. Macy (Shameless), and yes, Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent).

Elsewhere, John Ridley’s captivating ABC drama American Crime and Ryan Murphy’s FX fright fest American Horror Story: Freak Show dominated the Limited Series categories.

In total, HBO’s fantasy drama Game of Thrones racked up the most nods with 24, followed by AHS: Freak Show (19), Olive Kitteridge (13), Bessie (12), and the following three earned 11 nods apiece: House of Cards, Mad Men, and Transparent. American Crime and Boardwalk Empire nabbed 10 each, and rounding out the top ten is Veep with 9 nods.

With Tatiana in the race, it’s hard to nitpick this year. But I must, because there are plenty of worthy series and actors that got undeservedly snubbed this go-around. Showtime’s The Affair was completely shut out–not only is the drama worthy of most Outstanding, but its main stars Dominic West and Ruth Wilson give gripping performances that whole-heartedly deserve much love. FX’s The Americans also demands to enter the race, but once again it’s only guest star Margo Martindale who earns a seat at the table. The same can be said for Showtime’s Masters of Sex; guest stars and on-screen husband and wife Allison Janney and Beau Bridges were nominated for the guest roles but the show and its stars Martin Sheen and Lizzy Caplan aren’t mentioned. Zilch for A&E’s Bates Motel. Other snubbed actors? Carrie Coon (The Leftovers), Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), and the entire cast of The Walking Dead.

The 67th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards airs live, Sunday, September 20 at 8pm (ET) on Fox. Click here for the full list of nominees.

Comic Con: ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ brings together entire main cast & the fans get a concert (Behind-the-scenes video inside)

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It’s a funny thing, really. Though little was divulged in terms of new announcements at the Star Wars panel at San Diego Comic Con 2015, it turned out to be the most amazing Con experience and one I will never forget.

A packed Hall H chants “Let’s go Star Wars!” and claps as if we were at a sporting event. Only at Comic Con, am I right? In time, moderator Chris Hardwick (the Talking Dead host and Nerdist leader was everywhere this year!) came out to introduce producer Kathleen Kennedy of Lucasfilm, director J.J. Abrams, and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan. Abrams talked up Episode VII‘s reliance on practical effects over CGI, and he made a point by bringing out a new character named Bobba Joe. The creature, operated magically by five people, managed to walk across the stage twice without falling over or bumping into anything. The oversized puppet really impressed the audience with its finesse. Abrams says to expect many characters like this in the film.

“We aren’t ready to show you scenes from the movie or a new trailer, but we wanted to bring something that was as unique and unexpected as we could,” Abrams told the crowd. The behind-the-scenes reel shown to panel attendees brought tears to many eyes–it encapsulates the sheer force of the Star Wars franchise and does a great job of sharing the level of detail and blood, sweat, and tears that Abrams and co. are putting into this thing. Also, Simon Pegg pops up in a surprise cameo! You can watch nearly 4-minute clip after the break.

The cast came out next. Our three heroes John Boyega (Finn), Daisy Ridley (Rey), and Oscar Isaacs (Poe Dameron) and then the villains Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux), and Gwendolyn Christie (Captain Phasma) and then the legacy players Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), and Harrison Ford (Han Solo). And yes, the crowd went more than wild at the sight of all this talent, especially when Mr. Ford entered the scene. He received the biggest standing ovation by a mile. Gleeson accidentally leaked the name of the villains’ base: Starkiller Base. Beyond that, nothing new was announced here. A handful of first-looks at practical effects characters were displayed, and you can see those in the gallery.

Just as the panel felt like it was wrapping up, Abrams said this: “Who wants to go see a live Star Wars concert right now? We only have room for all of you. We are literally all going to walk to a location together and experience a Star Wars concert tonight.” It’s hard to describe the rush I felt along with everyone else there. It was like a wave of excitement crashed into the crowd and all of sudden we were all high on life all at once. And with that, the entire Hall H–over 6,000 people–proceeded to collect their belongings and follow a procession of Stormtroopers to the Embarcadero Marina Park South where the San Diego Symphony was waiting to perform selections from the iconic Star Wars score. The walk took about 45 minutes or so, but that wasn’t a problem for anyone. With our exclusive lanyards we walked proudly behind the convention center and slowly made our way to the secret venue on the water. Once everyone was situated with free colored lightsabers, Abrams and the entire cast came out again to introduce the symphony. Composer John Williams wasn’t on hand, unfortunately, but he did pre-record a message wishing the fans a good time and “May the force be with you.” The sun set, the music played beautifully against a backdrop consisting of classic scenes spanning all six films, and just when we all thought it couldn’t get any better, fireworks exploded in the sky just as the Star Wars main theme kicked in at the end of the concert. A rainbow of lightsabers showered the symphony with love.

This was truly a shared experience to cherish for a lifetime.

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Continue reading Comic Con: ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ brings together entire main cast & the fans get a concert (Behind-the-scenes video inside) →

Comic Con: ‘The Walking Dead’ & ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ land premiere dates (Epic trailers inside)

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The following post contains spoilers for The Walking Dead season 5.

The Walking Dead never fails to impress in San Diego every summer since creator Robert Kirkman and company always share the next season’s jam-packed trailer. The season 6 trailer, hanging after the break, previews the power struggle going on in the not-so-safe-zone known as Alexandria. With Lennie James’ Morgan in the mix, Rick Grimes has someone else to contend with. However, EP Scott M. Gimple states, “Things might not be as they seem…We sometimes play with the truth in trailers.” Interpret that as you will.

What else? After saying that there will be some “flashbackery” and time jumps coming soon, he later corrected himself and said, “A whole lot of flashbacks” are on the way; in fact, an entire episode will be a flashback. The Wolves are coming, as hinted across episodes in season 5; they will factor into the next season in “a way you might not expect,” teased Gimple. Casting announcements were made as well; Corey Hawkins is Heath from the comics, Nurse Jackie‘s Merritt Wever is also playing somebody from the comics, and Ethan Embry is featured in the new trailer.

In addition to Gimple, EPs Gale Anne Hurd, Dave Alpert, and Greg Nicotero were on the panel along with stars Andrew Lincoln, Steven Yeun, Chandler Riggs, Danai Gurira, Michael Cudlitz, Melissa McBride, Lennie James, Sonequa Martin-Green, and Norman Reedus.

What was it like being there? Well… McBride walked onto the stage with a tray of freshly baked cookies (hello, Scare-ol!). Reedus disclosed the three things he needs to get into character as Daryl Dixon: Motörhead, coffee, and Candy Crush (he’s a level 275 and proud of it!). Cudlitz said of his character, “Abraham’s defining moment hasn’t come yet.” Boom. Do you miss Rick’s beard? So does he? Gimple says his facial hair will continue to serve as a barometer of where his head is at; so, if the proverbial shit continues to hit the fan, expect that beard to be meaner than ever. Kirkman and Lauren Cohan couldn’t make the panel so everyone on the panel wore shirts with the creator’s big head on it and Cohan texted Nicotero for Yeun to read a love note to the fans (it was very sweet and then very funny). Also, an entertaining season 5 blooper reel was shown; unfortunately it wasn’t made available online so you’ll have to nab the DVD to see it.

The Walking Dead premieres its sixth season on Sunday, October 11 at 9pm on AMC. The super-sized 90-minute episode, directed by Greg Nicotero, will be followed by a new installment of Talking Dead hosted by Chris Hardwick. It was also announced that the premiere will screen for fans at Madison Square Garden; details here. Jump into the gallery below to see pictures from the panel as well as first looks at newly decomposed walkers designed, of course, by Mr. Nicotero.

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Jump after the break for scoop on companion series Fear the Walking Dead. Continue reading Comic Con: ‘The Walking Dead’ & ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ land premiere dates (Epic trailers inside) →

Comic Con: You Know Who was not resurrected at the ‘Game of Thrones’ panel, and other highlights (Audition reel inside)

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This post contains spoilers for Game of Thrones season 5.

Game of Thrones has finally caught up to the books. What did that mean for its panel at Comic Con 2015? Author George R.R. Martin was a no-show because he’s shackling himself to his typewriter to complete the next book in the Ice and Fire saga. Showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss also were not present. So who did show up? Director David Nutter, EP Carolyn Strauss, and stars Carice van Houten, Natalie Dormer, Sophie Turner, Alfie Allen, Hannah Murray, John Bradley, Maisie Williams, Conleth Hill, Liam Cunningham, and Gwendoline Christie.

Since Martin, Benioff, and Weiss are keeping season 6 plot details to themselves for now, the cast has absolutely no idea what’s coming next for them. The most tantalizing tidbit? Nutter, who directed the season 5 finale where beloved character Jon Snow is murdered, confirmed the death of the fan-favorite with an entertaining story. Apparently President Obama directly asked Nutter if Snow was really dead, and Nutter replied, “John Snow is deader than dead.” So there you have it. Also dead is Stannis Baratheon; although viewers weren’t privy to Brienne’s Oathkeeper chopping off the True King’s head, Nutter confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that “from the very beginning, and [through] the script process, that was the intent–he’s dead.”

Since there was no fresh intel to share with the crowd, how did they keep us entertained? Well for one thing, the infinitely adorable Maisie Williams shouted out an “Oysters, clams, and cockles” for the crowd when a girl dressed as Arya Stark holding a basket of foodstuffs approached the mic. And John Bradley, who plays Sam, shared this gem: “Before Gilly, Sam thought of sex as most people thought of space.” Moderator Seth Meyers went on to screen an audition reel showing early versions of many Thrones characters including Brienne and Ygritte; watch it after the break. Below, images from the panel; see if you can spot the Sons of the Harpy cosplayer sitting conspicuously close to the fan questioner.

Continue reading Comic Con: You Know Who was not resurrected at the ‘Game of Thrones’ panel, and other highlights (Audition reel inside) →

Comic Con: The Fannibals celebrate ‘Hannibal’ as Bryan Fuller continues the search for a new home (Red Dragon preview inside)

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You already know my thoughts on Hannibal, so it was pretty much a sure thing that I found myself inside Ballroom 20 when Bryan Fuller, Marta De Laurentiis, Hugh Dancy, and Richard Armitage came on to celebrate the outgoing NBC drama at Comic Con.

The Fannibals came out in strong numbers with an incredible amount of love and passion at the Hannibal, um, pannibal. Prior to kick-off, fans were handing out “Fannibals Forever” posters to hold up in support of the recently axed show. Fans booed in unison when the moderator mentioned the cancellation, but Fuller was quick to thank NBC for allow him and his creative team to carry out Hannibal for as long as they did. “Hey, NBC let us do some crazy shit for three years, they deserve our applause,” Fuller said and as if a spell was put upon them the crowd’s boos turned into celebratory cheers.

Fuller shared the unfortunate news that both Netflix and Amazon passed on saving the series. Netflix because the show already has a streaming deal with Amazon (to air its back catalog of episodes) and Amazon because it demanded Fuller pump out scripts with immediacy and due to his busy schedule it made such a thing impossible (Fuller is working on Starz’ adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Americans Gods). Even still, Fuller tells fans the story is not over yet; “we are still looking” for a new home for Hannibal he reassured the crowd. And if a fourth season simply isn’t in the cards, he hinted at “the possibility of a feature.” Stars Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen are committed to continuing the series in any form, so transitioning Hannibal back to the big screen is an option on the table.

The panel itself was such a joy and the fans are to thank for that. Fuller embraced the Fannibals with open arms, and they reciprocated by offering the panel ornate flower crowns (symbolizing the series’ passionate fanbase) and one audience member even gifted Fuller with a scarf to match his favorite suit! It was an all-around love affair and as an avid Hannibal Fannibal myself I will say it was so much fun to be apart of.

Opening and closing the panel was an extended sneak peek at the upcoming Red Dragon story arc starring Armitage as Francis Dolarhyde aka The Tooth Fairy aka The Red Dragon. The five-minute clip, embedded after the break for your viewing pleasure, reveals his full-body tattoo and goes on to preview Zachary Quinto’s guest spot in Bedelia’s storyline. Fuller explained: Francis Dolarhyde is a Hannibal that Will wants to save and Francis Dolarhyde is a Will that Hannibal wants to corrupt. Ah! Also, Fuller says the Dolarhyde rape scenes from the Thomas Harris novel will not be adapted for television; he finds such scenes to be “cheapening.”

Other tidbits: A three-year time jump is about to take place. Will goes on a domestic retreat and even elopes, but happy times, obviously, won’t last long. Music from Siouxsie and The Banshees will be featured in the season 3 finale, and Fuller promises James Bond-level epicness from that score. A couple quotables: Fuller “loves emotional plotting as opposed to plot-plotting” and “the music is psychological, not melodic.”

Days after the panel, NBC relocated Hannibal to Saturdays at 10. Look in the gallery below for fun stills from the panel!

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Continue reading Comic Con: The Fannibals celebrate ‘Hannibal’ as Bryan Fuller continues the search for a new home (Red Dragon preview inside) →

Comic Con: Seth MacFarlane leads Fox animated lineup including ‘Family Guy’, ‘American Dad’ & ‘Bordertown’ (‘FG’ preview inside)

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Seth MacFarlane made a triumphant return to San Diego Comic Con this year where he sat on panels for all three of his Fox animated series: Family Guy, American Dad, and his new show Bordertown. Let’s dive in. Giggidy.

First off, let’s get this fresh piece of intel out of the day. When prompted by the moderator, MacFarlane revealed that he is “optimistic” about a second season of Cosmos. For fans of the Spacetime Odyssey, this should get you going. “There’s nothing official yet, but the talks are happening,” he added. As Peter Griffin would say, freakin’ sweet.

Speaking of Family Guy, that panel brought on executive producers Steve Callaghan and Rich Appel, as well as voice actors Alex Borstein (Lois), Seth Green (Chris), and Mike Henry (Cleveland). MacFarlane introduced a clip featuring scenes from upcoming episodes, and you can watch it after the break. What can you expect? The gang finds out that Quagmire was once a Korean soap opera actor and they travel to Korea to find an episode of his show…Chris becomes a registered sex offender…Brian and Stewie get addicted to Aderall “with interesting results”…Stewie encounters his first nightmare and Brian enters his mind to explore his demons hidden inside. Guest stars include Ed O’Neil, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Glenn Close, Kyle Chandler, Joe Buck, and Kate McKinnon (she’ll play Peter’s sister and she’s a pro wrester with the name Heavy Flow). Also, John Mellencamp will pop up and sing in an episode playing a self-depreciating character. Following these announcements, the cast did a live script reading, pulling from classic Family Guy sequences fans quickly recognized.

Next up was American Dad and to the stage came executive producers Matt Weitzman and Brian Boyle, as well as voice actors Scott Grimes (Steve) and Wendy Schaal (Francine). Again a clip was shown previewing scenes from the new season, but unfortunately Fox did not upload this one to the ‘Net. My descriptions will have to do: Steve and Snot’s future selves travel back in time to stop their present selves from throwing a party (if they peak in high school, they’ll become losers as adults is the argument)…Francine practices to be a widow when she learns that the family doesn’t have life insurance…A two-part episode features Stan having a “crisis of faith” and he feels compelled to become “the next Noah”…Steve joins the water polo team and Klouse uses his pubic hairs to control him, Ratatouille-style…With R. Kelly’s permission, there will be an episode where Steve belts out his own version of “Trapped in the Closet” (Grimes previewed a tune for the crowd and as we already know he can sing). Also confirmed: Hayley’s boyfriend Jeff will be featured in half the episode next season; his alien-hood won’t be a major point of discussion anytime soon.

The final panel promoted the next animated series that MacFarlane is executive producing and that’s the politically bent Bordertown. Creator and EP Mark Hentemann was joined by voice actors Alex Borstein, Missi Pyle, and Nick Gonzalez and they screened nearly half of the pilot episode for the Con crowd. The animation style certainly is different from Seth’s previous works, and the material at hand addresses the border situation across America and Mexico head-on. What they showed proved to be entertaining fair, but it will take time for MacFarlane’s following to jump aboard this wise-cracking political romp.

Check out the gallery below for a few pictures from panel. Family Guy, American Dad, and Bordertown premiere this fall on Fox.

Continue reading Comic Con: Seth MacFarlane leads Fox animated lineup including ‘Family Guy’, ‘American Dad’ & ‘Bordertown’ (‘FG’ preview inside) →

Comic Con: Emma embraces her dark side in ‘Once Upon a Time’ to become The Dark Swan (video inside)

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This post contains spoilers for Once Upon a Time season 4.

Meet The Dark Swan. That’s what Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, executive producers of ABC’s fairytale drama Once Upon a Time, are calling Emma Swan, now that she’s carrying the darkness that once lived inside Rumpelstiltskin (formally known as The Dark One). The image you see above is being used as the official key art for the upcoming fifth season of OUAT and was featured outside the convention center in San Diego during the week of Comic Con. It’s certainly a bold image to use as it stylistically transforms Jennifer Morrison’s character into something sinister. It might be hard to see, but along the side it reads, “Evil isn’t born. It’s made.”

“Emma went through a lot in her life,” Morrison said at the OUAT panel. “She had a tough childhood. She’s had to overcome a lot of things. She’s tried to be the bigger person. Now that she’s tethered to the darkness, she’s free of that…She’s going to face the darkness in herself and figure out how to overcome it.”

In the first of three clips embedded after the break, you will witness Emma’s storied journey from bail bondswoman to Storybrooke non-believer to The Savior and her eventual decent into darkness. Emma lost her love from the “real world” when Neil met his maker last season, and more recently she found out that her parents–Snow White and Prince Charming–lied to her about her Savior origins. When all of this came to head in the season four finale, The Apprentice accidentally released the darkness living inside Rumpelstiltskin unto Storybrooke. Emma sacrificed herself and allowed the darkness to consume her to save the town from death and destruction.

In the second clip, you’ll get a first look at Morrison playing The Dark Swan: slicked back, bleached blonde hair, deep red lipstick, and shiny sparkles make up her appearance. And oh yes, she’s evil alright: locked inside a cage (did the darkness transport her to the Enchanted Forest?), Evil Emma rips the heart out of a jailor and crushes it to smithereens without flinching. Want a closer look at Morrison in character? Click over to EW for two stills.

The third and final clip released from the Con introduces a brand new character from Disney/Pixar lore and it’s Merida from Brave. Amy Manson (Being Human) plays the red-haired princess of DunBroch who happens to be a master archer. How she’s connected to the rest of the Once gang has not been disclosed.

The search for Merlin the Sorcerer and a way to save Emma from the darkness (herself!) begins this September when Once Upon a Time returns to ABC.

[Via EW] Continue reading Comic Con: Emma embraces her dark side in ‘Once Upon a Time’ to become The Dark Swan (video inside) →

Comic Con: ‘Person of Interest’ aims to up the ante in shortened fifth (and possibly final) season

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This post contains spoilers for Person of Interest season 4.

The Machine now lives inside a suitcase. Team Machine, namely Finch, Reese, Root, and Fusco, are racing against the clock to bring it back to “life” so they can take down its nefarious counterpart, Samaritan.

Johnathan Nolan and Greg Plageman, the executive producers behind Person of Interest, are also on a tight schedule to produce even more gripping content for the show’s rabid fanbase. CBS renewed POI for a fifth season, thankfully, but it did so with a caveat: it’s 13 episodes this time around, as opposed to the typical 22 or 23. Cancellation whispers are in the air, and so Nolan and the creative team are prepared to go out with a bang if this is indeed the end.

“In terms of the reduced order, we’re going to make 13 kick-ass episodes, drop the microphone, and if we’re asked to pick it up again, we’ll have more stories to tell,” Nolan told fans at Comic Con. “We’re very, very proud of the show and very excited with the show we’ve been making. If it’s the last season, no one is going to be disappointed with the story that we tell.”

Viewers can expect a lot less filler (i.e. “numbers of the week” episodes) and a whole lot more story connected to the overarching battle for supremacy over Samaritan. “They’ve got to find a way to go on the offensive–attack Samaritan and hit them hard,” said Jim Caviezel, who plays Reese.

How will season 5 approach the Second Coming of The Machine? “If [Finch] has to rebuild it, he may not do it the way he did it initially,” said Michael Emerson. “He may give it more of the freedom that Root was always demanding for it. And maybe the new Machine is a greater warrior than the old Machine was.” In a video interview with TVLine (watch that here), Emerson adds that he hopes and expects Finch “to have a more personal relationship with The Machine.” He says the lines are blurring when it comes to The Machine serving as a tool and acting like a person. Intrigue!

Need more to chew on? Watch the 4-minute sizzle reel that premiered in San Diego above. It highlights the high stakes drama that’s been permeating throughout the series from the very beginning, and at the very end (wait for it!) it plays a recorded message from Root teasing a fight for the future. It’s epic, it’s cinematic, and it perfectly encapsulates just how great this show can be on a consistent basis.

After mastering the art of weaving in and out of procedural and serial episodes, Person of Interest is prepared to put the pedal to the metal, reaching deep into its mythos to resuscitate The Machine and save the world from Samaritan, in what may very well be the final string of episodes. POI returns in midseason to CBS.

[Via THR; TVLine]

Comic Con: ‘Sherlock’ time travels to Victorian era in upcoming Christmas special (video inside)

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Sherlock loves to go on long breaks between series, and so fans of the BBC/PBS show were pleasantly surprised when executive producer Steven Moffat dropped a first look at the upcoming Christmas special. The one-off episode drops Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman) into the Victorian era, the very same era where Holmes and Watson do their investigating in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s books. Moffat has no explanation for the time jump; it just is.

“We discovered there was some precedent for doing Sherlock in the Victorian era,” Moffat told the Comic Con crowd. “When we first did Sherlock, press asked how can Sherlock possibly survive in the world with an iPhone. And when doing the Victorian [era special], the press came in and said how can he do this without his iPhone?” He later added, “It’s very much the show you know. It’s the Sherlock as you know it, but in the correct era. It’s one of the best ones we’ve made. I think it’s really terrific.”

Eye the detecting duo in their 19th Century garb above. Be sure to then jump after the break and watch 1:27 preview that is very meta, indeed. Also shown at Comic Con and posted after the break is a special video starring Andrew Scott (aka Sherlock‘s Moriarty) addressing the crowd with a wink and a nod.

There’s no date set in stone quite yet for the Christmas special; Moffat hopes to premiere it “in the next year.” What’s neat is that in addition to airing on television, it will also come to the big screen in select theatres globally.

Curious about Sherlock season 4? Moffat hasn’t even finished writing it yet (pity!), but he warns fans of “shattering emotionally draining you’ll-never-be-the-same-again cliffhangers” that will “sucker punch you into emotional devastation.” Great.

[Via Deadline; EW] Continue reading Comic Con: ‘Sherlock’ time travels to Victorian era in upcoming Christmas special (video inside) →