Category Archives: Entertainment

The Muppets are coming back to the big screen in a big way

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Here’s your very first glimpse into the first Muppets movie made for the big screen in eleven long years.  Take it all in…

Now let’s talk deets.  James Bobin (of Flight of the Conchords fame) is set to direct and Jason Segel (I Love You, Man, How I Met Your Mother) will executive produce, write (with Nicholas Stoller), and star in the film.  Segel happens to be a big fan of Jim Henson and his furry creations.  “We’ve worked really hard to stay true to the original spirit of the Muppets,” said Segel.  “We’ve missed the same thing everyone else has been missing.”  Here’s a leaked synopsis:

The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time is about Gary, Mary, and Walter (a man, his girlfriend, and the man’s life-long nondescript, brown puppet best friend) getting the old Muppet gang — now retired entertainers known for the same Muppet show we know them from — together to save the TV studio that the original show was shot in. A villain, Tex Richman (nice name, on par with Doc Hopper), bent on drilling for oil underneath the studio, is due to take over the studio in weeks and the only way to stop him? Putting on a show that draws ten million viewers.

Segel will star as the human lead Gary, Amy Adams is Mary, and Walter–who happens to be a brand new Muppet addition–will be voiced by Paul Rudd.  (FYI, Walter is the iPhone-wielding Muppet in the image above.)  Tex the antagonist will be voiced by Chris Cooper.  Rashida Jones is locked in, too.  Beyond that almost all the other information surrounding this movie is pure speculation.  But let’s add to that conversation!  Other potential guest voices include: Kristen Schaal, Jack Black, Donald Glover, Jane Lynch, Danny Trejo, Zach Galifianakis, and Lady Gaga.  And guess who’s rumored to play Gaga’s entourage?  John Krasinski (The Office), Ed Helms (The Hangover), and Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family).  Yeah.  This might just turn out to be the greatest Muppet movie of all time after all.

Production started in September, and Disney plans to release it wide Christmas 2011.

[Via EW; CinemaBlend; TheFilmStage]

FOX renews ‘The Simpsons’ for Season 23

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Shocker, right?  Next September FOX will air the 23rd season of The Simpsons, the longest running comedy in TV history.  During the next season the animated show will hit a major milestone–500 episodes aired.  In fact, the series will reach episode 515 when it closes out its next season in May 2012.  But its still got a ways to go if it wants to become the record holder for most episodes aired; it’ll have to surpass Gunsmoke‘s 635 episodes!

“Like many 22-year-olds, The Simpsons is extremely happy remaining at home, on Fox, and hopes it doesn’t have to go out into the real world for many years to come,” said executive producer Al Jean.

[Via Deadline; IGN]

TV Reminder: ‘Conan’ premieres tonight on TBS [Update: the ratings are in…]

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Conan O’Brien returns to the boob tube.  Tonight.  11PM ET.  TBS.  Do it.

Tonight’s guests are Seth Rogen, Lea Michele, Jack White, and the guest we voted on (Team Coco is still tallying the results).  The remainder of this week’s guests include Tom Hanks, Jack McBrayer, Jon Hamm, Charlyne Yi, Fistful of Mercy, Michael Cera, Julie Bowen, and Jon Dore.  Conan airs Monday through Thursday.

Bonus! Look after the break to see the “Conan Pale Whale” by artist Yiying Lu.  It really makes for a wonderful desktop background.

Update: Deadline reports that the Conan premiere attracted 4.2 million viewers last night, making this telecast the most watched late night talk show of all time on basic cable.  He beat out fellow cable hosts Stewart and Colbert, as well as network TV competitors Letterman, Kimmel, and yes, Jay Leno.  He drew in 3.3 million adults 18-49 and 2.5 million in 18-34.  The projected median age of the viewers was 30–the youngest of all late night talk shows. Continue reading TV Reminder: ‘Conan’ premieres tonight on TBS [Update: the ratings are in…] →

AMC renews ‘The Walking Dead’

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As a series reaching more adults 18-49 than any other show in the history of cable television, it doesn’t come to much surprise that AMC has greenlit The Walking Dead for a second season.  While the first season includes just six episodes, season two will pack 13 of ’em!  AMC prez Charlie Collier had this to say about the renewal: “The ‘Dead’ has spread!  No other cable series has ever attracted as many Adults 18-49 as ‘The Walking Dead.’  This reaffirms viewers’ hunger for premium television on basic cable.  We are so proud to be bringing back ‘The Walking Dead’ again, across the globe.”  Dead aired on FOX International Channel, and it was the highest-rated original series premiere ever to air on FIC simultaneously worldwide.  If you want to read some more impressive stats, look after the break for the full PR.

If you haven’t been sucked into the Dead universe yet (comic books or otherwise), you need to starting watching this show!  It’s not too late to play catch-up.  Head over to AMC’s website to watch the pilot episode in its entirety, and episode 2 is already available on iTunes (AMC also airs it multiple times throughout the week).  Catch the fever, that is if you’re not of the faint of heart.

[Via Deadline] Continue reading AMC renews ‘The Walking Dead’ →

Trailer #2: Suckerpunch

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Ch-check out this brand new trailer for Zack Snyder’s action-fantasy flick Suckerpunch.  It contains never-before-seen footage and somehow manages to induce an even higher level of excitement than the original trailer!  The super sexy all female ensemble cast is spotlighted (it includes Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone, and Carla Gugino), as are the over-the-top, in your face CGI landscape and ferocious creatures.  A new synopsis was released:

Sucker Punch is an epic action fantasy that takes us into the vivid imagination of a young girl whose dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality. Unrestrained by the boundaries of time and place, she is free to go where her mind takes her, but her incredible adventures blur the lines between what’s real and what is imaginary…with potentially tragic consequences.

With Watchmen and 300 under his belt, I have faith Snyder will deliver another extraordinary epic that balances special effects with compelling storytelling.  I know where I’ll be March 25, 2011.

NBC cancels ‘Undercovers’

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Tear.  Shortly after granting all other freshman series full season orders, NBC decided to axe the spy series with potential Undercovers.  And just when the creative team was about to retool the show’s structure by injecting some exciting mythos into it.  Too little too late, as they say?  I happened to highly enjoy this series; the writing is smart, the action is cutting edge, and the small, vibrant cast is worth investing in.  And to think that a J.J. Abrams show could ever be cancelled!  Never thought I’d see the day come.  You can blame it on the lack of a gripping subplot (but that was coming!) and poor ratings; the show hit a series low last night drawing only 5.8 million viewers.

But enough grieving for now.  Bet you’re wondering about the remainder of Undercovers episodes.  NBC will air three more episodes in the short term (11/10, 11/17, 12/1) and may run three additional episodes at a later time.  The information regarding those lingering episodes remains unclear right now.  RIP Blooms.  I just hope that we find out what Shaw, Alan Dale, and the CIA had in store for the sexy duo.

[Via Deadline]

Cudder roundup: Short film “Maniac” short film, LNWJF perfomance, ‘Wizard’ collab w/ Dot Da Genius, Bape t-shirt

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Bunch of Kid Cudi news, so it’s roundup time.  First up is news that actor Shia LaBeouf (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Transformers) is set to direct a short film based on Cudi’s Man on the Moon II track “Maniac.”  Cage and St. Vincent are featured on the joint, and according to Rap-Up.com Cage is friends with LaBeouf and asked for his assistence to helm the video.  LaBeouf had previously directed Cage’s music video “I Never Knew You” back in 2008.  While you’re waiting for this video to drop, jump after the break to watch Cudi perform “Maniac” with The Roots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.  There you’ll also find photographic proof that the Cudi/LaBeuf collab is actually going down.

Speaking of collabs, Cudi has publically announced that he is forming a rock band with close friend and producer Dot Da Genius.  They are calling themselves ‘Wizard.’  When Cudi picked up the guitar for the very first time he became fascinated with the instrument and surprised himself by how quickly he picked up on playing chords.  He says that three songs for the album have been completed, and he’ll continue to record more songs on the tour bus as he and Dot make “college runs.”

Last, but certainly not least.. To celebrate the release of his sophomore album Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, Cudi has teamed up with Bape again to sell a BAPE x Kid Cudi Rager t-shirt.  The tee will sell in black and white variants and like always will be limited in quantity.  If you want one plan on camping outside the Soho Bape store in NYC on November 9, the same day the album hits stores.  And who knows, maybe Cudi will swing by and make an appearence.

[Via Rap-Up, here & here; DatNewCudi] Continue reading Cudder roundup: Short film “Maniac” short film, LNWJF perfomance, ‘Wizard’ collab w/ Dot Da Genius, Bape t-shirt →

Kanye West reveals (interchangeable) album covers in Ustream chat

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Earlier today Kanye West hopped onto a Def Jam conference call and Ustream to talk about his upcoming album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

In regards to the album, ‘Ye dropped the following bits of info.  The album is about a “year and a half in the making” and he collaborated with RZA, Pete Rock, No I.D., Q-Tip, Rick Ross, Nicki Manaj, Rihanna, Fergie, and Elton John, among many other surprise guests.  He also confirmed that a new version of “See Me Now” features Big Sean, along with original guests Jay-Z, Beyonce, and Charlie Wilson.

While he was taking calls from the press, Kanye held up the physical album casing.  It’s a red three-fold case with a very interesting design.  In addition to the CD, the album comes with 5 interchageable covers.  You can swap them in and out of the front to give the case different looks.  We have already seen four of the five covers by artist George Condo; they include the two “Power” single artwork, the “Runaway” single artwork, and of course the “banned” album cover, still pixelated.

When asked about how the final tracks will differ from the leaked versions, Kanye responded, “I don’t want to give away exactly what I did differently, you know you just gotta hear it and feel the surprises.”  And then came the best quote of the call from Cyhi Da Prynce (who stood by on the call with Big Sean and Pusha T): Referring to the leaks he said, “What ya’ll got is uncooked meat.”

‘Ye also discussed the inspiration behind his short film Runaway: “the colors…fantasty/future mashup…express some of the feelings that I’ve had as a creative dealing with a culture that beats down on creativity and anything that’s different.”

He said that the “uphill challenge” of the past year pushed him to make better products (ie. G.O.O.D. Fridays, the new album).  Speaking of new product, he spilled that his collab album with Jay-Z is due out “early next year.”  Cheers to that!

Watch the entire Ustream conference call after the break. Continue reading Kanye West reveals (interchangeable) album covers in Ustream chat →

Get ready for some ‘Undercovers’ mythos starting this week

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It’s no secret that NBC has renewed all of its new fall programming except for Undercovers.  Instead of being handed the back nine safety net, this procedural drama received additional scripts, not episodes.  TV Guide has uncovered exciting news surrounding the program with potential.  Undercovers, the spy series from partners J.J. Abrams (Lost, Alias) and Josh Reims (Felicity), premiered with a rocky start.  The most recent episode netted 5.4 million viewers; the show is no runaway success (surprising news for Abrams fans all over).  With unexceptional ratings and no full season order happening just yet, Reims and company need to prove that this show is worth keeping on the airwaves.  And they’re going to do that by injecting some compelling mythos into the storyline.

Before Undercovers premiered, Reims and Abrams discussed their ultimate plan for the show.  We know Abrams is all about mythology (re: Fringe, Lost, Alias), but Reims did not want to make the show difficult or confusing for casual viewers to tune into every week.  So they decided to structure the show with a procedural backbone.  But with the recent rating slump, Reims suddenly had a change of heart.  Mythology is coming, and it involves digging to the Blooms’ past.

Spills star Boris Kodjoe: “The mythology is represented by Shaw and his boss, and the plan they have for the Blooms.  Every episode we find out new elements and new aspects about this master plan that was in place even before they came back to the CIA.”  Reims adds: “They’re kind of upset that they were sent into this dangerous field without knowing the exact reason why they were there.  So that lights a fire underneath them to find out what those real reasons are.”

Kodjoe and Reims are hopeful the next round of episodes will captivate and invest viewers.  “Audiences are not to be underestimated”, says Kodjoe. We want to be entertained and there has to be some sense of escapism.  On the other hand, people want to be challenged.  I think that’s part of the reason they made that adjustment.  Obviously we want to challenge our audience and make sure they stay with us.”  Reims: “Obviously, we would have liked for [the network] to say, ‘Go ahead and shoot your back nine episodes,’ but I understand our ratings aren’t exactly going through the roof.  I’m hoping that when they see the episodes that are airing in the next few weeks, plus the scripts they are going to get, they’ll realize, ‘Oh, wow there’s a lot going on in this show and we don’t want to give up on it yet.'”  Me too.

The new storyline promises to take one step back away from the Blooms’ domestic life and dive more into their spy missions.  And guess who’s playing Shaw’s boss?  That’s right–Alan Dale (Lost‘s Charles Widmore).

If you’re not watching Undercovers you should be.  It’s an exhilarating, smart, and sexy thrill ride that features exotic locales and fun spy missions, and not to mention witty, hilarious dialogue.  With the introduction of some mythos, things will only get better from here.  It airs Wednesday nights at 8PM on NBC.  Tell your friends.

Update: You clearly did not tell your friends.  NBC cancelled the show.

[Via TVGuide; IGN]

Conan O’Brien testing the Internet waters in pre-TBS premiere with ‘Show Zero’ [Update: watch it here!]

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Conan doesn’t premiere on TBS for another week (we’re only one week away, woohoo!), but that won’t stop the former Late Night host from interacting with his fans.  Tonight (11/1) Conan will be streaming live “Show Zero”, a short webisode that should give fans a taste of what to expect when his TBS debuts for real.  Tonight’s show will feature Conan along with sidekick Andy Richter and The Show Zero House Band.  Brought to you by–you guessed it–Coke Zero.  It all goes down at 11PM in “TRIPLE-SIMULCAST action”; the stream can be accessed at TeamCoco (which has received a handsome relaunch design and new logo), YouTube, and Facebook.  Happy streaming, and welcome back Coco!

Update: Wow, that lasted a whole 5 minutes.  Conan wasn’t lying when he said this would be “the fastest talk show ever.”  Conan introduced viewers to his offices, blasted through one monologue joke, and invited guests Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) and Steel Train (who only played the first chord off their new self-titled album) to make extremely brief cameos.  The house band consisted only of Jerry Vivino on the flute.  And Andy Richter was there to promote Diet Coke (not Coke Zero, strangely).  Anyway, watch the mini-mayhem unfold after the break. Continue reading Conan O’Brien testing the Internet waters in pre-TBS premiere with ‘Show Zero’ [Update: watch it here!] →