Category Archives: News

‘Hangover’ helmer Todd Phillips confirms the three-quel will be the last

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Last week on Thursday Warner Bros. released a press statement confirming the development of another Hangover movie starring The Wolfpack–that is, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis. A studio exec Jeff Robinov said, “We are extremely pleased to have Todd Phillips and the guys back together again for another ‘Hangover,’ and we look forward to collaborating with them on another great movie.” Todd Phillips, director of the first two Hangover films, reacted like this. “I’m so excited to embark on another ‘Hangover’ film with Bradley, Ed and Zach. We’re going to surprise a lot of people with the final chapter we have planned. It will be a fitting conclusion to our three-part opera of mayhem, despair and bad decisions.” And so it’s decided; The Hangover Part III will be the last in the hysterical franchise. Though the plot is still being kept under wraps, there is speculation that the three-quel will not adhere to the same “what happened last night?” forumla that has been used in the past. Production begins in September, and now we await a trailer. Full PR after the break.

[Via Deadline] Continue reading ‘Hangover’ helmer Todd Phillips confirms the three-quel will be the last →

TV reminder: ‘Mad Men’ returns tonight at 9PM on AMC [Update: record ratings]

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Tonight marks the season 5 premiere of AMC’s breakout drama Mad Men. Can you even recall the last time you watched an original episode on TV? To refresh your memory, the date was October 17, 2010. Those were the days…

I hope you’re excited to be reacquainted with the likes of Sterling Cooper Draper Price because tonight’s (3/25) premiere is extra long maxing out at two hours. It all starts at 9PM on AMC. Check out some cool stills in the gallery below, and watch a promo after the break.

Update: Last night’s Mad Men season 5 opener brought about record ratings for the period drama. 3.5 million total viewers tuned in to the two-hour premiere (that’s up a significant 21% from season four debut), crowning this episode the series’ most watched episode to date. And so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the important demo numbers are way up, too: in adults 18-49 the show drew 1.6 million viewers (an increase of 30% from the season four debut) and in adults 25-54 it attracted 1.7 million viewers (up 17%). Here’s one more tally for you to nod your head in amazement at: if you include the encore airing of the premiere, a total of 4.4 million people watched last night’s episode. These ratings can’t touch AMC’s other staple The Walking Dead but still I say, hot damn. AMC president Charlie Collier says, “Almost five years ago, with a focus on distinction and quality, AMC launched Mad Men as the first series in its commitment to original scripted dramatic television. Mad Men set the bar high and we are incredibly proud that it continues to engage audiences looking for unexpected, unconventional and uncompromising television.”

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Continue reading TV reminder: ‘Mad Men’ returns tonight at 9PM on AMC [Update: record ratings] →

NBC renews ‘Smash’ for a second season

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Unlike CBS, NBC is taking their time when it comes to announcing their program renewals. On Thursday March 22 the peacock network granted the Broadway musical drama Smash a deserved second season. Though the scale seemed to tip the other way during its run thus far (with so-so ratings and high production value meaning it’s likely expensive to produce), NBC ultimately decided to keep the flashy drama on its radar at least for another year. Though the show’s ratings are not extraordinary (it averages  7.7 million total viewers and a 2.6 demo rating in adults 18-49), Smash does rank as the network’s highest rated drama this season in those aforementioned categories. Season 2 will consist of 15 episodes (that’s up from this season’s 13) and Smash‘s creator/showrunner/executive producer Theresa Rebeck will be returning in a lesser capacity. Deadline reports that she will keep her executive producer title and might write a few episodes, but she will no longer be involved in the oversight of everything else. It still hasn’t been determined who will step in to take over the reigns from Rebeck. Before the news of renewal, Rebeck shared with the press that Smash season 1 would “take Marilyn to an out-of-town tryout, her first really public presentation,” and that a potential (and now set in stone) season 2 would tackle the question “how does Marilyn fare in New York?”

Also renewed at NBC? The Friday night sci-fier Grimm.

[Via Deadline 1, 2; TVLine]

‘FRINGE’ video: The best Walter Bishop one-liners are “Walterisms”

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Fringe returns from its winter hiatus tonight, and to celebrate I highly recommend you watch this brilliant compilation of Walter Bishop’s best one-liners now known as “Walterisms.” John Noble is arguably the best part of the sci-fi cult series due to his impressive range of skills; he can play the neurotic, lovable Walter as well as the conniving Walternate. With so many alternate universes and timelines involved, Noble manages to swiftly play very different versions of Walter without faltering a single beat. What has stayed true to the show all this time, though, has been the quirky Walterisms that help sprinkle some lighthearted laughs in a show that is intrinsically foreboding and morbid. Watch  as Walter runs his mouth covering a wide gamut of topics including urine, drugs, and of course, food.

While you’re here, I’ll remind you tonight’s episode of Fringe is the first of eight episodes that will run uninterrupted leading to the season four finale that’s scheduled to air May 11. It is called “A Short Story About Love” and it’s a special one because it marks the directorial debut of Fringe‘s co-showrunner J.H. Wyman. In February Wyman set it up like this: “It’s an episode that’s really close to me. It’s about love and all the great things that we talk about on Fringe. To us, it’s the perfect version of what a Fringe [episode] is because it has a great, terrifying element to it that is very Fringe-y. At the same time it has this incredible love story aspect with things that people are going to be very excited for, we believe, as far as the relationships on the show.” Jump after the break to watch a one minute teaser video titled “Love Hurts.”

Fringe airs Friday nights at 9PM on FOX. Tune in and tell your friends; renewal time is coming up and this is one show that wholeheartedly deserves to see at least another season so as to satisfy fans who’ve stuck with it from the start. #WhereYouBelong Continue reading ‘FRINGE’ video: The best Walter Bishop one-liners are “Walterisms” →

TV reminder: ‘Touch’ premieres tonight at 9PM on FOX [Update: The ratings are in…]

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If you were touched by the one hour “preview event” that FOX aired of the Tim Kring (Heroes) / Kiefer Sutherland (24) drama in January, then let this be a friendly reminder that the story of interconnectedness continues tonight (3/22) with the “world premiere” of Touch. Last week the network re-aired the emotional and highly rated pilot episode, and tonight things continue where they were left off in the second episode titled “1+1=3.” FOX will air the 13-episode season uninterrupted through May and if the ratings remain strong throughout then you can expect a second season order shortly thereafter.

Touch airs Thursday nights at 9PM on FOX. Follow the journey leading up to the premiere right here.

Update: The ratings are in, and even though they aren’t as high as the numbers from January’s preview episode, they are impressive nonetheless. 11.7 million total viewers tuned into last night’s episode (down 3% from the pilot which clocked in 11.9 million viewers) and scored a 3.2/9 among adults 18-49 (that’s down 18% from the pilot which logged a 3.9/10 in the demo). Paired with American Idol, Touch helped FOX dominate the night in total viewers and the 18-49 demo. All told, Touch is still primed to be a breakout drama for the network. Let’s hope ratings stabilize around these numbers (or better yet–grow!) so that FOX won’t have to sweat it out when it comes time to announce its plans for the 2012-13 TV season.

Trailer round-up: ‘Chernobyl Diaries’, ‘Piranha 3DD’, ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’ & ‘The Three Stooges’

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From Paranormal Activity creator Oren Peli comes Chernobyl Diaries, an upcoming horror flick that follows a group of young and attractive tourists exploring the eerie abandoned nuclear reactor that experienced an unfortunate meltdown in 1986. Here’s the official synopsis:

The film follows a group of six young tourists who, looking to go off the beaten path, hire an “extreme tour” guide. Ignoring warnings, he takes them into the city of Pripyat, the former home to the workers of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, but a deserted town since the disaster more than 25 years ago. After a brief exploration of the abandoned city, however, the group soon finds themselves stranded, only to discover that they are not alone.

Chernobyl Diaries is directed by visual effects specialist Bradley Parker and Peli serves as co-writer and producer. After Paranormal Activity and ABC’s The River, this looks to be the first Peli project that won’t rely entirely on the “found footage” style. From the visually striking shots to the scares around every corner, this intense trailer sets up an intriguing and shocking tale that horror genre enthusiasts will probably take a liking to. The movie releases May 25.

Jump after the break to watch more trailers. Continue reading Trailer round-up: ‘Chernobyl Diaries’, ‘Piranha 3DD’, ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’ & ‘The Three Stooges’ →

Trailer: Ridley Scott’s ‘Prometheus’ just became the most anticipated sci-fi movie of the year

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If you had any reservations about the legitimacy of Ridley Scott’s upcoming sci-fi epic Prometheus, this newly released extended trailer should tip the scale and push you into extreme anticipation mode. On Saturday at Wondercon in Anaheim director Scott, co-writer Damon Lindelof, and stars Charlize Theron and Michael Fassbender were on hand to present this wickedly intense new trailer for the pseudo-Alien prequel. It shines brighter than the other teasers we’ve been privy to not only because it is longer, but also because it sets up the story; Prometheus is the name of the spaceship that goes to explore an ancient, mysterious civilization in search of man’s origins, if you didn’t know. Scott’s doing a fine job at keeping the plot under wraps, but thankfully this new look at his grand project lifts the curtain up just enough to tantalize sci-fi fans everywhere. At Wondercon, Scott revealed that Prometheus is just the beginning. “If we’re lucky, there will be a second part of this [film],” he said. “The film does leave you with some nice big open questions.” So while you’re taking that in, hit play and get hypnotized by what I’m confident to call the most anticipated sci-fi movie of the year.

Prometheus opens June 8.

The new iPad comes out tomorrow, Apple says where you can get it

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Another iPad is about to be released into the wild that is the general public. Tomorrow, on Friday March 16, “the new iPad” will go on sale at Apple’s retail stores starting precisely at 8AM local time in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, the UK, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Want to avoid the mass hysteria that will likely ensue at the company’s retail bases? Apple confirms that US customers can also venture to Best Buy, Radio Shack, Sam’s Club, Target, and Walmart to pick up their “resolutionary” tablet. Don’t forget the new iPad starts at $499 for the 16GB WiFi model and climbs all the way up to $829 for the 64GB 4G + WiFi version; so don’t forget your fat wallet on your way out. Consequently, the iPad 2 drops to $399 and is only offered in the 16GB variant; $529 for the WiFi + 3G model. And don’t forget; also out tomorrow is the new, 1080p-capable Apple TV ($99) featuring a streamlined UI. The hockey puck and the slate, they were made for each other.

[Via Apple]

TV reminder: ‘Community’ returns tonight to NBC! [Update: solid ratings]

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Human Beings, rejoice! After an extended and dreadful three month hiatus, Community is back.

The 2+ minute trailer embedded above shouts “One community will rise again and everything we know will Chang.” It also previews what’s in store for the second half of the cult comedy’s third season: so much funny.

Hailed as “the entertainment event of the year” by the deep-voiced trailer narrator, Community makes it big comeback tonight (3/15) at 8PM on NBC. For the sake of all that is good in this world, do tune in, tell your friends, and make an effort to support a season renewal of this smart and refreshingly unique sitcom.

Update: The Community comeback episode was up a solid 47% in the ratings from its last original airing on December 7 in the all-important 18-49 demo (2.2/7); that’s a season high. 4.9 million total viewers were accounted for, and that’s up 36% from the last episode. A couple of accolades have been awarded to last night’s airing: it’s been crowned the #1 program in adults 18-34 and men 18-34 during its 8-8:30PM timeslot among the other big networks, beating out FOX’s juggernaut American Idol. Keep in mind, however, that all this went down when CBS aired March Madness in place of their own ratings monster The Big Bang Theory. Still, if Community stabilizes around these numbers and doesn’t drop too far from here a season renewal might be in the comedy’s future.

CBS renews 18 shows including freshman drama ‘Person of Interest’ & comedy ‘2 Broke Girls’

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Today CBS became the first network out of the gate to reveal the fate of the bulk of its primetime programming. So let’s get right to it, shall we? The following shows have been renewed and will return in the 2012-13 TV season:

9 DRAMAS: Person of Interest, Blue Bloods, Criminal Minds, CSI, The Good Wife, Hawaii Five-0, The Mentalist, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles

4 COMEDIES: 2 Broke Girls, Mike & Molly, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother

3 REALITY SHOWS: Amazing Race, Survivor, Undercover Boss

2 NEWSMAGAZINES: 48 Hours Mystery, 60 Minutes

CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler on all these pickups: “This large-scale renewal is testimony to the strength, stability and success of a deep and diverse roster of top-rated programming. It positions us for continued success next season and certainly creates an environment that will give our new shows the best possible chance to succeed.”

The fates of CSI: NY, CSI: Miami, Unforgettable, and A Gifted Man are still up in the air. And as for the network’s once-staple comedy Two and a Half Men–CBS says “preliminary discussions” are being had. The issue here is that Ashton Kutcher’s deal has to be extended; once that happens (and it will) you can expect CBS to flaunt the long-running comedy’s renewal (and perhaps a multi-year pickup at that). Stay tuned.

[Via EW; Deadline]

’24’ movie delayed, not going into production this year

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DAMMIT, as Jack Bauer would say. According to Deadline the anticipated movie based on the long-running FOX political drama 24 has been delayed. In December things finally started to line up for the big screen adaptation: 20th Century Fox was overseeing Mark Bomback’s tweaking of Billy Ray’s original script, potential directors were being scouted, and star Kiefer Sutherland was publicly enthusiastic about slipping into Bauer’s shoes once more. The plan was to begin production in April, when Sutherland was on break from shooting the upcoming FOX show Touch. But things quickly unravelled shortly after 20th Century’s proposal for the film was addressed. In addition to budgetary concerns, the studio has ultimately decided to hold off on starting production on the 24 movie this year because it believes that there won’t be enough time to complete the project before Sutherland is forced back into Touch (assuming the Tim Kring drama is picked up for a second season). In other words, they don’t want to rush it.

Though this news is unfortunate for 24 fans all over, it’s not devastating. Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer is still producing, Sutherland is still on board to reprise Bauer, and Bomback/Ray’s script is “ready to go,” per Deadline. So 24 the movie is on track to get made, it’s just a matter of when, again.

Update: Sutherland guested on The Tonight Show on Thursday and addressed the recent delay, saying that he’s still determined to get the ball rolling on production of the film sooner rather than later. Video sits after the break. Continue reading ’24’ movie delayed, not going into production this year →

TV reminder: ‘South Park’ season 16 premieres tonight!

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They’ve made it this far. South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker have completed (or are probably still in the process of completing) the 224th episode of the crude animated series to air on Comedy Central. The episode to kick off season 16 is titled “Reverse Cowgirl” and the log line goes something like this:

After a South Park citizen meets with an unfortunate accident, the TSA steps in to prevent it from happening again… One of the boys had been told time and time again about leaving the toilet seat up after he goes to the bathroom, but he didnt listen. His actions have consequences and ultimately result in an unimaginable catastrophe.

Embedded above is a thirty second preview featuring the one and only Randy Marsh. Might this be a Randy-centric episode? If so, it’s got classic South Park written all over it.

South Park premieres tonight (3/14) at 10PM on Comedy Central. The show will continue to air Wednesday nights at 10 for an additional six weeks, and then take its usual extended hiatus and return with the second half of the season in October.