Bye bye bubble: FOX renews ‘Sleepy Hollow’ for a third season

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We’ve known since January that Sleepy Hollow‘s fate was very much up in the air due to a significant drop in ratings and a lackluster creative direction. Despite all that, Sleepyheads, I’ve got some good news for you. FOX’s supernatural drama will return for an 18-episode third season.

When SH comes back, it will be steered by a new showrunner. Mark Goffman, who led the brilliantly fun first season and the decidedly meandering second season, is out and Clifton Campbell (creator of The Glades and co-EP of White Collar) is in.

“I had the pleasure of working with Clifton on both The Glades and White Collar,” said Fox TV Studios president David Madden in a statement. “He is an excellent producer, and we can’t wait to see what this team has in store for Season 3.”

Previously, network head Dana Walden said, “We’re excited about some creative changes on the show and bringing it back to something that feels a little more episodic in nature, that has closure and doesn’t feel quite so serialized.” Fox anticipates “return[ing] the fun to it” that was abundant in season one.

In an interview with TVLine, actor John Noble (who portrayed the villainous Henry Parish) provided proof that things behind the scenes at Sleepy Hollow over the course of its second season were shaky at best. “They didn’t have a clue what to do, and so that meant it was a pretty unsatisfactory year for me,” he said. Noble went on to say that he and co-star Tom Mison “were hoping to have more scenes together, because that’s when it was really interesting, when Tom and I had the shots to bounce off each other. He loved it, and I did, too. And that just didn’t happen.” He concluded, “Obviously, a lot of thought has gone into what to do with Sleepy Hollow. And if this network is investing in another 18 episodes, then they must have had very strong reassurances that there is a major reboot. I’ll be fascinated to see what the reboot is.”

The third season ended (spoiler alert) with Noble’s Henry Parish and Ichabod Crane’s wife Katrina perishing at the hands of Ichabbie (that’s a combination of Ichabod Crane and Abbie Mills’ names, for all you non-shippers out there). With Parish’s wacky “evil of the week” tricks gone and the sadly underutilized likes of witch Katrina put to rest, a third season should deliver a reboot of sorts as Ichabbie continues to defend Sleepy Hollow from the forces of evil. As an outspoken fan of Tom Mison and Nicole Beharie’s undeniable chemistry, I’m excited that more SH adventures are on the way with a new showrunner at the helm and a clean creative canvas.

[Via TVLine]

Jessica Lange confirms ‘American Horror Story’ exit, ‘AHS: Hotel’ cast additions announced

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Jessica Lange has left the building. After servicing Ryan Murphy’s FX anthology series American Horror Story for four memorable seasons, the Emmy award-winning actress is ready to call it quits. She made it official earlier this month in Los Angeles at PaleyFest.

“Yes, I’m done,” said Lange. “We’ve had a great run here. I have absolutely loved doing these four characters that I’ve had the opportunity to play. In all the madness, I’ve loved the writers, my actors, Ryan and the whole, I mean, insanity of it, shooting here, shooting in New Orleans, the stories, everything.”

Lange, who played Constance Langdon in Murder House, Sister Jude Martin in Asylum, Fiona Goode in Coven, and Elsa Mars in Freak Show will be greatly missed by AHS fans everywhere. In a sense she was the show up to this point, portraying distinctly powerful and emotional characters in each iteration.

Though nobody can fill those shoes, the show must go on. Murphy previously enlisted Lady Gaga to star in the upcoming American Horror Story: Hotel, and since that exciting announcement even more cast additions have been made. Matt Bomer, Wes Bentley, Chloë Sevigny, and Cheyenne Jackson are checking into season 5 as well. The former three are no strangers to AHS; Bomer appeared in last season’s Freak Show as Michael Chiklis’ boy toy Andy, Bentley also popped up under the tent as the hypnotizing Edward Mordrake, and Sevigny was nymphomaniac Shelley in season 2’s Asylum. Jackson has worked with Murphy before on Glee as Vocal Adrenaline coach Dustin Goolsby.

Tight-lipped as ever, Murphy and cast did not spill Hotel details at PaleyFest. The prolific showrunner did, however, briefly touched upon a season 5 clue hidden inside Freak Show. This image of a top hat on a coffee cup “was not only an homage to the 1935 film Top Hat, but also a wink that season 5 would be set in a hotel like that film,” reports Deadline. Guess I’ll be watching that movie before Halloween rolls around.

American Horror Story: Hotel premieres this October on FX.

[Via Deadline; EW]

‘Nashville’ cast readies for eight-city spring concert tour

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The cast of ABC’s country music drama Nashville is going on tour, again! An eight-city spring concert tour kicks off at the Beacon (not Deacon) Theatre in New York City on Wednesday, April 29 and it wraps in Phoenix on Sunday, May 10. Clare Bowen (Scarlett O’Connor), Chris Carmack (Will Lexington), Charles Esten (Deacon Claybourne), Aubrey Peeples (Layla Grant) and Lennon & Maisy Stella (Maddie & Daphne Conrad) will be performing at all venues. If you’re attending in NYC or Chicago, consider yourself lucky; Sam Palladio (Gunnar Scott) will make a special appearance in the Big Apple, and Jonathan Jackson (Avery Barkley) will stop in the Windy City. Tickets are on sale now mostly at Ticketmaster; jump after the break to view the venue list and additional ticket information.

“It is so exciting and rewarding to see our amazing cast blossom as live artists and be able to have that intimate relationship with our ‘Nashville’ fans,” said ABC exec Dawn Soler. “Taking ‘Nashville’ on the road, along with our ‘On The Record’ series, offers our viewers a complete and authentic experience.”

Continue reading ‘Nashville’ cast readies for eight-city spring concert tour →

Discover the Master Chief’s origins in ‘Halo 5: Guardians’ exploratory marketing campaign [Update: Two new trailers inside]

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Microsoft’s expansive marketing campaign for Halo 5: Guardians begins now. Watch the helmet-shattering teaser trailer above and at the end you’ll notice the hashtag #HuntTheTruth. Shortly after the televised teaser launch, MSFT opened up a “Hunt the Truth” Tumbler that further explores the mystery behind the shrouded plot of the upcoming game. Fictional journalist and war photographer Benjamin Giraud hosts a weekly podcast that promises an in-depth profile of the Master Chief with an aim to uncover the truth behind his origins and motives. Fans of the Xbox franchise (myself included) are going to eat this up.

Halo 5: Guardians is expected to release this fall on Xbox One.

Update (3/29): Microsoft unleashed two extended trailers for Halo 5: Guardians tonight during the season finale of The Walking Dead on AMC. The first features Spartan Locke threatening Master Chief: “All hail the conquering hero. The one who was supposed to save us all. But now I must save us from you.” The second spot reverses the roles, with Master Chief pointing his weapon and saying, “You’ve completed your mission, Spartan Locke.” What’s happening?! See for yourself after the break. Also confirmed: the next Halo comes exclusively to Xbox One on October 27. Continue reading Discover the Master Chief’s origins in ‘Halo 5: Guardians’ exploratory marketing campaign [Update: Two new trailers inside] →

Sony’s cloud-based TV service PlayStation Vue launches in three major U.S. cities

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Four months after detailing its very own cloud-based TV service, Sony let loose PlayStation Vue in three major U.S. cities on March 18. If you own a PS3 and/or PS4 and live in Chicago, NYC, or Philadelphia, boot up your console to take it for a test run. As long as you have the latest firmware update running, you’ll find a new PS Vue app icon in your dash; click it to sign up for the service or start a seven-day trial.

Essentially, PS Vue streams live and on-demand TV (including TV shows, movies and sports) to your console and the service is boosted by a cloud-based DVR, all without a cable or satellite subscription. If you’ve been on the fence about cutting the cord, PS Vue may be your answer. Of course, you won’t find all of your favorite channels here; that being said, Sony is doing a fine job at boosting content provider support as new channels have been populating the service since launch. Click here to view the current channel lineup. Thanks to the cloud-based DVR, you won’t ever have to worry about recording conflicts or storage space; that’s the power of the cloud! PS Vue also makes it easy to record and get to your preferred content; by tagging a show you’ll have access to previously aired episodes of that show for 28 days.

The monthly subscription starts at $49.99 for the “Access” base package of channels; “Core” ($59.99) and “Elite” ($69.99) offer up additional content. See the breakdown here. Note that PS Vue does not lock consumers into contracts, and you’re free to switch between the packages at will. Sony says it’s hard at work on expanding the service’s outreach in the U.S., and you can expect support for iPad “in the near future.”

After fiddling with service for some time, I’m happy to report that the UI is slick and forward-thinking with its smart search tools and filters. Whether or not you’re ready to cut the cord today, services like PS Vue and Sling TV are the future of television and you best be ready.

[Via PlayStation Blog]

Nintendo wants to be on smart devices, still committed to home-brewed hardware

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It won’t be long before you can find Mario on your smartphone. After years of denying the importance of the smart device app space (read: games for phones, tablets, laptop PCs), Nintendo is changing its stance by debuting a new partnership and initiative to bring new games to consumers based on Nintendo intellectual property. Ninty has partnered with Tokyo-based developer DeNA (pronounced “D-N-A”) to make apps. “The alliance is intended to complement Nintendo’s dedicated video game systems business and extend Nintendo’s reach into the vast market of smart device users worldwide,” reads a press release. The PR also notes that “only new original games optimized for smart device functionality will be created;” what this means is that you should not expect ports of classic Nintendo titles such as Super Mario 64 and Donkey Kong Country to land on your iPhone. In addition, the video game companies are collaborating on an online membership service that will tie together consumers playing these new apps across devices including the Wii U home console and the 3DS handheld.

With Nintendo entering the highly lucrative app arena, does this mark the beginning of the end for Nintendo-made home consoles? Shortly after announcing its initiative with DeNA–on the same day, even–the house that build Mario made it abundantly clear that it is not ditching its core consumer base. In fact, they went on to confirm a followup to the Wii U and it’s codenamed “NX.” Here’s all the company revealed about it during a press conference: “Nintendo is currently developing a dedicated games platform with a brand new concept under the development codename NX.” Nintendo fanboys and fangirls, you can breathe a little bit easier now! Still, I’m certainly excited to see how Nintendo will go about making its mark in the crowded mobile app space.

Disney confirms ‘Star Wars’ stand-alone film, ‘Episode VIII’ & ‘Frozen’ sequel

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Today, Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger led a shareholder meeting and made some exciting announcements regarding a couple of his company’s most lucrative franchises.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens, directed by J.J. Abrams, is coming December 18–we all know this. Now what comes after? Details about the future of Star Wars just got a bit clearer. Sandwiched between Episode VII and its direct followup Episode VIII, Disney is releasing the first stand-alone Star Wars film. “Rogue One is the title for the first film in a unique series of big-screen adventures that explores the characters and events beyond the core Star Wars saga,” reads a press release. Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Monsters) is confirmed to direct Rogue One, and Chris Weitz (Cinderella, About a Boy, Antz) is penning the script. Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything) will star. The idea for the stand-alone came from John Knoll, an Academy Award-winning visual effects supervisor and chief creative officer at Industrial Light & Magic (that’s the visual effects company created by George Lucas in 1975). Production on Rogue One begins this summer and it’s slotted to hit theatres December 16, 2016.

Iger went on to confirm that Rian Johnson (Looper, Brick, Breaking Bad) will direct Star Wars: Episode VIII, “which continues the saga after the events of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Ep8 releases May 26, 2017.

In other Disney-related news, Iger made an unsurprising but still incredibly exciting announcement about the future of Frozen. A sequel is most definitely in the works! Frozen co-directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck are working on the followup to the top-grossing animated film of all-time.

“We enjoyed making Frozen Fever so much and being back in that world with those characters,” said John Lasseter, Pixar chief creative officer. “Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck have come up with a great idea for a sequel and you will be hearing a lot more about it and we’re taking you back to Arendelle. We are so excited about that.”

That’s all there is to know for now. But now I bet you’re craving Frozen like Olaf craves summertime. Don’t fret–you can experience a brand new Frozen adventure starting tomorrow when the Pixar short Frozen Fever hits theatres; it’s playing in front of Disney’s new live-action Cinderella.

‘Zoolander 2’ made official by Ben Stiller & Owen Wilson crashing Paris Fashion Week in character

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ORANGE MOCHA FRAPPUCCINO!

Call it the most inventive way to announce a sequel. On Tuesday, Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson strutted down the Maison Valentino runway during the Paris Fashion Show as Derek Zoolander and Hansel (So hot right now. Hansel.) McDonald; by bringing back the acclaimed Blue Steel pose, they officially announced a sequel to the 2001 cult comedy Zoolander. See their surprise appearance after the break. Afterwards, Paramount made it official with a tweet revealing the film’s release date: February 12, 2016.

And the fun didn’t stop there. The really, really, ridiculously good looking duo also appeared on Instagram to promote the forthcoming Zoolander 2 by posing together and also with American Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.

Stiller is expected to direct again and he co-wrote the script with his Tropic Thunder collaborator Justin Theroux. Beyond Stiller and Wilson, no other casting news has been made. However, Stiller has publicly stated in the past his want for Will Ferrell to return as the villainous Mugatu.

The plot is being kept under wraps for now, but a peek at a 2010 interview between MTV and Stiller might shed light on what we can expect: “In the fashion world, if you go away for a year, it’s changed — it just happens so quickly,” he said. “I think the idea in the beginning of the movie is that it’s 10 years later, and Derek and Hansel are literally forgotten. Nobody remembers who they are, so they have to reinvent themselves.”

As a proud hardcore fan of the original, I am beyond excited to see what Stiller has in store for Derek Zoolander. The first one is jam-packed with memorable, timeless one-liners and undeniably outrageous sequences to-boot. I trust he and Theroux have cooked up a good enough story to warrant the return for these characters. I mean, what was done at the Paris Fashion Show is such an incredibly fun way to bring it all back. Can’t wait to see what happens next. Continue reading ‘Zoolander 2’ made official by Ben Stiller & Owen Wilson crashing Paris Fashion Week in character →

Movie trailer round-up: Ryan Reynolds in sci-fi thriller ‘Self/Less’ & Disney’s ‘Tomorrowland’

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Are you a fan of psychological science fiction thrillers? Self/Less should whet your appetite plenty. Ben Kingsley (Iron Man 3) stars as an extremely wealthy man dying from cancer. He doesn’t want his life to terminate earlier than expected, so he undergoes a radical medical procedure that transfers his consciousness into the body of a healthy young man, played by Ryan Reynolds (Green Lantern). It works, but it doesn’t take long for the dangerous side effects to kick in: Kingsley’s younger self starts to see glimpses of a life he does not know, experiences originating from Reynolds’ body.

It’s a very cool idea and it brings to mind the always interesting and up-for-debate conversation about who we are and what happens after death. Are we a soul and our bodies a receptacle for it? If so, do our souls move on to new bodies after dying? And do those new bodies having any sort of recollection of the soul’s past lives? I could go on and on… I’m hoping the movie explores these intriguing topics in a fun and entertaining way. We’ll find out when Self/Less hits theatres July 31.

Jump after the break for a new look at Disney’s Tomorrowland. Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: Ryan Reynolds in sci-fi thriller ‘Self/Less’ & Disney’s ‘Tomorrowland’ →

‘The Walking Dead’ companion series gets two season order from AMC

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I’ve got an update on the shrouded-in-mystery, hotly anticipated Walking Dead companion series. Following its surprise announcement in 2013 and a pilot greenlight in 2014, The Walking Dead spinoff is definitively a-go at AMC with an early two-season pickup order by the network. The first season is set to premiere in late summer and it will follow in the flagship series’ footsteps with a truncated six episode start. Season two will air in 2016 and its episode count is still TBD. The series’ title is also being kept under wraps, though IMDb is calling it Fear the Walking Dead.

What is there to know about the series so far? Not much. AMC is calling it a “companion series” as opposed to a “spinoff” because although it will take place in The Walking Dead universe, it will feature an entirely new cast and fresh storylines. It will take place in Los Angeles, showing how the zombie outbreak affected that other part of the country (we’ve hovered around Atlanta for the most part with Rick and the gang). Actors tagged to the show include Cliff Curtis (Gang Related, Trauma), Kim Dickens (House of Cards, Sons of Anarchy, Treme, Lost, Deadwood), Frank Dillane (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), and Alycia Debnam Carey (The 100). Sources say Curtis is the male lead and will be playing Sean Cabrera, a divorced teacher trying to do right by everyone; learn more about the potential list of characters at TVLine. See Curtis, Dickens, and Dillane in a production still above; another one hangs after the break.

Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Greg Nicotero, and David Alpert from The Walking Dead are serving as executive producers of the companion series. Dave Erickson (Marco Polo, Sons of Anarchy) is showrunner and an EP; he co-created and co-wrote the pilot with Kirkman.

AMC president Charlie Collier said this in a statement: “We take incredibly seriously the notion of building a satisfying companion series to the number one show on television. From the beginning of The Walking Dead on AMC, we’ve been asked questions about what was going on in other parts of the zombie apocalypse, and what it looked like as the world really did ‘turn.’ Through this new series, we’re going to find out. Robert Kirkman, Dave Erickson and their writing team, along with an incomparable set of producers, cast and crew have created something remarkable and clearly distinct. We respectfully follow the request of Monty Python as we bring out (the latest of) our Dead.”

Kirkman added: “We feel empowered by this two-season commitment, a serious show of faith from our network partner AMC. I personally take it as a sign that they believe, like we do, that we’ve accomplished our goal of developing something original that can pay tribute to the original show and expand the world I created while at the same time having something new to say with this story. I’m very grateful that we now have the opportunity to tell this amazing story and show the fans that we really haven’t scratched the surface yet when it comes to The Walking Dead.”

And Erikson chimed in: “This vote of confidence from our partners at AMC is gratifying, to say the least. We’ve been blessed with amazing writers and a stellar cast — and we can’t wait to build this apocalyptic drama over the next two seasons and hopefully beyond.”

Stick it here as more details leak out. Currently, The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 10pm on AMC.

Update (3/14): Robert Kirkman briefly discussed the Walking Dead companion series this month during a panel at SXSW. Jump after the break for choice quotes. Continue reading ‘The Walking Dead’ companion series gets two season order from AMC →

BBC renews ‘The Fall’ for third & final season; CBS holds onto three sitcoms

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Quick updates here on the TV series renewal front. On Tuesday, the BBC made it official: Allan Cubitt’s addicting and binge-tastic drama The Fall will return for a third and final season.

“The cliff-hanger ending of season two was conceived in the hope of further exploring the characters and the themes that are at the heart of The Fall. We’re grateful to be given this opportunity by the BBC,” said creator-writer-director Cubitt in a statement.

At the end of season two (spoiler alert!), the game of cat and mouse between Gillian Anderson’s detective superintendent Stella Gibson and Jamie Dornan’s serial killer Paul Spector finally came to a gripping conclusion. That massive cliffhanger Cubitt’s referring to? In the final moments, Spector is shot and fights for consciousness in Gibson’s arms.

Will The Fall live on after a third season? According to BBC Drama controller Ben Stephenson, it doesn’t appear so. “The story is far from over. Allan has known the end game from the beginning – the cat and mouse game between Gillian and Jamie has one last act to play out. Who will win?,” he postulated (I added the emphasis there).

What can viewers expect to unfold when The Fall returns? The action continues in “Belfast as the complex relationship between Det Supt Stella Gibson and Paul Spector intensifies and the story of the investigation into the murders becomes more “complex and intricate”.” Read into that what you will. And as soon as the BBC announces its U.S. launch on Netflix, you’ll hear about it here. Watch a teaser after the break.

Elsewhere, CBS has renewed sitcoms Mom, Mike & Molly, and 2 Broke Girls for a third, sixth, and fifth season, respectively. Continue reading BBC renews ‘The Fall’ for third & final season; CBS holds onto three sitcoms →

‘Smash’ B’way musical ‘Bombshell’ comes to Broadway this summer

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Smash is coming to Broadway! Well, sorta.

NBC’s short-lived, cult musical drama was cancelled after two seasons on the air, but that couldn’t stop the fat lady from singing just yet. About seven months after the finale aired, series stars Jeremy Jordan, Andy Mientus, and Krysta Rodriguez performed songs from Hit List–a Broadway show within the show–at 54 Below, an intimate club in New York City.

And now, even more actors from Smash are reuniting to perform songs from the series’ other Broadway musical, Bombshell. The Marilyn Monroe musical, which includes the popular Smash song “Let Me Be Your Star,” is coming to real-life Broadway for one night this summer. Christian Borle, Will Chase, Megan Hilty, Katharine McPhee, and Debra Messing are locked in to hit the stage, and surprise guests are a possibility. Smash producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron also join this special reunion to produce the stage show, which will take place at the 1,700-seat Minskoff Theater.

Here are the details you really want. Tickets go on sale at Ticketmaster on April 14; they will be priced at the following intervals: $100 / $125 / $200 / $250 / $500. All proceeds go to The Actors Fund and the money will “help people in performing arts and entertainment who are in need, crisis, or transition,” according to a press release. Oh did I mention? This is actually a benefit concert on Broadway, technically speaking. To cover the cost of production, Bombshell hopped on Kickstarter to raise the funds. In under a day, it surpassed its pledge goal of $50,000 and surpassed the $200,000 mark. People who pledged $25 or more will gain early access to tickets on April 13. As of now, all pledge rewards have been accounted for, so if you’re looking to nab tickets for the big night, you’ll have to visit Ticketmaster on 4/14 along with the general public. However, you can still contribute $10 if you’re looking to lend a hand to the production.

“When we started doing the TV series, we thought it was [lyricists] Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman’s best work since Hairspray, and we always believed it was something that needed to be heard as an entity, instead of just hearing a song here and there,” Zadan told The New York Times. Well, Smashers, this is your chance to see Karen Cartwright, Ivy Lynn and more belt out your favorite Bombshell tunes once more–don’t miss out!