First look: ‘The Walking Dead’ season 5

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Can you believe we are talking about The Walking Dead season 5 already? The ratings juggernaut is plowing through plot and when the show returns this fall it will introduce viewers to an entirely new location called Terminus. At the end of last season (spoiler alert) our band of zombie apocalypse survivors converged at Terminus, a place whose slogan went like this: “Those who arrive survive.” Turn out that may not necessarily be the case. Shortly after Rick and the gang arrived they were almost immediately pursued by gunfire. Whether or not the “termites” of Terminus are cannibals remains to be seen, but this remains certain: They’ve screwed with the wrong people. Those were the famous words dramatically uttered by our hero Rick Grimes at the very end of the season. Rick and our people were forced inside train car “A” and our first look at the new season presents the former sheriff bloody, renewed with strength peering through it likely planning how he intends to tear the termites apart. Excited? Chyeah, uh huh.

The Walking Dead returns this fall to AMC.

First look: Ben Affleck is Batman

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Following all the fanfare that came with the big announcement that Ben Affleck, the man who played Matt Murdock in the ill-fated Daredevil, would suit up to embody Bruce Wayne/Batman in the upcoming Man of Steel sequel, here it is, our first look at the man in the cowl standing next to director Zack Snyder’s incarnation of the Batmobile.

“Ben provides an interesting counter-balance to Henry [Cavill]’s Superman,” Snyder said in a statement in August when the casting announcement was made. He has the acting chops to create a layered portrayal of a man who is older and wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne. I can’t wait to work with him.”

Affleck’s Batman certainly looks older and significantly bigger than Christian Bale’s Dark Knight in this picture Snyder tweeted out to his followers and the world this month. (This image, taken with his Leica M Monochrom digital camera, followed a tease of the Batmobile which can be seen here.) Pictured is a very moody Batman indeed and thanks to the Internet, the Sad Batman meme is born.

The still untitled Man of Steel sequel starring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor, and Alfred Pennyworth hits theatres May 6, 2016.

Movie trailer round-up: ‘Interstellar,’ ‘Cinderella,’ ‘They Came Together’ & ‘Apes’ [Update: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’]

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Chris Nolan’s next movie has been shrouded in secrecy for some time now. Even the original two-minute teaser trailer didn’t budge with details. The first official full-length trailer that debuted in front of Godzilla, however, manages to paint a better picture. In Interstellar, the Earth has “ran out of food” and Matthew McConaughey is enlisted to travel through a wormhole on an interstellar voyage to save the planet. The plot still isn’t crystal clear but one thing’s for certain: Nolan has yet another super intriguing design in the works. Interstellar opens November 7.

Jump after the break to view more trailers. Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: ‘Interstellar,’ ‘Cinderella,’ ‘They Came Together’ & ‘Apes’ [Update: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’] →

2014 Upfronts: NBC intros 16 new series

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The Upfronts have come and gone and now it’s time for you to figure out which new shows you’ll be watching when the new TV season kicks off this fall. The networks have picked up their respective pilots to series and you can preview them with tantalizing trailers and juicy synopses. First up is the Peacock!

NBC picked up a whopping 16 new series. This fall three dramas, State of Affairs, The Mysteries of Laura, and Constantine will premiere. Three comedies will also launch in the fall and they are Marry Me, Bad Judge, and A to Z. The rest are being held on the bench to air sometime later in the year: A.D., Allegiance, Aquarius, Emerald City, Heroes Reborn, and Odyssey and comedies Mission Control, Mr. Robinson, One Big Happy, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Also being held for midseason are returning series Hannibal, the final season of Parks and Recreation, Celebrity Apprentice, and Hollywood Game Night.

The Voice returns to open Monday night where it will be paired with red-hot The Blacklist; on Nov. 17 The Blacklist will go on break and new drama State of Affairs will takeover the 10PM slot. The Blacklist will return on Feb. 1 landing the prime post Super Bowl slot. That special episode will be the first of a two-parter which will resolve when the James Spader drama falls into its brand new timeslot Thursdays at 9 starting Feb. 5. Moving onto Tuesdays, The Voice will air its second hour at 8 followed by new sitcom Marry Me; that, in turn, is followed by returning sitcom About a Boy and Dick Wolf drama Chicago Fire. Wednesdays opens with new Debra Messing procedural The Mysterious of Laura followed by Law & Order: SVU and spinoff Chicago P.D. Reality veteran The Biggest Loser relocates to Thursdays leading into new comedies Bad Judge and A to Z and the final season of Parenthood closes the night at 10 (later in the season drama Allegiance takes over Parenthood‘s slot). NBC expands its genre night on Fridays pairing Grimm with DC comic book based Constantine. Elsewhere, football dominates Sundays.

Jump after the break to view the full fall schedule, trailers for the new fall CBS series, and synopses. Continue reading 2014 Upfronts: NBC intros 16 new series →

2014 Upfronts: FOX intros 12 new series

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FOX is packing 12 new series in total for the upcoming TV season. Three dramas, Gotham, Red Band Society, and Gracepoint, one comedy, Mulaney, and one reality series Utopia will premiere in the fall. The rest are on tap for midseason: dramas Backstrom, Empire, Hieroglyph, and Wayward Pines and comedies Bordertown, The Last Man on Earth, and Weird Loners. Also being held for midseason are returning series American Idol, The Following and the final season of Glee.

The network is putting a lot of faith in the highly anticipated new drama series Gotham to open Monday night; it’s paired with Sleepy Hollow. New reality series Utopia starts Tuesdays and it will lead into that night’s comedy staples New Girl and The Mindy Project. Another reality series Hell’s Kitchen will open the next night followed by new hospital drama Red Band Society. Veteran Bones makes a comeback to Thursday nights where it will provide cushion for new “event series” Gracepoint. Utopia will air again on Fridays following Masterchef Junior. And Sundays, which have been dominated solely by animated series for some time, are now being injected with some live action: following Bob’s Burgers and The Simpsons is the returning Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and following Family Guy at 9:30 is new multi-cam sitcom Mulaney.

Jump after the break to view the full fall schedule, trailers for the new fall FOX series, and synopses. Continue reading 2014 Upfronts: FOX intros 12 new series →

2014 Upfronts: ABC intros 12 new series

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ABC has 12 new series on tap for next season: two dramas–Forever and How to Get Away with Murder–will launch in the fall alongside four sitcoms Selfie, Manhattan Love Story, Black-ish, and Cristela. The rest will follow later in the year: dramas American Crime, Marvel’s Agent Carter, Secrets and Lies, and The Whispers and comedies Fresh Off the Boat and Galavant. Also being held for midseason are returning series The Bachelor and The Taste.

Dancing with the Stars and Castle remained paired on Mondays. Two new sitcoms Selfie and Manhattan Love Story will open Tuesdays leading into one returning drama, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and a new one, Forever. Wednesdays pack four comedies starting with The Middle; The Goldbergs lands a great slot between that and Modern Family. The veteran, award-winning sitcom will serve as a launching pad for newbie Black-ish and then returning Nashville closes the night at 10. Thursdays are completely dominated by Shonda Rhimes: Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal will lead into her latest offering How to Get Away with Murder at 10 (new drama Secrets and Lies will take over Murder‘s timeslot later in the season. Elsewhere, Latina sitcom Cristela is paired with Last Man Standing on Fridays and Sunday’s lineup of Once Upon a Time, Resurrection, and Revenge is unchanged (new drama American Crime will replace Resurrection at 9 when that show’s second season comes to a close). Once Upon a Time‘s season will be aired in two distinct halves again and so will S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s; taking over their slots on the schedule during their extended hiatuses are musical fairytale Galavant and origin story Marvel‘s Agent Carter, respectively.

Jump after the break to view the full fall schedule, trailers for the new fall CBS series, and synopses. Continue reading 2014 Upfronts: ABC intros 12 new series →

2014 Upfronts: CBS intros 8 new series

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CBS has eight new series lined up for next season. In the fall, four new dramas will premiere–Scorpion, spinoff NCIS: New Orleans, Stalker, and Madam Secretary–alongside a new comedy The McCarthys. Two dramas–Battle Creek and spinoff CSI: Cyber–will land on the schedule in midseason with new comedy The Odd Couple. Also being held for midseason are returning series The Mentalist, Mike & Molly, and Undercover Boss.

The Big Bang Theory returns to Mondays to kick the night off leading into another sitcom Mom, and these are followed by new drama series Scorpion and the returning NCIS: LA. TBBT will revert to its Thursday 8PM timeslot when Thursday Night Football concludes in late October; at that point 2 Broke Girls will premiere its third season in its regular Monday 8PM slot. On Tuesdays the flagship NCIS will lead into the latest franchise spinoff NCIS: New Orleans and Person of Interest will follow at 10PM. New drama Stalker is paired with Criminal Minds on Wednesdays and new sitcom The McCarthys is sandwiched between the final season of Two and a Half Men and Elementary on Thursdays. Elsewhere, The Amazing Race relocates to Fridays at 8 and newbie Madam Secretary opens Sunday nights leading into The Good Wife and CSI. Spinoff CSI: Cyber will take over the flagship CSI on Sundays at 10 in midseason.

Jump after the break to view the full fall schedule, trailers for the new fall CBS series, and synopses. Continue reading 2014 Upfronts: CBS intros 8 new series →

2014 Upfronts: The CW intros 4 new series

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The CW introduced four new series for next season; Jane the Virgin and The Flash will premiere in the fall, and iZombie and The Messengers will bow in midseason. Also being held for later in the year are returning series Hart of Dixie and Beauty and the Beast. The Vampire Diaries spinoff The Originals will serve as a lead-in for Jane the Virgin on Mondays and The Flash will open Tuesdays paired with veteran Supernatural.

Jump after the break to view the full fall schedule, trailers for the new fall CW series, and synopses. Continue reading 2014 Upfronts: The CW intros 4 new series →

Cancellation report: The Big Networks prepare for Upfronts

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The Upfronts are coming, and you know what means: the big networks have carved their axes and they’re ready to chop away at their underperforming programs to make way for new series to be introduced in the fall and midseason of next year. To keep it as short and sweet as possible, jump after the break for a full listing of every 2013-14 cancelled show categorized by network. Later this week, with news from the Upfronts, you will learn which shows will be returning to their respective schedules at the networks. For now, the slaughtering is after the jump.

Continue reading Cancellation report: The Big Networks prepare for Upfronts →

TV reminder: 4 premieres to look out for in May

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As summer approaches many of your favorite shows will be airing their season finales this month. But don’t freak–May is home to a handful of exciting premieres headlined by the return of 24 and Louie. Jump after the break for details. Continue reading TV reminder: 4 premieres to look out for in May →

Fox cancels ‘Almost Human’

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J.J. Abrams and J.H. Wyman’s followup to Fringe is not coming back next season. The futuristic Almost Human, an action-packed sci-fi drama that paired a human cop with a humanoid android, has officially been cancelled by Fox. Low ratings and sluggish creativity are to blame.

The series premiered with great potential but it quickly turned into a by-the-books procedural without much forward-momentum in terms of character development. Some of the standalones were absolutely fantastic; one that comes to mind is “Simon Says” in which a cyber criminal gets a buzz off of strapping intricate bombs on people and forcing them to follow strict instructions or else die and all the while it’s being live-streamed across the Internet. It was like Saw in the future and it proved that the show could handle itself in a procedural matter. However, unfortunately, this was not enough to keep it fresh. John Larroquette’s Dr. Nigel Vaughn, who was introduced in episode 9 “Unbound,” finally started to unravel mysterious introduced in the pilot with the introduction of The Wall and we even started to get morsels about Dorian’s past (flashes hinted that he may have been human at some earlier point), but it was too little, too late. Of course I’m sure Wyman had plans to followup on these fun mysterious in a second season, but there simply wasn’t enough of a draw to come back in my opinion. A cool world indeed was set up, but I felt little emotional attachment to the main slate of characters (where was the strong female lead a la Olivia Dunham?) and I just wasn’t all that invested due to lack of a proper mythology arc.

In the end, Almost Human will be remembered for its kick-ass action sequences and the fun rapport between leads Karl Urban and Michael Ealy. For now, I cannot wait to see what Wyman has coming next because I’m positive that the man who carried us through the magnificent Fringe must have more engaging stories to tell.

‘Star Wars: Episode VII’ cast revealed

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At last, the cast of J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode VII has been announced and it includes many familiar faces as well as new, fresher ones. Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), and Kenny Baker (R2-D2) are all back to reprise their roles from George Lucas’ original trilogy. They are being joined by the following newcomers: John Boyega (Attack the Block), Daisy Ridley (Mr. Selfridge), Adam Driver (Girls), Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis), Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings), Domhnall Gleeson (About Time), and Max von Sydow (The Exorcist). Eye a candid black-and-white shot of the cast and creatives during the first table read above.

Abrams released this statement along with the announcement: “We are so excited to finally share the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again. We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud.”

Abrams is directing from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and himself, he is executive producing Kathleen Kennedy and Bryan Burke, and original composer John Williams returns to handle the film’s score.

After the break, Abrams and Kasdan wish fans a Happy Star Wars Day from London. May the Fourth be with you!

Episode VII opens December 18, 2015.

[Via Star Wars] Continue reading ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’ cast revealed →