Moviefone Editorial

Tag: this is us

  • ‘Life Itself’ Teaser Reveals Heart-Tugging Drama From ‘This Is Us’ Creator

    “This Is Us” may have just ended its second season but don’t put away the tissue box yet. That show’s creator, Dan Fogelman, wrote and directed a new movie called “Life Itself” that looks just as heart-tugging and tear-jerking.

    Amazon Studios debuted the first teaser trailer for “Life Itself,” which centers on a couple (Olivia Wilde and Oscar Isaac) course of several decades. It’s a globe-hopping, multi-generational story that is as emotional and sweeping as “This Is Us” fans expect from a Fogelman project.

    There’s a single event that ties together the entire story. As Isaac muses, “It’s strange think about, how a completely random moment had shaped my entire life.”

    The movie is a star-studded affair featuring Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Mandy Patinkin, Olivia Cooke, and Laia Costa. This is Fogelman’s second directorial effort after 2015’s “Danny Collins.” As a writer, he’s worked on the first two “Cars” movies, “Tangled,” “Bolt,” and his breakout, “Crazy Stupid Love.” On the television side, of course, he’s well-known for making everyone cry with “This Is Us.”

    “Life Itself” opens in theaters September 21

  • ‘This Is Us’ Season 2 Finale Will Be ‘Joyous,’ But ‘Ish Hits the Fan’

    This season of “This Is Us” has been a particularly emotional one for fans, dominated by the looming revelation of how Pearson patriarch Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) died. With that mystery and misery finally behind it, the show is set for what one star calls a “joyous” finale. But in classic “This Is Us” fashion, that happiness won’t come entirely without some new twists.

    In a pair of interviews with Entertainment Weekly, stars Chrissy Metz (who plays Kate) and Susan Kelechi Watson (who plays Beth) teased what fans can expect from their respective storylines when the NBC tearjerker’s sophomore season signs off. Both actresses say that there will be some resolution to recurring plot points, but it also sounds like there will still be plenty of drama to unpack when season three premieres in the fall.

    According to Metz, the finale is “upbeat and joyous through a very important catharsis,” and features “a completely new start for Kate.” Does that new start mean she’ll have the wonderful wedding to Toby (Chris Sullivan) that she deserves? Metz didn’t say definitively, but teased to EW, “There is a bit of a twist, in true ‘This Is Us’ fashion, because the writers are genius.”

    Perhaps that twist involves Deja (Lyric Ross), the foster child taken in by Beth and Randall (Sterling K. Brown), who has once again reentered their lives. Watson didn’t reveal anything too specific to EW, but did note that the teen’s living situation — she’s currently staying with the Pearsons after her mother abandons her at their home — would be resolved by the time the finale wraps.

    To get there, though, will be a rough road.

    “Oh, boy. This ish hits the fan [in the finale],” Watson told EW. “Yeah. You’re going to see how Deja responds to all of this and what we’re in for here. [Makes emotionally distressed sound.] Tired-face emoji. Red-face emoji. [Laughs]”

    Looks like we’ll probably need to tack on a crying emoji, too. The “This Is Us” season two finale airs tonight on NBC.

    [via: Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly]

  • ‘This Is Us’ Creator Teases Kate’s Wedding, ‘Lightness and Fun’

    Put down that tissue box, “This Is Us” fans and get ready for some “lightness and fun.”

    The show’s creator, Dan Fogelman, teased the last three episodes of the season to Entertainment Weekly. Following the tear-jerking Super Bowl episode (which revealed how Jack Pearson died) and the next done (which showed his family grieving), Fogelman said viewers can expect less of an emotional load.

    “We wanted to live in a regular episode of the series and show you, ‘Here’s how the show could exist as it did before and be really fulfilling — hopefully also have some lightness and some fun,’” he said. “We feel like fans almost deserve a break, because it’s been really heavy.”

    The next new episode, which airs Feb. 27, includes bachelor/bachelorette parties for Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Toby (Chris Sullivan).

    But of course, this is “This Is Us,” so don’t pack the tissues up for good because the next week brings “one of our special episodes,” Fogelman said.

    “We take that approach of giving somebody an episode and learning their story,” he said. This time, it’ll be Deja (Lyric Ross), the girl fostered briefly by Randall (Sterling K. Brown) and Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson).

    And while the mystery surrounding Jack’s (Milo Ventimiglia) death has been resolved, the show will continue to explore his character.

    “In many ways, Jack might be the character we still have the most to learn about, because he’s kept so many secrets in this period before we’ve really known him,” Fogelman said. “Vietnam is going to be a big part of where we’re heading.”

    And as for the finale, he teased, “Ultimately, we’re culminating at a big, moving family event, which would presumably be Kate’s wedding.”

    Presumably? Uh oh. Might want to buy a super-sized box of tissues.

  • ‘This Is Us’ Draws Biggest Post-Super Bowl Audience Since 2012

    The numbers don’t lie: Everyone wanted to know how Jack died.

    Early Nielsen data on Super Bowl Sunday’s “This Is Us” episode is in, and the numbers are impressive. It’s no surprise to see a big number, of course. After all, this was the episode — the much-anticipated one revealing the cause of death of beloved Pearson patriarch Jack (Milo Ventimiglia).

    Some 27 million people tuned in for the reveal following the matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots, USA Today reports. The episode’s audience was the biggest for a show after the Super Bowl since 2012, when the Season 2 premiere of “The Voice” averaged 37.6 million viewers. “This Is Us” managed the feat in spite of the game’s relatively low viewership; Super Bowl LII drew the annual sporting event’s smallest audience in eight years, according to EW. The game was still watched by more than 103 million people, though, so we’ll assume it gave something of a boost to “This Is Us.”

    Now that the Super Bowl madness is over, “This Is Us” will return to its usual Tuesday night slot — 9 p.m. ET/PT — on Feb. 6 on NBC.

  • ‘This Is Us’ Finally Reveals How Jack Died, and Fans Are Devastated

    After lots of foreshadowing and plenty of fan speculation, NBC tearjerker “This Is Us” finally explained how Pearson family patriarch Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) died. And in keeping with the show’s penchant for heartbreaking drama, the long-awaited revelation left viewers devastated.

    The episode, fittingly titled “Super Bowl Sunday” (since it aired after NBC’s broadcast of the Super Bowl, and also took place on the day in question, both in the ’90s and in the present day), picked up right where last week’s installment left off, with the fire started by that now-infamous Crock-Pot tearing its way through the Pearson house. Jack wakes suddenly from his slumber and stumbles to the door, opening it to discover flames roaring up the stairs and into the hallway, headed straight for Kate and Randall’s rooms.

    In true Jack Pearson fashion, the patriarch doesn’t waste any time springing into action, instructing Rebecca (Mandy Moore) to wet some towels and immediately running to rescue Randall, then Kate. (Kevin is out for the night with Sophie.) By the time Jack reaches Kate’s room the flames have spread even further, and the mattress he uses to shield them as they run catches fire, too, burning his hands and arms.

    But finally, everyone is back in Jack and Rebecca’s room, and Jack fashions a rope out of some bedsheets, lowering his family one by one to safety out the window. He’s just about to jump down himself when Kate cries out for her beloved dog, Louie, last seen slumbering on the first floor. Seeing the pain in his daughter’s eyes, Jack decides to run back inside, and search for the pup.

    That seemed to confirm fan theories that that was indeed what killed Jack (and why Kate was so guilty), but if you think Mr. Pearson is done just yet, you’re wrong. A couple excruciating minutes later, Jack heroically bursts out of the house, carrying Louie, as well as a pillowcase full of family mementos, including a photo album, Kate’s audition tape, and Rebecca’s moon necklace.

    Unfortunately, though, that act of selflessness and bravery (and some would say foolishness — seriously, why risk running back into the house, Jack?!) is ultimately what causes Jack his life. He inhaled quite a bit of smoke while hunting for the dog and keepsakes, and what starts as a routine check at the hospital for his burns and monitoring his lungs, turns into full-on cardiac arrest. All that smoke he inhaled put too much strain on his heart and lungs, and Jack Pearson died of a heart attack.

    It’s a moment, mercifully, that we don’t have to see unfold onscreen, though we do witness Rebecca’s breakdown when the doctor has to tell her the news. And the fans who could stop themselves from sobbing long enough to update their Twitter feeds could relate to her pain.

    Thankfully, Milo Ventimiglia was there to assure fans that Jack wasn’t leaving the show (there are still lots of flashbacks waiting for fans), and his spirit would certainly live on despite his death.

    Fans won’t have much time to recover: “This Is Us” is back again on Tuesday for another new episode, this one featuring Jack’s funeral. Better stock up on tissues again now.

  • ‘This Is Us’ Casts ‘Master of None’ Emmy Winner Lena Waithe

    75th Annual Golden Globe Awards - ArrivalsSomeone send “This Is Us” for a guest role.

    Entertainment Weekly reports that Waithe, who won the award for co-writing the “Thanksgiving” episode of “Master of None,” will appear in a storyline with Kate (Chrissy Metz) as an animal shelter worker.

    “They’re a very fun duo together,” said executive producer Isaac Aptaker. “She’s a super cool East Side L.A. woman who loves dogs and cats — and finding them homes.”

    Looks like Kate is adopting a pet! We already know of her love for dogs, after seeing her with one in her teen flashbacks.

    Waithe has been busy since winning the Emmy. She is also the creator of Showtime’s recently-debuted drama “The Chi.” She will also have a recurring role in Season 2 of Netflix’s “Dear White People,” and also appears in the upcoming Steven Spielberg movie “Ready Player One.”

    Despite that jam-packed schedule, Waithe made time for the “This Is Us” guest stint for a friend.

    “She’s friendly with one of our writers, Kay Oyegun,” Aptaker explained. “We wrote the part and she said, ‘Oh, I think we should give it to Lena,’ and we were like, ‘Oh yeah, of course we should give this to Lena. Because that would make this the coolest story ever.’ Luckily she was able to do it.”

  • ‘This Is Us’ Reunites the Big Three in Photos From First 2018 Episode

    THIS IS US -- Season: 2 -- Pictured: (l-r) Justin Hartley as Kevin, Chrissy Metz as Kate, Sterling K Brown as Randall -- (Photo by: Maarten de Boer/NBC)The Big Three are back together!

    NBC released the first images from the winter premiere of “This Is Us,” which returns January 9. Kevin (Justin Hartley), Kate (Chrissy Metz), and Randall (Sterling K. Brown) have reunited from opposite coasts for what looks like a touching sibling moment after experiencing some major lows.

    Last we saw them, Kate had suffered a miscarriage, Randall and Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) had let go of their foster child, while Kevin was pulled over for a DUI with niece Tess in the car.

    No wonder they’re leaning on each other in the episode titled “The Fifth Wheel.”

    This Is UsKevin, in particular, is due for a reckoning. Hopefully, that DUI was rock bottom and he’ll address his drug addiction. Perhaps in therapy?

    This Is Us

    As for Randall and Beth, we got a glimpse of a little boy in the foster care system. After losing Deja, are they ready to take on another kid?

    This Is Us

    The flashbacks seem to involve Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) taking their three kids on a camping trip. Mom and Randall bond, as usual:

    This Is Us

    While Jack gets time with both Kevin …

    This Is Us

    … and daddy’s little girl, Kate.

    This Is Us

    This Is UsSomeone looks like they could use a treat:

    THIS IS US -- "The Fifth Wheel" Episode 211 -- Pictured: (l-r) Milo Ventimiglia as Jack, Mackenzie Hancsicsak as Kate -- (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)“This Is Us” airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC.

  • Aaron Sorkin Wants to Revive ‘The West Wing’ With Sterling K. Brown, and We Need This to Happen

    This Is Us - Season 2Sterling K. Brown is currently winning over legions of fans on NBC series “This Is Us,” and one of them has the perfect next role lined up for the Emmy-winning actor.

    None other than “West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin is a big fan of Brown’s work, so much so that he’s already envisioned a scenario in which he’d revive his beloved political drama and make Brown the star. Sorkin revealed his plan in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, chatting about the possibility of one day bringing “The West Wing” back to life, like so many other television shows that have staged recent returns.

    According to THR, NBC has extended Sorkin “a standing offer” to reboot the series, a possibility that the producer “considers on occasion.” Here’s how Sorkin says his “preferred scenario” for such a reboot would go:

    Sterling K. Brown as the president, and there’s some kind of jam, an emergency, a very delicate situation involving the threat of war or something, and [President] Bartlet [played by Martin Sheen], long since retired, is consulted in the way that Bill Clinton used to consult with Nixon.

    We’re completely on board with that plan, which would surely give both Brown and Sheen some excellent material to work with (not to mention excellent scene partners to play against). What Sorkin told THR is holding him back from pulling the trigger, though, is how exactly he would involve other beloved “West Wing” characters like Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) and C.J. Cregg (Allison Janney). Not to mention the fact that Brown is currently tied up with “This Is Us,” a hit that NBC no doubt plans to keep on the air for as long as possible.

    Still, we’re super intrigued by this idea. We’ll keep our fingers crossed that Sorkin can sort out those storylines and make this revival happen — even if we have to wait a while.

    [via: The Hollywood Reporter]

  • ‘This Is Us’ Creator Teases ‘Little Markers’ Throughout Season 2 Explaining Jack’s Death

    This Is Us - Season 2One huge question was answered during the “This Is Us” Season 2 premiere, but it only raised many more.

    The hit NBC drama’s creator, Dan Fogelman, chatted with star Milo Ventimiglia during the after-show, and the two warned that fans will have to be patient as the specifics of Jack’s death are slowly revealed in the coming episodes.

    “So we know we’re marching toward something, and we now know what we’re marching toward,” Fogelman said. “And we have these little markers that I think you’ll see in the course of this season that will bring you closer to everything people want to know about Jack’s death.”

    Don’t expect the clues to be obvious, though. Fogelman warned that fans will have to be alert to catch them.

    “Pay attention and be patient, I think is the key,” he said.

    We’re going to be stuck without answers for the foreseeable future, but we look forward to getting them, heartbreaking as they’ll be. In the meantime, we’ll take whatever clues the show gives us and probably ugly-cry at least once a week.

    “This Is Us” airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

  • Watch Jimmy Fallon Play a ‘This Is Us’ Sound Guy Reacting Just Like the Rest of Us

    Now that “This Is Us” has returned, we’re back to crying weekly without any shame.

    The premiere episode got right back into yanking at our heartstrings, a fact that Jimmy Fallon made light of on “The Tonight Show” afterward. With the help of stars Sterling K. Brown (Randall), Chrissy Metz (Kate), and Milo Ventimilgia (Jack), he put together a skit showing more or less what viewers go through each week. Although he played a fictional “This Is Us” crew member rather than a fan, it was hilariously relatable; Dale the sound guy was no better at keeping his tears at bay than we are.

    Based on the Season 2 premiere, we’d say the show’s ability to make fans cry didn’t weaken over the hiatus. On Twitter, fans managed to fit in time between blowing their noses and wiping away tears to tweet about the episode, and they made it clear they were moved.

    “This Is Us” airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.