Tag: @tv

  • TV Review: ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’

    Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor)
    Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    Premiering May 27th on Disney+ are the first two episodes of the new six-part ‘Star Wars’ series, ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi.’ Ewan McGregor reprises his role as the title character, and the series is set ten years after the events of ‘Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.’ In addition to McGregor, Hayden Christensen reprises his role as Darth Vader, as well as Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse as Owen and Beru Lars, respectively.

    Directed by Deborah Chow (‘The Mandalorian’), the cast also includes Moses Ingram, Rupert Friend, Sung Kang, and Kumail Nanjiani. The result is an excellent start to a series that in its first two episodes seems more like a ‘Star Wars’ movie with a clear direction of where it’s going resulting in a satisfying television experience.

    The series begins with a flashback to Order 66 as we watch a few younglings escape their deaths. Flashforward ten years later, and we are introduced to the Sith Inquisitors, Grand Inquisitor (Friend), Fifth Brother (Kang), and Reva Sevander (Ingram). They are hunting down Jedi across the galaxy, and Reva seems to have a personal vendetta against Obi-Wan Kenobi (McGregor), who is living in exile on Tatooine watching over Luke Skywalker. Soon, Reva enacts a plan to draw Kenobi out of hiding by kidnapping someone with close ties to the Jedi. Now, Obi-Wan must decide if saving that person is worth the risk of having young Skywalker revealed.

    Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor)
    Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    What ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ does best is tell a ‘Star Wars’ story that we haven’t seen before. For years fans have wondered how Obi-Wan got from the character McGregor played in ‘Revenge of the Sith’ to the Alec Guinness version we were introduced to in ‘A New Hope.’ If the first two episodes are any indication, fans will have their answers by the end of the series. The callbacks and use of nostalgia definitely work, and does not feel forced or merely for fan-service.

    At the risk of spoiling anything, I will say there is a twist at the end of the first episode, which was unexpected and drove the plot of the second episode. One small criticism might be that it is a similar plot to season one of ‘The Mandalorian,’ but I don’t think that storyline will continue and it did help drive the story in the opening episodes. There is a fun back and forth between Kenobi and the person that he is trying to rescue, and the series plays with that dynamic well.

    The Grand Inquisitor first appeared in the animated series ‘The Clone Wars’ and makes a fantastic jump to live action. The character is both scary and formidable, and played quite well by Rupert Friend. Sung Kang also gives a strong performance as the Fifth Brother but is not given as much to do in the first two episodes.

    Reva looking at city
    Reva (Moses Ingram) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    However, the breakout character of the series is definitely Reva Sevander and Moses Ingram gives a fantastic performance as the main antagonist (so far) to Obi-Wan. Her lust for revenge, and her lack of respect for the Grand Inquisitor make her an intriguing character to explore through the rest of the series.

    Hayden Christensen only makes a brief appearance in the second episode, but clearly looks set for a larger role through the remaining episodes. Joel Edgerton has a few nice scenes returning as Owen Lars and is at his best standing up to both Kenobi and Reva.

    Rounding out the new characters in the premiere episodes are Kumail Nanjiani as Haja, a con man who comes in contact with Kenobi. Nanjiani brings his particular brand of humor to the role and creates a character that will be interesting to see grow through the course of the series.

    Director Deborah Chow, who is no stranger to ‘Star Wars’ after working on ‘The Mandalorian,’ clearly knows how to tell a grounded and exciting story set in this unique universe. While there is a lot of action and excitement in the opening episodes, there is also time for character development, especially with Reva and the title character. Chow also sets a tone that fits both the original and prequel series, as well as what they have created on Disney+ with ‘The Mandalorian’ and ‘The Book of Boba Fett.’

    Ewan McGregor
    Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his eopie in a scene from Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    But the series clearly belongs to Ewan McGregor, who without it would just not work. Not only is he the embodiment of Obi-Wan for generations, he is also a great actor and obviously cares about this character. He isn’t just phoning it in, he is putting on a real layered performance.

    Kenobi is not the arrogant young man we met in ‘Phantom Menace’ or the confident adult we saw in ‘Attack of the Clones,’ this is an older man dealing with the mistakes of his youth. He still feels guilty about what happened to Anakin and blames himself for the fall of the Republic. That is a lot to carry, and McGregor delivers a commanding and believable performance.

    In the end, ‘Obi Wan Kenobi’ is a series worthy of the character it is based on and explores fertile ground in the ‘Star Wars’ timeline. If the rest of the series is as strong as the opening episodes, fans will be extremely pleased with the outcome.

    The first two episodes of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ receives 5 out of 5 stars.

    'Obi-Wan Kenobi' Poster
    ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ premieres on Disney+ starting May 27th.
  • ‘Speed Racer’ TV Show in the Works

    Emile Hirsch in 2008's 'Speed Racer.'
    Emile Hirsch in 2008’s ‘Speed Racer.’

    It certainly has its fans, but the Wachowskis’ 2008 take on anime series ‘Speed Racer’ didn’t exactly cross the finish line when it comes to box office profitability. It’s a curio these days, lauded for its audacious style, but also critiqued for its indulgences. It’s perhaps most telling that Warner Bros. hasn’t looked to do anything else with it the way the studio has pumped out ‘Matrix’ movies.

    Still, that’s not to say that no one is interested, and indeed J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot company now has a high-profile ‘Speed Racer’ live-action series in development alongside Warner Bros. TV and a garage already picked out at Apple TV+.

    ‘Speed Racer’ became a sensation in Japan after first launching as a manga series titled ‘Mach GoGoGo’ created by Tatsuo Yoshida in 1966. Trans-Lux acquired syndication rights and Speed Racer was adapted into anime by Tatsunoko Productions, which aired on Japan’s Fuji TV from 1967-1968 and aired in the U.S. in syndication at about the same time.

    From there, it drove sales through a variety of comics, video games, TV series, and, of course, the movie.

    Plot details for the new series are, of course being kept under the car’s hood for now, but it’ll likely focus on some version of young driver Speed Racer, who aspires to be champion of the racing world with the help of his family and his high-tech Mach 5 automobile.

    Emile Hirsch in 2008's 'Speed Racer.'
    Emile Hirsch in 2008’s ‘Speed Racer.’ Photo by Snap Stills/REX/Shutterstock.

    Hiram Martinez, a veteran of ‘Snowpiercer’ and Ron Fitzgerald (who has worked on another Bad Robot production, ‘Westworld’ are busy hiring writers to figure out the show and will run it if it makes it to production.

    Abrams could use the good news – another of his series, and one he’s more personally involved with, is having some issues. ‘Demimonde’, the first show that Abrams has directly created for TV in years, was set up at Warner Bros. for HBO has hit the early pre-production stage but is now facing a potential budget crunch.

    Following the merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery, the new bosses are looking at the price tag of every show in its portfolio, and even a producer as powerful Abrams is hearing calls to cut costs.

    Though Bad Robot has so far stood firm on a proposed $200 million budget, the post-merger WB is aiming to slice $3 billion from its bottom line and expensive TV is one area where the microscope is out on the accounts. According to Deadline, both sides are still talking about the issue.

    Then there’s Abrams rich overall deal with Warner Bros., which comes with a hefty budget itself for a variety of TV, movie, game, and digital projects. No update has been offered on that front, so expect negotiations to continue – though given the solid relationship between Warner Bros. and Abrams (and the incoming Discovery people), it’ll probably all get figured out before too long.

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  • ‘Prince of Tides’ TV Adaptation in Development

    Barbra Streisand and Nick Nolte
    (L to R) Barbra Streisand and Nick Nolte in 1991’s ‘The Prince of Tides.’

    Apple TV+ has not been shy about adapting other media into TV series for its ever-growing output. The likes of ‘Shining Girls’, ‘Slow Horses’, ‘Foundation’, and ‘Defending Jacob’ have all had their origins in books.

    Yet for ‘The Prince of Tides’, the streaming service is looking to pull off a similar trick to ‘The Mosquito Coast’, using a movie as its jumping off point.

    Don’t go expecting a paranoid patriarch trying to shield his family from the authorities though, as ‘The Prince of Tides’ will explore an even more troubled male figure at its core.

    The 1991 movie, directed by Barbra Streisand and starring her alongside Nick Nolte, adapts Pat Conroy’s novel (so the series will, by extension draw from a book), with Becky Johnston writing the script.

    When a Southern born New York writer tries to commit suicide, her “unemployed-football-coach” twin brother, Tom Wingo (Nolte), comes to her aid. While tending to his sister Savannah’s (Melinda Dillon) care, he meets her psychiatrist, Dr. Susan Lowenstein (Streisand), for whom he falls.

    Dr. Lowenstein, desperate to unlock the door to her patient’s self-destructive pattern, relies on Tom to be his sister’s memory. What she doesn’t realize is that the last thing Tom wants to do is remember. Haunted by a painful childhood and a domineering mother, Tom discovers the only thing worse than not remembering is not telling…

    Barbra Streisand
    Barbra Streisand in 1991’s ‘The Prince of Tides.’

    The result in theaters was a box office success and seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay for Johnston and Conroy, Best Actor for Nolte, and Best Cinematography (for director of photography Stephen Goldblatt).

    For the TV incarnation, ‘The Help’ and ‘Ma’ director Tate Taylor is on board to lead the writing team, with the scripts still being worked on as Apple develops the show. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it’s apparently going well so far, as offers are being made to A-list performers ahead of a potential production start this summer.

    And given its traumatic, emotional central story, it’s not hard to see why it would attract actors, and why Apple thinks it could make for good TV; plus, the series format means the characters can be explored even more deeply than the strictures of a movie – even one that runs more than two hours – allows.

    Taylor has had mixed fortunes on screens both big and small. While ‘The Help’ became a big success, and led to an Oscar for Octavia Spencer, other projects haven’t turned out quite so well. He has worked on series including ‘Grace and Frankie’, but the last time he created a TV show, the result was 2020’s ‘Filthy Rich’, which was unceremoniously pulled from the air after five episodes. With luck, he’ll have more of an impact should the Apple series make it to screens.

    Next up for Apple is ‘The Essex Serpent’, a miniseries starring Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston, while the company has a variety of series in the works, including ‘Bad Monkey’, starring Vince Vaughn, and produced by ‘Ted Lasso’ boss Bill Lawrence.

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  • ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Celebrates Star Wars Day with New Trailer

    Ewan McGregor
    Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his eopie in a scene from Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    Happy Star Wars Day! May the Fourth be with you… Well, if you’re reading this on May 4, at least. But this is not-so-unexpected day that Lucasfilm and Disney+ chose to launch the new trailer for streaming series ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’.

    And this latest look at the show features a brief glimpse of possibly the ‘Star Wars’ franchise’s most iconic character: Darth Vader. Yes, the wheezy breathing Sith Lord is here, even if he doesn’t get to do much yet.

    The big question, of course, is exactly how he’s being brought to life – Hayden Christensen is back for the new series, so is that him in the suit? Or can we expect to also see him as Anakin Skywalker somehow? And will James Earl Jones lend his trademark tones for Vader’s voice? Surely that’s a given.

    Mostly, though, as the title suggests, this is about Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan. The new series is set roughly 10 years after the tragic events of ‘Revenge of the Sith’. His pupil and friend, Skywalker, has turned fully to the Dark Side and now strides around in his cybernetic black suit. Many of his fellow Jedi have been slaughtered, partly by Anakin, at the behest of Emperor Palpatine.

    And Obi-Wan himself is on the run, hiding out on the dusty desert planet, where he’s trying to keep a low profile while occasionally checking in on a young Luke Skywalker (Grant Feely), who, along with the boy’s twin sister Leia, Obi-Wan helped find a home for after their mother’s death.

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    But the Empire is not just going to let Kenobi or any of his remaining fellow Jedi hide out. The Dark Side power has dispatched a Grand Inquisitor (played by Rupert Friend) to hunt them down. With a knack for being imposing and spinning his red lightsaber, he’s sure to be a big threat.

    Yet a more direct challenge comes courtesy of Inquisitor Reva (Moses Ingram) who has her own abilities and is seen confronting Owen Lars (Joel Edgerton) on Tatooine. As the baddies suggest, the Jedi’s greatest weakness is that their kindness leaves a mark on people and places – something the Empire can track. And they’ve no quibbles about killing as many people as they need to find their targets.

    In addition to reminding us of all of that, the new trailer also finds Obi-Wan talking to Owen, setting up the less-than-warm relationship between the two men. “Leave us alone,” says Lars, no doubt aware of the threat that associating with the Jedi Master represents. “When the time comes, the boy must be trained,” argues Obi-Wan, referring to Luke. “Like you trained his father?” comes the snarky, world-weary reply. Thankfully, Jar-Jar Binks is nowhere to be seen, unable to exclaim at the saltiness of Owen’s attitude.

    Kumail Nanjiani, Sung Kang, Benny Safdie, Maya Erskine, and O’Shea Jackson Jr. are all in the cast, with Joby Harold leading the writing side and ‘Mandalorian’ veteran director Deborah Chow calling the shots.

    Originally planned for another big ‘Star Wars’ legacy date – May 25, the day the first movie opened back in 1977 – ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ is now set to launch its first two episodes on May 27th.

    Owen Lars (Joel Edgerton) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor)
    (L-R): Owen Lars (Joel Edgerton) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.
    Fifth Brother (Sung Kang, center)
    Fifth Brother (Sung Kang, center) and Stormtroopers in a scene from Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.
    Reva (Moses Ingram)
    Reva (Moses Ingram) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.
    Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen)
    Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Ob-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.
    'Obi-Wan Kenobi' Poster
    ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ premieres on Disney+ starting May 27th.
  • ‘Moon Knight’ Episode 5 Recap

    Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector and Steven Grant, and Taweret
    (L-R): Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector and Steven Grant, and Taweret (voiced by Antonia Salib) in Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

    Episode 4 had a lot to answer for! Welcome to episode 5 of ‘Moon Knight’!

    Marc is shown a woman claiming something is “all his fault” and he’s shot back to the asylum. Spector knows something isn’t right now. But he goes along with the Arthur Harrow look alike.

    The Doctor brings up that Marc was talking about a boy. He’s knocked out by the guard and brought back to Taweret. The god informs Marc and Steven they are, in fact, dead. Still wonderfully joyful as she goes through her motions welcoming them to the Underworld, she explains that this is Marc’s specific afterlife and that others also exist.

    Because the afterlife cannot be perceived by humans, they all look familiar, so it can be understood by mortal eyes. Marc finally says “we’re crazy” before opening a door and revealing the actual Egyptian afterlife. Rolling sands, howls of the dead, and a scale with a feather, as Taweret takes their hearts, seen as two rocks.

    If Marc & Steven’s combined hearts weigh less than the feather, they’re going to the afterlife. If it’s heavier, it’s off the boat and left for the dead. Marc tells Steven that they should kill the hippo and steal the boat, but the scale is going crazy. Taweret claims Marc & Steven’s hearts aren’t full. She tells them to go back into their afterlife and tell each other the truth.

    Oscar Isaac as Steven Grant and Marc Spector
    (L-R): Oscar Isaac as Steven Grant and Marc Spector in Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

    Marc informs Steven that his memories are a mess. “Mine too” the latter responds, as they begin to go through them. They stop at a door to which Steven asks Marc if they remember something. It’s a street, with a man in front of a red car. Then they are stopped by a scream, Marc and Steven then enter a cafe with dead bodies. It’s revealed they are all people killed by Moon Knight, sentenced to death by Khonshu. This causes the scale to slow, as Steven spots a child in the room.

    He chases after him and locks the door behind Marc. He’s in a backyard, and with what appears to be his family, and him and his brother. Steven chases the kids into the woods, and into a cave, stepping on the skeletal body of a bird in the process. Steven calls to the kids, telling them to get out as rainwater is filling the cave and will most likely drown them. This appears to be a memory, as Marc is exploring the white hallways seeing others through the doors.

    This new memory he stumbles on is a funeral. It’s revealed his mother blames him for the death of his brother, and basically starts to avoid Marc, ignoring his birthday party. We’re shown that as a teenager, Marc left home thinking that his mother would never get better. Marc throws Steven out of the memory and into another one of his own, at the Egyptian tomb where he met Khonshu.

    He tells Steven how he became a mercenary, and shows him dying, crawling towards the god’s statue. As Marc is about to pull the trigger and kill himself, Khonshu begins to speak to him, offering him to become his eyes, his hands, and his warrior.

    Khonshu (voiced by F. Murray Abraham) and Oscar Isaac as Moon Knight
    (L-R): Khonshu (voiced by F. Murray Abraham) and Oscar Isaac as Moon Knight in Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

    They are called outside and realize Arthur is closer to his goal back on Earth. Taweret agrees to help them get back and have Layla help rescue Khonshu. Steven claims they need to go into the bedroom Marc didn’t want them in during the funeral memory he saw earlier. The two argue, and the former breaks down. Now he’s back with Doctor Harrow.

    Harrow asked Marc if he created Steven to hide, or if Steven created him to get revenge. He tells Marc that he must open up to Steven, so they can understand each other. Marc shows Steven the room, and how his mother would threaten to beat him. We’re shown his first shift to Steven, and how his alter is based off an Indiana Jones-type movie poster. All the way down to his full name as Steven Grant.

    It’s finally revealed that Steven was made to forget that their mother abused them, and he’s told that their mother is actually dead. Now it’s Steven’s turn to meet Doctor Harrow and the man nearly takes it as a joke. Doctor Harrow tells Steven he brought him and Marc to the psyche hospital when he found out his mother died.

    Harrow offers to call her, and Steven begs him not to do that. He gets emotional, and it’s obvious what Marc had told him had an impact. He’s visually emotional and finally tells the doctor “my mother is dead.” We’re shown another funeral, and it’s revealed the earlier memory was Marc outside of that funeral. In an emotional outburst he switches back to Steven, who calls his mother like she’s still alive.

    Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector and Ethan Hawke as Arthur Harrow
    (L-R): Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector and Ethan Hawke as Arthur Harrow in Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Gabor Kotschy. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

    Steven tells Marc everything that happened wasn’t his fault. The ground shakes, and they realize the scales never balanced. Meaning the undead souls of everyone Marc had killed are coming after them. Marc attempts to fight back and is dragged to the ledge.

    Steven pilots the boat, attempting to help, and Marc is knocked out, once again taken to the ledge. Steven instantly starts fighting back and saves Marc. He takes out another zombie, and it’s shown that even he has some latent violence.

    Marc is once again grabbed, and Steven throws the zombie over the ledge, sending himself with it. He tries to chase after the boat but is captured by the sands and turned to stone. As Marc asks for the boat to stop, the scales balance themselves. The setting changes to a wheat field, with music playing in the background. This is paradise, at least Marc’s version of it. Then the credits roll.

    The cool aspect of this episode is the way the show has interpreted real Egyptian myth so far. Contrary to popular belief, Khonshu is not a god Marvel just made up for the comics. He was real, and the Ancient Egyptians worshipped him as a benevolent, helpful deity, and as the show mentions, protecting travelers in the night. It is incredible fascinating to see Marvel take so heavily from actual myth for a character like this, adding real, researchable history to a story.

    We have one more episode left in Moon Knight, and let’s hope the show ends as it’s been going so far; loud!

    See you all next week!

    Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector
    Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector in Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Gabor Kotschy. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

     

  • New Trailer for Sci-Fi Drama ‘Night Sky’

    J. K. Simmons and Sissy Spacek
    (L to R) J. K. Simmons and Sissy Spacek in Prime Video’s ‘Night Sky.’

    Mystery series featuring unusual chambers filled with secrets all must try and avoid falling into some of the ‘Lost’ traps (setting up a lot, but not providing enough answers), so new Prime Video series ‘Night Sky’ will be hoping to steer clear of the danger zones.

    ‘Night Sky’ follows Irene (Sissy Spacek) and Franklin York (J.K. Simmons), a couple who, years ago, discovered a chamber buried in their backyard which inexplicably leads to a strange, deserted planet. The older couple have been visiting the place ever since, trying to figure out what it all means. Why are they able to access it?

    They’ve carefully guarded their secret ever since, but when an enigmatic young man enters their lives, the Yorks’ quiet existence is quickly upended…and the mystifying chamber they thought they knew so well turns out to be much more than they could ever have imagined.

    It’s refreshing to see a genre series with the focus on older characters, and the show looks to explore life, the universe and everything through their lens, while also adding in some thriller elements as their secret is threatened.

    Chai Hansen, Kiah McKirnan, Julieta Zylberberg, Rocío Hernández, and Adam Bartley are all also in the cast for this one.

    The series comes from Amazon Studios and Legendary Television. It was created by Holden Miller, whose previous resume doesn’t scream “genre veteran”: he has mostly written for the late-night likes of Dennis Miller and Larry Wilmore. He’ll serve as an executive producer here, while Daniel C. Connolly, who has a little more experience on that front (he’s worked on series including ‘Into the Badlands’, ‘The Son’, and ‘Colony’), is showrunner.

    On the directing front, the list is an eclectic mix of those who’ve worked in cinematic drama and comedy, including ‘American Splendor’s Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, ‘The Secret in Their Eyes’ Juan José Campanella, and Jessica Lowrey, who recently worked on episodes of ‘Perry Mason’ and ‘Halo’.

    “I love all sci-fi, but it can be very self-serious and very ponderous sometimes,” showrunner/executive producer Connolly told Town & Country. “To present to an audience something that’s a little bit more approachable and lived in was our guiding star as we went about creating the show.”

    “There’s something fitting in this show about sort of experiencing something incredibly momentous, but from a place that feels like it’s your own bedroom,” Miller adds. “It feels a little bit like what we’ve all been going through for the past couple years — what the uncanny mixing of those two things feels like. At the same time, while ‘Night Sky’ is incredibly emotionally serious, and it has a warmth and a humor and an escapist quality — reminding us of the possibility of adventure in life, and the profundities that we’re constantly grappling with.”

    ‘Night Sky’ is taking the binge-watch route for its release, with Prime Video putting all eight episodes of Season 1 out on May 20th.

    J. K. Simmons and Sissy Spacek
    (L to R) J. K. Simmons and Sissy Spacek in Prime Video’s ‘Night Sky.’
  • Idris Elba Starring in Thriller Series ‘Hijack’

    Idris Elba as DCI John Luther
    Idris Elba as DCI John Luther on BBC Studios’ ‘Luther.’

    Idris Elba might be on screen in theaters screens – well, not on, exactly, since he’s only voicing Knuckles the Echidna – in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’, but he’s heading back to TV for a new Apple TV+ series.

    ‘Hijack’ is described as a tense thriller told over real time that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers.

    Elba will star as Sam Nelson, an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but his high-risk strategy could be his undoing.

    This seven-part series was spawned from the brain of ‘Lupin’ writer George Kay, and it’ll see him reuniting with Jim Field Smith, who directed episodes of one of his other shows, ‘Criminal’. Which means we can hopefully look forward to memorable characters and entertaining dialogue – especially since both those previous shows are

    The new series represents the initial project from Elba’s first-look deal with Apple, and he’ll be an executive producer via his Green Door Pictures company.

    While Elba has forged a solid big screen career, he got his start on TV in his native England. And probably his most famous character – gruff detective John Luther from the eponymous crime series, which is making the leap to movies, albeit via Netflix, later this year.

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    Also coming up for the actor is George Miller’s return to filmmaking, romantic drama ‘Three Thousand Years of Longing’. Elba stars alongside Tilda Swinton in the story of a lonely scholar who meets a Djinn and who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. Miller’s latest will have its world premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

    Then there’s Baltasar Kormákur’s ‘Beast’, in which Elba plays Dr. Nate Samuels, who finds himself and his teenage daughters hunted by a massive rogue lion intent on proving that the Savanna has but one apex predator.

    Elba is also a producer on a new movie called ‘The Chelsea Cowboy’, starring Alex Pettyfer as tough guy John Bindon, who despite a successful acting career and passionate romantic liaisons with various socialites was unable to leave his criminal past behind.

    Beyond that, there are a variety of movies and shows that Elba has in development, including a new adaptation of ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’, and ‘Extraction’ director Sam Hargraves’ ‘Stay Frosty’, about a man (Elba) who survives being shot in the head and must figure out who wants him dead.

    As for ‘Hijack’, Apple TV+ has yet to announce when the show might premiere, but we can predict it’ll probably be on screens next year.

    Idris Elba as Bloodsport
    (L to R) Idris Elba as Bloodsport and Sylvester Stallone as the voice of King Shark in Warner Bros.’ ‘The Suicide Squad.’

     

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Episode 4 Recap

    Oscar Isaac and May Calamawy
    (L-R): Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector/Steven Grant and May Calamawy as Layla El-Faouly in Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight.’ Photo by Csaba Aknay. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

    Hope you’re all ready for more action, because episode 4 of ‘Moon Knight’ is here!

    We open on one of the avatars carrying Khonshu’s statue to a pedestal that holds many other gods, like a prison. We see Layla trying to wake up Marc while also being shot at. Arthur’s men are looking for survivors, only to be stopped by Layla who distracts them and sets the truck off and destroys it. It’s revealed Steven is alive, and they head to the tomb.

    On the way, Layla tells Steven they need Marc. He explains that the two of them made a pact; when Khonshu was gone, Steven got the body. An argument breaks out between Steven and Layla and they move to foot, finding the cult (who are already inside) the tomb.

    As they ransack the camp, Marc and Steven have more of a conversation. They talk about how Marc can’t really go away and have one more argument before splitting up. Steven meets up with Layla and finally explains why Marc was so nervous, how Khonshu wanted her for his avatar, and how Marc wanted to protect her.

    She explains she doesn’t need protection and Steven kisses her (once again, odd) and the two zip down, but not before Marc punches Steven in the face. Layla brings up her father again and the two descend into the cave.

    Oscar Isaac and May Calamawy walking through dessert
    (L-R): Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector/Steven Grant and May Calamawy as Layla El-Faouly in Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight.’ Photo by Csaba Aknay. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

    They descend further only to find bullets in the sand. Something is out there. Steven discovers the tomb is a maze and finds where the inner tomb is, and that the Pharaoh was Ammit’s avatar. They find an alter for human sacrifice, covered in blood and viscera. Steven goes to the ceiling to find an exit and they are stopped by gunfire.

    It’s revealed the creature being shot at was a literal mummy, disemboweling people in the old ways. ‘Moon Knight’, in the span of a week, has gone from superhero action to flat out horror.

    The monster spots Steven, who separates from Layla, the latter crossing a deadly cavern. Another mummy tries to grab her, and she barely escapes, and a literal horror movie fight ensues. Layla throws it off the cliff and barely climbs back up.

    Across the way, she spots Arthur. Steven finds the tomb, excited out of his mind only for Marc to confront him about kissing his wife and telling her the truth. Steven cuts him off, going through the tomb and realizing they might have found Alexander the Great.

    The Heka Priest in 'Moon Knight.'
    The Heka Priest in Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Gabor Kotschy. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

    “Why must men like you have to be so condescending.” Layla insults Arthur before the man tries to get in her head, talking about her Father and the fact he believed that the gods were real.

    We cut to Steven and Marc opening the tomb to try and find the artifact. He believes since Alexander was the mouth of Ammit, there’s only one place where it could be. Arthur continues to test Layla, claiming Marc was the one who killed her father.

    Marc finds the statue of Ammit, and Layla finds him. It seems like Arthur has gotten in her head, and she forces Marc to tell her what happened. He’s adamant that he didn’t kill her father but admits he was there. Layla asks how he died, and Marc says his partner killed everyone at the site.

    This isn’t good enough for Layla, and he reveals his partner also shot him, which led to Khonshu. This is how Layla and Marc met. Arthur’s men invade the room. Marc kills the cult members, only for Arthur to shoot Marc square in the chest twice. Killing him.

    Okay, things are getting weird. We’re shown what looks like a late 80s/early 90s ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark‘ type movie featuring a character named Steven Grant! A white room is revealed, it’s an insane asylum and we see a woman drawing a bird with Khonshu’s head, as well as Marc, looking totally out of it.

    May Calamawy and Oscar Isaac in a tomb
    (L-R): May Calamawy as Layla El-Faouly and Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector/Steven Grant in Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight.’ Photo by Gabor Kotschy. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

    The woman is Layla, and she offers to help him, though it’s “not really her.” Could this be a weird afterlife maybe? Marc tries to get up and falls, revealing a little Moon Knight action figure by his side.

    It cuts to Steven talking to who we can assume is a therapist, and it’s Arthur! (Looking shockingly like Ethan Hawke’s character in ‘The Black Phone’.) Explaining how Marc is indeed unwell and needs their help.

    The room looks familiar. Pillars of an old tomb, organ jars, God statues. It’s like a personal hell. Marc escapes and fights off the people trying to sedate him. It’s clear something isn’t right.

    Marc runs and locks himself in a room with a coffin that has someone locked in it screaming, only for it to be Steven. The two reunite and hug. Marc asks him what he remembers, and the two realize they haven’t gone crazy.

    They pass another coffin, staring at it, and suspiciously walk by. The door is open to a large, anthropologic Hippo who greets them … warmly and kindly? The episode then ends.

    Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke in a tomb
    (L-R): Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector/Steven Grant and Ethan Hawke as Arthur Harrow in Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight.’ Photo by Csaba Aknay. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

    So, a lot just happened. First, let’s cover the two name drops in the episode. In the comics, Marc’s partner is Raul Bushman. It’s right to assume that was the man who killed Layla’s father and set everything with Khonshu into motion. Layla’s father on the other hand, in the show, is the equivalent of Peter Alraune, who is Marlene’s father in the comics (Marc’s girlfriend).

    Now for the two major characters we have hinted at in the final scenes. We have a good idea who’s in that third coffin, and it’s most likely Jake Lockley. Another one of Marc’s alters, Jake is a cab driver and a more “boots on the ground” type of guy. We’ve already seen hints of him in episode 3, and it would be weird for the show to only include Steven and not Jake.

    Finally, the Hippo goddess at the end. Her name is Taweret, and in Egyptian myth she was a benevolent god of protection, specifically in fertility and childbirth. But outside of that, she was always the goddess who protected souls as they took the ferry to the afterlife. Which confirms to us where Marc and Steven could be…

    Episode 4 was an insane trip, and we’ll see where that it takes us in the last two episodes of the series! See you all next week!

    'Moon Knight' premieres March 30th on Disney+.
    ‘Moon Knight’ premieres March 30th on Disney+.
  • ‘Angelyne’ Trailer Wants to Tell Her Story

    Emmy Rossum as Angelyne.
    Emmy Rossum in Peacock’s ‘Angelyne.’ Photo: Isabella Vosmikova/Peacock.

    Before the days when you could be Insta-famous (or celebrity sex tapes kickstarted/threatened careers), there was Angelyne.

    A buxom blonde who appeared on billboards across Los Angeles in seductive poses with no other information save her striking name, she was seeking fame and fortune, and quickly became a viral sensation before there was even really a term for it. But what about the story behind the sensation?

    That’s what new Peacock limited series ‘Angelyne’ is setting out to answer, and the show has a first trailer online.

    Emmy Rossum stars as the title character, who was born in 1950 in Poland with the slightly less marketable name Ronia Tamar Goldberg. In 1978, she joined her then-boyfriend’s punk rock band Baby Blue, which performed in clubs around Los Angeles but never became financially successful. In 1982 she released her self-titled debut album, and her first posters began appearing as a part of the album’s promotion.

    After the launch of a massive billboard campaign in February 1984, she began working on her second album. ‘Driven to Fantasy’ was released in 1986. Angelyne then appeared in small parts in films such as ‘Earth Girls Are Easy’, ‘Dangerous Love’ and ‘Homer and Eddie’. Requests for magazine interviews flooded in, and she was the focus of local news attention for a while.

    Her trademark style item was her pink corvette, in which she could be seen driving the streets.

    In later life, Angelyne was a candidate in the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election, finishing 29th in a field of 135 candidates (garnering 2,536 votes). Her slogan during the campaign was “We’ve had Gray, we’ve had Brown, now it’s time for some blond and pink.” Such was the mystery she built around her real personality that her name and family details didn’t come out until 2017.

    The new limited series is a mockumentary style affair, with those either around Angelyne or influenced by her telling their side of the story, with overlapping and conflicting accounts.

    ‘Angelyne’ seeks to peek behind the billboards, but don’t go thinking that this is a documentary-level truthful dig into what happened with her. In an official statement, showrunner Allison Miller made it clear that the series isn’t supposed to be the “real” story of the 80s superstar. Rather, the idea of the show is to examine a person’s determination to follow their dreams, no matter what the cost. The show will also showcase celebrity in decades past and how the news and stories moved at a different pace back then.

    Alongside Rossum, the cast also includes Martin Freeman, Hamish Linklater, Michael Angarano, Molly Ephraim, Philip Ettinger, Lukas Gage, Charlie Rowe, Alex Karpovsky, and David Krumholtz.

    ‘Angelyne’ will arrive on Peacock starting May 19th.

    Emmy Rossum as Angelyne singing
    Emmy Rossum in Peacock’s ‘Angelyne.’ Photo: Isabella Vosmikova/Peacock.
  • Lamorne Morris and Aimee Garcia Talk ‘Woke’ Season 2

    Lamorne Morris and Aimee Garcia
    (L to R) Lamorne Morris and Aimee Garcia. Photo by: Mark Hill/Hulu.

    Premiering on Hulu beginning April 8th is the second season of the popular series ‘Woke.’

    The series follows Keef (Lamorne Morris), a cartoonist on the verge of mainstream success when a traumatic event gives him the ability to see and hear inanimate objects talking to him. The series blends live-action with animation.

    In addition to Morris, the series also stars Aimee Garcia (‘RoboCop’), Blake Anderson (‘Neighbors’), T. Murph (‘Get Shorty’), Sasheer Zamata (‘Muppets Haunted Mansion’), and J.B. Smoove (‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’).

    Moviefone recently had the opportunity to speak with Lamorne Morris and Aimee Garcia about season 2 of ‘Woke.’

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    You can read the full interview with Lamorne Morris and Aimee Garcia below or watch a video of our interviews with Morris, Garcia, T. Murph and Sasheer Zamata in the player above.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Lamorne can you tell us where we find Keef when season 2 begins?

    Lamorne Morris: He’s probably not as woke as he thought he was. He was very surface level in the first season. Something happened to him and he talked about it. It was real to him. He dealt with it internally. He had his PTSD moments. He was talking to cartoon objects and inanimate objects.

    Then in season two, it hits him that there are other people who don’t look like you that are going through other things too. Now that you have that microphone and the cameras are on you, people want you to be a voice for them, and can you? Can you be a voice for them or are you still caught up in your own issues? Then he realizes that maybe he’s not as cut out for this as he thought he was.

    MF: Aimee, your character is new to the series in season 2. What’s your take on Laura?

    Aimee Garcia: I think what makes this show so good, is you kind of laugh and then you squirm, and then are these people well-intentioned or are they not? Personally, I think she really does want to affect positive change. I just think that she’s a business woman that understands that sometimes you have to make deals with people that you don’t completely align with, but it will be for the greater good of helping the big picture.

    It’s so funny because I usually always play a super goofy, likable character, and in this one I’m like, “Oh, is she the villain? I don’t know?” So, I think what she wants is Keef’s authentic grassroots brand, his relatability, and his charm. I mean, look no further, and the fact that people just gravitate to him.

    I think she sees him as a great partner. He has no resources. She does. He’s completely grassroots. She’s a complete Silicon Valley, CEO, businesswoman. He’s totally guttural and impulsive. She is planned out, deliberate, and a shark. So, they’re polar opposite, but I think in her mind that could affect the most change because sometimes polar opposites make for the best team.

    MF: Finally, Lamorne they say “you can’t please everyone,’ but Keef really seems to try to do just that. Can you talk about that?

    LM: He does. I talk about how this show mirrors and imitates life in certain ways. That’s kind of how I am. That is something that I grapple with often in my personal life and it resonates through this character for sure because there’s so many things going on, and he wants to help, and he’s always pulled in different directions.

    He thinks that to be an activist, you have to solve every problem. He can’t solve one problem, you know? So, you want to solve all of them all of a sudden? It’s a real and genuine thing, especially when you’re on Instagram or Twitter, and you see all these people doing these great things in communities, and we’re doing this, and we’re doing that, and it’s all these grand massive things. You go, “I want to do that too.”

    It’s like, hey brother, just chill. You got to fix small stuff in your house. You got to fix small stuff around the corner from you. Let’s start there. That is activism. You know what I mean? Having a belief and figuring out how you can move on that. I think that’s what it is. It doesn’t have to be this grand thing.

    Lamorne Morris in season 2 of Hulu's 'Woke.'
    Lamorne Morris in season 2 of Hulu’s ‘Woke.’ Photo by: Mark Hill/Hulu.