Month: December 2013

Jessica Lange joins Paramount’s ‘The Gambler’

Post author By reco valeriano
Post date December 26, 2013

Jessica Lange will be playing Mark Wahlberg's mother in 'The Gambler' — Jessica Lange will be playing Mark Wahlberg’s mother in ‘The Gambler’

Jessica Lange will be getting risky on a new film, The Gambler. Paramount is remaking the 1974 film about a college professor whose gambling addiction takes over his life, even after he starts running with a questionable crowd. Mark Wahlberg is attached to play the professor, and Lange will be filling the role of his mother. James Toback wrote the original script that Lauren Hutton and Paul Sorvino co-starred in for the 1974 version.

This project comes as Jessica Lange recently received nominations from both the Golden Globes and SAG Awards for her role on the recent season of American Horror Story: Coven. She has received awards in the past from the Emmys, Golden Globes and SAG, all for FX’s hit television series. American Horror Story is currently in the midst of airing its third season, and has already announced a renewal for a fourth season for 2014.

The movie will be directed by Rupert Wyatt off of a script by William Monahan. Brie Lawson is also attached to appear in the film.

View full story at Deadline.

Tags FX, Rupert Wyatt, Mark Wahlberg, SAG Awards, American Horror Story, The Gambler, American Horror Story: Coven, William Monahan, Brie Lawson, Hollywood Happenings, gambling, James Toback, Movies, Jessica Lange, Lauren Hutton, Los Angeles, Paramount, Emmy's, Paul Sorvino

Movies/Television Celebrity News

Eric Ladin Joining HBO’s ‘The Brink’

Post author By reco valeriano
Post date December 20, 2013

Eric Ladin has joined the cast for HBO's pilot, 'The Brink.' — Eric Ladin has joined the cast for HBO’s pilot, ‘The Brink.’

Eric Ladin has recently joined the cast for HBO’s newest pilot, The Brink. The new show is a dark comedy based around a geopolitical crisis and the effect it has on three different men: the U.S. Secretary of State, a Foreign Service officer and a Navy fighter pilot. Eric Laden will be playing a lieutenant who is the fighter pilot’s right hand man.

Jack Black, Tim Robbins and Pablo Schreiber are among other who will be starring in the pilot. The Brink was directed by Jay Roach and based on Roberto Benabib’s script. Jerry Weintraub is on board in the role of executive producer.

Ladin is no stranger to HBO, with previous work on Boardwalk Empire, Big Love, and Generation Kill. He will also be seen on the cable channel’s other new pilot, Bosch. Ladin’s other work includes roles in The Killing and Mad Men.

View full story at Deadline.

Tags The Killing, Jerry Weintraub, Tim Robbins, Pablo Schreiber, HBO, Roberto Benabib, Bosch, The Brink, Big Love, Boardwalk Empire, dark comedy, Eric Ladin, Generation Kill, pilot, Jack Black, Mad Men, Jay Roach

Movies/Television Hollywood News

Joseph Gordon-Levitt in ‘Sandman’

Post author By reco valeriano
Post date December 17, 2013

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is set to star and direct in an adaptation of Virtigo's 'Sandman' comic series. — Joseph Gordon-Levitt is set to star and direct in an adaptation of Vertigo’s ‘Sandman’ comic series.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and David Goyer have teamed up to bring you Sandman, the popular Vertigo comic for Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment. Goyer already wrote the treatment and is set to supervise the writing, while Gordon-Levitt will be starring in the project as well as directing. Neil Gaiman, the original writer of this comic series, will be joining the crew as an executive producer.

The Sandman comic series is based on Morpheus, the Lord of the Dreaming. The story is based in horror, but shifts into fantasy and mythology as Morpheus unfolds as a deity personifying dreams. The book has won several awards and has contributed to DC’s Vertigo’s success.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has some experience with comic book adaptions, having starred in The Dark Knight Rises and the soon to be released Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.

View full story at The Hollywood Reporter.

Tags Morpheus, Neil Gaiman, Warner Bros., Sandman, comic book, Sin City, Vertigo, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, comic series, The Dark Knight Rises, David Goyer, WB, DC Entertainment, JGL, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lord of the Dreaming

Movies/Television Celebrity News Hollywood News

Legendary Actress Joan Fontaine Passes Away

Post author By reco valeriano
Post date December 17, 2013

The Oscar-winning Joan Fontaine died of natural causes in her Carmel, California home at the age of 96. — The Oscar-winning actress Joan Fontaine died of natural causes in her Carmel, California home at the age of 96.

The legendary actress Joan Fontaine passed away at the age of 96. The Oscar-winning actress reached her high level of stardom in the early 1940s in Alfred Hitchcock’s movies Suspicion and Rebecca. She died of natural causes Sunday, December 15 at her Carmel, California home.

Joan won an Oscar for best actress in Suspicion, and was the only actor to win an Oscar in an Alfred Hitchcock film. She also received 3 best actress nominations a few years later for her role in the 1943 film The Constant Nymph. Her other notable appearances include Jane Eyre (1944), September Affair (1950), Ivanhoe (1952), and Island in the Sun (1957).

Beyond a talented actress, Joan dabbled in interior decorating, as well as getting her pilot license and becoming a Cordon Bleu-level chef. The stunning actress was married and divorced four times. In the 1940s, she and her husband at the time, William Dozier formed Rampart Productions, which created works such as her 1948 film Letter From an Unknown Woman and Kiss the Blood Off My Hands (1948) with Burt Lancaster.

Joan’s older sister Olivia de Havilland, an accomplished actress as well, is 97 years old and currently resides in Paris.

View full story at The Hollywood Reporter.

Tags Letter from an Unknown Woman, Olivia de Havilland, best actress, Oscar, Burt Lancaster, Paris, Carmel, Rampart Productions, Cordon Bleu, Rebecca, Island in the Sun, September Affair, Ivanhoe, Suspicion, Jane Eyre, The Constant Nymph, Joan Fontaine, William Dozier, Kiss the Blood Off My Hands

Movies/Television

12 More Hours of Chaos in ‘The Purge 2’

Post author By reco valeriano
Post date December 12, 2013

Blumhouse Productions' 'The Purge 2' has received a June 20, 2014 release date. — Blumhouse Productions’ ‘The Purge 2’ has received a June 20, 2014 release date.

We will soon have to lock our doors for 12 hours as The Purge sequel gets underway. The Purge 2 marks Blumhouse Productions’ latest project with Universal, following on the heels of the supernatural hit Insidious: Chapter 2. The horror-thriller will star Frank Grillo under the returning director and writer James DeMonaco. The film has received a release date of June 20, 2014.

The Purge opened in June of this year and brought in roughly $90M worldwide. This first film took place in a dystopian future where one night a year they allow for crime to go unpunished as a way to keep the city free from criminal action the rest of the year. Ethan Hawke starred as a well-off home security system designer trying to protect his family from the 12-hour crime spree when a stranger finds a way into his home.

View full story at Deadline.

Tags Universal, Blumhouse Productions, Insidious: Chapter 2, The Purge, Ethan Hawke, dystopian future, Frank Grillo, James DeMonaco, The Purge 2, sequel

Hollywood News Movies/Television

Golden Globe Nominations to be Announced

Post author By reco valeriano
Post date December 11, 2013

Olivia Wilde, Aziz Ansari and Zoe Saldana will be announcing the 71st Annual Golden Globe nominees live on Thursday, December 12. — Olivia Wilde, Aziz Ansari and Zoe Saldana will be announcing the 71st Annual Golden Globe nominations live on Thursday, December 12.

It seems like award season is in full swing now, and the Golden Globes will be joining the ranks. Aziz Ansari, Zoe Saldana and Olivia Wilde will be joining Hollywood Foreign Press Association President Theo Kingma to announce the 71st Annual Golden Globe Award nominees this week. Kevin Bacon’s daughter, and newly crowned Miss Golden Globes 2014, Sosie Bacon will be joining the announcers. The nomination announcement will take place on Thursday, December 12 airing live on NBC’s Today show and streaming on GoldenGlobes.com. Nominations will span across 25 categories for film and television, both domestic and foreign.

The 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards is set to air live on Sunday, January 12, 2014. Audience favorites Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will be hosting the awards ceremony for the second year in a row. The award show is seen in over 160 countries, and last year they had nearly 20 million people tune in. The show is produced by Dick Clark Productions in association with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

View full story at GoldenGlobe.com

Movies/Television Hollywood News

AFI names 10 best movies, TV shows of 2013

Post author By reco valeriano
Post date December 11, 2013

'The Good Wife' is one of ten television shows picked for the AFI Award. — ‘The Good Wife’ is one of ten television shows picked this year for an AFI Award.

With December quickly coming to an end, The American Film Institute has announced its pick of top 10 films and 10 television shows of 2013. AFI reveals its nominees each year of movies and shows that “best advance the art of the moving image, enhance the rich cultural heritage of America’s art form, inspire audiences and artists alike and/or make a mark on American society.” The American Film Institute presents the AFI Awards each year, which are carefully selected by a jury of AFI members, scholars, film and television artists, critics and AFI Trustees.

Below are this year’s top picks (in alphabetical order):

Film
1. American Hustle
2. Captain Phillips
3. Fruitvale Station
4. Gravity
5. Her
6. Inside Llewyn Davis
7. Nebraska
8. Saving Mr. Banks
9. 12 Years a Slave
10. The Wolf of Wall Street

Television
1. The Americans
2. Breaking Bad
3. Game of Thrones
4. The Good Wife
5. House of Cards
6. Mad Men
7. Masters of Sex
8. Orange is the New Black
9. Scandal
10. Veep

AFI aims to appreciate the community of talented storytellers by awarding them this honor. Last year, eight of the overall nine best picture Oscar nominees made AFI’s list.

View full story at The Hollywood Reporter.

Movies/Television

Sarah Palin to Host Outdoors Show on Sportsman Channel

Post author By reco valeriano
Post date December 10, 2013

Sarah Palin really enjoyed her reality television debut because she is back for more. The former vice presidential candidate will be hosting a new show on the Sportsman Channel come April 2014. Amazing America with Sarah Palin will explore some of the most original and interesting people, places and pastimes connected to outdoor lifestyles in America. Sarah Palin has been portrayed as an outdoors enthusiast in the past, so this new hosting gig is quite fitting for the Alaskan native.

Sarah Palin first made her reality television contribution with Sarah Palin’s Alaska, which aired on TLC in 2010. The show only lasted for one season, but she portrayed her Alaskan spirit and passion for the outdoors and the lifestyle that comes with it. The Sportsman Channel ordered a 12-episode season for Amazing America with Sarah Palin. Other popular programming for this cable channel is geared towards people interested in fishing, hunting and shooting.

Sarah Palin’s television resume also includes her role on Fox News up until late 2012, but then returning shortly after in June 2013 as a contributor. Her political experience includes her role as the Governor of Alaska from 2006 to 2009, and the vice presidential nominee in the 2008 presidential election.

View full story at The Hollywood Reporter.

Tags fishing, Fox News, Fox News contributor, hunting, Sarah Palin, Sarah Palin's Alaska, shooting, Sportsman Channel, TLC, Amazing America, Amazing America with Sarah Palin

Movies/Television

‘Californication’ Cancelled After Seventh Season

Post author By reco valeriano
Post date December 9, 2013

Showtime has announced that their hit series 'Californication' will be cancelled after its 7th season next year. — David Duchovny is the star of Showtime’s dark comedy ‘Californication,’ which will premiere its 7th and final season next year.

All good things come to an end, and Californication is no exception. Showtime’s hit television series has announced that the April 2014 premiere of their 7th season will be their last. The dark comedy quickly became Showtime’s longest-running series and was honored with two Emmys during its run. Californication fans will hopefully find closure as the network plans for the show’s final season to neatly wrap up the lives of the characters.

Californication is based on Hank Moody, played by David Duchovny, who is a novelist balancing the fast paced life of Los Angeles and his family and friends. Hank’s never ending adventures with women, drugs and his best friend/agent have made for an exciting six seasons thus far.

The series was created by Tom Kapinos and was picked up by Showtime in 2007. Earlier this year they considered doing a spinoff featuring Maggie Grace’s religious groupie Faith, but have since decided against it. Californication will join Showtime’s other shows cancelled this year, including The Big C, Dexter and The Borgias.

What is there to look forward to on Showtime? Newcomer Trending Down, a pilot by Philip Seymour Hoffman will be joining the ranks of favorite returners such as Episodes, House of Lies and Shameless.

View full story at The Hollywood Reporter.

Tags Hank Moody, Hollywood Happenings, House of Lies, Maggie Grace, Television, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Los Angeles, Shameless, Emmy's, The Big C, Showtime, Tom Kapinos, Californication, Trending Down, David Duchovny, Dexter, Episodes

Movies/Television

Jenji Kohan is Back for HBO

Post author By reco valeriano
Post date December 6, 2013

The creator of 'Weeds' and 'Orange is the New Black,' Jenji Kohan, is working on her next project for HBO. — The creator of ‘Weeds’ and ‘Orange is the New Black,’ Jenji Kohan, is working on her next project for HBO.

We all loved Weeds and Orange is the New Black, and now the mastermind behind both hit television series, Jenji Kohan, is back. Kohan was the creator of Showtime’s Weeds and the co-creator of Netflix’s original series Orange is the New Black, and we will be seeing her now as she begins work on a new drama on HBO. The new untitled Salem drama is a period piece that will explore the circumstances surrounding the witch hysteria in American history. The segment of Salem’s history that pitted neighbors against neighbors and set everyone into a mass hysteria interested Kohan, and she hopes to explore this with her already large fan base.

She will be writing the bewitching story with Bruce Miller and Tracy Miller, and she and Bruce will be executive producing as well. The show will be premiering on HBO, and Kohan will be working on the project with Lionsgate TV where she has an overall deal.

The untitled drama comes as Jenji is in the middle of production with the second season of acclaimed hit series, Orange is the New Black.

Other projects in the works at HBO include Ryan Murphy’s Open and another newcomer, The Leftovers.

View full story at The Hollywood Reporter.

Tags witch, HBO, The Leftovers, Jenji Kohan, Lionsgate TV, Open, Ryan Murphy, Salem, Netflix, Showtime, Television, Tracy Miller, Los Angeles, Weeds, Orange is the New Black

Movies/Television HPC News Hollywood News

‘Looking’ to Premiere on HBO in January

Post author By reco valeriano
Post date December 4, 2013

HBO's new drama-comedy 'Looking' will premiere on Sunday, January 19, 2014. — HBO’s new drama-comedy ‘Looking’ will premiere on Sunday, January 19, 2014.

HPC News – Hollywood Production Center is once again happy announce that we have been joined by an exciting television project. Mission Street Productions has moved into the Hollywood Production Center offices, and they are currently working on a new series for HBO titled Looking. This half hour drama-comedy will follow the lives of a group of gay men living in San Francisco as they deal with dating in the digital age and growing older in the gay community. The three gay best friends will be played by Jonathan Groff, Frankie J. Alvarez and Murray Bartlett.

The eight-episode series was filmed in San Francisco at the start of fall. Looking was created by Michael Lannen, who is also attached as co-executive producer, and is directed by Andrew Haigh. Haigh and Sarah Condon serve as executive producers. Looking will premiere on Sunday, January 19, 2014 on HBO.

HBO’s other popular drama-comedy Girls will premiere its 3rd season January 12, 2014. Other new television shows on HBO’s schedule is True Detective and The Leftovers.

Check out the trailer for Looking here.

View full story at The Hollywood Reporter.

Tags Looking, Television, Michael Lannen, Los Angeles, Mission Street Productions, San Francisco, Murray Bartlett, premiere, Sarah Condon, trailer, The Leftovers, Hollywood, HBO, Andrew Haigh, Hollywood Happenings, Frankie J. Alvarez, Girls, Hollywood Production Center, Jonathan Groff

Glendale News Movies/Television HPC News

HPC Welcomes Amazon’s ‘Bosch’

Post author By reco valeriano
Post date December 2, 2013

Titus __ will be starring in Amazon's newest television series, 'Bosch.' The new show will premiere in March fort — Titus Welliver will be starring in Amazon’s newest television series, ‘Bosch.’ The pilot will premiere in 2014 for viewer feedback.

HPC News – Another tenant at the Hollywood Production Center is the team for a new television drama pilot, Bosch. The pilot was ordered by Amazon Studios who is looking to quickly expand its original programming. After focusing mostly on comedies and kids programming, Amazon is moving towards drama with Bosch, a police procedural based on Michael Connelly’s books. Michael Connelly has created a character named Harry Bosch, a veteran Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective who is pursuing a killer, while also standing trial in federal court himself. The Bosch character has been at the center of 20 novels by Connelly, and will be played by Lost and Sons of Anarchy alum Titus Welliver. He will also be joined by Annie Wersching, Amy Price-Francis and Jamie Hector as costars.

The pilot was written by Connelly and Treme co-creator Eric Overmyer, who are executive producing with Fabrik’s Henrik Bastin and Mikkel Bondesen. Jim McKay is attached to direct.

The pilot will be available on Amazon Instant Video for viewer feedback in early 2014.

View full story at Deadline.