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Hollywood News Movies/Television HPC News

HPC Welcomes After Dark Films

After Dark Films has moved into HPC to work on their latest project, 'Re-Kill.'
After Dark Films has moved into HPC to work on their latest project, ‘Re-Kill.’

HPC News – A new tenant has moved into Hollywood Production Center, and that is After Dark Films, a horror, original and action film production company and distributor founded by Courtney Solomon. The company is currently working on a horror film called Re-Kill, which is a found-footage zombie film. The footage is of the brave men and women of R-division who must find and destroy zombies. It is five years after the initial Outbreak and just as they begin to think they are almost clear of the disease, they see signs of a second Outbreak. They begin to worry that humanity may not be able to survive a second round of this epidemic. The movie is said to be shot in a wartime documentary style, and is in the vein of 28 Days Later.

Re-Kill marks Valerie Milev’s directorial debut. The film was written by Michael Hurst, who is also credited for House of the Dead 2 and Pumpkinhead: Blood Feud.

After Dark Film’s Courtney Solomon current work includes directing the 2013 film Getaway, starring Ethan Hawke, Selena Gomez and Jon Voight. Re-Kill will be a collaborative effort between After Dark Films and Valerie Milev. The project was put on pause during post-production as the teams worked on different projects, but they are expecting a theatrical release early in 2014.

View full story at IMDB.com.

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Movies/Television Celebrity News HPC News Glendale News

Wanda Sykes is Bringing Back ‘Last Comic Standing’

Wanda Sykes of Push It Productions will be executive producing NBC's 'Last Comic Standing,' which is set to air in summer 2014.
Wanda Sykes of Push It Productions will be executive producing NBC’s ‘Last Comic Standing,’ which is set to air in summer 2014.

HPC News – Hollywood Production Center is currently housing Push It Productions, which is run by the powerful duo Wanda Sykes and Page Hurwitz. Following a three-year absence, NBC is bringing back Last Comic Standing, and Push It Productions is on board to produce the show. Wanda Sykes and Page Hurwitz are attached as executive producers, continuing Hurwitz’s relationship with the series as executive producer from 2006 to 2010.

The eighth season of Last Comic Standing, an unscripted comedic competition series is set to be aired on NBC in the summer of 2014. The show first started in 2003 and ran seven seasons until 2010. The show is being revived, and the network is once again bringing together top comedians from across the country to compete in a series of comedic challenges each week until one comedian is left standing with a development contract with NBC and a television special on Comedy Central.

Push It Productions inked the overall deal with Universal Television’s alternative studio in April. Wanda Syke’s credits include a long stand-up comedy career complete with three Emmy Awards and television work, such as HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, Fox’s The Wanda Sykes Show, Comedy Central’s Wanda Does It. Hurwitz’s own resume includes work on OWN’s The Rosie Show and NBC’s The Marriage Ref.

View full story at The Hollywood Reporter.

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Movies/Television

Disney to Bring us ‘The Princess Bride’

William Goldman's 'The Princess Bride' will be get a stage production with Disney.
William Goldman’s ‘The Princess Bride’ will be get a stage production with Disney.

Disney Theatrical Productions will be teaming up with William Goldman on a musical based on his 1973 fairy tale and 1987 screenplay, The Princess Bride. The Rob Reiner film is a cult classic, and so many fans were happy to hear the news.  The project was attempted a few years ago, but that fell through, and now Alan Horn of Walt Disney Studios is leading the project. It has not been decided whether The Princess Bride will be made into a musical or a play, but Disney’s successful history with musicals may point it in that direction.

Told by an old man to his grandson, the story is a comic tale of love and adventure as a beautiful woman engaged to an evil prince is kidnapped on the eve of her wedding by her farmboy lover. The Reiner film starred Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin and Chris Sarandon. It was produced by Reiner and Andrew Scheinman and executive produced by Norman Lear.

One of the Disney theatrical division’s most successful musical had been The Lion King, which recently passed the $1 billion box office mark on Broadway. Disney will be opening its newest stage musical, Aladdin, which is set to debut in March.

View full story at The Hollywood Reporter.

 

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HPC News Glendale News Movies/Television

MTV’s ‘Finding Carter’ Found its Home at HPC

U.K.'s 'Skins' star Kathryn Prescott will star in MTV's upcoming drama 'Finding Carter.'
U.K.’s ‘Skins’ star Kathryn Prescott will star in MTV’s upcoming drama ‘Finding Carter.’

HPC News – There are a lot of new faces at the Hollywood Production Center, and that includes New Remote Productions who is working on a new television pilot for MTV called Finding Carter. The new drama centers on a teenage girl, Carter who has the perfect life being the center of attention at school and living with her fun-loving single mother. Things take a dramatic turn when a police bust reveals that Carter’s supposed mother abducted her as a toddler. Carter now has to navigate the struggles of high school and boys while adapting to her recently discovered biological family, which includes a twin sister and police detective mother.

Kathryn Prescott, known as Emily on the U.K.’s Skins will star as Carter. Lost alumna Cynthia Watros recently announced her role as Carter’s biological mother, and Alexis Denisof from Much Ado About Nothing will play her father.

Emily Silver and Terri Minsky’s Finding Carter was picked up alongside cyber thriller, Eye Candy from the horror producer Jason Blum. These two drama pilot orders come just behind two comedy pickups, Faking It and Happyland, while a Scream series adaptation continues to be in the works. MTV is continuing to expand its scripted lineup, with past successes including Awkward and Teen Wolf.

View full story at The Hollywood Reporter.

 

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HPC News Hollywood News Movies/Television

Kevin Williamson of ‘The Following’ and ‘The Vampire Diaries’

Kevin Williamson, the creator of 'The Following' and 'The Vampire Diaries' discusses the uprising trend of horror with The Hollywood Reporter.
Kevin Williamson, the creator of ‘The Following’ and ‘The Vampire Diaries’ discusses the uprising trend of horror with The Hollywood Reporter.

HPC News – The Hollywood Production Center is home to FOX’s The Following and The CW’s The Vampire Diaries, and Kevin Williamson, the creator of both shows was recently featured in The Hollywood Reporter. Williamson spoke to them about movies that have scared him the most, which he said was The Exorcist when he was a kid, and now as an adult Hostile. In discussing the uprising trend of the horror genre, Williamson talked about the recent popularity of ‘found footage’ as seen in the Paranormal Activity franchise, while the young adult demographic has seen a rise in the theme of a post-apocalyptic world. Kevin Williamson’s horror background also includes working on the Scream franchise, as well I Know What You Did Last Summer.

The Hollywood Reporter crew came to the Hollywood Production Center and filmed the entire piece in our spacious conference room. The day also included a photo shoot focusing on Williamson’s recent success with The Following. The hit serial killer drama revolves around an ex-FBI agent (played by Kevin Bacon) who tries to track down a serial killer who escaped prison and is growing a huge cult following. The Following was reordered for a second season and has put out a teaser for their new season that is expected to premiere on January 20, 2014.

Watch Kevin Williamson’s interview with The Hollywood Reporter here.
Watch The Following season 2 teaser here.

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HPC News Hollywood News Movies/Television

Xbox Entertainment’s First Unscripted Series

Xbox Entertainment's first unscripted television series will be working out of HPC.
Xbox Entertainment’s first unscripted television series will be working out of HPC.

HPC News – HPC has opened its doors to a new tenant Red Card Productions as they work on an unscripted series with Xbox Entertainment Studios, Every Street United. Each episode of Every Street United will be shot in a different country and will focus on one undiscovered local street soccer player. In a finale episode, they will feature each of the top players as they play a soccer match against each other at the ultimate soccer destination, the 2014 World Cup in Rio de Janeiro.

Xbox’s original programming comes as the Xbox One console was unveiled in May and they announced their Halo-based drama series was to be produced by Steven Speilberg. Just as Halo will be based off of the wildly popular video game, Every Street United finds its base off of the popularity of sporting video games. Documentary filmmaker Jonathan Hock (ESPN’s 30 For 30) is attached to direct a portion of the series, which will be executive produced by Mike Tollin and Jon Weinbach.

The reality show is expected to be shot in countries such as Spain, Holland, France Argentina, Brazil, Ghana and South Korea. The show will also be featuring a global interactive component when it eventually airs on Xbox.

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Movies/Television

You Can Now Watch TV on Twitter

Twitter's CEO Dick Costolo is in talks with NBCU and Comcast for the new "See It" feature.
Twitter’s CEO Dick Costolo is in talks with NBCU and Comcast for the new “See It” feature.

NBCUniversal announced last month that they have partnered with Twitter to bring television to the booming social media platform. Expected to begin this month, Comcast engineers created a new feature that will be available to millions of Xfinity customers called “See It.” Twitter users will be able to access TV shows, movies, and sports directly from a tweet, which will give them the option to “See It.” In addition, customers can set their DVR or even buy theater tickets through Fandango. The technology will cover the various NBCU networks including NBC, CNBC, USA, Syfy, Bravo, Oxygen and E!.

This partnership comes amid Twitter’s move towards being the social media platform for television. Twitter compliments the live viewing experience, which has lured Comcast into drawing up a deal. Comcast wants “See It” to be an instant online remote control, which they hope will get the audience even more engaged with what they are watching.

This partnership also brings to light a new forum for advertising. They are hoping that NBCU’s advertising clients will see the benefit of “See It” and lead them to expand their TV and digital sponsorships to Twitter. Comcast and Twitter are already in talks with distribution partners and television networks to use this “See It” feature to promote their content.

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Glendale News Movies/Television Celebrity News HPC News Hollywood News

‘How to Make Love Like an Englishman’ Continues Filming

Jessica Alba and Ben McKenzie were filming for 'How to Make Love Like an Englishman' this weekend in Malibu.
Jessica Alba and Ben McKenzie were filming for ‘How to Make Love Like an Englishman’ this weekend in Malibu.

HPC News – HPC welcomes the team for How to Make Love Like an Englishman, an upcoming film starring Pierce Brosnan, Jessica Alba, Salma Hayek and Ben McKenzie. The movie is about a Cambridge University professor who finds a woman who is his ideal match, forcing him to reevaluate his life of hedonistic excess, which comes after he impregnates her grad student stepsister. The romantic comedy was written by Matthew Newman and will be directed by Tom Vaughan. Brosnan will star as the professor, Hayek as his love interest and Jessica Alba as the stepsister.

Production for How to Make Love Like an Englishman began earlier last month and Jessica Alba and Ben McKenzie were spotted this weekend in Malibu filming for the movie. The film takes place in Los Angeles, so the crew decided to keep filming local as they wrap up filming in early November. The project is a co-production between Palmstar Media Capital, Southpaw Entertainment, Irish Dreamtime and Envision.

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Movies/Television Celebrity News HPC News Glendale News

The Horror Continues with ‘Incarnate’

Aaron Eckhart is attached to star as the exorcist in Jason Blum's latest horror film, 'Incarnate.'
Aaron Eckhart is attached to star as the exorcist in Jason Blum’s latest horror film, ‘Incarnate.’

HPC News – HPC is happy to once again welcome a fantastic upcoming film to its offices. Blumhouse Productions is preparing for the next big horror film, Incarnate. Incarnate will revolve around an unconventional exorcist who can tap into the subconscious of the possessed until he meets his match, a 9-year old boy possessed by a demon from his past. Aaron Eckhart is attached to star as the exorcist and Catalina Sandino Moreno was recently added to the project to star alongside him.

The film comes on the heels of Blumhouse’s Jason Blum’s latest successful horror project, Insidious: Chapter 2. Jason Blum, founder of Blumhouse Productions, has a long resume that includes Paranormal Activity, The Purge and Sinister among others. The company is known for its low-budget, high earning horror genre films that have received huge acclaim in the past couple of years. Jason Blum will act as producer and Brad Peyton will take the role of director on the script written by Ronnie Christensen. Production is set to start this month.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television

NBC Orders ‘Growing Ivy’ Pilot

NBC has ordered the pilot 'Growing Ivy,' which will star the mother-daughter duo Susan Sarandon and Eva.
NBC has ordered the pilot ‘Growing Ivy,’ which will star the mother-daughter duo Susan Sarandon and Eva Amurri Martino.

NBC has just ordered a pilot production of a comedy series starring the mother and daughter duo Susan Sarandon and Eva Amurri Martino. Growing Ivy is a comedy based on an original idea from Eva. The show will revolve around Ivy, a Type A personality who craves the stability she lacked in her childhood, and as a way to fix her life she invites her mother to move in with her to fix their relationship. Growing Ivy will be the third time Sarandon and Amurri play mother and daughter onscreen; they first appeared together in the 2002 The Banger Sisters and will also be seen in the upcoming indie film Mother’s Day.

Eva Amurri Martino will be writing the script alongside Will McCormack and his writing-producing partner Rashida Jones. McCormack and Jones will executive produce the comedy via Warner Brothers Television and Martino and Sarandon will be on board as co-executive producers as well. The WBTV duo came together after their work on Celeste and Jesse Forever and are preparing The Revengers for The CW, Stuck for FOX and A to Z for NBC.

The single-camera comedy project Growing Ivy has not started production yet and has not received a premiere date as of yet.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television

Netflix Picks up a Psychological Thriller

Todd, Blah and Blah's new psychological thriller has been picked up by Netflix as part of its original programming.
Todd A. Kessler, Daniel Zelman and Glenn Kessler’s new psychological thriller has been picked up by Netflix as part of its original programming.

Netflix is a streaming platform that has recently dived into original programming. With their shows being so well received, it is no surprise that Netflix has ordered a 13-episode psychological thriller for its next series. They have ordered the new show from Todd A. Kessler, Daniel Zelman and Glenn Kessler, the creators of Damages. The untitled new show will focus on a family of adult siblings whose past issues and secrets arise with the return of their black sheep brother. In a joint statement by the trio of co-creators, they said “the series is a tightly wound thriller that explores the complex bonds between parents and children, brothers and sisters, and the rivalries, jealousies, and betrayals at the core of every family.” The television thriller is set to start production in early 2014.

Netflix began its expansion into original programming earlier this year with Emmy-winning House of Cards, which received a two season order right from the start. This show was followed by Hemlock Grove and Orange is the New Black, which each received a season renewal after shortly after the premiere.

The three co-creators found success in their 2007 Damages, which aired on FX for three seasons before finishing off its final two on DirecTV. It received 20 Emmy nominations in its five season run.  

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Hollywood News Movies/Television

The Bear is Back for ‘Ted 2’

Ted 2 is set to be released June 26, 2015. Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane will be returning as the cast.
Ted 2 is set to be released June 26, 2015. Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane will be returning as the cast.

The vulgar yet lovable teddy bear is back for Ted 2. The comedy sequel is set to be released on June 26, 2015 with Seth MacFarlane returning to co-write, direct and co-star as the bear’s voice. Ted 2 is set to be released by Universal and Media Rights Capital, and Mark Wahlberg is expected to return as the bear’s childhood owner.

Ted was released in the summer of 2012 and grossed $54.4 million its opening weekend and has since grossed over $218 million domestically as of October 2013. The movie went on to become the 12th-highest-grossing film of the year and the highest-grossing original R-rated comedy of all time. The movie starred Mark Wahlberg across from Mila Kunis and Seth MacFarlane. The movie guest starred Nora Jones and Sam J. Jones as Flash Gordon.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television

Syfy Follows Up with ‘Avalanche Sharks’

Syfy released the trailer to their newest shark film 'Avalanche Sharks.'
Syfy released the trailer to their newest shark film ‘Avalanche Sharks.’

We all remember when Sharknado came out this summer and all of the social media buzz it created, and Syfy has decided to take advantage of it. Syfy recently released the trailer of their latest shark-based horror film, Avalanche Sharks. This time around, the setting for the freak-shark attacks is the snow covered mountains of a small mountain town during spring break. Spring breakers come to the mountain for drunken debauchery, that is until an avalanche awakens a large prehistoric Snow Shark that starts to terrorize the mountain.

Syfy hasn’t announced a release date for Avalanche Sharks yet, but we can expect it to be soon while the shark-craze is still going. The new movie is directed by Scott Wheeler and produced by Odyssey Media and Pulser Productions.

Check out the ‘Avalanche Sharks’ trailer here.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television

Cruella de Vil is Back

Aline Brosh McKenna will writing the script for one of Disney's newest movies 'Cruella.'
Aline Brosh McKenna will writing the script for one of Disney’s newest movies ‘Cruella.’

Cruella de Vil was made famous as the dog-fur-loving villain in the 1961 animated film 101 Dalmations and she is coming back for her very own movie. The new Disney movie Cruella will be centered around Cruella de Vil and her villainous tendencies. The news comes after the studio made Maleficent, set to release in 2014, which is based on the infamous Sleeping Beauty villain, Maleficent. Cruella will be one of Disney’s latest live-action take on one of its classic animated films. Along with Maleficent and Alice, Disney will also be remaking Cinderella, which just went into principal photography.

Aline Brosh McKenna, the writer for Cinderella has been selected to write and produce this new movie. Disney realized that no one knows Cruella de Vil better than Glenn Close who played the character in 1996 film – and returned again in 2000 for the sequel – so she will be act as executive producer for this film. McKenna may be best known for her adaption of The Devil Wears Prada. The writer just finished up the script for Annie, which she is currently casting for.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television

A Look Back at Buster Keaton

Arguably one of the best films made, Buster Keaton left a lasting legacy with his acting in 'The General'
Arguably one of the best films made, Buster Keaton left a lasting legacy with his acting in ‘The General’

A look back at…

Today we’re taking a look back at Buster Keaton, a revolutionary in the film and television business. Born Joseph Frank “Buster” Keaton, Buster was known as a comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He is still known best for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a stoic, deadpan expression that got him the nickname The Great Stone Face.

The Saphead was released in 1920, which was Buster’s first starring role in a full-length feature. After much success in comedy, his partner gave him his own production unit, and it wasn’t long until he was making his own full-length films. The General (1926) is considered today one of his greatest works as an actor, although at the time the movie did poorly in the box office and was harshly reviewed by critics.

Buster’s legacy lives on, proof being his two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard. He received one star for his motion pictures and the other for television. In 2012, The Ultimate Buster Keaton Collection was released, which included 14-disk set of Keaton’s best work, including eleven of his feature films, among other things. Buster Keaton left a mark on the film industry, and his human acrobatics and larger than life choreography will continue to live on.

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HPC News Hollywood News Movies/Television

‘The Bridge’ Season Finale

'The Bridge' season finale airs on Wednesday, October 2 on FX.
‘The Bridge’ season finale airs on Wednesday, October 2 on FX.

Creative Casting has found its home at the Hollywood Production Center. Their resume is long and ever expanding, but one of their most recent projects is FX’s new romantic comedy pilot You’re the Worst. They also recently worked on a casting project for The Bridge, which premiered on FX earlier this summer.

The Bridge was a big project for Creative Casting, as it turned out to be a huge hit for summer television this year. The drama television series debuted in July and was already renewed for a second season to air in 2014. The Bridge is based on two police detectives who investigate a serial killer that is menacing the United States and Mexico with murders along the Texas-Chihuahua border. With over 3 million viewers on the series premiere date, this show truly boosted the summer television lineup. The season finale of The Bridge is set to air on Wednesday, October 2.

Congratulations on the great work, Creative Casting!

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Movies/Television HPC News Hollywood News

Da Vinci’s Demons Takes Home Two Emmys

Da Vinci's Demons won 2 Emmy awards at this year's Emmys Award Show.
Da Vinci’s Demons won 2 Emmy awards at this year’s Emmys Award Show.

The Emmys this year brought together spectacular work in the television industry, and Da Vinci’s Demons was no exception. The Starz hit television drama was nominated this year for three categories: Outstanding Main Title Design, Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music and Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Supporting Role. Da Vinci’s Demons was ecstatic to take home two wins (Cinemax’s Banshee won Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Supporting Role), and this momentum will carry them into their second season that is set to premiere in 2014. 

Bear McCreary is the mastermind behind the Da Vinci’s Demons’ theme music, which he wanted to be sure spoke to the main character, Leonardo da Vinci. In true form, McCreary made the opening titles music a palindrome – it sounds the same whether you play it forward or backwards – which was in ode to da Vinci’s legendary backward writing. With such creative form, it is no wonder Da Vinci’s Demons took home the Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music award.

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Movies/Television HPC News Hollywood News

The Vampire Diaires and The Originals Oct. 2 Premiere

The CW's The Vampire Diaries and The Originals will be premiering Thursday, October 3.
The CW’s The Vampire Diaries and The Originals will premiere Thursday, October 3.

The CW will be joining the big networks in releasing their new and returning fall shows this October. Two big front runners for the network are The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, which are both set to premiere on Thursday, October 3.

The Vampire Diaries is a supernatural drama that delves into the world of vampires as we see what happens when the human world and the supernatural world mix. The show first premiered in 2009 and will be premiering its fifth season this October. Elena (Nina Dobrev) falls in love with the 163-year-old vampire Stefan (Paul Wesley) who refuses to drink human blood, a vegetarian by vampire standards. Stefan’s brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder) also falls for Elena, which isn’t the worst of their problems when they find out one of Elena’s best friends is a witch and the other has been turned into a vampire.

The Originals is The CW’s newest vampire drama, and it is a spin-off of their hit series The Vampire Diaries. The Originals picks up with The Vampire Diaries’ Mikaelson siblings who are known in the supernatural world as the original vampires. The Original Family will be moving to New Orleans to continue to wreak havoc in the human world, while the egotistical brother Klaus works to take his place as king of the supernatural one. The Originals will premiere after The Vampire Diaries on Thursday, October 3 before moving to its regular Tuesday night time slot on October 8.  

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Hollywood News Movies/Television

Superheros aren’t Just for Movies

James Gordon will have his own show on FOX called 'Gotham,' which was ordered by the network.
‘Batman’ character Commissioner James Gordon will have his own show on FOX called ‘Gotham,’ which was ordered by the network earlier this week.

FOX just announced that they have ordered a series based on the comic book story of Batman. The straight-to-series comic book drama set to be called Gotham will serve as a prequel and will focus on the life of comic book character Commissioner James Gordon. Gotham City’s most notable police officer will get his time in the spot light, in addition to the villains who made this city famous. Because this story will take place before Gordon has met Batman, the superhero will not be involved in the series.

The series was written by Bruno Heller who is also set to be executive producer. Gotham marks the latest comic book adaptation at FOX, but they are also currently working on adapting Vertigo’s comic League of Extraordinary Gentleman. We will also soon be seeing Boom Studios’ comic Unthinkable on the table.

If you thought that TV would be safe from all of the superhero bonanza, you will find that you are terribly wrong. The CW is already premiering its second season of Arrow next month, with an imminent spin-off called Flash. If all goes well, we will also be seeing Amazon, which is a potential Wonder Woman prequel series.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television HPC News

With the Fall Season Comes Fall TV

CBS, NBC and ABC will start their fall TV premieres this week, joining FOX that started last week and the CW that will start next week.
CBS, NBC and ABC will start their fall TV premieres this week, joining FOX that started last week and the CW that will start next week.

This week is kicking off with the majority of networks premiering their new television shows alongside their beloved returners. While Fox had its premiere week last week, the rest of the networks are just catching up. This week CBS, NBC and ABC joined in to round off the big 4 networks for fall television in 2013. The CW network will soon be joining in as well with their premieres starting on October 3rd and continuing into the next week.

What shows should you be looking forward to? If you’ve been up with TV thus far, you’ll understand just how exciting it is for CBS’ How I Met Your Mother to be back for its final season after the Mother was revealed to viewers during last season’s finale. Zooey Deschanel has made her way into everyone’s hearts as the “adorkable” girl in New Girl, and with the new budding romance with Nick, everyone will be tuning in to see if these lovebirds can make it. Other returners garnering buzz are The Big Bang Theory, Nashville and Parks and Recreation.

We know we’re ready to try a new show, and with that we can’t wait for the CW’s The Originals to air. The show is a spin-off of the hit show Vampire Diaries, and is a continuation of the lives of the original vampire family. The Originals is set to premiere Thursday, October 3.

Check out the rest of the television calendar here: http://www.tvguide.com/special/fall-preview/calendar.aspx?wcid=15.

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Celebrity News Hollywood News Movies/Television

The Results are in for the Emmys

Downtown LA – The Emmys saw a lot of action last night in Downtown Los Angeles. The huge award show everyone was waiting for saw a lot of surprises, and overall, the best man (or woman) took home the award. One of the biggest categories that was surrounded by speculation was who was going to win the Outstanding Drama Series category. With terrific television shows in the category, such as Homeland, Breaking Bad and House of Cards, everyone knew it was going to be a tight race. With surprising losses by Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul in their respective categories, it came as a great reward when Breaking Bad was announced the winner.

Other notable moments was Modern Family continuing its winning streak as they received the Outstanding Comedy Series award. The Variety Show category welcomed a newcomer as The Colbert Show took home the win. This year, The Voice won the title of best Reality-Competition Program, while Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn from Project Runway were given the award for best Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program.

With Neil Patrick Harris as host there were plenty of laughs to be had, and Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were never far from making their next joke, although both ladies were nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, but the title went to Julia Louis-Dreyfus of Veep.

Check out the full list of nominees and winners here: http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners.

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Celebrity News HPC News Hollywood News Movies/Television

The Emmy’s are Here at Last

The Emmy's will air on Sunday, September 22 at 8pm. Neil Patrick Harris is set to host.
The Emmy’s will air on Sunday, September 22 at 8pm. Neil Patrick Harris is set to host. Tina Fey and Allison Williams (pictures above) both received nominations.

Hollywood – The much awaited event of the season, the Emmy’s, will take place on Sunday, September 22 at 8pm. This year will mark the 65th year for the Emmy’s, and with host Neil Patrick Harris they have not missed a beat. The multi-Grammy Award winner Elton John who earlier this week performed at the University of Southern California (USC) will be performing on the Primetime Emmy Awards stage.

The Hollywood Reporter has kicked off Emmy festivities with its Nominees Night on Thursday, September 19 at the Garden Terrace of Soho House in West Hollywood. Showrunners, actors and executives alike joined to celebrate the imminent event with both excitement and anxiousness. Tina Fey, Aaron Sorkin, Vince Gilligan and Matthew Weiner were among the talent there.

The categories span across various genres, comedy, drama, miniseries/movie, variety/music and reality, and within each genre there are three to nine categories. There has been a lot of talk surrounding these nominations and who deserves to win, but it will not be decided until Sunday. Front runners with various nominations in multiple categories is Homeland, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey and House of Cards to name just a few.

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Movies/Television Celebrity News

The New Faces of ‘SNL’

The new cast for the 39th season of "Saturday Night Live" was revealed this week. The season premiere is Saturday, September 28.
The newest additions to the cast for the 39th season of “Saturday Night Live” was revealed this week. The season premiere is Saturday, September 28.

Saturday Night Live has been on the air since 1975, and they have recently announced exciting information about their newest upcoming season. The 39th season of SNL will be airing on Saturday, September 28, and will be showcasing a group of 6 new castmembers. Beck Bennett, Kyle Mooney, John Milhiser, Noel Wells, Brooks Wheelan and Mike O’Brien will all be appearing on the new season next Saturday. These additions mark the most sweeping changes NBC has made to the show in its 39-season history. The Saturday Night Live premiere will have Tina Fey as the host and will feature Arcade Fire as the musical performance.

While most of these castmembers are all new to SNL, Mike O’Brien has a history with the late-night live television sketch comedy. Mike has been part of the writing department for the past 4 seasons, so he should be very comfortable as the new season starts. Another newcomer, Brook Wheelan was a late add-on, but the Los Angeles-based stand-up comedian is ready for the challenge. The show has a long history of casting stand-ups, such as Norm Macdonald, Colin Quinn and Chris Rock, all of whom had more than enough charisma and wit for the show.

Saturday Night Live also received big news earlier this summer when it was announced that their long-time castmember Seth Meyers was offered to host Late Night on NBC that will be starting in February. It has not been confirmed whether he will be leaving SNL altogether.

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Movies/Television Hollywood News

Season 16 of “Big Brother”

"Big Brother" has been renewed for a 15th season that will air next summer.
“Big Brother” has been renewed for a 16th season that will air next summer on CBS.

Big Brother is a television reality game show that has been a hit since it first premiered in 2000 on CBS.  With the 15th season wrapping up this week, it was only fitting for the network to announce the show’s renewal for a 16th season that is set to air next summer. Big Brother has been going strong for 14 years and the airing of the September 5th episode this month marked the show’s 500th episode.

The show follows a group of HouseGuests who live, eat and sleep in the Big Brother House, isolated from the outside world and under constant video camera surveillance for 3 months. The HouseGuests compete in a series of competitions throughout the season for a chance at the grand prize of $500,000. The group of HouseGuests vote each other off each week, and at the end of the season when there are only 2 contestants left, the last seven evicted become the “Jury of Seven” that will choose who wins the grand prize. The game is especially interesting because while contestants fight to outlast everyone in the show, they must also avoid burning any bridges because in order to win they need the most allies.

Julie Chen has been the host of Big Brother since its first season. The show is executive produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Alison Grodner and Rich Meehan for Fly in the Wall Entertainment.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television

Celebrating 75 Years with “The Wizard of Oz”

"The Wizard of Oz" celebrated its 75 year anniversary at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
“The Wizard of Oz” celebrated its 75 year anniversary at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

Dorothy and Toto have been an icon to American culture, and this weekend The Wizard of Oz celebrated its 75 year anniversary. This Sunday, Warner Bros. held a special screening of the movie at the grand reopening of the Chinese Theater in Hollywood. The film first premiered at the Chinese Theater in 1939, so its return there was a historical moment. Warner Bros. converted the adjacent theater lobby, Chinese 6, into Emerald City with a crystal green theme and various movie related stations, such as Oz-themed video games, a lion-sized cupcake station and a life-size wax figure of Judy Garland as Dorothy. Warner Bros. also launched earlier this summer a $25 million campaign that included a McDonald’s Happy Meal collection, an Imax release and various consumer products.

The event would not be complete without a special guest appearance from an original cast member, Ruth Duccini who played one of the Munchkins. Ruth is one of only two surviving Munchkin actors, which she played when she was only 20 years old.

The Chinese Theater closed its doors earlier this summer as it underwent a renovation project. The theater is now home to the largest Imax auditorium in the world, adding a great asset to a theater already renowned for all of the Hollywood movie premieres that take place there.

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Movies/Television HPC News Celebrity News

“Welcome to Me” is a Hit at TIFF

"Welcome to Me" screened this week at the Toronto International Film Festival and has been picked up by D Films.
“Welcome to Me” screened this week at the Toronto International Film Festival and has been picked up by D Films.

Hollywood Production Center has recently been home to the production studio working on the much awaited film Welcome to Me starring Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell. The movie was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival that kicked off earlier last week. The 11-day-long festival has screened various movies full of potential, and Welcome to Me is no exception. D Films has acquired the Canadian distribution rights to Welcome to Me soon after its screening at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The dramatic comedy examines society’s obsession with fame through Kristen Wiig’s character who has a dissociative personality disorder, and soon after winning the lottery she spends all her money on a talk show about herself. The cast also includes Will Ferrell, Linda Cardellini, Tim Robbins and Joan Cusack.

The movie is produced by Gary Sanchez Productions, for who Will Ferrell is a producer for on this project as well. Shira Piven directed the film that was based on Eliot Laurence’s screenplay. The film has no set release date in Canada or the United States.

Read more here: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/toronto-d-films-snags-canadian-628931.

 

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Hollywood News Movies/Television

Breaking Bad Fans Welcome “Better Call Saul”

"Better Call Saul" will officially be the "Breaking Bad" spin-off with the lawyer, Saul Goodman.
“Better Call Saul” will officially be the “Breaking Bad” spin-off as the series wraps up its final season.

While many fans mourn the imminent end of Breaking Bad, AMC has offered a way to ease the pain. AMC has announced that they are moving forward with their Breaking Bad spin-off that will be based on the ever-meddling lawyer, Saul Goodman. The show has been announced with the working title Better Call Saul and will be a prequel that focuses on the Saul Goodman character before he became Walter and Jesse’s lawyer.

Bob Odenkirk will be the star of the show as he returns as Saul. Vince Gilligan, the mastermind and creator of Breaking Bad will stay tied to this new project, which he expressed enthusiasm for. The series has not been formally ordered by AMC, but they are expecting to finalize soon.

The news comes as Breaking Bad airs its final episodes this month. The series finale is set to air on Sunday, September 29. AMC has a lot going on with the recent news of Mad Men finishing its 7 season run in 2014. It was also announced that The Killing, which just wrapped up its 3rd season this August, has been cancelled. However, AMC is ready to launch two dramas next year, which we hope will be a hit.

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Movies/Television

Spooky Happenings on Friday the 13th

Enjoy your Friday the 13th with a special "Friday the 13th" mini marathon presented by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
Enjoy your Friday the 13th with a special “Friday the 13th”Mini Marathon presented by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

Friday the 13th is a spooky day, but that doesn’t stop people from going out to celebrate it. This time around Angelinos are invited to the Friday the 13th Mini Marathon on, that’s right you guessed it, Friday, September 13th. A collaboration between Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Bloody-Disgusting.com and Street Food Cinema brings you a mini marathon of the Friday the 13th franchise that was first released in 1980. Each movie was released each consecutive thereafter. There are 4 movies in total following the one-man killing machine Jason Voorhees who has become a legend in scary movie history. On this special night, you will also be celebrating Warner Bros. Home Entertainment’s release of the Blue-ray boxed set Friday the 13th: The Complete Collection.

The event will take place at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica at 5pm. The night will start with costume and trivia contests before the 7:30pm screening of the original Friday the 13th. After that, Friday the 13th Part 2 will be screened, followed by Friday, the 13th Part III and finished off with Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter. This is one of film history’s longest horror stories, and it won’t be one you want to miss!

Check out more about the event here: http://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/friday-the-13th-mini-marathon.

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Movies/Television

Two Sides to Every Story at the Toronto Film Festival

The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby received renowned acclaim at the Toronto Film Festival.
The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby received renowned acclaim at the Toronto Film Festival.

Ned Benson created a film that many have not experienced before. Benson’s The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby premiered at the Toronto Film Festival on Monday, but it captivated audiences not only because of the story line. Benson’s 3-hour-long film plays out two side of the same story, but the interesting part is that it is two entirely different movies. The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby is composed into two parts, Him and Her. The story is based on a young couple as they fall in love, and one movie is the man’s experience as their relationship falls apart, and the other film is the woman’s personal experience of it all. The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby addresses the concept that there are two sides to every story, and this film allows the film-goer to realize how different the story becomes when there are conflicting perceptions and memories.

While the idea is innovative and the attendees of the Toronto Film Festival gave high reviews of the film, the interesting point will be whether distributors will take a risk with such a different film. They are now gambling whether a film-goer will take the time to watch a three hour film, one right after the other based on the same story. It is an intriguing concept that would be a huge risk, which might be worth it because the differences in perceptions of each characters’ memories makes for an enthralling storyline. Only time will tell if the The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him and Her will make it out a winner at the Toronto Film Festival.

James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain play the couple in love in the movie.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television Celebrity News

Sharknado to Hit LA Again

 

Horrible Movie Night will be showing Sharknado at the something Showroom in Hollywood on Saturday, September 14.
Horrible Movie Night will be showing Sharknado at the NerdMelt Showroom in Hollywood on Saturday, September 14.

In case you lived under a rock this summer, Syfy released a made-for-television movie called Sharknado in early July. While it was unanimously agreed upon that the movie was the furthest from an Oscar nomination, it completely took Twitter by storm. Social Media has a new place in our lives when the worst movie to be released this summer was the most talked about in social media. With just under 1.4 million viewers on its premiere, Sharknado was a hit on Twitter with just under half a million tweets with the hashtag ‘#Sharknado.’ With 5,000 tweets per minute at its peak, word spread fast about Sharknado, and those who didn’t know about the film were soon tuning in to see what all the commotion was about.

Horrible Movie Night has embraced this shark tornado that hits Los Angeles, and will be showing it at a DVD release party at the NerdMelt Showroom in Hollywood on Saturday, September 14. Guest comedians will be the hosts for the night, and attendees will be visited by the cast and crew of Sharknado to answer all of your burning questions.

Horrible Movie Night screens the worst films made and invites the attendees to Roast them. Those with the best one-liners will even win prizes! Tickets are on sale online for $8, or are available at the door for $10. Please visit the website to learn more: https://nerdmeltla.com/tickets2/index.php?event_id=603.