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With any true crime story adapted for film or TV, we expect a certain amount of narrative license. Creators may sand off a few here and condense a timeline there to present a coherent and digestible timeline. But what gets lost in this translation? And can we still trust the story we see?

In the newest episode of Bloody FM’s Murder Made Fiction podcast, Joe and Jenn encounter this issue in the 2018 series Waco.

Created by Drew and John Erick Dowdle, this limited series begins with a sympathetic David Koresh (Taylor Kitsch) begging for mercy while a group of soldiers point guns in his face. Early episodes take us back to a burgeoning cult leader building his flock while a government agency struggles to rehabilitate its image.

But what details have been softened in this less-than-faithful retelling and are the story’s real victims getting lost in the shuffle?...

It’s suddenly been, if not an embarrassment, then for sure a nice flush of riches in the indie film space as high-profile festival and well-reviewed fare continues releasing into awards season. This week we’ve got a return guest with wide re-release of Godzilla Minus One.

Emilia Perez is hitting 125 theaters, quite a few for Netflix. This weekend Apple opens Steve McQueen’s WWII-set Blitz, starring Saorsie Ronan on three screens in London, two in NYC and one in LA. Warner Bros. is launching an Academy run for Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2 starring Nicholas Hoult and Zoey Deutch. Disney is doing the same for Laurent Bouzereau’s documentary Music by John Williams at the El Capitan in Hollywood and Regal Union Square in Manhattan.

La Cocina, Memoir Of A Snail and doc Black Box Diaries expand in week 2.

Jumping in with Searchlight Pictures’ Jesse Eisenberg written-directed comedy A Real Pain...

In the tradition of “Death of a Salesman,” “The Assassination of Trotsky” and “Penn and Teller Get Killed,” “Lost on a Mountain in Maine” arrives with an on-the-nose title that serves as fair warning: Few surprises await you here. On the other hand, there’s never any doubt that things will work out Ok for Donn Fender (Luke David Blumm), the 12-year-old protagonist. Indeed, during the opening minutes of this family-friendly true-life drama, the beans aren’t merely spilled, they are tossed while director Andrew Boodhoo Kightlinger and scripter Luke Paradise (working from a same-titled memoir co-written by the real Donn Fender) give a pinky-swear promise that a happy ending looms large on the horizon.

But maybe that’s not such a bad thing: If you’re watching “Lost on a Mountain in Maine” with impressionable children, you won’t have to worry about their ever getting too terrified if...

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Teacup is a sci-fi mystery horror thriller drama series created by Ian McCulloch. Based on the 1988 book Stinger by author Robert R. McCammon, the Peacock series is set on an isolated ranch in rural Georgia and it follows the Chenoweth family and their neighbors who are trapped in an invisible barrier while they fight against a mysterious threat that wants to kill them. Teacup stars Yvonne Strahovski, Scott Speedman, Chaske Spencer, Kathy Baker, Boris McGiver, Diany Rodriguez, Caleb Dolden, Émilie Bierre, Bill Heck, and Rob Morgan. So, if you loved the thrilling mystery, sci-fi horror elements, and compelling characters in Teacup here are some similar shows you should check out next.

The Mist (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Netflix

The Mist is a sci-fi horror thriller drama series created by Christian Torpe. Based on the 1980 horror novel of...

Based on a true story, “Lost on a Mountain in Maine” follows 12-year-old Donn (Luke David Blumm), who fights his way through a terrifying storm on a mountain away from his family. Although an adventurous tale of a young boy’s survival, it also works as an introspection of masculinity in hindsight. Since the film is based on a real story from 1939, it presents the accounts of people who witnessed this incident and are now in or past their twilight years. The script interweaves them with a few bits of family drama along with its survivalist tale.

The film begins with Donn’s father, Donald (Paul Sparks), returning home from his job as a traveling salesman. While Donn and his brother Ryan (Griffin Wallace Henkel) are in a friendly mood, Donald isn’t. He is self-serious to a fault and expects his sons to grow into strong men. He wants...

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The most romantic season of the year is finally here and as the temperature cools down, Netflix has the perfect way to bring the heat. We are talking about its collection of spicy romantic comedy movies featuring salacious scenes and a lot of hilarious comedy. So, here are the best R-rated romantic comedy movies on Netflix you should check out right now.

Plus One Credit – Rlje Films

Plus One is a romantic comedy film written and directed by Jeff Chan and Andrew Rhymer. The 2019 film follows Ben King and Alice Mori, who have been friends since college and now that everybody around them is getting married they make a pact to attend the weddings together instead of being alone. Soon they start falling for each other but their wildly different personalities get in the way. Plus One stars...

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Trouble is a Swedish action crime comedy film directed by Jon Holmberg who also co-wrote the screenplay with Tapio Leopold. The Netflix film follows the story of a clumsy divorced electronic salesman who is wrongfully convicted of murder and sent to prison. To prove his innocence he escapes from prison with other convicts. Trouble stars Filip Berg, Amy Deasismont, Eva Melander, Måns Nathanaelson, Dejan Čukić, Joakim Sällquist, and Sissela Benn. So, if you loved the blend of crime and comedy, compelling characters, and a thrilling story in Netflix’s Trouble here are some similar movies you should check out next.

The Lovebirds (Netflix & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Netflix

The Lovebirds is a romantic crime comedy film directed by Michael Showalter from a screenplay co-written by Aaron Abrams and Brendan Gall. The 2020 film revolves around a young couple...

Tulsa King is one of the most entertaining crime comedy-drama currently airing. Created by the brilliant Taylor Sheridan, the Paramount+ series follows the story of a New York mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi as he is released from prison after 25 years and is now exiled by his boss to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Dwight realizes that his boss might not have his best interest at heart and he starts to build his own crew in Tulsa. Tulsa King stars the great Sylvester Stallone in the lead role with Dana Delany, Garrett Hedlund, Domenick Lombardozzi, Jay Will, and Max Casella starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the compelling characters, brilliant writing, and entertaining storylines in Tulsa King here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Justified (Hulu & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – FX

Justified is a neo-Western crime thriller series created by Graham Yost. Based on the 2012 novel...

If you are a fan of modern Western then there is no platform better for you than Paramount+, as the Paramount Global streaming service has one of the most successful Western series franchises of recent times with several spin-offs and a lot more coming soon on the platform. We are talking about Yellowstone, and to be truthful this list is mostly comprised of shows related to the neo-Western series. So, if you love everything from cowboy hats to guns going off in Westerns here are the best Western shows on Paramount+ you should check out right now.

Lawmen: Bass Reeves Credit – Paramount+

Lawmen: Bass Reeves is a Western drama miniseries created by Chad Feehan. Based on the life of Bass Reeves, who was the first African American U.S. Marshal in west of the Mississippi River. Lawmen: Bass Reeves stars David Oyelowo in the lead role with Lauren E. Banks,...

From is a brilliant horror series that will surely give you a nightmare or two. Created by Josh Griffin, the MGM+ (formerly known as Epix) series is set in a mysterious place that won’t let its residents leave. From has an amazing ensemble cast led by Harold Perrineau with Catalina Sandino Moreno as Tabitha Matthews, Eion Bailey as Jim Matthews, Hannah Cheramy as Julie Matthews, and many more starring in supporting roles. From was recently renewed for a third season and while you wait for the next batch of episodes to come out here are similar shows that could keep you busy. So, if you loved the sci-fi and psychological horror aspects of From, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

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Castle Rock (Hulu & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Hulu...

Back in 1939, a 12-year-old named Donn Fendler was separated from his family during a storm near the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine. Fendler was lost on that mountain for nine days, without food or proper clothing. When he came stumbling into a hunting camp that was 35 miles from the point where he had gone missing, he credited the Boy Scouts with giving him the knowledge he needed to survive. Fendler then told his story to writer Joseph B. Egan, resulting in a novel called Lost on a Mountain in Maine (you can pick up a copy Here), which is considered to be a children’s book classic. Now Lost on a Mountain in Maine has been given the film adaptation treatment, with Sylvester Stallone producing through his company Balboa Productions. Blue Fox Entertainment has picked up the distribution rights and is planning to give the film a theatrical release...

"You want us to be men, then let us be men! We don't need you. We're going to the top." Blue Fox Ent. has revealed an official trailer for an indie film titled Lost on a Mountain in Maine, a survival adventure thriller from filmmaker Andrew Boodhoo Kightlinger. This one recently premiered at the 2024 Maine Film Festival (never even knew this festival existed?) and will open in theaters nationwide in November this fall. Based on the best-selling book of the same name, Lost on a Mountain in Maine tells the amazing true story of a 12 year old boy that gets separated from his family during a fast moving storm while on a treacherous hike on Maine's largest mountain peak. He will fight to stay alive during his nine-day adventure lost in the backwoods of Maine. From producer Sylvester Stallone, the film stars Luke David Blumm, Paul Sparks, Caitlin FitzGerald, Ethan Slater,...

Blue Fox Entertainment has acquired the distribution rights to the true-events-inspired feature film, “Lost on a Mountain In Maine,” which will begin its theatrical run on Nov. 1.

From Sylvester Stallone’s Balboa Productions, the film tells the true story of 12-year-old Donn Fendler, who “becomes separated from his family by a fast-moving storm atop a treacherous mountain,” the film’s logline reads.

It continues: “For nine days, Donn fights to stay alive as he attempts to survive the unforgiving wilderness of northern Maine without food, proper clothing, or the knowledge of how bad his situation really is. His disappearance sparks a massive search effort that captures national headlines and attracts hundreds of volunteers, including his own father, who fears he may never see his son again.”

Luke David Blumm (“The King of Staten Island”), Paul Sparks (Netflix’s “House of Cards”), Caitlin FitzGerald (Showtime’s “Masters of Sex”) and Ethan Slater...

Max is one of the best places to find peak drama shows because they have all the HBO shows, which are loved by millions and millions of people. From classic shows like The Sopranos to the wild dramas like Succession, you can find it all on the Warner Bros. streaming service Max. So, we list the ten best drama shows you can find on Max right now.

Oz Credit – HBO

Oz is a prison drama series created by Tom Fontana. The HBO series is set in a fictional men’s prison named Oswald State Correctional Facility in New York and it follows the story of inmates as they strategize and do everything they can to survive and gain power behind bars. Oz stars Christopher Meloni, Dean Winters, Harold Perrineau, Lee Tergesen, Terry Kinney, Kirk Acevedo, Eamonn Walker, J.K. Simmons, Rita Moreno, Luna Lauren Velez, and Ernie Hudson.

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty...

If you have been a fan of David E. Kelley‘s legal dramas, then there is no chance you missed his latest Apple TV+ series, Presumed Innocent, starring Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead role. Based on the 1987 novel of the same name by author Scott Turow, Presumed Innocent follows the story of a Chicago city prosecutor whose life turns upside down when he is accused of murdering a colleague he has been having an affair with. Presumed Innocent also stars Ruth Negga, Bill Camp, O-t Fagbenle, Chase Infiniti, Nana Mensah, Renate Reinsve, and Peter Sarsgaard. So, if you loved the courtroom and family drama in Presumed Innocent, here are some similar shows for you to watch next.

Anatomy of a Scandal (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Anatomy of a Scandal is a political and legal thriller drama miniseries created by David E. Kelley and Melissa James Gibson. Based on the 2018 novel of...

Supersex is here to tell the story behind one of the biggest male pornstars this world has ever seen. The Netflix series follows the life story of popular pornstar Rocco Siffredi, from his childhood in Ortona, Italy to becoming a sexual sensation. Alessandro Borghi stars in the leading role of Siffredi, and he puts everything into his performance to portray a complex and damaged character. If you loved the character-based drama, themes of deep-seated psychological issues, and sex in Supersex then you should check out these similar shows next.

The Naked Director (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

It’s Supersex but Japanese and much more comedic and raunchy. Yes, we are talking about The Naked Director. Based on a novel titled Zenra Kantoku Muranishi Toru Den by Nobuhiro Motohashi, the semi-biographical Netflix series follows the life of Toru Muranishi, a very important figure in the Japanese porn industry. The series delves into...

Blue Fox Entertainment has acquired worldwide sales rights to the survival thriller Lost On A Mountain In Maine produced by Sylvester Stallone’s Balboa Productions and is kicking off EFM sales this week.

Andrew Boodhoo Kightlinger directed the true story from a screenplay by Luke Paradise about a 12-year-old boy separated from his family during a storm while hiking on Mount Katahdin who must fight to stay alive over the course of nine days.

Caitlin FitzGerald, Paul Sparks (House Of Cards), Ethan Slater (Universal’s upcoming Wicked), and Luke David Blumm (The Watcher) star.

Blue Fox will preview first footage for buyers in EFM.

Network: Spectrum Originals, Paramount+

Episodes: 20 (hour)

Seasons: Two

TV show dates: December 6, 2021 -- July 30, 2023

Series status: Cancelled

Performers include: Michael Dorman, Julianna Guill, Skywalker Hughes, Sharon Lawrence, Paul Sparks, Mustafa Speaks, Kamryn Pliva, and David Alan Grier.

TV show description:

A Western crime drama series, the Joe Pickett TV show is based on the book series by C.J. Box.

Set in the wilderness of Wyoming, The story centers on Joe Pickett (Dorman), a committed game warden. He and his family grapple with the ever-changing socio-political dynamics of their financially challenged small country town.

Read More…...

The Tony Awards Administration Committee met for the first time during the 2023-2024 Broadway season on November 30, to discuss eligibility of 10 productions for the 77th Annual Tony Awards in 2024.

The productions discussed were: “Grey House,” “Once Upon a One More Time,” “Here Lies Love,” “The Cottage,” “Back to the Future: The Musical,” “The Shark is Broken,” “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch,” “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding,” “Merrily We Roll Along” and “Gutenberg! The Musical!”

See‘Here We Are’ reviews: Stephen Sondheim’s final musical is ‘enchanting,’ ‘compelling’ with ‘exceptional’ cast

The following determinations were made:

Briga Heelan and Justin Guarini will be considered eligible in the Lead Actress/Actor in a Musical categories for their respective performances in “Once Upon a One More Time.”

Anna Fleischle (scenic design) and Sven Ortel (projection design) will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Musical...

New Regency’s Jeff Nichols-directed crime drama The Bikeriders is getting shopped to rival studios and streamers after the movie stepped off its Dec. 1 theatrical release date, Deadline has confirmed.

New Regency has a deal at 20th Century Studios/Disney, which was originally set to release the movie. 20th Century Studios/Disney had Gareth Edwards’ brilliant sci-fi action movie The Creator starring John David Washington and that $80M production didn’t do well earlier this fall, released during the actors strike and grossing $40.7M stateside, $104M WW. When it comes to releasing movies outside its brands of Marvel, Pixar, Animation, and Lucasfilm, Disney’s forte has rarely been in the adult feature space versus other studios such as A24, Universal, Warner Bros who can eventize such fare.

The Bikeriders moved off its Dec. 1 release last month in the wake of AMC pouncing on the date with its second concert film,...

The Picketts' problems problems haven't let up in the second season of the Joe Pickett TV show on Paramount+. As we all know, the Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether a TV show like Joe Pickett is cancelled or renewed for season three. Paramount+ and other streaming platforms, however, collect their own data. If you've been watching this TV series, we'd love to know how you feel about the second season episodes of Joe Pickett here. *Status Update Below.

A Paramount+ Western crime drama series, the Joe Pickett TV series stars Michael Dorman, Julianna Guill, Skywalker Hughes, Kamryn Pliva, Vivienne Guynn, Chad Rock, Aadila Dosani, Sharon Lawrence, Paul Sparks, Mustafa Speaks, and Patrick Gallagher. Set in Wyoming, the story centers on Joe Pickett (Dorman), a committed game warden who lives in the small town of Saddlestring and...

Joe's work is done. Joe Pickett has been cancelled, so there won't be a third season on the Paramount+ streaming service. The second season of 10 episodes finished airing at the end of July.

A Western crime drama series, the Joe Pickett TV series stars Michael Dorman, Julianna Guill, Skywalker Hughes, Kamryn Pliva, Vivienne Guynn, Chad Rock, Aadila Dosani, Sharon Lawrence, Paul Sparks, Mustafa Speaks, and Patrick Gallagher. Set in Wyoming, the story centers on Joe Pickett (Dorman), a committed game warden who lives in the small town of Saddlestring and the surrounding wilderness of Yellowstone National Park. He and his family grapple with the ever-changing socio-political dynamics of their financially challenged small country town.

In season two, Joe discovers a hunter murdered in the mountains and realizes this is just one of a series...

"Joe Pickett", the new mystery TV series, based on author C.J. Box’s book series, starring Michael Dorman as a Wyoming game warden, with David Alan Grier, Julianna Guill, Sharon Lawrence, Paul Sparks, Mustafa Speaks, Skywalker Hughes, Kamyrn Pliva, Patrick Gallagher, Chad Rook, Benjamin Hollingsworth, Leah Gibson and Aadila Dosani, has been canceled after 2 seasons, streaming on Spectrum and Paramount +:

"...a dead body winds up on Joe’s front doorstep as he and his family find themselves in the crosshairs of a larger looming conspiracy.

"Without the help of local law enforcement, Joe takes matters into his own hands as he questions what it means to be a good man and father in a world that lives on the edge of the wilderness..."

Click the images to enlarge...

Joe Pickett will not return for a third season. Paramount+ has canceled the series, starring Michael Dorman, after two seasons.

The series was originally commissioned by Spectrum in early 2021, which announced prior to the debut of season two that it would be shutting down Spectrum Originals. Paramount+ had the streaming rights to the series and seasons 1 and 2 will continue to be available on the service.

Joe Pickett followed a dedicated game warden (Dorman) and his family as they navigated the shifting sociopolitical climate of a small rural town on the verge of economic collapse.

In the most recent second season, the Wyoming game warden, played by Dorman, discovers a hunter murdered in the mountains and realizes his is just one of a series of gruesome murders. To solve the case and catch the killer, Joe must navigate a radical anti-hunting activist, a ghoulish set of twins living off the grid and his own tortured past.

Tracing the evolution of a fictional motorbike gang known as the Vandals, writer-director Jeff Nichols’s The Bikeriders takes its inspiration from a photobook of the same name by influential mid-20th-century photographer Danny Lyon. A major contributor to the “new realism” photography movement, Lyon lived alongside his leather-clad petrolhead subjects for months at a time, helping him create urgent, spontaneous images of their outlaw lifestyle that oozed authenticity. Unfortunately, those latter qualities are in short supply in the film, but the sheer exuberance of the story and the stylistic brio of Nichols’s direction often compensate.

The Bikeriders is narrated by Kathy (Jodie Comer), the girlfriend of fiercely committed young Vandals member Benny (Austin Butler). She relays the idiosyncrasies and transgressions of the gang from a slight remove as it evolves from a blue-collar fraternity and surrogate family to a nihilistic crime syndicate. As endearing as Kathy’s disapproving bemusement can be,...

"There's nothing out there..." "You think you're better than me?" Dark Sky has revealed an official trailer for an indie small town psychological thriller titled Hands that Bind, from up-and-coming filmmaker Kyle Armstrong. Made in Canada, this film first premiered at the 2021 Calgary Film Festival a few years ago, with a stop at the Vancouver Film Festival also that year. It's finally getting a small US release this fall after a few years in limbo. A hired hand plans to eventually take over his boss farm are shattered when the landowners son returns to claim his birthright. He watches as his way of life begins slipping right through his fingers... Described by the festival as a "prairie gothic" film that "elevates rural mundanity into something mythical." The film stars Paul Sparks, Susan Kent, Landon Liboiron, Nicholas Campbell, Will Oldham, with Bruce Dern. This looks pretty good, better than you might be expecting,...

After three seasons and 30 episodes, Sheila Rubin (Rose Byrne) finally got a happy ending on “Physical.” Except in keeping with Annie Weisman’s Apple TV+ series, that ending may not be what audiences expect. Warning: Spoilers ahead.

In fact, Weisman told IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit podcast that the ending might be more redemptive than happy. “She gets what she wants, but in order to do it, she’s alone,” Weisman said. “I did not believe that she could get what she wants and also be partnered. It’s just not true to her story. But she’s liberated, she’s free, no one’s tying her down. No one’s forcing her to be anyone she’s not. And she has a huge amount to give and she has community through her work, and she has figured out and cracked female friendship in a real way. She has real intimacy,...

[This story contains spoilers to the series finale of Physical.]

Across three seasons, Rose Byrne has seen her Physical alter ego Sheila Rubin finally achieve self-discovery and self-acceptance through aerobics, having been drawn initially to the exercise as she struggled with an eating disorder and what very well may be some of the most negative self-talk anyone has experienced — at least on television. From the moment viewers were introduced to Sheila in Apple TV+’s dark comedy, she was also joined by the protagonist’s biting and destructive inner voice that seemingly would stop at nothing to keep Sheila from achieving any sort of happiness within her struggling marriage to Danny (Rory Scovel), her extramarital affair with a Morman businessman (Paul Sparks) and her professional partnership with exercise entrepreneurs Bunny (Delia Saba) and Greta (Dierdre Friel).

By the beginning of the third and final season of the Annie Weisman-created series, Sheila is seemingly in a great place — the inner voice tamed,...

It was a found-footage-stylized microbudget horror pic that spawned a six film theatrical franchise that grossed over $890M, now Paranormal Activity is set to be a play.

Deadline has confirmed that Simon Friend, the producer of the Broadway version of Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, has taken the license on the Paramount/Blumhouse horror feature to set it up as a West End play.

Levi Holloway, the scribe of Broadway horror play Grey House, is currently writing Paranormal Activity for the stage.

Oren Peli wrote and directed the first pic, which centers around a family being haunted by a demon. The intrigue, much like the first Blair Witch Project, was the feeling that these horror movies could be real.

Friend’s stage adaptation productions include those of such pics The Da Vinci Code and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Life of Pi won five Olivier Awards and three Tonys.

Get ready for Paranormal Activity, the stage play.

Simon Friend, the veteran producer who brought Life of Pi to Broadway, has picked up the license to the Paramount horror movie series with the intent of bringing it to the West End via his Simon Friend Entertainment.

Levi Holloway, who wrote the horror-tinged Broadway play Grey House, is on board to pen the stage adaptation, which is described as being in early development.

Created by Oren Peli, who wrote, directed, and shot the initial installment,  Paranormal is a horror movie series focused, in most outings, on a family terrorized by a demon. The bulk of them were made between 2009 and 2015. The movies capitalized on the growing proliferation of video and cellphone cameras to tell spooky and jump-scare-filled tales to great effect.

Made on microbudgets, the movies were massive moneymakers, with the first one considered to be among the most profitable movies ever made,...

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:

Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys

2023 Emmy Predictions:

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Weekly Commentary: Brett Goldstein may have won this category back-to-back for his turn as Roy Kent in Apple’s “Ted Lasso,” but his co-star Phil Dunster, who plays the young Jamie Tartt, made quite the impression this season. With Goldstein...

New York, New York, the John Kander & Fred Ebb musical that arrived on Broadway last spring to considerable anticipation, will play its final performance on Sunday, July 30, having played just 33 preview and 110 regular performances.

The musical, which features additional lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and was directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman, opened to mixed-to-negative reviews at the St. James Theatre on April 26. The approximately $25 million production was nominated for nine Tony Awards but took the trophy for only one – Beowulf Boritt’s elaborate scenic design.

Recent weeks have seen attendance at the St. James hovering around 70% of capacity.

“We would like to thank the extraordinarily gifted and committed performers, who have been a dream to work with, alongside all of the friends — John Kander, David Thompson, Sharon Washington, Lin-Manuel Miranda, the sublime orchestra, the unwaveringly dedicated creative, production and administrative teams, the backstage staff and technicians, all of whom were...

Grey House, a rare thriller on Broadway, will be closing on July 30, after opening at the beginning of June.

The play, which stars Laurie Metcalf, Tatiana Maslany and Sophia Anne Caruso and features direction by Joe Mantello, began preview performances at the Lyceum Theatre on April 29 and opened on June 6. While the concept of horror is not often seen on Broadway, the production was not able to translate that to ticket sales and saw a soft box office throughout its run.

Since opening week, capacity for the show has not risen above 70 percent, and has dipped into the 50s. Grosses have similarly stayed under $400,000.

Written by Levi Holloway, the play follows a couple (Maslany and Paul Sparks) who crash their car in the mountains and seek shelter in a cabin. While there, they witness strange behavior from the inhabitants of the cabin, who include Metcalf, Caruso and a band of young kids,...

Disney+ revealed the official trailer for the fourth and final season of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.” All episodes premiere Aug. 9 when the Wildcats return to East High, where they prepare a stage production of “High School Musical 3: Senior Year.” The fourth season stars Joshua Bassett, Sofia Wylie, Dara Reneé, Julia Lester, and Frankie Rodriguez, among others.

Catch the Final Season Trailer of ‘High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’: Sign Up Now $7.99+ / month disneyplus.com

Get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for just $12.99 a month ($13 savings).

Apple TV+ released the third and final trailer of the 10-part dark comedy series “Physical,” starring and executive produced by Rose Byrne. It premieres on Aug. 2 and co-stars Rory Scovel, Dierdre Friel, Paul Sparks, and Zooey Deschanel. The show is set in the 1980s in San Diego and follows Sheila (Byrne) as she journeys from unhappy housewife to fitness entrepreneur.

Apple TV+ has revealed the trailer for the third and final season of dark comedy series ‘Physical,’ starring and executive produced by Rose Byrne and created by Annie Weisman.

Set in the idyllic but fragile beach paradise of 1980s San Diego, the series follows Sheila Rubin (Byrne) as she transforms from a quietly tortured housewife to a dominant fitness entrepreneur.

In her journey, Sheila battled her way out of an unsatisfying marriage to Danny (Scovel), fostered a dangerous relationship with real-estate mogul John Breem (Sparks), and confronted the dark voices within her own mind that have shamed and suppressed her for so long. With the help of her loyal friend — and now business partner — Greta (Friel), Sheila has found confidence and inner strength through her work as a teacher and entrepreneur with Body by Sheila. In the third and concluding season of the series, Sheila finds her status challenged by...

Apple TV+ has revealed the trailer for the third and final season of dark comedy series “Physical,” starring and executive produced by Rose Byrne and created by Annie Weisman. Joining the all-star cast, including Rory Scovel, Dierdre Friel and Paul Sparks, is award-winning actress Zooey Deschanel in her return to scripted television. “Physical” will premiere on Wednesday, August 2, 2023 on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes of the ten-episode season, followed by one new episode weekly, every Wednesday through September 27. Set in the idyllic but fragile beach paradise of 1980s San Diego, “Physical” follows Sheila Rubin (Byrne) as she transforms from quietly tortured housewife to dominant fitness entrepreneur. In her journey, Sheila battled her way out of an unsatisfying marriage to Danny (Scovel), fostered a dangerous relationship with real-estate mogul John Breem (Sparks), and confronted the dark voices within her own mind that have shamed and suppressed her for so long.

The trailer for third and final season of Apple TV+’s Physical shows Sheila (Rose Byrne) has met her match in a popular celebrity exercise guru. The New Girl star Zooey Deschanel joins the series as Sheila’s new adversary, Kelli Kilmartin.

Season three also stars Rory Scovel as Danny, Dierdre Friel as Greta, and Paul Sparks as John Breem.

Physical‘s final season kicks off on August 2, 2023 with the release of the first two episodes. New episodes arrive on Wednesdays leading up to the series finale on September 27th.

Annie Weisman created the series and serves as writer, executive producer, and showrunner. Rose Byrne, Stephanie Laing, and Tomorrow Studios’ Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, and Alissa Bachner executive produce, with Laing directing.

Rose Byrne and Zooey Deschanel in Apple TV+’s ‘Physical’ season 3

The Season 3 Plot, Courtesy of Apple TV+:

Set in the idyllic but fragile beach paradise of 1980s San Diego,...

The end of Physical will be here before we know it.

Apple TV+ went public with the key art and trailer for Physical Season 3 on Wednesday, and we have plenty of questions.

The trailer welcomes Zooey Deschanel to the cast as Kelly Kilmartin, and it's clear from the get-go that Rose Byrne's Sheila is not destined to be BFFs with her -- far from it, actually.

"Set in the idyllic but fragile beach paradise of 1980s San Diego, Physical follows Sheila Rubin (Byrne) as she transforms from quietly tortured housewife to dominant fitness entrepreneur," the logline for the final season teases.

"In her journey, Sheila battled her way out of an unsatisfying marriage to Danny, fostered a dangerous relationship with real-estate mogul John Breem, and confronted the dark voices within her own mind that have shamed and suppressed her for so long," Apple TV+ says of the show.

"With...

The third and final season of “Physical” will introduce a new competitor to Rose Byrne’s Sheila Rubin.

Just as the dark voices in her head have silenced as Sheila commits to her wellness journey and builds a television fitness empire, a new opponent arises for the entrepreneur in a rising exercise celebrity, played by Zooey Deschanel.

“You are a national television personality now,” Greta tells Sheila in the trailer. “We are on the precipice of something big, there’s just one problem: Kelly Kilmartin … she’s the most famous fitness star.”

Doubt immediately begins to creep into Sheila’s mind, manifesting itself as an imaginary Kelly (Deschanel), who taunts Sheila by saying, “I’m better than you” and “you’re just hanging on by a thread, just waiting for that moment to snap.”

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Rose Byrne’s ‘Physical’ to End With Third Season

Unable to get Kelly out of her head,...

Tatiana Maslany, Laurie Metcalf, and Paul Sparks star in ‘Grey House,’ a scary, psychological play that turns Broadway into a haunted house of horrors.

“I’ve seen this movie. We don’t make it…”

Horror is a popular genre for many reasons, but at the end of the day there is just nothing like the genuine experience of being afraid. Horror films do their best to immerse their audience in terror with no reprieve, yet there are inherent limitations to this storytelling medium. There’s still screen, and therefore safety, between the audience and their fears. Live theater, especially those on Broadway, live and die through their ability to not just keep audiences entertained, but to truly believe in the spectacle before them. Horror on Broadway is therefore a deeply appealing combination, albeit one that’s all-too rare because of the difficulty in its execution.

There’s The Crucible, The Elephant Man,...

A month away from potentially receiving his first Emmy nomination, Michael Shannon is branching out into directing with “Eric Larue,” Brett Neveu’s adaptation of his own 2002 play. Following a mother seeking some semblance of normalcy in a town rocked by the horrific act of violence perpetrated by her son against three classmates, the movie just premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival to significant acclaim for its leading lady, veteran character actor Judy Greer. Considering the subject, comparisons to “We Need to Talk About Kevin” and “Mass” are unsurprising.

Alexander Skarsgård co-stars as Greer’s born-again husband, and Paul Sparks (with whom Shannon has worked on “Boardwalk Empire” and “Waco”), Alison Pill (“The Newsroom”), Tracy Letts (“Lady Bird”), Annie Parisse (“The Following”), Kate Arrington (“George & Tammy”) and Nation Sage Henrikson (“Shameless”) comprise the rest of the main cast. David Rooney (The Hollywood Reporter) calls the acting “uncommonly strong across...

Senseless death is something we as humans will never understand. That’s a fact of life, and it takes a delicate and sensitive hand to tell the story of those affected by that kind of unknowable pain. In Michael Shannon’s directorial debut “Eric Larue,” we get a glimpse into the aftermath of a tragic event that leaves the same such unknowable pain in its wake — but some major tonal snafus throw off what could have been a poignant and subtle mediation on grief and turn it into an uneven film full of missteps amid admirable performances.

“Eric Larue” follows Greer’s Janice, the mother of a high school boy who shot and killed three of his peers during school one day. Sometime after the tragedy, she attempts to move on with her life, returning to a retail job that doesn’t want her and navigating her crumbling marriage with...

Premiering Saturday night in the Tribeca Film Festival’s Spotlight Narrative category, Eric Larue is an intense and devastating account of the after effects of a school shooting, but the focus is almost entirely on the parents of that boy who shot and killed three male classmates and is now in prison. Adapted by Brett Neveu from his own 2002 stage play, it has taken on new weight in the two decades since it was first presented at Chicago’s Red Orchid Theatre in light of the seemingly endless numbers of school shootings and the fact that the number one cause for deaths of young people is now by gun. But for his feature film directorial debut actor Michael Shannon was most interested in looking at the effects of this traumatic life-changing incident from the point of view of the parents, those of the kids killed, and particularly the pair of...

An ensemble of gifted actors effectively play against type in Michael Shannon’s quietly powerful directing debut, none more so than Judy Greer, outwardly numbed by sorrow but raw inside as a mother whose son shot and killed three high school classmates. While the subject matter inevitably invites comparison with Mass, that well-received 2021 chamber piece — also a first feature by an actor, Fran Kranz — kept its focus tight on two sets of parents on either side of a similar tragedy. Eric Larue casts a wider gaze, taking in the broader community and the religious leaders fumbling or manipulating the conversation about healing.

Shannon’s deep roots in Chicago theater are evident in his choice of material and his success at assembling a first-rate cast — uncommonly strong across the board for a modestly scaled indie like this.

The script was adapted by Brett Neveu from his play of the same name,...

Vulture Watch

Joe gets into more trouble than he expected. Has the Joe Pickett TV show been cancelled or renewed for a third season on Paramount+? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Joe Pickett, season three. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?  

What's This TV Show About?

A Western crime drama series streaming on the Paramount+ subscription service, the Joe Pickett TV series stars Michael Dorman, Julianna Guill, Skywalker Hughes, Kamryn Pliva, Vivienne Guynn, Chad Rock, Aadila Dosani, Sharon Lawrence, Paul Sparks, Mustafa Speaks, and Patrick Gallagher. Set in Wyoming, the story centers on Joe Pickett (Dorman), a committed game warden who lives in the small town of Saddlestring and the...

Our projected identities—and the constant performance inherent in presenting ourselves—fuel the surrealist philosophy of Ted Schaefer’s Giving Birth to a Butterfly. The filmmaker’s directorial debut, from a script he co-wrote with author Patrick Lawler, delves into a psychedelic psychology of what truly constitutes “the self” (very fitting for a collaborative duo who met through a mutual therapist). Giving Birth to a Butterfly largely consists of a roadtrip odyssey shared by Diana (Annie Parisse), a pharmacist stuck in an unfulfilling marriage to aspiring chef Daryl (Paul Sparks), and Marlene (Gus Birney), a heavily pregnant young woman who’s dating Diana’s son Drew […]

The post “It Really Does Take a Village”: Ted Schaefer on Giving Birth to a Butterfly first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Our projected identities—and the constant performance inherent in presenting ourselves—fuel the surrealist philosophy of Ted Schaefer’s Giving Birth to a Butterfly. The filmmaker’s directorial debut, from a script he co-wrote with author Patrick Lawler, delves into a psychedelic psychology of what truly constitutes “the self” (very fitting for a collaborative duo who met through a mutual therapist). Giving Birth to a Butterfly largely consists of a roadtrip odyssey shared by Diana (Annie Parisse), a pharmacist stuck in an unfulfilling marriage to aspiring chef Daryl (Paul Sparks), and Marlene (Gus Birney), a heavily pregnant young woman who’s dating Diana’s son Drew […]

The post “It Really Does Take a Village”: Ted Schaefer on Giving Birth to a Butterfly first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Chez Jolie Coiffure (Rosine Mbakam)

A vérité vignette of a small, expat-owned hair salon in Brussels’ African Quarter. Award-winning Cameroonian filmmaker Rosine Mbakam’s sophomore feature explores displacement, resilience, and the small economies migrants build to temper ties to their homelands, through mid-braid gossip and humble confessions.

Where to Stream: Le Cinéma Club

Giving Birth to a Butterfly (Theodore Schaefer)

We meet Diana Dent (Annie Parisse) readying matching wedding gowns soon revealed as not her own. She’s mending them to sell online—a necessity considering her bull-headed and controlling husband Daryl (Paul Sparks) is hell-bent on putting their life savings towards a dream of creating his own restaurant. That means no money for Drew (Owen Campbell) or Danielle’s (Rachel Resheff) college.

"Joe Pickett", the mystery TV series, based on author C.J. Box’s book series, stars Michael Dorman as a Wyoming game warden, with David Alan Grier, Julianna Guill, Sharon Lawrence, Paul Sparks, Mustafa Speaks, Skywalker Hughes, Kamyrn Pliva, Patrick Gallagher, Chad Rook, Benjamin Hollingsworth, Leah Gibson and Aadila Dosani, streaming Season Two June 4, 2023 on Paramount +:

"...a dead body winds up on Joe’s front doorstep as he and his family find themselves in the crosshairs of a larger looming conspiracy.

"Without the help of local law enforcement, Joe takes matters into his own hands as he questions what it means to be a good man and father in a world that lives on the edge of the wilderness..."

Click the images to enlarge...

Physical has a premiere date for its third season, and Apple TV+ has revealed that it will also be the dramedy's final season. The series ends with its 30th episode.

Starring Rose Byrne, Rory Scovel, Dierdre Friel, Della Saba, Lou Taylor Pucci, Paul Sparks, and Murray Bartlett, the Physical TV series follows Sheila Rubin (Byrne), a politician's loving wife, as she goes through a journey of self-discovery during the 1980s aerobics craze.

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