News

In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix announced the return of reality competition series “The Circle” and “Too Hot to Handle,” and Bravo set the premiere date for Season 13 of “The Real Housewives of New York City.”

Programming

Popsugar announced Kelly Clarkson, Alicia Keys, Shonda Rhimes, Marsai Martin, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Auli’i Cravalho will join “Girl Talk,” a one-hour special hosted by Sofia Wylie on March 25 that will air at 9 p.m. on TLC, Discovery Plus and Popsugar’s website, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook channels. Bringing awareness to adolescent girls’ education around the world, the keynote conversation will feature Michelle Obama and girls from Girls Opportunity Alliance and be moderated by Lily Singh. The lineup also includes Andra Day, Demi Lovato, Julia Roberts, Kristen Bell, Meryl Streep, Naomi Osaka, Orlando Bloom, Natalie Portman and Shaun Robinson.

Dates

Lxtv announced it will premiere “Celebrity Sleepover” on April 3 following the end of...

WaterTower Music is proud to announce the November 10 release of the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to Warner Bros. Pictures’ epic action adventure Justice League. The album features one of the industry’s most versatile and accomplished film composers, Danny Elfman, who is returning to score a DC Super Hero film for the first time since 1992’s Batman Returns.

While bringing his celebrated and unique approach to the Justice League score, Elfman also gives DC fans some special familiar moments. Utilizing memorable character themes to tell the musical story, he incorporates and re-interprets iconic music from past films, including John Williams’ Superman theme, Hans Zimmer’s Wonder Woman theme, and his own Batman theme. “I’m using the same thematic material that I used back then,” Elfman told Billboard Magazine. “It never actually went away. We’ve got these iconic bits from our past and that’s part of us, that’s part of our heritage.

Welcome back to another edition of Kickstart This, FirstShowing's weekly column dedicated to spreading the word about cool indie projects that need your help to become a reality. This week, we'd like to turn your attention to a short film project called The Deal, which takes an intriguing look at what happens when a group of estranged friends meet at a party and discover their old dynamic isn't exactly the way they remembered. There's a hint of menace here that makes it seem more memorable than your standard reunion story, so read on for more, take a look at their pitch, leave a comment, and don't forget to donate if you can. The story of Daniel Kaminsky's The Deal follows Bryce, a 19-year-old former athlete who had to miss his senior year of high school because of a car accident. His buddy Hector took over as starting quarterback and...

One might imagine that it wouldn’t be hard for someone with proximity to one of Hollywood’s most newly profitable filmmakers to get some money to make a short film. A simple phone call to a few friends from the red carpet and you’ve got more than you need. That sort of logic shows a fundamental lack of understanding about how this business works. Just because someone is Joss Whedon’s assistant and co-producer on Much Ado About Nothing, it doesn’t mean people are going to line up to throw cash at their first attempt to become a filmmaker. But after you hear this pitch from newcomer (and red carpet photo bomber) Daniel Kaminsky, you might throw a little money at him. Because everybody has a dream, and this one sounds a little twisted. The project, called The Deal, would be Kaminsky’s directorial debut — it’s a short he wants to make with...

These Shakespeare update films usually do nothing for me at all. While I have a certain fondness for one of them, mostly they are the work of people who think they are far more clever than they are, and the result is a kind of irritatingly smug ego-effort, rather than an attempt at broadening appreciation of The Bard.

The negatives involved with these works don’t seem like the sort of thing Joss Whedon is liable to be guilty of, and good or bad, he’s just the guy to get truly massive numbers of people to perhaps scratch their chin while walking out of the theater, and muse, “Shakespeare you say?”

A curious effort in more ways than one, Much Ado About Nothing was shot in under two weeks, and without changing the text. It’s sure to be an interesting ride watching the response as we near this film’s release,...

To be, or not to be … Joss Whedon.

The Avengers writer-director’s film adaptation of the comedic Shakespeare classic Much Ado About Nothing has been slated for a June 7, 2013 joint theatrical release by Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions, according to a press release Thursday.

The contemporary take on the play stars Whedon alums Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof and Nathan Fillion, plus Fran Kranz, Jillian Morgese, Sean Maher, Clark Gregg, and Reed Diamond. Whedon and his wife Kai Cole produced the film through their studio Bellwether films, with Daniel Kaminsky as a co-producer, according to the release.

The movie, about bickering lovers...

Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions announced today that they will jointly release Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing on June 7, 2013. The Shakespeare classic comedy was adapted and directed with a contemporary spin by Whedon ( Marvel's The Avengers ) and stars Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Nathan Fillion, Fran Kranz, Jillian Morgese, Sean Maher, Clark Gregg, and Reed Diamond. Kai Cole and Joss Whedon produced the film through Bellwether films, with Daniel Kaminsky serving as a co-producer. Shot in just 12 days (and using the original text), the story of sparring lovers Beatrice and Benedick offers a dark, sexy and occasionally absurd view of the intricate game that is love. In the film, Claudio (Fran Kranz) and Benedick (Alexis Denisof ) have just returned home to Messina...

Lionsgate has acquired North American rights to director Joss Whedon’s adaptation of "Much Ado About Nothing, " which made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Like another pickup the companies made today, "Thanks For Sharing, " the film will be a joint theatrical release by Lionsgate and sister company Roadside Attractions. The contemporary spin on the Shakespeare comedy stars Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Nathan Fillion, Fran Kranz, Jillian Morgese, Sean Maher, Clark Gregg, and Reed Diamond. Whedon previously teamed with Lionsgate on "Cabin in the Woods," released earlier this year. Kai Cole and Whedon produced the film through Bellwether Pictures, with Daniel Kaminsky as co-producer. The deal was negotiated on behalf of Lionsgate by Jason Constantine, president of acquisitions and co-productions, with Eda Kowan, senior VP of acquisitions and Wendy Jaffe, executive VP of business and legal affairs....