News

Exclusive: We hear that Kris Rey is set to direct Sooner or Later, a romantic comedy that’s early in the works at 20th Century Studios from scribe Tess Morris and produced by Logan‘s Scott Frank.

Sooner or Later focuses on Nora, a cynical British journalist who is hired to write a puff piece for a legendary Hollywood playboy attempting to reinvent his image.

Rey’s most recent comedy feature I Used To Go Here premiered at SXSW in 2020 and starred Gillian Jacobs and Jemaine Clement. The pic was acquired stateside by Gravitas Ventures. Previously, she wrote and directed the feature Unexpected, which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and stars Cobie Smulders, Anders Holm, Gail Bean, and Elizabeth McGovern.

Up next on the feature side, Rey is attached to direct Higher Ground, a natural disaster rom-com written by Olivia Wolfe and Neel Shah. Dave Bernad and Ruben Fleischer are producing.

Actor, writer and comedian Anders Holm has signed with CAA for representation.

Holm is best known as the co-creator, writer and star of “Workaholics,” the hit Comedy Central show which ran for seven seasons. In February, Paramount Plus announced plans for a “Workaholics” film, in which Holm will reprise his role as Ders Holmvik alongside fellow creators Adam Devine, Blake Anderson and Kyle Newacheck.

Outside the “Workaholics” universe, Holm will next be seen in the upcoming Netflix limited series “Inventing Anna,” from Shonda Rhimes’ Shondaland, based on the New York Magazine article about faux heiress Anna Delvey.

Holm wrote and starred in the 2018 Netflix feature “Game Over, Man!,” alongside Devine and Anderson, with the trio serving as producers alongside Newacheck. The crew collectively form the comedy group Mail Order Comedy and they currently host the “This Is Important Podcast.” Holm also starred in NBC’s “Champions,” created by Mindy Kaling and Charlie Grandy,...

Exclusive: Carmen Mitcho and Nick Predescu, who previously worked at Love & Hip Hop producer Eastern, have launched their own unscripted production company.

The pair have set up 2 Point 0 Productions.

Mitcho was previously EVP, Programming at Eastern, while Predescu was VP, Production.

They will kick off the company with a new series on TLC – Dr. Mercy, which premieres September 22. It follows Chicago-based dermatologist Dr. Mercy Odueyungbo, who tackles extraordinary, unique, and bizarre skin cases.

The company will also produce TLC’s pregnancy hit series Unexpected, which was produced by Eastern.

Prior to joining Eastern, Mitcho was a showrunner whose credits include Ice Loves Coco, Giuliana & Bill, and Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane. Predescu spent more than a decade at MTV working as a production executive on many projects including The Real World, The Challenge, Teen Mom, and The Hills.

2 Point 0 Productions is represented by ICM Partners.

HBO Max has given a pilot order to Verbatim, an anthology series from Brett Weiner (Honest Trailers), Ben Stiller’s Red Hour Films and Left/Right Productions.

Created and directed by Weiner, Verbatim is based on his New York Times Op-Docs digital series. It tackles actual events with all dialogue taken from primary sources and presented verbatim. The pilot episode follows the story of the 2019 college admissions scandal. Production is slated to begin this fall in Los Angeles.

Red Hour’s Nicholas Weinstock, Jackie Cohn and Stiller executive produce with Left/Right’s Ken Druckerman and Banks Tarver and Kathleen Lingo for The New York Times. Scott Lochmus (To Dust) and Michelene Starnadori (Unexpected).] will produce.

Verbatim began as a short film that screened around the country including at the Sundance, South by Southwest and Telluride film festivals in 2014 and won the audience award at the Dallas International Film Festival.

Kris Rey and Gillian Jacobs make for a formidable duo in Rey’s latest film “I Used to Go Here.” A film about a woman in her early 30’s being asked to speak at her alma mater, the film explores the idea of difficult dreams and what if’s while also offering a realistic look at nostalgia and personal growth. Rey is best known for her 2015 feature “Unexpected” while Jacobs, who is excellent in the film, is known for her roles in series comedies such as cult favorite “Community” and “Love.” Our critic said of the film “It’s a bit like “Young Adult,” but instead of acid, Rey offers warmth and hope.”

We got to speak to both Rey and Jacobs about the film and about playing messy roles and writing complicated character dynamics.

Spoiler Warning: Specific plot points of the film are discussed below.

I wanted to get...

“Critics are the worst kind of humans,” says Jemaine Clement in the role of David Kirkpatrick, a horndog college professor trying to comfort Kate Conklin (Gillian Jacobs), a former student whose first novel has just been savaged in The New York Times as an “amateurish beach read.” But the critic isn’t saying anything worse than what the author is thinking about herself. She knows her publisher hasn’t cancelled her book tour because they smell a bestseller. That’s why Kate, 35 and feeling a major squeeze on her options,...

Likable enough, but a little too tame to make much of an impact, Kris Rey’s slight — and slightly autobiographical — “you can’t go home again” comedy “I Used to Go Here” was supposed to debut at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, only to have its premiere canceled at the last minute by the coronavirus pandemic. When Rey hatched the idea for the movie, her fourth feature — in which a floundering young novelist returns to her alma mater for an ego boost — she was still going by her married name, Kris Swanberg; she has since split with then-husband Joe.

That makes at least two ways Rey’s already personal project has evolved to more closely mirror her own life, and while any additional hurdle in the uphill path of an indie filmmaker can jeopardize the whole endeavor, this one survived that much more relevant. The movie marks a comeback...

Gillian Jacobs hasn’t been on a film shoot for months, but that hasn’t kept the perpetually busy performer from landing plenty of work. The actress has spent the past few months in lockdown burning through various gigs, from recording the second season of the podcast “Blood Ties” to new voiceover work, including the comic book-inspired series “Invincible.” Jacobs and her “Community” cohorts even got in on the “Zoom reunion” fad early, putting on a charity-benefitting table read and Q&a in mid-May.

Predictably, the event renewed calls for a “Community” movie, though all Jacobs will say at this point is that she feels “lucky that I’m part of something where people want more of it.” For now, however, she has plenty on her plate, including a burgeoning career as a documentary filmmaker.

And she’s on the virtual promotional trail for her latest indie gem: Kris Rey...

Chicago – The urban drive-in is back … at least for now as we negotiate these extraordinary times. In a partnership with the Music Box Theatre and ChiTown Movies, Elevated Films Chicago – a non-profit that promotes the cinematic and other arts in the Windy City – presents the premiere of a New made-in-Chicago film by Kris Rey, ‘I Used to Go Here.’ On Wednesday, July 29th, 2020, there will be two screenings (with a filmmaker Q&a) at a drive-in set up in Chicago … with concessions available. Click Here for details.

Chicago Drive-In Premiere for ‘I Used to Go Here’

Photo credit: Gravitas Ventures

‘I Used to Go Here’ was written and directed by Kris Rey (“Unexpected”), a local filmmaker known for her connective character studies. The story involves Kate (Gillian Jacobs of “Community”) who has just published her first novel. This piques the interest of her old alma mater in downstate Illinois, including her first writing instructor,...

Hulu is out with its list of everything new coming to the streaming service in July.

Highlights include season three of “90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days” and season one of “90 Day Fiance: The Other Way: Complete Season 1,” as well as some classic movies like “The Color Purple” and “Best in Show,” all coming July 1.

A new Hulu original movie “Palm Springs” drops on July 10, and a new episode of “Into the Dark” called “The Current Occupant” premieres July 17.

Movies leaving Hulu on July 31 include “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight,” “Thelma & Louise” and “Wayne’s World.”

See the full list of everything new and leaving the streamer below.

Also Read: ABC Already Changes Fall TV Schedule, Moves 'Black-ish' Up From Midseason

July 1

1000-lb Sisters: Complete Season 1 (TLC)

90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days: Complete Season 3 (TLC)

90 Day Fiance: The Other Way: Complete Season 1 (TLC)

BBQ Rig Race: Complete Season...

Exclusive: Gravitas Ventures has obtained all North American distribution rights the Kris Rey-helmed SXSW comedy, I Used to Go Here. Starring Gillian Jacobs (Community), Jemaine Clement (What We Do In The Shadows), and Hannah Marks (Banana Split), the film will be available in theaters and on demand August 7.

The plot follows 35-year-old writer Kate Conklin (Jacobs) who, after the lackluster launch of her debut novel, receives an invitation from her former professor and old crush (Clement) to speak at her alma mater. With her book tour cancelled and her ego deflated, Kate decides to take the trip, wondering if returning to her old college as a published author might give her the morale boost she sorely needs. Instead, she falls into a comical regression – from misadventures with eccentric twenty-year-olds to feelings of jealousy toward her former professor’s new favorite student. Striking the balance between bittersweet and hilarious, Kate...

Fans are thrilled that TLC's answer to the Teen Mom franchise, Unexpected, is coming back, but they were shocked to see that some of the original cast has been cut. While Lexus Scheller and McKayla Adkins will return with their boyfriends and babies, Lilly Bennett will not be appearing, according to Starcasm. But don't worry, three new moms were added to the mix! Meet the teens moms sharing their stories this season on #Unexpected! The series returns Sunday, August 5th at 10|9c. pic.twitter.com/CYBo836Aj9— TLC Network (@TLC) July 12, 2018 A sneak peek of the new season, which beings airing on Aug. 5 at 10/9c on TLC, was released on July 12, and it looks like it's going to have everything we want from a teen-mom-centered docuseries. From relationship problems, to overbearing parents, to the harsh reality of raising a baby as a teenager, we can't wait to watch the raw reality show unfold.

So You Think You Can Dance might only get an hour of weekly airtime this summer — but the Fox series knows how to wring every last drop of drama out of those 60 minutes.

Now that the Academy contestants — well, most of them — have survived the hip-hop round, Monday’s episode presented the remaining hopefuls with back-to-back challenges: contemporary and ballroom.

In the hour that followed, a number of seemingly finale-bound dancers were eliminated — and, weirdly, it was their All-Star coaches who did most of the crying. Below, let’s recap the four biggest moments from Monday’s installment:

RelatedCharlize Theron...

I've been hearing nothing but great things about this movie from people who I know who have seen it. I have yet to see if for myself, but judging from the buzz spreading, it's going to deliver some insanely blood-soaked entertainment.

We have a red-band clip for you to watch today called "All In My Mind," and it gives you a little tease of the messed-up and disturbing violence that I've heard this film is filled with. It focuses on Sean Gunn's character in the middle of a crazy shootout that he doesn't want to believe is really happening. Check it out:

The Belko Experiment explores a twisted social experiment "in which a group of 80 Americans are locked in their high-rise corporate office in Bogata and ordered by an unknown voice on an intercom system to participate in a deadly game of kill or be killed. It’s not...

Check out the very first red band trailer for The Belko Experiment, a horror thriller from Wolf Creek director Greg McLean and Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker James Gunn. The film stars Tony Goldwyn (Scandal), John C. McGinley (Scrubs), John Gallagher Jr. (The Newsroom, 10 Cloverfield Lane) and Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy).

The cast also includes Melonie Diaz (Fruitvale Station), Adria Arjona (Emerald City), David Dastmalchian (Ant-Man), Owain Yeoman (Turn: Washington's Spies), Sean Gunn (Gilmore Girls), Abraham Benrubi (ER), Josh Brener (Silicon Valley), and Gail Bean (Unexpected).

The film revolves around a group of 80 Americans are locked in their high-rise corporate office in Bogata, Colombia and ordered by an unknown voice coming from the company's intercom system to participate in a deadly game of kill or be killed.

The Belko Experiment is slated for a March 17, 2017 release.

Please don't forget to share this post on your...

Joe Swanberg has been cranking out movies for over decade, and his micro-budget character studies quickly became the paradigm for the current state of American independent film. While Swanberg’s profile has grown — he recently launched the Netflix series “Easy” — he remains tethered to his roots, and now he’s expanding them: With the Chicago-based production company Forager Films, Swanberg has quietly launched an effort to support the work of other filmmakers operating on the same scale he embraced early on.

Read More: ‘Easy’ Review: Grading Every Episode of Joe Swanberg’s Profound New Netflix Series

The company, which Swanberg co-founded with Eddie Linker and Peter Gilbert, has churned out a series of diverse projects over the past year and a half: “Unexpected,” the sleeper Sundance hit directed by Swanberg’s wife Kris, follows an inner-city high school teacher who bonds with one of her students when they both get...

Exclusive: Forager Films, the Chicago-based production company toplined by filmmaker Joe Swanberg, is set to release writer-director Zach Clark’s Little Sister theatrically in New York as well as on iTunes and Digital VOD on October 14. It’s the first distribution play for the company, which has produced such films as Kris Swanberg’s Unexpected and Alex Ross Perry’s upcoming Golden Exits. Ally Sheedy, Addison Timlin, Keith Poulson, Kristin Slaysman, Barbara Crampton and…...

Netflix has found its “Friends from College.” The new eight-episode comedy from husband-and-wife team Nicholas Stoller and Francesca Delbanco will star Keegan-Michael Key, Cobie Smulders, Annie Parisse, Nat Faxon, Fred Savage and Jae Suh Park. The sextet will play a group of 40-somethings who went to Harvard together and are now confronting the crushing disappointment that is real life.

Read More: ‘Anne of Green Gables’: Netflix Announces ‘Breaking Bad’ Writer Moira Walley-Beckett as Showrunner

“Nick is a comedic mastermind,” said Cindy Holland, Netflix’s Vice President of Original Content, in a statement. “With ‘Friends from College,’ he and Francesca have created a world that is both moving and very, very funny. We are thrilled to be working with them and this incredible cast, and look forward to audiences around the world laughing with and at these relatable characters.” Stoller (“Neighbors,” “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising”) and Delbanco (“The Five-Year Engagement,...

“Anne” is coming to Netflix, and the iseries now has a showrunner and writer in Moira Walley-Beckett. An Emmy winner for her work on “Breaking Bad,” Walley-Beckett has also been tasked with adapting Lucy Maud Montgomery’s 1908 children’s novel “Anne of Green Gables.” Niki Caro (“Whale Rider”) is directing the two-hour pilot episode.

Read More: Starz Gives a Series Order to ‘Flesh and Bone,’ a Dark Ballet Drama From ‘Breaking Bad’ Producer Moira Walley-Beckett

Miranda de Pencier (“Beginners”) will produce the eight-episode first season, which tells the story of an orphan mistakenly sent to live with an old woman in 1890. “I am thrilled and inspired to be joining this incredibly talented team, and honored to collaborate on material that brings this iconic character to life in such a bold, fresh, and exciting way,” Caro said in a statement; her enthusiasm was matched by Walley-Beckett, who added that “I adore Anne!

With the excess of low-budget, retreat-in-the-woods dramas often finding characters hashing out their insecurities through a meta-narrative, a certain initial resistance can occur when presented with such a derivative scenario at virtually every film festival. While Sophia Takal‘s psychological drama Always Shine ultimately stumbles, the chemistry of its leads and a sense of foreboding dread in its formal execution ensures its heightened view of a fractured relationship is a mostly successful one.

Beth (Caitlin FitzGerald) is a rising actress, internally battling with the requested nudity for her various gigs, yet sheepishly enjoying the money and increased attention it brings as she makes her way into the spotlight. Meanwhile, her best friend, Anna (Mackenzie Davis), is struggling to break through in the same field, acting in anything that comes her way — even if it’s an avant-garde short that may or may not feature a paycheck. With the pair feeling disconnected over the past months,...

Chicago – It was a celebration in late January for Women in Film Chicago, as the organization showcased notable women in media with their annual Focus Awards. Advertising guru Jean Batthany, director Kris Swanberg, Editor Kathryn Hempel and writer/actress Megan Mercier were the honorees.

Women in Film Chicago is a advocacy group representing women in media, providing a voice for their membership in the show business environs of the Windy City. Their next event is a Women’s History month spotlight with a short film program called “Movies Made by Women Filmmakers,” which will take place on Tuesday, March 8th, 2016. Click here for more details.

Honorees, L to R: Kris Swanberg, Megan Mercier, Kathryn Hempel, Wifc President Carrie Hunter and Jean Batthany

Photo credit: © 2016 Maribeth Ratajczyk

HollywoodChicago.com was at the Focus Awards, and got the opportunity to briefly speak to three of the honorees. The fourth recipient, Megan Mercier,...

Chicago – The advocacy group of Women in Film Chicago (Wifc) have an annual event that honors prominent members of the media industry in the city, and the 2016 Focus Awards Gala will take place this year on January 28th. The honorees are Advertising Creative Director Jean Batthany, Documentary Filmmaker Kathryn Hempel, Film Director Kris Swanberg, and Writer/Actor Megan Mercier.

Women in Film began in Los Angeles in the 1970s, and since then has been building a global community of film, television, advertising, digital and on screen media professionals, and is the preeminent organization for the advancement of women in these industries. The Chicago chapter of this organization is dedicated to promoting the professional and educational advancement of its members, men and women alike, while contributing to the overall success of Chicago as a provider of high-caliber commercial, television, independent and major film production.

Wifc 2016 Focus Award Honoree, Megan Mercier

Photo credit: MeganMercier.

Chicago – On Tuesday, December 1st, the Midwest Independent Film Festival gave out their 2015 “Best of the Midwest” Awards with a ceremony at Rockit Bar & Grill in Chicago. Best Film honors went to “Uncle John,” directed by Steven Piet. Best Female Actor was Carisa Barreca of “Doomsdate,” Best Male Actor was Charles Whitcomb of “Full Frame,” and Best Director was Sonny Mallhi of “Anguish,” among other categories.

Best Male Actor Charles Whitcomb (‘Full Frame’) With Presenter Rich Moskal and BMA Host Mike McNamara

Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

The evening was hosted by Festival Director Mike McNamara, and included presenters Betsy Steinberg – the new Executive Director of Kartemquin Films, Christine Dudley – the Director of the Illinois Film Office, Rich Moskal – Director of the Chicago Film Office, Billy Dec – Rockit Entertaiment & “Windy City Live,’ and a video appearance from the director of the Best Music Video, Nick Offerman. The event...

We’d like to give as much insight into the project other than cast list and title, but Adam Leon‘s sophomore film has been existing somewhere off the radar. His debut became the Cinderella story of 2012 for micro-budgeted American indies. Gimme the Loot won the Grand Jury – Best Narrative Feature prize at the 2012 SXSW Film Fest and then became one of the rare SXSW-selected titles to break into Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section. Nominated for the Gotham Awards’ Breakthrough Director Award and both a nominee (for Best First Feature) and winner (Someone to Watch Award) at the Indie Spirits Awards, we imagine that the coin helped fund his larger-budgeted follow up. Working with another young cast, Tramps includes actors Callum Turner (Jeremy Saulnier’s Green Room) and newcomers Grace Van Patten and Michal Vondel.

Gist: Tbd.

Production Co./Producers: Dark Arts’ Andrea Roa (Unexpected), Joshua Astrachan...

What the trades tell us and what is fact are not mutually exclusive. 11th hour film submissions at the Sundance Film Festival do occur — the unfinished form are indeed a rarity, but I’ve seen it happen with fine down to the wire examples in the realm of Alex Ross Perry’s Listen Up Philip, Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash and Kris Swanberg’s Unexpected. Could this shot in NYC and Los Angeles nouveau Emily Dickinson depiction follow suit? Madeleine Olnek has mades ripples and waves at the festival first with 2011’s Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same followed up a weird double showing and vote of confidence (preeming at the 2013’s Sundance Next Weekend and then again at Sundance in 2014) for The Foxy Merkins. An auteur described by our Nicholas Bell as “a refreshing voice to behold in an era of repetitive storytelling and mediocre beats within the realm of independent film,...

As 2015 winds down, like most cinephiles, we’re looking to get our hands on the titles that may have slipped under the radar or simply gone unseen. With the proliferation of streaming options, it’s thankfully easier than ever to play catch-up, and to assist with the process, we’re bringing you a rundown of the best titles of the year available to watch.

Curated from the Best Films of 2015 So Far list we published for the first half of the year, it also includes films we’ve enjoyed the past few months and some we’ve recently caught up on. This is far from a be-all, end-all year-end feature (that will come at the end of the year), but rather something that will hopefully be a helpful tool for readers to have a chance to seek out notable, perhaps underseen, titles from the year.

Note that we’re going by U.

Full line-up of the Stockholm film festival includes feature and documentary competition line-ups.Scroll down for full line-up

The Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 11-22) has unveiled the line-up for its 26th edition, comprising more than 190 films from over 70 countries.

The Stockholm Xxvi Competition includes Marielle Heller’s Us title The Diary of a Teenage Girl and László Nemes’ Holocaust drama Son Of Saul.

It marks the first time Stockholm has a greater number of women than men competing for the Bronze Horse – the festival’s top prize.

The documentary competition includes Amy Berg’s An Open Secret, an investigation into accusations of teenagers being sexually abused within the film industry; and Cosima Spender’s Palio, centred on the annual horse race in Siena, Italy.

Announcing the programme, festival director Git Scheynius also revealed that Chinese artist Ai Weiwei will visit Stockholm for the first time as chairman of the jury for the first Stockholm Impact Award, which...

Every week we dive into the cream of the crop when it comes to home releases, including Blu-ray and DVDs, as well as recommended deals of the week. Check out our rundown below and return every Tuesday for the best (or most interesting) films one can take home. Note that if you’re looking to support the site, every purchase you make through the links below helps us and is greatly appreciated.

Black Coal, Thin Ice (Yi’nao Diao)

Despite having won the Golden Bear last year at the Berlin Film Festival, writer and director Yi’nao Diao’s acclaimed new film, Black Coal, Thin Ice somehow didn’t receive U.S. theatrical distribution. However, it’s finally available on Blu-ray. The modern noir tells the story of an ex-cop and his old parter, who reunite to investigate the chain of murders that brought their careers to an end after...

Being part of a comic franchise isn't for everyone. While some might be comfortable with a contract that spans several pictures, as well as crosses media boundaries into other tie-ins, others aren't so thrilled about being part of the comic world. For every Hugo Weaving, there's a Samuel L. Jackson, and Cobie Smulders definitely falls into the Jackson camp, as she's a fan of being a part of the Marvel Universe. While promoting her new film, Unexpected, Smulders sat down with The Daily Beast to discuss everything from how her recent pregnancy helped with her role as a pregnant teacher to her life after the end of the smash hit show How I Met Your Mother. But, as always, if you're in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you're going to be asked about what life is like inside of the frames inspired by the page. More specifically, the question of job...

Chicago – Providing human life to this planet is the dominion of women, given that they gestate new existence through to birth. It was refreshing to see that gender point of view carried to expressive terms in “Unexpected,” the latest film by Chicagoan Kris Swanberg, and featuring Cobie Smulders.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

The story is played out in contrast – a white middle class teacher in Chicago and her achieving African American student both find themselves unexpectedly pregnant. There are obvious different issues on the reflective sides of this coin, and the film does an exceptional job bringing them to light without being stereotypical or preachy. The tight screenplay – by director Kris Swanberg – and the achingly organic performances by the two expectant woman plays like a real scenario, allowing the events to unfold with a satisfying natural rhythm.

Samantha (Cobie Smulders) is a teacher and counselor at a mid-level Chicago high school. Her world...

“So, you want to talk about the weather, or what’s happening with this humidity? Just kidding.” Cobie Smulders knows that the topic of conversation isn’t quotidian chitchat for an interview—though she’s great at it—when she's here to talk about one of the numerous movies she’s been in this year. 2015 has seen Smulders appear in two Sundance breakouts: Andrew Bujalski’s “Results,” and Kris Swanberg’s “Unexpected,” the latter of which is today's topic of conversation. Smulders is also in a little film you might have heard of called “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” so, there's plenty to discuss. “Unexpected,” based on some of Swanberg's personal experiences, tells the story of a friendship between two expectant mothers, Chicago teacher Samantha (Smulders) and her student, Jasmine (Gail Bean). In my review from Sundance, I noted, “Smulders embodies the anxieties of women who want to retain their identities...

On the surface, Unexpected might seem like a pregnancy drama that you’d find playing on the Lifetime Network, but it actually proves to be a lot more than that.

Cobie Smulders stars in the film as Samantha Abbott, a dedicated and passionate teacher who works at an inner city Chicago high school which is on the verge of closing down. Just as she finds herself coming to terms with that, life throws a curve ball at her that she didn’t see coming: she’s pregnant.

Not long after discovering her pregnancy, Samantha learns that one of her best students, Jasmine (Gail Bean), is also pregnant, and the two end up forming an equally unexpected friendship as they tackle the challenges of pregnancy, applying for college and envisioning a future beyond motherhood.

Last week at the film’s press day in Los Angeles, we had the chance to speak with Smulders,...

When Cobie Smulders sat down with The Daily Beast to promote her new indie film Unexpected, the actress also discussed her role as Maria Hill in the ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe. "It’s very secretive," she said when asked about having a sense of job security with Marvel Studios. "They like to keep the surprises for the audience so they don’t reveal a lot of information—even to the inner circle. But it is nice! It’s very cool to be a part of the world, and a part of this ongoing story that’s happening. Normally, you walk into a movie, have a script, and then you’re done with it, or at the most you’ll do a sequel—maybe. But with the Marvel world, they’re doing television, they have merchandise like crazy, and Lego video games. It’s cool to be a part of all of it.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe does have a habit of using its smaller supporting characters across multiple projects. One of the first was Cobie Smulders, whose role as Maria Hill in the first "The Avengers" film was followed up by several appearances in "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." along with "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Captain America: The Winter Soldier".

So when will she next be returning to screens? Speaking with The Daily Beast to promote her new indie film "Unexpected," she says:

"It's very secretive. They like to keep the surprises for the audience so they don't reveal a lot of information - even to the inner circle. But it is nice. It's very cool to be a part of the world, and a part of this ongoing story that's happening. Normally, you walk into a movie, have a script, and then you're done with it, or at the most you'll do a sequel - maybe.

In Unexpected, Cobie Smulders plays Samantha Abbott, an inner-city high-school teacher who finds out she’s pregnant at the worst possible time: Her school is about to shut down, she’s about to become unemployed, and the dream job she wants to apply for will probably start right around her due date. Samantha’s challenges, however, pale next to that of one of her smarter students, Jasmine (Gail Bean), who also turns out to be pregnant. Jasmine, whose family is on welfare, would be starting college right around her due date — the promise of an education and a better life tempered, and possibly ruined, by the demands and costs of teen single-motherhood.That’s an intriguing setup, but the film can’t quite deliver on it. Samantha decides to help Jasmine get into college, in part because she herself has become aware of how much our notions of career and...

Cobie Smulders is finally revealing how she broke her leg! On last night's episode of The Late Late Show, the 33-year-old actress shared the embarrassing story with host James Corden and guests Judd Apatow and Mark Duplass. "Why are you on crutches? Tell us everything," Corden asked the gorgeous Unexpected star. "I just really like the attention!" Smulders joked. "It's so silly. I'll burn 10 seconds talking about it," she continued. "I just fell in my apartment and it was so silly. I broke my leg. It's broken." The audience then let out a collective "aw," to which Smulders responded to the attention, "See! I love it!" Duplass...

Unexpected

Written by Megan Mercier & Kris Swanberg

Directed by Kris Swanberg

USA, 2015

You keep waiting and waiting for Unexpected to arrive at its point. It never does. But a funny thing happens while you’re waiting… you come to love and respect these characters a great deal. It’s hard to be mad at director Kris Swanberg’s leisurely stroll towards motherhood, but it’s also hard to recommend to those outside the target demographic. Observant, low-key, and, ultimately, benign, Unexpected coasts by on goodwill and charm, when it could have tackled so much more.

Women have been struggling to balance family and career for decades now. Largely ignored by Hollywood screenwriters, the few stories tackling the lives of career women are heavy on family melodrama and light on workplace minutiae. Rest assured, Unexpected is all minutiae. We see everything in this film; from ultrasounds and baby showers to job interviews and poster presentations.

Pregnancy and motherhood may be experiences most women share, but you probably don’t need a fractious mommy blog to tell you that these states of being also emphasize differences of race, class, sexuality, education, life phase, personal history and relationship status among females of childbearing age. Kris Swanberg’s “Unexpected” dives into that cleave between women who might otherwise appear to be two pregnant peas in a pod. A white high-school teacher (Cobie Smulders) at a predominantly black school in inner-city Chicago finds herself with child at the same time as one of her best students (Gail Bean). Science instructor Samantha.

This is a reprint of our review from the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Sundance 2015 features many, many films regarding women trying to get pregnant or dealing with being pregnant (notably, there are no women trying not to be pregnant, unlike last year’s breakout hit, “Obvious Child"). Kris Swanberg’s latest feature, “Unexpected," tells the story of two unexpected pregnancies and the ways in which these women navigate their choices and futures with a baby on the way. Cobie Smulders plays Sam, a science teacher at an inner city Chicago high school. Almost instantly she discovers that she’s pregnant, and although she’s got everything she needs — a loving live-in boyfriend, John (Anders Holm), and easy maternity leave because the school’s closing down — she’s still incredibly anxious and doesn’t know what to do about the pregnancy. At the same time, she discovers that her best student, Jasmine (Gail Bean), is also pregnant.

Cobie Smulders is not accustomed to being singled out. The How I Met Your Mother star and Marvel universe apparatchik tends to operate in the company of others, which is why she found herself somewhat stricken with panic earlier this year at the Sundance premiere of her latest film, Unexpected, which opens in theaters and on demand this Friday. "Oh shit," she recalls thinking. "I'm in every scene."

It's true, she is — though it's about time. Fans of her CBS sitcom, which concluded its nine-season run last year, might agree...

Baby Boom: Swanberg’s Pregnancy Drama Plays it Safe

For a glaring portrait of the subtle audacity of subconscious privilege unawares, look no further than Kris Swanberg’s latest feature, Unexpected, an indie Sundance premiered drama treading the expected tropes of unplanned pregnancy. Its set-up initially poses a provocative juxtaposition, a tale of two surprise pregnancies dealt to two very different women in one of the Midwest’s most progressive cities, Chicago. Told from the perspective of its white, high functioning and hopelessly granola lead, whose life intersects with a black, socioeconomically compromised student in a similar situation promises to be an invigorating examination of taken-for-grantedness. Except, at every possible opportunity, Swanberg’s screenplay (co-written by actress Megan Mercier) backs away from controversial points, instead reinforcing the frustrating obliviousness of its lead character. And that’s not even addressing the narrative’s conservative reinforcement of teen mothers giving birth...

Cobie Smulders stars in director Kris Swanberg‘s latest film, Unexpected, as an inner-city high school teacher who unexpectedly finds herself pregnant. Cobie Smulders, Kris Swanberg On ‘Unexpected’ Smulders’ character Samantha Abbott and her boyfriend John (Anders Holm) weren’t looking to start a family when they find out they have a baby on the way. Similarly, […]

The post Cobie Smulders And Kris Swanberg on ‘Unexpected,’ Elizabeth McGovern [Exclusive Video] appeared first on uInterview.

Our resident VOD expert tells you what's new to rent and/or own this week via various Digital HD providers such as cable Movies On Demand, Amazon, iTunes, Vudu and, of course, Netflix. Cable Movies On Demand: Same-day-as-disc releases, older titles and pretheatrical exclusives for rent, priced from $3-$10, in 24- or 48-hour periods Before We Go (Chris Evans-directed romantic comedy; Chris Evans, Alice Eve, Maria Breyman; pretheatrical release premieres 7/21; rated PG-13) Unexpected (comedy-drama; Anders Holm, Cobie Smulders; premieres 7/24 on cable Mod and in theaters; rated R)   Digital HD: Rent from $4-$7 or own from $13-$20 (HD may cost more than Sd)   Vudu Offers the same movies as cable Movies On Demand for rent and/or download. Plus: The...

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Pregnancy is often impractically imagined as either the worst possible outcome in a person’s life, or showcased in extreme situations that don’t truly relate to how people feel and act when they learn they’re becoming a parent, especially for the first time, in movies. While male filmmakers typically create these types of movies to reflect how society perceives how people, particularly men, actually feel about pregnancy, there aren’t that many genuine films about what the experience is truly like, particularly for the women who actually go the process. But writer-director Kris Swanberg captivatingly explored the realistic implications of a surprise pregnancy for people in different stages in life in the [ Read More ]

The post Interview: Kris Swanberg Talks Unexpected (Exclusive) appeared first on Shockya.com.

Set for release in theaters and on demand on July 24, via Film Arcade, is the Sundance Film Festival 2015 U.S. Dramatic Competition selection, "Unexpected," from director Kris Swanberg, from a script penned by Megan Mercier and Swanberg. The story follows Samantha Abbott (played by Cobie Smulders), a dedicated teacher at an inner-city Chicago high school that's shutting down, while she faces some unexpected news: she's pregnant - a pregnancy that happens, as she learns, at the same time that one of her most promising students, Jasmine (played by screen newcomer Gail Bean), is also pregnant. Both find commonalities in their individual situations, as they consider what lies...

An unplanned pregnancy can bring with it a whirlwind of emotions and that's just what Cobie Smulders experiences in the upcoming dramedy "Unexpected." After hitting Sundance and SXSW earlier this year, the film is on the way to cinemas and today we have an exclusive clip. Directed by Kris Swanberg, the story follows Samantha, a science teacher at an inner city Chicago high school who discovers she's pregnant, and endeavors to maintain her career and independence, while balancing the responsibilities of being a mother. And in the scene below, Samantha breaks the news she's just learned to her boyfriend. "Unexpected" opens On Demand and in cinemas on July 24th. Watch below.

Cobie Smulders, The Lego Movie voice of Wonder Woman and The Avengers' Maria Hill, on the Oceana blue carpet Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Swimmingly integrating Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, Roberto Rossellini's Stromboli and Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid with Livia Firth's (aka Livia Giuggioli) Green Carpet Challenge, or blue, I had a conversation with Oceana Media Advisory Board member, Cobie Smulders, the host of the First Annual Nautica Oceana City & Sea Party.

The evening before, at BAMcinemaFest, Cobie presented the premiere of Kris Swanberg's Unexpected in which she stars with Gail Bean, Anders Holm and Elizabeth McGovern.

Oceana Media Advisory Board member, Cobie Smulders: "I've always wanted to be under the sea." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Oceana supporters include Diane Lane, January Jones, Morgan Freeman, Mary Steenburgen, Jeff Goldblum, Pierce Brosnan, James Cameron, Harrison Ford, Barbra Streisand, Sting, Josh Lucas, Jason Priestley,...

We're rounding up reviews, interviews, clips and trailers for films screening at this year's BAMcinemaFest: Alex Ross Perry's Queen of Earth, James Ponsoldt's The End of the Tour, Sean Baker's Tangerine, Stephen Winter's Jason and Shirley, Nathan Silver's Stinking Heaven, Sebastián Silva's Nasty Baby, Todd Rohal's Uncle Kent 2, Jennifer Phang's Advantageous, Kris Swanberg's Unexpected, Patrick Wang's The Grief of Others, Les Blank's A Poem Is a Naked Person, Jem Cohen's Counting, Larry Clark's Kids—and more. » - David Hudson...

We're rounding up reviews, interviews, clips and trailers for films screening at this year's BAMcinemaFest: Alex Ross Perry's Queen of Earth, James Ponsoldt's The End of the Tour, Sean Baker's Tangerine, Stephen Winter's Jason and Shirley, Nathan Silver's Stinking Heaven, Sebastián Silva's Nasty Baby, Todd Rohal's Uncle Kent 2, Jennifer Phang's Advantageous, Kris Swanberg's Unexpected, Patrick Wang's The Grief of Others, Les Blank's A Poem Is a Naked Person, Jem Cohen's Counting, Larry Clark's Kids—and more. » - David Hudson...

Exclusive: Ryan Kampe has reported a strong response from buyers to the roster led by Critics’ Week selection Krisha.

Trey Edward Shults’ SXSW grand jury award and audience award winner sold to Benelux (Remain In Light), Italy (Movies Inspired), Turkey (Fabula Films) and India (Pictureworks).

Cineplex acquired rights for Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. As previously announced, A24 holds Us rights and StudioCanal will distribute in the UK.

Krisha stars Krisha Fairchild as an estranged aunt who returns to the family fold during the holidays with dramatic results. Additional deals including several major territories are in negotiation.

Craig Roberts’ dark comedy Just Jim directed by and starring Craig Roberts alongside Emile Hirsch has gone to Italy (Movies Inspired), Turkey (Fabula Films) and the Middle East (Front Row).

As previously announced, Invincible Pictures holds Us rights to the SXSW premiere, while Soda Pictures will release in the UK.

Adam Salky’s family drama and Sundance premiere...