Review: "LOGAN" is Mournful, Violent, and Hopeful

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 32 of 2024 (No. 1976) by Leroy Douresseaux

Logan (2017)

Running time:  137 minutes (2 hours, 17 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for strong brutal violence and language throughout, and for brief nudity

DIRECTOR:  James Mangold

WRITERS:  James Mangold & Scott Frank and Michael Green; from a story by James Mangold (based on the characters and stories appearing in Marvel Comics)

PRODUCERS:  Simon Kinberg, Hutch Parker, and Lauren Shuler Donner

CINEMATOGRAHER: John Mathieson (D.o.P.)

EDITORS:  Michael McCusker and Dirk Westervelt

COMPOSER:  Marco Beltrami

Academy Award nominee

SUPERHERO/ACTION/DRAMA

Starring:  Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Richard E. Grant, Eriq La Salle, Elise Neal, Quincy Fouse, Jason Genao, and Bryant Tardy

Logan is a 2017 American drama, action film and superhero movie from director James Mangold.  Starring Hugh Jackman in the title role, it is the tenth film in 20th Century Fox's X-Men movie franchise and is also the third entry in the Wolverine film series.  Logan is based on the Marvel Comics character, Logan/Wolverine, that was created by writer Len Wein and artists John Romita and Herb Trimpe and first fully appeared in the comic book, The Incredible Hulk #181 (cover dated: November 1974).  Logan the movie focuses on a legendary mutant trying to save a mutant child from the evil people determined to capture her.

Logan opens in the year 2029.  Mutants are nearly extinct, and no new mutants have been born in 24 years.  The aging and ailing Logan (Hugh Jackman) works as a limousine driver in El Paso, Texas.  Once upon a time, he was known as “Wolverine,” and he was a member of the legendary band of mutants, the “X-Men.”  Now, he and the elderly founder of the X-Men, Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), live in hiding. Xavier suffers from a degenerative brain condition, and he sometimes has telepathic seizures that render anyone in the vicinity virtually helpless.  A mutant known as “Caliban” (Stephen Merchant) helps Logan care for Charles.

Logan has plans for escape, but a complication arrives in the form of a small girl named Laura (Dafne Keen), also known as test subject “X23.”  She is a mutant and her abilities are remarkably similar to those of Wolverine's.  However, she is being hunted by Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook) and his band of killers, the “Reavers.”  They are in service of the research institute, Alkali Transigen, and the scientists there want her back no matter what it costs in terms of lives.  Will Logan become the hero Wolverine, again, and help Laura get to a place called “Eden?”  Or will he run away from his fate, again?

Having seen the first two Wolverine films, X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) and The Wolverine (2013), I did not go to the theater to see Logan when it was originally released in 2017.  [In my defense, I was knee deep in catastrophic family drama at the time.]  With the impending release of the upcoming Marvel Studios film, Deadpool & Wolverine, I decided it was time.

My was I missing an excellent film.  Logan is by far the best of the Wolverine films, and at the time of its release, it was the best X-Men since 2011's X-Men: First Class.  Truthfully, Logan would end up being the last really good X-Men film produced by 20th Century Fox.

Logan, which was rated “R” by the MPAA, is one of the most violent superhero films that I've ever seen.  Logan, Laura, and a surprise character called “X24” disembowel, dismember, behead, eviscerate, stab, and chop up what seems like a small town's worth of deserving men of various stripes.  Although I can sometimes be a prude about what I see as gratuitous violence in cinema, I love the brutal violence of Logan.  In fact, all the action scenes in Logan are brilliant, from the standoffs to the fights and car chases.

However, director James Mangold, a filmmaker with a hugely diverse filmography, makes Logan turn on dramatic storytelling and performances.  It is obvious that Hugh Jackman as Logan and Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier would give fine performances.  Still, actor and comedian, Stephen Merchant, is simply wonderful in the important supporting role of Caliban, bringing pathos and depth to a role that could have ended up being an extraneous freak character.

Boyd Holbrook also brings range and a variety of moods to Donald Pierce, another character that could have been a generic mercenary type.  Dafne Keen matches the rage and range of Jackman as Logan.  Laura could have been lost in the hurricane that is Logan/Wolverine's story in this film, but Keen makes Laura a force of her own.  Also, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Eriq La Salle makes the most of his short time on screen as Will Munson.

Logan is a mournful film.  It really is not a sequel to the earlier Wolverine films so much as it is the completion of Logan/Wolverine's tragic, but heroic story arc that buttressed the earlier films.  Logan is both an ending and a beginning, and I wish that the care and effort put into this film had been put into some of the other X-Men films.

8 of 10

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Sunday, July 21, 2024

NOTES:

2018 Academy Awards, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Adapted Screenplay” (Scott Frank, James Mangold, and Michael Green)

The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site or blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 8th to 14th, 2023 - Update #20

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From THR:  Martin Scorsese's new film, "Killers of the Flower Moon," is a historical drama about the "Osage Reign of Terror."  However, in 1926, Hollywood's first Native American director, James Young Deer, released his film on the subject, "Tragedies of the Osage Hills."  It is one of thousands of silent films that are lost or no longer exist.

CELEBRITY - From THR:  Two-time Oscar-winning actor, Michael Caine (Cider House Rules) has made it official that he is retiring from acting.

MOVIES/TRAILERS - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. has released a second trailer for its upcoming film, "Wonka," a prequel to Roald Dahl's beloved novel, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," which has been adapted into film twice in 1971 and 2005.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Miramax has won the television rights to the Halloween film franchise, which is controlled by Malek Akkad's Trancas International Films.  Miramax sees this new "Halloween" franchise as potential launch of a cinematic universe spanning film and TV.  The franchise began with director John Carpenter's 1978 film, Halloween.

CELEBRITY - From Variety:  In his new self-help book, "Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life," Hollywood legend and former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger says that director John Milius made him do "terrible shit" on the set of his breakthrough movie, Conan the Barbarian (1982), including biting into a real, dead vulture.

ANIMATION - From Variety:  Paramount+ has set an Oct. 27th date from the U.S. and Canadian streaming debut of its exclusive feature, "South Park: Joining the Panderverse."

STAR TREK - From Variety:  Netflix will stream the second season of the animated series, "Star Trek: Prodigy" beginning in 2024. Paramount cancelled the series earlier this year. The first season will arrive on Netflix later this year.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Jerry Seinfeld teases a possible reunion of his beloved former NBC sitcom, "Seinfeld" (1989-98).  He teased "something is going to happen" related to series final episode.

CELEBRITY - From THR:  Emmy winner Jada Pinkett Smith says that she and her husband, Oscar-winner Will Smith, have been living separate lives since 2016, in an interview with NBC's "Today" show.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Currently promoting his new film, "Ferrari," starring Adam Driver, director Michael Mann says his next film will be a sequel to his 1995 classic, "Heat."

WRITERS STRIKE - From Deadline:  This afternoon (Mon. Oct. 9th), the Writers Guild of America (WGA) membership ratified its contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), bringing to a final end to the strike that lasted for nearly five months.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Director Pablo Larraín (Jackie) has revealed the first two photos of Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas in his new film, "Maria," that will explore the life of the legendary singer, often described as the original diva.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  DreamWorks Animation is laying off four precent of its staff (about 70 positions). The reasons apparently have to do with a business slowdown, rising production costs, and the recent Hollywood strikes.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 10/6 to 10/8/2023 weekend box office is Universal Pictures' "The Exorcist: The Believer" with an estimated take of 27.2 million dollars.

STAR TREK - From Variety:  Acclaimed actor and "Star Trek: The Next Generations," star, Patrick Stewart ("Captain Jean-Luc Picard"), explains why he thought that, Tom Hardy, his then young co-star in the film, Star Trek: Nemesis, would not last long in the acting profession.  In "Nemesis," Hardy plays "Shinzon," a clone of Picard produced by the Romulans.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  American television and stage actor, Mark Goddard, has died at the age of 87, Tuesday, October 10, 2023.  Goddard is best known for his role as "Major Don West" in the former CBS sci-fi series, "Lost in Space" (1965-68).  He was a rising young star in the early to mid-1960s and was also a regular cast members of such series as the former CBS Western, "Johnny Ringo" (1959-60), the former ABC-NBC crime drama, "The Detectives" (1960-62), and the former CBS sitcom, "Many Happy Returns" (1964-65), before joining "Lost in Space."

From Deadline:  British film director and screenwriter, Terence Davies, has died at the age of 77, Saturday, October 7, 2023.  He is best known for his films, "Distant Voice, Still Lives" (1988), "The Long Day Closes" (1992), and "The House of Mirth" (2000), to name a few.

From Deadline:  American costume designer, Shawna Trpcic, has died at the age of 56, Wednesday, October 4, 2023.  She is best remembered for her work on the Disney+ Star Wars series:  "Anakin," "The Book of Boba Fett," and "The Mandalorian."  Trpcic was also known for her work on Joss Whedon's television series, "Angel," Firefly," and "Dollhouse," as well as on Whedon's 2012 film, "Much Ado About Nothing."  She received three Primetime Emmy Nominations for her work on the "Star Wars" series.

ISRAEL:

From CNN:  The news network's website has published a "Here's what to know" article on the unprecedented attack the Hamas has launched against Israel.

From TheGuardian:  from Patrick Wintour at "The Guardians UK": Hamas' attack has abruptly altered the picture for Middle East diplomacy. Iran wants to make it impossible for Saudi Arabia to strike deal with Israel, while others in region cannot afford mayhem in Gaza.

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ACTORS STRIKE:

From Deadline:  The movie studios via AMPTP have suspended their talks with striking actors via SAG-AFTRA.  The snag seems to be that actors want "2 precent of potential profits" on streaming.

From Variety:  SAG-AFTRA (the actors) and AMPTP (the studios) are to resume strike talks Wed., Oct. 11th, as the actors strike enters Day 88.

From Deadline:  The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Hollywood studios CEOs met for strike talks for the first time since the actors went on strike July 14th. They plan to meet again, Wed., Oct. 4th.

BREAKING - From Deadline:  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to end its strike after nearly five months. The parties finalized the framework of the deal Sunday when they were able to untangle their stalemate over AI and writing room staffing levels.

From WGAContract:  The WGA contract page has additional information on the settlement.

From WGAContract:  A summary of the new agreement.

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From Deadline:   The actors’ strike is now in its 63rd day.  Now, SAG-AFTRA leaders are ramping up their rhetoric against the studio heads, accusing them in the latest issue of the "SAG-AFTRA Magazine" of “behaving like petty tyrants,” “would-be feudal lords” and “land barons in feudal times.”

From Deadline:  Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra says that Hollywood unions need to embrace AI.

From Deadline:  Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav says the industry must focus and fight to resolve the writers and actors strikes.

From Deadline:  Hollywood’s superstars are answering the call from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, donating $1 million or more each to help their fellow performers during the ongoing actors and writers strikes.  Among the big donors are Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Oprah Winfrey, and Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.

From Deadline:  If you are interested, here is a list of the film and TV productions SAG-AFTRA has granted waivers to continue filming.

From Variety:  International superstar, Dwayne Johnson, makes a seven-figure contribution to the "SAG-AFTRA Foundation Relief Fund." Foundation president, actor Courtney B. Vance, says the amount will remain confidential.

From Variety:  Why haven't A-list stars joined the SAG-AFTRA picket line?, asks "Variety."

From Deadline:  Author George R.R. Martin, whose works were the basis for HBO's "Game of Thrones," says the strikes will be long and bitter.

From Variety:  Halted film productions due to the writers and actors strikes are costing each Hollywood studio at least 600,000 dollars per week.

From Variety:  Said at a strike meeting: “Without a transformative change in SAG-AFTRA’s current contract with the AMPTP, the acting profession will no longer be an option for future generations of performers, and actors already working in the industry will need to pursue other careers in order to survive.”

From Deadline:  If you are a "social media influencer" who is NOT  a member of SAG-AFTRA, you can be barred from future membership for promoting a film or television series during the actors' strike.

From Variety:  The SAG/AFTRA strike begins in New York and Los Angeles.  Hollywood actors began striking today, Fri., July 14th.

From Deadline:  The site has the video of the powerful strike speech given by SAG-AFTRA president, Fran Drescher, the actress best known for CBS' former sitcom, "The Nanny."

From Deadline: SAG-AFTRA is already preparing strike picket signs in case the actors' strike begins next week.

From Deadline:  The Hollywood studios via the AMPTP has given Canadian actors a new contract, including a 5 percent raise.

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Review: "DOCTOR STRANGE" Sequel is Pure Sam Raimi Goodness

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 28 of 2022 (No. 1840) by Leroy Douresseaux

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Running time:  126 minutes (2 hours, six minutes)
MPA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, frightening images and some language
DIRECTOR:  Sam Raimi
WRITER:  Michael Waldron (based on the Marvel Comics)
PRODUCER:  Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  John Mathieson
EDITORS:  Bob Murawski and Tia Nolan
COMPOSER:  Danny Elfman

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/HORROR/ACTION

Starring:  Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez; Rachel McAdams, Michael Stuhlbarg, Julian Hilliard, Jett Klyne, Sheila Atim; Ako Mitchll, John Krasinski, Anson Mount, Hayley Atwell, Lashana Lynch, Charlize Theron, and Patrick Stewart

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a 2022 superhero, action, and horror-fantasy film directed by Sam Raimi and produced by Marvel Studios.  It is the 28th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and is also a sequel to the 2016 superhero movie, Doctor Strange.  Both films focus on the Marvel Comics character, Doctor Strange, who first appeared in the comic book, Strange Tales #10 (cover dated: July 1963), and who was created by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee.  In the new film, Doctor Strange battles to protect the Multiverse and a young woman who can travel through it.

As Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opens, Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is plagued by dreams in which he finds himself involved with a mysterious young woman.  But life goes on.  Wong (Benedict Wong), Strange's friend and mentor, is now Earth's Sorcerer Supreme.  Also, Stephen's former lover, Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), is getting married, and he is attending the wedding.

During the wedding, an octopus demon wreaks havoc in the neighborhood, and Stephen meets the young woman again.  Her name is America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), and she can travel through the Multiverse by punching doorways through dimensions.  Demonic forces are tracking her, and Strange believes that only the Book of Vishanti can stop these demons.  Dr. Strange turns to an expert for help, the former Avenger, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen).  However, the mastermind behind the attacks on America is quite powerful, and the identity of this attacker is quite surprising.

And things only get worse.  Dr. Strange must face his old adversary, Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) … something called “the Illuminati” … and multiple versions of himself.

I have come across complaints that Marvel Studios' films are formulaic and complaints that the studios' films are not “director-driven” (whatever that means).  Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is not like other Marvel films, and at least to me, it seems “director-driven.”

The director of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is Sam Raimi, who is best known for directing Sony/Columbia Picture's first trilogy of Spider-Man films (2002-07).  Before then, Raimi's best known work was the “Evil Dead” trilogy, comprised of Evil Dead (1981), Evil Dead II (1987), and Army of Darkness (1993).  And Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness seems like a superhero film built on the aesthetic or, at least, the sensibilities of the “Evil Dead” trilogy.  In fact, this Doctor Strange film is like an Evil Dead movie with the budget of a … well, Marvel Studios movie.  Even more than his Spider-Man films, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the truest Sam Raimi superhero movie to date.

I don't want to spoil much more than I already have, but I can say that the VFX in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is not only superb, but also inventive and imaginative.  Of course, the productions values are quite good; once again, I must say that everything looks like it would in a Raimi Evil Dead movie with mega-event, tent-pole film's budget.  Also, Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen give superb performances, especially Olsen.

In spite of what Marvel Studios and Disney may say, however, I am not sure what the impact of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness actually is.  I really like this movie because it really IS a Sam Raimi movie, and I love his movies.  But, is this Doctor Strange film as consequential to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Spider-Man: No Way Home seems to be...?

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness seems most important because of what it promises – new tomorrows, new worlds, new heroes, new movies … and hopefully more Sam Raimi Marvel movies.  I am thankful that Marvel Studios allowed him to make this movie.  Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is better than the original film, and it is Marvel's weirdest movie to date – a thrill ride of delightful and inspired wackiness.  Plus, it gives some of us what we hoped that the original would – a true dark fantasy/horror Doctor Strange movie.

[Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has one mid-credit scene and one end-credit scene.]

8 of 10
A
★★★★ out of 4 stars

Friday, May 6, 2022


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: 1984 "Dune" Retains its Cult Cinema Charms

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 62 of 2021 (No. 1800) by Leroy Douresseaux

Dune (1984)
Running time:  136 minutes (2 hours, 16 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13
DIRECTOR:  David Lynch
WRITER:  David Lynch (based on the novel by Frank Herbert)
PRODUCER:  Raffaella De Laurentiis
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Freddie Francis (photographed by)
EDITOR:  Antony Gibbs
COMPOSER: TOTO
Academy Award nominee

SCI-FI

Starring:  Kyle MacLachlan, Francesca Annis, Jürgen Prochnow, José Ferrer, Kenneth McMillan, Sting, Paul Smith, Everett McGill, Sean Young, Patrick Stewart, Siân Phillips, Dean Stockwell, Max von Sydow, Linda Hunt, Richard Jordan, Brad Dourif, Virginia Madsen, and Alicia Witt

Dune is a 1984 science fiction film written and directed by David Lynch.  It is based on the 1965 novel, Dune, written by author Frank Herbert.  Dune the film focuses on a young nobleman who becomes the leader of a band of desert warriors as he attempts to free their planet from the clutches of a despotic galactic emperor.

Dune opens in the far future in the year 10,191.  The known universe is ruled by Padishah Emperor Shaddam the Fourth (José Ferrer). The most valuable substance in the universe is the spice, “melange.”  It is a drug that extends life and expands consciousness, and it is vital to space travel.  An “orange spice gas” gives the navigators of the “Space Guild” the ability to fold space, which permits safe and instantaneous interstellar travel.  The spice is only found on the desert planet, Arrakis, which is also called “Dune.”

The Emperor appoints a noble family of the “Landsraad” (the empire's noble houses) to mine and produce spice on Arrakis.  He fears the growing popularity of Duke Leto Atreides of the House Atreides and also the secret army Leto is supposedly amassing.  He appoints the House Atreides as the new stewards of Arrakis, replacing the current controllers, the House Harkonnen, let by Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Kenneth McMillan), who is also Leto's enemy.  Ceding control of Arrakis to Duke Leto is just part of a plot by the Emperor and Baron Harkonnen to destroy the House Atreides.

However, Paul Atreides (Kyle MacLachlan), the son of Leto and his concubine, Lady Jessica (Francesca Annis), is the focus of both the Space Guild and the Bene Gesserit, a powerful sisterhood.  For there is a prophecy concerning the “Kwisatz Haderach,” a messiah who will liberate Arrakis and its people, the “Fremen.”  The Bene Gesserit are afraid that Paul is this messiah.  On Arrakis, Paul will find his destiny, and he will find “Muad'Dib,” if he survives the conspiracies against him.

Until recently, I had not watched Dune in its entirety since I first saw it in a movie theater back in Fall 1984.  In spite of its many fault, I still like it.  The film has wonderful, unique, and even eccentric production values, which I can also say about its special effects and sound.  People like Kit West (mechanical special effects), Carlo Rimbaldi (creature creation), Barry Nolan (special photographic effects), Albert J. Whitlock (special effects), Bob Ringwood (costumes), Anthony Masters (production design), (Freddie Frances), and the Grammy Award-winning rock band, Toto (score) all do the work that makes Dune look, feel, and sound like no other film in American cinematic history.  Regardless of my conflicted feelings about the film, dear readers, I want these find artists, craftsman, and technicians to get at least some praise for their work on Dune.

I have read that the producers behind Dune hoped to make it the first of a film series that would be like “Star Wars for adults.”  In a few ways, Dune is as good as Star Wars.  The difference is that Star Wars is an original film story, and its plot, characters, and settings are simple, straightforward, and are narrowly focused for a two-hour film.  Dune is the adaptation of a complex science fiction novel that is packed with plots and subplots.  Dune the novel has settings that span a universe, including several planets, environments, and human habitats.  Star Wars' back story is briefly mentioned, while Dune's back story spans time in blocks – from decades to millennia – and is very important to the story in the present.

Watching Dune the movie the first time, one can feel that a lot of important parts of the story have been left out.  When I first saw Dune, that was obvious to me, although I had, at the time, never read the novel, but I was aware of it and its sequels.  [I would read the original novel about twenty years after I first saw the film]  Dune the movie has a narrator, Princess Irulan, the Emperor's daughter (played by a young Virginia Madsen), and multiple characters speak in voice-overs.  Frequent narration and constant voice-overs basically tell you that this film has too much story for its own good.  In fact, when Dune was first released, movie theaters handed out an information sheet that explained terms and names that would be featured in the film.  My copy of this Dune fact sheet has been lost to time, but I have never received such a sheet for any other film that I've seen in a movie theater.

[I must also note that I liked writer-director John Harrison's “Frank Herbert's Dune,” a three-part, television miniseries adaptation that aired on the Sci Fi Channel in December of 2000.]

As I said, however, there are things about the film that I really like, and even Kyle MacLachlan's amateurish performance as Paul Atreides does not keep me from enjoying Dune.  Actually, several actors deliver good performances in the film, even in small roles.  I watched Dune again in preparation for Warner Bros' new version, directed by acclaimed filmmaker, Denis Villeneuve, for which I have high hopes.  However, I suspect that I will return to David Lynch's Dune again.

6 of 10
B

Tuesday, October 19, 2021


NOTES:
1985 Academy Awards, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Sound” (Bill Varney, Steve Maslow, Kevin O'Connell, and Nelson Stoll)

The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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NatGeo's "Cosmos" Returns for a Third Season, March 2020

COSMOS Returns! Season 3 of the Most Celebrated Science Show on the Planet to Premiere March 9, 2020, on National Geographic

THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS TO AIR GLOBALLY ON NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IN 172 COUNTRIES AND 43 LANGUAGES

FOX to Air the Complete Season Summer 2020

The Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning Series Hails from Executive Producer, Writer, Director and Creator Ann Druyan with Executive Producers Seth MacFarlane, Brannon Braga and Jason Clark; Series is Hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson

The 13-part Mind-Blowing Voyage Boasts an All-star Team of Creatives Including Acclaimed Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter, Cinematographer Karl Walter Lindenlaub and Composer Alan Silvestri

Voiceover Artists Include Seth MacFarlane, Sir Patrick Stewart, Viggo Mortensen and Judd Hirsch; Author Sasha Sagan, Ann Druyan and Carl Sagan’s Daughter, Recurs In Live-action Role of Sagan’s Mother, Rachel Gruber Sagan

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The most beloved, wonder-filled science franchise in television history returns with a new, 13-episode, mind-blowing adventure when COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS premieres March 9, 2020 on National Geographic. This out-of-this-world trip through space and time will transport viewers across 13.8 billion years of cosmic evolution and deep into the future.

    “Which is why we’re excited for the next chapter of the most-beloved and most-watched science show to date, COSMOS, to return to our air. COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS takes complex themes from astrophysics, astronomy and anthropology and makes them accessible and entertaining for millions of people around the world to devour.”

The next chapter of COSMOS, announced in celebration of what would have been visionary Carl Sagan’s 85th birthday this Saturday, Nov. 9, continues the legacy of the groundbreaking series co-written with Ann Druyan and Steven Soter, which was broadcast to a global audience 40 years ago. COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS airs on Nat Geo in 172 countries and 43 languages and on FOX this summer. The previous season was seen by over 135 million people worldwide.

This Emmy-winning, worldwide phenomenon is the brainchild of Emmy and Peabody Award winner Ann Druyan, creative director of NASA’s legendary Voyager Interstellar Message, who serves as creator, executive producer, writer and director, and Emmy-winning and Academy Award-nominated executive producers Seth MacFarlane (“The Orville,” “Family Guy”), Brannon Braga (“The Orville,” “Star Trek”) and Jason Clark (“The Orville,” “The Long Road Home”).

Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist with the American Museum of Natural History, host of the four-time Emmy-nominated “StarTalk” series and best-selling author (Death by Black Hole,” “Letters from an Astrophysicist), returns as host and series executive science editor. This season begins with him on the shores of the cosmic ocean as COSMOS’ enhanced and upgraded ‘Ship of the Imagination’ and ‘Cosmic Calendar’ return, taking viewers on a journey through time and spanning a stunning variety of worlds. Throughout these adventurous episodes, COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS integrates one-of-a-kind VFX, animations, holograms and stylized reenactments to carry viewers to never-before-seen worlds and meet unsung superheroes who have made possible our understanding of life’s spectacular voyage — from its origin at the bottom of the sea to its possible future on the exotic worlds of distant stars.

“This third season of COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS is our boldest yet,” says Druyan. “The ‘Ship of the Imagination’ will carry us places we never dared to venture before: lost worlds and worlds to come, deep into the future and straight through that hole in the curtain masking other realities – and all of it rigorously informed by science and made real by lavish VFX.”

“National Geographic is proud to be the world’s leading destination for viewers who are passionate about science and exploration,” says Courteney Monroe, president of global television networks at National Geographic. “Which is why we’re excited for the next chapter of the most-beloved and most-watched science show to date, COSMOS, to return to our air. COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS takes complex themes from astrophysics, astronomy and anthropology and makes them accessible and entertaining for millions of people around the world to devour.”

COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS ventures to previously uncharted territories: starting back to the dawning of our universe, moving forward to the futuristic 2039 New York World’s Fair and then far beyond into the distant future on other worlds. Visit an open house in the first apartment ever built and climb a 10,000-year-old stairway to the stars. Return to the foreboding ‘Halls of Extinction,’ with living dioramas of the broken branches on the tree of life, and venture to the new, glorious ‘Palace of Life,’ with its soaring towers filled with vibrant marine creatures. Stand beneath its ‘Arch of Experience’ to know what it’s like to soar with the eagles or swim with the whales on their epic voyages.

Associated with the series are some of television and film’s most revered creatives across all crafts, including Emmy-nominated cinematographer Karl Walter Lindenlaub (“Independence Day,” “Stargate”); Academy Award-winning and Emmy-nominated costume designer Ruth E. Carter (“Black Panther,” “Roots”); Emmy-winning and Academy Award-nominated composer Alan Silvestri (“The Avengers,” “Forrest Gump,” “Contact”); visual effects supervisor Jeffrey A. Okun (“Clash of the Titans,” “Blood Diamond”); and supervising animation directors Lucas Gray (“The Simpsons,” “Family Guy”), Emmy-nominated Brent Woods (“American Dad!,” “Family Guy”) and Academy Award-nominated Duke Johnson (“Anomalisa,” “Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole”).

Many celebrities compose the noteworthy corps of actors who lend their voices to COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS. This season includes Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning actor Seth MacFarlane (“The Orville,” “Family Guy”) as President Truman; Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated actor Sir Patrick Stewart (“Star Trek,” “X-Men”) as German, British-born astronomer William Herschel; Academy Award-nominated Viggo Mortensen (“The Green Book,” “The Lord of the Rings”) as Soviet plant geneticist Nikolai Vavilov; and Judd Hirsch (“A Beautiful Mind,” “Independence Day”) as Robert Oppenheimer, famously known as the “Father of the Atomic Bomb.” Sasha Sagan, Druyan and Sagan’s daughter, appears in a recurring live-action role as Sagan’s mother, Rachel Gruber Sagan.

In conjunction with the launch of the new season, National Geographic Books is publishing a companion book, Cosmos: Possible Worlds, by Druyan, the long-awaited follow-up to Sagan’s international bestseller, Cosmos.

COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS is produced for National Geographic and FOX by Cosmos Studios, the company Ann Druyan co-founded in 2000, and Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door. Druyan and Brannon Braga are the series’ writers and directors. Druyan, MacFarlane, Braga and Jason Clark executive produce. Kara Vallow (“Family Guy,” “American Dad!”) co-executive produces, and Joseph Micucci (“Patriots Day,” “Ted 2”) produces. For National Geographic, Kevin Mohs is executive producer and Geoff Daniels is EVP of global unscripted entertainment.

“Like” COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS on Facebook at CosmosOnTV. Follow the series on Twitter @CosmosOnTV. See photos and videos on Instagram by following @CosmosOnTV.


About National Geographic
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between the National Geographic Society and Disney, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 131 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

About Cosmos Studios
Co-founded in 2000 by CEO and visionary Ann Druyan, Ithaca, NY-based Cosmos Studios creates, produces, and distributes eye, brain, heart and soul-nourishing science-based entertainment in all media.

Cosmos Studios aims to tear down the walls that have excluded so many from the scientific enterprise. We work to demystify the language, values, and drama of science, to give everyone the power of its permanently revolutionary methodology.

Carl Sagan, and those privileged to work with him, demonstrated that there is a world-wide appetite for compelling entertainment that reflects our dawning awareness of cosmic evolution and our place in its great story. There is a planet-wide hunger for images and dreams that reflect our radically altered sense of who, where, and when we are… where we might go, who we might become.

In collaboration with award-winning writers, artists, filmmakers, producers, researchers, engineers, educators, artists, and a growing list of partners across science, communications, and finance, we seek to touch audiences with the soaring spiritual high that comes from grasping science's central revelation- our oneness with the cosmos.

Come with us at www.cosmosstudios.com
on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CosmosStudiosOfficial/
on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cosmosstudios
on Instagram at www.instagram.com/cosmosstudiosofficial/

About Fuzzy Door
Led by writer, producer and director Seth MacFarlane and president Erica Huggins, Fuzzy Door is the production company behind many of today’s most successful film and television projects. With potent irreverence, biting satire, rule-breaking humor, compelling social issues and engaging storytelling, it has created an enviable portfolio of award-winning properties. Currently, the company produces the Hulu space adventure series “The Orville”; the beloved and Emmy-winning animated comedy series “Family Guy,” which is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary; and the fan-favorite series “American Dad!,” now airing its 14th season. Fuzzy Door strategically built on the success of the 1980’s “Cosmos” series by producing the award-winning “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey,” which garnered 13 Emmy nominations and was seen by more than 135 million people worldwide, and is gearing up for the next installment, COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS, set to air in 2020. On the film side, Fuzzy Door has created several commercially successful comedies, such as “Ted,” “Ted 2” and “A Million Ways to Die in the West,” which have collectively grossed more than $800 million at the worldwide box office. The company is committed to weaving a socially conscious and intellectually curious thread through projects to bring fearless, innovative and bold stories to life, while maintaining its trademark sense of humor and wonder.

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New "Star Trek" Animated Series Flying to Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon and CBS Television Studios Announce New Animated “Star Trek” Series

The Series Will Be from CBS’ Eye Animation Productions, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment

Share it: @Nickelodeon @NickAnimation #Nickelodeon

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nickelodeon and CBS Television Studios announced the greenlight of a new animated “Star Trek” series to be developed by Emmy Award winners Kevin and Dan Hageman (“Trollhunters” and “Ninjago”) and overseen for Nickelodeon by Ramsey Naito, EVP, Animation Production and Development, Nickelodeon.

    “Dan and Kevin have crafted a story that honors its exploratory spirit in a way that’s never been done before, while the Nickelodeon team blew us away with their excitement at bringing ‘Trek’ to a younger generation around the world.”

Debuting exclusively on Nickelodeon, the series expands the “Star Trek” universe for a new generation of fans. The new original CG-animated series follows a group of lawless teens who discover a derelict Starfleet ship and use it to search for adventure, meaning and salvation.

The series will be from CBS’ Eye Animation Productions, CBS Television Studios’ new animation arm; Secret Hideout; and Roddenberry Entertainment. Alex Kurtzman, Heather Kadin, Katie Krentz, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth will serve as executive producers alongside Kevin and Dan Hageman. Aaron Baiers will serve as a co-executive producer.

“‘Star Trek’s’ mission is to inspire generations of dreamers to build a brighter future,” said Alex Kurtzman. “Dan and Kevin have crafted a story that honors its exploratory spirit in a way that’s never been done before, while the Nickelodeon team blew us away with their excitement at bringing ‘Trek’ to a younger generation around the world.”

“‘Star Trek,’ Nickelodeon, and the state of animation are doing incredibly ambitious things as of late. We couldn’t be more excited to jump aboard," said Dan and Kevin Hageman.

“Partnering with CBS Television Studios and the creative masterminds behind the ‘Star Trek’ franchise is an incredible opportunity and allows our audience to discover rich characters and new stories,” said Ramsey Naito. “‘Star Trek’ is a franchise loved by generations of fans around the globe, and adding Nickelodeon as home to the next animated series is a perfect fit.”

The animated series is the newest addition to the expanding “Star Trek” television universe. It joins STAR TREK: DISCOVERY and STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS, a series of short stories tied to DISCOVERY; the new untitled “Star Trek” series featuring Sir Patrick Stewart reprising his iconic role as Jean-Luc Picard; STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS from Mike McMahan (“Rick and Morty”), an animated series targeted at mature audiences; and a new “Star Trek” project based on “Section 31,” which is in development with Michelle Yeoh attached to star. All these projects, except the new Nickelodeon edition, are on the CBS streaming platform CBS All Access in the U.S.

Emmy Award-winning brothers Kevin and Dan Hageman have written and produced some of the biggest animated franchises in film and television. They served as co-executive producers on the Emmy Award-winning series “Trollhunters,” co-created the hit “The LEGO Movie,” wrote and executive produced “LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu” and developed the theatrical “The Lego Ninjago Movie.” Additional credits include “Hotel Transylvania” (story creators) and “The Croods 2” (writers), along with the upcoming live-action feature “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” (writers).

The new “Star Trek” series is the third animated series from CBS Television Studios, following STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS for CBS All Access and OUR CARTOON PRESIDENT for SHOWTIME.

Claudia Spinelli, VP Animation Development, Nickelodeon, is the executive in charge of the new animated “Star Trek” series for Nickelodeon.


About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 40th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).

About CBS Television Studios
CBS Television Studios is one of the industry’s leading suppliers of programming for broadcast, basic and premium cable, and streaming platforms. The Studio’s programming includes the phenomenally successful NCIS franchise; the critically acclaimed STAR TREK: DISCOVERY; MADAM SECRETARY; JANE THE VIRGIN; CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND; the hit dramas SEAL TEAM, FBI, BLUE BLOODS, HAWAII FIVE-0, MACGYVER, MAGNUM P.I., THE CODE, BULL, INSTINCT and ELEMENTARY; the popular comedy series THE NEIGHBORHOOD; MAN WITH A PLAN; FAM; CHARMED, DYNASTY and IN THE DARK for The CW; the summer action-adventure series BLOOD & TREASURE; and “90210,” a revival of “Beverly Hills, 90210” for FOX.

The Studio also produces the Daytime Emmy Award-winning talk show THE TALK, as well as the Emmy Award-nominated late night series THE LATE SHOW with STEPHEN COLBERT and THE LATE LATE SHOW with JAMES CORDEN. For CBS All Access, the Studio produces THE GOOD FIGHT; STRANGE ANGEL; the streaming service’s first comedy series, NO ACTIVITY; WHY WOMEN KILL; INTERROGATION; THE TWILIGHT ZONE; and the highly anticipated adaptation of Stephen King’s bestselling novel, THE STAND. Additionally, as part of the expansion of the “Star Trek” universe, the Studio produces STAR TREK: PICARD featuring Sir Patrick Stewart reprising the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS, STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS, which marked CBS All Access’ foray into the animation landscape, as well as the untitled “Star Trek” animated series for Nickelodeon. The Studio’s programming also includes series based on popular, viral segments from THE LATE SHOW with JAMES CORDEN, “Carpool Karaoke” for Apple Music and “Drop the Mic” for TBS, as well as “Dead to Me,” “Insatiable” and “Unbelievable” for Netflix. Additionally, the Studio produces the comedy anthology series “The Guest Book” for TBS; OUR CARTOON PRESIDENT and YOUR HONOR for SHOWTIME; DIARY OF A FEMALE PRESIDENT for Disney+ as well as “A Higher Loyalty,” a miniseries based on former FBI Director James Comey’s memoir.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 16th to 22nd, 2018 - Update #24

Support Leroy on Patreon:

POLITICS - From Politico:  The cautionary political tale of Kent Sorenson, once a rising Tea Party star.

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COMICS-FILM - From BleedingCool:  There is test footage from Todd Phillips' "Joker" film starring Joaquin Phoenix.  It reveals some simple, but scary clown makeup.

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COMICS-FILM - From FirstPost:  "Blade" turns 20, and it is time to remember how important the Wesley Snipes-led film was to the development of superhero films over these past 20 years.

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COMICS-STREAMING - From Deadline:  Brec Bassinger will play the title character in the series, "Stargirl," for the streaming service, "DC Universe."

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MUSIC - From Deadline:  Rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight pleads no contest to running over a man in a restaurant parking lot and killing him, one count of voluntary manslaughter.  He expected to be sentenced to 28 years in state prison.

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JAMES BOND - From Deadline:  Cary Joji Fukunaga will be the first American director to helm a James Bond as he has been announced as the director of the 25th James Bond film which is now due for February 2020.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Michael B. Jordan will star as Tom Clancy's character, "John Clark," in two films based on Tom Clancy's novels, "Rainbow Six" and "Without Remorse."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Bruce Greenwood joins "Doctor Sleep," Warner Bros' sequel to "The Shining."  Both films are based on Stephen King novels.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Ryan Coogler is a producer on "Space Jam 2," which will star LeBron James and Bugs Bunny.  The original "Space Jam" (1996) starred Michael Jordan and Bugs.

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SPORTS - From Variety:  Grammy-winning pop group, "Maroon 5," will perform the halftime show at Super Bowl LIII (53 - February 3rd, 2019).

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EMMYS - From THR:  A complete list of winners at the 2018 Primetime Emmy Awards.

From TheVox:  The 2018 Primetime Emmy Awards are tonight; the link to the left is a list of of nominees.

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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Patrick Stewart ("Star Trek: The Next Generation") will play "a 'Bosley'" character in the latest "Charlie's Angels" reboot.

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POLITICS - From THR:  Michael Moore Plays His Trump Card: A New Movie, Modern Fascism and a 2020 Prediction

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CULTURE - From THR:  Sean Penn says #MeToo movements divides men and women. "Its too black and white.

From TheDailyBeast:  Sean Penn's history of allegedly abusing women recounted in this article.

From THR:  If Sean Penn's craziness wasn't enough, Woody Allen's stepdaughter-turned-spouse, Soon Yi Previn, revives the mess around the long-running feud slash controversy involving Allen and his former wife, Mia Farrow, who was also Soon Yi's adopted mother.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 9/14 to 9/16/2018 weekend box office is "The Predator" with an estimated take of $24 million.

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COMICS-FILM - From RollingStone:  See first image of Joaquin Phoenix as "the Joker" in Todd Phillips' upcoming film.

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CULTURE - From YahooEntertainment:  Oscar-winner Anne Hathaway denounces white and straight privilege.

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POLITICS - From RollingStone:  On Sept. 29th, country music legend Willie Nelson will hold his first ever public performance on behalf of a politician, in this case Texas candidate for the U.S. Senate, Beto O'Rourke.

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COMICS-FILM - From ComicBook:  Matt Reeves' script for the "Batman" movie is will reportedly direct is rumored to be complete.

From ConsequenceofSound:  Emmy-winning actor, Jon Hamm ("Mad Men"), wants to play Batman.  [That would be a Batman with a sweet, sweetback - Editor.]

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CELEBRITY - From TheWrap:  Fan Bingbing, one of China's most popular actresses, has gone missing.  Speculation is that she has been arrested for tax evasion.

TRAILERS:

From YahooEntertainment:  The first official trailer for Marvel Studios' "Captain Marvel."

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 1st to 11th, 2018 - Update #30

Support Leroy on Patreon:

STAR TREK - From THR:  Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth have walked away from contract negotiations for the fourth installment of Paramount's "Star Trek" reboot series.

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STREAMING - From TheWrap:  Ava DuVernay has completed casting for his Netflix limited series, "Central Park Five."

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STAR TREK - From YahooEntertainment:  Nichelle Nichols, who played "Uhura" on the original "Star Trek" series, is reportedly suffering from dementia.

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COMICS-FILM - From WeGotThisCovered:  Sony owns the films rights to "roughly 900 characters" of Marvel Comics' characters, including Spider-Man and characters associated with him.  Sony is creating their own cinematic universe of Marvel Comics characters.  They are calling it the "SUMC."

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MOVIES - From People:  In this first photographic image of Tom Hardy as real-life gangster, Al Capone, Hardy is non-recognizable.  Hardy will play Capone in the director Josh Trank's film, "Fonzo."

STAR TREK - From  WeGotThisCovered:  A few more details leak about Patrick Stewart's return to "Star Trek" as Jean-Luc Picard.

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OSCARS - From THR:  The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have announced sweeping changes to the Academy Awards/Oscars, including announcing a new category, "Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film."

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Showtime boss and CEO David Nevins says that this upcoming eighth season of its hit show, "Homeland," will be its last.

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STAR TREK - From BleedingCool:   The CBS All Access series, "Star Trek: Discovery," is coming to Blu-ray and DVD, with all 15 episodes from the first season and bonus content.  Release date is set for November 13th, 2018.

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STREAMING - From BleedingCool:  "The Disney Streaming Service" will offer original movies and remakes of older Disney films.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" is the winner of the 8/3 to 8/5/2018 weekend box office with an estimated take of $35 million.

From ShadowandAct:  It is official.  "Black Panther" is just the third film to gross $700 million in the United States.

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STREAMING - From ShadowandAct:  Storm Reid ("A Wrinkle in Time") and Niecy Nash (TNT's "Claws") are among five actresses taking supporting roles in Ava DuVernay's Netflix series, "Central Park Five."

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MOVIES - From TheGuardian:  In an interview about his new film, "BlacKkKlansman," director Spike Lee says, "This guy in the White House has given the green light for the Klan."

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MOVIES - From Movieweb:  "Halloween" franchise producer, Malek Akkad, wants William Shatner to make a cameo in a future "Halloween" film.  Find out why... if you don't already know.

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STREAMING-STAR TREK - From TheWrap:  Actor Patrick Stewart will reprise his role as "Captain Jean-Luc Picard" in a new "Star Trek" series for CBS All Access, the CBS streaming service.  Stewart played Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generations (1987 to 1994) and in "Next Generation" spinoff films.

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COMICS-ANIMATION - From IndieWire:  FX CEO John Landgraf says "we would have done that show" about Donald Glover and his brother Stephen Glover's proposed "Deadpool" animated series, which Marvel, the rights holder of the Deadpool character, nixed

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MOVIES - From YahooNews:  The Foreign Ministry of Russia has appointed action movie star, Steven Seagal, a "special envoy for humanitarian ties" with the United States.

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TELEVISION - From TVLine:  FX has approved a tenth season of "American Horror Story."

From Variety:  Oscar-winner, Emmy-winner, and Tony Award-winner Jessica Lange will appear in "American Horror Story" Season 8.

----------
TELEVISION - From Variety:  Chris Rock to star in FX's "Fargo" Season 4.

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MOVIES - From JoBlo:  Len Wiseman ("Underworld") says "Die Hard: Year One," the franchise reboot is happening "fairly soon."

----------
MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  The "Metal Gear Sold" movie will keep the weird stuff from the games.

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OSCARS - From IndieWire:  Oscars 2019: The 31 Movies You Need to Keep an Eye On During Fall Film Festival Season.

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COMICS-FILM - From Deadline:  Writer-director Matt Reeves provides a few updates on his "Batman" stand-alone film.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  "Spin the Wheel," a game show from executive producer Justin Timberlake, ordered by FOX.

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TELEVISION - From CBR:  After his abuse accusations nearly derailed his career, Chris Hardwick has been reinstated as host of NBC's primetime game show, "The Wall," and will return this fall.  Hardwick was also reinstated as host of AMC's "Talking Dead."

----------
MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Carl Lumbly and Alex Essoe join Warner Bros. "Doctor Sleep" film.  Based on the 2013 Stephen King novel, "Doctor Sleep" is a sequel to "The Shining."

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COMICS-STREAMING - From Variety:  Diane Guerrero ("Orange in the New Black") joins "Doom Patrol," based on the DC Comics series.  The "Doom Patrol" series is headed for the "DC  Universe" streaming service.

OBITS:

From Variety:  The actress Charlotte Rae died at the age of 92, Sunday, August 5, 2018.  Rae was best known as the housemother, Mrs. (Edna) Garrett, on the long-running NBC sitcom, "The Facts of Life" (1979-1988).  She also appeared on the short-lived, 1960s sitcom, "Car 54 Where Are You?" (which is one of my favorite TV shows - Ed.)

From THR:  The actress Mary Carlisle has died at the age of 104, died at the age of Wednesday, August 1, 2018.  She was Bing Crosby's co-star in three delightful musicals of the 1930s, including 1937's "Double or Nothing."  She co-starred with several big names of the "Golden Age" of Hollywood films, including Jack Benny in "It's in the Air" and John Barrymore in "Should Ladies Behave."  Carlisle retired from acting after appearing in the 1943 horror film, "Dead Men Walk."

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 17th to 23rd, 2018 - Update #14

Support Leroy on Patreon:

MUSIC - From Vulture:  A complete history and timeline of the controversial career of the recently murdered rapper, XXXTentacion.

----------
BOOKS - From Inverse:  It is the late author, Octavia E. Butler's birthday. Now learn "Why the Author Is Called the Mother of Afrofuturism."

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POLITICS - From RSN:  Bruce Springsteen tells "The New Yorker," What's Happening at Our Border Is Shocking, Disgraceful, Inhumane and Un-American

TELEVISION - From BuzzFeed:  ABC announces its "Roseanne" spinoff, "The Conners."  After controversial tweets by Roseanne Barr, ABC cancelled "Roseanne."

----------
TELEVISION - From Variety:  MTV launches MTV Studios and will revive previous hits series, "Daria," "Aeon Flux," and "Real World."

----------
TERMINATOR - From Collider:  His is a first look at Linda Hamilton ("Sarah Connor") in "Terminator 6."

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STAR TREK - From FlickeringMyth:  "Star Trek" film star, Zachary Quinto ("Spock"), says there will be big new about "Star Trek 4" in the next few weeks.

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DISNEY - From Deadline:  Disney ups its offer to buy 21st Century Fox to $71.3 billion in cash and stock, in the wake of Comcast offering $65 billion for Fox.

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PIXAR - From CinemaBlend:  Replacements for John Lasseter at Pixar have been announced.  Pete Docter (Up, Inside Out) will head Pixar Animation Studios.  Jennifer Buck ("Frozen") will take over as head of Walt Disney Animation Studios.

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STAR TREK - From CinemaBlend:  Is Captain Picard of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" due for a return or a cameo in "Star Trek: Discovery."

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AWARDS - From YahooEntertainment:  "Black Panther" star, Chadwick Boseman, took time at the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards to honor James Shaw, Jr.  Shaw disarmed a gunman at a Waffle House near Nashville, TN, this past April.

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CELEBRITY - From SBNation: NBA star and Los Angeles Lakers super rookie, Kyle Kuzma, thanks The Rock for inspiring him to pack on muscle over the summer.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 6/15 to 6/17/2018 weekend box office is Disney/Pixar's "Incredibles 2" with an estimated take of $180 million.

From Variety:  "Incredibles 2" shatters the record for the box office debut of an animated film.  It's $180 million bow breaks the record set in 2016 by fellow Pixar film, "Finding Dory," which opened at $135 million.

----------
From Deadline:  ABC could have a deal to create a spinoff of its recently cancelled hit, "Roseanne."  ABC canned the series after a series of controversial tweets by the show's star, Roseanne Barr.

"The Kid Who Would Be King" Has Begun Principal Photography

Production Starts on Joe Cornish’s Action-Adventure “The Kid Who Would Be King”

Find Excalibur. Skip School. Save The World.

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Based on an original script by writer/director Joe Cornish (Attack the Block), THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING began principal photography in London on September 25, 2017.

THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING tells the story of Alex, a twelve-year-old British schoolboy whose everyday problems are dwarfed by his discovery of the mythical sword Excalibur.

Now, with the most powerful sword in history in the hands of the most powerless schoolboy in Britain, an epic adventure begins as Alex and his friends must thwart a medieval villain named Morgana, who is hell-bent on destroying the world.

Louis Serkis (Alice Through the Looking Glass) stars as Alex. Newcomer Dean Chaumoo plays his best friend Bedders and Tom Taylor (The Dark Tower) and Rhianna Doris (Secret Life of Boys) play Lance and Kaye, who complete Alex’s band of would-be warriors.

Angus Imrie (Kingdom) plays a young incarnation of the wizard Merlin, with Sir Patrick Stewart as the senior version. Rebecca Ferguson plays the evil Morgana.

Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will produce the film alongside Nira Park of Big Talk Pictures. Twentieth Century Fox will distribute the picture and Michael Ireland will oversee the project for the studio.


About Twentieth Century Fox Film
One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Film produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of the studio: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International Productions, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation/Blue Sky Studios.

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Amazon Prime Video Extends Deal with Film Company, A24

Amazon Extends Deal with A24, Brings Moonlight, Winner of Three Academy Awards Including Best Picture to Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video will continue to be the exclusive premium subscription streaming service for critically-acclaimed films from A24 including Academy Award winning Moonlight, current theatrical hit 20th Century Women and Casey Affleck’s next film, A Ghost Story

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon Prime Video today announced the extension of an exclusive content agreement with A24, making Prime Video the only premium subscription home for all upcoming A24 films. Moonlight starring Mahershala Ali (House of Cards) is available on Amazon Video, and starting May 21, 2017, Prime members will be able to stream and download the Oscar winning film at no additional cost to their membership. Swiss Army Man starring Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), Cannes Jury Prize winner The Lobster starring Colin Farrell (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) and Rachel Weisz (Amazon Studios’ Complete Unknown) and Green Room starring Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation) are already available to stream on Prime Video.

    “We are thrilled to be the exclusive subscription streaming service to offer customers Academy Award winner Moonlight”

“We are thrilled to be the exclusive subscription streaming service to offer customers Academy Award winner Moonlight,” stated Jason Ropell, VP, Worldwide Head of Motion Pictures for Amazon Studios. “We already have an incredible catalog of films from A24 like Room and Ex Machina that Prime members love to watch and we are happy to extend our relationship to continue to bring Prime members these award winning, prestige films. Collaborating with A24 in addition to creating our own Academy Award winning movies like Manchester by the Sea and The Salesman make Amazon Video a premiere platform for streaming films.”

Highly anticipated A24 films coming to Prime Video later this year include Academy Award nominated 20th Century Women from Mike Mills (Beginners) and starring Annette Bening (American Beauty) and Elle Fanning (Amazon Studios’ The Neon Demon), American Honey starring Sasha Lane (Hunting Lila) and Shia LaBeouf (Transformers), Free Fire starring Brie Larson (Room), Cillian Murphy (Inception) and Armie Hammer (Nocturnal Animals), The Lovers starring Debra Winger (Terms of Endearment) and Tracy Letts (Imperium) and It Comes at Night starring Joel Edgerton (Warrior) and Riley Keough (The Girlfriend Experience). Written and directed by David Lowery (Pete’s Dragon) and starring Casey Affleck (Amazon Studios’ Manchester by the Sea), A24’s A Ghost Story, will also land on Prime Video.

Amazon Prime members are already enjoying access to A24’s impressive library of titles including 2016 Oscar award winning films like Room with Brie Larson’s Best Actress performance as Ma and Amy, the Oscar winner for Best Documentary depicting the life and death of singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse as well as the thought-provoking supernatural horror film The Witch, Ex Machina, starring Golden Globe nominee Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl) and Dark Places starring Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road) and Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass).

Prime Video is available via the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices and mobile devices, or online at Amazon.com/primevideo. In addition to unlimited streaming, Prime members can also download titles to mobile devices at no additional cost for offline viewing.


About Amazon Video
Amazon Video is a premium on-demand entertainment service that offers customers the greatest choice in what to watch, and how to watch it. Amazon Video is the only service that provides all of the following:

•     Prime Video: Thousands of movies and TV shows, including popular licensed content plus critically-acclaimed and award-winning Amazon Original Series and Movies from Amazon Studios like Transparent, The Man in the High Castle, Love & Friendship and kids series Tumble Leaf, available for unlimited streaming as part of an Amazon Prime membership
•     Amazon Channels: Over 100 video subscriptions to networks like HBO, SHOWTIME, STARZ, PBS KIDS, Acorn TV and more, available to Amazon Prime members as add-ons to their membership – to view the full list of channels available, visit www.amazon.com/channels
•     Rent or Own: Hundreds of thousands of titles, including new-release movies and current TV shows available for on-demand rental or purchase for all Amazon customers
•     Instant Access: Instantly watch anytime, anywhere through the Amazon Video app on TVs, mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire tablets, or online. For a list of all compatible devices visit www.amazon.com/howtostream
•     Premium Features: Top features like 4K Ultra HD, High Dynamic Range (HDR) and mobile downloads for offline viewing

In addition to Prime Video, the Prime membership includes unlimited fast free shipping options across all categories available on Amazon, more than two million songs and thousands of playlists and stations with Prime Music, secure photo storage with Prime Photos, unlimited reading with Prime Reading, unlimited access to a digital audiobook catalogue with Audible Channels for Prime, a rotating selection of free digital games and in-game loot with Twitch Prime, early access to select Lightning Deals, exclusive access and discounts to select items, and more. To sign-up for Prime or to find out more visit: www.amazon.com/prime.

About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

About A24
Launched in the summer of 2012, A24 is a New York-based media company focused on the distribution, financing, development and production of feature films and television projects. Recently the company released Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight, which just won 3 Academy Awards® at the 2017 Oscars - Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor. The film also won a record-breaking 6 Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, and was honored with the Best Picture – Drama award at the 2017 Golden Globes.

Other recent film releases include Mike Mills’ funny and heartwarming 20th Century Women, nominated for a Best Original Screenplay Oscar® and featuring a renowned central performance by Annette Bening; Yorgos Lanthimos' critical and commercial hit The Lobster, also an Oscar® nominee for Best Original Screenplay and starring Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz; Andrea Arnold’s highly acclaimed American Honey, starring Shia Labeouf, which won the Jury Prize at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival; the outrageous comedy Swiss Army Man, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano; and Robert Eggers’ horror smash The Witch, winner of 2 Independent Spirit Awards.

In 2015, A24’s releases included Room, winner of the Academy Award® for Best Actress for Brie Larson’s emotionally stunning performance; Amy, Asif Kapadia’s heart-wrenching portrait of Amy Winehouse which was a major commercial hit and won the Oscar® for Best Documentary; and Alex Garland's lauded directorial debut Ex Machina, a sci-fi smash starring Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac and Alicia Vikander, which won the Academy Award® for Best Visual Effects.

In 2014, the company released Sundance breakout Obvious Child, featuring Jenny Slate, and Jonathan Glazer’s singular Scarlett Johansson film, Under the Skin. In 2013, the company released Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring, James Ponsoldt’s The Spectacular Now, and Harmony Korine’s record-breaking Spring Breakers.

Upcoming titles include Trey Edward Shults’ It Comes at Night, a horror film starring Joel Edgerton, Riley Keough, and Christopher Abbott that marks the eagerly anticipated follow-up to the director’s celebrated debut feature Krisha; David Lowery’s A Ghost Story, which stars Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara, and premiered at Sundance 2017 to rave reviews; Menahse, a heartwarming father/son story set in the Hasidic community and performed entirely in Yiddish; and Ben Wheatley’s wickedly funny action comedy Free Fire, starring Brie Larson, Armie Hammer, CillianMurphy, and Sharlto Copley, and winner of the People’s Choice Award in the Midnight Madness Section of the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.

A24's television projects include The Carmichael Show which will soon be returning to NBC for its third season and USA's Playing House.

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Sony Pictures Animation Announces Film Slate Through 2018

Sony Pictures Animation Unveils Varied Upcoming Slate

Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry and Sir Patrick Stewart Join Studio's Voice Roster

Animated Films from Phil Lord & Christopher Miller and Lin-Manuel Miranda on the Horizon

Culver City, CA – Making good on the commitment to increase overall output while continuing to offer its distinctive mix of family films, Sony Pictures Animation today released the project details on its upcoming roster of titles through 2018, along with additional highly anticipated future feature film projects, including one from Pulitzer Prize-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Kristine Belson, President of Sony Pictures Animation, says, "We are proud of the artist-driven titles we have coming to the marketplace. The abundance, variety and quality of the features are a testament to the wealth of creative talents who call Sony Pictures Animation their home."

SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE (April 7, 2017 release)

Newly announced voice cast includes: Michelle Rodriguez (SmurfStorm), Ellie Kemper (SmurfBlossom), Ariel Winter (SmurfLily) and Julia Roberts (SmurfWillow), all residents of the title's Lost Village. Special voice cameos to include: Gordon Ramsay (Baker), Gabriel Iglesias (Jokey), Tituss Burgess (Vanity), Jeff Dunham (Farmer), Jake Johnson (Grouchy), and director Kelly Asbury (Nosey).

Previously announced voice cast includes Demi Lovato (Smurfette), Rainn Wilson (Gargamel), Joe Manganiello (Hefty), Jack McBrayer (Clumsy), Danny Pudi (Brainy), and Mandy Patinkin (Papa).

The feature is directed by Kelly Asbury (SHREK 2), produced by Jordan Kerner (CHARLOTTE'S WEB) and Mary Ellen Bauder Andrews (HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA), and written by Stacey Harman and Pamela Ribon, based on the characters and works of Peyo. Digital animation by Sony Pictures Imageworks.

In this fully animated, all-new take on the Smurfs, a mysterious map sets Smurfette and her best friends Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty on an exciting and thrilling race through the Forbidden Forest filled with magical creatures to find a mysterious lost village before the evil wizard Gargamel does. Embarking on a rollercoaster journey full of action and danger, the Smurfs are on a course that leads to the discovery of the biggest secret in Smurf history!

THE EMOJI MOVIE (August 4, 2017 release)

Newly announced voice cast: Jennifer Coolidge (Gene's mother, Mary Meh), Maya Rudolph (Smiler), Jake T. Austin (Alex), and Sir Patrick Stewart (Poop).

Previously announced voice cast includes T.J. Miller (Gene), James Corden (Hi-5), Ilana Glazer (Jailbreak), Steven Wright (Gene's father, Mel Meh).

The feature is directed by Tony Leondis, produced by Michelle Raimo Kouyate, and written by Tony Leondis & Eric Siegel and Mike White. Digital animation by Sony Pictures Imageworks.

THE EMOJI MOVIE unlocks the never-before-seen secret world inside your smartphone. Hidden within the messaging app is Textopolis, a bustling city where all your favorite emojis live, hoping to be selected by the phone's user. In this world, each emoji has only one facial expression – except for Gene, an exuberant emoji who was born without a filter and is bursting with multiple expressions. Determined to become "normal" like the other emojis, Gene enlists the help of his handy best friend Hi-5 and the notorious code breaker emoji Jailbreak. Together, they embark on an epic "app-venture" through the apps on the phone, each its own wild and fun world, to find the Code that will fix Gene. But when a greater danger threatens the phone, the fate of all emojis depends on these three unlikely friends who must save their world before it's deleted forever.

THE STAR (November 10, 2017 release)

The voice cast will be led by Steven Yeun (Bo the donkey), Kelly Clarkson (Leah the horse), Aidy Bryant (Ruth the sheep), Keegan-Michael Key (Dave the dove), Kristin Chenoweth (Mouse), Anthony Anderson (Zach the goat), Gabriel Iglesias (Rufus the dog), Ving Rhames (Thaddeus the dog), Delilah Rene (Elizabeth), Kris Kristofferson (Old Donkey), Gina Rodriguez (Mary), Zachary Levi (Joseph), with Oprah Winfrey (Deborah), Tyler Perry (Cyrus) and Tracy Morgan (Felix) as the three camels, and Christopher Plummer (King Herod).

THE STAR is directed by Academy Award® nominated writer/director Timothy Reckart (HEAD OVER HEELS); executive-produced by DeVon Franklin (MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN), Lisa Henson and Brian Henson (The Jim Henson Company); produced by Jenni Magee Cook; with a story by Carlos Kotkin and Simon Moore; and screenplay by Carlos Kotkin. Digital animation by Cinesite Studios.

A small but brave donkey named Bo yearns for a life beyond his daily grind at the village mill. One day he finds the courage to break free, and finally goes on the adventure of his dreams. On his journey, he teams up with Ruth, a lovable sheep who has lost her flock and Dave, a dove with lofty aspirations. Along with three wisecracking camels and some eccentric stable animals, Bo and his new friends follow the Star and become accidental heroes in the greatest story ever told – the first Christmas.

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 (September 21, 2018 release)

Mavis surprises Dracula with a family voyage on a luxury Monster Cruise Ship so he can take a vacation from providing everyone else's vacation at the hotel. The rest of Drac's Pack cannot resist going along and once they leave port, romance zings Drac when he meets the mysterious ship captain Ericka. Now it's Mavis' turn to play the overprotective parent, keeping her dad and Ericka apart. Little do they know that his "too good to be true" love interest is actually a descendent of Van Helsing, arch nemesis to Dracula and all monsters!

The voice ensemble of favorites returns, including Adam Sandler (Dracula), Selena Gomez (Mavis) and Andy Samberg (Johnny).

Director Genndy Tartakovsky (SAMURAI JACK, STAR WARS: CLONE WARS) is back in the director's chair, along with Michelle Murdocca back producing and Adam Sandler executive-producing, with a screenplay by Genndy Tartakovsky and Michael McCullers (AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME).

In addition to this feature film, a new animated short, PUPPY, directed by HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA's Genndy Tartakovsky, will be debuting in theaters attached to THE EMOJI MOVIE in August 2017. In the short, the residents of Hotel Transylvania find their world turned upside-down when youngster Dennis gets a surprise monster-sized pet! .

UNTITLED ANIMATED SPIDER-MAN (December 21, 2018 release)

From Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, the geniuses behind THE LEGO MOVIE, comes an animated SPIDER-MAN™ feature starring Miles Morales.

The feature is directed by Bob Persichetti (head of story on PUSS IN BOOTS and THE LITTLE PRINCE) and Peter Ramsey (RISE OF THE GUARDIANS). The film is written by Phil Lord. Avi Arad (IRON MAN, SPIDER-MAN™), Amy Pascal (SPIDER-MAN™: HOMECOMING), Phil Lord & Christopher Miller (Untitled HAN SOLO Movie) are executive producing; Christina Steinberg (TROLLHUNTERS) is producing.

VIVO (December 18, 2020 release)

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the award-winning (Emmy, Tony, Grammy, Olivier, Pulitzer Prize and MacArthur "Genius Grant" recipient) creative force behind the groundbreaking Broadway musical HAMILTON, writes new songs for this musical animated feature. Academy Award® nominated director Kirk De Micco (THE CROODS) is set to helm a script by Pulitzer Prize winner Quiara Alegría Hudes (IN THE HEIGHTS). Academy Award® nominated producer Laurence Mark (DREAMGIRLS, JULIE & JULIA) serves as executive producer, and Lisa Stewart (ALMOST FAMOUS) produces.


ABOUT SONY PICTURES ANIMATION
Sony Pictures Animation produces a variety of animated and family entertainment for audiences around the world. The studio is following its worldwide comedy hits—the record-breaking monster comedies Hotel Transylvania and Hotel Transylvania 2, the hybrid live action/animated blockbusters The Smurfs and The Smurfs 2, and the mouth-watering Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs movies—with the fully animated reboot Smurfs: The Lost Village in April 2017; a surprising and comic take at the secret world inside our phones with The Emoji Movie in August 2017; the inspirational The Star in November 2017; Hotel Transylvania 3 in September 2018; and an animated Spider-Man™ feature from the minds of directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord in December 2018. The studio, in conjunction with Aardman Animations, has produced two critically acclaimed feature films: the CG-animated family comedy Arthur Christmas; and the Academy Award® nominated stop-frame animated high-seas adventure, The Pirates! Band of Misfits. In 2007, Surf's Up also received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Animated Feature Film; a sequel entitled Surf's Up 2: WaveMania now available on DVD and digital. The division, whose first feature film Open Season led to a very successful movie franchise including the brand new Open Season: Scared Silly now available on digital, DVD and Blu-ray, was founded in 2002. Sony Pictures Animation is a division of the Sony Pictures Motion Pictures Group.

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