News

The “Snowfall” spinoff just took a major step forward, with the potential series scoring a pilot order at FX, Variety has learned exclusively.

The untitled drama was first reported to be in early development in 2023 ahead of the series finale of “Snowfall.” As reported at the time, “Snowfall” star Gail Bean will return for the spinoff in the role of Wanda Bell-Simmons. She will be joined by fellow original cast member Isaiah John, who played Leon Simmons.

The official logline for the pilot states, “Set in 90s Los Angeles soon after the end of the original series, a recovering addict (Bean) strives to take West Coast rap mainstream despite potential infighting from a harrowing gang war.”

Malcolm Spellman will write and executive produce the pilot, with “Snowfall” alums Dave Andron, Thomas Schlamme, Julie DeJoie, Michael London and Trevor Engelson all executive producing as well. FX Productions is the studio.

Along with Bean and John,...

One of the most tragically unsung heroes in action movies, Scott Adkins, has declared that he would love to return to one of his most popular martial arts franchises. Known for roles in the likes of Ninja, Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, Ip Man 4, The Expendables 2, and John Wick: Chapter 4, the character that put Adkins on the map of many an action movie fan is that of the most complete fighter in the world, Yuri Boyka. And Adkins wants to return to the ring for more.

Answering fans questions on X/Twitter recently, Adkins responded to the idea of returning as Boyka in an Undisputed 5. Introduced back in 2006s Undisputed II: Last Man Standing, Yuri Boyka began life as the villain, going up against Michael Jai Whites more heroic ex-boxer as the pair are forced to fight while serving time in a Russian prison. Since then, Adkins Boyka has become the lead,...

Procedural dramas in television tend to focus on a group of specialized professionals as they work to solve a wealth of complex problems. So, whether it's General Hospital or Law & Order, these shows give fans something to really focus on and allow them to sink their teeth into the nuances of the mystery. Due to the broad nature of this genre, there are many long-running procedurals, all of which provide audiences with a unique sense of dramatic tension.

Although a lot of the most popular procedural dramas have been running for decades, the 2020s have also provided audiences with a ton of exciting programs. Even when the Covid-19 pandemic made the entertainment industry grind to a halt, certain networks continued to produce these shows. As such, it seems that this new decade has spawned a new generation of hard-hitting procedural dramas.

This Show Gives Fans a Unique Look into the...

Exclusive: After spending 21 years at A3 Artists Agency — and Abrams Artists Agency, as it was formerly known — veteran talent agent Sharon Paz has transitioned to management with the launch of the L.A.-based Paz Talent.

Clients joining her at her new company include Peri Gilpin (Frasier), Luke Tennie (Shrinking), Firas Nassar (Invasion), Boris McGiver, Erik Laray Harvey (Godfather of Harlem), Chipo Ching (Black Cake), Sasson Gabay (Shtisel), Alon Aboutboul (Snowfall), Josh Bitton (The Pacific), Brad Beyer (Thank You for Your Service), and Caroline Clay (Grey’s Anatomy).

Paz is one of myriad A3 alums to have found their next destination following A3’s dissolution, on which we were first to report. Most recently serving there as Senior Agent, she started in the mailroom at Abrams in 2003, working her way up the ranks as an assistant in the theatrical department, before being promoted to agent in 2007. A natural fit at Abrams,...

Stars: Anson Mount, Jason Patric, Jaime Ray Newman, Jen Richards, Alon Aboutboul, Jared Bankens, David Jensen, Matt Nolan, Harrison Stone | Written and Directed by Joseph Sorrentino

I’ve always been interested and super curious about the whole Mk Ultra CIA Human Experiment story and have often found myself reading articles, listening to podcasts or watching the odd rare documentary diving into what is and is not known about the highly illegal but absolutely fascinating events. So a dramatisation of one man’s involvement was sure to get my juices flowing.

There was also an added interesting factor to Mk Ultra with the director being from an intelligence background. This may not make much difference in terms of a factual nature (although it couldn’t hurt) but you have to imagine it would make a difference in terms of aesthetic and the procedural nature of the story as we take an all too real,...

Network: FX.

Episodes: 60 (hour).

Seasons: Six.

TV show dates: July 5, 2017 — April 19, 2023.

Series status: Ending.

Performers include: Damson Idris, Carter Hudson, Emily Rios, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Michael Hyatt, Amin Joseph, Angela Lewis, Juan Javier Cardenas, Isaiah John, Filipe Valle Costa, Alon Aboutboul, Malcolm Mays, Marcus Henderson, Kevin Carroll, Devyn A. Tyler, Gail Bean, and Alejandro Edda.

TV show description:

A crime drama created by John Singleton, Eric Amadio, and Dave Andron, the Snowfall TV show kicks off in 1983 in Los Angeles at the dawn of the crack cocaine epidemic. The story centers on several characters who will crash into each other's lives in a brutal fashion.

Although he was born and raised in South Central L.A., Franklin Saint (Idris),...

Alon Moni Aboutboul reprises his role as Pavel Novikoff on CBS’s FBI: International season two episode 18. Directed by Avi Youabian from a script by Hussain Pirani, episode 18 – “Blood Feud” – will air on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at 9pm Et/Pt.

Season two stars Luke Kleintank as Special Agent Scott Forrester, Heida Reed as Special Agent Jamie Kellett, Carter Redwood as Special Agent Andre Raines, Vinessa Vidotto as Special Agent Cameron Vo, and Eva-Jane Willis as Europol Agent Megan “Smitty” Garretson.

Yuriy Sardarov guest stars as Sergei Diatchenko.

“Blood Feud” Plot: The Fly Team jumps into action to protect Forrester when a Russian hitman seeks revenge on him. Also, Raines is sent into a tailspin when someone close to him is taken.

Luke Kleintank as Special Agent Scott Forrester in ‘FBI: International’ season 2 episode 18

FBI: International Series Description, Courtesy of CBS:

FBI: International is the third iteration of the successful FBI brand...

The top honorees at the 2023 Laurence Olivier Awards were plays that focused on cultures outside of London. “My Neighbour Totoro,” which is based on the beloved Japanese film of the same name from Studio Ghibli, won six trophies, the most of the night, including Best New Comedy, Director, and four craft categories. A revival of the American classic “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams claimed three: Best Play Revival and for lead Paul Mescal and featured player Anjana Vasan. Meanwhile, the British-based “Prima Facie,” which is set to bow on Broadway this month and will thus compete at the Tony Awards, took home two prizes for Best Play and for star Jodie Comer.

The only other productions to win more than one trophy were all musicals. “Standing at the Sky’s Edge” won two of the top prizes: Best Musical and Best Original Score or New Orchestrations. “Tammy Faye,...

Two new works based on existing material dominated the nominations for the 2023 Olivier Awards, the top theatre honor in Britain. “My Neighbour Totoro” and “Standing at the Sky’s Edge” lead the play and musical fields with nine and eight bids apiece. The former is a stage adaptation of the Studio Ghibli film of the same name, brought to life in a visually stunning production featuring impressive puppetry by Basil Twist. “Standing at the Sky’s Edge” uses songs from the Richard Hawley album and new material to tell the story of three families in a Sheffield housing complex.

Revivals had strong showings, too. Director Daniel Fish’s remounting of “Rodger & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!” and the Paul Mescal-led “A Streetcar Named Desire” netted seven and six nominations, respectively. This production of “Oklahoma!” previously played Broadway and received eight Tony Award nominations, including wins for Best Revival and Featured Actress...

Vulture Watch

Can the Saint family survive? Has the Snowfall TV show been cancelled or renewed for a sixth season on FX? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Snowfall, season six. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?  

What's This TV Show About?

Airing on the FX cable channel, the Snowfall TV show stars Damson Idris, Carter Hudson, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Michael Hyatt, Amin Joseph, Angela Lewis, Isaiah John, Alon Moni Aboutboul and Devyn Tyler. Unfolding in 1980s Los Angeles, the series explores the crack cocaine epidemic. In the fifth season, it's the summer of 1986. Franklin Saint (Idris) and his entire family are rich beyond their wildest dreams, on the verge of having everything they've ever...

"Are you ready to begin?" Cinedigm has revealed an official trailer for an intriguing psychological thriller titled Mk Ultra, from filmmaker Joseph Sorrentino. This is a superbly on-the-nose title for a film that is based around and set in the time of the Mk Ultra experiments in the 60s, but that's how they have to sell films these days. Based on the infamous CIA drug experiments, this psychological thriller follows a brilliant psychiatrist, played by Anson Mount, who unknowingly becomes entangled with a dangerous government entity fixated on mind control using psychedelic substances. This thriller exposes the experiments the US conducted on its own citizens. Mk Ultra also stars Jaime Ray Newman, Alon Aboutboul, and David Jensen. It's amusing that they turned the Mk Ultra tests into fodder for an intense thriller, I don't think it ever got this crazy. Or… did it? "Politics and science make the worst of friends,...

Mk Ultra Trailer — Joseph Sorrentino‘s Mk Ultra (2022) movie trailer has been released by Cinedigm. The Mk Ultra trailer stars Anson Mount, Jason Patric, Alon Aboutboul, Jaime Ray Newman, Jen Richards, and David Jensen. Crew Joseph Sorrentino wrote the screenplay for Mk Ultra. Plot Synopsis Mk Ultra‘s plot synopsis: “Based on the infamous CIA drug [...]

Continue reading: Mk Ultra (2022) Movie Trailer: Psychiatrist Anson Mount is Hired by CIA to Test Drugs on Criminals for Mind-control...

Exclusive: CBS’ FBI: International is gearing up for an explosive Season 1 finale on May 24, and series star Luke Kleintank is teasing what’s ahead.

Deadline has two exclusive photos of Kleintank as FBI Supervisory Special Agent Scott Forrester from the finale titled “Crestfallen” where he’s lost in thought and injured.

In the episode, Forrester collaborates with a Russian spy bringing the former bodily injury and his team confusion as to what’s really going on. Why is Forrester working with the spy? Is there a past connection?

Fall 2022 Primetime TV Grid: Here’s What On This Coming Season

“There’s history in the sense of connected history. He’s a huge asset for him and his family so he’s protecting him but gets involved in a major car accident,” Kleintank tells Deadline on Friday. “They’re on the run in Croatia and a lot of crazy things...

Exclusive: Cinedigm has acquired North American rights to the CIA thriller Mk Ultra, starring Anson Mount (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds), Jaime Ray Newman (Dopesick) and Jason Patric (Lost Boys), scheduling it for release in theaters and on VOD this fall.

The film is inspired by the true story of the illegal drug experimentation program, Project MKUltra, which the CIA established during the early 1960s, as a means of developing procedures and identifying drugs like LSD, which could be used to weaken individuals in interrogations, forcing confessions through brainwashing and psychological torture. It follows the brilliant psychiatrist Ford Strauss (Mount), who finds his professional and ethical boundaries tested as he is recruited to run a subsect of the program at a rural Mississippi mental hospital.

Mk Ultra was written and directed by Ex-Intelligence Officer Joseph Sorrentino, and also stars Alon Aboutboul (Snowfall) and Jen Richards (Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches). Sorrentino,...

Lanksy Trailer — Eytan Rockaway‘s Lanksy / A Righteous Man (2021) movie trailer has been released by Vertical Entertainment. The Lanksy trailer stars Harvey Keitel, Sam Worthington, John Magaro, Minka Kelly, David James Elliot, David Cade, Danny A. Abeckaser, Emily Marie Palmer, Alon Aboutboul, Eden Grace Redfield, Eytan Rockaway, Ekaterina Baker, Wass Stevens, [...]

Continue reading: Lanksy (2021) Movie Trailer: Harvey Keitel is Gangster Meyer Lansky in Eytan Rockaway’s Film...

Exclusive: Minka Kelly has joined Harvey Keitel, Sam Worthington and AnnaSophia Robb in the cast of Eytan Rockaway’s (The Abandoned) upcoming biopic Lansky, about the infamous gangster Meyer Lansky, a contemporary of Bugsy Siegel. As previously announced, Keitel plays the notorious Lansky.

Also rounding out the cast are Orange Is the New Black‘s Jackie Cruz, John Magaro (The Big Short) who plays the younger Lansky, David Cade (upcoming Michael Shannon movie Swing) as Siegel, David James Elliot and Alon Aboutboul.

Shooting is currently underway in Alabama, with Voltage Pictures handling international sales at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin.

Rockaway wrote the script depicting Lansky in various stages of his life. It’s partially based on his father Robert Rockaway’s interviews with the real-life Lansky, which were part of his extensive research into America’s key crime figures.

Stars: Scott Adkins, Teodora Duhovnikova, Martyn Ford, Brahim Achabbakhe, Emilien De Falco, Alon Aboutboul, Julian Vergov, Valentin Ganev | Written by David N. White | Directed by Todor Chapkanov

Infamous Russian Mma fighter Yuri Boyka (Scott Adkins) returns to the ring in the latest instalment of the Undisputed franchise, Undisputed: Fight For Freedom (aka Boyka: Undisputed) – the Fourth film in the series that a) refuses to die, and b) has never faltered since the original sequel and the first appearance of Scott Adkins as Boyka. In fact such was Adkins’ charisma that, in this and the previous film, his character has become the star of the franchise!

This time round Boyka is taking his new found freedom and pursuing his dream of becoming the ultimate fighter. But after the death of his ring opponent he finds himself questioning the decisions he has made in life. Seeking forgiveness from the fighter’s widow...

Netflix has released a full trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s new Netflix animated sci-fi adventure series 3Below: Tales of Arcadia.

This looks like it will be a fun series, and the impressive cast of 3Below includes Diego Luna (Narcos: Mexico), Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation), Glenn Close (The Wife), and more. Here’s the synopsis:

3Below: Tales of Arcadia follows two royal teenage aliens, Aja (Maslany) and Krel (Luna), and their bodyguard Vex (Offerman), as they flee a surprise takeover of their home planet and crash-land on Earth – in Arcadia, the same town where the events of Trollhunters take place. Now on the run from intergalactic bounty hunters, they must blend in and adapt to the bizarre world of high school all while attempting to repair their shipt to return to and defend their home planet.

This new series is set in the same universe...

Alec Bojalad Oct 6, 2018

Guillermo del Toro's Trollhunters-adjacent trilogy, Tales of Arcadia, has revealed a first look of its second installment, 3Below.

DreamWorks Tales of Arcadia: 3Below has a lot of search-engine optimization friendly terms to lead with. DreamWorks! Tales of Arcadia! 3Below! Guillermo del Toro! Trollhunters! Netflix!

Tales of Arcadia is a trilogy series on Netflix created by del Toro and set in his Trollhunters universe. 3Below will be the second installment of this trilogy that began with Trollhunters. The series will end in 2019 with Tales of Arcadia: Wizards. Yes, DreamWorks, del Toro, and Netflix have created a sprawling series in which trolls, aliens, and wizards will all eventually cross paths. It's the side of an '80s metal fan's panel van writ large.

For simply "just" an animated children's adventure story, this is a pretty big project. That's why del Toro and some friends took to the New...

Guillermo Del Toro unveiled a first look at his DreamWorks Tales of Arcadia: 3Below, the second chapter in the DreamWorks Tales of Arcadia triology Friday afternoon during the show’s panel at New York Comic Con.

3Below creator and executive producer del Toro was joined by voice talent Diego Luna (Narcos: Mexico), and fellow executive producers Rodrigo Blaas, Marc Guggenheim and Chad Hammes. The panel, along with moderator Whitney Matheson, unveiled the all-star voice cast including Glenn Close (The Wife) who made a surprise appearance at the Con.

DreamWorks previously announced the series will feature Luna and Tatiana Maslany in the lead roles of Krel and Aja. Nick Offerman, Andy Garcia, Nick Frost, Alon Aboutboul, Chris Obi, Uzo Aduba, Cheryl Hines, Tom Kenny, Haley Atwell, Danny Trejo, and Ann Dowd will be lending their voices along with returning talent from Trollhunters including Emile Hirsch, Charlie Saxton, Lexi Medrano, Steven Yeun,...

Perhaps this is a bit of “Kingdom” bias speaking, but Jonathan Tucker is exactly what “Snowfall” needs in Season 2 — and he’s exactly what it gets. The lively, charming actor who recently graced “Westworld” and became a fan favorite in “Justified,” “The Black Donnellys,” and more steps into FX’s ’80s L.A. drug series and does more than his standard, A-grade character work; he pops, charms, and is so darn generous in his scenes, the charisma spreads to his screen partners. He’s the missing ingredient many dramas need these days, whether it’s literally Jonathan Tucker or what he represents: an attention-grabbing kick in the pants that makes everyone sit up and take notice.

Tucker and his new character, Matt McDonald — an ex-Vietnam pilot and brother of Teddy, the overworked CIA agent played by Carter Hudson — are emblematic of what writers Dave Andron, Eric Amadio, and John Singleton...

FX has a thing for gritty programming, so at first blush its new Snowfall TV show -- from creators John Singleton, Eric Amadio, and Dave Andron -- looks like it will fit right in. While it is yet to be renewed for a second season, the California Film Commission has already awarded the production a tax credit for season two, so Snowfall is well-positioned. Still, it remains to be seen how it will do in the ratings. Will Snowfall be cancelled or renewed for second season? Stay tuned. A period crime drama, Snowfall stars Damson Idris, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Carter Hudson, Emily Rios, Michael Hyatt, Amin Joseph, Angela Lewis, Isaiah John, Juan Javier Cárdenas, Alon Moni Aboutboul, Malcolm Mays, and Filipe Valle Costa. The FX TV series kicks off in 1983 Los Angeles, at the dawn of the crack cocaine epidemic. The story centers on diverse characters, from...

Vulture Watch How long will this storm rage? Has the Snowfall TV show been cancelled or renewed for a second season on FX? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Snowfall season two. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?   What's This TV Show About? An FX period crime drama, Snowfall stars Damson Idris, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Carter Hudson, Emily Rios, Michael Hyatt, Amin Joseph, Angela Lewis, Isaiah John, Juan Javier Cárdenas, Alon Moni Aboutboul, Malcolm Mays, and Filipe Valle Costa. The story kicks off in 1983 Los Angeles, at the dawn of the crack cocaine epidemic. It centers on several diverse characters, from an L.A. family, to a Nicaraguan Contra soldier, a sidelined CIA Agent, an...

Vulture Watch How long will this storm rage? Has the Snowfall TV show been cancelled or renewed for a second season on FX? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Snowfall season two. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?   What's This TV Show About? An FX period crime drama, Snowfall stars Damson Idris, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Carter Hudson, Emily Rios, Michael Hyatt, Amin Joseph, Angela Lewis, Isaiah John, Juan Javier Cárdenas, Alon Moni Aboutboul, Malcolm Mays, and Filipe Valle Costa. The story kicks off in 1983 Los Angeles, at the dawn of the crack cocaine epidemic. It centers on several diverse characters, from an L.A. family, to a Nicaraguan Contra soldier, a sidelined CIA Agent, an...

FX has given an early season two renewal to its Snowfall TV show. The 1980s cocaine drama just premiered on July 5th. Episode 1.06, "A Long Time Coming," airs tonight at 10:00pm Et/Pt. An FX period crime series, Snowfall stars Damson Idris, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Carter Hudson, Emily Rios, Michael Hyatt, Amin Joseph, Angela Lewis, Isaiah John, Juan Javier Cárdenas, Alon Moni Aboutboul, Malcolm Mays, and Filipe Valle Costa. The story kicks off in 1983 Los Angeles, at the dawn of the crack cocaine epidemic. Read More…...

New York-based distributor picks up thriller written by Tony Gilroy.

Bleecker Street has secured Us rights to director Brad Anderson’s High Wire Act starring Jon Hamm and Rosamund Pike.

The political thriller centres on a top Us diplomat who leaves Lebanon in the 1970s after his wife is killed. Ten years later, he gets called back to a war-torn Beirut by CIA operatives with a mission only he can accomplish.

The film also stars Dean Norris, Mark Pellegrino, Larry Pine, Shea Whigham, Alon Moni Aboutboul, Idir Chender, and Jonny Coyne.

Mike Weber of Radar Pictures, Gilroy, and Shivani Rawat and Monica Levinson of ShivHans Pictures produced the film. Ted Field and Steve Saeta served as executive producers.

Bleecker Street collaborated with ShivHans Pictures on the release of Captain Fantastic, Trumbo, and Danny Collins..

“Brad’s film is the kind of adult thriller a smarthouse audience craves,” Andrew Karpen, CEO of Bleecker Street, said. “It’s...

Bleecker Street has secured U.S/ distribution rights to director Brad Anderson’s High Wire Act, which was written by Tony Gilroy.

The political thriller centres on a top diplomat (Jon Hamm) who leaves Lebanon in the 1970s after his wife is tragically killed.

10 years later, he gets called back to a war-torn Beirut by CIA operatives (Rosamund Pike, Dean Norris) with a mission only he can accomplish.

The film also stars Mark Pellegrino, Larry Pine, Shea Whigham, Alon Moni Aboutboul, Idir Chender and Jonny Coyne.

Mike Weber of Radar Pictures, Gilroy, and Shivani Rawat and Monica Levinson of ShivHans Pictures produced the film. Ted Field and Steve Saeta served as executive producers.

Bleecker Street previously collaborated with ShivHans Pictures on the release of the Oscar-nominated films Captain Fantastic and Trumbo, and Danny Collins.

“Brad’s film is the kind of adult thriller a smarthouse audience craves,” Andrew Karpen, CEO of...

High Wire Act made Deadline’s list of hot titles at Cannes last year, and now Bleecker Street has scooped up U.S. rights to director Brad Anderson‘s period spy thriller starring Jon Hamm, Rosamund Pike and Dean Norris. Tony Gilroy wrote the script. Mark Pellegrino, Larry Pine, Shea Whigham, Alon Moni Aboutboul, Idir Chender and Jonny Coyne also star in the film about top U.S. diplomat (Hamm), who leaves Lebanon in the 1970s after his wife is killed. A decade later, he…...

Bleecker Street has acquired U.S. distribution rights to director Brad Anderson's political thriller High Wire Act.

Jon Hamm and Rosamund Pike head up the cast of the film, written by Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton, The Bourne Legacy).

The story centers on a top U.S. diplomat (Hamm) who leaves Lebanon in the 1970s after his wife is killed. Ten years later, he gets called back to a war-torn Beirut by CIA operatives (Pike, Dean Norris) with a mission only he can accomplish. The film also stars Mark Pellegrino, Larry Pine, Shea Whigham, Alon Moni Aboutboul, Idir Chender and Jonny Coyne.

High...

FX has a thing for gritty programming, so at first blush its new Snowfall TV show -- from creators John Singleton, Eric Amadio, and Dave Andron -- looks like it will fit right in. While it is yet to be renewed for a second season, the California Film Commission has already awarded the production a tax credit for season two, so Snowfall is well-positioned. Still, it remains to be seen how it will do in the ratings. Will Snowfall be cancelled or renewed for second season? Stay tuned. A period crime drama, Snowfall stars Damson Idris, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Carter Hudson, Emily Rios, Michael Hyatt, Amin Joseph, Angela Lewis, Isaiah John, Juan Javier Cárdenas, Alon Moni Aboutboul, Malcolm Mays, and Filipe Valle Costa. The FX TV series kicks off in 1983 Los Angeles, at the dawn of the crack cocaine epidemic. The story centers on diverse characters, from...

Network: FX. Episodes: Ongoing (hour). Seasons: Ongoing. TV show dates: July 5, 2017 — present. Series status: Has not been cancelled. Performers include: Damson Idris, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Carter Hudson, Emily Rios, Michael Hyatt, Amin Joseph, Angela Lewis, Isaiah John, Juan Javier Cárdenas, Alon Moni Aboutboul, Malcolm Mays, and Filipe Valle Costa. TV show description: A crime drama created by John Singleton, Eric Amadio, and Dave Andron, the Snowfall TV show kicks off in 1983 Los Angeles, at the dawn of the crack cocaine epidemic. The story centers on several characters who will crash into each other's lives in a brutal fashion. Although he was born and raised in South Central L.A., Franklin Saint (Idris), went to school in a wealthy Valley neighborhood. Now,...

There’s an intriguing, vibrant story at the heart of FX’s new drama Snowfall. Unfortunately, there are also two other, less interesting stories that come along with it — and the show ends up Od’ing on an excess of ambition.

Snowfall, debuting this Wednesday at 10/9c, comes from co-creator/executive producer John Singleton, who immortalized the streets of South Central L.A. with his iconic ’90s film Boyz N the Hood. Here, he takes us to his old stomping ground a decade earlier, in the summer of 1983, when small-time weed dealer Franklin (Damson Idris) gets his first tantalizing taste of the cocaine trade.

It's been 26 years since John Singleton shook up Hollywood with Boyz n the Hood, his feature film debut and a semi-autobiographical story about a Crenshaw teenager trying to live an ordinary life during the height of the Crips/Bloods gang war. Now, the first African-American ever nominated for a Best Director Oscar revisits the crime-ridden Los Angeles he once observed first-hand – and offers a larger, much-needed historical context that helped shape those mean streets.

Singleton's new FX show Snowfall (which debuts on July 5th) follows Franklin Saint (Damson Idris), an ambitious L.

Three episodes were provided prior to broadcast.

There’s nothing inherently bad about FX’s new drug drama Snowfall. As an opening sentence to a review, that’s not exactly a good omen, but such middling thoughts couldn’t help but bubble to the surface in the three hours I spent watching the original cocaine empire blossom haphazardly out of the sun-soaked streets of south central Los Angeles. It’s got a good lead, a solid premise, and legitimately gorgeous cinematography that lovingly lingers on the palm tree-lined streets of 1983 La like they’re a fresco in the Sistine Chapel.

No, there’s nothing really bad about Snowfall. It’s just that the network it calls home has raised the bar to such a degree that a show turning out just “good” feels disappointing in comparison. Snowfall has a decent narrative, but it lacks daring; there are a few interesting characters,...

Alon Aboutboul (London Has Fallen) and Amin Joseph (Baywatch) have booked series regular roles on FX's Snowfall, John Singleton's 1980s cocaine-epidemic drama pilot. Co-created and executive produced by the Boyz N The Hood director Singleton and Erick Amadio, and directed by El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the pilot has been undergoing a revamp. Aboutboul will play Avi Drexler, an unpredictable cocaine dealer operating in the San Fernando Valley. Joseph will portray Franklin's…...

Blu-ray Review

London Has Fallen

Directed by: Babak Najafi

Cast: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman

Running Time: 1 hr 39 mins

Rating: R

Due Out: June 14, 2016

Plot: (courtesy Universal Pictures Home Entertainment) Devastation of a world capital and a revenge plan against an American president fuel the high-octane London Has Fallen, coming to Digital HD on May 31, 2016, and Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand on June 14, 2016 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The sequel to the worldwide smash hit Olympus Has Fallen raises the stakes with non-stop action and suspenseful plot twists. The Blu-ray™ and Digital HD versions also include exclusive bonus features about the can’t-miss thriller.

In London Has Fallen, the stellar cast of Gerard Butler (300), Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight), Angela Bassett (American Horror Story), Robert Forster (Jackie Brown), Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Radha Mitchell (Pitch Black), Sean O’Bryan (Vantage Point), and Morgan Freeman (Lucy) reprises their original roles from Olympus Has Fallen, joined by Alon Moni Aboutboul (The Dark Knight Rises), Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen), Charlotte Riley (Edge of Tomorrow), and Waleed F. Zuaiter (Homeland). Babak Najafi directs London Has Fallen.

When the British Prime Minster dies unexpectedly, Secret Service Agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) knows it is his duty to prep with Secret Service Director Lynne Jacobs (Angela Bassett) for them to accompany U.S. President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) to the state funeral at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. With every powerful world leader set to attend, the funeral should be the most protected event on Earth. Yet within moments of arriving, heads of government are assassinated and London landmarks are attacked. Asher, Banning, and Jacobs are ambushed and retreat amidst a hail of gunfire and explosives. The devastated British capital goes into lockdown. Banning will stop at nothing to secure Asher’s safe return home. Back at the White House, Vice President Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman) races against time brainstorming with top advisors in the Situation Room to get those trapped in London a lifeline of support and a way out. Outnumbered and outgunned, Banning reaches out for help to an English MI6 agent (Charlotte Riley) who rightly trusts no one. Failure is not an option as they attempt to stop the criminals from carrying out the final phase of their revenge plan.

Movie: For a complete review of London Has Fallen listen to Movie B.S. with Bayer and Snider (the only movie podcast on the internet).

Movie Score: 4/10

Extras

The Making of London Has Fallen – An inside look at the massive undertaking of shooting such a large-scale film in London. Featuring interviews with cast and crew, this piece shows the unique challenges encountered on-set, director Babak Najafi’s process, and the cast’s inspiration for their characterizations. Guns, Knives & Explosives – Delve deeper into Gerard Butler’s iconic character of Mike Banning, and the extensive training and preparation the actor needed to play a Secret Service agent.

The film will be available on Blu-ray™ with Digital HD and UltraViolet™ and DVD.

Blu-ray™ unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6X the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound. DVD offers the flexibility and convenience of playing movies in more places, both at home and away. Digital HD with UltraViolet™ lets fans watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can instantly stream or download. Read Scorecard Reviews from our film reviews database Watch movie trailers and read our Tsr reviews Listen to Movie B.S. with Bayer and Snider

The post London Has Fallen — Blu-ray DVD review appeared first on The Scorecard Review.

After a solid theatrical run where it took in $195 million worldwide, from a $60 million budget, London Has Fallen is coming home this week with its release on Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand formats today, June 14. In case you didn't get a chance to see this action sequel in theaters, we have an exclusive preview for you to check out before the movie hits Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand formats. This preview takes fans behind-the-scenes of the destructive Chelsea Bridge scene in this sequel.

This preview, courtesy of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, features second unit director Steve Griffin, who teases that, since they couldn't actually blow up the real Chelsea Bridge in London, this massive attack scene was filmed by using a huge green screen set at an airfield in Bulgaria during principal photography. We also hear from senior visual effects supervisor Sean Farrow, who reveals that some of the most fascinating conversations during the production involved around deciding which bridges to blow up. He also explains that the production chose Chelsea Bridge because it was a suspension bridge that could be pulled apart piece by piece.

Devastation of a world capital and a revenge plan against an American president fuel the high-octane London Has Fallen, coming to Digital HD on May 31, 2016, and Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand on June 14, 2016 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The sequel to the worldwide smash hit Olympus Has Fallen raises the stakes with non-stop action and suspenseful plot twists. The Blu-ray and Digital HD versions also include exclusive bonus features about the can't-miss thriller.

In London Has Fallen, the stellar cast of Gerard Butler (300), Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight), Angela Bassett (American Horror Story), Robert Forster (Jackie Brown), Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Radha Mitchell (Pitch Black), Sean O'Bryan (Vantage Point), and Morgan Freeman (Lucy) reprises their original roles from Olympus Has Fallen, joined by Alon Moni Aboutboul (The Dark Knight Rises), Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen), Charlotte Riley (Edge of Tomorrow), and Waleed F. Zuaiter (Homeland). Babak Najafi directs London Has Fallen.

When the British Prime Minster dies unexpectedly, Secret Service Agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) knows it is his duty to prep with Secret Service Director Lynne Jacobs (Angela Bassett) for them to accompany U.S. President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) to the state funeral at St Paul's Cathedral in London. With every powerful world leader set to attend, the funeral should be the most protected event on Earth. Yet within moments of arriving, heads of government are assassinated and London landmarks are attacked.

Asher, Banning, and Jacobs are ambushed and retreat amidst a hail of gunfire and explosives. The devastated British capital goes into lockdown. Banning will stop at nothing to secure Asher's safe return home. Back at the White House, Vice President Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman) races against time brainstorming with top advisors in the Situation Room to get those trapped in London a lifeline of support and a way out. Outnumbered and outgunned, Banning reaches out for help to an English MI6 agent (Charlotte Riley) who rightly trusts no one. Failure is not an option as they attempt to stop the criminals from carrying out the final phase of their revenge plan. Take a look at our exclusive preview from London Has Fallen before picking up the Blu-ray and DVD this week.

Devastation of a world capital and a revenge plan against an American president fuel the high-octane London Has Fallen, coming to Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand on June 14, 2016 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The sequel to the worldwide smash hit Olympus Has Fallen raises the stakes with non-stop action and suspenseful plot twists. The Blu-ray™ and Digital HD versions also include exclusive bonus features about the can’t-miss thriller.

In London Has Fallen, the stellar cast of Gerard Butler (300), Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight), Angela Bassett (American Horror Story), Robert Forster (Jackie Brown), Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Radha Mitchell (Pitch Black), Sean O’Bryan (Vantage Point), and Morgan Freeman (Lucy) reprises their original roles from Olympus Has Fallen, joined by Alon Moni Aboutboul (The Dark Knight Rises), Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen), Charlotte Riley (Edge of Tomorrow), and Waleed F. Zuaiter (Homeland). Babak Najafi directs London Has Fallen.

When the British Prime Minster dies unexpectedly,...

Devastation of a world capital and a revenge plan against an American president fuel the high-octane London Has Fallen, coming to Digital HD on May 31, 2016, and Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand on June 14, 2016 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The sequel to the worldwide smash hit Olympus Has Fallen raises the stakes with non-stop action and suspenseful plot twists. The Blu-ray™ and Digital HD versions also include exclusive bonus features about the can’t-miss thriller.

Now you can own the Blu-ray of London Has Fallen. We Are Movie Geeks has five copies of the Blu-ray to give away. All you have to do is leave a comment answering this question: What is your favorite Gerard Butler Movie? (mine is 300). It’s so easy! We’ll choose the winners next week. Good Luck!

In London Has Fallen, the stellar cast of Gerard Butler (300), Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight), Angela Bassett (American Horror Story...

Showtime announced today that filming has finished on David Lynch and Mark Frost’s Twin Peaks revival series. Ahead of its 2017 premiere, the series’ complete cast—including returning actors as well as those who are new to the series—has been revealed.

Newcomers to the series include Monica Bellucci, Jim Belushi, Michael Cera, Jeremy Davies, Laura Dern, Sky Ferreira, Robert Forster, Meg Foster, Ashley Judd, David Koechner, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Matthew Lillard, Derek Mears, Sara Paxton, Ernie Hudson, Naomi Watts, Trent Reznor, The Walking Dead‘s Josh McDermitt, and many more.

Returning actors include Kyle MacLachlan, Ray Wise, Harry Dean Stanton, Alicia Witt, and more. Below, we have the official press release and full cast list:

Press Release: Los Angeles, CA – April 25, 2016 – Principal photography has concluded on the highly-anticipated new Twin Peaks for Showtime. And today, Showtime, David Lynch and Mark Frost are revealing a key piece of the mystery:...

Showtime revealed the full cast list for its upcoming "Twin Peaks" revival, and it's nothing short of insane -- and insanely long.

The ensemble includes a whopping 217 actors -- yes, you read that right -- and amid all the returning faces, there are also a bunch of surprising, big-name newbies along for the ride this time around. (We've embedded the entire list at the end of this post.)

Original cast members that will be back include many previously-announced people, and the ensemble will feature the likes of Kyle MacLachlan, Sherilyn Fenn, Madchen Amick, Sheryl Lee, Dana Ashbrook, David Duchovny, Miguel Ferrer, Grace Zabriskie, Peggy Lipton, Ray Wise, Wendy Robie, Russ Tamblyn, and Catherine E. Coulson, among many others.

As for the newcomers, some of the bold names that stand out include Monica Bellucci, Jim Belushi, Michael Cera, Laura Dern, Jay R. Ferguson (a.k.a. Stan from "Mad Men"), Ernie Hudson ("Ghostbusters"), Ashley Judd,...

The new "Twin Peaks" isn't slated to debut on Showtime until 2017, but a flurry of speculation about it happened last week with a tweet from Go For Locations indicating that filming had wrapped on the "first two seasons" of the series.

The episode count for the David Lynch-directed series was always in question, but that tweet suggested we'd be getting even more episodes than originally planned. Said tweet has since been deleted, so we'll have to wait to see how that pans out.

in the meantime in more official news, Showtime, Lynch and Mark Frost has released the official cast list for the new series with a whopping 217 names across the various episodes - a list that includes some real surprise big name inclusions such as Monica Bellucci, Michael Cera, Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Eddie Vedder, Ashley Judd, Ernie Hudson, Jim Belushi, Richard Chamberlain, Laura Dern,...

Gerard Butler finds himself taking up arms to save Aaron Eckhart’s Us President once again in this expanded sequel to Antoine Fuqua’s Olympus Has Fallen. Trading the claustrophobic confines of the White House for the deserted streets of Britain’s terrorised capital, London Has Fallen is every bit as violent, preposterous, xenophobic and entertaining as fans of its predecessor could wish for. When the British Prime Minister dies, the world’s leaders descend on London for a high-profile state funeral, only to be caught in a grand-scale terrorist attack that leaves many of them dead. The culprit is quickly revealed to be Middle Eastern warmonger Aamir Barkawi (Alon Aboutboul), whose family was targeted by a G8-authorised drone strike. With an army of extremists on the ground,...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

All right action fans, you won’t have to wait for Spring and Summer for a noisy, big body-count, big-screen bonanza. That’s because “Mr. Movie Mayhem” is back, yup Gerard Butler. Wait a minute, back? He was here just last week, starring in the CGI-heavy, fight-fest Gods Of Egypt! Well, in that one, he’s not truly the star, but a (gasp!) villain! His Set is almost an inverse of his big break-out role in 300 (ten years old now?) and Gods is a kind of a mash-up of the Spartan epic with the (unnecessary) remake of Clash Of The Titans. But it’s not really a sequel and it’s a near-bloodless PG-13. Not the case here. Just three years ago Butler scored again with the bloody and bombastic (almost a non-puppet companion to Team America: World Police) Olympus Has Fallen. This is not to be confused with that...

During the opening moments of London Has Fallen, I began to wonder exactly what kind of a film this was shaping up to be. Set to an audio bed of ripped-from-the-headlines news commentary, we're treated to a timely montage of international terrorism and unrest, that leads to a sequence in which a U.S.-manned drone bombs a wedding in hopes of killing a terrorist leader. I asked myself, "Hmm, is this going to be some sort of political pot-boiler of an action film that has something to say?"

After another 20 or 30 minutes of setup, though, once the action got going I quickly had the answer to my question: No. It's not. But that's not a bad thing. While London Has Fallen isn't particularly high-minded, and doesn't really address some of the tougher questions that its plot would undoubtedly lead to in real life, what it does do is deliver...

After an unconventional start into acting (he was fired as a lawyer in Edinburgh due to his partying antics and moved to London), Gerard Butler has appeared in rom-coms, animations and even musicals, but the Scottish actor has emerged as an unashamed Hollywood bad-ass in some of the most iconic action films of recent times.

From an early role starring alongside James Bond in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) to returning as one-man-army Mike Banning in London Has Fallen (in cinemas March 3), there is no end to the tough-guy roles that Butler can impress in.

The sequel to the worldwide smash hit Olympus Has Fallen sees Butler in his latest action-packed role, as the relentless bodyguard to the Us president, Mike Banning. Upon the discovery of a plot to assassinate the world leaders attending the Prime Minister’s funeral, he makes it his mission to stand firm against the relentless violence that awaits him.

London Has Fallen is an absurd, bloody action romp that plays like a B-movie. The sequel to Olympus Has Fallen brings back the entire original cast in a plot as fantastical as science fiction. This isn't a completely negative thing as the film does have entertainment value. Gerard Butler is a one-man killing machine; cutting down hordes of terrorists while zinging one-liners and dropping F-bombs. He never misses. Butler takes head shots like popping zits. I'm also fairly certain he owns the record for stabbing bad guys in the neck. The good guys take their lumps as well. World leaders, London, and the entire British security apparatus get beaten like an illiterate kid at a spelling bee. Thank goodness the Americans are there to save to the day.

London Has Fallen opens with a U.S. drone destroying the family gathering of a powerful arms dealer, Aamir Barkawi (Alon Aboutboul). Two years later,...

Continuing its predecessor’s attempts to bring back the '90s, “London Has Fallen” is a slam-bang sequel that’s bigger, louder, and even more jingoistic and ultra-violent than its “Die Hard”-ish ancestor, 2013’s “Olympus Has Fallen.” Big-budget exploitation of the most headshot-happy order, it’s an action film drenched in clear-cut good-vs.-evil dynamics, profane post-kill one-liners, and rah-rah patriotic ass-kicking. Fantasies about Western democracies fighting back against their murderous Middle Eastern enemies don’t come much more blunt-force than this, with its eye-for-an-eye ethos summed up by its evil villain’s belief that “vengeance must always be profound and absolute.” Read More: Review: 'Olympus Has Fallen' A Thin, High-Concept Actioner Without Much Bite That baddie is Aamir Barkawi (Alon Moni Aboutboul), a notorious arms dealer of vague nationality who at film’s outset has sown geopolitical discord by providing weapons for a deadly Philippines massacre.

Chicago – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 50 pairs of advance-screening movie passes up for grabs to the “Olympus Has Fallen” sequel “London Has Fallen” starring Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart!

“London Has Fallen,” which opens on March 4, 2016 and is rated “R,” also stars Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Jackie Earle Haley, Melissa Leo, Sean O’Bryan, Robert Forster, Charlotte Riley, Radha Mitchell, Alon Aboutboul, Waleed Zuaiter, Adel Bencherif, Mehdi Dehbi and Shivani Ghai from director Babak Najafi and writers Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt. Note: You must be 17+ to win and attend this “R”-rated screening.

To win your free passes to “London Has Fallen” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our social media widget below. That’s it! This screening is on Wednesday, March 2, 2016 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score and the higher yours odds of winning!

London Has Fallen is hitting next weekend, and if you aren’t excited enough for the mayhem and wild action, the film has released some new clips.

Gerard Butler has to save the world from the loss of its leaders, among other things, and this one is packed with not only tons of action, but a wide variety of tension and pure crazy.

These clips let you in on the film’s variety, and give you a good glimpse at the villain as well.

Plus, if you thought the film was all bullets, explosions, and crashes, you’ve got to check out the Nesting clip.

London Has Fallen Clip – Drive

London Has Fallen Clip – Nesting

London Has Fallen Clip – Barkawi

The sequel to the worldwide smash hit “Olympus Has Fallen,” a non-stop, suspenseful action thriller that delivers high-octane excitement through a heightened sense of authenticity. The visceral intensity springs from...