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More than 13 years after co-creating Chicago Fire and thus helping sire the popular #OneChicago Universe, Derek Haas was looking to break free of the broadcast procedural formula, with Prime Video’s Countdown.

Luke Finau (Uli Latukefu), Mark Meachum (Jensen Ackles), Keyonte Bell (Elliot Knight) and Amber Oliveras (Jessica Camacho) Courtesy of Prime Video

Created by Haas, Countdown is set in motion when an officer with the Department of Homeland Security is murdered in broad daylight. Special Agent in Charge Blythe (played by Euphoria’s Eric Dane) in turn heads up task force “Hurricane,” comprised of LAPD detective Mark Meachum (Supernatural...

Jensen Ackles is stepping into a new kind of role, leaving behind the supernatural and comic book worlds he’s long been known for. In the upcoming Prime Video series Countdown, Ackles plays LAPD detective Mark Meachum — a character rooted firmly in the real world.

Unlike his past roles in Supernatural and The Boys, this time there are no demons, ghosts, or superpowers involved. Speaking with Collider’s Aidan Kelley, Ackles pointed out what makes this role different. “Well, he’s not having to chase ghosts or fight vampires or deal with demons,” he said. “He’s not having to deal with superhero powers. So, we’ve taken all the genre out of the stuff that I’m normally doing.”

This grounded approach gave Ackles the rare chance to do hands-on preparation. Instead of imagining fictional battles, he got to talk with real-life professionals to build his character. “I’ve met with some FBI agents,...

Jensen Ackles is back on screen, but this time he’s stepping away from the ghosts, demons, and superheroes. In his latest role, he plays a regular guy in a very real world. Ackles stars in the upcoming Prime Video series Countdown, where he takes on the role of LAPD detective Mark Meachum.

Speaking with Aidan Kelley from Collider at the show’s premiere, Ackles explained why this character feels different from anything he’s done before.

“Well, he’s not having to chase ghosts or fight vampires or deal with demons,” he said. “He’s not having to deal with superhero powers. So, we’ve taken all the genre out of the stuff that I’m normally doing.”

Related: Amazon Reportedly Eyes Rebel Ridge Star for James Bond Role Amid Franchise Shift

Ackles, known for his roles in Supernatural and The Boys, said working on Countdown gave him a...

The countdown is on for “Countdown,” Prime Video’s new special task force crime drama from Derek Haas premiering June 25.

The series stars Jensen Ackles, Jessica Camacho, Violett Beane, Uli Latukefu, Jonathan Togo and Elliot Knight as various law enforcement agents who are put together under leader Eric Dane to solve a murder … with much greater implications for Los Angeles.

“A lot of shows in this genre, for whatever reason, in the last 10 to 15 years, they’re really dark and cynical and super gritty and dirty. I remember the movies from the ’80s I grew up loving — ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark,’ ‘Crimson Tide,’ ‘Die Hard,’ ‘Lethal Weapon’ — which I don’t feel like you see in this genre too much anymore,” Haas told TheWrap at the premiere. “Thankfully, I got Jensen Ackles … he could have been in any of those movies.”

“The hardest thing is to come up with surprises.

Eric Dane is hitting the red carpet at the premiere of his new Prime Video series.

The 52-year-old actor held hands with girlfriend Janell Shirtcliff at the premiere of Countdown on Wednesday (June 18) held at the Harmony Gold Theater in Los Angeles.

The event marked the first red carpet event Eric has attended since going public with his Als diagnosis in April.

Keep reading to find out more…“I feel good,” Eric told Variety on the red carpet. “It’s nice to be here with everybody and see the hours and hours of work that we put into this come alive on screen.”

Also joining Eric at the premiere were his co-stars Jensen Ackles, Jessica Camacho, Violett Beane, Uli Latukefu, Elliot Knight, and Merrick McCartha.

Here’s the show’s synopsis: When an officer with the Department of Homeland Security is murdered in broad daylight, LAPD detective Mark Meachum, portrayed by Jensen,...

In Prime Video’s upcoming Countdown thriller, Special Agent in Charge Nathan Blythe proves to be a “formidable foe” for any ne’er-do-wells — and he looks damn good while doing it!

Created by Derek Haas (EP of the #OneChicago franchise and co-creator of FBI: International), Countdown is set in motion when an officer with the Department of Homeland Security is murdered in broad daylight. Sac Blythe (played by Euphoria’s Eric Dane) is tapped to head up task force “Hurricane,” comprised of LAPD detective Mark Meachum (Supernatural’s Jensen Ackles), DEA badass Amber Oliveras (All Rise‘s Jessica Camacho), LAPD...

We are definitely counting down the days to new Prime Video series Countdown! The show looks so good, and of course one of our favorite actors Jensen Ackles is headlining it so you know we'll be seated. This is the actor's first series after The Winchesters, so I'm really looking forward to seeing what's in store. Thankfully the trailer is here, which gives us a closer look.

Countdown premieres Wednesday, June 25, 2025 with the first three episodes, followed by one weekly after that on Prime Video. There's a total of 13 episodes, which is actually a pretty generous amount in the streaming world today. Mark you calendars down when the finale drops Sept. 3, 2025.

So the crime drama, and Ackles, will be with us through the summer. Definitely not complaining about that! The show will be a nice addition to have every week during that time. Before we get into more of it,...

Final Girls Berlin Film Festival Returns for Its 10th Edition: "Having grown from a humble two-day event with around 15 attendees to a five-day genre showcase at City Kino Wedding, the Final Girls Berlin Film Festival is celebrating its 10th edition. Recognised by MovieMaker Magazine and Dread Central as one of the best genre festivals worldwide, Final Girls Berlin has become a powerhouse for championing bold, boundary-pushing horror by women, trans, and non-binary filmmakers.

This year’s lineup is a mix of underground gems and festival heavyweights—films that have screened at A-list festivals, landed on Mubi, won major awards, and even earned Oscar nods. These successes underscore the growing recognition and impact of women, trans, and non-binary filmmakers in genre cinema. As horror evolves, they’re leading the charge, and we’re proud to showcase both the industry’s rising stars and its boldest new visions.

Can’t make it to Berlin?...

It’s the final week of the first month of the year, and 2025 has already been loaded with 20+ new horror movies in theaters and at home. This week, eight more newcomers have arrived!

Here’s all the new horror that released January 27 – January 31, 2025!

For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.

Genre favorite Ted Raimi (Evil Dead II, Candyman) must choose between financial ruin or murder in Failure!, which was impressively shot in a continuous 87-minute take.

The film is available now on Digital from Red Water Entertainment.

Ted Raimi stars as James, a devoted family man and business tycoon facing a dire ultimatum: resolve a crushing bank debt within an hour or risk losing his business. With greedy associates, deceitful friends, and haunting ghosts from his past closing in, James is pushed to the brink, faced with the unthinkable choice between financial ruin or murder.

Genre favorite Ted Raimi must choose between financial ruin or murder in Failure!

Shot in a continuous 87-minute take, the film is available now on Digital from Red Water Entertainment.

Raimi stars as James, a devoted family man and business tycoon facing a dire ultimatum: resolve a crushing bank debt within an hour or risk losing his business. With greedy associates, deceitful friends, and haunting ghosts from his past closing in, James is pushed to the brink, faced with the unthinkable choice between financial ruin or murder.

Writer-director Alex Kahuam is the first Mexican filmmaker to make a feature film without cuts in the US.

Noel Douglas Orput, Merrick McCartha, Melissa Diaz, Daniel Kuhlman, John Paul Medrano, and Spencer Langston round out the cast.

“The scenario was very enticing because there are no cuts; it’s an hour and a half and no cuts,” Raimi told Bloody Disgusting. “And I...

“Hemet, or the Landlady Don’t Drink Tea,” a micro-budget horror satire from BayView Entertainment — the studio behind the underground experimental horror phenomenon “Skinamarink” — has unveiled an exclusive clip to Variety ahead of its AVOD release.

Described as an “unconventional take” on the horror genre, “Hemet, or the Landlady Don’t Drink Tea” includes elements of political satire that highlight issues of authority and rebellion. The official logline reads, “A tyrannical landlady lords it over her tenants during an epidemic, pitting them against each other in a web of paranoia spun for deadly results.”

“Hemet, or the Landlady Don’t Drink Tea” is directed by Tony Olmos and written by Brian Patrick Butler (“Friend of the World”), who also stars as the titular fascist landlady, named Liz Topham-Myrtle in the film. Other cast members include Kimberly Weinberger as Rosie Perkins, a tenant who becomes entangled in a plan to take control of the...

In the wake of last year’s World Premiere at FrightFest 2023, single take thriller Failure! has been acquired for North American distribution by Red Water Entertainment, Variety reports.

“The film will be released in the first quarter of 2025,” the report notes.

Director Alex Kahuam‘s psychological thriller is presented in three acts…

Shot in one unbroken 87-minute take, Failure! follows James who has a big debt with the bank and is given one hour to choose between financial ruin or murder in order to protect his family. As the hour progresses he finds his home and phone invaded by multiple characters pulling him in different directions, gradually adding to his distress and his unravelling. But who is real and who isn’t?

The film also stars Merrick McCartha (Senior Year), Melissa Diaz (Ruthless), John Paul Medrano (Seven Days) and Daniel Kuhlman (Voodoo MacBeth) and Noel Douglas Orput.

Kahuam and Raimi produced Failure!

Red Water Entertainment has snapped up North American distribution rights to the single take thriller “Failure!” led by Ted Raimi (“The Quarry”).

This Mexico-u.S. co-production, shot in an unbroken 87-minute take, follows business tycoon James (Raimi) as he faces a crushing bank debt deadline. With time running out, he contends with treacherous associates, deceitful friends and haunting pasts, and is forced to choose between financial collapse or murder.

Directed by Alex Kahuam (“Forgiveness”), “Failure!” is believed to be the first time a Mexican filmmaker has made a feature film without cuts in the U.S.

The cast also includes Merrick McCartha (“Senior Year”), Melissa Diaz (“Ruthless”), John Paul Medrano (“Seven Days”), Daniel Kuhlman (“Voodoo Macbeth”) and Noel Douglas Orput.

The film gained a boost after bowing at the inaugural Fantastic Pavilion Galas, the Cannes Film Festival market’s genre showcase that was introduced in 2023. It has since screened at Frightfest,...

Stars: Ted Raimi, Merrick McCartha, Noel Douglas Orput, Melissa Diaz | Written and Directed by Alex Kahuam

Having debuted his 2021 film Forgiveness at Frightfest, director Alex Kahuam follows it up with Failure! another “one-take” horror that sees 56-year-old James (Ted Raimi) caught between a rock and a hard place. Due to a massive debt with his bank, James is given one hour to choose between selling his factory to prevent financial ruin or murder to protect his family.

The idea of films being shot in one take has become something of a gimmick in recent years – films even Not shot that way have been made to look like everything has been shot on one camera with no editing. However, in the case of Failure!, being shot in one take is 100% true, so much so that you can actually see the clever way director Alex Kahuam gets around the constraints of the format,...

UK-French sales agent, distribution and production company Alief has announced that the Ted Raimi led psychological thriller, Failure!, will have its World Premiere at FrightFest on August 28th 2023. Alief picked up worldwide rights at the Cannes Film Festival in May after Failure! made its debut at the Fantastic Pavillion. To mark the occasion, a teaser trailer and poster has been released. Failure! follows James who has a big debt with the bank and is given one hour to choose between financial ruin or murder in order to protect his family. As the hour progresses he finds his home and phone invaded by multiple characters pulling him in different directions, gradually adding to his distress and his unravelling. But who is real and who isn’t? As well as Raimi, the film also stars Merrick McCartha (Senior Year), Melissa Diaz (Ruthless), John Paul Medrano (Seven Days) and Daniel Kuhlman (Voodoo MacBeth) and Noel Douglas Orput.

The sales, distribution, and production company Alief picked up the worldwide rights to the psychological thriller Failure!, starring Ted Raimi, at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, and now they have announced that the film is going to have its world premiere at the FrightFest film festival in London on August 28th! In anticipation of the premiere, a teaser trailer for Failure! has been unveiled and can be seen in the embed above.

Directed by Alex Kahuam (Forgiveness), Failure! was shot in a single 87 minute take. Within that single take we follow James (Raimi), who has a big debt with the bank and is given one hour to choose between financial ruin or murder in order to protect his family. As the hour progresses he finds his home and phone invaded by multiple characters pulling him in different directions, gradually adding to his distress and his unravelling. But who...

Ted Raimi, the genre icon known for his roles in The Evil Dead, Spider-Man, and Ash vs Evil Dead, is back with a new film that will test his acting skills like never before. Failure! is a psychological thriller directed by Alex Kahuam, who has achieved a remarkable feat of shooting the entire film in a single 87-minute take. The film will have its world premiere at FrightFest on August 28th, and the first look teaser trailer and poster have been released.

Failure! follows James (Raimi), a man who has a big debt with the bank and is given one hour to choose between financial ruin or murder in order to protect his family. As the hour progresses, he finds his home and phone invaded by multiple characters pulling him in different directions, gradually adding to his distress and his unravelling. But who is real and who isn’t?

Failure...

"If I go down, you go down..." An early festival promo trailer has debuted online for an indie psychological thriller titled Failure!, the latest from acclaimed Mexican genre filmmaker Alex Kahuam. He's premiering this one at FrightFest in the UK, same as with his previous film titled Forgiveness before. Failure! follows James (played by Ted Raimi - best known as Sam Raimi's bother appearing in many of his films) who has a big debt with the bank and is given one hour to choose between financial ruin or murder in order to protect his family. As the hour progresses he finds his home and phone invaded by multiple characters pulling him in different directions, gradually adding to his distress and his unravelling. As well as Raimi, the film also stars Merrick McCartha, Melissa Diaz, John Paul Medrano, Daniel Kuhlman, and Noel Douglas Orput. FrightFest says it's shot "in one single take with no cuts,...

We recently spoke to Ted Raimi about the upcoming thriller feature Failure! here on Bloody Disgusting, an ambitious single take project you can read all about right here.

The psychological thriller will World Premiere at FrightFest 2023, Bloody Disgusting has learned this morning, and the official teaser trailer for Failure! has also arrived.

K-French sales agent, distribution and production company Alief has announced that the Ted Raimi led psychological thriller will have its World Premiere at FrightFest on August 28. Alief picked up worldwide rights at the Cannes Film Festival in May after Failure! made its debut at the Fantastic Pavillion.

Failure! follows James who has a big debt with the bank and is given one hour to choose between financial ruin or murder in order to protect his family. As the hour progresses he finds his home and phone invaded by multiple characters pulling him in different directions, gradually adding to his distress and his unravelling.

Tennis Coverage

Coverage of the iconic Wimbledon tennis tournament has led to record-breaking numbers for U.K. broadcaster BBC. There were 54.3 million streams of the BBC’s coverage on streamer iPlayer and BBC Sport online during the two-week long competition – up from 53.8 million in 2022. On BBC One, there was a peak audience of 11.3 million to watch Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz beat Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in five sets in the men’s singles finals, the highest since the U.K.’s Andy Murray won in 2016. The match was also streamed live 4.1 million times on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport online, an increase of 58% from 2022.

During the women’s singles final, where Czech player Markéta Vondroušová triumphed over Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, there was a peak audience of 4.5 million on BBC One – an increase from 2022’s 3.1 million. The match was streamed 1.3 million times on BBC iPlayer, an 85% increase from 2022. Across the tournament,...

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

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

Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys

2023 Emmy Predictions:

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Luke Kirby in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”

Weekly Commentary: Commentary to be added.

Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Primetime Emmy predictions in the major categories.

The rankings for the category are below.

The final Emmy voting rounds open on Aug.

"How many of you are there!?" Well Go USA has debuted an official trailer for an indie horror feature titled They Crawl Beneath, which will be out on VOD directly in the start of October. This practical effects-driven creature feature, reminiscent of the fun horror films of the 1950s, hasn't played at any festivals but still looks worth watching. If you dig creature features, give this a look. After an earthquake leaves Danny trapped and alone, his claustrophobic nightmare only gets worse when something truly horrifying emerges from the fissures in the ground, forcing him to engage in a brutal fight for his life—and his sanity. Joseph Almani stars, with Michael Pare, Arthur Roberts, Merrick McCartha, Karlee Eldridge, Elena Sahagun, and Natalia Bilbao. This looks like a distant cousin of Tremors, with practical monsters that emerge from the ground with giant teeth hungry to eat tasty humans. Might be a fun!

Hey, NCIS fans. We hope you guys enjoyed tonight's episode 18. Now that it has officially aired, it is time to see what's coming up in the next, new episode 19 that's due to air next Tuesday night,April 9, 2019. CBS recently released their press release for episode 19. It gives a brief teaser description. So, we'll be taking a look at that for this spoiler session. With that said, let's go ahead and jump right into this thing. To get things started,the CBS press release revealed that the producers decided to name or title episode 19, "Perennial." I must say, that is a pretty unique title. It sounds like episode 19 will feature some pretty heavy drama coupled with a interesting twist as someone from Sloane's past shows up. The NCIS crew tries to hunt down a shooter, and more! We'll go ahead and start off this spoiler session with the NCIS shooter hunt-down situation.

Recently, CBS released the new,official synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming "Criminal Minds" episode 14 of season 10. The episode is entitled, "Hero Worship," and it turns out that we're going to see an UnSub serve up hardcore explosions, prompting the Bau to go after his ass, and more! In the new, 14th episode press release: An explosion in Indianapolis, is going to have the Bau searching for the UnSub before more bombings occur. Press release number 2: When an Indianapolis coffee shop is blown up and a hero emerges from the wreckage, the Bau will try to protect that person and his family while searching for the UnSub before more incidents occur. Guest stars feature: Louis Carazo (Tony), Sarah Lafleur (Brenda Archer), Lex Medlin (Allen Archer), Marcus Folmar (Chef) Thomas W. Ashworth (Elderly Man), Gwen Van Dam (Elderly Woman), Grinnell Morris (James Burke), Jb Tadena (Jordan Aguilar), Shauna Chin (Doctor), Claude Knowlton...