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TV academy voters are faced with a daunting task when they fill out their 2022 Emmy Awards nominations ballot in that they have to consider 171 shows for Best Drama Series. This is up by 38 from last year. As has been the case since 2017, members do not have to winnow their choices down to a set amount and are instead being told to “vote for as many achievements in this category that you have seen and feel are worthy of a nomination.”

Last year’s champ, “The Crown,” will not return to seek another victory, as no new episodes of the Netflix series have aired since its fourth season finale in November 2020. Of its seven 2021 rivals, three – “The Boys,” “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and “The Mandalorian” – also did not return in time to meet the eligibility window of June 1, 2021 to May 31, 2022. Another two – “Lovecraft Country” and “Pose” – ended their runs in October 2020 and June 2021, respectively.

With the Arrowverse‘s various productions at different stages of lockdown, the producers behind the series are finding ways to help other parts of the entertainment industry. Marc Guggenheim, who oversees the growing universe of shows that have spun off from Arrow, is doing his part by setting up a set visit auction to benefit the #Creators4Comics appeal, which aims to help the comic book stores that are struggling due to the nationwide lockdown.

Guggenheim announced the offer this week via Twitter, including the terms and conditions of taking part in the auction:

#Creators4Comics

A set visit to any show I am associated with. Lodging/transportation not included. Subject to any studio requirements.

• Bid by replying to this tweet

• Opening bid: $5000

• Auction ends 4/20 @ 12 Pm Est

• Winner donates directly to @BincFoundation

— Marc Guggenheim (@mguggenheim) April 15, 2020

The Flash: 6x16 - "So Long And Goodnight" Gallery 1 of 19

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Of all the shows in the Arrowverse, Supergirl is probably the most optimistic, which is why it has some of the best friendships to go along with it. The sisterly bond between Alex and Kara Danvers is nothing short of perfection, perhaps only trumped by the friendship between Kara and Winn Schott.

Related: DC's Stargirl: 5 CW Characters Who Should Cameo In Her Show (& 5 Who Shouldn't)

Kara and Winn have been friends since before the show even began, with Winn providing a warm and welcoming face for Kara when she first started working for CatCo as Cat Grant's assistant. However, these two have faced some challenges in their friendship.

Stargirl is about to join the DC TV franchise as the first teenage-led series starting on May 18 (DC Universe) and May 19 (The CW.) Since most of the ongoing DC TV shows have teenage characters; the series mostly follows the perspective of heroes who are either young or old adults. The DC lore has several young heroes that have yet to make it to the screen, especially in main positions. With Warner Bros. TV continuing to do more shows, Stargirl should inspire the studio to look at some heroes that could be more targeted towards the teenage demographic.

Related: DC's Stargirl: 5 CW Characters Who Should Cameo In Her Show (& 5 Who Shouldn't)

Stargirl will also feature several other teen heroes that will pick the mantles of Justice Society members. As that corner of the DC Universe begins to get expanded in media, here are ten DC heroes that should get their own show,...

HBO Max has handed out three production commitments to one-hour dramas from Bad Robot Productions, including one set in the “Justice League Dark” universe.

In addition, HBO Max and Bad Robot have teamed on the series “Overlook,” inspired by Stephen King’s “The Shining,” and “Duster,” an original drama co-written by Latoya Morgan and Bad Robot’s J.J. Abrams. All three shows will be executive produced by J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot’s head of television, Ben Stephenson. Rachel Rusch Rich, Bad Robot’s executive vice president of television, will serve as a co-executive producer. Warner Bros. Television will produce all three shows, while Warner Bros. International Television Distribution will be the global distributor for all three shows.

The three shows are the first television projects set up at HBO Max under Abrams’ and Bad Robot’s mega-deal with WarnerMedia that was unveiled in September 2019.

“What an amazing start...

The Flash gets a creepy-crawly blast from the past when the CW drama returns with its first new episode in five weeks.

In the episode “So Long and Goodnight,” airing Tuesday, April 21 at 8/7c, Black Hole hires the suuuuuper-bendy Rag Doll (returning guest star Troy James) to kill Joe. But when Joe refuses to head into Witsec and stop investigating Carver (guest star Eric Nenninger), it appears — as seen in this first batch of new episodic photos in what feels like far, far too long — that someone very near and dear to the top cop will land in the mysterious organization’s cross hairs.

Some projects come down to a bit of luck, and while we could have found someone to play Stargirl, the titular non-conformist of the extremely popular Ya novel, having someone for whom the story might as well be a biopic hit the scene is a boon that’s hard to ignore. Largely the same old High […]

The post Stargirl Review – Non-Comformist Ya Gem Mostly Comes Through appeared first on Are You Screening?.

Stargirl is the next DC Universe show set to roll out in May and attached to the project are numerous DC characters. With every new show, DC fans get the opportunity to speculate and predict which characters will appear.

Related: DC's Stargirl: 10 Things You Need To Know About Her Comics Before Watching The Show

Furthermore, fans can speculate how Stargirl’s show fits into the rest of the Arrowverse that DC has built and seemingly make the proper connection to all of its properties.

The CW’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” event is hard to beat in terms of cameos and general spectacle, but it seems that the network and DC are already working towards the next big Arrowverse event. In fact, according to our sources – the same ones who told us Kevin Conroy would be playing Kingdom Come Batman and an Arrow spinoff for Katherine McNamara was in the works – a future Arrowverse event will involve all the new Earths created after the recent storyline being merged into one.

At the end of “Crisis,” all of the core Arrowverse Earths were combined, meaning that the Flash, Supergirl, Black Lightning, and other characters now all exist on one shared Earth. However, a new multiverse was also created, including a fresh Earth-2, home to the upcoming Stargirl series, and another Earth for the planned HBO Max Green Lantern show. This crossover would, however, merge together these disparate worlds into one,...

“Robin Hood” is getting the live-action, hybrid treatment at Disney+, which is developing a remake of the 1976 animated classic with “Blindspotting” director Carlos López Estrada at the helm.

Variety reported that the studio will bring Kari Granlund, who wrote Disney+’s live-action “Lady and the Tramp” launch film, to write the screenplay. Justin Springer, who produced Disney’s “Dumbo” remake, will produce the “Robin Hood” remake. Like Disney’s “The Jungle Book” and “Dumbo” reboots, the upcoming “Robin Hood” film will mix CGI with live-action. The deals closed in early March. Additional details, such as casting or a potential release date, are undetermined.

More from IndieWireNew Movies: Release Calendar for April 10, Plus Where to Watch the Latest FilmsStreaming Wars: Indie Platforms Start Leaning on Older Programming, from 'Roar' to Agnes Varda

Sources close to production confirmed the “Robin Hood” remake news to IndieWire.

Estrada made his feature film...

Grace VanderWaal is certainly not your average teenager, having left school at an early age to become a touring music professional. And the character she plays in the movie Stargirl isn’t an average teenager, either. In some ways, VanderWaal feels like she’s nothing like the role she plays, but in other ways, she told us [...]

The post VanderWaal’s Paradox: She Is “Stargirl,” And She Isn’t appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.

The show Stargirl is set to premiere on May 19th, on DC Universe. The teaser trailer dropped in December, boasting some strong visuals and explosive action, and big names including Joel McHale, Luke Wilson, and Amy Smart. The show is based on the DC Comics superhero created by Geoff Johns and Lee Moder.

Related: 10 Best Comic Book Movie Adaptations (That Aren't DC Or Marvel)

The best screen adaptations of comics often take a lot of creative license with the source material, and if the show does its job, it should tell you everything you need to know without requiring any homework, but there are a few aspects of the comics that might be worth knowing going in that will give you an idea what to expect.

Even though Arrow, the flagship show, has now ended after an impressive eight seasons, the Arrowverse has shown no sign of slowing down. In fact, by adding shows like Black Lightning, Batwoman and soon to be aired Stargirl, the Arrowverse has never looked stronger.

Related: Arrow: 10 Storylines That Were Never Resolved

The Arrowverse has also introduced so many great friendships over the years, and none could be more adorable than the bond between Barry Allen and Felicity Smoak. These two scientific geniuses are brilliant together as they're just so similar to each other. However, we have to wonder, obvious adorableness aside, are they really friends or just close acquaintances?...

This Harley Quinn review contains spoilers.

Harley Quinn Season 2 Episode 1

And… she’s back! Just two months since the season one finale premiered the world of Harley Quinn has changed in an innumerable amount of ways. When the showrunners were planning this second entry into the season it’s highly unlikely that they could have imagined the United States would be living under the shadow of a dangerous pandemic that has changed the way that we eat, sleep, work, and live. But in what is some wild cosmic coincidence the Harley Quinn season 2 premiere almost feels like a response to our new status quo.

A week has passed in Gotham-time since the fall of the Joker and the President of the United States has announced that after a devastating earthquake Gotham is no longer considered part of the country as it is “past saving.” We find Harley Quinn loving her...

Exclusive: Dylan Walsh is set as a series regular opposite Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch in Superman & Lois, the CW’s straight-to-series drama about the iconic DC couple, from The Flash executive producer Todd Helbing, DC Universe architect Greg Berlanti and Warner Bros. TV. Walsh will play the popular comic book character General Lane, father of Lois and Lucy.

Written by Helbing, based on the DC characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Superman & Lois revolves around the world’s most famous superhero and comic books’ most famous journalist, played by Hoechlin and Tulloch, as they deal with all the stress, pressures and complexities that come with being working parents in today’s society.

More from DeadlineThe CW Sets Summer Premiere Dates For 'Masters Of Illusion', 'Penn & Teller: Fool Us', 'Bulletproof' & 'Burden Of Truth'Friday Ratings: 'Hawaii Five-0' Knocks Out Competition With Chuck Norris AppearanceThe...

The CW’s newest comic book series, Stargirl hasn’t even debuted yet, but its star Brec Bassinger is already looking ahead to being a part of the regular Arrowverse crossovers and in particular, teaming up with Supergirl.

The series will see high school sophomore Courtney Whitmore (Bassinger) discover that her stepfather was sidekick to the superhero Starman and has been keeping his cosmic staff hidden, which chooses Courtney as its new wielder, whereupon she begins forming a new generation of the Justice Society of America.

Of the prospect of a crossover, Bassinger had this to say:

“Last night I was watching a bunch of interviews of Melissa [Benoist], and she’s just the best Supergirl. I bet Stargirl and Supergirl would be this dynamic duo. That would just be awesome. So yes, my hopes are high. I really, really hope for it. But as of now, nothing planned, but fingers crossed.

Want to watch a weekly video series hosted by Marvel’s Joe Quesada? Could we see Green Lantern or The Flash pop up on Stargirl? Want to get your hands on a Mike Mignola sketch and support a good cause? What did Michael Caine have to say about taking the role of Alfred in Batman Begins? […]

The post Superhero Bits: Mike Mignola Auctioning ‘Hellboy’ Sketches for Charity, ‘Stargirl’ Secrets Teased & More appeared first on /Film.

The CW may be mostly in repeats right now, but the network has confirmed there will be more episodes of beloved shows this summer. 

Kristen Kreuk is charting course for the network's summer schedule in the third season of Burden of Truth, which will bow Thursday, May 21 -- one week after Katy Keene wraps its run. 

The procedural will be paired with In the Dark Season 2, which premieres April 16. 

Masters of Illusion will return to The CW Friday, May 15 at 8/7c, once Charmed wraps its run. 

Charmed is likely to end its season with multiple episodes unproduced due to the Coronavirus pandemic, allowing for the early return of Masters of Illusion. 

British import Bulletproof will join the Wednesday schedule June 17 for its second season, while new installments of Whose Line Is It Anyway? and Penn & Teller: Fool Us are set to air Mondays from June 22. 

Friday, May 15

8 pm Masters...

The next DC Universe original live action series is Stargirl! Not as edgy as Titans, nor as weird as our beloved Doom Patrol, Stargirl looks like a celebration of superheroics, and one that will explore the legacy of the first team of heroes in comic book history, the Justice Society of America. Stargirl will roll out in May on both the DC Universe streaming service and on The CW.

The series stars Brec Bassinger as Courtney Whitmore, who will take on the mantle of Stargirl. Luke Wilson plays her stepfather, former kid sidekick and current pilot of the gigantic S.T.R.I.P.E robot, Pat Dugan. They’re joined by Amy Smart (Varsity Blues) as Courtney’s mother, Barbara Whitmore. But really, if you’re talking about Stargirl, you’re also talking about the Justice Society of America, and this series will absolutely feature more characters carrying on...

The CW is looking ahead to sunnier days, setting season premiere dates for a quartet of its summer series: the unscripted Masters of Illusion and Penn & Teller: Fool Us and dramas Burden of Truth and Bulletproof.

Season 7 of the magic-themed Masters of Illusion will appear at 8 p.m. Friday, May 15, while the show-us-what-you-got magic series Penn & Teller: Fool Us kicks off its seventh run at 9 p.m. Monday, June 22.

More from DeadlineSpring Premiere Dates As Networks Adjust Schedules Amid Coronavirus Crisis: Broadcast, Cable & StreamingFriday Ratings: 'Hawaii Five-0' Knocks Out Competition With Chuck Norris AppearanceThe CW Shifts 'In the Dark' & 'Stargirl' Premiere Dates, Summons 'Whose Line' In Covid 19-Related Scheduling Changes As 'Supernatural' & 'Legacies' Bow Out

Kristin Kreuk is back for Season 3 of the legal drama Burden of Truth at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 21, with the sophomore season of Bulletproof,...

The CW has finalized its summer premiere dates for “Burden of Truth,” “Bulletproof,” “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” and “Masters of Illusion.”

“Masters of Illusion” is up first, premiering its new season on Friday, May 15, at 8 p.m. Et/Pt. Next is “Burden of Truth,” which has its third-season premiere on Thursday, May 21, at 8 p.m. before a new episode of “In the Dark.” Season 2 of “Bulletproof” follows on Wednesday, June 17, at 9 p.m., and a new season of “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” premieres Monday, June 22, at 9 p.m. after “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”

When Season 3 of “Burden of Truth” begins, “Joanna Chang (Kristin Kreuk) and Billy Crawford (Peter Mooney) are finally a couple. They’re also a boutique law firm – Crawford Chang. They’re partners in law and partners in life, but right now, their romantic relationship seems as tenuous as their financially strained firm. It’s...

The CW is doing its part to make staying at home a little easier with new installments of Riverdale, The Flash and more of its biggest shows. Though production on these fan favorites remains shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, completed episodes will resume airing next month.

Nancy Drew is the first to return on April 8 at 9/8c, picking up after that game-changing reveal about the titular sleuth’s connection to Lucy Sable. (Click here for our spoiler-filled interview with the drama’s executive producers about how Nancy’s life has been changed forever.)

More from TVLineRoswell, New Mexico's Lily Cowles on Isobel's Painful,...

National Geographic’s forthcoming Genius: Aretha will no longer debut on May 25. The limited series about the legendary singer Aretha Franklin starring Cynthia Erivo will premiere at a later to-be-announced date due to production delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The statement below was sent to Deadline from National Geographic.

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Production on National Geographic’s limited series Genius: Aretha (from Fox 21 Television Studios and Imagine Television Studios) remains suspended and it has become clear that the series will not be completed in time for our previously announced Memorial Day airdate. We look forward to resuming work as soon as is possible and safe,...

DC’s Stargirl TV series has seen its release date shift slightly…but not too much! Originally scheduled to premiere on Monday, May 11 on the DC Universe streaming service with a broadcast to follow on the CW on Tuesday, May 12, Stargirl will now arrive on DC Universe a week later, on Monday, May 18 instead, with the CW broadcast to follow on Tuesday, May 19th. The premiere date shift might reflect a need for The CW to fill holes in its schedule since the latter episodes of most of its heavy hitters like The Flash, Supernatural, Supergirl, Batwoman, and others have been temporarily delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

But the good news is that from that point forward it looks like the rest of the series is right on schedule, and DC Universe and The CW have confirmed air dates and revealed official details about the first five episodes!

Just a quick note,...

Disney's streaming service Disney+ has done it again, releasing another great movie entitled Stargirl. Stargirl was originally a novel by Jerry Spinelli, first written in 2000, and twenty years later, it hit the television screens of Disney fans everywhere.

Related: 5 Ways Disney+ Is Better Than Netflix (& 5 Ways It's Not)

The movie is about an interesting young girl name Stargirl who begins to attend public school after being homeschooled her whole life. From there, nothing is ever the same for the school or students again, including a boy named Leo, who eventually becomes her boyfriend. Audiences loved the film, but there were some parts that surprised those of us who have not read the book. Here are ten of those shocking moments from Disney+'s Stargirl.

The coronavirus has already had a devastating effect on the entertainment industry in 2020, causing cancellations, delays, and other shutdowns around the world. And now we’re hearing that The CW have decided to delay the season finales of The Flash, Supernatural, and Legacies, the result of not being able to resume ongoing production. Although frustrating, the news makes sense given the uncertainty around when some semblance of normalcy will be possible, and we may still get these finales in 2020.

Of these shows, The Flash has already been on hold for a few weeks and currently has enough episodes to get it to May 19th, especially since there was a planned hiatus. After that, though, it’ll be off the air for a while and how many episodes in total will be delayed is another matter entirely, meaning that fans could have some open-ended questions for at least several months. At the very least,...

As the world currently deals with the global coronavirus pandemic and many television productions shutdown along with new episodes put on hiatus. The CW is doing some moving around and shuffling of its upcoming debut slots to fill up the spring time holes in programming. Stargirl which was coming to both the DC Universe streaming […]

The post Amidst The Covid-19 Shutdowns The CW Is Moving Debut Dates Around appeared first on Cinelinx.

Here is a wrap up of all the news you need to know from Thursday, March 26, 2019.

With the Coronavirus pandemic continuing to grip the world, some more TV shows have been delayed.

DC's Stargirl has been delayed by one week, and is now set to premiere on DC Universe Monday, March 18.

It will also air on The CW effective Tuesday, May 19, at 8/7c, and will lead in to the rest of DC's Legends of Tomorrow Season 5.

The series was initially set to premiere out of The Flash, but with the superhero drama's production halted, it will run out of new episodes soon.

The Flash is set to return once the series returns to production later this year.

According to the series’ official description, DC’s Stargirl “follows high school sophomore Courtney Whitmore as she moves to Blue Valley, Nebraska … and inspires an unlikely group of young heroes to stop the villains of the past.

The CW is moving around its spring premiere dates to fill holes created by production shutdowns due to the coronavirus.

The series premiere of “DC’s Stargirl” is moving back to May 19 instead of its originally planned May 12 air date. A new episode of DC’s “Legends of Tomorrow” will air at 9 p.m. after the premiere of “Stargirl.”

The second season of “In The Dark” is moving up to April 16 instead of its original May 28 premiere date. It will now air at 9 p.m. after a new episode of “Katy Keane.”

Also Read: 'Supernatural' Showrunner Says New Episodes of Final Season Won't Air 'for Awhile' After Tonight

When “The Flash” finishes airing the episodes that were completed before the shutdown, “Stargirl” will take over its Tuesday timeslot until production resumes later in the year. In turn, “Legacies” will go on hiatus after Thursday’s episode, which was...

The CW has become the first network to make primetime scheduling changes in response to the seasons of most of its series getting cut short by the coronavirus-imposed mass production shutdowns.

As confirmed by Supernatural executive producer Andrew Dabb on Monday, this week’s Episode 13 of the show’s final season was the last “for awhile.” Starting next Monday, March 30, the CW will air Whose Line Is It Anyway original episodes (at 8 Pm) and repeats (at 8:30 Pm) in Supernatural‘s time slot.

Tonight, March 26, will be the final original episode this spring for sophomore Legacies,...

DC’s Stargirl will land on your screens one week later, as the TV landscape continues to evolve in the wake of coronavirus pandemic-related production shutdowns.

TVLine has learned that DC Universe’s new live-action superhero series will now premiere on Monday, May 18, and thus make its day-after broadcast-tv debut on The CW on Tuesday, May 19 at 8/7c — once The Flash has exhausted its current inventory of Season 6 episodes. (The Flash will return to finish out its season once production resumes later this year.)

More from TVLineLegacies 'Finale' Recap: Josie's Story Ends With a Pair of Troubling TwistsAs Legacies Runs Out of New Episodes,...

“Supernatural” fans are going to have to wait a while longer to find out how the show ends.

Neither “Supernatural,” nor “The Flash,” nor “Legacies” will be able to finish their current seasons in the timeframe that was originally planned. All three CW series were among hundreds that were forced to shutdown production due to coronavirus, meaning that they were unable complete shooting and their season endings have now been pushed to an undetermined time later in 2020, according to a source close to the network.

The March 26 episode of “Legacies,” which was the last to complete shooting before the shutdown, will be its final for a while, with sources saying that the plan is currently for the fantasy drama to return to finish season 2 once production resumes later this year. From April 16, “Legacies” will be replaced in the Thursday 9 p.m. time slot by “In The Dark,” whose season 2 premiere...

For some time it seemed that the darker and more downbeat a young adult film could be, the more ‘serious’ and ‘real’ it believed itself to be. Stargirl often feels like a deliberate reversal of that trend. Co-writer/Director Julia Hart’s adaptation of Jerry Spinelli’s novel is frothy and bright almost from start to finish, but that doesn’t keep it from hitting on some moments of genuine emotion.

Leo (Graham Verchere) moved to Mica, Arizona with his mother (Darby Stanchfield) not long after his father’s death. Wanting to not stand out, Leo blends into the background at high school, until the day Stargirl (Grace VanderWaal) arrives. Stargirl is colourful and quirky, and seems to have an immediate effect on the school, starting with their football team winning their first game ever after she steps up and sings at half time. She also takes an interest in Leo,...

After years of being attached to the character, Dwayne Johnson is finally about to make his Dceu debut as Black Adam in his own self-titled movie. Following on from the tangentially-related Shazam!, fans can’t wait to see what Black Adam has in store, given all the exciting reports we’ve heard about it. After all, The Rock himself has confirmed that the film will introduce the Justice Society of America into the cinematic franchise alongside the eponymous ruler of Kahndaq.

So, Adam himself and a bunch of Golden Age heroes. Sounds like a must-watch for DC lovers everywhere, right? Well, The Geeks Worldwide’s Thomas Polito has claimed on Twitter that he’s read parts of the Black Adam script and he promises that “it’s a DC fans wonderland.” His choice of accompanying Gif no doubt confirms that Doctor Fate will be one of the Jsa members appearing in the movie,...

Disney+’s latest star Grace VanderWaal is making her acting debut in the streamer’s new film Stargirl.

VanderWaal, who gained widespread fame at the age of 12 when she won the 11th season of America’s Got Talent, plays Stargirl Caraway, a free-spirited new student who captures the attention of a lonely boy (Graham Verchere).

The film is based on the young adult novel of the same name written by Jerry Spinelli. It’s VanderWaal’s first foray into acting, although she’s had time to familiarize herself with fame and Hollywood circles for years as a singer.

Here’s everything...

Grace VanderWaal was pretty much born to play the title character in Disney+'s Stargirl, but that doesn't mean she's exactly like her. The film, which is based on the Jerry Spinelli young-adult book of the same name, follows a shy boy named Leo (Graham Verchere) who befriends the whimsical and fearless new girl in school (VanderWaal). Though VanderWaal and Stargirl are both musically inclined - Stargirl loves to listen to old records and play her ukulele, and VanderWaal got her start performing on America's Got Talent - their personalities differ. In fact, one of the biggest challenges VanderWaal faced during her film debut "was being confident on screen."

"That's not exactly who I am, that's who I wish I was and who I'm working to be."

"It was really nerve-racking, because I can't really do that even in my personal life," the 16-year-old told Popsugar. "So playing a character...

Directed by Julia Hart (Fast Color) and based on the best-selling young adult novel by Jerry Spinelli, the Disney+ original feature film Stargirl follows unassuming high schooler Leo Borlock (Graham Verchere), an average student with decent grades whose life completely changes when he meets colorful new student Stargirl Caraway (Grace VanderWaal). A confident young woman who has a talent for the ukulele, Stargirl stands out in a crowd, and while some of the town just doesn’t understand her, Leo can’t help but feel intrigued by all of the mystery surrounding her and just wants to get to …...

The Hollywood industry has seen some huge obstacles — to say the least — since the coronavirus outbreak. Theaters have shut down, productions have halted, movie release dates have been pushed, festivals have canceled, many film and TV staffers have lost their jobs. And all of it is affecting the often-overlooked post-production houses.

The Visual Effects Society (Ves) sent out a statement today urging all employers of VFX houses regardless of size, grant permission for their employees to work remotely during the pandemic. “We understand the concerns around security to protect proprietary work product, but right now is the time for the utmost flexibility towards VFX artists and all practitioners as we try to figure our way through this crisis,” the Ves statement said. “Many companies are trying to take action, and we are optimistic that studios and vendors can find and enact workable solutions.”

Ves also released a best practices guide to work from home, which is designed to help the VFX community by providing “technical solutions to common problems practitioners may encounter in preparing and adapting to work from home workflows, acknowledging the security and technical issues involved.”

Since many houses hinge on work churned out by the studio machine, many are still able to slowly finish existing work. That said, the effect of halted productions will be felt by companies in the forthcoming months.

It seems as though many have already adopted work-from-home practices since the outbreak began. Big houses like Industrial Light & Magic have all personnel from the five studios running and they are secure and delivering work. For mid-sized and smaller houses, they are navigating the storm and staying motivated through the Covid-19 obstacles.

Based in Culver City, Zoic Studios has worked on shows like Game of Thrones, Warrior and Arrow and they currently have a full plate of 30 projects that include Fargo, See, Stargirl, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, NOS4A2 and The Haunting of Bly Manor. Zoic Studios Co-Founder and Creative Director Andrew Orloff told Deadline that with the slowdown of the entertainment industry, the amount of new traditional VFX work coming into Zoic has also begun to slow down.

“In a traditional cycle, we operate on completed work, sometimes with several episodes waiting for Visual Effects. This tempered layout allows us to reach deadlines and airdates ahead of production,” Orloff said. “Our cue is full and slated months into our future as the studio machine follows behind.”

He adds, “We are well-versed at adapting to industry changes. At the same time, we are passionately committed to evolving and helping redefine the business on the terms we were founded on. At the base of this determination is a commitment to our clients and staff to find a way.”

As the timeline for the shutdown of TV and film productions remains uncertain, Orloff is confident that Zoic will find more avenues for work. “Given limitations with live-action production, there also may be a demand surge for CG materials that don’t require production plates,” he said. “As more people are home, and will be for the foreseeable future, there is a higher need for new content now more than ever, and studios are wanting to deliver as quickly as they can. Our ability to deliver photo-realistic virtual production and living characters may enable not only our business to thrive but also create remote opportunities for others in entertainment.”

It’s good news that the work for Zoic and other VFX studios seems stable for the time being, but in a time of “social distancing”, how are these companies navigating their work environments that require lots of collaboration and massive servers?

Zoic has physical servers in secure locations across North America that can be accessed through a deskside portal. This has made it easier for Zoic employees to transition into working virtually. Their New York team is currently working from home and Vancouver and Los Angeles will make the virtual move next week.

A few weeks ago, Dave Zeevalk, Creative Director, Visual Effects of Alkemy X said that they began to look into options for a virtual workflow that were more “robust” than anything they had used prior. Alkemy X’sr production, pipeline and It teams built and documented a new virtual workflow that included brand new servers to allow for remote work and prevent redundancy.

“Given the rapidly changing situation, we decided to make the overhaul happen sooner rather than later and were able to deploy a team of 60 to 70 people to an entirely remote virtual workflow for visual effects in a matter of days,” said Zeevalk.

One challenge for Alkemy X, which has offices in New York, Philly, Los Angeles and Amsterdam, was satisfying security compliances for sensitive and proprietary content for their top studios. “Everything we put in place was 100% compliant with their requirements, which is a heightened challenge for remote work,” he said. “Our pipeline team has been working real-time to write proprietary tools and services to ensure that our hardware at the office is not only monitored but able to automatically react to issues that may come up, which might cause an artist to be down for any amount of time.”

He points out that changes were made without a lot of time to plan, but made with “the highest level of efficiency”. So far, their workflow and quality for their current projects such as the sixth season of Fear the Walking Dead as well as the forthcoming Starz show Power Book II: Ghost and the Amazon Ya series The Wilds. On the feature side, they are finishing up two undisclosed films for Warner Bros. and New Line.

With offices in Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver and Atlanta, FuseFX is facing the same challenges as Alkemy X in terms of secured content and the data-intensive collaborative work processes. Earlier this month, there were no reported cases of Covid-19 among their employees so the studio continued to operate as normal. But as things progressed they were able to enable all of their employees to work from home at this point.

Like the other houses, security is a concern and FuseFX founder and CEO David Altenau told Deadline that they have taken a “massive effort” to create a secure and effective system for their artists and other production personnel while they work from home.

“We have a very elaborate production management system that has allowed us to setup up the majority of our employees to work remotely without any data leaving our secure servers, but able to collaborate almost as if they are in the office,” said Altenau. “We also have very high-speed internet connections and robust routers and networking gear that allows us to do that. Many facilities are having more difficulty getting that setup.”

He adds, “We are committed to meeting our deadlines and delivering the VFX work related to those projects on schedule to meet required air dates and theatrical releases. So there has been continued pressure to maintain our operations at full capacity as many other businesses are shutting down.”

FuseFX’s project slate includes Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, American Horror Story, Them Covenant, Dmz, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Hollywood, Snowpiercer, Black Lightning, The Outsider, among a long list of others. They are also working on high-profile projects AppleTV+ and Disney+.

As for Australian-based house Rising Sun Pictures, which has worked on films such as Thor: Ragnarok and Ford v Ferrari, continues to push through. They started executing their Covid-19 escalation plan in January.

“We are activating our escalation plan in stages, most recently removing any non-essential non-production staff within the bounds of our client’s security requirements,” said Rising Sun Pictures director Tony Clark. “Earlier in the year we had implemented escalated hygiene and cleaning practices and are practicing social distancing. Further actions will be implemented over the coming weeks.”

Rising Sun has yet to see an effect from the production shutdowns. They were on a number of projects that have been suspended but their current workload is on target.

The VFX studio The Molecule, which has offices in New York and Los Angeles, is currently working on many high-profile projects including Dickinson, Billions, Genius: Aretha, Little Voice, Schooled, For Life, Stranger as well as the features Stillwater, Work It and Bliss. CFO Andrew Bly said they have been working on a work-from-home platform for the past six months and are putting it through the test now. As of Monday, their entire company of 52 artists, producers and supervisors have transitioned into working remotely. “Shots are flowing out as if we were at the office and we keep on learning a lot each day about large remote team management,” said Bly. “Honestly, the whole process has brought us closer together.”...

When she’s out on tour as a singer, 16-year-old Grace VanderWaal is the only teen on the tour bus. So when she decided to branch out into acting with the new film Stargirl, she says one of the things she enjoyed the most was working with so many actors her own age. She told us [...]

The post No Kidding: Grace VanderWaal Loved Working With Teens On ‘Stargirl’ appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.

Disney+'s delightful coming-of-age film Stargirl is every bit of magic we need in the world right now. The film, which stars Grace VanderWaal as the lead character, is based on the Ya book of the same name by Jerry Spinelli. The movie is definitely worth a watch - it's VanderWaal's first huge role, and she nails it - but if you want a peek at how it all ends, keep reading for a breakdown.

Stargirl's Beginnings

Stargirl comes into the story seemingly out of nowhere. She quickly makes the entirety of Mica High School, as well as Leo (Graham Verchere), fall in love with her. She takes a boring town where nothing ever happens and sprinkles a bit of her glitter and ribbons on it, making everyone call her their good-luck charm. She joins the cheerleading squad and plays her ukulele with the marching band at halftime of the football games,...

Before there was a manic pixie dream girl, there was Stargirl, at least for the young-adult set. The 2000 novel by Jerry Spinelli has finally spawned a live-action adaptation, this time courtesy of Disney+ (and what incredibly perfect timing for them to have a new original film right now). 20 years isn’t that much time […]

The post ‘Stargirl’ Review: This Disney+ Original Feels Like a Missed Opportunity appeared first on /Film.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to wrap up the trilogy in a big way. As well as concluding the story of the original team, it’s expected that a bunch of other Guardians from the comics will appear, too. Most notably, Adam Warlock, with Nova and Lylla also rumored. One more that we’re hearing could feature though is Moondragon, a character with a personal connection to one of the original five. And Marvel apparently has their eye on a big star for the role.

We Got This Covered has been informed by our sources – the same ones who told us the Guardians will cameo in Thor: Love and Thunder and a Ms. Marvel show is coming to Disney Plus, both of which are now confirmed – that Jennifer Lawrence is one actress being eyed for the part of Moondragon in James Gunn’s threequel. But she’s not the only one,...

Actor, comedian and TV host Joel McHale has returned to host the SAG-aftra Foundation's 11th Annual L.A. Golf Classic on Monday, June 8 in Westlake Village, CA.

The annual charity golf tournament benefits the Foundation’s Catastrophic Health Fund and Emergency Assistance Program for performing artists facing life-threatening illness and severe economic hardship. McHale stars in the upcoming Stargirl and Psych: The Movie 2. He is currently touring the country with his stand-up act, and hosts the revival game show Card Sharks on the ABC Television Network.

Since 1985, the SAG-aftra Foundation has granted more than $20 million in financial and medical assistance including $8 million in scholarships to SAG-aftra artists and their dependents. In addition, the Foundation has offered 9,400 free educational workshops, panels and screenings to performing artists nationwide.

The celebrity golf tournament will make its debut at the North Ranch Country Club in Westlake Village. For more information on the...

At age 16, Grace VanderWaal has already made a name for herself as a singer/songwriter, having won America’s Got Talent four years ago and parlaying that into a successful music career. Now, she’s taken her quirky persona in a new direction — she’s starring in the new Disney+ movie Stargirl, playing a quirky teenage girl [...]

The post Grace VanderWaal: From Music Star To ‘Stargirl’ appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.

Who were you before the world beat you down? That so-called inner child that therapists and astrologers are always on about, how have you let them down? We’ve all let the pressures of popularity, society, and conformity mold and shape us into more palatable versions of ourselves. After all, that’s what becoming an adult is. At least, that’s what the perils of high school socialization led us to believe. How might your life have been different if someone who was so utterly and wholly themselves swooped in to remind you of your precious inner magic?

That’s the question at the heart of “Stargirl,” a tender and offbeat coming-of-age indie premiering this week on Disney+. The film is based on the 2000 novel by Jerry Spinelli, a unique young adult novelist who specializes in crafting grounded, reality-adjacent universes with a comedic flare and just a hint of otherworldliness.

The onscreen adaptation of Jerry Spinelli's beloved Ya novel Stargirl is finally on Disney+, and they couldn't have cast a better person to play the titular role. Stargirl tells the story of a shy teen named Leo who finds himself falling for the strange, elusive new girl who moves to his small Arizona town after only ever having been homeschooled. Though Leo has spent the majority of his life trying to blend in, he can't help but be drawn to this ukulele-playing girl who was born to stand out - and if anyone was born to play the role of the ukulele-strumming Stargirl, it's Grace VanderWaal.

Related: Grace VanderWaal's World Is a Retro-Lover's Dream, and Her Instagram Proves It

The Disney+ production is one of the first original films to debut on the streaming platform, and it's also VanderWaal's first acting gig. If you're wondering whether that's actually VanderWaal...

Editor’s note: The list is constantly updated. Dates refer to when announcements were made, or when an event is scheduled to happen.

You’ve probably seen our other Covid-19 list, the one where we are examining every cancellation that has taken place as the pandemic takes hold in our community. This is the counterpoint to that “Houston, we have a problem” list; this is the one where we’ll talk about how the show must go on, how the Force will be with us, and, maybe most importantly, how we’ll be back.

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IndieWire will continue to update this page with the latest breaking news regarding virtual events, work logistics, TV premieres, and general acts of bravery and kindness.

Maybe it’s the fault of “The Fault in Our Stars” that we assume, in the flourishing modern era of the young-adult genre, that one of the story’s romantic leads has to die in order to advance the dramatic stakes. Fortunately, that’s not the case with director Julia Hart’s “Stargirl.” Adapted by Hart, Kristin Hahn and Jordan Horowitz from Jerry Spinelli’s novel of the same name, this tale of two teens falling in love and struggling to find balance in their polar opposite identities may prove difficult viewing for cynics or those with a low tolerance for the overtly saccharine.

Sixteen-year-old Leo Borlock (Graham Verchere) is about to realize there are no perks of being a wallflower. Since the death of his father and a traumatic bullying incident, he’s felt that the key to surviving adolescence is fitting in without disrupting the norm. That means...

Since its late 2019 launch, fledgling streaming service Disney+ has only released a handful of original films, from projects initially bound for theatrical releases (like the Willem Dafoe-starring dogsledding adventure “Togo”) to those expressly made for the service (like the live-action remake of “Lady and the Tramp”). When filmmaker Julia Hart and her husband and co-writer Jordan Horowitz signed on to make “Stargirl,” the streaming service was still almost two years away from its public debut.

It was something of a leap of faith for the “Fast Color” and “Miss Stevens” team. They had no idea what Disney+ was going to look like, but they knew it would be big (Disney big!) and that it offered them a chance to scale up their production in a way that independent filmmaking might not be able to provide.

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Exclusive: Following the departure of Emma Watts at 20th Century Studios last month, the label’s 18-year vet Steve Asbell has been named President, Production, of the Disney-owned film division, Deadline has learned. He’ll report to Walt Disney Studios Co-Chairman and Chief Creative Officer Alan Horn and Co-Chairman Alan Bergman.

Asbell previously served as Evp, Production, 20th Century Studios (20th Century Fox), since 2012 and has been with the studio since 2002. He is deeply respected by filmmakers including James Mangold, with whom he worked on The Wolverine, Logan, and the two-time Oscar-winning and $225M+ grossing Ford v Ferrari, and Ridley Scott, with whom he has worked on the 7x Oscar nominee The Martian and the upcoming The Last Duel, currently dated for a Christmas release.

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