News

Exclusive: Production is underway in Los Angeles on Vanished, the new action-thriller from director Jared Cohn (Vendetta).

Cast is led by Randy Charach (Hunting Games), Rampage Jackson (The A-Team), Richard Grieco (21 Jump Street) David Chokachi (Baywatch), Natalie Burn (Black Adam), and Al Sapienza (The Sopranos).

Also starring are Laurie Fortier (The Walking Dead), Robert Lasardo (Nip/Tuck), Vernon Wells (Mad Max 2), and James Pratt (3 Killer Pigs).

The film follows Jack (Randy Charach), a high-level defense contractor whose world is upended when his daughter is kidnapped and held for ransom, forcing him into a relentless fight to bring her home.

Charach Productions produced the film in partnership with Traplight Pictures, having previously teamed up on movies including A Killer in the House and Clutch.

In December, Cohn wrapped Hunt Mode with Nicky Whelan (Hall Pass) and Cam Gigandet (Twilight).

Cillian Murphy revealed that when he landed his breakthrough role in “28 Days Later,” the actor didn’t consider it a zombie movie. Murphy, a first-time Oscar nominee for his work in “Oppenheimer,” discussed the 2002 hit film at a taping of SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Conversations program. In the nearly 90-minute conversation, recorded in December, Murphy talks about his lengthy career on stage and screen. That includes working with director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland on the film, in which he plays a man who wakes from a coma 28 days after a rage-inducing virus has caused society to break down.

“I wasn’t too aware we were making a zombie movie, to be honest with you,” Murphy noted, adding he hadn’t seen any of George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” series. “It was right around the time Sars happened and there was all this ‘air rage’ stuff going on.

Exclusive: UTA has signed Jessica Biel, the Emmy-nominated actor and producer most recently making a splash with acclaimed crime dramas Candy and The Sinner, as well as her production company, Iron Ocean, for representation in all areas.

Most recently, Biel portrayed infamous axe murderer Candy Montgomery in Hulu’s true crime limited series Candy, earning a Hollywood Critics Association TV Award nomination for her work. She prior to that drew rave reviews for her turn in Season 1 of USA Network’s crime mystery The Sinner, along with Emmy, Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award nominations for Best Actress, and other nominations for her role as executive producer.

(L-r) Jessica Biel and her producing partner Michelle Purple

On the TV front, Biel has additionally been seen starring opposite Stanley Tucci in Facebook Watch’s drama Limetown, based on the same-name podcast. To date, she’s also seen her films rack up...

Rod Holcomb, an Emmy-winning TV director of “ER,” “Lost” and other series, died Wednesday in Los Angeles. He was 80.

Holcomb was best known for directing both the pilot and the series finale of “ER,” winning an Emmy for that farewell episode in 2009. He was nominated four four Primetime Emmys over his career, and also nominated for three DGA awards — winning one in 1995 for the “ER” pilot. Holcomb directed 21 pilots over his career, with the remarkable track record of 15 going to series.

“Every good director will elevate the material on the page. His job is to elevate it visually, to give it the weight of an art form,” Holcomb told Variety in 2011. “In a way, it’s easier to determine with a show that you know very well as a viewer, and if you know the contours and the voice of the show, then you can more easily answer some key questions.

Rod Holcomb, an Emmy-winning ER director who also helmed Battlestar Galactica, The Six Million Dollar Man, China Beach and dozens of other shows and was a longtime Directors Guild negotiating committee menber, has died. He was 80.

The DGA said Holcomb died Wednesday in Los Angeles after a long illness.

“The DGA deeply mourns the passing of Rod Holcomb — a visionary director whose impact on television direction and the creative rights of television directors cannot be overstated,” DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter said in a statement. “Rod’s influence as a pilot director on shows like China Beach and ER among many others, resonated deeply with directors and audiences alike, leaving a cultural imprint. His pioneering use of Steadicam and other techniques brought a more cinematic style to television, helping establish a visual aesthetic that continues today.”

Holcomb helmed hundreds of TV episodes during his 40-year career, scoring four career Emmy...

During its first three seasons on NBC, Stephen J. Cannell's "The A-Team" was one of the most popular shows on television. Critics dismissed it as mindless trash, but its 1983 premiere perfectly captured the gung-ho Reagan-era zeitgeist. The idea of a crack commando unit on the run from a government that did them dirty in the Vietnam War played to the country's bitterness over the mistreatment of veterans. Many Americans wanted to see the American military kick butt again, and what better way to scratch that itch than to build a series around a group of wrongly disgraced heroes?

The challenge for Cannell was satisfying his audience's bloodlust while observing the network's mandate that, due to its family-friendly 8 Pm timeslot, the good guys couldn't kill anybody. Could they fire off loads of cool-looking firearms or turn a bamboo into a bazooka? Absolutely! They just had to make sure their...

Exclusive: Primetime Emmy award-winning VFX expert Sophie Leclerc is returning to France after more than two decades in L.A. to co-head Rodeo FX’s new Paris office in the role of executive producer.

She will join VFX expert Franck Lambertz whose arrival at the new European studio in the role of VFX Supervisor and Head was announced last week.

Montreal-based creative company Rodeo FX – known for its visual effects work on Stranger Things, Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and John Wick: Chapter 4 – opened the Paris office in 2023.

The company said Leclerc will jointly lead the new company overseeing all aspects of production, with the aim of creating a dynamic presence in Europe and participating in innovative film projects that push the boundaries of visual creativity.

Leclerc began her career in the U.S. when she pursued her studies in film and obtained...

Kids have always talked to their stuffed animals. In Ted, the bawdy teddy bear fantasy that has yielded two R-rated movies and now a new prequel series on Peacock, the furry beast talks back, often in a four-letter flourish, always with the delivery of some out-of-time Boston vaudevillian. He also hits the bong, throws back shots, drives drunk, watches porn, and generally behaves like a teenage troublemaker. Creator (and Ted voice) Seth MacFarlane clearly finds it all funny, having continually returned to this particular well. The thing is, in this case,...

As Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has been accompanied by great anticipation and has brought renewed attention to the fascinating career and life of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, most people are unaware of, or have forgotten, Fat Man and Little Boy, which was the last feature film to cover the creation and launch of the world’s first atomic bomb.

Released in October 1989, when Nolan was still a teenager, Fat Man and Little Boy, like Oppenheimer, arrived with great fanfare. Directed by Roland Joffe, the director of the Oscar-nominated films The Killing Fields and The Mission, and starring the legendary Paul Newman, and with such a compelling story to tell, Fat Man and Little Boy was regarded as a prestigious Hollywood project with serious Academy Award potential.

However, Fat Man and Little Boy, which grossed less than $4 million at the domestic box office against a production budget of $30 million, quickly became a commercial and critical failure.

Since 1996, the “Mission: Impossible” films have created one of the most successful film franchises of all time, with the first of the “Dead Reckoning” two-part installment continuing rave reviews and mega box office in 2023. It all began with an Emmy-winning spy series in the 1960s, featuring suave secret agents caught up in all kinds of international intrigue. It is one of several TV series that have been turned into successful theatrical films.

SEETom Cruise wants to make ‘Mission: Impossible’ movies until he’s 80

Nostalgia lies behind big screen incarnations of older TV programs, with movies like “Charlie’s Angels,” “Starsky & Hutch” and “The A-Team” igniting audience’s interest with their love of decades-old series. Two favorites from the 1970s and 1980s, “S.W.A.T.” and “The Equalizer,” did so well at the box office that they led to successful reboots of the series.

“The X-Files” and “Downton Abbey” have had such huge...

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has finally arrived in theaters, and it is being marketed as the final adventure for Indiana Jones. It will be Harrison Ford's last time playing the whip-wielding archeologist and will serve as the conclusion to the five films George Lucas originally wanted to make for the character (even though nothing was ever really planned). Being released 42 years after Raiders of the Lost Ark first hit screens, it is truly the end of an era. It is fair to say that Indy is arguably the greatest action hero in the history of cinema. There is not much doubt about that.

While Lucasfilm has emphasized there will be no more Indiana Jones movies and only Harrison Ford is Indiana Jones, it is hard to imagine a studio like Disney will let a franchise as well-known and recognizable as Indiana Jones just retire. In an...

We’ve got questions, and you’ve (maybe) got answers! With another week of TV gone by, we’re lobbing queries left and right about lotsa shows including The Idol, All American: Homecoming, Silo, Platonic and more!

Related Stories All American: Homecoming Duo Not Returning as Series Regulars in Season 3 The Weeknd Celebrates The Idol’s Finale, Alludes to ‘Bumpy Journey’ The Idol Finale Recap: Did Jocelyn Break Tedros’ Spell? Plus, Grade the Season

1 | In The Bear’s season finale, was the drama involving Carmy and the walk-in disappointingly predictable, given the myriad warnings about the fridge handle in previous episodes?...

Patrick Wilson may be best known as a horror icon thanks to his roles in both The Conjuring and Insidious franchises, but it’s hardly the only thing he should be known for. Wilson was once a Broadway star thanks to his roles in Oklahoma and The Full Monty and received an Emmy nomination for reprising his stage character from Angels in America in director Mike Nichols’ limited series adaptation of the same name. In the years that followed his screen debut, he’s been a superhero in Zack Snyder’s Watchmen, an action star in the botched reboot of The A-Team, a real-life outlaw in the western The Alamo, and an astronaut that prevents the moon from falling in (you guessed it) Moonfall. However, the 2006 film Little Children showed that Wilson could capture a level of realistic intimacy on screen that few male actors of his generation would be comfortable with.

NBCUniversal is diving back into the free TV realm. Months after the company discontinued its free streaming tier of Peacock, Variety reports that NBCU is launching a bundle of free ad-supported streaming TV (Fast) channels in July, spanning multiple genres and with content from most of NBCU’s channels.

The new Fast channels will initially be available on Amazon’s free streaming platform Freevee, as well as Xumo Play, the joint venture that NBCU’s parent company Comcast is building with fellow cable provider Charter Communications. No specific date was provided for the launch of the channels, but they are slated to be available sometime next month.

Watch Now $0 / month amazonfreevee.com

It’s not yet clear if the new channels will be added to other NBCU streaming platforms, such as Peacock or its new live TV service Now TV. It would certainly make sense, as Now TV already carries...

NBCUniversal is cracking open its TV and movie archives to launch around four dozen free, ad-supported streaming TV (Fast) channels — significantly expanding its footprint in the free streaming space.

In July, the company said, it will launch the new portfolio of Fast linear channels, with content from across the NBCU Television & Streaming and the NBCUniversal Global Distribution library, on Amazon Freevee and Xumo Play (the streaming platform operated as a joint venture between Comcast and Charter).

The lineup includes dedicated free streaming channels for “Saturday Night Live,” “The Real Housewives” franchises, “Top Chef” and “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” along with Spanish-language entertainment and news from Telemundo including “Historias de Amor,” “Lo Mejor de Telemundo” and “Telemundo al Día.” NBCU’s Fast channels also include those for older TV series “Little House on the Prairie,” “Murder, She Wrote,” “Saved by the Bell” and “The Lone Ranger,” plus genre-based channels for sitcoms,...

Lew Palter, a veteran actor and teacher who portrayed Isidor Straus in James Cameron’s Titanic, has died at the age of 94.

Palter died on May 21st of lung cancer at his home in Los Angeles, his daughter told The Hollywood Reporter.

In Titanic, Palter portrayed Straus, a U.S. Congressman and co-owner of Macy’s department store. He and his wife, Ida, perished on the sinking ship after refusing to board a lifeboat because there were women and children who had yet to be saved. In one of the film’s final scenes, Palter’s character embraces his wife (played by Elsa Raven) in their stateroom as water rushes in.

Wendy Rush, the wife of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush who died last week on a dive in a submersible to the wreck of the Titanic, is a great-great-granddaughter of the Strauses — as is the singer King Princess.

Earlier on in his career,...

Lew Palter, who played Isidor Straus in James Cameron’s Titanic and a Supreme Court justice in First Monday in October, has died. He was 94.

Palter died of lung cancer May 21 at his Los Angeles home. CalArts, where Palter was a longtime faculty member, shared news of his death on Twitter.

“It is with great sadness that we share the news that longtime #calartstheater faculty Lew Palter has passed away. Lew retired from @CalArts in 2013, having served our community since 1971 as an acting teacher, director, and mentor.”

Among his students at CalArts was Cecily Strong, said it was Palter who encouraged her to try out for improv/sketch comedy group The Groundlings, leading to her breakout role on SNL.

“Lew loved the craft of acting, and taught his students to do the same,” said CalArts School of Theater Dean Travis Preston in a statement. “He fostered deep curiosity, care, intellect,...

Actor Lew Palter has died. Per THR, Palter passed away on May 21 of lung cancer at his L.A. home with his daughter, Catherine Palter, now sharing the sad news with the press. He was 94 years old.

Palter also worked as a beloved acting teacher and director at CalArts from 1971 to 2013. During that time he provided guidance to many big stars, such as Ed Harris and Don Cheadle. Palter also tutored Cecily Strong, personally encouraging her to try out for The Groundlings, which led to her rise to fame on Saturday Night Live. Palter's daughter Catherine says that, as a teacher, her father "seemed to have truly changed people's lives."

“Lew loved the craft of acting and taught his students to do the same. He fostered deep curiosity, care, intellect and humor in every scene, play and class,” adds CalArts School of Theater Dean Travis Preston. “He had the utmost...

Paxton Whitehead, the prolific and acclaimed actor whose career stretched from 17 Broadway productions, a recurring role on the hit 1990s sitcom Mad About You and a memorable turn as a snooty professor who takes an instant disliking to Rodney Dangerfield’s crude self-made man in 1986’s Back to School, died June 16 at a hospital in Arlington, Va. He was 85.

His death has been confirmed by his son Charles Whitehead, with many friends and colleagues sharing their memories on social media.

Actor Dana Ivey wrote: “We first worked together in My Fair Lady in 1964, and the last time was in Importance of Being Earnest in 2010 — friends for 59 years. I loved him so. Heartbroken.”

Tony-nominated for his performance as Pellinore in the 1980 revival of Camelot, Paxton, born in English village of East Malling, made his Broadway debut in a short-lived production of Ronald Millar’s The Affair. His next Broadway show — Beyond the Fringe...

Paxton Whitehead, the distinguished English actor and theater mainstay known for playing stuffy types in films and TV shows including Back to School, Mad About You and Friends, has died. He was 85.

Whitehead died Friday at a hospital in Arlington, Virginia, his son, Charles Whitehead, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Whitehead earned a Tony nomination for his turn as Pellinore in a 1980 revival of Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot opposite Richard Burton and appeared 16 other times on Broadway from 1962-2018.

Notably, he starred as Sherlock Holmes in 1978-79’s The Crucifer of Blood, which ran for 236 performances at the Helen Hayes Theatre, co-starred Glenn Close and was nominated for four Tonys, winning one.

He also was in Broadway productions of My Fair Lady with Richard Chamberlain, Lettice and Lovage, Noises Off and The Importance of Being Earnest.

After years on the stage, Whitehead made his movie debut in Back to School (1986), in which he portrayed Dr.

The Conjuring: Last Rites is the fourth installment in the hugely popular horror franchise, telling a completely new story while bringing back some memorable faces from the cast of the first three movies. The Conjuring movies have been some of the most critically and commercially successful horror films of the modern era, spawning multiple spinoffs as part of The Conjuring Universe, such as The Nun, Annabelle, and The Curse of La Llarona. However, it’s the main saga that has been most positively received, with The Conjuring: Last RItes returning to the formula and retelling another ghost story inspired by real events.

The core installments of The Conjuring Universe follow the adventures of Ed and Lorraine Warren, two real-life ghost hunters who rose to fame throughout the 20th century after seemingly protecting multiple families from malicious spirits. It’s unknown exactly which case The Conjuring: Last Rites’ story will draw from,...

Here are Liam Neeson's 14 action-hero roles ranked by the deadliness of the character he plays. Neeson has starred in a plethora of high-budget thrillers and action movies, carving out a place for himself as one of the premiere action stars of his generation. Neeson remains one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood and has one of the most iconic voices in modern filmmaking. His estimated net worth of around $145 million speaks to his incredible success in Hollywood.

Throughout Neeson's acting career, he has become known for high-octane action thrillers like Taken and The A-Team. He has also displayed his range in other hugely successful movies, such as the iconic 1993 historical drama Schindler's List. Even so, the vast majority of his movies involve Neeson as an action hero, chasing down bad guys in a race against time. Because of his niche in film, he has played some of the...

Mexican actor Sergio Calderon has sadly passed away. Reportedly, per Entertainment Weekly, Calderon died on Wednesday at a hospital in Los Angeles while surrounded by family. He had been in the hospital recently while battling pneumonia, but Calderon's rep says that it's not known if that was the cause of death. Calderon was 77 years old.

Calderon was a veteran actor with dozens of credits on the big and small screen. He is perhaps best known for his role at Captain Vallenueva in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, the third installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean series. He would reprise his role by voicing the character in the video game adaptation. Calderon would sometimes post about the movie on his Twitter account, sharing behind-the-scenes photos with co-stars like Johnny Depp and Keith Richards.

Remembering this moment while Shooting #PiratesoftheCaribbean with #JohnnyDepp. I played Capitan Villanueva pic.twitter.com...

Sergio Calderón, a longtime actor who appeared in films including “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” and “Men in Black,” died Wednesday of pneumonia. He was 77.

Calderón’s representative, Julie Smith, confirmed his death to the LA Times on Thursday.

Calderón appeared in the 1997 film “Men in Black,” where he played the floating head on a pole carried by an alien that Tommy Lee Jones’s Agent K reveals, earning him the nickname “Head on a Stick.”

Calderón was born in Mexico, where attended the Instituto Andrés Soler of the Asociación Nacional de Actores. While he was working as an English teacher, he broke into the film industry with a role in “The Bridge in the Jungle” which starred John Huston. In “Under the Volcano,” directed by Huston, he played one of the murderers.

He would then go on to appear in other projects such as “Old Gringo,” “Erendira,...

In a studio overlooking Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, Rian Johnson is strapped to a lie detector machine. Next to him at the controls sits Natasha Lyonne, twiddling the device’s knobs with all the sinister intent of a supervillain. This photoshoot tableau is, of course, ripped right from the Meet the Parents Ben Stiller-Robert De Niro interrogation scene. Next, in an homage to the pithiest of TV detective tropes, Lyonne will pose at a typewriter, fake-talking into a rotary-dial phone. The visual nod this time goes to Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote.

In fact, the late, great Lansbury is connective tissue for Johnson and Lyonne. Lansbury and Lyonne appeared briefly together in Johnson’s film, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, on a Zoom call playing the mystery game Among Us with Daniel Craig’s Detective Benoit Blanc.

Little did we know back when that film premiered,...

Mexican character actor Sergio Calderón, best known for playing the “head on a stick” in 1997’s “Men in Black” and Capt. Vallenueva in 2007’s “Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End,” died this morning surrounded by family, according to his spokesperson. Calderón was 77.

Although the cause of death was not publicized at press time, Calderón was previously in the hospital with a bout of pneumonia.

The actors’ other notable credits include Sergio Leone’s “Duck, You Sucker!” (1971), in which Calderón played a Mexican revolutionary. Additionally, in John Huston’s “Under the Volcano” (1984), he played a violent Mexican chief of police opposite Albert Finney.

On the television side, Calderón starred on the debut episode of NBC’s “The A-Team” in 1983, where he made a guest appearance as the flamboyant bandit Malavida Valdése. He later returned to the show in its third season as the river pirate El Cajón (translating...

Sergio Calderón, the amiable Mexican character actor who made his mark in such notable films as The In-Laws, Men in Black and Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End, has died. He was 77.

Calderón died Wednesday in a Los Angeles hospital of natural causes, a family spokesman announced.

Calderón portrayed a Mexican revolutionary at the turn of the 20th century in Duck, You Sucker! (1971), written and directed by Sergio Leone, and was a murderous Mexican chief of police opposite Albert Finney in John Huston’s Under the Volcano (1984).

He guest-starred as the colorful bandit Malavida Valdése on the premiere episode of NBC’s The A-Team in 1983, then returned as the river pirate El Cajón (The Coffin) at the start of the show’s third season a year later.

Calderón played Alfonso, one of the Hondurans, in the Arthur Hiller comedy The In-Laws (1979) — it was the role that got...

Dirk Benedict was fortunate enough to star in two television series that were iconic for their genres back in the late ’70s and early ’80s: Battlestar Galactica and The A-Team. They were so iconic that, ironically, Benedict got to see both of them remade — Battlestar Galactica as a TV series in 2004, and The A-Team as a film in 2010. After seeing both, Benedict revealed his thoughts about the projects at a fan event. (Click on the media bar below to hear Dirk Benedict) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Dirk_Benedict_Battletle_A_Team_Reboot_.mp3

The post Dirk Benedict Gets Real About His Classic Shows, Remade appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.

Athlete, actor, and activist Jim Brown has died at the age of 87. Considered one of the best football players of all time, Brown was also a civil rights activist and established himself as an action star, appearing in shows and films such as The Dirty Dozen, The A-Team, He Got Game, Mars Attacks!, I Spy, Any Given Sunday, The Running Man, and more. Monique Brown, his wife since 1997, announced his death on Instagram but did not share a cause of death. “It is with profound sadness that I announce the passing of my husband, Jim Brown. He passed peacefully last night at our LA home,” she wrote, sharing a photo of her and the late star. “To the world he was an activist, actor, and football star. To our family, he was a loving and wonderful husband, father, and grandfather. Our hearts are broken…” View this post on Instagram A...

Jim Brown, among the NFL’s greatest players at any position who went on to star in Hollywood Films like “The Dirty Dozen” and “Any Given Sunday,” has died, his wife Monique Brown said Friday on Instagram. He was 87.

Brown’s singular dominance in the NFL of the late 1950s and 1960s was unmatched. Brown made the Pro Bowl in every season from 1957-1965, was a three-time Mvp, and won a championship with the Cleveland Browns in 1964. Of his nine seasons, he led the league in rushing yards for eight, and held most of the league’s major rushing records upon his retirement.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jim Brown (@jimbrown)

Brown was born in St. Simons Island, Georgia, the son of a pro boxer and a homemaker. He excelled at every sport he tried, from football and baseball to lacrosse and track. His average of 38 points per game,...

Jim Brown, the NFL Hall of Famer and Civil Rights activist who turned to acting and appeared in films and TV shows ranging from The Dirty Dozen and I Spy to Draft Day, Mars Attacks! and The A-Team, died Thursday night in Los Angeles. His wife, Monique Brown, said in an Instagram post that he died peacefully, but she did not provide a cause.

Brown is considered among the greatest football players of all time. Drafted sixth overall in 1957 by the Cleveland Browns out of Syracuse University, his bruising running style redefined the running back position. As a rookie, he ran for 237 yards in a game against the Los Angeles Rams — a record that would stand until the 1970s.

Related: Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries

Among his myriad NFL records and milestones, he was the first to top 100 career rushing touchdowns and set single-season and career rushing...

Exclusive: Francis Lawrence is set to direct the feature take of Kevin J. Anderson and Steven L. Sears’ Stalag-X following New Republic Pictures winning the graphic novel’s rights.

New Republic Founder Brian Oliver and President Bradley Fischer are producing alongside about:blank’s Lawrence and Cameron MacConomy. Joy Wilkinson will adapt the IP.

Stalag-x tells the story of a reclusive human soldier imprisoned in an alien Pow camp on a harsh distant planet in the midst of a decade-long interstellar conflict. Believing that his mind holds the key to turning the tide in the war, the alien Krael force him to endure mind-bending experiments that rip into the deepest recesses of his traumatic memories, which they hope will yield an answer to the question: what is human?

“When I first read Stalag-x, I was immediately drawn to the rich, unique world that Kevin and Steven created. I’m thrilled...

Three days after the Russian invasion, Hannibal told me he was setting up a group of international military volunteers to fight for Ukraine.

Hannibal — who asked that Rolling Stone not reveal his name because of security concerns — had been a U.S. Army infantry officer with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. He’d joined up in 2005 after graduating from Yale, done multiple deployments to Afghanistan, and after getting out of the military, he’d bounced around in a variety of communications roles.

A burly middle-aged man who switched between enthusiastic appraisals of...

Exclusive: Famke Janssen (X-Men franchise), Brett Gelman (Stranger Things), Sharlto Copley (District 9), Quinn Copeland (Peacock’s Punky Brewster) and twins Cameron and Nicholas Crovetti (Big Little Lies) have joined the cast of Boy Kills World, an upcoming action-thriller produced by Sam Raimi and more.

They’re set to star alongside previously announced cast members including Bill Skarsgård, Yayan Ruhian, Jessica Rothe, Andrew Koji and Isaiah Mustafa.

Based on an original idea by German filmmaker Moritz Mohr, who here makes his feature directorial debut, Boy Kills World is billed as a one-of-a-kind action spectacle set in a dystopian fever dream reality. It centers on Boy (Skarsgård), a deaf mute with a vibrant imagination. When his family is murdered, Boy escapes to the jungle and is trained by a mysterious shaman (Ruhian) to repress his childish imagination and become an instrument of death. Portraying the film’s antagonists—the Van Der Koy...

Vachik Mangassarian, a character actor with dozens of credits including Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Curb Your Enthusiasm and feature The Stoning of Soraya M., has died. He was 78.

His reps at McCaffrey Talent Management told Deadline that he died Saturday of Covid complications.

Born in Iran of Armenian descent in 1943, Mangassarian came to the U.S. in the mid-1960s, working in theater and occasionally returning to Iran, where he had roles in films including some by Iranian director Samuel Khachikian. He eventually landed his first Hollywood role in The South’s Shark (1978).

By the mid-’80s, he began scoring guest shots on such popular series as The Fall Guy, The A-Team, Sledge Hammer! and Murder, She Wrote. Mangassarian would work steadily through the 2010s, guesting on shows including Murphy Brown, Falcon Crest, Jake and the Fatman, NYPD Blue and Jag, along with some telefilms.

Mangassarian landed a key...

Exclusive: Current and former Mma stars Chael Sonnen, Cowboy Cerrone and Rampage Jackson are to star alongside Weston Cage in action-thriller Mojave Diamonds.

Written and directed by Asif Akbar (Commando), the film will follow an underground fighter and his two estranged brothers as they hit the road to rescue their kidnapped family from a high level crime syndicate after $50M of illegal diamonds gets stolen during a failed transport through the Mojave Desert.

Filming is due to begin next week in Las Vegas and the deserts of Southern Nevada. Al Bravo Films is producing with Premiere Entertainment Group handling world sales.

Akbar most recently wrote, directed and produced action movie Commando starring Michael Jai White, Mickey Rourke, Brandon Fehr, Jeff Fahey and Cerrone. Premiere also handled sales and Saban is due to release stateside in 2022.

Former Mma star and ESPN analyst Sonnen took part in the eighth season of The New Celebrity Apprentice...

Art Lafleur, a character actor who often appeared as a cop, coach or tough guy and played Babe Ruth in “The Sandlot,” has died after a battle with Parkinson’s. He was 78.

His wife Shelley confirmed his death on Facebook, writing, “This guy… After a 10 year battle with A-typical Parkinson’s, Art Lafleur, the love of my life passed away.”

Lafleur was also known for “The Santa Clause 2” and “The Santa Clause 3,” in which he played the Tooth Fairy, and as Chuck Gandil, the ghost White Sox first baseman in “Field of Dreams.”

“He was a generous and selfless man which carried over to his acting but more importantly it was who he was for his family and friends. Every location or set we visited him on, the cast and crew would introduce themselves and tell Molly, Joe, and me how Art spoke of us with such pride and love.

Art Lafleur, the actor who was best known for playing Babe Ruth in The Sandlot, has died after a 10-year battle with A-typical Parkinson’s, according to his wife Shelley. He was 78.

Among his most memorable Sandlot lines was, “Remember kid, there’s heroes and there’s Legends. Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die!”

While Lafleur is best known for The Sandlot, his face is recognizable from films such as Field of Dreams, in which he played Black Sox ringleader Chick Gandil and The Santa Clause 2 and 3, in which he played the Tooth Fairy; as well as innumerable roles in classic TV series such as M*A*S*H, Lou Grant, Soap, Webster, The A-Team, Hill Street Blues, Thirtysomething, Northern Exposure, Home Improvement, Malcolm in the Middle, Doogie Howser, Coach, Baywatch, ER, Jag, House and The Mentalist.

Ironically, despite his list of credits, Lafleur didn’t start...

William Lucking, known for his portrayal as old-school biker and founding Samcro member Piney Winston from "Sons of Anarchy" and Colonel Francis Lynch in the first season of the 1980s TV show "The A-Team," has passed away at the age of 80.

"Although William often played toughs and strongmen, in his actual life he was an elegant man with a brilliant intellect who loved to argue about politics and current affairs, discuss philosophy and physics and assert fine-pointed opinions about art and poetry," his wife Sigrid Insull Lucking said in his obituary.

The character actor's career spanned over five decades, typically playing tough, hoss...

The post William Lucking, Sons of Anarchy Star, Has Died at 80 appeared first on /Film.

William Lucking, the actor best known for his role as biker Piney Winston on the hit series “Sons of Anarchy,” died on Oct. 18 in his Las Vegas home. Lucking was 80.

“Although William often played toughs and strongmen, in his actual life he was an elegant man with a brilliant intellect who loved to argue about politics and current affairs, discuss philosophy and physics and assert fine-pointed opinions about art and poetry,” his wife Sigrid Insull Lucking wrote in an obituary posted on Facebook by his friend and fellow actor Stephen Macht.

Lucking famously played Samcro member Piermont “Piney” Winston on 35 episodes of Kurt Sutter’s FX crime drama “Sons of Anarchy,” from the start of the series through the fourth season (2008 to 2011).

Some more of Lucking’s most notable roles include Army Col. Lynch on “The A-Team” from 1983 to 1984, as well as Bajoran Furel on three episodes of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine...

William Lucking, who played Piney Winston in FX’s Sons of Anarchy and had 100-plus other film and TV credits during a nearly half-century career, has died, his agent confirmed to Deadline. He was 80.

Lucking died October 18 at his home in Las Vegas. No cause of death has been revealed.

An obituary shared by his wife Sigrid Lucking reads, “Although William often played toughs and strongmen, in his actual life he was an elegant man with a brilliant intellect who loved to argue about politics and current affairs, discuss philosophy and physics, and assert fine-pointed opinions about art and poetry.”

Lucking was born on June 17, 1941, in Michigan and moved with his family to California in the 1950s. With a degree in literature from UCLA, he furthered his theater studies at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Throughout his lengthy career in Hollywood, he portrayed a diverse range of characters on the big and...

Tim Donnelly, the actor best known for his portrayal of fun-loving firefighter Chet Kelly on NBC’s ’70s series Emergency!, has died. He was 77.

A cause of death was not disclosed, though the Los Angeles County Fire Museum confirmed the news via a tribute posted to their official Facebook page.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our friend, Tim Donnelly, this weekend. To all the Emergency! fans, we want you to know that he was very excited about coming to the Museum in January for the 50th Anniversary,” a spokesperson wrote. “Many of the Museum Board Members have great memories of Tim from our time on Project 51 and personal contact. To his daughter, grandchildren, and siblings, we offer our sincerest condolences.”

Donnelly was born on September 3, 1944, finding his first role in Don Siegel’s 1957 crime drama, Baby Face Nelson, and going on to enjoy a 27-year screen career.

If you seek evidence that theaters are well on the way to recovery, look no further than Disney’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and “Free Guy.” They continue to thrive, while Warner Bros.’ “Dune” opened well in its initial foreign territories.

If you suspect that exhibition issues abound, this weekend saw three new adult-oriented releases, led by Clint Eastwood’s “Cry Macho,” all of which had weak or worse domestic debuts.

“Shang-Chi” was a dominant #1 in its third weekend and broke a record, however obscure: At just under $22 million, it is the best-ever gross for the third weekend in September. That record is a nice side effect of being a trailblazer: Before “Shang-Chi,” it was all but unheard of for a film with that much potential to open early in the month.

The Simu Liu actioner is also ahead of the third weekends for Marvel titles...

Veteran actress Markie Post of Night Court fame has passed away. Along with her breakout role in Night Court as Christine Sullivan, Post was also known for her roles in the TV shows The Fall Guy and Hearts Afire. Nearly four years ago, the actress was diagnosed with cancer, and she lost her battle with the disease on Saturday. Her passing was confirmed by her manager, Ellen Lubin Sanitsky. Post was 70 years old.

"But for us, our pride is in who she was in addition to acting; a person who made elaborate cakes for friends, sewed curtains for first apartments and showed us how to be kind, loving and forgiving in an often harsh world," Post's family said in a statement.

Born on Nov. 4, 1950, Post got her start in show business by working on various game shows like Split Second, Double Dare, and Card Sharks. She made her television acting...

Markie Post, who became a star in the 1980s playing a plucky public defender on “Night Court” and had a long run of TV roles, died Saturday at her home in Los Angeles. She was 70.

Post waged a nearly four-year fight with cancer. She kept working until very recently despite her illness.

Post co-starred in the 2019 Lifetime movie “Christmas Reservations” and logged a guest shot that year on the first season of Netflix drama “Soundtrack.” In recent years, Post had recurring roles on NBC’s “Chicago, P.D.,” ABC’s “The Kids are Alright” and Netflix’s “The Santa Clarita Diet.”

Post grew up in Northern California and got her start working behind the scenes on game shows such as “Double Dare” and “Card Sharks” in the 1970s. She moved into working in front of the camera with game show appearances and guest shots on such series as “CHiPs,” “Barnaby Jones,...

Markie Post, the veteran television actress who starred on sitcoms like Night Court and Scrubs, has died at the age of 70.

Post’s manager, Ellen Lubin Sanitsky, confirmed her death to The Hollywood Reporter, adding that the actress died following a battle with cancer.

Post was best known for her lengthy run on Night Court, joining the cast full-time as the lawyer Christine Sullivan prior to the series’ third season; Post appeared in nearly 160 episodes of the show, which ran from 1984 to 1990.

Post’s Night Court co-star John Larroquette tweeted Sunday,...

Markie Post, an actress best known for playing a public defender on the 1980s sitcom “Night Court,” died Saturday at age 70.

Post succumbed to a nearly four-year battle with cancer, her manager Ellen Lubin Sanitsky told Deadline. Sanitsky did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

In addition to her work in “Night Court,” which ran for nine seasons on NBC from 1984 to 1992, she also had memorable roles as a bail bondsman in the Lee Majors action series “The Fall Guy” in the early ’80s and in the 1992-95 comedy “Hearts Afire” about a conservative senator’s aide (John Ritter), who marries a liberal political reporter (Post).

Later, she had recurring guest roles in series like “The District” and as the mother of Sarah Chalke’s doctor character on “Scrubs.”

Post’s film credits include playing Cameron Diaz’s mother in the hit 1998 Farrelly Brothers comedy “There’s Something About Mary...

Markie Post, the actress known for turns in Night Court, The Fall Guy, Hearts Afire and more, died on Saturday, following a three year, ten month battle with cancer. She was 70.

Post’s manager, Ellen Lubin Sanitsky, confirmed her passing to Deadline.

Born on November 4, 1950 in Palo Alto, California, Post got her start in entertainment by working behind the scenes on game shows, including Split Second, earning an associate producer credit on Alex Trebek’s Double Dare, and appearing before the camera as a card dealer on NBC’s Card Sharks.

Her first acting credits came in 1979, with appearances on episodes of CHiPs, Barnaby Jones, The Incredible Hulk, The Lazarus Syndrome, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and Hart to Hart.

She’d later appear in series such as The Love Boat, Cheers, Fantasy Island and The A-Team, before landing the role of bail bondswoman Terri Michaels in ABC’s The Fall Guy.

Nathan Jung, best known for his portrayal of Genghis Khan in the original Star Trek series, died April 24 at age 74. The location and cause of death has not been disclosed by his friend and attorney, Timothy Tau.

Jung began his acting career in 1969 with a role as Genghis Khan in “The Savage Curtain” episode of the original Star Trek.

From that launching pad, he went on to numerous guest shots on some of the biggest television shows of the 1970s and 1980s, including M*A*S*H*, Starsky & Hutch, CHiPs, General Hospital, Manimal, Riptide, Hunter, Sanford and Son, and Kung Fu.

In the 1990s, he had stints on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Martial Law and Burke’s Law.

Jung also can claim to be one of the few actors who worked with both Bruce Lee and his son, Brandon Lee. Opposite Bruce, Jung appeared on a 1969 episode of Here Comes the Brides.

Nathan Jung, the actor who appeared in “Star Trek: The Original Series,” “The A-Team” and “Kung Fu,” has died. He was 74.

Jung died on April 24, his close friend and attorney, Timothy Tau, confirmed to Variety. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Jung kicked off his acting career in 1969 with his role as Ghengis Khan in “The Savage Curtain” episode of “Star Trek: The Original Series.” From there, taking advantage of his tall stature, his television resume exploded with roles on the biggest shows from the 1970s and ’80s. Jung appeared on “M*A*S*H*,” “Starsky & Hutch,” “CHiPs,” “General Hospital,” “Manimal,” “Riptide” and “Hunter.” He also held roles in “Sanford and Son,” in which he played Helen Funai’s cousin, Saburyo, and “Kung Fu,” in which he plaed the Dark Rider. In the ’90s, he had stints on “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” “Martial Law” and “Burke’s Law.