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“I’m in San Francisco,” Ike Barinholtz says via Zoom from his hotel room, then spins his laptop around to prove it. “See? There’s Alcatraz.” It’s now official, though paparazzi photos have all but confirmed it: Barinholtz is in town filming Artificial, Luca Guadagnino’s fact-based account of the behind-the-scenes turmoil that saw OpenAI CEO Sam Altman fired and quickly rehired in 2023. Andrew Garfield plays Altman in the film. And Barinholtz? He’s Elon Musk. No big deal — just the richest, most recognizable, most controversial dude on the planet.

That casting coup caps a watershed year for the 48-year-old Chicago native, still buzzing from having pulled off one of the funniest and most talked about roles of his career: Sal Saperstein on Apple TV+’s uproarious Hollywood send-up The Studio. The foulmouthed movie exec earned Barinholtz his first Emmy nomination, one of 23 for the hit series. Off camera,...

Lindsay Lohan will headline the upcoming Hulu series, Count My Lies, based on Sophie Stava’s debut novel, which was the pick for the Good Morning America Book Club earlier this year. And no, it’s not based on a true story, unlike the other Hulu original that is nearing its release. Shailene Woodley, who previously appeared in Paradise season 2, will be joining Lohan for the series (via THR).

The show is moving forward with showrunners Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, notable for This Is Us, at the helm, roughly five months after Lindsay was attached to the project.

What is Lindsay Lohan’s Count My Lies About?

Sophie Stava’s debut novel, Count My Lies, is a fictional tale that follows the character of Sloane Caraway, a compulsive liar, who finds herself amidst a psychological cat-and-mouse game after bluffing her way into a nanny job.

Lindsay Lohan in Freakier Friday...

The new movie “Artificial,” about the world of OpenAI, has found its Elon Musk. Last month, it was announced that Luca Guadagnino would direct a comedic drama set in the world of artificial intelligence.

The story is rumored to focus on OpenAI and the chaotic events in 2023 when CEO Sam Altman was fired and quickly rehired.

According to Variety, Ike Barinholtz, known for his role in “The Studio,” is currently in talks to play Elon Musk in the film. While the deal is not yet official, Barinholtz is the leading choice for the role.

By early 2025, Guadagnino was confirmed as the director of “Artificial.” The film is based on the brief dismissal of Sam Altman, an event driven by Ilya Sutskever, a co-founder of OpenAI.

The script was written by Simon Rich and the production is handled by Amazon MGM Studios, which also produced “Challengers” and “After the Hunt.” Filming...

Luca Guadagnino is gearing up for his next film, Artificial, a comedic drama set in the world of artificial intelligence.

The movie will focus on OpenAI and the dramatic events in 2023 when the company’s CEO, Sam Altman, was fired and then quickly rehired.

According to Variety, Ike Barinholtz, known for his role in The Studio on Amazon, is currently in talks to play Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and former ally of Donald Trump.

The movie has not officially finalized Barinholtz’s casting, but the buzz is strong. Artificial will also star Andrew Garfield, expected to play Sam Altman, and Yura Borisov, rumored to portray Ilya Sutskever, one of OpenAI’s co-founders who pushed for Altman’s removal.

The script was written by Simon Rich, who will also produce the film alongside David Heyman, Jeffrey Clifford, and Jennifer Fox. Production is set to begin in early August in Italy,...

Booster Gold, one of the Dcu's most anticipated projects, has finally gotten a positive update two and a half years after it was initially announced. In January 2023, James Gunn outlined part of the plan for Chapter 1 of the Dcu, subtitled "Gods and Monsters." One of the projects announced was Booster Gold, a comedy television series centered around the time-traveling superhero. While Peacemaker Season 2 and Lanterns moved forward, Booster Gold appeared to struggle, but the series might have finally found its footing with a new writer who has a history with HBO and crafting critically acclaimed comedies.

Deadline reports that David Jenkins will write the pilot for HBO Max's Booster Gold, and if the series is picked up, Jenkins is expected to be the showrunner. Jenkins is best known as the creator of the series Our Flag Means Death, another comedy that ran on HBO Max, which was sadly canceled after two seasons.

Artificial, an upcoming film about OpenAI, has found its Elon Musk. Last month, it was announced that director Luca Guadagnino's next movie would be a "comedic drama set in the world of artificial intelligence." It's rumored to revolve around the company OpenAI and the tumultuous period in 2023 when its CEO, Sam Altman, was fired and rehired in just a few days.

The upcoming movie has already cast Andrew Garfield, who is expected to play Sam Altman, and recent Oscar nominee Yura Borisov (Anora), reportedly cast as Ilya Stuskever, an OpenAI co-founder who spearheaded the effort to remove Altman. Monica Barbaro, who also recently received an Oscar nomination for A Complete Unknown, was also reportedly in talks for an undisclosed role.

Now, according to Variety, The Studio star Ike Barinholtz is in talks to play Elon Musk in Luca Guadagnino's OpenAI movie, titled Artificial. The actor is still reportedly "in talks" for the role,...

Luca Guadagnino has found his Elon Musk.

“The Studio” star Ike Barinholtz is in talks to to play the billionaire and former Donald Trump ally in the director’s upcoming feature “Artificial” at Amazon MGM.

As previously announced, the film will star Andrew Garfield and recent Oscar nominee Yura Borisov (“Anora”) and is described as a “comedic drama set in the world of artificial intelligence.” Early chatter suggests that “Artificial” will centers around the company OpenAI and the tumultuous period in 2023 when its CEO Sam Altman was fired and rehired in just a few days. Though nothing has been confirmed, Garfield is expected to portray Altman while Borisov is reportedly playing Iya Stuskever, an OpenAI co-founder who led the movement to get rid of Altman.

Simon Rich (“An American Pickle”) wrote the script and will produce alongside Heyday Films’ David Heyman and Jeffrey Clifford as well as Jennifer Fox.

Barinholtz...

The Gold Standard is a Gold Derby series where we speak to legendary figures in Hollywood who take us through their award-worthy greatest hits. Below, Danny McBride revisits his greatest hits, up to the recently concluded, Emmy-contending, always side-splitting The Righteous Gemstones.

There’s been no shortage of Hollywood producers and filmmakers who have enlisted Danny McBride to bring his inimitable brand of coarse, Southern-drawled comedy to their projects. But whether it’s The Foot Fist Way or Eastbound & Down or Vice Principals or The Righteous Gemstones, the most enduring, most McBride-ian works don’t merely feature the onscreen talents of the 48-year-old Georgia native. He has played a formidable role in creating them.

“I would definitely not make it as an actor if I had to rely on other people hiring me to sustain my career,” McBride tells Gold Derby. “I don’t think I could pull it off.

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Stick is a sports comedy-drama series created by Jason Keller. The Apple TV+ series follows Pryce Cahill, a washed-up former professional golfer now working at a sporting goods store and struggling financially after a divorce. He soon discovers a young prodigy in the game and decides to train him, and in the process, he falls back in love with the game. Stick stars Owen Wilson, Peter Dager, Lilli Kay, Mariana Treviño, and Marc Maron. So, if you loved the passionate sports drama, hilarious feel-good comedy, and likable characters in Stick, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Ted Lasso (Apple TV+ & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Apple TV+

Ted Lasso is a sports comedy-drama series co-created by Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly. Based on a few comedy sketches from NBC Sports,...

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The Righteous Gemstones is a comedy-drama series created by Danny McBride. The HBO series revolves around the extremely dysfunctional Gemstone family, who are popular televangelists. The Gemstones never do the things they preach, and use their power and wealth to do whatever they want. The Righteous Gemstones stars Danny McBride, Adam DeVine, Edi Patterson, Tony Cavalero, Cassidy Freeman, Gregory Alan Williams, Tim Baltz, John Goodman, Skyler Gisondo, Dermot Mulroney, Walton Goggins, Jennifer Nettles, and M. Emmet Walsh. So, if you loved the hilarious dark comedy, outrageous situations, and entertaining characters in The Righteous Gemstones, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Credit – FX

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a satirical dark comedy series created by Rob McElhenney. The FX series is set in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it revolves...

Danny McBride has obviously had a long, successful comedy career, starring in acclaimed TV shows like The Righteous Gemstones, appearing in hit movies like This Is the End and dodging a massive bullet by not playing Kanye West in what easily would have been the most catastrophic music biopic of all-time.

McBride is one Hollywood star who seemingly doesn’t owe his success to behind-the-scenes favoritism either. But even though he’s no nepo baby, it turns out that McBride does have a famous relative after all.

During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, McBride was asked about the fact that his wife’s uncle is none other than Cheech Marin. And while you’d expect that the two comedians would have a ton in common, McBride was surprisingly shy around the Cheech and Chong legend. “My wife (Gia Ruiz) and I started dating in 2002. I had been to a few family Thanksgivings,...

This article contains mild spoilers for the series finale of "The Righteous Gemstones."

After six years and four seasons, Danny McBride's hit HBO comedy, "The Righteous Gemstones," has completed its story. At least, the story audiences are permitted to see. The third HBO series from McBride and frequent collaborators David Gordon Green and Jody Hill under their Rough House Pictures banner following "Eastbound & Down" and the criminally underappreciated "Vice Principals," time will be incredibly kind to "The Righteous Gemstones," a show too smart, too funny, and too full of heart for its brilliance to be recognized on the scale it so rightfully deserved. The fact that the series (as of publication) never nabbed a Primetime Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series is downright criminal and, in a just world, would be the only sign anyone needs to delegitimize the awards circuit. Some folks just don't appreciate the gift of Uncle Baby Billy Freeman,...

The May 4 series finale of HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones marked the end of a grand experiment for its creator and star. Tired of the whiplash that came with shooting his previous series Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals back east, Danny McBride and his wife formally relocated to Charleston, South Carolina, with their two sons in 2017. That’s where he wrote, filmed and finished his end of postproduction on all four seasons of the megachurch comedy.

“Nobody would ever let us shoot in town,” McBride says of Los Angeles. “We were always just barely given permission to do stuff. And we had to find the rebates. It got to the point where it was like, ‘Why are we living in L.A. just to work in a writers room?’ ”

As California production tanks, it’s hard to not look at McBride’s move as ahead of its time. The actor and showrunner,...

Spoilers: This post contains details about The Righteous Gemstones series finale episode ‘That Man of God May Be Complete’

The end is here, and Danny McBride is bidding farewell to The Righteous Gemstones with his signature absurdist brand of comedy, plus a rare dash of sincerity.

Ahead of Sunday’s series finale, the Emmy-nominated creator and star of the HBO show spoke to Deadline about wrapping up Jesse Gemstone’s arc with “an inkling of growth,” watching the world “realizing how incredible” co-star Walton Goggins is, and convincing his onscreen dad John Goodman to perform 69 onscreen.

“I just grew up idolizing John Goodman and always have thought he’s awesome, he’s such a good actor, he’s such a funny comedian,” he raved of the actor, who stars as patriarch Eli Gemstone. “I’ve always appreciated his choices that he’s made in his career, and it felt unreal...

Hulu has revealed the official trailer and key art for its Original film, Summer of 69, which will debut on the streaming service on May 9, 2025. The film marks Jillian Bell’s feature directorial debut.

In Summer of 69, an awkward high school senior hires an exotic dancer to help seduce her longtime crush before graduation, leading to unexpected friendship and lessons in self-confidence, acceptance, and adulthood.

Jillian Bell co-wrote the screenplay for the movie alongside Liz Nico and Jules Byrne.

The ensemble cast includes Chloe Fineman (Saturday Night Live), Sam Morelos (That ’90s Show), Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Paula Pell (Girls5eva), Liza Koshy (A Family Affair), Nicole Byer (Nailed It!), Matt Cornett, Natalie Morales, Alex Moffat, and Fernando Carsa.

“It’s always been my dream to direct, and I am thrilled to be telling a story about female friendship with a cast of the most talented and funny humans,...

Adnan Sami Slams Former Pak Minister Fawad Hussain! ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

The tensions between India and Pakistan have intensified since the Pahalgam attack. The government has imposed a travel ban and announced the closure of the main border crossing between the two nations. Citizens of the rival country have been asked to leave within 48 hours. Amid all the chaos, the former minister of Pakistan took potshots at Adnan Sami, and of course, that did not go well. Scroll below for all the details!

As most know, the Pahalgam attack led to the death of 26 victims. As many as 20 others were injured during the terrorist attack. Indian celebrities, including Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Ram Charan, Allu Arjun, Alia Bhatt, and Kareena Kapoor Khan, among others, condemned the violent act. Even Pak artists Fawad Khan, Hania Aamir, and Mawra Hocane criticized it.

As the Pm Narendra Modi led government ordered the Pakistani...

Lindsay Lohan's career is about to take on a new trajectory that will continue the resurgence that began for the actress a few years ago. Lohan has already turned Christmas rom-coms into hits for Netflix, and now she is setting her sights on working with another streaming service to headline her first scripted TV series.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Lohan will lead the Hulu drama series Count My Lies, which is based on the novel by Sophie Stava. The show comes from 20th Television and a pair that knows about their fair share of drama, Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, who took on the duty of being showrunners on NBC's critically acclaimed fan favorite, This Is Us. In addition to starring in the series, Lohan will also serve as an executive producer.

What Is 'Count My Lies' About? View this post on InstagramA post shared by Sophie Stava...

Lindsay Lohan is set to topline her first scripted TV series.

The actress is set to star in Count My Lies, a drama that’s in development at Hulu. The project comes from 20th Television and former This Is Us showrunners Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger and is based on a novel by Sophie Stava. Lohan will also executive produce.

Count My Lies centers on compulsive liar Sloane Caraway, who bluffs her way into a job as a nanny for a gorgeous and charismatic couple, Violet and Jay Lockhart. “It seems she’s finally landed her dream job,” the show’s logline reads. “But little does Sloane know, she’s just entered a household brimming with secrets that are about to explode — with potentially catastrophic consequences for all.”

Sources tell THR Lohan is set to play Violet Lockhart.

Should it go to series, Count My Lies will be Lohan’s...

Hulu has announced that its Original film, Summer of 69, will debut on the streaming service on May 9, 2025. The film marks Jillian Bell’s feature directorial debut.

In Summer of 69, an awkward high school senior hires an exotic dancer to help seduce her longtime crush before graduation, leading to unexpected friendship and lessons in self-confidence, acceptance, and adulthood.

Jillian Bell co-wrote the screenplay for the movie alongside Liz Nico and Jules Byrne.

The ensemble cast includes Chloe Fineman (Saturday Night Live), Sam Morelos (That ’90s Show), Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Paula Pell (Girls5eva), Liza Koshy (A Family Affair), Nicole Byer (Nailed It!), Matt Cornett, Natalie Morales, Alex Moffat, and Fernando Carsa.

“It’s always been my dream to direct, and I am thrilled to be telling a story about female friendship with a cast of the most talented and funny humans,” said Bell when the project...

The first time Seth Rogen met Ike Barinholtz he thought the fellow comedic actor was nothing more than Danny McBride’s assistant.

Rogen and Barinholtz revealed as much during a Sirius Xm Town Hall interview with “Real Housewives” producer Andy Cohen on Wednesday. According to both men, who co-star right now in the Apple TV+ comedy series “The Studio,” they met under unlikely circumstances years ago when they were both in North Carolina at the same time.

“I was shooting ‘Eastbound & Down’ with Danny McBride, and he called me and was like, ‘Hey, do you know Seth Rogen?’ I was like, ‘I know who he is,'” Barinholtz recalled. “He goes, ‘Do you have any weed?’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, I have a little.’ He goes, ‘Can you go down to room 237 and give Seth Rogen some weed?'”

Rogan then shared his side of the story: “What’s funny is,...

Quick LinksLumon and Kier, Pe Are Located In the United StatesHow the Locations in Kier, Pe Are Relevant to Severance's StorySetting Severance In a Fictional Town and State Is Important to the Tone

The following contains light spoilers about locations in Severance Season 2, now streaming on Apple TV+.

Created by Dan Erickson and Ben Stiller, Severanceis part sci-fi, part thriller and part workplace comedy. The series is also built on secrets and is slow to dole out the answers. Severence revolves around a company called Lumon Industries that developed a device that "severs" its workers minds. They are, effectively, different people without access to their memories or other knowledge while at work.

Outside Lumon, the severed workers return to their real selves, but have no memory or knowledge of what they did all day. The severed floor where the characters work is strange and timeless, with computers that look pulled from the 1980s.

The comedy marketplace is coming off a tough year with few buys and even fewer greenlights as the number of networks and platforms focused on comedy fare shrunk further with Amazon Freevee’s shutdown after Comedy Central, TBS, TruTV and IFC had all gotten out of the live-action scripted comedy business over the last couple of years. The broadcast networks produce a fraction of the comedy output they had just a decade ago, and streamers prioritize noisy dramas over comedies in pursuit of subscriber acquisition and retention.

Amid the pullback, HBO has spent the last year rebuilding its comedy slate after the departure of stalwarts like Curb Your Enthusiasm and Barry. In 2024, the network ordered two comedy pilots from writer-performers, Tim Robinson’s The Chair Company and an untitled Rachel Sennott half-hour, both of which were picked up to series that are currently being written. Additionally, HBO last May gave...

The Gemstone family faces the end as season four of The Righteous Gemstones was announced to be the last of the HBO comedy. The Danny McBride-created show is just as outrageous as his last two HBO shows, Vice Principals and Eastbound & Down. The show satirizes real life as it follows a fictional family that leads a southern megachurch and comes up with wild ideas to sell their religion.

How Many Episodes Will the Final Season Have?

Like all the seasons before it, the final season of The Righteous Gemstones will have nine episodes. The first episode will premiere on Sunday, March 9, at 10 p.m. Et on HBO East and 10 p.m. Pt on HBO West. The episodes will also be released the same day on Max around the same time that they air. New episodes will follow weekly on Sundays at the same time, with the series finale...

Danny McBridehas been one of the most consistently successful creative storytellers of the past several decades, as he has managed to star, produce, and create a series of highly successful HBO shows like Eastbound & Down, Vice Principals, and The Righteous Gemstones. Although McBride’s shows are brilliant in their own right, he certainly earned a reputation for being one of the funniest living actors thanks to hilarious performances in modern comedy classics like Pineapple Express, This Is The End, and Tropic Thunder. McBride has a rather extensive filmography, as he has frequently collaborated with the acclaimed independent filmmaker David Gordon Green. Although he would later work with Green on writing and creating the new Halloween reboot trilogy, McBride has a small role in the brilliant romantic drama All the Real Girls.

My dear brothers and sisters, I welcome you here as we celebrate a joyous occasion. You see, after four wonderful seasons on HBO, the ridiculous, hilarious, and downright ludicrous The Righteous Gemstones will be heading off to the afterlife. But let us not be sad for its passing — oh no, my friends, let us celebrate what has been one of the funniest HBO shows in years. Can I get an amen? Our Creator, Danny McBride, has risen up over the years from shows like Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals to make his finest work so far with The Righteous Gemstones, and lo, even though we walk in the shadow of its death, this fourth and final season ends this brilliantly hysterical series on a wonderful note, that we may say goodbye to this family of God. Hallelujah!

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Shoresy is a Canadian sports comedy series created by Jared Keeso. The Hulu series is a spin-off of the popular series Letterkenny, and it follows Shoresy as he moves to Sudbury to join the struggling senior hockey team, the Sudbury Bulldogs. Shoresy stars Jared Keeso, Tasya Teles, Blair Lamora, Keilani Elizabeth Rose, Ryan McDonell, Camille Sullivan, Jonathan-Ismael Diaby, Terry Ryan, and Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat. So, if you loved the camaraderie, hilarious comedy, and memorable characters in Shoresy, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Letterkenny (Hulu & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Hulu

Letterkenny is a Canadian comedy series created by Jared Keeso. The Crave series is set in the fictional town of Letterkenny, and it follows the hilarious misadventures of its residents. Letterkenny stars Jared Keeso, Nathan Daniels, Michelle Mylett, K. Trevor Wilson, Dylan Playfair,...

Exclusive: Ben Harris, who has been overseeing casting for Netflix’s comedy series for the past three and a half years as Director, Series Casting, Comedy, has been promoted, adding casting oversight of the streamer’s drama series too.

As Director, Drama/Comedy Series Casting, he will have dual report to Netflix’s head of comedy Tracey Pakosta and head of drama Jinny Howe.

Harris has been head of comedy casting at Netflix since the streamer launched an in-house casting department in July 2021.

Before that, he was a casting director with a resume that includes HBO’s Veep, for which he shared an Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series Emmy Award with Allison Jones, as well as HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, Eastbound & Down, Avenue 5 and White House Plumbers; Max’s Our Flag Means Death; FX’s What We Do In the Shadows, NBC’s The Office, Fox/NBC’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine,...

HBO anthology series “It’s Florida, Man” wants your craziest Fl-centric stories for Season 2.

IndieWire can announce that the irreverent late-night comedy is launching an official call for submissions to bring Irl tales to the screen.

“It’s Florida, Man” hails from the team behind “Eastbound and Down” and fellow HBO series “The Righteous Gemstones.” Jeff Tomsic directs and executive produces, with Clark Filio producing.

“We are calling all Floridians to submit their stories. We are looking for any and all crazy and unbelievable True stories that take place in Florida,” the announcement reads. “If your story looks interesting, we will get in touch to learn more.”

Shooting begins in April 2025.

Season 1 had Anna Faris, Jake Johnson, Sam Richardson, Jon Gries, Juliette Lewis, Ego Nwodin, Randall Park, Bobby Lee, Simon Rex, and more stars.

The unhinged tales couldn’t all fit into just one season — or even two. Director Tomsic previously told...

One day, we all must leave this world to meet our maker, and some shows are called upon by Danny McBride sooner than others.

This week, fans of the hit HBO comedy-drama The Righteous Gemstones learned that the show’s upcoming fourth season will be its last. In his infinite wisdom, series creator and star McBride decided to go out on a high note and deliver his latest cult-beloved series about cocky lunatics living in the South its last rites before the show could possibly suffer the late-series corruption that claimed the souls of so many quality comedies before it. But, as the Righteous Gemstones’ flock struggles with this somber news, they should take comfort in the fact that McBride now has the opportunity to deliver his magnum opus to HBO heaven.

“The Lord spoke to me and said it’s time to wrap this sucker up,” McBride explained in a statement to Variety,...

The “Florida Man” meme stands out as a bright thread in the tapestry of modern culture, a reflection of the bizarre and frequently gross aspects of human existence. This phenomenon captures the essence of the absurd: tales that are so outrageous that they go beyond just being hard to believe, forcing us to confront the dissonance between reality and our expectations.

The series “It’s Florida, Man” serves as an anthology that brings these narratives to life while inviting viewers to navigate the murky waters of human folly and desperation. Each episode plays out like a twisted fairy tale, mixing the surreal with the every day and illuminating the darker corners of Hu Man’s mind.

The creators of this exploration are Mark Herwick and Jeff Tomsic, whose backgrounds in comedic storytelling shape a lens through which these crazy tales are reflected. The series is made more complicated by their partnership with Rough House Pictures,...

Early this year, it was announced that Zac Efron (The Iron Claw) had signed on to star in the A24 thriller Famous for director Jody Hill, and it was revealed that he’ll be playing dual roles in the film, which is based on a novel by Blake Crouch. Phoebe Dynevor (Bridgerton) has since joined the cast, along with Nicholas Braun (Succession), Stephanie Koenig (Lessons in Chemistry), Debby Ryan (Insatiable), Mekki Leeper (Jury Duty), and Cory Michael Smith (Saturday Night) – and now that the project is in production, it has been revealed that Bill Pullman (Independence Day) and Daniel Zovatto (Woman of the Hour) are also in the cast!

Scripted by Chad Hodge, who created the short-lived, Crouch-inspired TV series Wayward Pines back in 2015, Famous has the following synopsis: Lance Dunkquist has one asset that’s about to change his life – he has the face of a movie star. And...

The HBO Original late-night comedy series It’S Florida, Man. has been renewed for a second season. The season one finale debuts Friday, November 22 and the first season is available to stream on Max. From Rough House Pictures (HBO’s “Eastbound & Down” and “The Righteous Gemstones”) and Range Studios, this irreverent late-night comedy series brings to life unbelievable ripped-from-the-headlines tales of the Sunshine State – straight from the people who live there. Featuring interviews from everyday Floridians and playful recreations starring a rotating cast of actors and comedians, including Anna Faris, Jake Johnson, Randall Park, Juliette Lewis, Sam Richardson, Ego Nwodim, and ... Read more...

The HBO Original late-night comedy series It’s Florida, Man. has been renewed for a second season. The season one finale debuts on Friday, November 22, and the first season is available to stream on Max.

From Rough House Pictures (HBO’s Eastbound & Down and The Righteous Gemstones) and Range Studios, this irreverent late-night comedy series brings to life unbelievable ripped-from-the-headlines tales of the Sunshine State – straight from the people who live there.

Featuring interviews from everyday Floridians and playful recreations starring a rotating cast of actors and comedians, including Anna Faris, Jake Johnson, Randall Park, Juliette Lewis, Sam Richardson, Ego Nwodim, and more, this hilarious and outrageous series sheds light on the viral, wacky, and weird.

Covering diverse topics – from mermaids to witches, extreme fantasies, and feral bunnies with equal parts humor and heart, It’s Florida, Man. is a love letter to the beaches, backwaters, and especially the people...

Exclusive: Ahead of It’s Florida, Man‘s Season 1 finale on November 22, the late-night comedy series has been renewed for a second season by HBO.

An irreverent, low-budget anthology comedy, It’s Florida, Man has been proof of concept for HBO, and its impressive performance is expected to usher in more shows developed under that cost-effective comedy model to the network’s late-night.

Acknowledging on an investor call last year that hit drama series in general provide better return on investment than comedies, Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO and Max Content, has been looking to revamp the genre, mixing up high-end, star-driven vehicles with off-beat, cheaper entires as the TV industry across the board has been trying to bring comedy costs down.

HBO’s previous lower-budget comedy efforts under that strategy include Los Espoookys and How To with John Wilson.

The latest experiment, It’s Florida, Man, has delivered an attractive cost-vs.

Early this year, it was announced that Zac Efron (The Iron Claw) had signed on to star in the A24 thriller Famous for director Jody Hill, and it was revealed that he’ll be playing dual roles in the film, which is based on a novel by Blake Crouch. Phoebe Dynevor (Bridgerton) has since joined the cast, and now that production is underway in Los Angeles, a press release confirms that Nicholas Braun (Succession), Stephanie Koenig (Lessons in Chemistry), Debby Ryan (Insatiable), Mekki Leeper (Jury Duty), and Cory Michael Smith (Saturday Night) also have roles in the film.

Scripted by Chad Hodge, who created the short-lived, Crouch-inspired TV series Wayward Pines back in 2015, Famous has the following synopsis: Lance Dunkquist has one asset that’s about to change his life – he has the face of a movie star. And not just any movie star – Lance is the spitting image of a Hollywood icon,...

Hayes Davenport is a comedy writer with an enviable resume, having worked on shows like “Eastbound & Down,” “Family Guy,” “Vice Principals” and “Dickinson.” Yet he left that career behind for a three-year run working at City Hall, with a special focus on helping Los Angeles’ homeless population.

It’s a journey he first started by supporting the campaign of Nithya Raman, who became a Los Angeles City Council member for the 4th District in 2020.

“It was Nithya laying out a path for me to go out and talk to people, something I wouldn’t have felt like I could just do on my own,” he says. “From gradually seeing opportunities to actually help people get off the street … once you’ve done it a few times, you just can’t not do it. It activates and empowers you in a way that very few jobs can.”

Davenport first met...

If you’ve been on the internet for any length of time since about 2013, you’ve run into the “Florida Man” meme, premised on the idea that, at any given moment, a Florida man is wilding out in a way that’s possibly criminal and definitely irrational. If a man is almost dying getting a lap dance from his housekeeper, snorting coke to hide evidence after fleeing a traffic stop or jogging shirtless in defiance of Hurricane Milton’s imminent landfall, he’s a Florida man. He’s been immortalized in a website, an Instagram feed, a subreddit and quasi-Olympic “Games” where competitors wrestle in muddy water and tussle while holding pitchers of beer. He used to be the subject of a Twitter feed collecting kooky stories, but its curator, Freddie Campion, retired it in 2019. As he told Logan Hill for a piece in the Washington Post that year, Campion shut it down after wondering,...

The HBO Original late-night comedy series It’s Florida, Man. debuts on Friday, October 18 (11:00-11:30 p.m. Et/Pt) on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. New episodes of the six-episode season will debut weekly.

From Rough House Pictures (HBO’s Eastbound & Down and The Righteous Gemstones) and Range Studios, this irreverent late-night comedy series brings to life unbelievable ripped-from-the-headlines tales of the Sunshine State – straight from the people who live there.

Featuring interviews from everyday Floridians and playful recreations starring a rotating cast of actors and comedians, including Anna Faris, Jake Johnson, Randall Park, Juliette Lewis, Sam Richardson, Ego Nwodim, Jon Gries, Simon Rex, and more, this hilarious and outrageous series sheds light on the viral, wacky, and weird.

Covering diverse topics – from mermaids to witches, extreme fantasies, and feral bunnies with equal parts humor and heart, It’s Florida, Man. is a love letter to the beaches,...

There is a common refrain upon reading an unhinged news story: It probably happened in Florida, right?

From Lana Del Rey marrying an alligator farmer to a whole “Atlanta” episode dedicated to the Florida Man myth, the southermost state in the U.S. has an infamous lore all its own. And now, the state itself is getting the “Drunk History” treatment to capture all of its stranger than fiction tales.

HBO’s unscripted comedy series “It’s Florida, Man,” co-created by executive producers Jeff Tomsic and Mark Herwick, brings those Wtf Florida stories to the screen, complete with interviews with the real-life people who lived out the crazy tales.

Anna Faris, Jake Johnson, Sam Richardson, Jon Gries, Juliette Lewis, Ego Nwodin, Randall Park, Bobby Lee, Simon Rex, and more stars assemble to portray the stories. Iconic Florida-based author Carl Hiassen also makes an appearance.

Per the official synopsis, each episode...

Fox is developing a comedy series centered on a washed up golf prodigy, Variety has learned exclusively.

Titled “Thunderjacks,” the series has received a script commitment at the broadcast network. Chad Mountain is writing and executive producing, with Oliver Hudson, John Stalberg Jr., Douglas Banker of Five All in the Fifth, Jonathan Watson, and Scott MacArthur also executive producing. Fox Entertainment Studios will produce.

The official logline for the series states, “A famous former golf prodigy, who vanished into anonymity after a very public meltdown, is dragged into the limelight a decade later, forcing his dysfunctional family to futilely scramble to save their opulent lifestyle and fragile egos.”

There is no cast currently attached to the project, but sources say it could serve as a starring vehicle for Hudson should it go forward. The show falls under the broadcast direct deal Hudson and his producing partner Stalberg signed with Fox in 2023. Under that deal,...

Glen Powell continues to dominate Hollywood on the big screen and now on television with Chad Powers. Powell's transformation for the role of Chad Powers is a departure from his traditional leading man image, but it follows his many transformations in the film Hit Man. Fans eagerly anticipate Powell's upcoming projects, including Chad Powers, Huntingdon, and The Running Man remake.

Glen Powell's hot streak will continue with Chad Powers, though he might look a bit different from what fans expect. Summer 2024 might as well be called the Summer of Glen Powell (or the Glenaissance), as he had the dual releases of Hit Man on Netflix and Twisters in theaters, combined with the early part of the year kicked off with the surprise hit of Anyone but You. Powell feels like the biggest star in the world right now. His next venture is the television show Chad Powers, which is set to debut on Hulu.

Talk to John Hawkes about “True Detective: Night Country” for any length of time and you’ll get a string of confessions.

When showrunner Issa López offered him the role of police officer Hank Prior, he’d never seen a single episode from the first three seasons of the HBO limited series. He thought the character was too one-dimensional and not nuanced enough. When López said she wanted the character to play guitar in one scene, he didn’t think that was a good idea. And when she said that the instrumental song he’d reluctantly written also needed words for Hank to sing, he resisted for weeks, thinking it’d be too performative.

Hawkes admitted all of these misgivings with typically self-deprecating grins and then shrugged. “I’m glad she prevailed,” he said, “because she’s brilliant.”

López’s brilliance, along with Hawkes’ ability to slip into the skin...

While HBO execs aren't tied to the ratings like regular commercial channels, they have to air programs that will keep viewers subscribed. Which of their shows will be cancelled or renewed? We'll have to wait and see.

Scripted HBO shows listed: Animals, Avenue 5, The Baby, Ballers, Betty, Big Little Lies, Boardwalk Empire, The Brink, Camping, The Comeback, Crashing, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Deuce, Divorce, Eastbound & Down, Euphoria, Game of Thrones, Gentleman Jack, Getting On, Girls, The Gilded Age, Hello Ladies, Here and Now, High Maintenance, His Dark Materials, House of the Dragon, I May Destroy You, I Know This Much Is True, The Idol, In Treatment, Industry, Insecure, Irma Vep, Jonah from Tonga, The Last of Us, The Leftovers, Looking, Lovecraft Country, Mare of Easttown, Mosaic, Mrs. Fletcher, The Nevers, The New Pope, The Newsroom, The Night Of, The Outsider, Perry Mason,...

Forget your state’s lottery, A24 has the scratch-off game covered. The indie studio has launched its first-ever scratch-off prize event for fans, and it comes with a zoo worth of prizes.

Beginning August 2, AAA24 members have a chance to win exclusive prizes ranging from coveted merchandise to set visits on upcoming A24 films, as well as other unforgettable exclusive experiences. To participate, fans can join membership program AAA24, which includes early access to ticket sales and merch. Members will receive their scratcher in their welcome package and/or first zine shipment; the membership is $5/month or $55/year at launch for U.S. customers, and $9.99/month or $99/year for customers in all other countries.

The scratcher prizes include adopting a baby lamb — a nod to the twisted 2021 family drama “Lamb” — and a roundtrip ticket to Norway and two-night stay at the “Ex Machina” house (aka the Juvet Landskaphotell).

To be clear,...

Exclusive: The vampires are moving from Amazon to HBO.

A comedy series based on Grady Hendrix’s New York Times bestseller The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires has landed at HBO, with the author writing alongside The Righteous Gemstones duo Danny McBride and Edi Patterson.

The project was previously in development at Amazon with Patrick Moran’s Pkm Productions but has now moved to the Warner Bros Discovery premium network without Moran’s involvement.

Hendrix, McBride and Patterson will exec produce, alongside Brandon James for McBride’s Rough House Pictures. Quirk Books, which published the novel, will also have an exec producer credit.

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires follows a women’s book club that must protect its suburban community from a mysterious and handsome stranger that may be a vampire killing their children.

The book, which was published in May 2021, is set in Charleston...

Zac Efron is set to star alongside himself in A24's Famous, a Jody Hill-directed psychological thriller where he'll take on dual roles. The film marks Efron's second collaboration with A24, following last year's critically praised The Iron Claw. As per a report by Deadline, the project will be based on Blake Crouch's best-selling novel of the same name, and follows two men, Lance Dunkquist and James Jansen, who share a striking resemblance. The film's ominous synopsis reads:

"Lance Dunkquist has the face of a movie star. Not just any movie star - Lance has been mistaken for Hollywood star James Jansen 228 times. And now Lance is about to go to LA to make his dream come true. No matter what it takes."

Efron is the only confirmed star currently attached to the project. Hill, the co-creator, director, and executive producer of the hysterical HBO series Eastbound & Down,...

A24 has secured domestic distribution rights to an upcoming thriller titled Famous, Deadline reports today, which has Zac Efron (The Iron Claw) leading the cast in dual roles.

Jody Hill will direct the film.

Deadline details, “The story follows Lance Dunkquist, who has one asset that’s about to change his life – he has the face of a movie star. And not just any movie star – Lance is the spitting image of a Hollywood icon, James Jansen. Lance is about to travel to Los Angeles to make his dream come true. Lance is going to be famous, no matter what it takes.”

Zac Efron is playing both Lance Dunkquist and James Jansen.

Famous is based on the novel written by Blake Crouch.

Chad Hodge (“Wayward Pines”) scripted the adaptation.

The post ‘Famous’ – Zac Efron Plays Dual Roles in Upcoming Thriller from A24 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

A24 loved Zac Efron’s work in “The Iron Claw” so much, it’s tapping him to play not one but two roles in another upcoming thriller.

A24 has pre-bought the domestic distribution rights to “Famous,” a thriller that will star Efron in a dual role and will be directed by Jody Hill (“Eastbound and Down”), an individual with knowledge of the project told IndieWire.

“Famous” is also being produced by “Mr. Robot” creator Sam Esmail alongside Michael Sagol, and Chad Hamilton producing.

“Famous” is based on the book of the same name by Blake Crouch. It follows the life of Lancelot Blue Dunkquist, an overzealous fan and loser living above his parents’ garage and working a meaningless job but who is the spitting image of world famous movie star James Jansen. When Dunkquist loses his job, he decides to follow his dream to become famous at whatever cost. Efron...

HBO's loyalty to its actors is evident in The Last of Us' casting, with many familiar faces from other HBO shows making appearances. Pedro Pascal brings a softer side to Joel in The Last of Us, showcasing emotionality and vulnerability alongside his badassness. Bella Ramsey captures Ellie's spirit effectively in The Last of Us, drawing on their Game of Thrones experience to play the role authentically.

From Game of Thrones Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey to The White Lotus Murray Bartlett, pretty much every major actor from The Last of Us had worked with HBO before. Once an actor is in the HBO family, the network tends to keep bringing them back. The Leftovers Carrie Coon was cast in The Gilded Age. The Wires Robert Wisdom was cast in Barry. Sharp Objects Sydney Sweeney was brought back for Euphoria and The White Lotus. Danny McBride has created and starred in Eastbound & Down,...

This year’s Toronto International Film Festival will open with a familiar face: filmmaker David Gordon Green’s latest, the world premiere of his heartfelt comedy “Nutcrackers,” will kick off the festival on September 5. While Green is a regular at the annual festival, screening everything from his Jake Gyllenhaal-starring Boston Marathon biopic “Stronger” to his horror re-quel “Halloween” at the event, 2024 marks the first time he will officially open the fall fest.

The film also sounds as if it marks a return to early form for the longtime auteur, who has spent his most recent years helming a series of horror-centric sequels and remakes, including three “Halloween” films and last year’s “The Exorcist: Believer.” For his newest feature, Green seems to be reinvested in the kind of personal drama that drove early films like “All the Real Girls” and “Undertow,” albeit with a slightly lighter touch.

“Nutcrackers” stars Ben Stiller,...