News

Lalo Schifrin, the Oscar-nominated and Grammy-winning composer behind the “Theme From Mission: Impossible,” has died at the age of 93.

The composer’s son Ryan confirmed his father’s death to the Associated Press, adding that Schifrin died Thursday due to complications from pneumonia at his home in Los Angeles.

The Buenos Aires, Argentina-born Schifrin, the son of an orchestral violinist, had an early start in music, training on the piano at the age of six. However, upon entering college, Schifrin opted to study law, but his musical roots ultimately took hold.

Rick Derringer, the classic rock artist-songwriter best known for performing garage rock hit “Hang On Sloopy” and for writing “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Coo,” has died, a rep for Derringer confirmed. He was 77.

“With a career spanning six decades, the legendary Rick Derringer left an indelible mark on the music industry as a guitarist, singer-songwriter and producer,” Wilson said in a statement on Facebook. He didn’t disclose a cause of death but said Derringer died in Ormond Beach, Florida. “Derringer’s legacy extends beyond his music, entertaining fans with his signature energy and talent. His passing leaves a void in the music world, and he will be deeply missed by fans, colleagues, and loved ones.”

Wilson wrote that “out of respect for Rick Derringer’s family and loved ones, details regarding funeral arrangements and memorial services will be announced” at a later date.

Derringer was born in Celina, Ohio...

Rick Derringer, the guitarist and songwriter who scored hits with “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo” and a cover of “Hang on Sloopy” while working with everyone from Steely Dan to “Weird Al” Yankovic, died today. He was 77.

Derringer’s death was confirmed by his friend, Tony Wilson, on Facebook. “Derringer’s legacy extends beyond his music, entertaining fans with his signature energy and talent,” Wilson wrote. “His passing leaves a void in the music world, and he will be deeply missed by fans, colleagues, and loved ones.”

No cause of death has been given,...

Rick Derringer, who had a No. 1 hit with The McCoys in “Hang on Sloopy,” created a classic rock staple in “Rock and Roll, Hootchie Koo,” produced the Edgar Winter Group’s hit “Frankenstein” and songs for “Weird” Al Yankovic, died Monday. He was 77.

A family spokesman announced the news on social media, but did not provide a cause or other details. His wife and longtime bandmate, Jenda Derringer, noted in February that her husband had angioplasty for two blockages in his leg that was followed by surgery and complications. She also said he had Type 2 diabetes.

Born Richard Zehringer on August 5, 1947, in Celina, Ohio, Derringer was 17 when his band The McCoys opened for The Strangeloves, who picked the young group to record its song “My Girl Sloopy.” Derringer had the title and lyrics changed, and with its loping rhythm and singalong chorus “Hang on Sloopy” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early October.

Jonathan Frakes’ directorial duties are not limited to Star Trek. He has worked on NCIS: Los Angeles, Castle, Leverage, Burn Notice, and more. While he is best known for playing William Riker on Tng, he has made a mark as a director in these shows and seems to have mastered the craft, prompting shows to call him back multiple times.

Apart from directing six episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles, Frakes also had a guest role in the second season episode ‘Disorder’. He played the role of Navy Commander Dr. Stanfill in the episode, though he was left uncredited for his acting services. He has not returned to the role in the show, despite direcing many other episodes.

Jonathan Frakes played a role in NCIS: Los Angeles, but was not credited Jonathan Frakes in Star Trek: Tng | Credits: Paramount

Jonathan Frakes has made a mark in the TV industry not only...

Stepping onto a mist-shrouded platform, Proto’s wide-eyed pause sets the tone for Freeride’s quiet mystery. In this narrative exploration experience, you assume the role of Proto, summoned aboard a ghostly locomotive bound for a realm where lost spirits linger. Rather than testing reflexes, the game watches how you respond to every encounter, recording your decisions and whispering them back at you later.

Visually, Freeride wears a pastel palette and low-polygon models that nod to late-’90s 3D adventures, yet its pacing is more reflective than platforming. Each playthrough spans roughly three to four hours, with branching conclusions shaped by your interactions. There are no ticking countdowns or hidden collectibles demanding scrutiny—only open fields, curious apparitions, and a gentle invitation to engage.

In this review, I’ll examine how the narrative unfolds through character work, how the mechanics reinforce emotional stakes, and how the presentation amplifies each beat.

Stars: Madison Wolfe, Brec Bassinger, Gavin Warren, Ali Larter, Sean Astin, Tom Gillen, Skai Jackson, Noah Lomax | Written by Warren Skeels, Sharon Y. Cobb | Directed by Warren Skeels

Based in part on the real-life crimes of Billy Mansfield Jr., The Man in the White Van is a 1970s set thriller from director Warren Skeels and co-writer Sharon Y. Cobb. It opens with a prologue set in 1970 showing the killer at work before jumping ahead to 1975 where Annie is riding her horse while Edgar Winter’s “Free Ride” plays on the soundtrack.

Annie is the middle child, with an older sister, Margaret who is about to be presented at the Debutant’s Ball, and a gun-obsessed younger brother Daniel.

Her parents Hellen and William wish she was more like Margaret rather than a tomboy who’s more interested in riding horses than being proper or caring if her legs are properly shaved.

Chrysalis Records has released a new Nick Drake anthology tribute album called The Endless Coloured Ways – The Songs of Nick Drake, which includes contributions from Liz Phair, Feist, Radiohead’s Philip Selway, and more. Stream it below on Spotify and Apple Music.

The anthology features 23 interpretations of some of Drake’s most beloved tracks, performed by various artists like Ben Harper, Fontaines D.C., Bombay Bicycle Club, and more, spread across two Lps/CDs. The idea for the album came from Cally Callomon, who manages Nick Drake’s estate, and co-founder of Blue Raincoat Music and CEO of Chrysalis Records Jeremy Lascelles.

“Nick Drake was not that concerned with promoting himself as an artist but I think he would have been overjoyed to hear his art revisited and newly promoted by so many vibrant and talented artists,” said Callomon about the tribute.

On top of all the covers, a select...

Thirty years ago, Liz Phair released her indie-rock masterpiece Exile in Guyville, on June 22, 1993. It’s a massive moment in the history of the Weird Girl canon. Liz was just an ordinary twenty-something geek in the Chicago indie scene of Wicker Park, going out every night to see hipster bands, hanging out in dive bars, and getting her heart broken. It was a Guyville, where she was just another girl. But she had a secret that nobody knew: she was writing songs about the whole experience. And she was singing...

Fontaines D.C. have released their cover of Nick Drake’s cherished “‘Cello Song.” The recording serves as first single off of a forthcoming tribute project, The Endless Coloured Ways – The Songs of Nick Drake, out on July 7th via Chrysalis Records.

Adopting a different approach than Drake’s original (first released on 1969’s Five Leaves Left), Fontaines switch out the bustling acoustics and the titular cello for a driving backbeat, a soundscape of guitars, and a haunting melody that, all combined, use Drake’s same spark to light a whole new flame. Hearing vocalist Grian Chatten croon the final verse, “So forget this cruel world/ Where I belong/ I’ll just sit and wait/ And sing my song,” it makes one reflect on how Drake would feel if he could see the impact he’s made on so many artists since his tragic death in 1974. Watch the music video for Fontaines D.

Nick Drake’s discography proved to be a goldmine for the forthcoming album The Endless Coloured Ways, a collection of 32 of the musician’s most essential catalog entries reimagined by various artists. On the first release from the project, out July 7, Fontaines D.C. flips Drake’s 1969 classic “‘Cello Song.”

The post-punk band’s rendition is heavier, pushing loud guitars and thick bass lines to the surface where Drake originally coasted alongside softer instrumentals. It’s the exact recording approach Jeremy Lascelles, co-founder of Blue Raincoat Music and CEO of Chrysalis Records,...

It’s 1978 in North Denver, and the bleachers at the baseball diamond are filled with peel-top beers and brown corduroy. A Little League team is on the field; the star player swings at two strikes, then slams in a home run. He rides his bike home, smiling at the pretty classmates from the game; “Free Ride” blasts on the soundtrack. And then a black van turns a corner, and the music turns menacing.

Read More: Fall 2021 Movie Preview: 60+ Must-See Films

The opening is, we discover, a bit of a fake-out; Scott Derrickson’s “The Black Phone,” which he co-wrote with C.

Continue reading ‘The Black Phone’: Scott Derrickson’s Latest Horror Falls Frustratingly Short of Greatness [Fantastic Fest Review] at The Playlist.

You knew it, right, Animal Kingdom fans? The minute you heard J tell his uncles, “If anything’s off [about the downed-plane heist], we just walk away,” something would be off, and although they’d certainly try to get away, the method wouldn’t be walking. So what went down when the guys went up the mountain to steal the cartel’s loot? And what went even wronger with J’s job once it was completed? Read on, and we’ll discuss not only that but the new intel he received about his old girlfriend, Nicky.

‘How Stupid Are You?’ | Let’s start with...

On “Free Ride,” the first single from Mykki Blanco’s new mini-lp Broken Hearts & Beauty Sleep, the musician constructs a tabernacle from which to worship the sensation of love. The accompanying video features Blanco refiguring tropes of family, community, and celebration to more inclusive ends. What might read as dysfunctional — multiple generations dwelling in a rickety Rv — is recast with gentle reverence. Blanco’s gift has always been the queering of perspective, refusing to stay fixed in any particular mode. Broken Hearts & Beauty Sleep brings that framework to notions of love and loss.

Mykki Blanco has released a new song, “It’s Not My Choice,” featuring Blood Orange. The track will appear on Blanco’s upcoming mini-album, Broken Hearts and Beauty Sleep, out June 18th via Transgressive Records.

“It’s Not My Choice” opens with an eerie groan of strings, but quickly settles into a slick soul groove filled with punchy piano and the lonesome wail of a saxophone. On the verses, Blanco tries to navigate the pain of an imminent break-up, while Blood Orange’s Dev Hynes pops up to croon the hook.

Mykki Blanco will follow-up their 2016 debut with Broken Hearts & Beauty Sleep, a mini-album out June 18th via Transgressive Records.

To accompany the announcement, Blanco dropped the sultry “Love Me,” featuring Jamila Woods and Blanco’s brother Jay Cue. It follows “Free Ride,” released last month.

“‘Love Me’ is essentially about so many forms of love, patience, trust, time,” Blanco said. “It is about the potion that is created when you sift through the ingredients that create ‘love,’ the alchemy we as human beings take part in to convey these feelings deep inside of us.

Daniella Garcia has been cast in the upcoming ABC series “Rebel” in a recurring role, Variety has learned exclusively.

The series stars as Katey Sagal as Annie “Rebel” Bello, a blue-collar legal advocate without a law degree. She’s described as a funny, messy, brilliant and fearless woman who cares desperately about the causes she fights for and the people she loves. When Rebel applies herself to a fight she believes in, she will win at almost any cost.

Garcia will star as Maddie, who is eight months pregnant with a complicated pregnancy. She is Helen’s daughter, and is understandably terrified that her mother’s defective heart valve will kill her before the baby is even born.

Garcia was most recently seen in the Gus Van Sant Amazon film “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot.” Her other film roles include “The Lost City,” “At Middleton,” “Free Ride,...

Exclusive: Jim Gaffigan and Rhea Seehorn are starring in the upcoming sci-fi comedy drama feature Linoleum which recently wrapped production in New York under Covid-19 safety guidelines.

The film, written and directed by Colin West, is about the host of a failing children’s science TV show who attempts to fulfill his childhood dream of being an astronaut by building a rocket ship in his garage, all the while struggling to mend his relationship with his wife (Seehorn) and connecting surreal clues that not everything in his life is exactly how it seems. Chad Simpson’s Brain Scratch Productions partnered with Dennis Masel’s Storm City Films and Chadd Harbold to produce.

Stand-up comedian Gaffigan, who has been transitioning into a number of dramatic roles of late including Tesla, Them That Follow, and Chappaquiddick, plays dual roles in Linoleum as Cameron Edwin, the struggling amateur rocket engineer as well as his better looking,...

Welcome to this week’s review of Impact Wrestling, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have Linda Hamilton kicking Gabriel Luna’s ass in Terminator: The Search For More Money. We’ve got some big matches to get to, so let’s lick the toad and freak the !@#$ out! Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Match #1: Noamichi Marufuji def. Josh Alexander (with Ethan Page) The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:

Marufuji hits a dropkick, followed by running double knees to gain momentum in the early going. Alexander launches himself off the top, driving his knee into the neck of Marufuji for a two count. Marufuji connects with a series of kicks but Alexander comes right back with a big forearm shot. Alexander gets Marufuji up in the Torture Rack, then spins him down to the mat for a very close near fall. Marufuji connects with Sliced Bread #2 to pick up the win.

Nancy Drew And The Hidden Staircase comes to digital later this month and to Blu-Ray in April!

The iconic mystery solving teenager from the classic Nancy Drew books is back with an all-new feature length film that will keep you guessing until the very end! Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will release Nancy Drew And The Hidden Staircase on Digital starting March 26, 2019 and Blu-ray™ Combo Pack & DVD on April 2, 2019. Executive Produced by Ellen DeGeneres, the film stars Sophia Lillis (It and “Sharp Objects”), Sam Trammell (“True Blood” and “This is Us”), and Linda Lavin (“The Good Wife” and “Alice”) and follows Nancy Drew in her new town, making new friends and on a mission to solve the case!

“Nancy Drew has been a source of inspiration to countless girls as she has her wits and ingenuity to solve intriguing mysteries. Now, Nancy is back in an all-new film from Ellen DeGeneres,...

Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: Breakout is set to officially open on May 27th, 2017 and it will have 6 different adventures with a classic soundtrack. Although the Guardians of the Galaxy ride is technically unfinished, reports are coming in revealing some new information regarding the Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: Breakout ride at Disneyland's California Adventure. Mission: Breakout will be Disney's first attraction with its newly acquired Marvel Universe and excitement is high among Disney and Marvel fans.

Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout places visitors in Tivan the Collector's Garden and brings them into Tivan's exhibition room where there are thousands of items stored in glass cases that are all Marvel and Disney related. Eagle-eyed visitors will notice Warlock's Eye, an Ultron sentry robot, Cosmo the Space Dog and many, many more items enclosed in glass in Tivan's room. Tivan has captured the Guardians team and visitors will...

As much as I love Guardians of the Galaxy, I'm still upset that Disney replaced The Twilight Zone-themed ride Tower of Terror with Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission Breakout!. An official photo recently surfaced that you can see above, and Disney recently invited some journalists to take a "hard hat" tour of the new attraction.

I don't know about you, but that building is an eyesore. I'm not a big fan of the ugly design, but there's apparently a reason for it. Danny Handke, creative director for the project from Walt Disney Imagineering told the Oc Register that, "It embodies the spirit of 'The Collector,' a villain in the movie. It’s weird, it’s bold, grandiose and it’s arrogant, like the character." Benicio Del Toro reprises his role for the ride, as does Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana and more. He goes on to say:

"The...

Songs On Screen: All week HitFix will be featuring tributes by writers to their favorite musical moments from TV and film. Check out all the entries in the series here. When we talk about underrated directors, it's hard not to mention Walter Hill. Hill is an underrated director, the way Michael Ritchie and Peter Yates were underrated directors, the way Roger Donaldson, Joe Dante, and Fred Schepisi are underrated directors. They’re all underrated because it’s only when you look at their filmographies that the numbers start to total up and you realize, boy, he directed a lot of really good movies. In Hill’s case, that list includes "The Warriors," "48 Hours," "The Long Riders," "Southern Comfort,: "Hard Times," "Trespass," and "Wild Bill." Some great. Some solid. (My personal favorite of those is Hard Times, a pulpy film about bare-knuckle boxers in the Great Depression.) There were clunkers...

She was fantastic as Toast, one of the Five Wives in Mad Max: Fury Road, but now Zoë Kravitz is ready to take centre stage as a gun-slinging hero. She’s signed up for the lead in Western drama Black Belle. The film, which is set just after the Us Civil War, will find her as a lone bounty hunter who specialises in revenge killing, tracking down and shooting people she’s hired to find. But then a client brings her information about her mother’s murderer, and as she digs into the case, she realises, to her horror, that she knows exactly who is to blame. Free Ride director Shana Betz is on to call the shots, working from a script by Tasha Huo. The cameras should be cranking, and the bullets flying, this September. Kravitz, who also appears in the Divergent films, will next be seen in comedy drama Dope,...

Mac Carter's spookfest Haunt will be available on DVD via IFC Midnight and to usher it in we have the DVD artwork for you and all the details you need to steady your nerves for a terrifying trip into the Morello house.

From the Press Release

Years ago, Dr. Janet Morello (Oscar nominee Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook, Animal Kingdom) saw her entire family die in their house under tragic and gruesome circumstances. Now, wanting a change of scenery, she sells her home to the Asher family, including teenage son Evan (Harrison Gilbertson, Need for Speed). Evan is the only one suspicious about his family's supposed new dream house, and after striking up a friendship with his troubled neighbor Samantha (Liana Liberato, Free Ride), he discovers a way to communicate with the ghosts of the slaughtered Morello family. But soon Evan and Sam's morbid curiosity into the supernatural turns...

Exclusive: With their long-running vampire series coming to an end this summer, True Blood stars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer are staying in business with HBO. The duo’s production company Casm has signed a two-year, first-look deal with HBO to develop series, films and miniseries. That may include new starring vehicles for Paquin or Moyer as, in addition to producing, the pact includes options for the two to act and direct. This marks the first foray into television for Casm Films, which Paquin and Moyer launched in 2012 with producing partners Cerise Hallam Larkin and Mark Larkin, who, like the True Blood duo, are a married couple. The company so far had been focused on features, producing the 2013 indie Free Ride, which starred Paquin, with a number of projects in development. Those include Twinkle, to be directed by Howie Deutch and starring Moyer; Pink Hotel, based on the novel by...

A movie called Free Ride that invokes the old "gas, grass, or ass" mantra via voiceover narration pretty clearly wants viewers to consider the possibility that nothing comes easily, especially when said movie is about drug-running in late-'70s Florida.

But Shana Betz's autobiographical film, in which Anna Paquin stars as the writer-director's mother Christina, barely delves into the physical and emotional fallout of this heyday before walking it back with an epilogue that reveals (mild spoilers to follow) things didn't actually turn out so badly in the end.

Christina and her two daughters (one of whom would go on to make this movie) go from sleeping in their car to living in a house of their own mere weeks after the matriarch starts working for a powerful drug s...

It’s this coming Friday that we official begin to segue from final 2013 calender offerings (we’ve got several Best of Lists coming at you) and into the 2014 theatrical slate. Among the indie offerings being released this weekend, we have the true rags to riches to further complications drama that premiered at the Hamptons Int. Film Festival. Starring Anna Paquin, Drea de Matteo, Stephen Moyer and Cam Gigandet, Free Ride (which got picked up by Phase 4 Films in Cannes) will be released simultaneously on VOD with theatrical releases in NYC and Los Angeles. We’ve got your first look at the theatrical one-sheet featuring a fantasy mug shot of Paquin’s character.

Written and directed by Shana Betz, in search of a better life for her family and desperate to escape her tumultuous relationship, Christina (Anna Paquin) hastily moves to Florida and enters the dangerous world of the high-stakes underground drug scene.

It's a bit disorienting to see Anna Paquin walk into a bar and not be surrounded by vampires and a shape-shifting boss, but this is not True Blood, it's Free Ride, and she's not Sookie, she's Christina, an enterprising young woman who enters the underground drug scene in Florida. Once she gains entry to the criminal world, she discovers, according to the official synopsis, that "dealing drugs at the height of South Florida's smuggling heyday has its price. As law enforcement closes in on Christina and her drug operation, she must find a way to salvage the life she has desperately worked to repair before it all comes crashing down." Shana Betz wrote and directed the film, based on her own real-life experiences. Drea de...

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

While stakes are high and the perils numerous, the drug game remains an attractive option for the desperate for what it promises to those who can navigate that world: quick cash. And lots of it. But as Anna Paquin will soon find out, getting there isn't so easy. The "True Blood" star produces and leads the forthcoming "Free Ride." Written and directed by Shane Betz. The '70s set film follows Christina, a woman who heads to Florida escaping a tumultuous relationship and falls into the lucrative drug dealing scene. But soon she's fighting for her life as the authorities come closing in. And in this exclusive clip, Christina receives a mysterious package, just one of many that she doesn't seem too eager to open.  Co-starring Drea de Matteo, Cam Gigandet and Liana Liberato, "Free Ride" opens in NY and La  and hits VOD on January 10, 2014. Watch below.

Back in September, ShockYa had the privilege of unveiling a brand new still from Shana Betz’s first feature and Cannes Film Festival official selection, “Free Ride,” and now we’re honored to give you the chance to delve even further into the Phase 4 Films release with an exclusive clip from the movie. Inspired by Betz’s own mother, “Free Ride” takes place in the 1970s and stars Anna Paquin as Christina, a mother of two who relocates her family from Ohio to Florida in search of a better life. She gets a job working as a maid in a wealthy neighborhood, but when Christina is offered the opportunity to come home [ Read More ]

The post Exclusive: Clip from Free Ride Featuring Anna Paquin & Liana Liberato appeared first on Shockya.com.

Anna Paquin has earned herself a devoted following because of her winning performance as Sookie Stackhouse in HBO's True Blood, but she has not forgotten her indie film roots. She stars in the upcoming Free Ride as an enterprising young woman who enters the underground drug scene in Florida and discovers, according to the official synopsis, that "dealing drugs at the height of South Florida's smuggling heyday has its price. As law enforcement closes in on Christina and her drug operation, she must find a way to salvage the life she has desperately worked to repair before it all comes crashing down." As you can see from this exclusive image, she makes for a very arresting drug dealer. The film, written for the screen and...

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

DVD Release Date: Feb. 11, 2014

Price: DVD $22.98

Studio: Anchor Bay

The fetching Eve Mauro gets a leg up in Sorority Party Massacre.

Beautiful sorority babes. An isolated island with nowhere to hide. A crazed killer targeting them one-by-one. Ah, the joys of higher learning…it can only be the 2013 horror comedy Sorority Party Massacre!

An isolated island town full of sexy college girls has a dangerous secret: one girl has gone missing each year for the last 20 years. A big-city cop, in danger of losing his badge, agrees to aid the town’s sheriff in investigating these unsolved disappearances. Quickly they realize that they are dealing with a psychotic killer whose brilliance has been twisted into a taste for terror, torture and sorority sister torment. But when this party gets started, who will graduate – and who will be held back?

Directed by Chris W. Freeman and Justin Jones, Sorority Party Massacree...

Anna Paquin took her twins, Poppy and Charlie, out for a stroll in NYC's East Village yesterday. While they are still young, it looks like Poppy and Charlie may soon be giving another set of famous twins, Sarah's Jessica Parker's daughters Tabitha and Loretta, a run for their money in the clothing-coordinating department as they wore similar striped hoodies. While Anna has been tending to her little ones, her husband and True Blood costar, Stephen Moyer, has been busy with projects of his own. The actor recently traveled to Florida to launch the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival earlier this month. Moyer was there to screen Free Ride, a film that he produced and also stars Anna as a young mother who turns to selling drugs.

Back in May at the Cannes Film Festival, Phase 4 Films snatched up the Us and Canadian rights to writer-director Shana Betz’s first feature, “Free Ride,” and now ShockYa.com has the pleasure of unveiling a brand new still from the film. “Free Ride” is a true crime drama set in 1978. Anna Paquin leads as Christina Milland, a downtrodden mother of two who decides there’s nothing left for her family in blue-collar Ohio, so relocates to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The weather, lifestyle, and her new job cleaning houses in a wealthy neighborhood are invigorating, however, eventually, Christina comes to want more for her family and realizes that she can get [ Read More ]

The post Exclusive: Photo of Cam Gigandet & Anna Paquin in Free Ride appeared first on Shockya.com.

Here's today's latest casting news: Dane DeHaan (Chronicle) and Robert Pattinson (The Twilight Saga) will star in Anton Corbijn’s Life, as James Dean and Magnum photographer Dennis Stock, respectively. Drea de Matteo (Sons of Anarchy) will join writer-director Gilles Paquet-Brenner's Dark Places in a spot recently vacated by Christina Hendricks, who graduated to a lead role. Sophie Cookson has landed the female lead in Matthew Vaughn's The Secret Service opposite Colin Firth and Taron Egerton. Hit the jump for more on each casting story. First up from ScreenDaily comes the news of DeHaan and Pattinson in Life. The Luke Davies (Candy) script follows the friendship between Stock (Pattinson) and Dean (DeHaan) that started when the former was commissioned to photograph the budding young actor. An accomplished photographer himself, Corbijn will likely have some interesting takes on the material. His upcoming feature, A Most Wanted Man, is currently in post-production.

Emmy Award winning and Golden Globe nominee Drea de Matteo (The Sopranos, Sons Of Anarchy) has joined the all-star cast of drama Dark Places, it was announced today by co-financiers and co-producers Exclusive Media.

Currently shooting on location in Shreveport, Louisiana, Dark Places is the film adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s best-selling novel and stars Oscar winning actress Charlize Theron (Snow White And The Huntsmen, Prometheus, Monster), Nicholas Hoult (About A Boy, X-men: First Class, Jack The Giant Slayer ), Chloë Grace Moretz (upcoming Carrie, Hugo, Kick-ass), Emmy Award nominated actress Christina Hendricks (Mad Men, Drive), Corey Stoll (Midnight In Paris, House Of Cards), and Tye Sheridan (upcoming Joe, Mud, Tree Of Life).

Dark Places tells the story of Libby Day (Theron), a woman who, at the age of 7, survives the massacre of her family and testifies against her brother as the murderer. Twenty-five years later, a group obsessed with solving...

It.s strange how a television character can forever change someone.s concept of an actor. Despite being one of the only people on True Blood I had even heard of before the show began, Anna Paquin is the only person from that show whose on-screen character.s ridiculous accent can no longer be separated from her other cinematic performances. Even when I see her earlier, younger performances, I can't stop thinking about Sookie Stackhouse. It.s my cross to bear, and I.ll soon have another chance to finally get over it. Paquin.s next film is the true story crime drama Free Ride, the directorial and screenwriting debut for Shana Betz, whose own past was the inspiration for the film. Deadline reports Phase 4 Films has acquired the U.S. and Canadian rights for Free Ride, which was produced by Casm, the company founded by Paquin and her...

Phase 4 has acquired North American rights to "Free Ride" starring Anna Paquin and directed by Shana Betz. It's the first film produced by Casm, Paquin's production company with Stephen Moyer. Written by Betz and based on her own life story, Paquin stars as a single mother who moves to Florida and gets pulled into the high-stakes drug trade.The drama also stars Cam Gigandet and Drea De Matteo. Producers are Susan Dynner, Cerise Hallam Larkin, Chris Swinney and Paquin; executive producers are Mark Larkin and Moyer.   The deal was negotiated by Phase 4's Larry Greenberg and Katharyn Howe with Paradigm's Nick LoPiccolo and attorney Ron Levin on behalf of the filmmakers. Featured Artists Agency's Brian Dreyfuss reps Betz and was heavily involved in packaging the movie. Cargo Entertainment is handling international sales.

Phase 4 Films has acquired all U.S. and Canadian rights to writer/director Shana Betz’s feature directorial debut Free Ride, starring Anna Paquin and Cam Giganet. In the crime thriller set in the 1970s and based on Betz’ own life story, Paquin plays a single mother who moves to Florida with her daughters in search of a better life only to get pulled into the high-stakes drug-trade business. Photos: Star-Studded Jury Lands in Cannes The cast also includes Drea De Matteo, Liana Liberato, Jeff Hephner, Brit Morgan and Ava Acres. The film was produced by Susan Dynner,

read more...

Phase 4 Films acquired all U.S. and Canadian rights to writer-director Shana Betz’s feature directorial debut Free Ride. The film stars Anna Paquin, Cam Gigandet, Drea De Matteo, Liana Liberato, Jeff Hephner, Brit Morgan and Ava Acres. Scripted by Betz, the film is produced by Susan Dynner, Cerise Hallam Larkin, Chris Swinney and Paquin, and executive produced by Mark Larkin and Stephen Moyer. This is the first film production from Paquin and Moyer’s new production company Casm. Phase 4 will release the film later this year in theaters and on demand. Paquin and Moyer star together in HBO’s True Blood. Set in the 1970s and based on her life story, Betz’s accomplished directorial debut is a provocative crime thriller: Paquin plays a single mother who moves to Florida with her daughters in search of a better life but gets pulled into the high-stakes drug-trade business. Related:...

Tags: Morning BrewOrange is the New BlackRachel MaddowJenji KohanEllen DeGeneresJason CollinsKarina IglesiasIMDbAnna Paquin

Good morning! Can you even believe it's the last day of April already?

On her show yesterday, Ellen DeGeneres congratulated NBA player Jason Collins on his coming out.

The mom of a lesbian doesn't understand why her daughter wants to address her wedding invitations in a feminist fashion. You Don't Understand Me And You Never Will! *Stomps off, slams bedroom door.*

I'm so excited to tell you guys that Netflix has announced a premiere date for Orange is the New Black. The women's-prison based series will roll out on Thursday, July 11. From the press release:

“With Orange is the New Black, Jenji Kohan has created a dramatic yet deeply funny world populated with unforgettable characters and no-holds-barred humor set against the backdrop of a women’s prison,” said Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer for Netflix. “Jenji is...

Breaking: Cargo Entertainment has acquired international rights to Free Ride, a Shana Betz-directed crime drama that stars Anna Paquin and Twilight Saga‘s Cam Gigandet. True Blood star Paquin plays a single mom who moves to Florida with her daughters to try and make a better life but gets caught up in the drug-trade business in the late 1970s. Gigandet plays Paquin’s love interest. Betz, who’s making her directorial debut, wrote the script based on her own life story. The film also stars Liana Liberato, Ava Acres, Drea De Matteo, Jeff Hephner and Paquin’s True Blood cohort Brit Morgan. Cerise Hallam Larkin, Susan Dynner, and Paquin are producing and Mark Larkin and Stephen Moyer are exec producers. Lindsay called Betz’s story “riveting and awe-inspiring.” Paradigm’s Nick LoPiccolo brokered the deal with Ronald J. Levin and Cargo’s Mark Lindsay and Marina Grasic, and Featured Artists Agency...

It's a boy for Cam Gigandet!

The "Burlesque" hunk, 30, and his fiancee, Dominique Geisendorff, have welcomed their second child, the actor's rep confirmed to JustJared.

The baby, named Rekker Radley Gigandet, was born on January 23 and weighed in at 9.9 pounds, according to the website.

Cam and Dominique also have a daughter together, Everleigh Rae, age 3.

In addition to becoming a second-time daddy, Cam has numerous film projects in the works including "Red Sky" (with Rachel Leigh Cook and Shane West), "Free Ride" (co-starring "True Blood's" Anna Paquin), and "In The Blood," an ...

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Cam Gigandet is already a hot papa once over, but now he and long-time lady love Dominique Geisendorff are awaiting baby number two!

Just Jared confirmed that Gigandet and Geisendorff are now expecting a new little sibling for their three-year-old daughter Everleigh Rae, who was born shortly after Gigandet hit the big screen as the bad-vamp James in 2008's "Twilight."

The couple were reportedly on-and-off-again before their first-born came along, and they have yet to tie the knot despite a long-time engagement since her first pregnancy (though he has referred to her as his "wife" in the past). Perhaps the second bundle will give them the push they need to head down the aisle at long last.

Gigandet has been known to be quite gushy when it comes to talking about little Everleigh and fatherhood at large. He told GQ last year that his social life revolves around her, saying,...

Pacific Coast News

Red, white and baby!

Cam Gigandet and longtime love Dominique Geisendorff are expecting their second child, JustJared.com confirms.

The couple, who were spotted strolling on the beach in Malibu, Calif. on Wednesday, are already parents to daughter Everleigh Rae, 3.

Gigandet, 29, can next be seen in the film Free Ride, costarring Anna Paquin, and will soon appear in Red Sky and Code Name: Geronimo as well.

Related: Family Photo: Cam Gigandet’s Shady Ladies

Pacific Coast News

– Sarah Michaud...

True Blood Anna Paquin spotted filming new drug drama movie in Miami yesterday. True Blood,Sookie Starlet Anna Paquin was recently spotted,looking pretty sexy on a boat in Miami,Florida yesterday,November 17th to shoot new movie scenes with co-star Cam Gigandet. Anna sported some tight clothing on the boat as the weather is always nice out there. According to sources, Anna and Cam filmed the scenes while their fans and paparazzi just stood their,watching them,and took snap shots. As for the new flick, it's titled "Free Ride," and it sounds like it's a drama involving drugs as it tells the story of an abused single mother in the 1970s who moves her daughters to Florida to make a new life for themselves. Unfortunately, the mother gets caught up in the Florida drug trade and all kinds of craziness goes down. It sounds like Anna can't get...

Since his great turn back in The O.C. as Volchok in days gone by, Cam Gigandet has been getting some pretty great screen-time, even if some of his films haven’t found the recognition they deserve.

He was great in Never Back Down back in 2008, and had an entertaining part in last year’s Emma Stone-starrer Easy A (if you’re a John Hughes fan, I highly recommend this film), and starred alongside Paul Bettany in Priest this year, which I thought was much better than its box office takings reflect.

Variety are now reporting that Gigandet is set to join indie film, Free Ride, which is to be led by Anna Paquin, of True Blood/X-Men/The Piano fame – the last of which won her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

“Based on a true story, “Free Ride” finds Paquin playing an abused single mother who moves to...

Variety is reporting more casting news for our first bad boy vampire, Cam Gigandet. Cam has just been cast in Free Ride, a film where he’ll star opposite of Anna Paquin (Sookie in True Blood). Read below for all the details:

“Twilight” thesp Cam Gigandet is set to join “True Blood” star Anna Paquin in Shana Sosin’s indie drama “Free Ride.”

Pic marks the first production for Paquin’s production company Scamp, whose other principals include Cerise Hallam Larkin, Mark Larkin and Paquin’s husband and “True Blood” co-star Stephen Moyer.

Based on a true story, “Free Ride” finds Paquin playing an abused single mother who moves to Florida with her daughters amid the colorful yet turbulent culture of the late 1970s.

Gigandet will play Paquin’s love interest. Pic co-stars Drea De Matteo (“The Sopranos”), Liana Liberato (“Trust”), Ava Acres (“Five”), Jeff Hephner (Starz’s “Boss”) and another “True Blood” thesp, Brit Morgan.

Read the full story at Variety here.

Go Cam! He’s been quite the busy guy since his days in Twilight.

What do you think of Cam starring opposite of Anna Paquin? Does this sound like a movie you’d watch?...

[1] Ben Stiller is set to star in the supernatural comedy RentaGhost, which Fox has recently acquired from Warner Bros. In its WB incarnation, Russell Brand was slated to play the lead. Written by Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant (Night at the Museum), RentaGhost revolves around a recently deceased man who decides to be more productive in his afterlife than he was during his regular life. He launches a service which allows living folk to rent ghosts and other paranormal beings. The story is based on a children's BBC series than ran from 1976 to 1984. Stiller's been keeping fairly busy as of late. His next onscreen appearance will be in next month's Tower Heist, directed by Brett Ratner. He is currently filming Neighborhood Watch with Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill, and is slated to reunite with his Greenberg director Noah Baumbach for While We're Young. [Variety [2]] After the jump, two vampire franchise stars find non-vampire love,...