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Sunday, January 31, 2016

PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT ON WGN'S HISTORICAL SERIES 'UNDERGROUND' WITH CHRISTOPHER MELONI, ALDIS HODGE, JUSSIE SMOLLETT, MARC BLUCAS, JAMES LAFERTY! TRAILER & POSTERS

'UNDERGROUND' EPIC SERIES 
POSTERS AND FIRST TRAILER
One of the new historical television series we are expecting to watch this year UNDERGROUND has just received its first trailer and also some new character posters. Depicting a tumultuous period in American history it will star airing at WGN America on Wednesday March 9th!

A ROAD TO FREEDOM

Set in a desperate and dangerous time, WGN America’s UNDERGROUND tells the story of revolutionaries of the Underground Railroad who use their ingenuity, power and perseverance to attempt the greatest escape in history despite the dire consequences that awaited them on the other side. The provocative and compelling series focuses on a group of courageous men and women who band together for the fight of their lives — for their families, their future and their freedom.  In the main focus is a group of plantation slaves planning a daring 600-mile escape from a Georgia plantation. Along the way, they are aided by a secret abolitionist couple running a station on the UNDERGROUND Railroad as they attempt to evade the people charged with bringing them back, dead or alive.

CHRISTOPHER MELONI AND JUSSIE SMOLLETT IN THE CAST
 Produced by Akiva Goldsman, and set to premiere sometime early next year, UNDERGROUND stars  Aldis Hodge, Jurnee Smollett Bell, Christopher Meloni (as August, a secretive mercenary who walks a tightrope between survival and morality), Alano Miller (as a charismatic slave on the plantation who is despised and feared by the other slaves), Jessica de Gouw and Amirah Vann (as head house slave, who is an expert in navigating the upstairs/downstairs life on the plantation ) whose characters are trying to reach freedom in different ways! The series also stars EMPIRE superstar Jussie Smollett (as wild-eyed runaway who doesn’t trust anyone, not even those stationed along the way who would try to help him), ONE TREE HILL star and director James Laferty (as a U.S. marshal who is intent on enforcing the Fugitive Slave Act.), Marc Blucas (as abolitionist lawyer who will break the laws he’s sworn to uphold in order to serve a greater good.), Adina Porter (as a strong wife and mother who first gives voice to the song in which the runners will find clues to help guide them to freedom), Chris Backus, Johnny Ray Gill, Chris Chalk, Reed Diamond (as affable owner of a very large and successful Georgia plantation and a loving family man), Theodus Crane, Renwick Scott. John Legend will oversee the music in the series after winning an Oscar last year for his song in SELMA movie.

Saturday, January 30, 2016

NETFLIX ORDERS 'GILMORE GIRLS' FINAL SEASON, CW EPIC 'TRANSYLVANIA' AND MARS SET SERIES. CBS ORDERS 'THE GREAT INDOORS' SITCOM, SKY ONE 'LAST DRAGONSLAYER' EPIC TV MOVIE

'GILMORE GIRLS' GET
FAREWELL SEASON AT NETFLIX
An avalanche of TV news today, lead by the main info that Netflix will officially do a final season of GILMORE GIRLS in the form of four 90 minute TV movies (each set in a different season of the year) with almost all of the original cast returning (lead by Lauren Graham, Scott Patterson and Alexis Bledel)!

NEW CW PILOTS
EPIC 'TRAN SYLVANIA'
CW has ordered two high concept TV series pilots. The first one is one I mentioned before TRANSYLVANIA. Set in the 1880, it centres on a headstrong young woman in search of her missing father who ventures from NYC to Transylvania where she teams up with a wrongfully disgraced Scotland Yard Detective, and together they witness the births of the most famous monsters and villains in history. 
SF MARS SERIES
They have also ordered an untitled MARS sf series pilot written by REIGN's Doris Egan, following a team of explorers who arrive on Mars to join the first human colony on the planet, only to discover that their predecessors have vanished. Led by a woman whose husband is among the missing, the colonists are forced to change their mission from exploration and settlement to investigation and survival, while navigating the hostile planet and their own personal demons!

CBS ORDERS 'THE GREAT INDOORS' TV COMEDY PILOT
CBS has meanwhile ordered a pilot for new multi camera sitcom THE GREAT INDOORS about an adventure reporter who must adapt to the times when he becomes the boss to a group of millennials in the digital department of the magazine
SKY 1 ORDERS 'THE LAST DRAGON SLAYER' EPIC TV MOVIE
Meanwhile, across the sea, British Sky 1 will turn Jasper Fforde's epic fantasy novel THE LAST DRAGONSLAYER into a TV movie set in a world where magic exists in a weakened form, and has been replaced with modern technology - for instance magic carpets are used to deliver pizzas. Better than drones. The story focuses on 15-year-old Jennifer Strange, who runs an employment agency for magicians and finds out that the last dragon is being hunted.

Friday, January 29, 2016

RICKY WHITTLE TO LEAD 'AMERICAN GODS' TV SERIES! ABC ORDERS SCOTT FOLEY'S 'TOAST' SITCOM! 'KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS' ANIMATED TRAILER AND POSTERS

RICKY WHITTLE TO LEAD
'AMERICAN GODS' TV SERIES
In today's television news, a casting info from Starz where they're turning Neil Gaiman's AMERICAN GODS into a TV series. The first to join the cast is THE 100 star Ricky Whittle set to play Shadow Moon! The story depicts a war brewing between old and new gods: the traditional gods of mythological roots from around the world steadily losing believers to an upstart pantheon of gods reflecting society’s modern love of money, technology, media, celebrity and drugs. Its protagonist, Shadow Moon is an ex-con who becomes bodyguard and travelling partner to Mr. Wednesday, a conman but in reality one of the older gods, on a cross-country mission to gather his forces in preparation to battle the new deities.

ABC ORDERS 'TOAST'
SCOTT FOLEY SITCOM PILOT
ABC has, meanwhile, ordered a pilot for multicamera TV comedy series TOAST coming from Shonda Rhimes and written by one of her fave actors Scott Foley but I'm not sure yet if he will star in it as well. The hybrid sitcom revolves around engaged couple Max and Paige who, over their wedding rehearsal dinner, have their eclectic family and friends give toasts recalling anecdotes about the couple — but flashbacks reveal that the toasts don’t always get it right, as we watch the true story of their complicated, funny and relatable road to marriage.

'KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS'
NEW TRAILER AND POSTERS
You can also check out brand new posters and a new trailer for upcoming animated movie KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS out this October!  The epic adventure set in a fantastical Japan follows kindhearted Kubo (Art Parkinson) who ekes out a humble living, telling stories to the people of his seaside town including Hosato (George Takei), Hashi (Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa) and Kamekichi (Brenda Vaccaro). But his relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally summons a spirit from his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an age-old vendetta. Now on the run, Kubo joins forces with Monkey (Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Matthew McConaughey), and sets out on a thrilling quest to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known. With the help of his shamisen - a magical musical instrument - Kubo must battle gods and monsters, including the vengeful Moon King (Ralph Fiennes) and the evil twin Sisters (Rooney Mara) to unlock the secret of his legacy, reunite his family and fulfill his heroic destiny.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

FAMILY FRIENDLY TRAILERS FOR 'NINE LIVES' WITH KEVIN SPACEY, ROBBIE AMELL, 'TROLLS' WITH JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, GWEN STEFANI, ANNA KENDRICK! JOHN BARROWMAN JOINS 'REIGN' EPIC TV SERIES

JOHN BARROWMAN
TO GUEST STAR IN 'REIGN'
The main piece of television news today is coming to us from CW and their popular historical saga REIGN. When it returns from its winter sleep, to which it just went, sometime this spring it will have an addition of John Barrowman in the cast! With King Francis dead and Catherine de Medici regaining regency, Mary Queen of Scots will have to return to Scotland where she will come face to face with the person responsible for Francis’ death. John Barrowman will guest star in REIGN’s penultimate episode this season as Munro, a dangerous and charismatic Scottish clan leader who harbours a sinister grudge against the Queen of Scots. Returning to Scotland Mary will find herself in the presence of the man who cost her the love of her life.

'TROLLS' TRAILER
 WITH JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 
We're family friendly today with two new trailers, beginning with DreamWorks' TROLLS animated movie video! Anna Kendrick lends voice to Poppy, the optimistic leader of the Trolls, and Justin Timber lake to her polar opposite is Branch! Together, Poppy and Branch must embark on an adventure that takes them far beyond the only world they've ever known. TROLLS also has Gwen Stefani, James Corden, Russell Brand, Ron Funches in the voice cast. This crazy comedy extravaganza with incredible music comes to theatres November 4, 2016!


'NINE LIVES' TRAILER
KEVIN SPACEY & ROBBIE AMELL
Equally delightful is the first trailer for crazy family comedy movie coming out this August NINE LIVES from EuropaCorp starring Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Garner, Malina Weissman, Cheryl Hines, Christopher Walken and Robbie Amell! It is the story of a stuffy daredevil billionaire who finds himself trapped inside the body of his family's cat. If any hope exists of returning to his family as the husband and father they deserve, Tom will have to learn why he has been placed in this peculiar situation and the great lengths he must go to earn back his human existence.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

ADAM BRODY, MARTIN FREEMAN TO LEAD 'START UP' TV SERIES! CBS ORDERS NEW KEVIN JAMES SITCOM! 'THE CALL UP' SCIENCE FICTION MOVIE TRAILER

'START UP' TV SERIES
ADAM BRODY & MARTIN FREEMAN
Not much to report today, just some TV news, starting with Adam Brody being cast to lead Crackle's new TV series START UP with Martin Freeman! Edi Gathegi and Otmara Marrero also star in the ten episode series that explores what happens when a brilliant, yet controversial tech idea gets incubated on the wrong side of the tracks by three strangers who don’t necessarily fit the mold of “tech entrepreneurs.” Set amongst the unconstrained, yet opportunist streets of Miami START UP features the high-stakes struggle of what one will do to reach ultimate success. Freeman will be an FBI agent and Brody a man who uses his father's ill gotten money for a tech start up with a goal to change the world.

CBS ORDERS NEW
KEVIN JAMES SITCOM
In sitcom news, CBS is rounding up the cast for their new untitled multi camera comedy series with Kevin James. He will play a newly retired police officer who looks forward to spending more quality time with his wife and three kids — only to discover he faces much tougher challenges at home than he ever did on the streets. MELISSA AND JOEY's Taylor Spreitler will play Kendra, James’ once over achieving, people pleasing, daddy’s girl whose been radicalised by college and now has her own independence and point of view.

'THE CALL UP' SF TRAILER
PLAY TO SURVIVE!
The only trailer I have for you today is for sf action movie THE CALL UP!  When a group of elite online gamers each receive a mysterious invitation to trial new virtual reality video game, it’s a dream come true and impossible to resist. Arriving at the test site, the group members step into hi-tech gear and prepare for a revolutionary gaming experience that brings modern warfare to life with frightening realism. At first it’s a unique and exhilarating experience. But what starts out like a dream encounter with cutting edge technology quickly takes a turn for the sinister. Once they are attacked by enemy combatants, the player soon realizes this is no game after all. Make a mistake here, and you pay with your life. Now these masters of the shoot ‘em up will have to fight for survival within a game gone bad, but this time it’s for real.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

FIRST PHOTOS FROM PERIOD SET MOVIES 'LOVE & FRIENDSHIP' WITH KATE BECKINSALE, CHLOE SEVIGNY, 'TULIP FEVER' WITH DANE DEHAAN, ALICIA VIKANDER, JUDI DENCH, CHRISTOPH WALZ, MATTHEW MORRISON, JACK O'CONNELL, HOLLIDAY GRAINGER

'LOVE & FRIENDSHIP' PHOTOS
WITH KATE BECKINSALE
It's been an extremely slow week so far in the movie business, so I will entertain you today with something I've dug out recently: the first photos from two of the upcoming period set movies. Starting with the first poster and some photos from Kate Beckinsale's LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP which is premièring at Sundance this month.
Directed by Whit Stillman, and also starring Chloe Sevigny, Stephen Fry and Xavier Samuel, LOVE & FRIENDSHIP, an adaptation of a Jane Austen short story, revolves around beautiful widow Lady Susan Vernon, who has come to the estate of her in-laws to wait out colourful rumours about her dalliances circulating through polite society. While there, she decides to secure a husband for herself and her rather reluctant debutante daughter, Frederica. Two young men, handsome Reginald DeCourcy and wealthy Sir James Martin, severely complicate her plans.

'TULIP FEVER' PHOTOS
ALICIA VIKANDER & CHRISTOPH WALTZ IN STAR STUDDED MOVIE
Meanwhile, another period set movie we've been announcing for what seems at least five years now TULIP FEVER finally has some photos released revealing lead actors Alicia Vikander and Christoph Waltz, and also prince Harry's ex girlfriend Cressida Bonas. Set in 17th century Amsterdam, the adaptation of Deborah Moggach novel, follows an artist (Dane DeHaan) who falls for a married young woman (Alicia Vikander) when he's commissioned to paint her portrait by her husband (Christoph Waltz). The pair then invest in the risky tulip market in the hope of building a future together. Dame Judi Dench also joins the cast together with Matthew Morrison and Tom Hollander, Jack O’Connell, Holliday Grainger. Dench will play the Abbess of St. Ursula’s, a rescuer of orphan children, and Morrison will play a drunken bohemian artist.

Monday, January 25, 2016

MEGA MASSIVE NEW 'WARCRAFT' EPIC FANTASY TEASER WITH TRAVIS FIMMEL, DOMINIC COOPER, BEN FOSTER! PLUS STUNNING NEW PHOTOS!

'WARCRAFT' EPIC MOVIE
MINDBLOWING TV SPOT IS HERE
Now, I don't know about you, but HOLLYWOOD SPY's most anticipated movie this year is definitely epic fantasy WARCRAFT and it just got an exciting new TV spot! Hitting theatres June 10th and starring Travis Fimmel as warrior Anduin Lothar, Ben Foster as wizard Medivh, Paula Patton as Orc Garona, Dominic Cooper as King Llane, Toby Kebbell, Robert Kazinsky and Daniel Wu, the visually breathtaking big screen adaptation of legendary Blizzard Entertainment video game, set in the magical land of Azeroth in the middle of the battle between the Horde and the Alliance, is directed by Duncan Jones! The special effects are so cutting edge that the post production took record breaking 20 months! The orcs are done by motion capture and have their own dialect developed specially for the movie.

TWO WORLDS, ONE HOME
The peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: Orc warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another. As a portal opens to connect the two worlds, one army faces destruction and the other faces extinction. From opposing sides, two heroes are set on a collision course that will decide the fate of their family, their people and their home. So begins a spectacular saga of power and sacrifice in which war has many faces, and everyone fights for something. Click on the photos to see them massive!

Sunday, January 24, 2016

PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT ON BBC & AMC MINI TV SERIES 'THE NIGHT MANAGER' WITH TOM HIDDLESTON, HUGH LAURIE, OLIVIA COLMAN, RUSSELL TOVEY, TOM HOLLANDER

'THE NIGHT MANAGER'
TOM HIDDLESTON SERIES
Now, you know we don't do much crime shows here at the HOLLYWOOD SPY's but this is Hiddles we're talking about, so I'm sure you will understand! Earlier this weekend BBC has unleashed the first trailer for their upcoming new seriesTHE NIGHT MANAGER starring our dearest ever Tom Hiddleston! The small screen adaptation of John Le Carre's novel will air in UK next month and in USA in April with a rather stunning cast which besides Hiddles also includes another of our beloved faves Russell Tovey, then Hugh Laurie, Tobias Menzies, Olivia Colman, Tom Hollander, David Harewood and Katherine Kelly.

THE DEEPER YOU GO, THE DARKER IT GETS
The six episode mini series, which is to premiere first at Berlin Film Festival this year, the first television adaptation of a le Carré novel in more than 20 years, will bring together love, loss and revenge in a complex story of modern criminality. The eagerly anticipated series follows former British soldier Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) who is recruited by an intelligence operative named Burr (Olivia Colman) to navigate the shadowy recesses of Whitehall and Washington where an unholy alliance operates between the intelligence community and the secret arms trade. To infiltrate the inner circle of lethal arms dealer Richard Onslow Roper (Hugh Laurie), which includes girlfriend Jed (Elizabeth Debicki) and an associate named Corcoran (Tom Hollander), Pine must himself become a criminal.

Saturday, January 23, 2016

DAVID SCHWIMMER, JIM STURGESS TO LEAD 'FEED THE BEAST' TV SERIES! NBC ORDERS 'GOOD FORTUNE' SITCOM AIRS 'CROWDED' ON SUNDAYS! ABC ORDERS 'STILL STAR CROSSED' ROMEO AND JULIET SEQUEL TV SERIES


AMC'S 'FEED THE BEAST'
SERIES TO STAR DAVID SCHWIMMER AND JIM STURGESS
Beside the news that David Bowie's LABYRINTH is getting a reboot and that McG might direct new MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, other news comes from the TV world! FRIENDS' David Scwimmer and movie star Jim Sturgess will lead new AMC's series FEED THE BEAST!
Based on Danish series BANKEROT, the ten episode series will see the two of them playing best friends, Tommy Moran (David Schwimmer), and Dion Patras (Jim Sturgess), who take one last shot at their dream of opening a restaurant. They push each other, welcome love into their lives and overcome their demons. They also betray, backstab, manipulate and coerce each other into the most dangerous situations imaginable!

 'STILL STAR CROSSED' 
GETS PILOT ORDER BY ABC
Meanwhile, a project I've announced last year has been officially ordered for a pilot by ABC! Shondaland and ABC will try to turn Melinda Taub's bestselling book STILL STAR CROSSED into potential TV series. As a sort of a Romeo and Juliet sequel and set in 16th century Verona, it picks up where Shakespeare’s story left off, charting the treachery, palace intrigue and ill-fated romances of the Montagues and Capulets in the wake of the young lovers’ tragic fate. In the book, to end the family feud, Prince Escalus orders the most eligible Montague bachelor, Benvolio, Romeo’s best friend, to marry Juliet’s older cousin, Capulet maid Rosaline, the girl Romeo first loved.

NBC'S NEW TV COMEDIES
'CROWDED' & 'GOOD FORTUNE'
Beside moving THE CARMICHAEL SHOW and new sitcom CROWDED into Sunday evenings from March, NBC has also ordered a pilot for multicamera sitcom GOOD FORTUNE an ensemble comedy that focuses on a hyper structured young woman whose life is upended when she starts taking advice from a mysterious fortune teller. CROWDED is also a multicamera sitcom: After 20 years of parenting, empty nesters Mike (Patrick Warburton) and Martina (Carrie Preston) are finally reclaiming their wild side. Yet when both of their two grown daughters unexpectedly move back in, and Mike’s parents scratch their plans to spend their golden years in Florida, their roost is full again.
From executive producer Sean Hayes, this new (and very timely) family comedy proves that life is crazy with a full house, especially the second time around.

Friday, January 22, 2016

'HOLLOW CROWN: WAR OF ROSES' TEASER WITH BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH, JUDI DENCH! STEVEN SPIELBERG'S 'BIG FRIENDLY GIANT' GETS BRAND NEW POSTER!

STEVEN SPIELBERG'S 'THE BFG'
 GETS BRAND NEW POSTER!
Today you can check out the very first and rather delightful poster for Steven  Spielberg's THE BFG or THE BIG FRIENDLY GIANT with little Ruby Barnhill and Mark Rylance (or his massive foot). Out this July, the adventure is set in a world where little orphan Queen Sophie and her tall friend have to wrangle rampaging giants.


HOLLOW CROWN: WAR OF ROSES
  FIRST TEASER WITH JUDI DENCH, BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH 
In video department, BBC Two has released the first teaser for the new series in their HOLLOW CROWN saga, this time THE WAR OF ROSES coming soon to the small screens. As the part of Shakespeare festival, celebrating the 400th anniversary of the bard's death, the three part series will bring new adaptations of  HENRY VI in two TV films and RICHARD III as one, describing rebellion in France, Civil War in England, rise and fall of Joan Of Arc! Benedict Cumberbatch, Judi Dench, Tom Sturidge will be wearing crowns together with the supporting cast which includes Hugh Bonneville, Keeley Hawes and Sally Hawkins!

Thursday, January 21, 2016

KEVIN SPACEY & NICHOLAS HOULT IN 'REBEL IN THE RYE' SALINGER BIOPIC! THEO JAMES TO JOIN BEN KINGSLEY IN 'BACKSTABBING FOR BEGINNERS'! 'BACKTRACK' TRAILER WITH ADRIEN BRODY, SAM NEILL

'REBEL IN THE RYE
SALINGER BIOPIC WITH NICHOLAS HOULT AND KEVIN SPACEY
We're having a veteran star working with a younger actor day today! If you like literature you might find this one interesting: Oscar Winner Kevin Spacey has joined Nicholas Hoult in REBEL IN THE RYE biopic on J.D. Salinger! With young Nicholas playing the writer himself, Spacey will portray Whit Burnett, a professor at Columbia University and editor of Story Magazine who became an early mentor to the writer and became the first to truly challenge him and broaden his horizons as a storyteller. The film itself depicts how, after his rebellious youth and the bloody front lines of World War II, Salinger soared to the heights of the literary world but left it all behind for a life of seclusion.

BACKSTABBING FOR BEGINNERS 
THEO JAMES & BEN KINGSLEY?
Meanwhile, another young guy we like, Theo James is in early talks to join Ben Kingsley in BACKS TABBING FOR BEGINNERS the movie adaptation of Michael Soussan's memoirs. 'Deadline' reports that he would play Michael, a young idealist who lands his dream job as a program coordinator for the UN’s Oil for Food program. He is thrown into an already fraught post-war Iraq where government agents and power hungry Western countries are circling the country’s oil reserves like sharks. He seeks answers from the one person he thinks he can trust, Pasha (Kingsley), his boss, a seasoned diplomat. The more Michael learns, however, the more he suspects a conspiracy at the highest level. The only way out will be to expose it all — risking his own life, his mentor’s career, and the life of the Kurdish woman he loves.

'BACKTRACK' TRAILER
 ADRIEN BRODY & SAM NEILL
And the last in our theme today - a mix of Adrien Brody and Sam Neill in the first trailer for BACKTRACK thriller in which Brody plays psychologist Peter Bower whose life is thrown into turmoil when he discovers that the patients he has been seeing are ghosts. Risking his own sanity, Peter delves into his past to uncover a terrifying secret which only he can put right. BACKTRACK is a spine-chilling story from the acclaimed writer-director, Michael Petroni out in UK next week!