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If the only stand-up comedy specials you’d ever watched came out in 2024, you might think there are only two kinds: ones that are about being a parent, and ones that are about never being a parent. Are you the kind of comic who’s figured out how to talk about your kids without seeming like you just walked out of a Jim Belushi sitcom, or the kind who’s had to defend your choice not to continue your family name? You have to decide, dammit, Deciiiiiiiide.

If you haven’t checked in with Ilana Glazer in a while, you might be surprised and possibly even a little alarmed to learn that they’ve ended up on the parent side of the divide. But the most astonishing trick in their new special, Human Magic — considering that it opens with a joke about sleep deprivation causing them cognitive decline — is how...

Scarlett Johansson has left no stone unturned when it comes to impressing her audience. From Black Widow to Lucy, she has a number of iconic characters under her belt, which she brought to life with utmost perfection. However, she’s only human and sometimes, she’s gonna mess up. The 2017 comedy, Rough Night, is a good example of this. Directed by Lucia Aniello, the film tells the story of a harmless bachelorette party gone wrong.

Lucia Aniello’s Rough Night (2017) | Credits: Sony Pictures Releasing

Not only did the film flop at the box office, but it also received negative feedback from fans and critics alike. While the story might remind you of other popular films in Hollywood, Lucia Aniello once revealed that her inspiration was a more serious film that inspired her to create Rough Night. Unfortunately, she aimed a bit too high with this one.

Scarlett Johansson Had a...

Tubi, Fox’s free streaming service, has announced its list of October titles. The Tubi October 2024 slate features new Tubi Originals and numerous action, art house, Black cinema, comedy, documentary, drama, horror, kids and family, romance, sci-fi and fantasy, thriller, and Western titles.

As a leading ad-supported video-on-demand service, the company engages diverse audiences through a personalized experience and the world’s largest content library: over 200,000 movies and TV episodes, a growing collection of Tubi Originals, and nearly 250 Fast channels.

You can watch the Tubi October 2024 lineup for free on Android and iOS mobile devices, Amazon Echo Show, Google Nest Hub Max, Comcast Xfinity X1, and Cox Contour.

You can also watch the service on connected television devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Vizio TVs, Sony TVs, Samsung TVs, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and on the Tubi site.

Tubi Originals

Documentary

Famously Haunted:...

Ilana Glazer has set a new comedy special titled “Human Magic” at Hulu.

“Human Magic” was taped at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre in Toronto in May of this year during Glazer’s 48-city tour across the U.S. and Canada. This is their second stand-up special, following “Ilana Glazer: The Planet Is Burning,” which debuted on Amazon Prime Video in 2020 and saw them discuss their “thoughts on homophobes and Nazis, how crappy women’s razors are and what a joke the patriarchy is.”

Glazer is best known for “Broad City,” the Comedy Central series they co-created, co-showran and co-starred in with Abbi Jacobson. After debuting as a webseries, “Broad City” ran on Comedy Central for five seasons. In film, Glazer’s credits include co-writing and starring in Pamela Adlon’s 2024 comedy “Babes” and John Lee’s 2021 horror “False Positive.” They also played roles in “Broad City” executive...

Hulu announced on Tuesday that Human Magic, a new stand-up special from Ilana Glazer, is set to premiere on the streamer on December 20, launching on Disney+ internationally.

The special marks Glazer’s second on the heels of The Planet Is Burning, which premiered on Prime Video in early 2020. She taped it at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre in Toronto in early May, after touring the hour in every corner of the country, playing 52 shows across 48 cities in the U.S. and Canada.

Jeff Tomsic directed the special, with Rotten Science and Glazer’s Starrpix producing.

An Emmy-nominated comedian, actor, writer and producer, Glazer is coming off of co-writing, producing and starring in Babes, the acclaimed pregnancy comedy directed by Pamela Adlon, which Neon released in May. Best known for co-creating and starring opposite Abbi Jacobson in the hit Comedy Central series Broad City, which ran for five seasons,...

After its disappointing opening weekend at the box office, director Greg Berlanti's 1960s-set Space Race romantic comedy "Fly Me to the Moon" seems practically destined to become a forgotten film that will end up streaming on Apple TV+, where very few people will see it. That's a shame, because after a somewhat rocky opening few minutes, the movie settles into a nice groove and ends up becoming the type of charming, stylish throwback we're always saying we want to see more of. A huge part of the reason for the film's creative success is the casting of Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson in the lead roles; their chemistry is evident, and there's an old-fashioned playfulness to their banter. More importantly, though, the movie gives Johansson the opportunity to do something she's very rarely been allowed to do on screen: have fun. 

Despite being pigeon-holed as a sex symbol, Johansson...

Hulu is giving Shark Week a run for its money this July with not one but seven National Geographic specials dropping on the streaming service at the start of the month. From Shark Beach with Anthony Mackie to Baby Sharks in the City, there are plenty of options for fans of these fearsome finned creatures.

Hulu also has a couple of fun offerings for adult animation fans with the full second season of Marvel’s Hit Monkey dropping on July 15 and Futurama returning for its 12th season on July 29th.

There’s not really anything notable in the way of original movies on Hulu this month, but Aliens, Step Brothers, and (500) Days of Summer are just a few of the noteworthy movies joining the library.

Here’s everything that’s coming to (and leaving) Hulu in July.

Hulu New Releases – July 2024

July 1

Attack of the Red Sea Sharks: Special Premiere...

Zoe Kravitz and Ilana Glazer are reuniting for dinner, seven years after starring together in the comedy Rough Night.

The actresses were seen meeting up for a meal at Zuma restaurant on Monday night (April 1) in New York City.

Rough Night was a raunchy comedy about five best friends from college who reunite 10 years later for a wild bachelorette weekend in Miami. Their hard partying takes a hilariously dark turn when they accidentally kill a male stripper. Amidst the craziness of trying to cover it up, they’re ultimately brought closer together when it matters most.

The movie also starred Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon, and Jillian Bell. Watch the trailer!

Zoe was recently joined by her famous fiance while supporting her dad at his Hollywood Walk of Fame star unveiling ceremony.

If asked to summarize Ilana Glazer’s cultural impact with one moment from her decade in the limelight, most fans wouldn’t hesitate to pick the “Broad City” scene where she dismisses the idea of settling down in her late 20s. “Marriage?” Glazer says with astonishment in a much quoted exchange. “I’m only 27! What am I, a child bride?”

The line has long been a rallying cry for young women who feel unfairly pressured by the traditional milestones of adulthood, and its enduring appeal speaks to the unique niche Glazer carved out for herself. She rose to stardom during the heyday of Lena Dunham’s “Girls,” when a new wave of female comics built loyal fanbases by sharing graphic details about their financial struggles, bodily functions, sex lives, and the general feeling of unpreparedness they all felt for adult responsibilities. Through five seasons of “Broad City” and roles in films like “Rough Night,...

We’ll be seeing more of Kayla and Jimmy in the upcoming third season of Hacks. Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs, who have recurred as the characters since Season 1, have been promoted to series regulars for the upcoming season set for premiere this spring.

Downs, who serves as co-creator, co-showrunner, executive producer, writer and director of Hacks, portrays Deborah and Ava’s manager, Jimmy Lusaque Jr. and Stalter plays his assisant, Kayla Schaeffer. Both have recurred on the Max series since Season 1.

Per the Season 3 logline: A year after parting, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) is riding high off the success of her standup special while Ava (Hannah Einbinder) pursues new opportunities back in Los Angeles.

Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Kaitlin Olson, Christopher McDonald, Mark Indelicato, Rose Abdoo and Lorenza Izzo also star in the new season.

Hacks is created and showrun by Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky. Downs and Aniello...

“Hacks” has promoted both Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs to series regular status for Season 3, Variety has learned exclusively.

Downs plays Deborah and Ava’s manager, Jimmy Lusaque Jr., while Stalter plays Jimmy’s assistant, Kayla Schaeffer. Both have appeared on the show since Season 1 of the Max comedy series.

The promotion expands Downs’ role in front of the camera on the show, while he is already a massive presence behind the camera. Downs serves as the co-creator and co-showrunner of “Hacks” in addition to being an executive producer, writer, and director. Aside from “Hacks,” he is also known for starring in the Comedy Central series “Broad City” while also working behind the scenes as a writer, director, and executive producer. His other credits include starring in and co-writing the film “Rough Night” and co-starring in the Netflix comedy “Like Father.”

He is repped by UTA, 3 Arts Entertainment,...

The summer of “Barbie” is here, and Greta Gerwig’s movie starring Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, Issa Rae and many, many more has finally arrived in theaters. Each of the Barbies has different occupations, from author to president to diplomat, while the Kens are just Kens. There is one Allan (Michael Cera), and there are also some human characters.

With such a jam-packed cast you may be wondering where you’ve seen some of these actors before, or maybe just want a complete guide to all the Barbies and Kens. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Margot Robbie’s Barbie dominates the narrative with an adventure to the outside world, and Ryan Gosling’s Ken accompanies her. Several big names like Nicola Coughlan, musician Dua Lipa, the “Sex Education” trio Connor Swindells, Ncuti Gatwa and Emma Mackey and Kate McKinnon (“SNL”) play a variety...

With no new franchise tentpoles coming this weekend, Warner Bros.’ struggling “The Flash” is likely to stay No. 1 despite taking a possibly stiff second weekend drop. But farther down the chart, Focus Features’ “Asteroid City” is looking to give specialty theaters a boost.

This past weekend, “Asteroid City” was released in six theaters in Los Angeles and New York and lifted by writer-director Wes Anderson’s devoted fans to a four-day limited opening of $1 million and a three-day per theater average of $142,230, the highest per-theater average ever for a six-theater release and the highest for any limited release since “La La Land” in December 2016.

By comparison, Anderson’s 2018 film “Isle of Dogs” was released by Searchlight Pictures in 27 theaters and made $1.6 million for a $60,000 average, going on to gross $32 million in North America, while his post-shutdown 2021 followup “The French Dispatch” grossed $1.3 million from 52 theaters for an average of just under...

Warner Bros’ DC pic The Flash, despite tumbling down with a $55M start, will remain atop the box office with a $16.5M-$24.7M second-weekend take as the marketplace largely takes a breath sans tentpoles before Disney/Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny arrives for the Independence Day stretch. That Weekend 2 slide for The Flash reps a 55%-70% decline.

The Flash did $5.2M on Tuesday, -14% from the Juneteenth holiday Monday take of $6.1M. Remember, it’s discount ticket pricing at most theaters on Tuesday, hence the good hold. Running five-day total is $66.4M, 5% ahead of Green Lantern at the same point in time.

Related: ‘No Hard Feelings’ Review: Jennifer Lawrence Leans Into Hard-r Comedy

Sony is hoping to bring comedies back to the screen after they’ve been swallowed up by streaming during the pandemic with the R-rated Gene Stupnitsky-directed No Hard Feelings, starring Jennifer Lawrence.

Exclusive: Good Deed Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Carol Ray Hartsell’s Hamptons-set indie romantic comedy Love … Reconsidered for a Valentine’s Day 2024 release.

Sophie von Haselberg stars as a down-on-her-luck New Yorker whose life is suddenly transferred to the Hamptons after a chance meeting with a wealthy consignment store owner.

“Love… Reconsidered is refreshing and I know audiences will fall in love with this unique cast,” said Gde’s EVP Acquisitions Erik Donley. “This is going to be a perfect film for rom-com fans everywhere.”

The deal was finalized ahead of the Cannes Market and negotiated by Gde’s Donley and Brett Walker, president at Alief with partner Miguel Angel Govea on behalf of the filmmakers.

Other cast members include Colton Haynes, Luke Gulbranson and Elaine Bromka (Uncle Buck).

The film marks Hartsell’s feature debut as a director, after...

Exclusive: UK-French sales company Alief has added Carol Hartsell’s Hamptons-set indie romantic comedy Love… Reconsidered to its Cannes 2023 slate on the eve of the market.

Sophie von Haselberg stars as a down-on-her-luck New Yorker whose life is suddenly transferred to the Hamptons after a chance meeting with a wealthy consignment store owner.

It is the second feature starring Bette Midler’s daughter von Haselberg sold internationally by Alief after it successfully handled Amanda Kramer’s Give Me Pity!

Other cast members include Colton Haynes, Javier Muñoz (Broadway’s Hamilton), Jill Kargman (Odd Mom Out) Marisa Ryan (Wet Hot American Summer), Rosa Gilmore (The Expanse), Luke Gulbranson, Anthony Norman (Mare of Easttown) Judy Gold (Better Things) and Elaine Bromka (Uncle Buck).

The film was scripted by Arielle Haller-Silverstone and loosely inspired by her own experiences when she lost her job during the Covid-...

The Peppermint Club hosts the performance of a lifetime in the music video for “Liquor,” the simmering collaboration from Babyface and Ari Lennox. In the visual directed by Jean Esten, Lennox is the sultry R&b singer taking the stage in front of the club’s bright red velvet curtains while Babyface watches on from behind the bar.

Under the spotlight, Lennox takes centerstage and holds the sparse audience captive with her performance. It’s not unlike her role on Babyface’s Girls Night Out (Extended), a deluxe release of...

Two new masks will debut on the Feb. 22 episode of The Masked Singer: Night Owl and Rock Lobster. The costumed celebrities will compete against Medusa, who won last week’s Queen of The Masked Singer title and kept her identity a secret. Fans caught a glimpse of Night Owl’s voice in a recent preview of the episode, and many are confident that they already know who is behind the mask. Here are the predictions for Night Owl on The Masked Singer.

Night Owl on ‘The Masked Singer’ Season 9 | Fox ‘The Masked Singer’ Season 9 Episode 2 preview teases Night Owl’s voice

The Masked Singer Season 9 Episode 2 will see Rock Lobster, Medusa, and Night Owl perform Abba songs. In a teaser for the episode, fans could see a snippet of Night Owl singing Abba’s “Fernando.” One viewer cropped out the segment with Night Owl’s performance and uploaded it to YouTube,...

Before the NFL’s top teams kick off at Super Bowl Lvii on Feb. 12 in Glendale, Arizona, country singer extraordinaire Chris Stapleton will handle the sometimes daunting tradition of singing the national anthem.

Stapleton follows a handful of country singers to get the honor of singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” for football’s biggest night. In 2022, Mickey Guyton gave a stirring, gospel-inflected rendition. A year earlier, superstar Eric Church was joined by R&b singer Jazmine Sullivan, then enjoying the breakout success of her album Heaux Tales. Several more country artists...

Exclusive: Jillian Bell (Brittany Runs a Marathon) has been tapped to star alongside Eddie Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross in the holiday comedy Candy Cane Lane, which Reginald Hudlin is directing for Amazon.

The plot of the film shooting in Los Angeles, as part of the California Film & Television Tax Credit Program, is under wraps. But its writer, Kelly Younger, based the script on his own childhood holiday experiences. Producers include Murphy and Charisse Hewitt-Webster for Eddie Murphy Productions, and Brian Grazer and Karen Lunder for Imagine Entertainment.

Candy Cane Lane is the first film being made under a three-picture and first-look film deal between Murphy and Amazon Studios and will ultimately stream on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Bell is an Emmy-nominated actress, writer and producer who was previously in business with Prime Video as the exec producer and star of the acclaimed indie Brittany Runs a Marathon,...

Julia Roberts and George Clooney landed at the top of the international box office chart this weekend as Universal/Working Title’s Ticket to Paradise expanded its offshore rollout. Adding 39 markets for a 12.1M session in 46 lifted the overseas cume to 14.8M with several majors still to come; domestic begins on October 21. Collectively, the new markets this session performed above Last Christmas and Yesterday, and in line with The Lost City and Bridget Jones’s Baby.

The reteam of Roberts and Clooney is the second starry romantic comedy to hit cinemas this year, after Paramount’s Sandra Bullock/Channing Tatum adventure The Lost City which ultimately grossed about 191M globally. That film followed a more staggered release pattern overseas, largely debuting after domestic.

While we’re still seeing a dearth of new titles overseas, the current corridor is fertile ground for comedy in some markets, thus the pre-domestic release on the Ol Parker-directed Ticket.

The upcoming Walking Dead spin-off Tales of the Walking Dead is an anthology series, which means that each of the first season’s six episodes will center on different characters that may or may not make appearances in other episodes throughout the season. Because each episode is primarily a self-contained story, actors who may not have the time to commit to a full season arc are able to join this universe. This means that Tales of the Walking Dead has a stacked cast with many familiar faces – some are newcomers to the franchise and others are Walking Dead alums.

Olivia Munn as Evie

Olivia Munn will play Evie in the first episode of the season, who partners with a reclusive doomsday prepper to find their lost loved ones. Munn has an extensive filmography of both genre and comedy work, and worked as a correspondent for The Daily Show from 2010 to...

Actor and comedian Jillian Bell has signed with CAA for representation.

Bell is best known for comedic hits such as “Idiotsitter,” the Comedy Central series which she created and starred in for two seasons, and the critically-acclaimed movie “Brittany Runs a Marathon,” directed by Paul Downs Colaizzo. She most recently starred in “The Drop,” which premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, directed by Sarah Adina Smith.

Other highlights of Bell’s filmography include a standout role in “22 Jump Street” — for which she was nominated for two MTV movie awards as well as a Teen Choice Award. The actor also nabbed the lead role of Eleanor, an unskilled young fairy godmother, in the Disney+ movie “Godmothered,” starring opposite Isla Fisher. Her additional film credits include “Fist Fight,” “Office Christmas Party, “The Night Before,” “Inherent Vice” and “Rough Night,” among comedy and drama titles. On television, Bell has starred in series including “Room 104,...

The Walking Dead, as we know it, is coming to an end.

The sad news was announced in September 2020, but we still have eight episodes of The Walking Dead Season 11 to air (beginning October 2 at 9 p.m. on AMC).

Thankfully, the franchise is more alive than ever, and plenty of spinoffs are on the way.

Scroll down to find out the status of these new series that will usher in the next generation of The Walking Dead.

Tales of the Walking Dead - Premieres August August 14

Have you ever wondered what an episodic anthology would look like with a zombie apocalypse backdrop?

Well, we have good news. Tales of the Walking Dead features a different cast, story, and setting in every episode.

It is described as "six original one-hour standalone episodes focused on both new and established characters within the walker apocalypse."

"Each episode has its own distinct tone and...

Click here to read the full article.

Pamela Adlon has zeroed in on her first post-Better Things project.

The Emmy-winning talent will make her feature directorial debut on an untitled pregnancy comedy for FilmNation Entertainment and Range Media Partners from a script by Ilana Glazer and Josh Rabinowitz.

Broad City breakout Glazer will star in the film playing Eden, an aggressively single woman who, after getting pregnant from a one-night stand, leans on her married best friend and mother of two to guide her through gestation and beyond. Actress, writer and stand-up star Michelle Buteau will play the best friend, Dawn.

Filming is set to begin in July in New York City. Glazer is producing through her Starrpix banner alongside Rabinowitz, Range Media Partners co-founder Susie Fox, and FilmNation’s president of production Ashley Fox. FilmNation, Range and CAA Media Finance are handling U.S. sales of the project with FilmNation also overseeing international.

Exclusive: Emily VanCamp (The Resident), Sebastian Quinn (Dynasty), Enrique Murciano (Panic), Brent Sexton (Long Slow Exhale) and Josh Bowman (Revenge) will round out the cast of Michelle Danner’s courtroom drama, Miranda’s Victim. They join a stacked ensemble led by Abigail Breslin, which also includes Luke Wilson, Andy Garcia, Donald Sutherland, Ryan Phillippe, Mireille Enos, Kyle MacLachlan and Taryn Manning, as previously announced.

The film will tell the true story of Trish Weir (Breslin), who in 1963 was kidnapped and brutally raped by Ernesto Miranda (Quinn). Committed to putting her assailant in prison, Trish’s life is destroyed by America’s legal system as she triggers a law that transforms the nation. Her case notably results in the establishment of the Miranda rights afforded to criminal suspects taken in police custody, to ensure the admissibility of statements made during interrogation, as part of subsequent criminal proceedings.

VanCamp will play Trish...

Kang Soo-youn, who won South Korea’s first acting award from a Big Three film festival when she took home Best Actress honors at the Venice Film Festival, died Saturday, two days after suffering a cardiac arrest. She was 55 and her family said she died of a cerebral hemorrhage at 3 Pm at a hospital in southern Seoul.

The film industry will soon organize a funeral committee led by Kim Dong-ho, former chairperson of the board of the Busan International Film Festival (Biff). Born in Seoul in 1966, she made her acting debut for local broadcaster Tbc at age four, and went on to become a prominent child actor in the country.

At age 21, she reinvented herself as an adult actor, winning the 1987 Best Actress at the Venice International Film Festival for her roles in The Surrogate Womb, directed by Im Kwon-taek. By doing so, she became the first Korean actor to...

Kang Soo-youn, a Korean actor who was a star of 1980s and 1990s film and TV, died on Saturday. She was 55.

She was admitted to hospital in Seoul on Thursday after reportedly suffering a heart attack and being found unconscious. She died in hospital after a cerebral hemorrhage.

Kang was a child star from the 1970s and appeared in multiple films and TV shows in the pre-modern era.

After such a busy start, Kang was ready for a new direction in her career by her twenties. She received it, age 21, when she earned the best actress prize at the 1987 Venice Film Festival for her role in Im Kwon-taek’s “The Surrogate Womb.” Two years later, she won the best actress award in Moscow for another Im title “Come, Come, Come Upward.”

She held a prized place in Korean TV viewers’ affections with roles in coming-of-age drama “Diary of High School Student,...

Earlier this month, the Judds reunited to give their first awards-show performance in two decades, singing the timeless ballad “Love Can Build a Bridge” at the 2022 CMT Music Awards. Tragically, the performance also proved to be their last following Saturday’s shocking news of Naomi Judd’s death at 76.

For their rendition of the 1990 Top 5 hit, Naomi and daughter Wynonna sang face to face on an outdoor stage in front of Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum — the very institution that was to induct them as members this Sunday.

Country Music Hall of Fame inductees the Judds are set to reunite and perform at the 2022 CMT Music Awards. The annual fan-voted event takes place April 11 in Nashville.

It’s been more than 20 years since the mother-daughter duo of Naomi and Wynonna Judd last played an awards show stage. This time they’ll reprise one of their most enduring hits with a rendition of 1990’s “Love Can Build a Bridge.” Singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves will introduce the pair’s performance and reflect on what their music has meant to her.

One...

Chances are, you landed on this review because you’re trying to game your Oscar pool, looking for a clue as to what will win the always-underseen shorts categories — in a year when they were unceremoniously booted from the telecast, no less. Well, if it’s predictions you’re looking for, there’s little contest among this year’s cartoon contenders: Academy favorite Aardman Animations has delivered a delightful frontrunner in “Robin Robin.” But don’t stop reading there! In an unusually adult-leaning year, the traditionally kid-friendly category is well worth watching in its entirety, whether in theaters or on demand, thanks to stalwart distributor ShortsTV.

The program opens with “Robin Robin,” which seems poised to earn Aardman its fifth Oscar. This half-hour Christmas musical was hatched by Dan Ojari and Mikey Please, who joined the Bristol-based studio for the express purpose of co-directing this Netflix holiday special, about a...

Ahead of the Academy Awards, we’ve reviewed every short film in each category: Animation, Documentary, and Live Action.

Animation

Affairs of the Art | UK/Canada | 16 Mins

Fifteen years after the character’s last foray (Dreams & Desires: Family Ties) and 35 years since her debut in Girls Night Out, everyone’s favorite Welsh housewife Beryl (Menna Trussler) is back to narrate a series of anecdotes centered upon her eccentric family while pursuing a new obsession: hyper-futurism. The original team of Joanna Quinn (director and animator) and Les Mills (writer) takes us behind the scenes of their star’s art by showcasing the tireless support of her husband (walking up and down the stairs nude) and her full-tilt embracement of her own body as a paintbrush. More than just her creations and the hoops she puts people through to create them, however, Affairs of the Art seeks to remind us that artistic creation possesses no defined boundaries.

AMC Networks on Wednesday revealed casting for “Tales of the Walking Dead,” the episodic anthology spinoff of “The Walking Dead,” which is set to premiere this summer on AMC and AMC+.

Anthony Edwards, Parker Posey, Terry Crews, Poppy Liu and Jillian Bell will star in standalone episodes featuring both new and established characters set in the world of “The Walking Dead.” Additional cast will be announced later.

“Anthony, Jillian, Terry, Parker, and Poppy are the first wave of singular talents who will further expand the Walking Dead Universe into harrowing, hilarious, heartfelt, and horrifying new realms and we couldn’t be happier to welcome them to the family, along with these terrific directors. More announcements, more wonderful folks to come,” said chief content officer of the Walking Dead Universe and the show’s executive producer, Scott M. Gimple.

Showrunner Channing Powell, who has been a writer and producer on “The...

The “Tales of the Walking Dead” anthology series at AMC has added its first five cast members.

Terry Crews (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), Poppy Liu (“Hacks”), Parker Posey (“Lost in Space”), Anthony Edwards (“Inventing Anna”), and Jillian Bell (“Rough Night”) have all joined the episodic anthology, which will consist of six standalone stories featuring both new and established characters from “The Walking Dead” universe. Details on the characters the five will play are being kept under wraps.

“We’ve worked hard to create unique, interesting and unexpected characters for both old and new Twd fans, and I’m thrilled that these are the actors who will bring them to life. I can’t wait for you to see the depth, drama, terror and, yes, humor they bring to the screen,” said series showrunner Channing Powell.

In addition, Haifaa al-Mansour, Deborah Kampmeier, and Tara Nicole Weyr will each direct an episode of the series.

The initial cast has been announced for Tales of the Walking Dead, AMC’s new spinoff series set in The Walking Dead universe. Anthony Edwards, Parker Posey (Lost In Space), Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Poppy Liu (Dead Ringers) and Jillian Bell (Rough Night) have been tapped to star in the AMC Studios-produced episodic anthology series.

Additionally, Haifaa al-Mansour, Deborah Kampmeier (Star Trek: Picard) and Tara Nicole Weyr have been tapped to direct one episode with series producer Michael Satrazemis set to direct three episodes.

Each one-hour standalone episode of Tales of the Walking Dead will focus on both new and established characters set in the world of the original series. It’s set to premiere this summer on AMC and AMC+.

The series will be executive produced by Scott M. Gimple, chief...

Exclusive: Hacks co-creators Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello are taking to market the first project following their multiple Emmy wins for the HBO Max comedy series. Hot Robot, a half-hour genre comedy written by Genevieve Aniello, is being developed through Downs and Lucia Aniello’s Warner Bros. TV Group-based Paulilu Productions. Lucia Aniello, Emmy winner for directing the Hacks pilot episode, is set to direct Hot Robot, which will be shopped to streamers and cable networks.

Hot Robot follows a jaded young woman whose life is turned upside down when she’s recruited to work on a super-secret AI project by a big brother corporation.

Downs and Lucia Aniello executive produce via Paulilu Productions.

Genevieve Aniello was most recently the showrunner, executive producer and head writer on Gayme Show at Quibi, as well as a staff writer on The Other Two at Comedy Central.

Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs were among the countless couples around the world whose wedding plans in 2020 were up-ended by the pandemic.

The pair, who are co-creators and executive producers of HBO Max “Hacks” with Jen Statsky, wound up postponing the ceremony originally set for May 2020 wedding to September of this year. When the nuptials at Tuscany’s Villa La Foce were rescheduled for Sept. 10, 2021, the two had no idea they’d be rushing back to the States a few days later to snag big Emmy wins for writing and directing Season 1 of the series that has garnered enormous acclaim and another Emmy for star Jean Smart.

The whirlwind of activity on top of the jet lag from the trek to Aniello’s native Italy made the Sept. 19 Primetime Emmy Awards an even more surreal experience that it would have otherwise been. Downs and Aniello have been partners in love and production for 15 years,...

“Heaven: To The Land Of Happiness,” directed by leading South Korean filmmaker Im Sang-soo, has been set at the opening night title of next month’s Busan International Film Festival

The film was previously selected by the Cannes festival for the 2020 edition that was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The screening on native soil will therefore represent its theatrical premiere.

Structured as a road movie, “Heaven: To The Land Of Happiness” is the story of two men, one an escaped prisoner, who accidentally get their hands on a large amount of money and embark on a journey, dreaming of a comfortable ending to their lives.

Festival organizers described the film as “festive and pastoral” and said that “the harmony created from Im Sang-soo’s outstanding directorial power and excellent acting by Choi Min-sik and Park Hae-il ultimately turns the film into an inquiry about happiness that is warm and beautiful like no other.

Warner Bros. Television Group has signed an overall deal with Emmy-nominated Hacks co-creators Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs and their production company Paulilu Productions after a competitive situation. This marks the first overall deal for Paulilu with Wbtvg.

Terms were not disclosed, but Wbtvg reports that Aniello and Downs’ deal is an exclusive, multiyear agreement. Wbtvg will now serve as Paulilu’s exclusive home for all new television ventures.

Under the deal, Aniello and Downs will develop original television programming for all platforms, including WarnerMedia’s HBO Max, external streaming services, cable, and the broadcast networks.

Aniello and Downs said, “We are thrilled to be partnering with the team at Wbtvg, as we have long admired the work they do. Also, we heard they’re giving us the Central Perk set on the lot for our offices…? Very cool!”

Aniello and Downs co-created Hacks with Jen Statsky for HBO Max and Universal Television.

Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs have signed an overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group.

Under the multi-year deal, the duo and their Paulilu Productions banner will develop projects across broadcast, cable, and streaming for Wbtv. This marks the first overall deal for the company.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the team at Wbtvg, as we have long admired the work they do,” Aniello and Downs said. “Also, we heard they’re giving us the Central Perk set on the lot for our offices…? Very cool!”

Aniello and Downs are best known for co-creating — along with Jen Statsky — the critically-acclaimed HBO Max comedy series “Hacks.” The show recently picked up 15 Emmy nominations, including best comedy series and best writing for a comedy series. Aniello also received a nomination for best directing for a comedy series. “Hacks” was renewed for a second season back in June.

Prior to creating “Hacks,...

Lil Rel Howery, Billy Magnussen and Jillian Bell will star in the ensemble comedy film “Reunion.”

The movie is the first greenlit project for Artists Road, the comedy film joint venture that was formed in October by Spyglass Media Group, Propagate Content, Artists First and Off-Road Productions. The pic puts a darkly humorous spin on the classic whodunnit. It centers on a murder that takes place during a snowstorm at a high school reunion party, which leaves guests trapped in an isolated mansion trying to piece together clues.

Chris Nelson (“The Perfect Date”) is directing the movie from a screenplay by the “The Edge of Sleep” writing duo, Jake Emanuel and Willie Block.

Howery and Bell previously appeared together in “Brittany Runs a Marathon,” the acclaimed 2019 Amazon comedy. Bell’s credits also include “Rough Night,” “Cowboys,” and “Godmothered,” while Howery has appeared in the likes of “Get Out,” “Tag” and the upcoming “Free Guy.

Broad City has a brand new resident. Ilana Glazer gave birth to her first child with husband David Rooklin, she shared on Instagram on July 19. Alongside a photo with her newborn, Ilana wrote, "been breastfeedin in compression socks for the past 3 weeks, hbu?" In early July, the Rough Night actress told Lady Gunn that she was "really looking forward to the next few months" after giving birth, as she spends time with a "brand new human." Ilana also reflected on the lessons she learned as an expectant mother, saying, "There is something that has been continually clarifying in my pregnancy." She explained, "It's horrifying that women are second...

Debbie Gibson has shared the new video for “One Step Closer,” the opening track from the pop singer’s upcoming album The Body Remembers, Gibson’s first LP of original music in 20 years.

Speaking to Rolling Stone about her comeback in June, Gibson said of the disco banger “One Step Closer,” “I love the throwback style of Dua Lipa, Kylie Minogue. I love those girls. I miss Donna Summer. I think we all do.”

During the video, Gibson is seen walking around in Las Vegas, the site of her residency...

Dean Winters has joined the “Joe Exotic” series at Peacock in the role of Jeff Lowe.

Fans of the hit Netflix docuseries “Tiger King” will recall that Lowe became Exotic’s business partner and ally in his fight against Carole Baskin before eventually turning on him.

Winters is the latest addition to the already stacked cast of “Joe Exotic.” He joins previously announced series leads Kate McKinnon, who will play Baskin, and John Cameron Mitchell, who will play Exotic. It was also recently announced that Brian Van Holt will play John Reinke, Sam Keeley will play John Finlay, Natt Wolff will play Travis Maldonado, and Dennis Quaid will play Rick Kirkham.

Winters is no stranger to Peacock audiences, as he currently appears in the streamer’s critically-acclaimed comedy “Girls5Eva.” That series reunites him with Tina Fey, with whom he previously worked on the hit NBC comedy “30 Rock.” Winters is...

It all began in a Honda Pilot en route to Portland, Me.

Amici Lucia Aniello, Jen Statsky and Paul W. Downs were headed to tape a segment for the latter’s Netflix comedy special, and a discussion broke out about legendary female comedians, who never got their due, and for one reason or another, might have tripped in their career, and got cancelled by the industry. Such were the origins of their HBO Max comedy series Hacks, which has already been ordered for a second season.

“I thought of it,” deadpans Downs on conceiving Hacks to which Statsky sarcastically retorts, “Any man needs two good typists.”

Downs and Aniello were former Upright Citizens Brigade pals. Statsky and Aniello met in 2007 as the only femme members in a sketch group which forgot to invite them back. They all merged on the writing staff of Comedy Central’s Broad City, and later...

HBO is developing a new half-hour series from “The Daily Show’s” Jaboukie Young-White and Issa Rae, the premium cable channel said Thursday.

Inspired by the book “The Gang’s All Queer: the Lives of Gay Gang Members” by criminologist Vanessa R. Panfil, the untitled project will be written and executive produced by Young-White.

The project centers on a closeted twenty-something in Chicago who, while grieving a gang-related death, ditches college to find reckless closure.

Rae, who signed a five-year overall deal with WarnerMedia earlier this year, will executive produce alongside Montrel McKay of her Hoorae production company. Hoorae’s Sara Rastogi will co-executive produce.

Also executive producing the project are Jonathan Berry, Olivia Gerke and Dave Becky of 3 Arts Entertainment.

Young-White has been a correspondent on “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” since 2018. His other writing credits include Netflix’s “American Vandal” and “Big Mouth.” As an actor,...

As if pregnancy wasn’t scary enough for a couple becoming parents for the first time, Hulu’s upcoming horror movie “False Positive” offers a contemporary spin on “Rosemary’s Baby” with terrifying results. The film re-teams director, producer, and writer John Lee with Ilana Glazer, for whom he directed episodes of the Comedy Central classic “Broad City,” which she co-created with Abbi Jacobsen. Glazer co-wrote the script with Lee and also stars in “False Positive” opposite Justin Theroux. The movie will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 17, followed by a Hulu premiere on June 25.

Here’s the official synopsis courtesy of Hulu: “After months of trying and failing to get pregnant, Lucy (Ilana Glazer) and Adrian (Justin Theroux) finally find their dream fertility doctor in the illustrious Dr. Hindle (Pierce Brosnan). But after becoming pregnant with a healthy baby girl, Lucy begins to notice something sinister through Hindle’s gleaming charm,...

“From the producer of Superbad, Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin” headlines the 2011 poster for Bridesmaids. It might as well have continued “comes a comedy starring… women!” While the producer in question, Judd Apatow, had nearly created his own subgenre of modern coming-of-age comedies featuring male friendships (regardless of the age his characters were ‘coming of’), a credible, genuinely funny, ensemble laugher starring all women was virtually unheard of. Or at least so it seemed at the time. Quotes on other posters included proclamations like, “Chick flicks don’t have to suck!” (Movieline) and “Better Than The Hangover!” (Cosmopolitan).

Ten years on, it seems both like yesterday when the film came out and also a whole era away: a time when women headlining a comedy movie was somehow strange, “chick flicks” were accepted to be a lesser form of cinema, and The Hangover was considered the pinnacle of hilarity. From...

Rachael Leigh Cook will star in the Netflix original film “A Tourist’s Guide to Love,” Variety has learned exclusively.

The film is based on an original idea of Cook’s with Eirene Donohue set to write the screenplay. In the film, after an unexpected break up, a travel executive (Cook) accepts an assignment to go undercover and learn about the tourist industry in Vietnam. Along the way she finds adventure and romance with her Vietnamese expat tour guide when they decide to hijack the tour bus in order to explore life and love off the beaten path.

Cook will produce in addition to starring. Jim Head of Head First Productions will also produce, with Joel S. Rice and Lydia Storie of Muse Entertainment executive producing.

This is not the first Netflix film Cook has worked on in recent years. She previously starred in and produced the film “Love, Guaranteed” at the streamer.

Promising young man Bo Burnham has just “scored” a major role in a new HBO series. The multi-hyphenate, whose credits include writing and directing Eighth Grade and acting in films like Promising Young Woman, The Big Sick, and Rough Night, will play Boston Celtics superstar Larry Bird in the untitled show about the “Showtime” era […]

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